Guides
Exploring, surveying and finding your way underground: practical guides, always within the law and with safety first.
Urbex: map an exploration, and know how to get out
Urbex in authorised places: keep a record of your route, a plan and the way back with no GPS or network, using an iPhone Pro’s LiDAR.
Read the guide →Underground quarry plan: survey galleries with an iPhone Pro
Survey an underground quarry or mine with an iPhone Pro: gallery plan, altitude profile, PLY/OBJ 3D model, way back to the exit, offline.
Read the guide →Caving: a 3D cave survey to complement topography
Complement classic cave surveying with an iPhone LiDAR 3D model: development, altitude profile, landmarks, way back to the entrance, no network.
Read the guide →Underground map: find your way with no GPS or network
GPS does not work underground. How to find your way in a gallery with no network: path, landmarks, thread back and an offline LiDAR minimap on iPhone.
Read the guide →LiDAR scanning on iPhone: the guide to mapping well
Which iPhones have LiDAR (iPhone 12 Pro and later), how 3D scanning works, its limits and how to scan a gallery well with Lidark.
Read the guide →Catacombs and tunnels: discover the heritage, safely
Catacombs, quarries and historic tunnels: discover them through authorised visits, document them in 3D and keep your bearings offline. Safety first.
Read the guide →Best 3D scanner app for iPhone: a LiDAR comparison by use case
Which LiDAR 3D scanner app for iPhone suits a room, an object, a floor plan or a cave? An honest comparison by use case, with no invented prices.
Read the guide →Polycam alternative: scanning a cave or an authorised tunnel
Polycam or Scaniverse underground? What general scanners do well, what a cave demands (no GPS, darkness, the way back) and when to choose Lidark.
Read the guide →Cave mapping with an iPhone: a step-by-step guide
Map a cave with iPhone LiDAR: preparation, lighting, scanning technique, landmarks, range limits, PLY/OBJ export and how it complements traditional survey.
Read the guide →Abandoned mines: a safety-first guide
Abandoned mines: bad air, collapse, shafts, water, legal access, never going alone. A safety-first guide, with what a map can add and what it cannot.
Read the guide →Caving and urbex headlamp: how to choose
Headlamp for caving or urbex: lumens and throw, beam pattern, red light, batteries, the rule of three lights, IPX ratings, weight and regulated output.
Read the guide →3D viewer
Your file stays on your computer: nothing is uploaded.
View my survey in 3D →