GRAFFITI PARK SCAN

Capturing Graffiti Art in 3D: A New Approach

Stephen Wilcox, a digital artist from Final Form Studios, recently embarked on an exciting project: capturing the vibrant graffiti art at Deloris Lake, a hidden gem nestled between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Instead of traditional photography, Wilcox employed a novel approach: utilizing a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone to capture high-resolution video footage of the graffiti park.

DJI Mini 3 Pro was used for the scanning of this project in video mode

Areal view of the full graffiti park

This innovative method offered several advantages. Firstly, the drone's aerial perspective provided unique angles and a comprehensive overview of the expansive artwork. Secondly, video footage, compared to still images, offered a richer dataset, capturing intricate details and subtle nuances of the graffiti art that might be missed in individual photographs.

If I had more time I would have loved to scan this old gas station area also but there were a few artist to the right of this frame working away.

The captured footage was then meticulously processed using Reality Capture, a powerful photogrammetry software. Photogrammetry is a technique that uses multiple images to create a 3D model of an object or scene. By analyzing the overlapping information in the video frames, Reality Capture generated a highly detailed 3D point cloud of the graffiti park. This point cloud served as the foundation for creating a realistic 3D model of the entire park, including every intricate detail of the graffiti art.

Walking through the park I was able to have the drone follow me around capturing some unique angles.

The final 3D model was then imported into Unreal Engine, a leading game development platform. Within this powerful engine, Wilcox could explore the virtual graffiti park in unprecedented detail. He could navigate through the space, examine the artwork from every angle, and even interact with the environment, creating a truly immersive digital experience.

Still image from the drone

After bringing the video data into Reality Capture I set 13 reference points to better align the images. I did the alignment after the images had been aligned as the process is much faster and you can see areas that need improvement.

This project demonstrates the potential of drones and advanced software in capturing and preserving artistic expressions. By combining aerial videography, photogrammetry, and game engine technology, Wilcox has created a unique and captivating digital representation of the Deloris Lake graffiti park, allowing viewers to experience the artwork in a novel and engaging way. This approach not only showcases the beauty of the graffiti art but also presents exciting possibilities for future art preservation and digital experiences.

Click the link below to get access to the Unreal Engine Project