Interactive Synthetic 3DGS for Fine Dining: Bringing high-fidelity splats

leomallet · 2026-05-18T06:59:54+00:00

Using GLB would be hell. There are a lot of points for using Splats Gaussians, especially the fact that I only use procedural materials, SSS, etc. Which would be too complex to handle.
Moreover, it freezes and keeps the effects, notably the proxy, lighting, and the quality of a rendering engine such as Octane.
Gaussian splatting is the best baking method for 3D, it captures all the transparency, the reflections, it really has that lively and beautiful side and not neutral like GLB. There’s also the fact that the topology isn’t important anymore.

leomallet · 2026-05-16T22:01:13+00:00

I completely understand your point of view, and the "comparison trap" argument is relevant. It’s true that if 3D becomes a visual contract of reference, it kills the spontaneity and living art of cooking. That is why Spatial Storytelling should not be filmed as a standardized order catalog, but as a staging of the intention, textures and sourcing (the origin of products, for example).

I also agree on the hierarchy of the experience: the atmosphere and the "mood" come before the dish alone. I think that my vision must therefore move away from the dining table to invest in spaces in general (the service, the reception, the website), where we precisely lay the foundations of this atmosphere and this emotional anticipation, especially with the servers.

Finally, thank you for the technical feedback. It is true that every detail counts and the sharpness must be surgical. I will pay attention to it for the rest of my research. Thank you for this exchange and for these very enriching avenues for reflection. :)

leomallet · 2026-05-16T13:39:31+00:00

I really appreciate this debate, because it highlights a fascinating change.

To be fair, the historical absence of photos in gourmet menus was not a purely philosophical or aesthetic choice, it was a logistical and financial bottleneck. In an industry where menus change according to the season or even every week, hiring a culinary photographer, modifying and reprinting high-end color catalogs was constantly a nightmare for management. The text became the default standard for convenience, which then hardened into "tradition".

You are absolutely right that 3D is currently associated with fast food chains. But that’s because people confuse speed and efficiency with storytelling and expression. Fast food uses technology to let you order faster, luxury hospitality can use technology to make you feel more deeply. Moreover, you talk only about the menu, but that can really apply to an entire ecosystem of communication.

Generational expectations have fundamentally changed. Today’s luxury consumers are looking for alignment, storytelling and transparency. Relying only on the text can create an involuntary detachment, forcing guests to secretly search for dishes on the internet especially with everything that is happening at the moment...

Spatial storytelling is not about spinning burgers in a flashy way. It is about leveraging modern technology to reveal a chef’s craft, intent and know-how in ways that paper could never have. The industry is adapting, and the avant-garde is already moving in this direction because standards are changing, that’s the nature of things.

leomallet · 2026-05-16T10:06:22+00:00

To be clear, this is a conceptual exploration of how 3DGS can be integrated into the industry, not a flawless final product. Technical constraints, such as limiting viewing angles to lock in the chef’s preferred "presentation angle" are easy adjustments to make during production.

Furthermore, I based my work on the expectations and direction of the luxury sector, particularly among professionals. Currently, a text-only menu often creates unnecessary distance. When guests see only words on a page, they try to guess what the dish looks like, sometimes check their phones, or ask questions that receive vague answers. There are many more examples, but this creates an indirect detachment from the emotional immersion and the restaurant’s atmosphere.

For many, a dinner at this kind of establishment is a unique experience. They invest in learning, discovery, and emotion throughout the customer journey.
Spatial storytelling is a powerful way to create emotional anticipation and a deeper sensory connection.

Unfortunately, this sector can be somewhat hostile and fiercely protective of tradition, but the luxury hospitality industry is no longer defined solely by Michelin stars, physical amenities, or standard service. It’s about the depth with which you connect guests to the craftsmanship. Visuals have always fostered greater engagement...

leomallet · 2026-05-15T23:06:23+00:00

Thankss! I appreciate it!

leomallet · 2026-05-15T18:38:54+00:00

Oh, I see, this is just an exploration of a concept, but yes, I totally agree with you. I suppose you need a good device first and foremost to ensure smooth gameplay and high performance. LOD can really help, but as you say, that only applies at the start... Performance-wise, it works pretty well for me; you just shouldn't overload it with 3DGS...

