1. A computer-implemented process for identifying corresponding points among multiple images of a scene, comprising using a computer to perform the following process actions: identifying interest points in each image, at varying resolutions, whose locations within the image depicting the point are defined by at least one property attributable to the pixels in a first prescribed-sized neighborhood around the point, and which can be assigned a unique orientation based on least one property attributable to the pixels in a second prescribed-sized neighborhood around the point; generating a descriptor for each of the interest points which characterizes each point in a manner that is substantially invariant to changes in image location, orientation, and scale, as well as to changes in the intensity of the pixels used to define the location and orientation of the point; finding substantially matching descriptors among the images; and designating the interest points associated with each set of matching descriptors that appear in different images as corresponding points.