Turning Real Faces into Game Characters: How EinScan Libre Improves RPG Asset Production Efficiency

Project Background: Building Immersive RPG Worlds

Founded in 2005, Neocore Games is an independent studio based in Central Europe with nearly two decades of experience developing narrative-driven role-playing games for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

As development began on its next RPG title, the team identified a critical requirement: creating highly realistic 3D human models that would seamlessly integrate into a story-driven universe. Achieving this level of realism required accurately capturing subtle facial expressions and unique physical details—elements that are difficult to reproduce through manual modeling alone.

To meet this demand, the studio turned to 3D scanning technology.

Initial Workflow Limitations: Photogrammetry Challenges

Before adopting 3D scanning hardware, the team relied primarily on traditional photogrammetry to digitize characters and environmental assets. While usable in some scenarios, the method introduced several production bottlenecks, especially for full-body models and large-scale scenes:

• Cumbersome setup: Photogrammetry required extensive lighting and a controlled environment.
• Special preparation: Characters often had to be coated in white paint to ensure proper capturing results.
• Time-consuming process: Capturing large-scale scans demanded thousands of photographs, yet the resulting data was not always sufficiently clear.
• High post-processing workload: 3D artists had to spend significant time remodeling captured data into production-ready models with clean topology for animation.

Traditional Photogrammetry

These constraints slowed the production pipeline and reduced overall efficiency. A faster, more flexible, and higher-quality digitizing method became necessary.

Workflow Transition: Adopting EinScan Libre

To address these inefficiencies, Neocore Games integrated EinScan Libre, a wireless, standalone all-in-one laser 3D scanner, into its asset creation workflow.

After evaluating several options, the team found the device easy to use and highly efficient.

"We found a person who owns one of these scanners, and we took a look and it seemed promising. And then we decided to give it a go and we bought EinScan Libre. And it turned out to be perfect.”

 — Balázs Kiss, 3D scanning expert at Neocore Games 

 

According to Kiss, the scanner combines portability, operational simplicity, and reliable data quality. It captures accurate 3D data within seconds and produces ready-to-use results without extensive setup—an advantage in fast-paced development environments.

Balázs Kiss, 3D scanning expert at Neocore Games

Application 1: Human Face and Head Scanning

One of the primary applications of EinScan Libre at the studio is face and head scanning.

• Capture time: approximately 30 seconds per person

   

• Output: detailed and accurate mesh data generated almost instantly

Following capture, 3D artists refine and retopologize the scan into optimized models with fewer polygons and clean topology suitable for animation. Compared with fully manual modeling, this workflow significantly reduces production time while maintaining consistency and realism in character design.

Capturing face data with EinScan Libre

Application 2: Outdoor Environmental Asset Scanning

Beyond character modeling, the scanner supports environmental asset production.

Lightweight and portable, EinScan Libre can be transported in a backpack for on-site scanning. This enables rapid capture of complex, organic objects such as: rocks, trees, terrain surfaces. 

Field scans can be meshed immediately and brought back to the studio for refinement. Compared with photogrammetry or drone imaging, this approach streamlines a process that was previously cumbersome and time-intensive. 

Outdoor scanning with EinScan Libre

Production Impact: Efficiency and Creative Focus

Integrating EinScan Libre into Neocore Games’ workflow has transformed how the team creates 3D assets. The scanner not only accelerates the capture of human characters and environmental elements but also allows artists to focus on creativity rather than technical constraints, bringing richer, more realistic worlds to life.

Broader Industry Relevance

With compact, high-performance 3D scanning tools like EinScan Libre, creators can now achieve levels of realism and efficiency that were previously difficult to reach. Beyond gaming, these tools are empowering industries such as VFX, CGI, and virtual production, where speed, precision, and creative freedom are equally vital.