Messages

1

General / cheap CAD software for contours, creating drawing, etc.

« on: July 01, 2020, 06:22:51 PM »

I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for CAD software to produce a topographic survey deliverable from the point cloud created by Metashape. Although I would love to buy high-end software like AutoCAD or Microstation since that's what I have used for almost 20 years, I don't have the money for it. Looking for something cheaper or a combination of cheaper software to extract points to create a DTM with contours and draw in roads, buildings, trees, etc., and put it on a sheet with a title block.

I know 4Dmapper has some virtual surveying features, has anyone used that? are they any good? I assume I would have to export from there to other CAD software to create a drawing. Is this possible?

Thank you for any help!

2

General / Re: Best collection method for 3D building

« on: May 12, 2020, 07:26:30 PM »

Thank you SAV. That is interesting. I didn't know it existed. It would require a second day of flying with similar lighting conditions but might be possible. I don't know if I can import a kmz into the P4RTK software but I could use my P4P for the second day. Definitely an option.

3

General / Re: Best collection method for 3D building

« on: May 08, 2020, 09:31:32 PM »

I don't have that luxury. Going to do the best I can in Metashape.

Thanks for the response!

4

General / Best collection method for 3D building

« on: May 06, 2020, 06:11:38 PM »

Hey everyone, I have a high profile job coming up for creating a standard orthophoto for a piece of property but there is also an elaborate historical building that I would love to get the best possible 3D model I can get. It's an opportunity I won't get again and want to do it right. I have tinkered with 3D building models on several jobs with mixed results but it's usually not the main focus of the project so I don't put that much thought or preparation into it. So, I'm trying to find out if someone has a proven method for getting 3D models of buildings.

I have a P4RTK and a P4P plus a Sony A7II so the two main options I am considering are:

• Crosshatch flight plus orbitals at different elevations plus A7II ground shots.
• P4RTK 3D flight (nadir plus the 4 oblique missions on all 4 sides of the building) and A7II ground.

I am also considering incorporating Drone Deploys 3D perimeter flight but not sure its necessary. I have Map Pilot and Tag Pilot as options (for P4P) and I am willing to buy any highly recommended app that would be better for me to use.

I am also interested in hearing what settings are best for overlap and what oblique angle is best. Or any other setting or aspect of this I should consider.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

5

General / finding the cameras specific tie points came from

« on: April 08, 2020, 08:44:18 PM »

I aligned my images and there are tie points in the model that obviously didn't align correctly but I can't tell which cameras produced those tie points so I can take them out of the alignment. How can I figure that out? This is an indoor project for fun using photos taken manually so it's a little harder to figure out than a typical outdoor aerial project. The shots are somewhat erratic.

Thanks!

6

General / Re: mixing accurate photo locations with inaccurate

« on: March 24, 2020, 12:12:00 AM »

There obviously could be more going wrong than just this since I'm still learning but this is what I am getting. You can see the roofline is not matching up. There is a gap of several feet when I align with all photos checked. And when I align without the ground photos checked, it says only a portion of the photos are aligned and it looks like all the ground photos were ignored. So it doesn't seem like they are aligned. Maybe I didn't take the ground shots in the best way. I did it kind of quick just to see if it would make a difference.

With accuracy, it appears it is showing the accuracies correctly but should I make the values bigger so it will move them more?

Thanks for the help.

7

General / Re: Best practices and advice for processing P4RTK

« on: March 23, 2020, 12:55:47 AM »

In CC, I like how there is a button to just accept the location if it looks good. In MS, I have to either left-click the marker, which moves it slightly, or right-click and accept the marker location. Which, inevitably, I would accidentally select the wrong menu item from the right-click menu and it would place another marker right on top of the one already there or something else. I also don't think you have to select such a tiny little circle in CC. But hey, if you think MS is better, I believe you. I must not be doing it wrong.

8

General / Re: mixing accurate photo locations with inaccurate

« on: March 23, 2020, 12:47:30 AM »

I had a site I could test this on and I've tried it a few times and they aren't being used in alignment if they aren't checked. Am I missing something?

9

General / Re: mixing accurate photo locations with inaccurate

« on: March 21, 2020, 12:14:06 AM »

OK. So unchecking them lets them float so only the positions of the accurate photos are used. Got it. Thank you.

10

General / mixing accurate photo locations with inaccurate

« on: March 20, 2020, 06:36:39 PM »

Does it make sense to take handheld photos with inaccurate locations of a structure and mix them in with Phantom RTK accurate photo locations? Wondering if it would help make the 3D model look better. I was thinking about carrying the Phantom so I was using the same camera at least. Or is it better to use a full frame DSLR? And how would I process them with the aerial pictures?

Thanks!

11

General / Re: Your opinion on USGS Agisoft Processing Workflow

« on: March 20, 2020, 06:28:23 PM »

Thank you for bumping this thread back to the top. This is exactly what I have been looking for. Its a couple years old but sounds like its a still a valid workflow. I am trying it now.

And echoing what working_guy said, don't forget to tell us your modifications MaciekK.

12

General / Re: Best practices and advice for processing P4RTK

« on: March 19, 2020, 01:50:08 AM »

JMR, thank you for the response. I sent you a PM. Can't wait to see how you do GCPs and anything else you can show me. Thanks!

13

General / Best practices and advice for processing P4RTK

« on: March 11, 2020, 07:59:59 AM »

Hey everyone, I have been using the trial version of the software for two weeks now and have run a few jobs through it but I either dont know if I'm doing it right or if there is an easier way to do it. I am going to just ask a bunch of questions and if anyone can answer any of them or point me to the answer I would very much appreciate it.

First of all, I have been using ContextCapture through work but I want to buy something of my own for side work. I work in land surveying and have an Epoch 50 base and rover that I use for tying control and PPK post-processing. I am using REDcatch PPK processing software that exports directly to a Metashape file and thats what I start with. On to the questions...

What is the correct workflow? What settings are people using?
When do I optimize? And do I only optimize control or both control and cameras?
What exactly does the update button do?
Should I use estimate image quality and learn to use masking?
Is there an easier way to set markers in photos? Is there a way to just accept a position without right-clicking on it and clicking the place marker?
Is there a way to move the markers with arrow keys or something besides the mouse? The entire marker placement process is not exactly easy, there has to be an easier way.
Can you assign checkpoints as vertical checks only?
How can you tell if error is horizontal or vertical?
Can I process oblique and nadir at the same time or is it better to do nadir first? or something else?

My biggest frustration right now is with marker placement. It's so much better in ContextCapture but maybe there is a trick I don't know about. I hope so. I have a new computer coming and Metashape seems to be one of the best for photogrammetry and one of the least expensive. I really want to like it but I am struggling right now and my trial is running out.

Thank you!

14

General / Re: Vertical Datum help

« on: March 11, 2020, 07:19:29 AM »

I forgot to respond but your screenshots did help. In the transformation settings I didnt have "custom." That made it work.

Thank you!

15

General / Re: Vertical Datum help

« on: March 03, 2020, 03:50:00 AM »

Yes, and two things happen, or don't happen. If I set the coordinate systems in Settings, WGS84 for cameras and new 12B system for other two, it says datum transformation not supported. And if I try to convert the WGS84 coordinates, sometimes I dont even see User-Defined Systems so I cant even pick it. But if I do see it, it says not supported.