Microsoft invented a new way to bring your photos to life like never before — and it works on any device (MSFT)

October 26, 2016 at 11:57 AM EDT

At its Wednesday event, Microsoft unveiled a nifty new feature that can capture 3D images of objects using the regular camera on any device.

The feature, called the Windows Capture 3D Experience, lets you walk around an object to capture it in 3D. Microsoft showed off the feature during its event with a sand castle:

RAW Embed

The result is, indeed, a 3D image of a sand castle, which you can rotate to see around your object (or subject):

RAW Embed

Apart from upgrading you photos from 2D to 3D, you can use your 3D captures with Microsoft's new Paint 3D app that's coming with the Windows 10 Creators Update next year to create 3D art.

You'll also be able to view your 3D captures and creations with Microsoft's augmented reality headset called HoloLens. For example, Microsoft showed how it placed 3D art — made in Microsoft Paint 3D — on a real live table with HoloLens.

This isn't Microsoft's first foray into 3D capturing and imaging. With the Xbox One's Kinect camera accessory, you can download an app called 3D Scan and use the Kinect to capture 3D images on the Xbox One and PC. However, the Kinect camera is tethered via cable to the Xbox One or PC, making the experience clunky and limited at best.

With the new 3D Capture Experience, you'll be able to capture 3D images pretty much anywhere without being tethered to larger devices. Yet, it's still unclear whether this will be an app, and on which platforms it'll be available.

NOW WATCH: Microsoft just revamped MS Paint — and it lets anyone create 3D designs