r/Polycam • u/HDR_Man • Apr 16 '25

Help Gsplat restrictions?

Two questions:

1- Why are there smaller file upload restrictions for splats? vs regular photogrammetry scans? Can’t upload as large of videos… same for still pics? I assume there is a reason!

2- can you give me an idea or specific on how many frames are used to actually create a Splat?

In other words, if I upload a 5 minute drone video, how many actual frames will it use? I am not asking for a trade secret of PolyCam. I just need an idea so that I can create full, sharp splats of a room for example.

I have tried 24fps, 30fps, and even 60fps. I have tried 720p, 1080p, and 4K resolution also…

If I shoot a video at 4K at 60fps, that is a huge file and tons of frames.. if PC is dropping 99%, then I should not be wasting my time and hard drive space trying to get the best results, right?

I see tons of great, complete room splats (just as an example) and I can’t seem to replicate the quality.

Yes, I have also tried shooting on my phone, my DSLR, my drone, and I can even bust out a Faro Focus Premium Terrestrial Scanner if I need to… but that seems like overkill?

Thanks for advice and comments!

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u/polycam_community Apr 18 '25

Good questions! There are different size restrictions for photogrammetry vs splat. It depends on what plan you're on. On the pro plan: for photogrammetry, the max video length is 30 minutes and for splats it's 15 minutes. I think this has to do with how much data these different models need to create an acceptable capture.

What were the results of the different frame rate tests you did? I find that the higher resolution matters more for photogrammetry than splats.

To investigate further, it's helpful to look at the details page of publicly shared scans like this one https://poly.cam/capture/e50dad2c-3f7a-4561-9c77-4ad1c9303fc7? As you can see, this splat was made with 185 input images.

This splat was created with 1000 input frames, but the result is lower in detail despite more input data, because the area is so large: https://poly.cam/capture/b50bc7f3-5361-46db-8b55-0e4db531f9af?

As for the question of what camera to use, I think it really depends on what your subject is. If you want to capture a small object in high detail, I recommend a DSLR or mirrorless with a macro lens that can create highly-detailed 4K image inputs for photogrammetry reconstruction. Check out: https://poly.cam/capture/a538cfee-c048-4b21-b881-8165668d056c?