3DGS
Learn to capture, refine, and share
Whether you are capturing a pair of sneakers or scanning your entire backyard, we've broken down exactly what apps to use, how to move the camera, and how to get perfect results.
How to capture a perfect splat
The magic of 3DGS happens during the capture phase. If you get the recording right, the software does the rest.
1. Avoid reflections and glass
Gaussian Splatting works by triangulating points across multiple frames. Highly reflective surfaces (like mirrors) or completely transparent glass confuse the algorithm because the surface appears different from every angle.
2. Move slow, orbit smoothly
Don't just stand in one place and pan your camera. You need to physically walk around the object. Treat the camera like a scanner—orbit the object at three different heights (low, mid, high).
3. Lock your exposure
Auto-exposure is the enemy of 3D reconstruction. If the lighting changes between frames, the software won't know the true color of the object. Lock focus and exposure before you start recording.
4. Frame rate over resolution
You don't need 8K video. A crisp 1080p or 4K video shot at 60fps with a fast shutter speed (to avoid motion blur) is vastly superior to a blurry, shaky high-res video.
App & Hardware Comparison
There are dozens of apps hitting the market. Here are the ones we actually use in production and how they compare.
| App / Software | Best For | Cost | Export Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polycam | Quick, easy captures on mobile. Great for beginners. | Free / $14.99/mo PRO | Good (Cloud processing) |
| Luma AI | High-fidelity splats directly from an iPhone. | Free | Excellent (Cloud processing) |
| Scaniverse | On-device processing (no cloud required). Fast. | Free | Good (Local processing) |
| PostShot | Professional desktop processing from DSLR/drone footage. | Free trial / Paid | Best in class (Desktop GPU required) |