Freekstorm VFX Blog

These images were then loaded into Autodesk’s ImageModeler and reference points were created in each photograph. Each reference point represented a feature of the object, for example the corner of a window or wall. The more points you put in, the better. If you tell ImageModeler enough of the points in enough of the photographs then the software can determine the shape of the object and how it is aligned in each picture, and consequently it has enough data to build a model of the object. ImageModeler then performs some really clever calculations in order to extract the textures for the objects.

When this process was complete we exported the object and all of the textures into the Softimage modelling software. We then further refined the texture maps and edited the textures in Photoshop. The result was a model that exactly matched the object in the photograph. Finally the image was rendered in Softimage in order to produce the final output.

The second part of the experiment will involve putting the object into the real world, in our case, match-moving the garage onto a real road. Stay tuned for the results in a couple of weeks time....