Question about digital art

[xechnao]

I need to know if there is a software that can convert a photo to 3d (for example a human face photo to the 3d image of that human face). I know it sounds absurd but anyway I can't be sure as this isn't my camp. Anybody know, please answer. Thanks.

[Trevis Martin]

Adobe makes a 3d sofware named Canoma that maps photographs onto 3d models but I'm not sure it will do what you want it to.  

Human faces are not the easiest of 3d constructs.  If  you can make a photo of a face lit directly from the front, you can convert it to a grayscale and there then are several programs that have a function of creating 3d relief objects based on source image luminosity.  Bryce comes to mind.

The best result will probably come from having someone build the model in an appropriate program.

regards,

Trevis

[Bob McNamee]

Check out these sites...

http://www.facegen.com/photofit.htm...pay by the face.. apparently

http://www.shopezonics.com/online-store/scstore/p-U3D001.html----cheap kids type program

http://www.worldof3d.com/tutorials/intermediate/ntroduction_to_3dmenow_lite/default.asp--- a bit more like using a 3d graphics program.

Note: I have not used any of these...and there may well be more, and better progams out there.

Do you already have a 3d program?

[xechnao]

So I guess there is a great deal of speciality about this stuff while I have bit a bit vague.
So I will be more clear about what I want to do.
My intention is to take photos of men and women to project them to 3d so I can then redesign their 3d image as I like, adding skins I like etch. For example take an action photo of Bruce Lee, project him to 3d and then apply a matrix like outfit skin to his 3d body. Then I would like to reproject the elaborated 3d image to 2d and use it as art.
Is this yet possible to achieve?

[xiombarg]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, "No."

You can get programs that create 3d models of humans, and tweak them as you want, but you can't derive them from a photo.

[Bob McNamee]

You can do some things like this, but it will  take quite a bit of work.

The easiest way I see is to get a good 3d program, and several 3d human meshes, or perhaps get the program Poser, which allows you to pose and clothe a 3d figure.

Place the photo you are trying to match in the background, then carefully match the your chosen figure's pose with a the 3d figure (with clothes of your liking...which you might have to make in 3d yourself).  Save out your 3d scene, then spend quite some time texturing  using the original photograph (of Bruce Lee for instance) to create the texture map for the 3d figure's face, as well as texturing the clothes...and lighting the scene.

When you have it how you like...render out your final image or action.

Alternately, some of this could be done after the render phase in a program like Photoshop or Painter or Paintshop Pro to paste in photobased elements.

But there's no really easy way to do this... except perhaps at some of the major movie studios...perhaps.

[xechnao]

That is what I needed to know, thanks!
So I am off this 3d idea. I guess I will work in 2d layout, only that I see it to take longer.