> This scan is made possible by recent advances in Gaussian Splatting. This is an emerging technology that lets us quickly create very detailed models just from photographs. For this model (or splat, as we call them), my friend Daylen and I flew our drones around Sutro Tower at a respectful distance for an afternoon until we had collected a few thousand photographs.
> I then aligned these pictures in free software called RealityCapture. Alignment is the process that teaches the computer that a bunch of points in different images all actually correspond with the same point in real life. Then I used another piece of free software called gsplat to produce the 3D model itself.
I'm assuming this was done similarly. Very cool.
A lot more architecture would benefit from being available like this splat model. The Pharonic tombs which you can visit in google/other virtual tourism are good, but this is also good!
It's unfortunate that this tour makes it very difficult to see. Really not a fan of this "on rails" presentation style. I understand the angles matter when viewing a splat, but come on.
Bad mobile support is a sore spot for any "Show HN" announcement.
Firefox, Windows 11, Nvidia
Get the following in the console when it stops working:
Uncaptured WebGPU error: Buffer binding 2 range 138024504 exceeds `max_*_buffer_binding_size` limit 134217728
Uncaptured WebGPU error: Buffer binding 1 range 138024504 exceeds `max_*_buffer_binding_size` limit 134217728
Uncaptured WebGPU error: In a set_bind_group command, caused by: BindGroup with '' label is invalidUnrelated silly question. Are you the same Vincent Woo who went over the whole unit combination story on Medium of a supervisor?
The model seems to be having a hard time with the marble floor in the quire (low resolution), is this because of its reflection?
I bet there's a story there.
In case it's useful, given your last sentence, it runs really well on Chrome on Android (on a Pixel 10) but it's a bit glitchy (although not impossible) on Firefox on Android. The loading indicator on Chrome got stuck briefly whereas the Firefox one was smoother, but that's about the only case there Firefox is better.
anything you write about the process, or how you learned are very welcome.
hdz•10h ago
The cutaway Peek feature is like a sci fi version of an Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections book. Incredible work!
akanet•8h ago