Snapping Tool for Line and Polygon: Enhancing Volumetric Calculations

[Joel Cast]

Hello,

I am a surveyor in quarries and mines, and we use Agisoft Metashape to calculate our volumes and for planning purposes. I have mentioned my issue to your technical support team in writing several times, but it seems that no one has taken the time to address my request. We are three users with three professional licenses, and we are somewhat disappointed with this situation.

The software is excellent for modeling our terrains and blasting benches. However, when it comes to calculations, it becomes problematic. As I have mentioned before, there is a lack of a "SNAP LINE" function when we draw our polygons or polylines. It is crucial that these elements adhere to the mesh, as well as when using a polygon. The lines need to recognize each other to avoid overlaps. An error of 0.1 m over a length of 100 m by a depth of 30 m can quickly lead to a significant volume discrepancy!

Furthermore, the color of the "solid fill" must stick to the mesh, as the current result with the "Color solid fill" does not provide a professional outcome, since this color only extends from one vertex to another on the mesh.

Thank you for your understanding, and we hope that these suggestions will be taken into consideration in future updates

[JMR]

Hello, Joel: The snap function actually exists, although I would agree with you it needs to be improved. But at least snap to vertices and to nearest point on another vector exists.
Snap to mesh actually also exists too, and works constantly when you draw on a mesh. If you want denser polylines like sections or profiles, it can be done on 2.5D and then brought to 3d.

When it comes to colours. I'm not sure if I got your request. If you want photographic colours and detail on your triangles so they look as crisp as in the photos, then you need to build a texture. If you dislike the washed colours when you look at your mesh shaded (with colour per-vertex and interpolated), this is due to the low density of your triangulation. But a low density mesh is not necessarily inaccurate, actually it rather is optimal for surveying use.
Do you want shaded colour look like real?, then you can do in two ways: Densify you mesh by sampling dense points on it and then build a new mesh from the new dense cloud... or process from scratch at higher settings with a higher custom triangle count target. I would not go this way but rather would use textures for nice renders and light meshes for good measurement.
If you need help do not hesitate to reach me at Accupixel. We are Agisoft certified trainers.
Best regards.
José Martínez

[Joel Cast]

Hi José,

Seriously, you'll have to explain to me how you manage to make the line look like in your "snap" image on the terrain. On my end, I can only see the beginning and the end sticking to the mesh, unless I click multiple times through this line, which makes my line not straight at all.

As for the color on the mesh, it's the same principle. I need to have a colored surface, for example in orange, in my model. It's possible to apply a color at the moment, but the color doesn't adhere to the mesh, it only extends from one corner to the other. See the attached photo.

Please explain to me how to make my line automatically adhere to the mesh.  Alexey Pasumansky ?

Cheers,
Joel