dots to depth studios

Week 3 Blog

Week 3 marks an exciting pivot in our project — the moment just before a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. We’ve hit several major milestones: we started drafting a storyboard and a logo, three Insta360 X5 cameras are ready for rigging, and we’ve secured filming permission at a local supermarket. We are also in ongoing discussions with the Heinz History Center, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and Phipps Conservatory to finalize scouting and filming in those locations.

Storyboard drafts:

Logo drafts:

From Hazel Li

Along with the visual art assets, we also have some initial soundtrack from our Sound Designer, Oliver Zhu. Here’s a taste:

The Technical Hurdle

However, before we begin official production, we need to resolve a significant rendering issue. Currently, our footage is not yielding the high-quality results we expect.

Using PostShot, we discovered a physical “gap” in our captures — a section of the scene where little to no data was recorded. For 3D Gaussian Splatting to function correctly, the software requires a “closed loop.” This allows the computer to recognize when it has returned to a previously seen point, enabling it to accurately reconstruct the 3D environment.

This is a scan of a fake plant. The white blocks represent captured data. The more white blocks, the more data there is. Some parts of the loop lack any data.
This is a rendered view of the same scan. This angle shows the part of the loop that has the least amount of data captured.

Our Strategy

We are currently investigating the root cause of this data gap by testing:

  • Camera Handling: Refining how we physically hold and move the 360-degree camera.
  • Import Optimization: Experimenting with various video import settings.
  • Remapping Research: Studying how to properly process 4K, 360-degree footage for digital reconstruction using the Gaussian Splatting technique.

If these internal tests don’t resolve the issue, our next step is to consult with our faculty advisors and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to get the render back on track.

January 26-30, 2026