Autodesk - Photofly

I had seen this released a while back (July 2011 - photofly 2.1) and have been waiting for a little time to test it!

I have finally got around to downloading the installer and popping it on the system to test. I love the idea of this as well as the potential applications within an industrial design, and VFX pipeline structure. I know these two are not in any way connected, but both have been the staple diet of the 3d generalist for a while now. We are constantly asked to recreate existing product models for advertising purposes or other product placement shots, as well as creating environmental recreations in both Arch viz projects and small VFX for TV projects (I say small, as I have only ever been asked to handle individual shots on a contractual basis for larger community studios).

This software could really open the possibilities of our genre up to the smaller studios, looking to create large results with limited budgets and pressured timescales.

When creating depth maps on environmental photos you will end up with the ability to finally (technically) create stereo imagery from 2D photography efficiently! Although one would have to matchmove and render in, to use any animated sequence from said shot, but still interesting stuff huh? The ability to accurately and quickly create DOF shifts on archi viz projects, using only the environmental data and any CG elements.

I am yet to try this, but I hope they have generated a good "clean-up" algorithm as this has always been the time consuming element of any 3D capture projects.