How To Generate GIFs from 3D Models with Python
As a data scientist, you know that effectively communicating your insights is as important as the insights themselves.
But how do you communicate over 3D data?
I can bet most of us have been there: you spend days, weeks, maybe even months meticulously collecting and processing 3D data. Then comes the moment to share your findings, whether it’s with clients, colleagues, or the broader scientific community. You throw together a few static screenshots, but they just don’t capture the essence of your work. The subtle details, the spatial relationships, the sheer scale of the data—it all gets lost in translation.
Or maybe you’ve tried using specialized 3D visualization software. But when your client uses it, they struggle with clunky interfaces, steep learning curves, and restrictive licensing.
What should be a smooth, intuitive process becomes a frustrating exercise in technical acrobatics. It’s an all-too-common scenario: the brilliance of your 3D data is trapped behind a wall of technical barriers.
This highlights a common issue: the need to create shareable content that can be opened by anyone, i.e., that does not demand specific 3D data science skills.
Think about it: what is the most used way to share visual information? Images.
But how can we convey the 3D information from a simple 2D image?
Well, let us use “first principle thinking”: let us create shareable content stacking multiple 2D views, such as GIFs or MP4s, from raw point clouds.
If you are new to my (3D) writing world, welcome! We are going on an exciting adventure that will allow you to master an essential 3D Python skill. Before diving, I like to establish a clear scenario, the mission brief.
Once the scene is laid out, we embark on the Python journey. Everything is given. You will see Tips (
