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Author Topic: Agisoft article says make DensePointCloud even if use DepthMaps for Mesh Build.  (Read 1269 times)

Steve003

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Hi,
The tutorial on the basic steps of metashape at:-
https://agisoft.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/31000152092
(see attached)
Has the user doing:-
1. Align Photos
2. Make a Dense Point Cloud, remove points unwanted with delete tools.

3. Build mesh
AFTER THE DENSE POINT CLOUD IS MADE, it says a choice then exists, use either Dense Point Cloud or Depth maps.
Depth maps supports GPU acceleration (GPU being the video processor) and provides better results for minor details.
It then shows the panel and settings for the depth map approach.

Then the confusing bit, it says IF AT THE PREVIOUS STAGE DEPTH MAPS WERE BUILT AND SAVED IN PROJECT, WE RECOMMEND USING THE PARAMETER - ‘REUSE DEPTH MAPS’

Click OK to start the build.


I bring our attention to:-
AFTER THE DENSE POINT CLOUD IS MADE, it says a choice then exists, use either Dense Point Cloud or Depth maps.

As I wish to get better detail, exactly what are the steps I should be following ? It seems one has to make dense point cloud then save depth maps then make mesh using depth maps and choose reuse them !  Where is this option to save depth maps in the Dense Point Cloud build ?

conflicts with advice :- after align photos skip DensePoint Cloud, as its slow and if using depth maps you don’t need the Dense Point Cloud !
I like speed and detail, so why are we being told to go via Dense Point Cloud here ?

I am now puzzled, I have been aligning photos then choosing build mesh use depth maps.

Am I doing wrong ?

it even goes on to say:-
If after the previous stage – Depth maps were built and save in project, we recommend using the parameter – Reuse Depth maps. It shows the Build mesh panel with depth maps selected and reuse depth maps ticked.

so again its saying make the dense point cloud then save the depth maps, I wasn’t aware one had an option to save or not to save the depth maps.

my method by not making Dense point cloud wont be making depth maps and then seeing an option to save them or not it appears.

I AM TOTALLY CONFUSED NOW. just done 9 models my way.

As I wish to get better detail, exactly what are the steps I should be following ?

Steve003
« Last Edit: August 13, 2022, 05:25:59 PM by Steve003 »

2tall3ne

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There are two ways to create a mesh, either by creating a dense cloud or directly running create a mesh option.

In the older version of Metashape (Photoscan) you could only create a mesh from a dense cloud, the process of creating a dense cloud also created depth maps for mesh creation.
Now in Metashape you can skip creating a dense cloud and create a mesh from depth maps without having to create a dense cloud, the option to reuse depth maps will not be there.

If you choose to first create a dense cloud, depth maps will be saved and when you go to create a mesh you can reuse those depth maps.