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COLMAP Sparse Viewer

COLMAP Sparse Viewer

Vincent Qin

|
48 installs
| (0) | Free
Visualize COLMAP sparse reconstructions inside VS Code. Supports .bin and .txt models.
Installation
Launch VS Code Quick Open (Ctrl+P), paste the following command, and press enter.
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COLMAP Sparse Viewer

Visualize COLMAP sparse reconstructions directly inside VS Code, powered by Three.js.

Viewer UI

Features

  • Reads standard COLMAP sparse models: cameras / images / points3D in .bin or .txt format
  • Renders the sparse point cloud with true RGB colors, plus reprojection-error and height color modes
  • Draws every registered image with model-aware camera geometry, using the true per-model unprojection (including lens distortion): pinhole-family models get the classic frustum, fisheye models a curved-border frustum that stays correct beyond 180° FOV, and equirectangular panoramas a wireframe sphere; size, line width and color are all adjustable
  • Optional camera trajectory polyline (ordered by image name)
  • Filters: max reprojection error, min track length
  • Click a camera to inspect image name, camera model, full named intrinsics and position — optionally with rays to (or highlighting of) the 3D points that image observes
  • Play button to step through all cameras in image id order; double-click the cloud to re-center the orbit pivot
  • Handles all COLMAP camera models (IDs 0–17: standard models plus division, fisheye, EUCM and equirectangular extensions), and reads models written by both current COLMAP (16-param RAD_TAN_THIN_PRISM_FISHEYE, 2-param EQUIRECTANGULAR) and older writers (legacy 14-/3-param variants)

Install

  • From the VS Code Marketplace, or
  • Download the .vsix from GitHub Releases and run code --install-extension colmap-sparse-viewer-<version>.vsix

Usage

  • Double-click any cameras.bin, images.bin, or points3D.bin in the Explorer, or
  • Right-click a folder (e.g. sparse/0, or any ancestor — the model is auto-discovered up to 3 levels deep) → COLMAP: Visualize Sparse Model, or
  • Run COLMAP: Visualize Sparse Model from the command palette and pick a folder.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/66d9f7dc-7e90-4e09-b429-33982b24714a

Sample data

Two sample reconstructions are attached to the v0.1.6 release for quick testing:

  • sparse_garden.zip — model in both .bin and .txt flavors
  • sparse_store.zip — binary-only model written by a newer COLMAP (also contains rigs.bin / frames.bin)

Unzip one, open the folder in VS Code, then right-click it → COLMAP: Visualize Sparse Model.

Controls

Action Effect
Left drag Orbit
Right drag Pan
Scroll Zoom
Click frustum Show image info
Double-click cloud Set orbit pivot

Development

git clone https://github.com/Vincentqyw/vscode-colmap-viewer.git
cd vscode-colmap-viewer
npm install
npm run build      # bundle extension + webview
npm run package    # create .vsix

Install the generated .vsix with code --install-extension colmap-sparse-viewer-<version>.vsix.

License

MIT © Vincent Qin

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