Microsoft’s Photosynth technology is based on the premise that different images of the same place – even images that are taken by different people and uploaded all over the internet – can be combined automatically such that they ultimately provide a simulated 3D environment (see the video at the bottom of this post). This review, however, will focus on the recently released Photosynth desktop client that can be used by individual users to process their own images.

To understand what this program does consider the following example: imagine that you are at a gallery or a museum looking at a massive wall-size painting from across the room. At that vantage point the entire painting is visible as a single image, but as you step closer to the painting from the left, that side of the painting becomes more prominent as its right-hand side recedes into the distance. As you get nearer to it, you start to notice the deliberately rough texture of the surface of the painting, something which was not apparent from your initial vantage point. Stepping even closer, you can now see detail sections of the painting but not the image in its entirety; however individual brush strokes and scratches on the surface of the painting are now visible, and you can see surfaces where the paint is cracking, as well as, say, any random materials (paper, cloth, sand) that the artist might have applied to the surface, etc.

A simple digital image, of course, will not capture the above experience no matter how high it’s resolution may be. What Microsoft Photosynth can do, however, is consolidate a few dozen (or a few hundred) snapshots of the painting that are taken from various distances and points of view into a complete whole. The more information you give it (i.e. images taken from different angles and distances, closer-ups that clearly show the surface texture, etc) the more Photosynth is able to generate a browsable "synth" that approximates the experience described above. Here are more notes on this program:

• How to install: you will have to download and install the Photosynth software and log in using a Hotmail or Windows Live ID (if you don’t have one you will have to get one). You will then have to create a Photosynth login name. Note that this is an online service, and that (a) you can upload up to 20 gigs (yes, gigabytes) worth of images into your Photosynth account, and (b) any Photosynths created are public and can be viewed/browsed by all users.
• How to use: take a lot of pictures, then upload them. That’s it; however before uploading make sure that all pictures are correctly rotated (i.e. no upside down pics). You can manipulate your pictures prior to uploading (say, for color correction) but do not crop them.
• Tips for taking pics: start with the corners of the room and work your away around, snapping every detail. Go around objects (e.g. tables) and snap away, getting as much info as possible. Focus your efforts on textures and contrasts, not, say expanses of walls where nothing much is happening. (These tips are taken from the "How to Synth" video which can be found here).
• Photosynth in action: it will take a few minutes for your "synth" to be built, depending on how much data you are uploading. Typically not all of the uploaded images can be used in a 3D construct, and the program will let you know the percentage of images that it could use to create a synth (will say something like "75% synthy" at the end of the Photosynth process).
• Viewing Photosynths: you will need to install (a) a Photosynth browser plugin, and (b) the Photosynth local app. Firefox and IE are both supported.
• Contols: you can browse synths using a multitude of controls, including on-screen clickable arrows, the arrow keys, the mouse scroll wheel and the mouse (left click and move the mouse to simulate arrow keys). Hovering over the synth will display rectangles denoting individual stills that you can zoom into. Pressing the left mouse button for a long time will display a "disc" that can be used to rotate your view by 360°. Other contorls can be accessed using the icons on the top right of a synth.

Wish list:

• Not sure why you need to install Photosynth locally to view synths online; seems like a browser plugin should have been sufficient. Seems like the. Also I would love to be able to embedd a synths such that it is freely viewable inside a web page.

The verdit: this is proof positive that Microsoft does create cool things. What’s great about this program is the ease that of creating these things; all the user has to do is snap pictures and upload; there are absolutely ZERO decisions that have to be taken on the user’s part.

I experimented with building a synth of one of my own paintings, pictured in the screenshot above (you can see it here, but will have to install Photosynth first). I uploaded 37 pictures totalling 45 megabytes; the results were good but not as good as I had hoped; however I am sure that with more data (more pictures focusing on textured areas) the results would be better.

From a practical point of view, imagine the applications this could have in terms of, say, creating synths for products sold on sites like Amazon or eBay, etc. As far as this is concerned I really hope that Microsoft will offer embeddable synths or a simple synth viewer that can be inserted into any web page freely.

