Messages

1

General / Close Holes in Mesh - by selection

« on: March 26, 2024, 02:06:34 AM »

HI All,

I'm using Metashape Pro v2.1.0 build 17532.

I have  UAV collected images of a civil site with stockpiles, vehicles and machinery. I have created a mesh / point cloud / DEM / Ortho. I was testing the best / fastest way to remove the vehicles and machinery from the mesh. 

I viewed the mesh in wireframe and deleted triangles around a vehicle. Leaving a hole in the mesh.

If I select the triangles just around the hole and run the close holes command, Metashape seems to be able work out that there has been a area selected because the "Apply to selection" option is automatically ticked. I leave the "Level" slider set at 100% but when I click "OK" nothing happens.

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Interestingly, if I select nothing and run the "close holes" command Metashape analyses the whole mesh and finds the hole! It takes a while though!

Any help appreciated

Ben

2

Feature Requests / Re: Cameras State Manager

« on: March 16, 2024, 08:18:24 AM »

Hi,

I forgot to write in that there could also be a "Markers State Manager" to do exactly the same thing for the Markers

In the Cameras State Manager dialogue box there would be a tick box called "Save Marker State when saving Camera State".  And in the Markers State Manager there would be a tick box called "Save Camera State when saving Marker State"

This would give the user the option  to save / or not save  the stale of the markers when saving a "Camera State" or a visa versa for a Marker State.

3

Feature Requests / Cameras State Manager

« on: March 16, 2024, 08:04:05 AM »

Hi,

I think it could be very helpful to have a "Cameras State Manager" - maybe needs a better name. This would work like AutoCad's "Layer State Manager".

You would open the Cameras State Manager from an icon in the Reference Panel. Maybe next to the "Update Transform" icon. It would be also listed under the Tools Menu.

The Cameras State Manager would enable the user to save the current "state" of the Cameras in the Reference panel to a name. This would save the "state" of all variables for every camera in the Cameras Reference Panel. If all cameras are ticked - that state could be saved as the  name "All Cameras Ticked". If all cameras are unticked - that state could be saved as the name "All Cameras Un-Ticked". The power of the layer state manager would come when the user has some cameras ticked and some unticked, because this state could be saved to a name e.g. "Only Accurate cameras ticked". 

The Cameras State Manager would be a dialogue box (see attached example). This box would list all the saved "States" . There would be a "restore button". The user would highlight the name they would like to restore and click the "restore button" and the cameras would return to exactly the state they were saved  (ticked or unticked).

The Cameras State Manager would not only be saving the ticked / unticked state of a camera but also the accuracy of the camera. This would then allow the user to import camera accuracies or if DJI  RTK have them import directly when the photos are imported. Then save that to a cameras state name e,g, "All Cameras with original accuracies" . But then the user could change the camera accuracies and untick some cameras, say if if they were having alignment issues, and then save that state e.g. Only Cameras with Changed Accuracies". Because the Cameras State Manager is saving all variables to a named state the changed accuracies could be restored at anytime with one click of a button.

After importing photos, I often will turn off cameras if there are issues and run optimizations. But later will want to test with all cameras on. It is easy to tick (check) all camera or untick all cameras but it is painful if you have to un- tick some but not all.  A Camera State Manager would make this very quick.


Thanks for reading, I hope you make find this suggestion worth incorporating into Metashape.

Regards
Ben

4

General / Re: How to split model imported into Metashape

« on: March 02, 2024, 04:03:03 AM »

HI All (and Alexey),

Now that I have created all my mesh tiles. I was looking to export them all in one go, using this script i found. When I run it i get a message -  name 'chunk' is not defined.

I renamed my chunk to chunk but get the same message.  Sorry I know nothing about scripts

for model in chunk.models:
   chunk.model = model
   path = output_folder + "\\" + str(model.key) + "_model.abc"
   chunk.exportModel(path, format = Metashape.ModelFormatABC)

5

General / Re: How to split model imported into Metashape

« on: March 02, 2024, 03:20:19 AM »

Hi All,

I have just found that the mesh splitting script works!!!! Thanks Alexey!! I didn't realize the script creates a custom menu at the top of the screen on the menu bar. You can run the functions of the script from there.
 
I also found that the script created a shape file containing the boarder of each tile!! And when exporting the shapes to dxf, if i tick a box to also export shape labels and attributes, I then get each tile name centred in the tile when I open the dxf !

This is exactly what I needed.

As you can tell by all the exclamation (!) marks - i'm very happy. 

Thanks again Alexey!



Regards
Ben

6

General / How to split model imported into Metashape

« on: March 02, 2024, 02:40:53 AM »

Hi All,

I have imported a 2.5d mesh into Metashape. The mesh was in autocad dxf format of 3d face triangles and of a ground surface about 3km x 3km. It is a big file and because of this I need to split the mesh into tiles of about 500m x 500m to make the data more manageable to our clients.

The data imports correctly into Metashape.  And is the only object in the Metashape file. But I cant do any thing with it. I found a script from Alexey that is suppose to split a mesh into tiles but it would not work for me. I know nothing about scripts but when i run it nothing happens. That script is attached.

I have tried creating a Point Cloud from the mesh (at 0.05m interval) but it does not work. The point cloud object is created but it only contains one point. 

Would anyone know how i can split my dxf mesh into tiles of a nominated size or nominated number of tiles. Or even better - how can I split my mesh into tiles but also create a scheme of the tiles generated. Just like happens when exporting a kml of an ortho.

Any help appreciated

Ben

7

General / DEM - can it be shifted down in height?

« on: February 23, 2024, 04:49:49 AM »

Hi All,

I created a project from UAV images (Zenmuse P1). Several GCP's were used as control. The data processed very well with very low RMS, Total Errors and good Check point results. Every check mark under 0.03m for Easting, Northing and Height.

