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Gaussian Splats

Niantic Studio's support for Gaussian splatting opens up a world of possibilities for developers to create realistic, 3D environments based on real-world locations. Gaussian Splats are a new type of asset (.SPZ) that can be uploaded into Studio.

But first, what is Gaussian splatting? Gaussian Splats allow you to capture the essence of a real-world scene using just your smartphone, and then render that scene as a fully immersive 3D model that can be captured right on your device and viewed in WebAR. Gaussian Splatting makes this possible, revolutionizing how we bring real-world objects and places into digital experiences.

Unlike meshes that rely on connected polygons and textures, Gaussian splats are composed of millions of tiny, independent "splats" or blobs. These splats work together to create a vibrant, 360-degree, fully immersive 3D model that captures the intricate details and textures of the real world.

SplatGif

Creating Splats​

Capturing Gaussian splats can be done right on your phone using the Niantic Scaniverse 4 app. With Scaniverse, you can capture the scene, review the splat and make any edits on all your devices. This means that anyone, anywhere, can create highly detailed 3D models without the need for specialized equipment or powerful computers.

ScaniverseImages

Exporting Splats​

With Niantic Scaniverse, you can easily export the splat you create as an .SPZ file. Once you have captured a splat and edited it to your liking, select the Share > Export Model > select .SPZ format > save that file to your device.

note

Note: Studio only supports Splats in .SPZ format. The .PLY format is not supported at this time.

ScaniverseExport

Importing Splats into Studio​

Niantic Studio enables developers to harness the full potential of splatting by enabling the import of Niantic Scaniverse’s .SPZ file directly into Studio. You can either drag the file into the Files/Assets section of the Editor, or click the (+) button. Once uploaded to Niantic Studio, these splats can be seamlessly integrated into your projects, serving as the foundation for hyper-realistic and truly immersive 3D experiences. Uploading a splat file into Studio may take a minute or 2. All files in Studio are limited to 100 MB.

SplatImportStudio

Working with Splats​

When combined with 3D objects, ground planes, and other physics colliders, splats can be used as a dynamic backdrop for XR experiences that are deeply connected to the real-world. Whether you want to guide users through a virtual tour of a beloved location or want to use the real-world environment as the backdrop for your game, splats offers a powerful new tool to make your visions come to life.

Note: to achieve the vehicle control experience shown here Primitive Physics Colliders are added into the scene and aligned over the top of the Splat. Learn more about Physics Colliders.

WorkingWithSplats

Splat Limitations​

Splats compatibility is currently in beta. Be mindful of key limitations in performance, rendering, and working with other components and systems in Studio:

  • Rendering splats can be expensive on both the CPU and GPU. Performance of the viewport and/or runtime is affected with large splat file sizes, using multiple splats, and using uncropped splats (use the Scaniverse app for cropping and editing).
  • Cropping and editing of a splat is not yet supported in Studio. It is recommended to edit your .SPZ within Scaniverse first, and then export the edited file into Studio.
  • Lighting/Shadows: At this time lights and shadows have no effect on splat assets.
  • Camera: At this time the Orthographic camera does not work with splats.