Check out the following video that described Photosynth technology:

Version Tested: 2.0.1403.5

Compatibility: Windows XP sp2 or sp3 or Vista. Internet Explorer browser or Firefox (v. 2.0 or 3.0) required. 32 MB graphics card minimum set to full graphics acceleration. Runs on some DirectX6 capable cards and all DirectX7 cards.

Go to the Photosynth Home Page to download the latest version (approx 8.17 megs).

With this program you can create a modeled 3D head and then export it as an .OBJ file for use in other 3D modeling software such as Sketchup or Blender. As a starting point you will need two well light photographs of the subject whose head you want to model, and, once imported into Looxis Faceworx, the process will require a degree of manual intervention on your part to best map your subject’s phase/features onto the 3D model. Here are more notes on this program:

• The learning curve: is very shallow. Just go to help then video tutorial and you will know everything that you need to know within 5 minutes. The program is very easy to use and come to grips with.
• How it works: once you have the images, you will have to manipulate a line/point structure manually in order to best fit it around the face in the photographs.What you need to know here is that there are different levels of detail that you can work with: you can tell the program to give you more points or less points to manipulate.
• More tips: make it simple by deactivating the line/points structures that you are not working with instead of having them be displayed on screens. Zoom into the images when working with them for best accuracy (with the mouse wheel). Start with as little points as possible then make it more detailed afterwards; the better you "fit" these points around the head, the better the result will be. Deactivate the "blend zone" to begin with and deal with it at the very end.
• The user interface: is very straightforward. Three different windows display your subject’s frontal image, profile image, and 3D model of the head. What is nice about this program is that since it only does one thing – maps images to a 3D head – there is a limited set of tools that you need to use and come to grips with.
• More options: you can view your model in "Orthogonal", "Perspective", or Wireframe modes. There’s a "lightning" function which seems to add some shadows to your model, and a magnifier tool which I found extremely useful.
• Exporting: you can save your model in .OBJ format and import it into other 3D modeling software.

Related tools: the creator of this software offers a number of free tools that can be used in conjunction with Faceworx: a browser plugin that enables viewing the 3D model in a browser, a screensaver creator that generates a screensaver that uses your 3D head, and an HTML generator that can embed your model in HTML for publishing on a site. These seem to be only in German, unfortunately, so I was not able to use them, and there seems to be very sparse info on them on the site itself.

The verdict: a very nice free tool that you can get into and produce great results in a manner of minutes. Even if you use other modeling software such as Sketchup or Blender this can be invaluable in terms of getting your 3D head created which you can then add to any project that you might be working on in those other programs (e.g the rest of the body). For all you people who will get excited about the thought of a 3D avatar, this program is for you.

[Thanks to my colleague Matt for agreeing to be my model; see his personal website here].

Version Tested: 1.0

Compatibility: Windows XP; no info on Vista

Go to the program page to download the latest version (approx 11.5 megs).

A few months ago I reviewed SketchUp from Google, a great, easy to learn, yet powerful modeling program, and although Kerkythea can be used with most 3D modeling programs for the purposes of this interview I will write about using it with SketchUp.

SketchUp allows you to you make great models in nice graphic formats, but it stops short when it comes to photo-realistically rendered finished images: you cannot show reflections or shiny surfaces using SketchUp only, or, say, highlight an area with a spot-light to create a theatrical feeling. The good news is that now on you can, with the powerful and free Kerkythea Rendering System that adds all that is missing from SketchUp. Here are more notes on Kerkythea:

• How it works: install into your SketchUp plugin folder. It will add new functions (e.g. many lights which you can use in the SketchUp components) that will become active once you export the model to Kerkythea. You can also open the files you have created with SketchUp straight into Kerkythea (the files will employ an XML internal format).
• The user interface: is quite good and allows you to manipulate the lights, textures, and views. It will import the camera angles from SketchUp and in a few minutes of tweaking you can press the render button and you will have your self an image that looks this (see screenshot to the right). Make sure you start with a 200×200 DPI test renders. The large files take a lot of time to finish.
• The materials: there is an impressive range of supported materials (too numerous to list here).
• The Kerkythea site: is great, and always growing. You can download all sorts of models and materials libraries and other resources.

