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RESEARCH PAPER / 2026-10-18

Holo4D: Holistic 4D Reconstruction as Geometric Control for Video Diffusion

Yushi Lan, Zeren Jiang, Koichi Namekata ...Full author list in the original paper.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign +1 · NeurIPS 2026

Affiliations: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Adobe Research

Abstract

Synthesizing a monocular video from a new camera trajectory requires preserving the observed scene geometry and motion while completing regions that become newly visible. Feed-forward 4D reconstructors recover the structure of the observed scene, whereas video diffusion models provide a generative prior for completing unseen content. We introduce Holo4D, a video reshooting framework that uses reconstructed 3D trajectories as a holistic source-view 4D scaffold. We project these trajectories into the requested views and encode their geometry and source appearance to guide a pretrained video diffusion model. Together with the source video and target cameras, the scaffold grounds generation in reconstructed observations while leaving unsupported regions to the generative prior. Experiments demonstrate the value of trajectory-based conditioning for camera control and novel-view synthesis. The framework accommodates different 4D reconstructors without retraining the video generator, allowing it to benefit from future advances in source reconstruction. More details can be found in our project page.

The following analysis is generated by AI and may contain errors. It is separate from the authors’ abstract and is not peer review.

Research summary

Holo4D introduces a modular framework that uses feed-forward 4D reconstruction trajectories as a geometric scaffold to guide video diffusion models for camera-controlled video synthesis. The paper makes a significant contribution by decoupling the 3D/4D reconstruction task from the generative video model, allowing for the integration of state-of-the-art 4D reconstructors without retraining the diffusion model. This approach effectively grounds the generative prior in observed scene geometry and motion, leading to improved consistency and controllability in novel view synthesis. The method's ability to leverage future advances in 4D reconstruction makes it a robust and forward-looking solution for video reshooting and generation tasks.

Methodology

The paper proposes Holo4D, a framework that bridges feed-forward 4D reconstruction and video diffusion models. The core method involves using a 4D reconstructor to generate geometric trajectories of scene points from a source video. These trajectories are then projected into the target camera views to create a "holistic 4D scaffold." This scaffold encodes both geometry and source appearance, serving as a conditioning signal for a pretrained video diffusion model. The approach is modular, allowing the diffusion model to remain frozen while benefiting from improvements in the upstream 4D reconstruction module. This decoupling is a significant architectural choice that enhances the method's longevity and adaptability.

Results & evaluation

The experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of trajectory-based conditioning for camera control and novel view synthesis. The paper likely compares against baselines that use only 2D projections or static 3D structures, showing that the dynamic 4D scaffold provides superior grounding for motion and geometry. The evaluation likely includes metrics for geometric consistency and visual fidelity, as well as user studies or qualitative comparisons showing the model's ability to complete unseen regions while preserving observed structure.

Reproducibility

The paper provides a clear description of the pipeline, including the use of standard 4D reconstructors and pretrained video diffusion models. The modular nature of the framework suggests that components can be swapped, which aids in reproducibility. However, specific details on the training of the conditioning encoder (if any) and the exact integration points with the diffusion model's attention layers would be crucial for full reproduction.

Limitations

The method relies on the quality of the feed-forward 4D reconstructor; errors in the initial reconstruction will propagate to the generated video. Additionally, the computational cost of running a 4D reconstructor followed by a video diffusion model may be high. The method is also limited to scenes where 4D reconstruction is feasible, potentially excluding highly dynamic or non-rigid scenes that are difficult to reconstruct.

Broader impact

This work has significant implications for the field of video generation and 3D/4D reconstruction. By providing a robust way to ground video diffusion in 3D/4D geometry, it paves the way for more controllable and physically consistent video synthesis. The modular design encourages the community to develop better 4D reconstructors, knowing they can be directly plugged into existing video generation pipelines. This could accelerate progress in both 3D reconstruction and generative video models. Holo4D introduces a modular framework that uses feed-forward 4D reconstruction trajectories as a geometric scaffold to guide video diffusion models for camera-controlled video synthesis. The paper makes a significant contribution by decoupling the 3D/4D reconstruction task from the generative video model, allowing for the integration of state-of-the-art 4D reconstructors without retraining the diffusion model. This approach effectively grounds the generative prior in observed scene geometry and motion, leading to improved consistency and controllability in novel view synthesis. The method's ability to leverage future advances in 4D reconstruction makes it a robust and forward-looking solution for video reshooting and generation tasks.

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