Editing photographs in 2 dimensions is no big deal. We’ve been doing it forever, and with programs like Photoshop, it’s easier than ever. But what about editing and maniplating objects in photographs in 3 dimensions? Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University present a tool that allows you to just that.
We present an approach to manipulate objects in photographs in three dimensions. We use publicly available 3D models to seamlessly reveal hidden parts of objects while maintaining plausible shadows and illumination. As input, the user provides a photograph, together with a 3D model obtained using a word search on a public repository, and an object-free background filled in using in-painting techniques. Using our approach, users can create artistic compositions, manipulate vintage photographs, and even create animations.
Check out the video above and this website for more information.
CMU PhD student and lead author of the study, Natasha Kholgade said the software is different from editing programs such as Photoshop, which lack sufficient 3D manipulation tools.
“Movements you make are solely in pixel-space,” she said. “You cannot really lift objects up out of an image and move them around. Yet, we as humans, we actually imagine doing that because we are more used to dealing with the world in three dimensions.”
While the tool was designed for digital images, users can edit paintings, as well as historical photographs. The software can also bring still images to life in an animated scene.
Kohlgade said she was inspired by the need to create a more dynamic photograph.
– via WESA
