Six months or so ago I heard about a web site called PhotoSynth, a tool that started in Microsoft Research Labs. You can upload pictures of a building or city block or object or whatever into PhotoSynth and it will stitch them together into a 3d view.
PhotoSynth is now live. It has some limitations, like the inability to add pictures to someone else's Synth, but you can just imagine the potential!
I downloaded a bunch of pictures of the SL temple from Flickr and created a PhotoSynth called "Mormon Temple (SLC)." It was able to automatically stitch together about 11 percent of them, although all from the same side.
Would love to see someone put enough pictures into a Synth to create a full 3d view of one of the temples!
Kudos to Microsoft for a clever idea!
looks like a great tool but it isn't truly a "web" tool because it won't run on Mac OS. I can't even look at the samples. But a web tool should be truly universal, that's the whole point.
ReplyDeleteI assume they are working on it though.
In case these didn't show up in your search for images of the Salt Lake Temple on Flikr.... here are some more:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/dterryphotography/tags/saltlaketemple/
Tried posting this once, apologies if this comes through twice.
ReplyDeleteA Temple synth is the first thing that popped into my mind. I have made some attempts using some pics I have taken over the years. But will definitely be going to some local temples with a fluid 360 degree view and detail zooms in mind.
Manti: http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=62fd5375-4aec-42b0-a722-ac9488ad7cc9
Timpanogos: http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=ad992a04-600a-4fdb-a0ad-9df1c845d5be
I think a number of temples will be difficult as timpanogos, bountiful, ogden, provo, etc. all look very similar from different sides. It may have issues finding unique features to match on.
But it will be fun to watch the progression of features such as community addition of photos that Joel mentioned.
Joel -- great idea. How about convincing Gilbert over in North Temple to take a lunch break and take some snapshots of SLC? or the conf center as well (and shots from above). The key to a great synth is to ensure that similar elements are represented in at least 3 shots...basically overlap the crud out of the photos.
ReplyDeleteWish I could see them, but it doesn't run on a Mac.
ReplyDeleteTook a ton of pics of SLC Temple this morning. Will put up a link when I get the synth up.
ReplyDeleteSLC Temple with lots of detail http://tinyurl.com/slctemplephotosynth1
ReplyDelete@Toobit
ReplyDeleteIt's Micro$oft, what do you expect? Don't assume that they're doing anything about it, at all, ever.