Microsoft Releases 3rd Generation Of Photosynth

[techbeck]

Microsoft this morning lifted the veil on the next generation of Photosynth, its 3D image technology, with the release of a technical preview of the new Photosynth. This is the third generation of the technology, and is now recommended for those with D-SLR or point-and-shoot cameras, says Microsoft.

The prior two versions of Microsoft Photosynth, which offer the original synths and stitched panoramas, are still available on the main Photosynth website.

Meanwhile, the updated technology now supports four basic experiences: ?spin,? ?panorama,? ?walk? and ?wall.? As their respective names describe, each offers a different kind of 3D image viewing experience ? a spin around an object as small as a teacup or as large as a glacial peak, Microsoft explains, a panoramic view, a walk ? like down a path through the woods, for example ? or a slide across a scene.

In order to create one of these four different synth types, users upload a set of photos to Microsoft?s cloud service then the technology begins to looking for points (?features?) in the successive photos that appear to the be same object. It then determines where each photo was taken from, where in 3D space each of these objects were, and how the camera was oriented. Next, it generates the 3D shapes on a per-photo basis. And finally, the technology calculates a smooth path ? like a Steadicam ? through the locations for each photo, and then slices the images into multi-resolution pyramids for efficiency.

The end result is an immersive, and smoother 3D photo experience which gives you more of the feeling of really seeing what the camera had captured. You can actually fly through the scene ? it?s almost like a movie. There?s even a play and pause button. You can also share the Photosynth images to Facebook or Twitter, or embed them.

 

 

http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/10/imicrosoft-releases-3rd-generation-of-photosynth-turns-3d-images-into-video-like-experiences/

 

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[primexx]

Not on WP8. Windows-only app?

[Growled Member]

A friend of mine has used the older version a couple of times. It's very impressive stuff.