Kaidan, which manufactures photographic VR hardware, and the Autolycus Corp. — a new digital imaging software development company focusing on 3D and video digital imaging solutions for the Internet, wireless devices and PDAs — have teamed up on a new product, the SpinImage DV Object Imaging Kit, and a joint Web site, SpinImageDV.com.
This US$399 kit, which is Mac and Windows compatible, can be used to create interactive 3D object movies of products, toys or collectibles weighing up to 20 pounds. It consists of a Kaidan PiXi-M motorized turntable and Autolycus SpinImage DV software. When used with a DV FireWire-enabled camcorder, users can create 3D object movies by placing the object of interest on the motorized PiXi-M turntable from which digital video of the spinning object is sent to the computer. There the SpinImage DV software converts the video stream into an object movie that can be, for example, transferred to a Web site or eBay auction. The user can choose from either the SpinImage format (HTML-based) or a QuickTime VR format.
“With the explosion of computer-connected DV cameras there is a ready and enthusiastic market of consumers who will start creating compelling 3D object movies,” said Sal DiPaolo, Kaidan vice president of engineering. “People can create object movies of their collectibles, eBay auction items, valuables or products.”
Autolycus developed the SpinImage DV software with the end-user in mind, according to CEO Robert Green. At the aforementioned SpinImageDV.com Web site, there are tips and tutorials on how to post 3D object movies to the Web.
“We recently showcased this capability when we created hundreds of 3D object movies of the BattleBots,” Green said in a statement. “We shot the robots on location at the Las Vegas BattleBots competition last fall and will also be imaging the robots in 3D at the competition in San Francisco this week.”
Like any movie or TV program, SpinImage DV creates the illusion of motion by flashing a series of images in rapid succession. When you save your 360-degree image as a “SpinImage,” several of the frames are pulled out of the video file, and saved as still images. SpinImages use the JPEG format in order to be compatible with as many different programs as possible. Since most images that you see on the Web are JPEGs, almost every type of Web browser can view SpinImages, according to Autolycus.
The software requires a Power Mac G3 (with 233MHz or better processor), FireWire connectivity, Mac OS 8.6 or later (the companies haven’t announced their Mac OS X plans), 32MB of available RAM, 75MB available hard disk space, and a 24 bit-color monitor capable of 800 x 600 resolution.