Modern film and TV productions rely on a combination of LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry, reference photography, and HDR panoramas to accurately digitize environments and assets for location scouting, camera tracking, set extension, look development, and VFX integration. Each tool serves a specific purpose based on resolution needs, speed, and technical complexity.

For fast location scouting, combining the iPhone Pro’s LiDAR sensor with Pix4D Capture, Emlid RTK, and the Xgrids Lixelkitty K1 enables rapid, georeferenced environmental scanning with minimal setup. The iPhone Pro offers quick, handheld LiDAR capture for small-scale interiors or confined spaces, ideal for generating rough 3D meshes and spatial layouts directly on-site. When paired with Pix4D Catch iOS app and Emlid RTK, teams can add accurate positional metadata, improving the alignment of lightweight captures. The Xgrids K1, with its SLAM and RTK capabilities, complements this setup by providing full coverage of larger areas or exterior paths in real time, anchoring all data to a shared coordinate system. This multi-device workflow is especially useful for scouting in remote or time-constrained environments, where speed, portability, and basic geospatial context matter more than final production fidelity. It allows production designers, VFX supervisors, and location teams to quickly visualize scale, access, and potential extensions before committing to higher-end scanning needs.

SLAM LiDAR systems like the Xgrids Lixelkitty K1 with RTK and static scanners such as the Leica BLK360 Gen 2 are both used in film and TV production for camera tracking and set extension, but each serves distinct roles. The Lixelkitty K1, with real-time SLAM and RTK positioning, is ideal for dynamic, on-the-fly 3d capture which is used to help improve the accuracy of camera tracking tools such as Nuke and PF Track. In contrast, the BLK360g2 offers high-resolution, static point clouds that are crucial for precise set extension, providing accurate spatial context for extending practical sets into CG. Conversely, the K1’s strength in mobility comes at the cost of lower spatial resolution and potential drift over time. Productions often use both in tandem: the K1 for fast scene mapping, and the BLK360 for anchoring extensions to high-fidelity ground truth, ensuring seamless alignment between physical and digital environments.

For environment capture in previsualization, the Xgrids Lixelkitty K1 with RTK and the Leica BLK360 Gen 2 offer a powerful combination, especially when generating photorealistic but low-resolution real-time environments using Gaussian splatting. The K1’s mobile SLAM and RTK capabilities enable fast, comprehensive scans of large or complex sets, capturing spatial data suitable for immediate integration into previs workflows where speed and camera path planning are critical. Meanwhile, the BLK360g2 contributes high-quality panoramic imagery and accurate geometry, which can be fused with K1 data or downsampled to generate realistic Gaussian splat representations. These splats, while low in geometric fidelity, preserve visual cues and lighting, making them ideal for virtual camera blocking, scene layout, or testing VFX integration in real time. The main trade-off is resolution versus turnaround: the K1 prioritizes rapid capture with lower detail, while the BLK360 ensures visual richness but requires longer processing. When used together, they enable a balanced pipeline which is fast with RTK-anchored scans from the K1 for layout, and texturally rich splats derived from BLK360 data for immersive, photoreal previz without the overhead of full mesh reconstruction.

For high-resolution environment capture for production, particularly for hero assets and precise set extensions, combining the Leica BLK360 Gen 2 with a photogrammetry kit significantly enhances both geometric accuracy and texture fidelity. The BLK360 provides reliable static LiDAR data with colorized point clouds, while photogrammetry, using a calibrated DSLR or mirrorless camera kit, adds ultra-high-resolution surface detail and photorealistic textures, ideal for close-up VFX integration. While the Xgrids Lixelkitty K1 can supplement this with SLAM-based coverage of hard-to-reach or time-constrained areas, it lacks the resolution needed for critical hero captures. In large-scale or complex environments such as urban exteriors, cliff faces, or cathedral interiors, productions may require rental of more advanced terrestrial scanners like the Faro Focus S350 or Leica Scanstation P50, which offer extended range (350m+), higher accuracy, and denser point clouds. These systems are essential when scanning tall structures, long sightlines, or detailed facades where millimeter precision is needed across large distances. However, they come with steeper operational requirements, often necessitating experienced surveyors or VFX supervisors familiar with georeferencing, registration workflows, and survey-grade target systems to ensure the data aligns seamlessly with production pipelines and world-space coordinates.

