Splat Journal

Algorithmic imprints of disappearing spaces

Category: Exploration

Field notes from on-site captures and explorations. A mix of locations, gaussian splatting observations and experiments documenting the process of scanning real environments.

  • Kasbah Oulad Othmane — Out of frame

    Kasbah Oulad Othmane — Out of frame

    Field notes — Drâa Valley, Morocco

    → English below

    Le Gaussian Splatting reconstruit un lieu depuis un point de vue calculé. En dehors de la zone d’intérêt, une autre structure apparaît : un champ de particules arrangées pour simuler profondeur et parallaxe. Ce que l’algorithme ne parvient pas à représenter révèle son mode de fonctionnement.

    —

    Gaussian Splatting reconstructs a place from a calculated viewpoint. Outside the intended zone, another structure appears: a field of particles arranged to simulate depth and parallax. What the algorithm fails to represent reveals how it works.

    1 — Out of frame

    Abstract capture — out of field of interest | Unreal Engine
    Music: Ryuichi Sakamoto — disintegration (async)

    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

    Part of an ongoing investigation into algorithmic artifacts and the limits of Gaussian Splatting reconstruction.

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

  • 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

  • Petite Ceinture — Particle forces & splat interaction

    Petite Ceinture — Particle forces & splat interaction

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

    Navigation dans un environnement Gaussian Splatting reconstruit sous Unreal Engine. Des forces de particules interagissent avec le passage de la caméra, révélant la structure du radiance field. Les splats se dispersent comme des fragments que la mémoire peine à retenir. Une exploration en temps réel sur l’ancienne voie ferrée parisienne de la Petite Ceinture, sous la neige.

    Navigating through a Gaussian Splatting environment in Unreal Engine. Particle forces interact with the camera’s passage, revealing the structure of the radiance field. Splats scatter like fragments we struggle to hold onto. A real-time exploration of the old Parisian railway, the Petite Ceinture, under snow.

    1 — Traveling with particle interaction

    Particle forces & splat interaction — Unreal Engine

    Training

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

    Processing

    Post-clean: none

    Capture

    Camera: Insta360 X4
    Projection: equirectangular
    Capture duration: 2:06 min
    Location: Petite Ceinture, Paris 12e — outdoor / snow

    Developed as part of ongoing research on navigable volumetric reconstructions.

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