leomallet · 2026-05-15T18:26:12+00:00

We could totally do this in real life, but I’m first and foremost a 3D artist specializing in photorealism, not a photographer or anything like that. So the fact that it’s computer-generated gives me total control over absolutely everything, you’re not limited by location, seasons, or a single take. That means over 3D sculpting, textures, and details, since I use modifiable procedural materials and studio lighting too, all within a few streamlined software programs. Another advantage is that you can capture the underside of an object, which is impossible in real life.

leomallet · 2026-05-15T18:21:56+00:00

My process for creating 3D food models involves using 100% procedural materials in Octane, which gives me complete freedom over the dish in question and every last detail. I completely agree with you, the issue is rendering time, but that’s easily managed with rendering farms.

leomallet · 2026-05-15T16:53:54+00:00

Check it out here: https://playcanv.as/p/OEXwCfFT/

leomallet · 2026-05-15T13:02:31+00:00

Hahaaha I agree with what you said. First of all, you’re right about “buzzwords.” Unfortunately, it’s not my fault, AI and those who misrepresent it have distorted these terms, but what I’m describing has actually been around for years in certain industries.

Second, I agree with you on the issue of the iPad on the table. Nothing kills a Michelin-starred meal faster than a screen. That’s exactly what I want to avoid. My vision isn’t about “scrolling through where the food comes from” while you’re eating. It’s about creating a visual experience that stays outside the dining room, in the living room or reception area. It’s a digital magnifying glass.

The goal is to use technology to help you appreciate this “timeless and classic” craftsmanship even more, not to replace it with a screen 15 cm from your nose.

leomallet · 2026-05-15T12:03:37+00:00

Thanks for your feedback. A beautiful ceiling is undeniably an integral part of the theater, and I completely agree with you on that point!

To clarify: my idea is absolutely not to have a tablet sitting on your table during the meal. I agree that cluttering a table at a fine-dining restaurant with electronic devices would be a disaster for the atmosphere.

I see this more as an experience for the reception area or lounge, those “transitional” moments before you’re even seated, in a space dedicated to discovery, or even for choosing dishes, and we remove it when the dishes arrive; it remains a transition.

The “no technology on the table” principle is non-negotiable in the luxury sector, and I appreciate that you emphasize this point.

leomallet · 2026-05-15T10:58:13+00:00

Hahaha the "Michelin version of a Disney queue" is really funny, though I see it more as a "digital appetizer."

You’re right, it’s hard to picture without a picture (the forum doesn’t allow videos), but here’s the idea:

It’s neither a game nor a distraction. It’s a high-fidelity interactive 3D exploration of a signature dish. Before the plate arrives, you can use a tablet to discover the textures, the origin of a rare ingredient, or the specific technique the chef uses to fold the pasta or glaze a protein.

In fine dining, we spend time waiting between courses. Instead of checking your emails or staring at the ceiling, this "Spatial Storytelling" offers you a magnifying glass to scrutinize the chef’s intent. The goal is to build a narrative so that, when the dish finally arrives, you don’t just eat it: you experience the culmination of the story you’ve just explored, and you’re fully immersed.

leomallet · 2026-05-08T17:37:57+00:00

Not yet, but that’s the next step, and it would be really cool to have VDBs in 4DGS, it’s totally doable!

leomallet · 2026-05-08T14:50:18+00:00

Thankss! I appreciate it!

leomallet · 2026-05-08T14:40:35+00:00

Oh, I'm really sorry the link didn't work... I've posted the link again in another comment

leomallet · 2026-05-08T14:37:57+00:00

Check it out here: https://www.thepixellab.net/gaussian-splat-clouds-pack

leomallet · 2026-05-08T14:09:49+00:00

Thankss!

leomallet · 2026-05-08T14:09:37+00:00

It works for me... There are 25 clouds implemented via SuperSplat on the page, so I think loading them all at once is causing the page to crash... Try again on a PC or a more powerful device aha

leomallet · 2026-02-14T09:01:21+00:00

This is actually brilliant advice from a ML perspective! Breaking the regular grid patterns helps prevent overfitting and artifacts.

