Microsoft Photosynth Technology Preview

**NetRyder** · November 9th, 2006

If you're into photography or imaging, you're going to love this.

The Photosynth Technology Preview is a taste of the newest - and, we hope, most exciting - way to view photos on a computer. Our software takes a large collection of photos of a place or an object, analyzes them for similarities, and then displays the photos in a reconstructed three-dimensional space, showing you how each one relates to the next.

In our collections, you can access gigabytes of photos in seconds, view a scene from nearly any angle, find similar photos with a single click, and zoom in to make the smallest detail as big as your monitor.

Make sure you check out the San Marco demo collection. The Tech Preview currently works only in Internet Explorer, so fire it up and take a look.

Microsoft Live Labs: Photosynth

**Grandmaster** · November 10th, 2006

Wow that is quite impressive

Can't wait for when it'll let you do that with your own photos.

**dave holbon** · November 11th, 2006

Maybe I missed something here as at a quick glance its loads of white dots on a back background with photos stitched together. I wonder what purpose it serves and to what market it is intended?

**NetRyder** · November 11th, 2006

Originally Posted by dave holbon

Maybe I missed something here as at a quick glance its loads of white dots on a back background with photos stitched together. I wonder what purpose it serves and to what market it is intended?

The big thing is that it does photo-stitching automatically by analyzing the set of images that you feed it using image processing techniques like edge detection etc.

The current demo doesn't support this yet, but in a future version, you'll be able to take several pictures of a particular scene, feed it to the Photosynth application, and it'll automatically re-structure it into a 3D panoramic scene, similar to what it's doing with the sample image sets in the current version. Doing something similar manually is much more difficult and time consuming.

Research projects like these usually turn into features for actual products once they're complete.

**dave holbon** · November 11th, 2006

So then you could (say) take loads of photos of your house etc send them to Google Earth and see the whole thing in both 3D and a fly through. Architects will love it but I think it’s the holy grail of photography manipulation and enormous computing power.

Why did MS not make it clear what it did or could do as the market for such an application is enormous?

**Grandmaster** · November 11th, 2006

Well since its Microsoft's app I think the photos would be sent to Virtual Earth.

And the main page describes what the app does mate

**unknownsoul** · September 14th, 2007

I'd love to see them expand their collections a bit more. I know I'll just have to wait until they've advanced into the next stage of development.

November 9th, 2006	Top \| #1
NetRyder Tech Junkie Joined: April 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 13,256 Reputation: 4260 Power: 298	Microsoft Photosynth Technology Preview If you're into photography or imaging, you're going to love this. The Photosynth Technology Preview is a taste of the newest - and, we hope, most exciting - way to view photos on a computer. Our software takes a large collection of photos of a place or an object, analyzes them for similarities, and then displays the photos in a reconstructed three-dimensional space, showing you how each one relates to the next. In our collections, you can access gigabytes of photos in seconds, view a scene from nearly any angle, find similar photos with a single click, and zoom in to make the smallest detail as big as your monitor. Make sure you check out the San Marco demo collection. The Tech Preview currently works only in Internet Explorer, so fire it up and take a look. Microsoft Live Labs: Photosynth http://kunal.kundaje.net

November 10th, 2006	Top \| #2
Grandmaster Electronica Addict Joined: February 2002 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 10,574 Reputation: 2960 Power: 260	Re: Microsoft Photosynth Technology Preview Wow that is quite impressive Can't wait for when it'll let you do that with your own photos.

November 11th, 2006	Top \| #3
dave holbon OSNN Veteran Addict Joined: May 2002 Location: London England Posts: 1,014 Reputation: 140 Power: 133	Re: Microsoft Photosynth Technology Preview Maybe I missed something here as at a quick glance its loads of white dots on a back background with photos stitched together. I wonder what purpose it serves and to what market it is intended?

November 11th, 2006	Top \| #4
NetRyder Tech Junkie Joined: April 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 13,256 Reputation: 4260 Power: 298	Re: Microsoft Photosynth Technology Preview Originally Posted by dave holbon Maybe I missed something here as at a quick glance its loads of white dots on a back background with photos stitched together. I wonder what purpose it serves and to what market it is intended? The big thing is that it does photo-stitching automatically by analyzing the set of images that you feed it using image processing techniques like edge detection etc. The current demo doesn't support this yet, but in a future version, you'll be able to take several pictures of a particular scene, feed it to the Photosynth application, and it'll automatically re-structure it into a 3D panoramic scene, similar to what it's doing with the sample image sets in the current version. Doing something similar manually is much more difficult and time consuming. Research projects like these usually turn into features for actual products once they're complete. http://kunal.kundaje.net

November 11th, 2006	Top \| #5
dave holbon OSNN Veteran Addict Joined: May 2002 Location: London England Posts: 1,014 Reputation: 140 Power: 133	Re: Microsoft Photosynth Technology Preview So then you could (say) take loads of photos of your house etc send them to Google Earth and see the whole thing in both 3D and a fly through. Architects will love it but I think it’s the holy grail of photography manipulation and enormous computing power. Why did MS not make it clear what it did or could do as the market for such an application is enormous?

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November 11th, 2006	Top \| #6
Grandmaster Electronica Addict Joined: February 2002 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 10,574 Reputation: 2960 Power: 260	Re: Microsoft Photosynth Technology Preview Well since its Microsoft's app I think the photos would be sent to Virtual Earth. And the main page describes what the app does mate

September 14th, 2007	Top \| #7
unknownsoul OSNN Senior Addict Joined: January 2004 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 601 Blog Entries: 1 Reputation: 220 Power: 110	Re: Microsoft Photosynth Technology Preview I'd love to see them expand their collections a bit more. I know I'll just have to wait until they've advanced into the next stage of development.

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