VideoTrace
Developed by the Australian Centre for Visual Technologies at the University of Adelaide, VideoTrace is an advanced system which can trace 3D objects from video footage. Australian Edge interviewed Associate Professor Anton van den Hengel to discuss this amazing piece of technology and how it was developed.
How did the idea for VideoTrace come about?
The technology around the extraction of 3D from image sets (including video) has advanced a lot over the last 10 years, but no one had figured out an accessible way to extract usable 3D geometry. We set out to make 3D modelling from video something that anyone could do.
For something as involved as developing a project like VideoTrace, what does the development process look like and how have the team structures formed?
We’re a very small team, so there’s not a lot of structure necessary really. We’re very flat. I’d love to be able to tell you that we had three teams working around the clock on different continents, but what we really have is a small committed bunch of guys who do it because they’re interested more than anything else.
How was it when the project passed its first big milestone and you knew the technology would work?
That really happened about 12 hours before our first big deadline, and it was a wonderful thing. None of us were really sure we were going to make it, and there wasn’t a lot of sleeping going on. The fact that we were delirious could have been due to either factor.
How has the technology been received so far?
The reception has been amazing. I really didn’t expect it to be so popular. We crashed the web server with the number of hits we were getting, I was mobbed at the talk I gave about it at SIGGRAPH (the biggest computer graphics conference around), and I started getting so many emails I had to put someone in charge of reading them all.
How can the software be used by Artists and 3D game developers?
VideoTrace allows a user to model an object directly from a video. Generating a low polygon count, but very usable model takes only a few minutes and is very easy to do. This means that you can model a lot of geometry very accurately and very quickly. It’s not going to replace a full modelling package, because a lot of what you’re doing in a full modelling package is not really about accurately reproducing existing geometry. It does mean, however, that you can generate a simplified but accurate model of the real geometry in minutes. This makes it very easy to generate scenery for games because you could model the buildings on a street in 10 minutes in order to get depth for compositing for example, or you could spend an hour generating a really high fidelity model for a racing game. The limit of the fidelity and accuracy of the models is really just a question of how much time you want to spend doing it.
For the nerds: What programming languages and hardware systems were used in developing VideoTrace?
The system is written in C++ and QT. We develop on Mac, Windows and Linux, so it’s platform agnostic from the ground up.
How does the technology and talent standards within Australia rate and how would you compare it to what is developing in the rest of the world?
The only real difference is the amount of money being spent. We have really good people here doing great things on the cheap. That is right until they get bought up and moved elsewhere. There’s just not enough business investment in research here I’m afraid.
What have been some of your other career highlights that you are most proud of?
Presenting VideoTrace at SIGGRAPH in front of 4000 people was certainly a big one, and when the whole audience gasped at the same time is something I will certainly remember.
Where do you find inspiration?
I just really like technology I’m afraid.
For the up and coming students: for someone interested in learning and developing these sorts of technologies, what are the skillsets and qualities needed?
A good solid Computer Science degree is the first thing, and good maths the second. Everything else you can learn afterwards, but if you don’t have those it is pretty much impossible to get into this kind of technology. The opportunities in this area at the moment are fantastic, there are a lot of well paid and very interesting jobs out there for Computer Science graduates at the moment
