The contributions in this volume give an overview of state-of-the-art results presented at the Workshop on 3D Structure from Multiple Images of Lar- scale Environments (SMILE). This workshop was held in conjunction with the Fifth European Conference on Computer Vision 1998 in Freiburg, Germany. SMILE was a joint e ort of the European ACTS projects VANGUARD and PANORAMA and the Esprit projectCUMULI, all of which are involved in the analysis and reconstruction of 3D scenes from image sequences. The potential for 3D reconstructions of scenes and objects is tremendous. Much of the work reported here is to be seen especially against the background of a convergence between computer vision and computer graphics, and of a shift from signal-based to content-based image analysis in telecommunications. - cordingly,the requirementsfor 3D modelsand acquisitionsystemsarealso shi- ing. Visualization rather than mensuration is the primary issue. The perceptual qualityofthe models,the?exibility ofthe acquisition,andthe costofthe system are three driving forces in the search for new methods. The last few years have seen important steps toward genuine ?exibility.
A case in point is the use of multiple images to generate 3D models, without an explicit knowledgeof the relativeposition of the camerasor the camera settings. The same developments also hold good promise to make 3D acquisition cheaper and more widely available.