Strata Foto 3D

Now, where have we seen this idea before? Maybe RealViz’s ImageModeler, or even D-Vision Works’ D Sculptor. Yep, the idea behind Strata Foto 3D is nothing new – in fact, the idea of turning a ‘real-life’ model into a virtual one all seems a bit passé these days.

The idea is simple: place an object (preferably) on a turntable with Strata’s calibration mat, take around 20 photos of it, use the application’s Masking tools to get rid of the background, then decide upon a level of detail. You’re left with a 3D model that can be exported to one or two (ageing) formats.

It’s the process of photographing your object that takes the most time, and although Strata says 20 photos should be enough, we think the more you take the better. When your photos are shot, Strata Foto 3D’s neat features come to the forefront, with automated and manual masking, a handy Shrink Wrap tool and the ability to import selections from Photoshop (the latter is essential for a really accurate model) are all extremely useful for this kind of work. The ability to create a UV map makes it easy to alter textures in Photoshop, as do a number of other texture-tweaking features.

In terms of export options, Foto 3D is limited to VRML and 3DS, which for an app costing $495 is not good enough. Getting Strata Live 3D will enable you to render out Java applets – giving site visitors the ability to rotate your object – but that’s even more expense.

If you need this kind of app for pre-visualisation work or rotating product shots, it’s a decent solution. But you’d be advised to check out D Sculptor and ImageModeler first.