Insta360 Launches Free Spatial Capture 3D Scanning in Beta for 360 Cameras

Spatial Capture is built on a technique called 3D Gaussian Splatting, or 3DGS. The software analyzes footage to work out where the camera was at each moment, then rebuilds the scene from millions of tiny, semi-transparent blobs, each one sized, colored and positioned to recreate a fragment of the environment. The result is a photorealistic 3D scene that can be viewed from angles the camera never actually occupied. 360 cameras are ideal capture tools for this because they record a space from every direction at once and leave fewer blind spots for the software to fill.

TechRadar's reporter had experimented with Gaussian splatting before, using a cloud platform called Splatica to turn a living room and a local lighthouse into immersive 3D scenes with an Insta360 X5 and an Antigravity A1 drone. The results were impressive enough to show why the technique has caught on. It is even possible to 3D print a splat, freezing a real place in resin like an insect trapped in amber.

The catch with Splatica is the cost. It is subscription-based, and its cheapest Basic plan costs $49.95 a month, discounted to $34.95 a month for the first two months. That converts to around £40 or AU$70 a month, or £30 or AU$50 with the discount, and gives users 300 points, enough to process roughly one five-minute video. The Pro and Studio plans cost $149.95 a month and $299.95 a month, respectively, and extra points cost between 18 and 25 cents each depending on the plan. Insta360's Spatial Capture, by contrast, gives users four free generations a month, with the allowance resetting on the first of each month.

Insta360 is upfront about the trade-offs. According to the company, Splatica produces higher-quality results and is better suited to professional and enterprise users, while Spatial Capture is more intended for casual users. Insta360 also claims Spatial Capture renders a two-minute video in one to two hours, compared to around eight hours for Splatica. TechRadar's own Splatica scenes took a few hours to process; one was uploaded in the afternoon and checked the next morning.

Creating a Spatial Capture scene is simple in theory. Users record a video of two minutes or less, a limit Insta360 says it will lift in future without saying when, then connect the camera to the Insta360 app, open the Spatial Capture tab, tap Create My Space and select the clip. Processing happens in the cloud. Insta360 recommends shooting in 8K at 30fps for the best results, in either PureVideo or standard video mode. Footage shot with the I-Log color profile or with filters applied is not supported. Insta360 also recommends shooting well-lit indoor spaces, keeping the number of people in frame to a minimum, and limiting the capture area to 100 square meters, about 1,076 square feet. Unlike Splatica, which handled a drone flight around Ramsgate's harbor lighthouse, Spatial Capture looks designed for rooms rather than landscapes or large outdoor locations.

Once a scene has been processed, users can explore it in the Insta360 app or share it via a link. Anyone who opens the link can view the scene in a web browser without downloading an app. There is currently no way to export scenes as files, though Splatica lets users download scenes in PLY format for use in other 3D software.

TechRadar's reporter had mixed luck with the feature. A test clip recorded on an X6 failed to upload twice. The app warned that the phone, an iPhone 15, might not be up to the task, which was puzzling given that the heavy processing happens in the cloud rather than on the device. That is worth bearing in mind for users with phones a few years old, even if it is the kind of teething problem expected from a beta.

Either way, TechRadar described the feature as a welcome freebie for owners of a camera it already rated highly. In its Insta360 X6 review, TechRadar called the X6 the new 360 camera to beat, albeit one with a steep price. A free route into 3D scanning goes some way toward providing more value for money.

Editor's Summary Insta360 has launched Spatial Capture, a free beta feature that converts 360 video into navigable 3D scenes on compatible cameras including the X6, X5 and X4 Air. The feature uses 3D Gaussian Splatting and offers four free renders a month, but it is aimed at casual users and lacks some export and quality capabilities found in paid alternatives such as Splatica. Its arrival gives Insta360 camera owners a low-cost way to try 3D scanning, despite early beta limitations.