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Note: My experience with laser-scan is that the polygon count on the resulting models are normally way too high to be useful in real-time applications.



The point of a scan is not to get a polygon-friendly model to begin with. It is to get the 3D geometry into your computer from a real, physical object. Once it is digitized, then the 3D modeler can go about re-creating the topology using the scanned data to constrain the new geometry he is creating. For example, the physical object could be scanned and then brought into a program like Silo or Modo. Then the modeler can use the tools of the 3D app to create new topology on top. Once completed, the scanned model is deleted, leaving the lower polygon model in its place.

Often times this can result in a complex model being created very quickly. Some studios have a clay model artist that will model their characters and monsters, etc, and then they will scan them in and let the 3D modelers create new geometry to make the models friendly for real-time 3D content.

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