Topics

1

Bug Reports / Sketchfab upload from version 2 not working

« on: March 10, 2023, 07:43:23 AM »

Had anyone had any problems with uploading models to Sketchfab from version 2?  I tried this with version 2.01 for the first time today and the site responds with a processing error (error 13 - which means it can't read the uploaded file).  After several attempts, I tried to update the uploaded model by manually uploading an obj file to replace the original - but this gives the same error message.  I have tried uploading previous successful models, also with the same error message in response.  However, I just tried to manually upload an exported file directly (i.e. a fresh upload rather than replacing failed upload), and it worked fine.  Has Metashape changed the format of directly uploaded files?  It seems that is the case, and that Sketchfab does not recognise the format.
Any suggestions?
cheers,
Bill

2

General / Blank terminal window open in addition to main program window (Windows 11 64bit)

« on: November 19, 2022, 05:16:24 AM »

G'day all,
I have just noticed something 'new' when running Metashape Pro 1.8.6 (under windows 11 64bit).  When the program starts, there is a blank terminal/powershell window that opens with a black background - that has always been there and I think has to do with licence/activation check.  In the past this window then shrank and disappeared once the main program window opened - but now it stays active and you can alt-tab to it.  It is blank other than a list of the program path and name on the title bar.  It doesn't seem to interfere with the main program window, but is another window I have to alt-tab past which is a tad annoying.  If I close it, the main program window closes as well.  I have run a repair and also repaired and reset the terminal app, but to no avail.  Any suggestions?
cheers
Bill

Edit - found the issue - if anyone else is having this problem, there is an option in Powershell settings to "Hide Terminal in the notification area when minimised".

3

General / Search for updates not working

« on: June 24, 2022, 04:44:40 AM »

I only recently discovered by accident that there was a 1.8.3 update uploaded in April.  Running 'check for updates' in Metashape kept telling me 'no update required'.  Now I have installed the update, Metashape tells me a I have an installed version more recent than the 'latest version'.  Presumably this is a server issue?
cheers
Bill

4

Bug Reports / Version 1.8.0 bizarre textures

« on: January 02, 2022, 08:23:43 AM »

I have just installed the new version 1.8.0 and given it a trial run.  All went well until I textured the model.  The texture is bizarre and in no way looks like the rock specimen scanned.  In the attached screengrab you will see it is as if the image has been solarized or something similar, with fine purple and green dots - the image thumbnails below the model gives you an idea of what it should be like.  I also retextured some previous models with the same odd result.  The image sources are Pentax raw (DNG) files.  Any suggestions?
cheers
Bill

5

Bug Reports / All previous models open with no texture in V1.74

« on: September 10, 2021, 09:38:30 AM »

G'day all,
I reported a problem the other day associated with UV mapping causing 'fuzzy' patches in version 1.74.  I rolled back to 1.73 as I had some deadlines.  I have now reinstalled 1.74 (build 13028) and the texture problem appears to have gone, however the vast majority of my previous models (except some files several years old) open with the texture apparently missing - they open to 'solid model' view by default, and the 'textured model' option is greyed out (as is model confidence).  This happens even with a test run generating the texture in 1.74, saving the file, but the texture is gone on reopening the file.   They all open fine in v1.73.  I am wondering if has something to do with texture size - the majority of my models have a texture size of 8196.  My video card is an Nvidia RTX3070, so it should have no issue displaying the textures.
Any ideas what is going on here?  Help!
cheers
Bill

6

Bug Reports / 1.7.4 update flaws in texture and texture missing on file reopen

« on: September 01, 2021, 10:01:50 AM »

As the subject states, the first model processed with the new version has texture issues - there are several 'fuzzy' patches in the texture that look 'tessellated'.  The texture is also not saving even though i save the file, upon reopening it, the texture is entirely missing and won't display!  I downgraded to 1.73 and opened the same file - texture was viewable but still with the same flaws.  Upon rebuilding the texture it turned out fine.
Here is the version with texture issues - I have marked the offending patches with annotations:
https://skfb.ly/opJNO
cheers
Bill

7

General / Texture analysis

« on: December 03, 2019, 04:54:29 AM »

G'day all,
One of my current projects is building 3D models of recycled concrete aggregate (not very exciting I know!).  The end-purpose of this is to compare various processing methods to rid the concrete of dust and old mortar.  In the attached image, you can see the 'dirty' part of the model shows as yellowish-white and the 'clean' parts as a darker grey.  What we would like to do is to get a surface area estimate (percentages) of the clean and dirty parts.  I guess that is classified as 'image analysis' and as far as I know Metashape cannot do that (correct me if I am wrong).  Does anyone have any suggestions of a third party programs that could analyse the model's texture (or orthophotomosaic)?
cheers
Bill

8

General / Unit precision in millimetres for area and volume

« on: November 15, 2019, 03:44:13 AM »

I have a number of models constructed in Metashape that are built from small objects (centimetre scale) photographed with a light tent and turntable setup.  I have figured out how to add a scale to the model with markers and scalebar.  The problem is that when I ask Metashape to calculate surface area and volume of the mesh, it gives the result in cubic metres and square metres respectively, and only gives precision down to 6 decimal places.  The sixth decimal place in cubic metres translates down to 1 cubic centimetre, so most of the models in question all report a volume of 1 cubic centimetre - so there is essentially no precision (see attached screen capture).  What I really need in volume in cubic millimetres, but there seems to be no option to tell Metashape to use millimetres as the local coordinate system or to provide more than six decimal places for the cubic metres result.

