An app from the team at Dekko could potentially scan real-life objects and turn them into functional, in-game Minecraft blocks. DekkoSkan was recently discussed on Reddit.
Earlier this year, the developer at Dekko mentioned building a 3D reconstruction system for its augmented reality car game, TableTop Speed. Dekko then decided to turn its attention to exporting to other games, like Minecraft.
The process works by using the iPad or iPhone camera to showcase the entire object with video. Dekkoscan creates a render of the object in Minecraft, which is then added to the save game folder or to MCEedit, an editor for Minecraft.
The resolution is set at 128x128, so large objects are going to be hard to process, unless the resolution is addressed in future updates. For example, the thread on Reddit says, "It's possible to scan a house in low resolution if you start from afar, but it doesn't work as well because the tech is pretty experimental and right now geared towards close-range scanning."
Additional features that were discussed on Reddit included auto-scaling, in-game materials, and editing components. While some of these features may show up later on, the initial version of the app, "won't launch with brushes or live tools, just a big "generate" button to send a zip file."
Swedish studio, 13th Lab developed a similar app. Minecraft Reality allows users to upload Minecraft creations and place them in real-world surroundings.
Services like Mineways and Printcraft have even started rendering Minecraft creations for 3D printing purposes.
Although DekkoScan is still pending App Store approval, the team plans on bringing the app to both iPhone and iPad, with plans for additional devices in the future. Currently, the app supports the iPad 2, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 5.
To see some of the most recent demonstrations, check out the DekkoScan image gallery or its video on Vine.