Gaussian splats

This sample shows how to load 3D tiles with Gaussian splatting data on the map. It also shows you how to style the splats with expressions, tweak performance settings, and enable depth rendering.

Usage

Navigate using the WASD+QE keys and by dragging the right mouse button to rotate the camera.
Explore the museum by visiting the points of interest in the Locations panel.
Select a quality preset in the Options panel to balance visual quality and performance.

Features

Data

This is a Gaussian splatting dataset of the Museum of Zoology, maintained by the Catholic University of Leuven. The museum houses a collection of 5000 animals and skeletons, among which the skeleton of a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) hanging from the ceiling.

The dataset was captured with permission of the university.

If you wish to load your own Gaussian splatting dataset in LuciadRIA, see the Data Formats sample > Connect to service > OGC 3D Tiles.

In code, use an OGC3DTilesModel with a TileSet3DLayer to load Gaussian splatting data from an OGC 3D Tiles tileset containing SPZ or glTF with SPZ payloads.

Expression based styling

When the data is first loaded, the Gaussian splats are gradually revealed using a ripple-like animation. This is achieved using expression based styling. Expression based styling is a flexible way to modify the color, position, scale and visibility of each splat with high performance. Expressions can be configured using a GaussianSplatsStyle on the TileSet3DLayer.

Performance and depth settings

The GaussianSplatsStyle also contains performance and depth settings. Some notable settings are:

Depth: enabling this setting makes it possible to navigate more precisely around splats. Measurements would also require depth.
Opacity cutoff: increasing this setting improves performance by cutting off the transparent outer edges of each splat.
Resolution scaling: reducing this setting improves performance by reducing the internal resolution at which the splats are rendered.

The sample's UI bundles these settings into quality presets, which you can easily switch between depending on the capabilities of your device.