Wish list:

• The ability to move objects easier and do small edits in the Kerkythya system itself.
• I wish the interface can keep toolbars on the side or take advantage of the right-clicking the mouse button for quick commands.
• Faster rendering would be great

The verdict: a great program that provides seamless integration with SketchUp. You don’t have to buy a few thousand dollars worth of software to produce great quality artistic renderings of your models; Kerkythya delivers and is absolutely free.

Check out a video demo of Kerkythya renderings below:

[Note: this review was written by Khader Humeid of Metaform Studios in New York].

Version Tested: 2008 Echo Edition v.2.0.5

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, Mac.

Go to the Kerkythea program page to download the latest version (approx 3 megs).

Rating

Version tested: 2.2.0

View3Dscene can open and view VRML 1.0, VRML 2.0 (aka VRML 97), 3DS, OBJ (Wavefront) and MD3 scenesfiles created with 3D modeling programs without the need for having a 3D modeling program installed on your machine. This free program offers a number of features including flexible navigation/viewing of objects, playing animations, raytracing, collision detection, as well as a command line operations.

View3Dscene provides a number of interesting navigation/viewing options. It is particularly useful if you want to view a 3D file that you downloaded or somebody sent you without installing a full-fledged 3D modeling program such as Blender, Sketchup, or 3D Wings. Here are some notes on what this program has to offer:

• Navigation: the ability to move in and around the object using a variety of mouse and keyboard controls.
• Viewing options: a rich variety here: the ability to change colors, including the color of the object and the background; also gives you the ability to switch a number of options on or off, including vector (vs. solid), smooth shading, fog, blending, texture, point size, etc.
• Raytracing: if your file includes at least one source of light, you can perform raytracing on the object from View3Dscene (and I must say it seemed rather efficient at this in terms of performance).
• Play animations: play, pause, and rewind (but no fast forward, apparently). Also provides the ability to make time pass slower or faster on display or loading. Note that I did not test this myself.
• Command line operations: convert to/from the supported formats, as well as perform a number of custom rendering/viewing operations. (I did not test this).
• Editing: allows you to inspect your objects (i.e. select an element and view its properties). Also supports limited editing capabilities.
• Cross platform, unzip and run (no need for installation).

Possible uses for this program:

• Enables you to use and interact with 3D objects without having to install a full fledged 3D modeling program. This is particularly useful if you are interested in exploring the numerous 3D modeled objects that are freely downloadable all over the internet.
• If you create 3D models yourself, View3Dscene enables you to easily share your work with a large number of people who can use this small, 1-meg download to access and interact with your work.

For somebody, like myself, who is far removed from the world of 3D objects, I found this program easy to get into and play around with. It did occur to me that the user interface could have been more inspired, but this was eclipsed by the variety of nice tweaks and options that this program has to offer.

Compatibility: Windows, Linux, Mac, FreeBSD.

Go to the program home page to get the latest version (approx 1 meg).

Rating

Version tested: 2.44

[Note: this review was written by my friend Ala Diab from Amman, Jordran. Ala is primarily a musician but also does website design and has an avid interest in 3D graphics. He has performed his brand of computer-driven electronic music (and contemporary experimental Arabic/electronic music) in multiple venues across the Middle East and Europe.]

Blender is an all-in-one 3d modeling, animation and special effects package, sporting a plethora of features comparable to packages roughly 3,000 times more expensive. It has a growing fan base estimated around 800,000 users (from download statistics). It has been used in the first full-feature 10 min 3d film made with free software featured here on Freewaregenius (Elephant’s Dream). Also, it has been used internally amongst the team working on Spiderman 2 as a pre-vis and cinematography aid tool. Not bad for a software package that is free!

Ok, here’s the thing: I kinda promised to review this for Samer (a.k.a the Freewaregenius) two scores and a fortnight ago (in any case a long time ago). I justified the delay as wanting to delve into the thing in order to "unearth the treasure trove of features". Sometimes I entertain self-aggrandizing visions of being a 3d pro user, but having since realized my illusions, I decided to cover only my humble journey and leave the readers to check out the resources listed below for further investigation.