For capturing medium-sized assets such as vehicles, machinery, or large props, the Leica BLK360 Gen 2 and a photogrammetry kit form an effective combination, offering both high geometric accuracy and detailed surface texture. The BLK360 provides precise, static scans with colorized point clouds that serve as a reliable geometric foundation, while photogrammetry adds high-resolution textures and finer surface details which is ideal for creating digital assets used in close-up VFX shots or interactive experiences. While the Xgrids Lixelkitty K1 can assist in quickly scanning the general form of these assets, its SLAM-based approach typically lacks the precision and texture fidelity needed for final production models. For vehicles, the combination of BLK360 scans for structure and photogrammetry for detailed elements like interiors, decals, and reflective surfaces ensures a well-rounded digital twin. These workflows are well-suited for in-house VFX teams or asset builders, requiring moderate scanning experience but attention to occlusion handling, reflectivity, and consistent lighting during photogrammetry capture to ensure clean, production-ready results.

When scanning props and costumes, LiDAR systems like the Leica BLK360 Gen 2 and Xgrids Lixelkitty K1 are generally inappropriate for primary asset capture due to their limited resolution and inability to handle fine surface detail or complex materials like fabric, skin, or reflective surfaces. At best, these scanners can help establish spatial scale and positional context relative to other on-set elements, but the core asset creation relies on a photogrammetry kit. High-resolution photogrammetry, using calibrated cameras and controlled studio setups, is essential for capturing the intricate textures and microgeometry of props, wardrobe pieces, and actor scans. These captures demand enhanced technical skill, particularly in managing cross-polarized lighting setups to eliminate specular reflections and preserve true surface color. Additionally, precise lens calibration, controlled turntable or rig motion, and expert image masking and alignment techniques are required to produce clean, production-ready meshes. This level of detail is critical for close-up VFX shots or digital doubles and typically handled by specialized scanning technicians or VFX vendors with experience in studio-grade asset digitization workflows.

Reference photography for objects and environments is a critical part of the scanning workflow, especially for look development and texture fidelity, but is often misunderstood as a substitute for scanning itself. Unlike photogrammetry, reference photography is not processed into geometry, it is used to visually document surface materials, wear patterns, construction details, and scale references for artists to interpret when building or refining digital assets. This method is fast and flexible, allowing teams to quickly capture multiple angles and lighting conditions of props, vehicles, costumes, or set pieces. However, it lacks spatial accuracy and is not designed to integrate directly with LiDAR scans or point cloud data. Instead, it supplements the scanning process by providing visual grounding for textures, materials, and artistic decisions during asset creation. Capturing effective reference photography, particularly for high-end VFX work, requires discipline and experience, including consistent camera settings, proper lens choice, color calibration charts, and lighting documentation to ensure consistency and usability across departments.

360° HDR panoramas are essential for image-based lighting (IBL), providing high dynamic range environmental data used to accurately replicate on-set lighting conditions in CG. Captured with a fisheye lens, panoramic head, or 360° camera using bracketed exposures, these panoramas enable VFX and look development teams to create lighting setups that match the real-world scene in both intensity and directionality. When processed into HDRIs, they are mapped onto virtual domes to drive realistic reflections, ambient lighting, and shadows for digital assets. This process is especially critical when integrating CG elements into live-action plates, ensuring seamless lighting continuity. While fast to capture, executing high-quality HDRI requires careful exposure control, tripod leveling, nodal alignment, and the use of gray/chrome reference spheres for validation. Although not intended for geometry or scene reconstruction, HDR panoramas are invaluable in unifying the physical and digital lighting environments and are a staple in modern VFX and virtual production pipelines.