Splat Journal

Algorithmic imprints of disappearing spaces

Tag: Sahara

  • M’Hamid El Ghizlane — Avatar interaction & particle forces

    M’Hamid El Ghizlane — Avatar interaction & particle forces

    Field notes — M’Hamid El Ghizlane, Morocco — Gateway to the Sahara

    → English below

    Un lieu réel reconstruit avec des particules par Gaussian Splatting. Courir déstabilise le paysage, marcher lui permet de se recomposer. Une expérience interactive pour réfléchir à notre rapport aux environnements — nos gestes transforment les espaces que nous habitons.

    —

    A real place reconstructed with particles using Gaussian Splatting. Running destabilizes the landscape, while walking allows it to recombine. A small interactive experiment to reflect on our relationship with environments — our gestures transform the spaces we inhabit.

    1 — Avatar interaction & particle forces

    Avatar interaction & particle forces — Unreal Engine 5.3 / TouchDesigner

    Interaction

    Unreal Engine 5.3 — XV3DGS plugin
    TouchDesigner

    Training

    Method: Gaussian Splatting (PostShot)
    Images: 483
    Splats: 1.9M
    Iterations: 35.1k steps
    Alignment: RealityCapture — 373 aligned images

    Processing

    Post-clean: none

    Capture

    Camera: Insta360 X4
    Projection 360: equirectangular
    Capture duration: 1 min
    Frame extraction: 1 fps
    Location: M’Hamid El Ghizlane, Morocco — Gateway to the Sahara

    A field capture in the context of research on navigable volumetric spaces and interactive reconstruction.

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

  • M’Hamid El Ghizlane — Gateway to the Sahara

    M’Hamid El Ghizlane — Gateway to the Sahara

    Field notes — M’Hamid El Ghizlane, Morocco

    1 — Interactive scene

    Gaussian Splatting — navigable scene (SuperSplat viewer)

    → English below

    Végétation éparse, relief aride et dunes environnantes sur de longues distances. La reconstruction peine à restituer la profondeur : les dunes restent floues, l’horizon est difficile à saisir pour l’algorithme.

    Capture réalisée tôt le matin, soleil très bas. La lumière rasante est forte.

    Des splats beige en suspension à 2-3m apparaissent dans la scène: poussière sur la lentille ou surexposition au soleil du désert à confirmer avec l’analyse du dataset.

    La caméra était montée sur perche à 2m50-3m de hauteur. En dessous du sol, un réseau dense de splats se déploie pour tenter de restituer les reliefs sur le sable : l’algorithme construit une profondeur qui n’existe pas dans notre vécu.

    EN

    Sparse vegetation, arid relief and surrounding dunes over long distances. The reconstruction struggles to render depth , dunes remain blurred, the horizon difficult for the algorithm to resolve.

    Captured early in the morning, sun very low, harsh raking light.

    Beige splats suspended at 2-3m appear in the scene , dust on the lens, or overexposure from the desert sun. Camera mounted on a pole at 2.5-3m height.

    Below the ground, a dense network of splats spreads out in an attempt to reconstruct the relief on the sand: the algorithm builds a depth that does not exist in our lived experience.

    Training

    Method: Gaussian Splatting (PostShot)
    Images: 483
    Splats: 1.9M
    Iterations: 35.1k
    Alignment: RealityCapture — 373 aligned images

    Processing

    Post-clean: none

    Capture

    Camera: Insta360 X4
    Projection: equirectangular
    Capture duration: 1 min
    Frame extraction: 1 fps
    Location: M’Hamid El Ghizlane, Morocco — Gateway to the Sahara — outdoor / desert

    2 — Scene captures

    3DGS Morocco - A vast desert landscape featuring gently rolling sand dunes and sparse vegetation under a clear blue sky.
    Scene capture — desert landscape
    3DGS Morocco - A barren desert landscape with sand dunes in the background and several tents on flat ground under a clear blue sky.
    Scene capture — desert camp
    3DGS Morocco - A blurred landscape with a sandy terrain and a clear blue sky, featuring soft clouds and hills in the background.
    Radiance field frontier — lateral view
    3DGS Morocco - A swirling abstract representation of Earth with hues of blue and brown, set against a black background.
    Radiance field — top view, abstract capture
    3DGS Morocco desert — splat network below ground
    Relief reconstruction over long distances
    3DGS Morocco desert — beige splats suspended in scene
    Abstract capture
    3DGS Morocco desert — dune reconstruction instability
    Camp reconstruction — depth instability over long distances
    3DGS Morocco desert — raw dataset equirectangular capture
    Abstract top view – M’Hamid El Ghizlane
    Abstract – Splat network below ground
    Splat network below ground
    Bottom view – Splat network below ground

    A field capture extending the SAMPLE(S) research beyond urban spaces into open desert landscapes.

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