Splat Journal

Algorithmic imprints of disappearing spaces

Author: Nicolas Mimault

  • Kasbah Oulad Othmane — Drifting into abstraction

    Kasbah Oulad Othmane — Drifting into abstraction

    Field notes — Drâa Valley, Morocco

    → English below

    Navigation dans la reconstruction d’une ruelle de Kasbah. Au passage de la caméra, l’espace se déforme et révèle progressivement sa structure sous-jacente. Les splats se dispersent jusqu’à l’abstraction totale.

    —

    Drifting through a reconstructed Kasbah alley. As the camera moves, the space deforms and begins to reveal its underlying structure. Splats scatter into full abstraction as the camera sinks into the ground.

    1 — Traveling into abstraction

    Traveling into abstraction — Unreal Engine

    Training

    Method: Gaussian Splatting (PostShot)
    Images: 597
    Splats: 2.0M
    Iterations: 60k
    Alignment: RealityCapture — 572 aligned images

    Processing

    Post-clean: none

    Capture

    Camera: Insta360 X4
    Projection: equirectangular
    Capture duration: 1:06 min
    Location: Kasbah Oulad Othmane, Drâa Valley, Morocco — outdoor / desert

    An extension of the volumetric research — exploring what lies beyond the radiance field frontier.

    Nicolas Mimault, Bagnolet / Paris · nmimault@gmail.com

  • Morocco — Reconstruction instabilities & accidental autoportrait

    Morocco — Reconstruction instabilities & accidental autoportrait

    Field notes — Drâa Valley, Morocco

    → English below

    Pour ce rendu, la capture a été limitée à un seul aller-retour dans une ruelle étroite de la Kasbah. Cette contrainte met en évidence les instabilités de reconstruction liées à la qualité de la captation et du choix du dataset. Les artefacts algorithmiques qui apparaissent dépendent du point de vue de l’observateur. Ici, un autoportrait involontaire est reproduit : mon visage émerge dans la scène selon la position de la caméra.

    —

    For this render, the capture was limited to a single back-and-forth path within a narrow Kasbah alley. This constraint highlights reconstruction instabilities linked to capture quality and dataset selection. The algorithmic artifacts that appear are viewpoint-dependent. Here, an unintended self-portrait is reproduced: my face emerges within the scene geometry depending on camera position.

    1 — Interactive scene

    Gaussian Splatting — navigable scene (SuperSplat viewer)

    2 — Traveling environment

    Traveling through the reconstructed environment — Unreal Engine

    Training

    Method: Gaussian Splatting (PostShot)
    Images: 597
    Splats: 2.0M
    Iterations: 60k
    Alignment: RealityCapture — 572 aligned images

    Processing

    Post-clean: none

    Capture

    Camera: Insta360 X4
    Projection: equirectangular
    Capture duration: 1:06 min
    Location: Kasbah Oulad Othmane, Drâa Valley, Morocco — outdoor / desert

    3 — Gaussian Splatting training

    Gaussian Splatting training — 60k iterations | Images: 597 | Splats: 2.0M (PostShot)

    4 — Raw 360° capture

    Source footage — Insta360 X4, equirectangular projection, 1:06 min

    5 — Scene captures

    Gaussian Splatting Kasbah - A blurred landscape featuring a path leading through rugged terrain under a blue sky.
    radiance field frontier
    Gaussian Splatting Kasbah - A person standing in a narrow, rocky pathway surrounded by blurred earthy tones.
    accidental autoportrait
    Gaussian Splatting Kasbah - An abstract representation featuring a blurred blend of blue sky, rocky terrain, and natural elements, creating an impressionistic landscape.
    abstract captures top/bottom view
    Gaussian Splatting Kasbah - Narrow dirt pathway between traditional adobe buildings under a clear blue sky.
    Potshot training capture

    Part of an ongoing research on algorithmic artifacts and the limits of volumetric reproduction.

    Nicolas Mimault, Bagnolet / Paris · nmimault@gmail.com

  • Petite Ceinture — Avatar interaction & local field deformation

    Petite Ceinture — Avatar interaction & local field deformation

    Field notes — Petite Ceinture & Bridge, January 2026
    Paris, 12e arrondissement — 06.01.2026

    → English below

    Tests d’interaction en vue à la troisième personne dans deux environnements Gaussian Splatting reconstruits sous Unreal Engine : la voie ferrée de la Petite Ceinture et le pont adjacent. L’avatar se déplace dans le radiance field — l’espace réagit localement à son passage, produisant des déformations spatiales le long du trajet. Exploration des comportements de forces de particules appliquées à la navigation dans des espaces réels reconstruits.

    —

    Third-person interaction tests inside two Gaussian Splatting reconstructions in Unreal Engine: the Petite Ceinture railway and the adjacent bridge. The avatar navigates through the radiance field — the environment reacts locally to the player’s movement, producing spatial deformations along the path. Particle force behaviors applied to navigation in reconstructed real-world spaces.

    1 — Third-person avatar interaction

    Avatar interaction & local radiance field deformation — Unreal Engine
    Petite Ceinture & Bridge, Paris 12e

    Training

    Method: Gaussian Splatting (PostShot)
    Images: 938 + 625
    Splats: 2.0M
    Iterations: 150k
    Alignment: RealityCapture — 850 + 572 aligned images

    Processing

    Post-clean: none

    Capture

    Camera: Insta360 X4
    Projection: equirectangular
    Location: Petite Ceinture & Bridge, Paris 12e — outdoor / snow

    2 — Particle dispersion on avatar passage

    Splat dispersion along avatar path — Unreal Engine

    3 — Particle dispersion on avatar passage

    Splat dispersion along avatar path — Unreal Engine

    4 — Particle dispersion on avatar passage

    Splat dispersion along avatar path — Unreal Engine

    Exploring interactive navigation within the SAMPLE(S) volumetric archive.

    Nicolas Mimault, Bagnolet / Paris · nmimault@gmail.com