Great 3D starts before the shutter.

Work around the whole object.

Take overlapping photos around the product at low, middle and high camera elevations. Add views from above, plus the underside where you can photograph it without moving the object. A single horizontal orbit leaves top and bottom surfaces unseen.

Follow a continuous path with small changes between neighboring views, so each photo shares plenty of product detail with the next. Take overlapping transition shots as you change elevation to connect the low, middle and high orbits. Keep that shooting order in numbered filenames, such as shot-001.jpg, shot-002.jpg, shot-003.jpg; do not shuffle the views. For regular photo uploads, Splatmaker matches each image with its neighbors in filename order.

Keep the object rigid and in the same pose throughout a connected set. If you must reposition it to expose another side, treat that as a separate setup and check whether your reconstruction workflow can align those sets.

Keep every frame comparable.

Use the same camera and lens. Lock focal length and avoid zooming or changing lenses. Keep aperture, ISO, shutter speed or exposure, white balance and color processing consistent; turn off automatic exposure, automatic white balance and any filters that change between shots. For ordinary single-frame capture, focus manually or lock autofocus at a distance that keeps the whole product sharp, then avoid refocusing between shots.

Keep a roughly constant camera-to-object distance. Let the product fill most of every image while keeping it entirely visible with a small safe margin, without clipped edges. Lots of empty background sacrifices useful product detail. Move the camera around the object, or turn the object on a turntable, stopping it for each shot.

Make the entire product sharp.

Start with enough depth of field, adequate light and a stable camera or tripod. A single sharp frame with locked focus is the simplest default. If one exposure cannot keep near and far details sharp, focus stacking is an advanced option at each stopped camera angle:

1. Stop the object and camera. Take, for example, three frames focused near, middle and far, changing only focus distance.
2. Merge those frames externally into one sharp photo for that viewpoint before upload.
3. Check the merged edges for misalignment, halos and focus breathing; repeat the same merge setup for other viewpoints.

Changing focus or aligning a stack can subtly change image geometry. Keep the final images at a consistent resolution, field of view and framing; avoid independent automatic crops, resizing or warps between viewpoints. Test a small connected set through camera reconstruction before committing to the full session. For calibrated studio input, make sure the camera calibration describes the final merged photos, not just the original bracket frames. Checking for visible halos alone does not establish that the views will align.

Upload the merged image as one view, rather than treating the focus bracket as three different camera views.

Make the product stand out from the set.

Choose a matte background that contrasts with the object. Keep it plain and avoid changing props or patterns that distract from the product. Matte products with visible, stable details are easier to match across photos; avoid mirror-like surfaces when possible because moving reflections make camera matching difficult. On a turntable, keep stationary textured room surfaces out of view where possible: the product, its support and markers should form one rigid scene through a connected set.

If you use printed markers, put them on the surrounding support or backdrop, outside the product's silhouette. Never attach them to or cover the object. Fix them rigidly relative to the product: on a turntable, markers belong on the rotating platform or backdrop that turns with the product, not on a stationary wall or table. Keep several distinct markers visible across adjacent views and do not move them during the set.

A marker sheet does not replace overlapping coverage, a sharp product or stable light. Keep the printed sheet flat and its position fixed throughout each connected set.

Record a steady path around the product.

If video input is enabled for your account, use one MOV or MP4 clip of a rigid, stationary product. Move the camera smoothly around it at several heights, keeping overlapping views and the whole object in frame. Video processing selects frames; it does not repair gaps in coverage.

Use H.264 or HEVC, no more than 180 seconds or 512 MiB. Frame rate must be at most 60 fps, the longest frame side at most 4096 px, the shortest at least 64 px, and each frame at most 8,847,360 pixels in total (the area of 4096 × 2160). Check the exported file, since recording settings and export settings can differ.

Keep one physical lens and focal length throughout. Turn off stabilization, Action/Cinematic modes and automatic lens or macro switching; avoid zoom. Lock focus, exposure and white balance so the product keeps the same geometry and appearance across selected frames. A preview or successful upload does not guarantee that camera reconstruction or the final splat will be useful.