ContextCapture is Photogrammetry software from Bentley. In fact, it is a pretty comprehensive set of tools for photogrammetry, laser scans, meshing, GIS, etc. I was contacted by someone from Bentley, who asked me if I'd like to give it a test run. I was set up with a trial, but aside from that I've not... Continue Reading →
Adding thickness to your scans for 3D printing. Or… Making 3D surfaces into solids.
I scan a lot of 2.5D things. That is to say, 3D, but only a surface. Think dinosaur tracks, like this: One of the problems you can come across is if you want to 3D print something like this, it needs thickness. Visualization can also be helped if there’s context for the edges. I’ll outline... Continue Reading →
Macro photogrammetry – digitizing small details
A lot of the photogrammetry models I make, and that I generally see online are of decent sized objects, or even large buildings and terrains. But as long as you can take a decent photo of something, you can digitize it. A while ago I tweeted some nice Macro images of a fossil fish specimen... Continue Reading →
Free and Commercial Photogrammetry software review: 2020 [with minor updates in 2021]
It's been a few years since I've done a review of all the software I've tried. It's time to update that, with more free software, and the commercial (paid) software I've been trying out. I was trying to find a way to include a sort-able and filter-able table, but that requires a business plan apparently,... Continue Reading →
Upgrading the arduino photogrammetry to use InfraRed LEDs to trigger the camera
I've detailed my Arduino photogrammetry setup, first here when it just used my phone, then here when I cludged together a physical trigger in the form of a servo motor. That worked really well, and I've made a bunch of models with it that have come out absolutely superb. However, to get the servo motor... Continue Reading →
Transferring textures from two halves to a whole (using Blender)
Using a scan in two halves to re-project a texture onto a new mesh, using Blender.
Aligning and merging two halves of a scan: CloudCompare
This post will show you how to align a scan in two or more parts using CloudCompare. Or there's a video tutorial. Ideally, when you scan an object with laser scanning or photogrammetry, you want to get the whole thing in one go. With photogrammetry, that might involve what I've seen called the 'void' method... Continue Reading →
Photogrammetry: Does shooting RAW or JPG make a difference?
This is one of those questions that I see cropping up regularly in discussions online and off; Should I shoot and process RAW photos, or will I get the same results with out-of-camera JPGs? There is absolutely a school of thought among photogrammetry practitioners that everything should be absolutely top-quality: Prime lenses, shooting in RAW,... Continue Reading →
Alicevision Meshroom 2019.2.0 – best settings (that I use)
I covered Meshroom back when it was version 2018. Shortly after, I wrote about trying out all the settings. It's been over a year and half since then, and in that time Meshroom has become my default photogrammetry software. I've got into a habit with changing the default graph, so wanted to share the settings... Continue Reading →
Photogrammetry testing: OpenDroneMap
Testing WebODM - OpenDroneMap photogrammetry software.