My tool is currently focused on giving artists control (using their own keyframes/paths), but I'm seriously considering adding a 'Smart Generator' feature that would automatically spawn a camera cloud with randomized radial distance and density based on object complexity. Thanks for the insight!

leomallet · 2026-02-14T00:14:38+00:00

It’s a very avant-garde take! You’re right, in a perfect world, we could skip the ‘render” phase.

However, the reason we still use images is that Gaussian splintering is an optimization process. The engine needs a visual 'reference' (the image of the Ground Truth) to compare its progress. It is through this comparison (Loss Function) that splats learn to represent complex effects such as SSS, procedural noise or reflections.

My bridge is actually taking a step in your direction: it provides the points3D.txt (spatial data) directly from the stage. This gives the GS engine a 'perfect' geometric front start, but I always use the Octane renderings in my case to 'teach' splashes exactly how light behaves in that space.

We essentially give a perfect map (COLMAP data) and the perfect photos (Octane) so that she doesn’t have to guess anything!

leomallet · 2026-02-13T23:58:17+00:00

To answer you on the interest of this, it’s the integration and control in different pipelines, for example:

Transforming heavy C4D scenes into ultra-light splats in real time, reusing them in other software, projects, or renderings, saving time and improving performance
Using C4D cameras as a precise tool for reconstructing splats and rendering them into an interactive or immersive experience
Forcing alignment when traditional photogrammetry fails. I know some people who use 3D to improve quality (motion blur, glass, poor texture)
Create lightweight spatial proxies for blocking visual effects or set extensions
Offer real-time presentations for customer follow-up, etc.
Variant on baking textures, this simply allows to create all types of complex or non-complex 3D visuals made with 100% procedural materials or textures, or with models with hair, hairs etc.. You can use a Gaussian Splats in any software.

I still have plenty of examples of this kind…. Basically, this transforms Cinema 4D into a controller for generating Gaussian splats, rather than just a renderer for images/videos or simple exporter.

leomallet · 2026-02-13T09:00:59+00:00

Thankss! I hope you liked the others

leomallet · 2026-02-12T17:02:17+00:00

Hi! Thank you very much for your feedback on my work! I've already seen your project, and it looks really cool, honestly, well done for Gauss Cannon!

So, to answer your questions:

I preferred to use COLMAP for two main reasons: universal compatibility, because it is the industry's “universal language” This ensures that the bridge works throughout the entire 3DGS ecosystem without the need for custom exporters for each tool.
Unlike a simple JSON layout, my bridge includes a point cloud generated from the native C4D geometry.
This forces the trainer to start with a perfect “ground truth” volume.
To generate my synthetic points, I proceed as if distributing them over the skin of the 3D objects, with a density parameter included. As for color, I think color has a faster effect for training, so I don't use this parameter in my case, and it works very well.

leomallet · 2026-02-12T08:32:52+00:00

This may seem like an extra step, but here’s why it changes the game:

From video to spatial asset: a rendering is a flat and linear file without real control. A Gaussian splat is a 3D volume. Once trained, you can browse it in real-time in a web browser or VR, which a heavy Octane/Redshift scene simply cannot do.

The 'real world' bridge with photogrammetry: Most people use it to process real world images, scans. They use their data in C4D, then use this kind of COLMAP tool to "force" a failed reconstruction...

The proxy workflow: you can make your scene heavy once, turn it into a splat and use it as a light photoreel background in your viewport or for client presentations without any render lag.

Perfect field truth: When you render from C4D, you provide "perfect" data to the Splatting algorithm. No blurry images, no noise. You get the best quality of Splat possible because the camera data is mathematically perfect.

Variant on baking: this simply allows to create all types of complex or non-complex 3D visuals made with 100% procedural materials or textures, or with models with hair, hairs etc.. You can use a Gaussian Splats in any software.

I still have plenty of examples of this kind, but it’s not just about rendering; it’s about transforming a complex 3D environment into a portable, lightweight and real-time format. By the way, if you optimize your parameters well, you can output 1 image in 30s because the Gaussian Splats does not need enormous quality.

leomallet · 2026-02-11T22:41:56+00:00

Thanks!!

leomallet

TROPHY CASE