First Things First: Blender is tiny. I downloaded the 8MB file and installed it. It’s also recommended to download and install the latest version of Python – the programming engine that blender runs on – to make use of some of the advanced plug-ins and built-in functions.

Breaking the ice: What I first noticed starting Blender was the interface. Coming from an engineering-style layout programs (four view ports corresponding to top, side, front, 3d) it was jarring, trying to find my way around the application. Three days and a couple of tutorials away, I learned that blender purports the UI philosophy of non-collapsing windows and vast customizability. Non of the panels are fixed or hard-wired into the interface. Almost everything can be combined with everything else according to functions and personal preferences. It’s also really fun once you get the hang of it.

Object/Editing Modes: Blender’s modeler is split into two areas: editing: which enables you to push your vertices, sides, faces into place, and add modifiers (operators that can change the shape of an object) – which are completely non-destructive and can be switched off or modified or animated as your desires. The second is object, which is a higher-level model manipulation under which many elements can be grouped.

In Action: Since I was squeamish about getting something out of Blender, I decided to follow one of the tutorials in BlendeArts electronic magazine (see link below), that teaches the basics of box modeling using a little robot as an example. You start with reference images – a crucial step if you are a nascent modeler – that you align with you port views. Then you add a few primitive objects depending on your source images, and that you manipulate the objects using the bread and butter tools extrusion, duplication scaling moving and rotating.

Rendering: Once you have everything in place you’d want to see what it looks like. Hit [F12] to render the scene. Blender’s internal rendering engine leaves much to be desired but it’s fast and works well. You could push the quality of your shots by introducing YAFRAY into your workflow, which is a free ray-tracer with Global Illumination capabilities. The implementation within Blender is impressive.

Scalability: Many of the new productivity functions and plug-ins that end up being part of the users arsenal are developed using Python, a language I know very little about but seems versatile and robust. Programmers who want to expand blender can write code for faster modeling, better integration with external rendering systems (a Renderman plug-in is in the works), and animation pipeline enhancements.

The future: Blender just keeps getting better and better with time. The people behind it listen to their users. They are very active in the open-source community (Google’s Summer of Code is a prime example, where programmers pitch ideas and bid for programming help from others). And there’s a version 2.5 in the works the will boost usability with a new UI. The future is very bright for this little monster.

Other recommended resources:

• http://www.blender.org: The official website for the Blender Foundation
• http://www.blendernation.com/: An active community of blenderers , full of up-to-date news and tons of tutorials
• http://blenderartists.org/cms/index.php: Another online community
• http://blenderart.org/index.html: A web-based publication specialized in all things Blender. Issues are out frequently, a lifesaver for a person like me.
• http://wiki.cgsociety.org/index.php/Comparison_of_3d_tools: A very interesting comparative chart that illustrates how Blender measures up to it’s ’mature’ cousins.

Compatibility: Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP or Vista; Mac OS X 10.2 and later; Linux 2.2.5 i386; Linux 2.3.2 PPC; FreeBSD 6.2 i386; Irix 6.5 mips3; Solaris 2.8 sparc.
Minimum PC Requirements: 300 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM, 20 MB free hard disk Space, 1024 x 768 px Display with 16 bit color, 3 Button Mouse , Open GL Graphics Card with 16 MB RAM.

Go to the download page to get the latest version (approx 8 megs). Also visit the program home page.

Version tested: 0.98.32a

[Note: this review was written by my friend Ala Diab from Amman, Jodran. Ala is primarily a musician but also does website design and has an avid interest in 3D graphics. He has performed his brand of computer-driven electronic music (and contemporary experimental Arabic/electronic music) in multiple venues across the Middle East and Europe.]

Wings3d is a subdivision-modeling program that specializes in box/organic modeling. What it lacks in features it compensates for in simple, readily-accessible tool set for shaping and fine-tuning a model.

