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Author Topic: Minimum number of cameras for human body?  (Read 9701 times)

Darkly

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Minimum number of cameras for human body?
« on: May 08, 2014, 01:53:56 AM »
Hi guys!

I want to get a 3D scan the (naked) upper and lower body of a person, for use with clothes tailoring software. I'm a poor student, so I want to build a rig with CHDK compact cameras (or similar).

The model will not require any texture or facial details. That might help make the camera requirements easier. The only thing I'm interested in is getting something like a 1/2"x1/2" mesh with no more than 1/8" error at any point. The person being photographed can wear skin-tight clothes with reference points drawn on them if that helps (or even drawing straight on the body).

I will build a static "cage" rig for the cameras, since that seems to get the best results.

My question: What do you think is the minimum amount of cameras I can get away with? Any tips, or gotchas?

John Root

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Re: Minimum number of cameras for human body?
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2014, 02:08:34 AM »
Can you use a mannequin?

If so, you could do it with one camera.

Darkly

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Re: Minimum number of cameras for human body?
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2014, 03:36:21 AM »
No, of course not  ::) I need to make a scan of a real human, in different poses.

eduardoestrada85

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Re: Minimum number of cameras for human body?
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2014, 06:23:26 AM »

Darkly

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Re: Minimum number of cameras for human body?
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2014, 08:41:18 AM »
Are you sure that 80 cameras are really the minimum for my purposes? It seems to me that the War Thunder project has a higher requirement for texture and facial detail ("most visually stunning and realistic characters ever seen in computer generated cinematic" as opposed to "no head or texture necessary") as well as clothing (thematically significant period clothing vs no clothes at all). Because they run a shop specializing in cinematic effects, I would also have thought that they might have higher requirements for hassle-free operation and industrial scale output.

It says on their page that
"Using our 80 x DSLR photogrammetry rig we captured over 20 different high res body and head scans with various poses and expressions."

Is this really the minimum requirement for capturing a pure body form without any need for texture or even the head of the model at all? I always thought that since we as humans have a very good ability to discern subtle facial expressions, capturing faces for cinematic purposes would be among the most demanding uses of photogrammetry, and therefor that type of operation would have significantly higher demands on image quality.
« Last Edit: May 08, 2014, 08:49:02 AM by Darkly »

Lambo

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Re: Minimum number of cameras for human body?
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2014, 09:51:13 PM »
I am doing it with 60 cameras an it comes more than good for what you need.
NOW, I am using DSLR's but I dont think the extra quality makes a difference since you only want to capture the main shape of the person and not the details.
Leo

tommyboy

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Re: Minimum number of cameras for human body?
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2014, 12:30:50 AM »
+1 to Lambo.  Many people, myself included, are getting good body scans including the head, using 50-60 cameras.  You could probably get by with less if you have a clever way to turn a rough body scan into a collision volume, which it sounds like is what you need.

Darkly

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Re: Minimum number of cameras for human body?
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2015, 04:35:12 AM »
Oops, wrong (old) thread...
« Last Edit: April 11, 2015, 04:39:30 AM by Darkly »