SOP Main Line
From zero to a Gaussian Splat — the full workflow
Inktoys breaks the full pipeline — from deciding whether to shoot, through training, cleanup, and distribution — into 12 reviewable chapters. Public, updated, opinionated.
Recommended paths
Three preset paths — pick your profile
Don't want to read everything? Pick a profile below. Each path lists which chapters to read, which to skip, and the estimated time.
Beginner — first model via cloud services
Brand new to 3DGS. Skip SfM and local training; ship a result via Polycam / KIRI first to build intuition.
Chapters (4)
00 → 01 → 08 → 11
Intermediate — full local workflow
Want to understand every step. COLMAP + Postshot / Brush, accelerated by AI agents.
Chapters (9)
00 → 01 → 02 → 03 → 07 → 08 → 09 → 10 → 11
Professional — production-grade B2B pipeline
Built for paid delivery. Emphasizes archival, QC, compression, and version control with acceptance criteria.
Chapters (11)
00 → 01 → 02 → 03 → 04 → 05 → 06 → 07 → 08 → 10 → 11
12 stages
Full chapter index
Each chapter is self-contained, linkable, and bookmarkable. WIP-tagged chapters expose their outline and target date.
- 00
Decision Gate: Should You Use 3DGS
Decide in 5 minutes whether 3DGS is the right tool for what you want to capture, before spending on gear or time.
Open chapter → - 01
Subject Taxonomy & Capture Strategy
Break subjects into scene / object / human / composite, then map each to device, radius, and the most common failure modes.
Open chapter → - 02
Site Recon & Shot Planning
Visit the site once before the real shoot — spend 30 minutes mapping light, obstacles, and paths, then write a one-page shot plan.
Open chapter → - 03
Camera Settings & On-Site Operation
Why manual mode is non-negotiable, plus device-specific settings for phone / DSLR / drone / 360 / action cam, and how to move the camera in cramped vs open spaces.
Open chapter → - 04
Asset Organization & Archival
Naming convention, folder layout, the 3-2-1 backup rule, metadata preservation — what makes a shoot reusable months later.
Open chapter → - 05
Frame Extraction & Selection
FFmpeg sampling templates, automatic rejection of blur / over-exposure / duplicates, and mask generation.
Open chapter → - 06
Color Grading & Consistency
Lightroom / Camera Raw batch flow, white-balance consistency — and why over-grading kills SfM.
Open chapter → - 07
SfM Pose Estimation
COLMAP (local / free / slow but stable) vs RealityScan (fast but watermarked) vs in-pipeline solvers.
Open chapter → - 08
Training
Cloud options (Polycam / KIRI / Luma) versus desktop options (Postshot / Brush / NerfStudio), with hardware vs runtime tables.
Open chapter → - 09
Training via AI Agents
Turn command-line 3DGS tooling into a conversational workflow with Cursor, Claude Code, or Codex CLI.
Open chapter → - 10
Post-Processing, Cleanup & Compression
Trim floaters in SuperSplat, color post-processing, compress to under 30 MB with SOG or SPZ.
Open chapter → - 11
Distribution & Display
Self-host with Three.js / gsplat.js, platform-host on SuperSplat / Polycam, B2B delivery checklist.
Open chapter →