3D Models Using Multiple Photos - Interactive Demos | ||
Two types of models are provided: low-resolution ones and high-resolution ones.
The differences are contrasted in the table below.
Low-resolution models | High-resolution models | |
format | WebGL | VRML |
Size | ~ 5MB | anywhere from 20MB to 100MB and up |
Compressed or not | no | yes |
Download & processing time | < 1 min (depending on your Internet connection speed) | ~ 5 min to half an hour (slow over a low-bandwith connection) |
Model detail | coarse (WebGL limits 3D models to a maximum of 65,535 vertices) | fine |
Browser plug-in installation | not needed | one-time installation required (install browser plug-in here) |
Availability | Google Chrome, Firefox (not Microsoft IE!) | Google Chrome, Firefox, and IE |
Please note that neither of these two options is a sure bet. WebGL is a bleeding-edge, experimental technology. It needs the right graphics card and driver routine to function, and is not likely to work, say, on a Linux machine or a mobile device. Furthermore, current WebGL specification limits a 3D model to 65,535 vertices (represented as an unsigned short integer) and most of our 3D models possess too much detail to be rendered at such a coarse resolution without serious down-sampling. On the other hand, a one-time installation of a browser plugin is required to view VRML models and the support for browser VRML viewer plug-in at NIST is slightly dated.
We recommend that you first try the WebGL models in the middle column below.
There is no installation required to view these models (just click). If WebGL models do not work (with a warning message that WebGL cannot be initialized), or you would like to view the high-resolution models, please click on
the images in the right column. However, to view the VRML models in the right column, you do need to install a browser plugin here.
Also, be warned that the VRML models can take minutes to process and load.
If all these fail, please try our other demo pages.