I have a confession to make: I’m a 3d graphics junkie. I’ve always wanted to get into 3d modeling even on a very basic level. To be able to visualize ideas in a clear, straightforward fashion. Lacking the attention span and the deep pocket to learn, I was on a quest to find a tool that was relatively simple, intuitive, low-cost and light on computer resources.

In my search I avoided trying demos of feature-rich, three-digit priced monoliths like Maya and Max, I googled with keywords like: free, 3d, model …etc. Until my search lead me to a little gem, Wings3d.

You start with a 3d, single-view window devoid of anything but a couple of icons at the top bar to decide which part of your model you want to manipulate: vertex, edge, face and body. Each of those levels has its own ’contextual’ menu of parameters to change that’s accessible by clicking on the right-mouse-button. To begin, you right click anywhere on the screen to reveal a set of ’primitive’ 3d objects. Your choice depends on your final product but for most applications a cube should be a good starting point. After that, you use a set of modifiers to change the shape of the box: copying, scaling, extruding, beveling to name just a few.

The beauty of Wings3d is that everything is integrated into a single window interface with extra features accessible by clicking the right mouse button. No diving into menus, no screen clutter. Another powerful feature is the hotkey presets and the assignability: any function can be mapped to a key for fast access; priceless if you want to increase your speed and productivity.

Wings3d can import and export a number of popular formats for further editing and refinement. It has a basic OpenGL renderer that doesn’t impress, but you can expand this capability by installing third-party, free renderers that integrate nicely with Wings3d.

There are numerous tutorials on the net for this baby. Starting with Wings3d website and far and beyond. It has a great community of enthusiasts that keep the programmers busy with feedback and feature requests.

There’s a somewhat outdated manual to start with, since the application keeps changing, but for most purposes it should suffice. It took me 2-3 hours to wrap my head around the interface and the various functions. But after that I gave my self a little challenge: I modeled the ashtray in the screenshot from memory in less than 20 min. Not bad considering I have no prior experience in the field. So it should be ok for people with interest and a little bit of patience to get results.

It says on the website that Wings3d is free (for now until they release version 1.0). The current stable release is 0.98.32a. It’s also multi-platform. I ran the program on a dingy PIII laptop with 128 MB of RAM,
and the program performed ok for the exercise . Any computer with better specs would surely yield better performance results.

Wings3d has managed to rekindle my passion for modeling. I hope it’s as interesting to get into for you too.

Compatibility: Multiplatform / WinAll (OpenGL required). MacOSX (see website for requirements). Linux: Open GL or Mesa required

Go to the program home page to get the latest version.

Version tested:  5.0.305

[Note: this review was written by my friend Khader Humeid of Metaform Studios in New York; see his website at http://www.metaformstudio.com - The Freewaregenius]

SketchUp is a powerful and yet easy to use 3D modeling software. It allows any user to build an accurate model of any idea whatsoever, from dog house to dream house. The program is so intuitive it sometimes feels too good to be true.

I discovered this software 2 years ago and it’s been getting better and better with every new version. As an architect and designer, I can’t imagine living without it.  The nice thing about the software is its simplicity and speed. A great feature is that any user can watch the free video tutorials. I found them to be the best learning tutorials I ever used. They allow you to master this program in 2-3 weekends.

The company is always offering free pre-made components for your model. For example, if you build a house and need a car in front of it, you can select a car from the extensive component library, not to mention furniture, appliances, trees, and people.

Another exciting feature of SketchUp is the ability to travel around your model and create animations of your product.

If you ever have a question or need to learn a special trick, the user forums are very helpful. Also visit http://pushpullbar.com/ for samples of great designs produced using this product.

SketchUp allows you to import and export to almost all other applications, and has plugins that continually expand its functionality beyond what it was originally designed to do. 

Differences between the free and pro version: This software was purchased by Google in 2006, who made it freely available for personal use, for commercial use, however, you have to purchase SketchUp Pro. The free version cannot export to 3D format, such as VRML or DWG, and cannot export an animation. Also, with the Pro version you can print a much higher quality rendering [thanks to SJ for pointing these out; last updated Dec 28 2006].

To put it simply, this is the kind of free software that puts expensive commercial packages to shame.

Download free version here. Go to the program page.