3DGS to Mesh is Here, Convert Realistic 3DGS Visualizations to OBJ

Generating meshes from 3D Gaussian Splats is finally here! Ever since the initial launch of 3D Gaussian Splatting, the team at KIRI Innovations has been working relentlessly to make this new 3D visualization technology more accessible.

3D Gaussian Splatting marks a milestone in the world of 3D scanning, as it allows users to transform short videos into realistic 3D scenes that capture the moment 'spotlessly.' However, the peculiar file format of these 3D Gaussian Splats makes it challenging to edit in most 3D software. In response to these limitations, KIRI was the first to introduce in-app 3DGS editing; this allows users to crop out any unwanted background in the scene, along with Unreal Engine addons, providing import capability for these niche files.

However, compatibility with only Unreal Engine isn’t the end goal for this technology. KIRI Innovations is thrilled to announce their latest feature: 3DGS to mesh. Now, users can export 3DGS files in their native .ply format, as well as the more universal 3D representation: the .obj file.

The KIRI Engine is the first application to introduce this feature, enhancing the versatility and maneuverability of 3D Gaussian Splats. Like 3DGS itself, the technology to convert it into a mesh is very new, and currently, there is no open-source code that allows you to perform this interdisciplinary 3D generation. The algorithm behind this technology was made possible in collaboration with researcher Chongjie Ye and his team (https://github.com/hugoycj ). In a few months, the mesh-generating algorithm developed by him and his team will be open-sourced, allowing more people to test out and incorporate this command in their own programs.

To access this feature, create a new 3DGS scan and select ‘Include Mesh’ on the uploading page following the video capture. Users will then obtain two separate files: the 3DGS file itself along with the .obj mesh generated from the 3DGS scan.

To learn more about the new Mesh from 3DGS feature, please refer to this video from KIRI.

3DGS, as a brand-new expression of 3D visualizations, reduces the learning curve of 3D scanning and provides unprecedented accuracy. Despite KIRI’s efforts to make the technology more compatible with rendering engines by releasing editing tools, engine extensions, and now a mesh converter, the focus should still remain on refining 3D Gaussian Splatting itself. 3D mesh still bears imperfections and limitations, especially the ones generated from traditional algorithms such as photogrammetry. KIRI Innovations believes that the future of 3D scanning will revolve around 3DGS, as this technique effectively captures all the essence of a given scene in just a short video, it truly revolutionizes the way we interact with environments and preserve memories.