How can I create a rotatable 3D-style bonsai view for a website without an expensive 3D scanner?

Question

I want to build a small website for a virtual bonsai show where visitors can rotate around each tree, zoom in, and inspect details. I first looked at 360° photo apps and 3D scanning/photogrammetry tools, but those seem aimed at either placing the viewer inside a scene or creating full 3D models, and my early tests did not work well for a tree on a turntable.

I do not necessarily need a true 3D model if there is a simpler way to present each bonsai as an object users can rotate on a web page. Is there a practical low-cost workflow for photographing a bonsai from multiple angles and displaying it interactively online?

user97853 · Accepted Answer

If it doesn't have to be a smooth continuous transition from one view to the next, and if you can write HTML and JS, you can do all the work in the web page.

Calibrate the turntable with degree markings around it (e.g. every 15° for 30 positions).
Mount the camera securely and use a remote shutter.
Take a photo in each position.

In the web page, write JS to switch to the next photo when the current one is clicked on the right side, and to the previous photo for the left.

You could even take the circles of photos at three or four levels (make sure the camera is always aimed at the same spot in the centre of the target), with clicking at the top or bottom changing the view vertically.

How can I create a rotatable 3D-style bonsai view for a website without an expensive 3D scanner?

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