PhotoCloud: interactive remote exploration of large 2D-3D datasets

Abstract

PhotoCloud is a real-time client-server system for interactive visualization and exploration of large datasets comprising thousands of calibrated 2D photographs of a scene and a complex 3D description of the scene. The system is not tailored to any specific data acquisition process; it aims at generality and flexibility. PhotoCloud achieves scalability through a multiresolution dynamic hierarchical representation of the data, which is remotely stored and accessed by the client through an efficient cache system. The system includes a compact image browser and a multiresolution model renderer. PhotoCloud employs iconic visualization of the images in the 3D space and projects images onto the 3D scene on the fly. Users can navigate the 2D and 3D spaces with smooth, integrated, seamless transitions between them. A study with differently skilled users confirms PhotoCloud's effectiveness and communication power. The Web extras (youTube videos) are videos demonstrating PhotoCloud, a real-time client-server system for interactive exploration of large datasets comprising 2D photos and 3D models

@Article\{BBTPCS13,
  author       = "Brivio, Paolo and Benedetti, Luca and Tarini, Marco and Ponchio, Federico and Cignoni, Paolo and Scopigno, Roberto",
  title        = "PhotoCloud: interactive remote exploration of large 2D-3D datasets",
  journal      = "IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications",
  number       = "2",
  volume       = "33",
  pages        = "86--96",
  month        = "mar-apr",
  year         = "2013",
  keywords     = "large photo collections, 3D navigation techniques, image browsing, interaction techniques, remote systems, visualization systems and software, image-based rendering",
  url          = "http://vcg.isti.cnr.it/Publications/2013/BBTPCS13"
}