Capture a real place

A useful capture starts before you press record. Plan what you want to include and how you will move around it.

Before you capture

• Choose a clear subject and decide the boundary of the space.
• Check whether you have permission to capture the location and anyone in it.
• Look for stable lighting and visible surface detail.
• Plan a safe path; do not walk backward into an area you cannot see.
• Check the input requirements of the reconstruction tool you intend to use.

Move with continuity

Move steadily and keep visual continuity between successive views. Adjacent images should show recognizable parts of the same subject, rather than unrelated viewpoints.

Cover the subject from more than one useful direction. A surface that never appears in your material cannot be directly observed by reconstruction.

Avoid making a fast pan the only record of an important area. Check for motion blur before continuing.

Watch what changes

Moving people, changing screens, reflections, and transparent surfaces can make a scene harder to interpret. Where possible, capture a consistent scene and note unavoidable changes.

Avoid changing the lighting or the subject partway through a capture set. If you make a new pass under different conditions, keep that pass identifiable.

Review before you leave

Check a few frames at full size. Look for blur, missed areas, and large changes in brightness. A small reshoot at the location is easier than discovering the gap later.

Keep the originals

Save the original photos or video before cropping, compressing, or extracting frames. Keep a short note with the location, capture date, and relevant conditions.

Continue with Prepare your source material to organize your capture without losing its origin.