MapForums

Ever since the launch of Photosynth there's been much discussion about the natural synergy of it and Microsoft Virtual Earth. Well, it's now official that you can begin additional speculation on what it means that we've moved the Photosynth team into the Virtual Earth product group. No longer is Photosynth just a Live Labs research project - it no has full funding and backing from the Virtual Earth team. It helps that we get all of the people that worked on it too.
If you haven't seen Photosynth, you have some catching up to do. Photosynth takes a large collection of photos of a place or an object, analyzes them for similarities, and displays them in a reconstructed three-dimensional space. Install Photosynth and then try the Photosynth demonstration today as a part of the free technology preview.
Below is a screen capture of a synth highlighting one of the pictures selected from all these white dots (known as the point cloud). Every point in the point cloud represents identifiable vertices in the photos to allow for a fully immersive, but fluid and seamless experience. Read all about the full capabilities, technologies behind Photosynth, watch videos and see other collections on the Photosynth Live Labs site.

There are a few different features when viewing a synth collection either by viewing the point could (3D), view all photos, or enable the cameras which highlight the vortex in which a camera cone is projected from where the user was standing when the photo was taken toward the actual photo itself.

I don't know about you, but I'm excited. How can you take a photo and have it not be able to find it's place in the Virtual Earth? Outer space, I suppose. Photosynth for World Wide Telescope! Now, I'm just blowing hot air into the rumor mill.
CP


Click here to view the article.