The Tech Behind 3D Photos on Facebook

Are you curious about the tech and the algorithms behind the feature? Let’s check out a post by a Medium user akella.

Facebook recently rolled out their new feature called 3D Photos. Are you curious about the tech and the algorithms behind the feature? Let’s check out a post by a Medium user akella.

For users it’s quite simple: use portrait mode on iPhone and them post the photo to Facebook. How does it work? The enthusiast from Medium states that when new iPhone is taking a picture in portrait mode, the device also stores depth data along with usual .jpg. Check out a little video explanation on how gathering the data below:

It is worth noting that this data comes as a point cloud, not a mesh. Then, Facebook creates an actual 3D model out of it with a photo as a texture using some interpolation algorithm.

When a user loads a facebook page, it opens a scene and loads the created model with a texture.

Camera position is changing as you move your mouse, so you experience this 2.5D effect, which is actually a true 3D model as it turns out. Make sure to read the original article with more details here

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