What exactly is PHOTOSYNTH? Well its one of those programs that can be rather difficult to explain, but in simple terms it allows you to take a lot of photographs of an area or an object, and then by placing those photographs in an overlaid manner, the subject or area can almost be viewed as a 3D object. It is probably easier to show you some completed SYTHS that others have made, so take a look HERE at how NASA have used PHOTOSYNTH to show you the new Mars Rover. You can move around the Rover as if you were actually there and view it from the top, the sides and the back. They have also done some more PHOTOSYNTH’S of the Space Station that are really fascinating to view.
The PHOTOSYNTH website contains some useful tips on how to take you photographs to make a good SYNTH. There is also a very useful video to watch and a handy PDF file for you to download and read. There are other peoples completed PHOTOSYNTHS for you to take a look at so that you can get some idea of how the program can be used in different situations. But its mainly about having fun with your camera!
So, let’s try and make our own PHOTOSYNTH using WINDOWS LIVE PHOTO GALLERY and the EXTRAS tab.
1. Firstly you need to install the PHOTOSYNTH program on your computer. So go to http://www.photosynth.com and sign in with your LIVE ID. There are other peoples completed PHOTOSYNTHS for you to take a look at here as well, so that you can get some idea of how the program can be used in different situations.
2. Once you have downloaded the PHOTOSYNTH program to your computer and installed it, then your are ready to make a SYNTH using your photographs inside WINDOWS LIVE PHOTO GALLERY. Look at the completed SYNTHS that others have made, choose your subject and get snapping! TIP. I find that the more pictures that you take the better, although this does depend on your subject in question. You obviously won’t need to take quite as many if you are taking some of your ornaments for example, as you would if you are taking some to make a SYNTH of a building.
3. So choose your photographs inside LIVE PHOTO GALLERY, then click on the EXTRAS tab, and then select CREATE A PHOTOSYNTH. You will then be presented with the CREATE A SYNTH window, where you can give your SYNTH a title, give it some tags then include some information about the subject of your SYNTH.
4. Once you have filled in any details that you wish to include, then click on SYNTH and the program will then begin to take all of your chosen photographs to create a completed PHOTOSYNTH.
5. Once the program has completed the SYNTH you will be invited to view your SYNTH online. Here you can edit your details if you wish and also specify whether or not you would like others to be able to view your SYNTH or keep it unlisted so that no one else can view it.
I have used a total of 42 photographs in my SYNTH but as this was just a demonstration of how to use the program, it is not really the best of subjects to use in my opinion. For example, because I couldn’t go over the railway lines (for obvious reasons) then I couldn’t get close up shots of the far platform. But I did walk along our platform to give some depth to that area. I was lucky enough to get a 100% SYTH with my photographs.
Try different subjects out, and take a look at some of the other SYNTHS created by other users. But most of all have lots of fun with your creations using PHOTOSYNTH inside the EXTRAS in WINDOWS LIVE PHOTO GALLERY.
You can view my completed PHOTOSYNTH by clicking HERE. You can choose to let the program show you the SYNTH as a slide show, Zoom in or out of the SYNTH, view the SYNTH in a grid formation, go to the PHOTOSYNTH home page or view the SYNTH in the DIRECT3D viewer.
TG 