I suspect what I am asking for here is a feature request.  In the meantime, is there any workaround for this issue?  Does anyone know of any third party program that can calculate surface areas and volumes at millimetre precision from 3D models?  One workaround I have just thought of is to set a false scale (at a factor of 10^3) and then divide the volume result by 10^9 - just about to test this.
cheers
Bill

9

General / KML shape import

« on: May 01, 2019, 07:51:38 AM »

I am having difficulty importing a kml file with a shape attached.  The shape file was originally created with sketchup and saved as a kmz file.  I have tried importing that file and also an equivalent kml file and associated .dae file, but no matter how I try I get a "KML syntax error" message from metashape when I try to import.  Note I am importing into an existing metashape file which is a drone image of a rock platform.  Both the kmz and kml file work fine in google earth, but won't import into metashape.  The structure of the kml file is below.  Any suggestions?  Cheers, Bill.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:gx="http://www.google.com/kml/ext/2.2" xmlns:kml="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
<Folder>
   <name>12</name>
   <description><![CDATA[Created with <a href="http://sketchup.com">SketchUp</a>]]></description>
   <LookAt>
      <longitude>151.6645390153</longitude>
      <latitude>-33.08723644289</latitude>
      <altitude>17.1707204708</altitude>
      <heading>336.4778816626</heading>
      <tilt>60.67482927013</tilt>
      <range>32.50971519456</range>
   </LookAt>
   <Folder>
      <name>Tour</name>
      <Placemark>
         <name>Scene 1</name>
         <LookAt>
            <longitude>151.6645390153</longitude>
            <latitude>-33.08723644289</latitude>
            <altitude>17.1707204708</altitude>
            <heading>336.4778816626</heading>
            <tilt>60.67482927013</tilt>
            <range>32.50971519456</range>
         </LookAt>
      </Placemark>
   </Folder>
   <Placemark>
      <name>Model</name>
      <Style id="default">
      </Style>
      <Model id="model_1">
         <altitudeMode>relativeToGround</altitudeMode>
         <Location>
            <longitude>151.6645145</longitude>
            <latitude>-33.087248</latitude>
            <altitude>0</altitude>
         </Location>
         <Orientation>
            <heading>0.7286067201608</heading>
            <tilt>0</tilt>
            <roll>0</roll>
         </Orientation>
         <Scale>
            <x>1</x>
            <y>1</y>
            <z>1</z>
         </Scale>
         <Link>
            <href>models/untitled.dae</href>
         </Link>
         <ResourceMap>
         </ResourceMap>
      </Model>
   </Placemark>
</Folder>
</kml>

10

Bug Reports / Issues uploading models to Sketchfab

« on: March 09, 2018, 10:07:37 AM »

I have two issues with uploading models to Sketchfab in more recent versions of Photoscan.  The first I have no answer for and would welcome suggestions, the second I do have a solution for, which I would like to share with others.  This is long, but bear with me. Questions pertain to version 1.4.1

Problem 1.  There appears to be no ‘upload model’ option under the ‘file’ menu despite instructions in the manual to the contrary.  Assuming it is now under the ‘upload data’ option, I have tried that as an alternative and chosen ‘sketchfab’ under the resulting dialogue box and chosen ‘model’ as the source data to upload.  However, this results in a poor quality model on the Sketchfab site which is very dark and contrasty with a black fringe around the margins.  It looks more like the shaded mesh view in photoscan rather than the textured view.  Not sure what I am doing wrong because it worked fine in version 1.2.6.  Any suggestions?

Problem 2.  The other upload option (which I personally prefer) is to export an OBJ model and associated files and then package them to 7zip format and upload manually.  Again, this worked fine in version 1.2.6, but when I use this method in version 1.4.1, the resulting uploaded model is completely white and has no texture (a problem which seems to crop up commonly in this forum).  Having kept exported files from a previous successful upload (from version 1.2.6), I exported the same model from version 1.4.1 only to result in the same blank white model in Sketchfab as other failures.  I then compared the exported outputs from versions 1.2.6 and 1.4.1.  The obj and jpg files were identical in size so I assumed they were essentially identical (jpg images were identical).  I then compared the two mtl files output from the two versions in a text editor and noticed a distinct difference.  The name of the texture file in the last line of the mtl file was written with double inverted commas in the files exported from version 1.4.1, but without the inverted commas 1.2.6.  For example (last line of file in each case):
mtl file output from version 1.4.1:
map_Kd "Melville Point 2018 northeast face 1.jpg"
mtl file output from version 1.2.6:
map_Kd Melville Point 2018 northeast face 1.jpg

After discovering this difference, I edited the mtl file (output from version 1.4.1) and removed the double inverted commas and then uploaded the files (zipped) to Sketchfab, and hey presto, this time it had the intended texture.  Hopefully others will find this useful.
cheers
Bill