Modeling and Rendering Architecture from Photographs

The creation of three-dimensional models of existing architectural scenes with the aid of the computer has been commonplace for some time, and the resulting models have been both entertaining virtual environments as well as valuable visualization tools. Large-scale efforts have pushed the campuses of Iowa State University, California State University – Chico, and swaths of downtown Los Angeles [23] through the graphics pipeline. Unfortunately, the modeling methods employed in such projects are very labor-intensive. They typically involve surveying the site, locating and digitizingarchitectural plans (if available), and converting existing CAD data (if available). Moreover, the renderings of such models are noticeably computer-generated; even those that employ large number of texture-maps generally fail to resemble real photographs.