I then created a 3d model, tiled model, DEM and ortho.

It was after everything was created when i found out the GCP values have an absolute error of 0.04m in height from a bad benchmark value. The values I used need to be lowered by 0.04m. I went through the GCP values in the Reference pane and lowered the source values by 0.04m in height and ran the "update transform" button, not knowing what would happen to my 3dmodel, tiled model and DEM.

I was very pleasantly surprised to find that my 3d model and tiled model updated perfectly! That is, there was a total shift down in height of 0.04m across the whole 3d model and Tiled model. This is exactly what i needed.

But when I look at the DEM, it did not shift at all. So I then went to Tools/ DEM/ Transform DEM and ran that. But no shift happened.

My question is - does anyone know how I can shift the DEM 0.04m down in height. Or do I have to delete the DEM and run "Build DEM" and create a new one from scratch?

Any help appreciated
Ben

8

Feature Requests / Re: ECW export

« on: February 23, 2024, 12:46:35 AM »

+1

9

General / Re: Change of Cesium export format for Tiled Models

« on: February 16, 2024, 03:35:16 AM »

Hi All,

Since posting the question I have since found out that the .3tz is just a wrapper. If I rename the .3tz file to a .zip file it works as I need it.

10

General / Change of Cesium export format for Tiled Models

« on: February 15, 2024, 11:36:15 PM »

Hi All,

I have noticed for v2.1 pro that Tiled Models are no longer exported to Cesium format in a .zip folder. They are now exported in a .3tz format.

It is unfortunate Metashape didn't keep both options for export as the zip folder worked very well for us. The software we use to view Tiled Models only takes Cesium format in .zip.

Does anyone know how i can convert the .3tz to a .zip format?

Cheers
Ben

11

General / Re: Automatic Marker Detection

« on: February 15, 2024, 01:33:25 PM »

Hi Joel,

I have very good sucess with the GCP metashape recommends -  "non-coded cross" target. Mine are 300mm x 300mm and work very well for flights up to 100m AGL (see photo attached). I'm using a M300 and Zenmuse P1 camera. Do a google search for "Metashape Coded targets and Scale bars" . They have written a document on it.  When i was testing them I just printed them on paper and glued them to cardboard. But now have had some made out of aluminum with matt finish to minimize sun glare.

It took me a while to get the process right and several questions to metashape support. But works about 98% of the time now.

Might also help you to search questions on this forum about "non-coded targets" - I have posted afew trying to get the process right.

It saves me so much time every time I process a flight.

Hope this helps.

Regards
Ben

12

Feature Requests / Temporary Line work showing "Split into Blocks" Areas

« on: January 04, 2024, 11:36:34 PM »

Hi,

When exporting to Tiff or JPG format, I often have to "Split into Blocks" my orthomosaic. It would be really good if when I tick the "Split into Blocks" box that temporary line work was created on the screen over the job showing the proposed Blocks. If I then have to change the Block size parameters, it then updates the linework to show then new proposed Blocks for export.

Having this will allow the user to know what will be exported. Currently I have to export, then open in another program, look at what has been exported, then go back into Metashape, change the Block size, re- export and repeat the whole process until I get the Block size correct.

Thanks for considering this.

Kind Regards
Ben

13

Python and Java API / Script to detect markers at locations of imported GCP's

« on: January 03, 2024, 03:26:10 AM »

Hi All,

Sorry but i have no script writing knowledge. But would anyone have a script or could write a that may enable the detection of markers only at locations a imported GCP's?

I have a regular job of about 70 Hectares, which I place Coded Targets over approx 10 GCP's. Metashape does a great job of recognizing those targets using Tools/ Markers / Detect Markers. My problem is I have about 6000 photos and if I run Detect Markers on all photos it is very time consuming. So my current solution is to import the GCP locations through a csv. Then I can select photos by marker location then run Detect Markers and tick "Process Selected Images Only" option. This works well but a have to do this at every GCP.

I was hoping someone to have a script that does the following -

1. The script requests the User imports GCP's via "Import Reference"
2. Script then only selects photos at every GCP location using the "Filter Photos by Marker" function
3. Script then request from User a "Detected Marker search Radius". User enters a Radius (metres or feet). The script then will only detected markers within this radius at every gcp point. This part of the script will stop Metashape creating most false markers at locations it thinks are targets but are not.
3. Script then runs the "Detect Markers" using "Process Selected Images Only" option only creating markers within the nominated radius of each GCP.


Any help Appreciated

Kind Regards
Ben

14

Feature Requests / Re: timed incremental save during a process or autosave

« on: January 02, 2024, 01:19:54 PM »

Happy new year to everyone in the Metashape development team and the Metashape user community!

Just wanted to ask if this request could be considered for an update that is released in 2024.

Cheers
Ben

15

Feature Requests / timed incremental save during a process or autosave

« on: November 17, 2023, 10:20:16 AM »

Hi All,

I think this topic has been addressed before, but it seems so important to me I would like to add it to the suggestion box again.

It would be great if the option was available to set a incremental save prior to starting a workflow process. i.e every 20 minutes during a process a save point (or restore point) is automatically carried out. I am currently building a mesh, it has been going for 30 hours and is only at 70%, if metashape crashes now I lose all that work. But if I could have set a backup save for each hour at least i only lose part of an hour.

We also have multiple licenses of metashape and computers of very different processing speeds, So the another thing a partial save would allow me to do would be to save during a process and if a faster pc becomes availible, move the partially processed job onto the quick pc and start processing where the save occurred.

The incremental saves should be for every workflow object - Point Cloud, Mesh, Ortho, DEM etc

Thanks for reading, i hope this can be incorporated into a future release.

Regards
Ben