80 Level Ratings: Great Photogrammetry Software and YouTube Channels

Today, we've collected 7 photogrammetry software solutions and YouTube channels that we hope will be useful for all artists.

When it comes to modeling and designing, photogrammetry can be a real time-saver helping artists create marvellous digital image versions of existing objects or material. If you feel like you want to make a better representation of small props or huge environments, photogrammetry can be a solution. That's why today, in this 80 Level Rating we collected some brilliant photogrammetry software that you could use in your projects.

RealityCapture

We'll start our list with one of the best photogrammetry solutions – RealityCapture. The software is the cutting-edge solution that helps producing accurate 3D models from numerous input media. The software gives the ability to automatically create virtual reality scenes, orthographic projections, geo-referenced maps, and textured 3D meshes using images and laser scans. Plus, it provides the great quality and speed –10 times faster than other photogrammetry solutions.

The software has a convenient intuitive interface that provides you with everything you need for photogrammetry. RealityCapture offers multiple post-processing tools that help you fine-tune your model. The resulting images can be exported in all standard formats compatible with various software like Unreal Engine or Unity.

You can find lots of tutorials on how to create your photogrammetry projects using RealityCapture on Capturing Reality YouTube channel. Videos on the channel include multiple tutorials on scaling methods, texture projection, control points, and many more. They'll teach you how to start your first project, provide a guide to drone mapping, and keep you updated on new mapping features of the software.

PIX4Dmapper

Pix4Dmapper is a photogrammetry solution dedicated to drone-based mapping. The software is able to generate point clouds, 3D meshes, or elevation maps from any imagery taken with any camera including lightweight compact cameras, DSLR cameras, camera rigs, 360° panorama cameras, smart phones, and many more. Due to its advanced digital reconstruction technology, the software is able to turn the images into a really accurate georeferenced 2D maps and 3D models. It will suit for both aerial and close-range images allowing to render the project and work on textures. The resulting models can be easily exported to multiple compatible formats.

Pix4D official YouTube channel can help you get acquainted with the software and learn how to get started with your first photogrammetry project. The Pix4DMapper Video Tutorials playlist is a complete guide comprised of 18 parts leading you through every step of your projects.

ContextCapture

ContextCapture (previously Acute 3D) is another software that can automatically create a complete 3D model using photographs. This solution allows you to generate 3D models of large-sized sites. Users can combine photogrammetry and laser scans to get multi-resolution meshes of any precision which are optimized for streaming as well as web publishing. The software features the ContextCapture Editor making it possible to edit 3D meshes, generate cross-sections, and extract ground and break-lines. The users can exports their 3D models in various GIS formats integrating them into any workflow.

On Bentley Education channel, you can find several learning tips how to use the software starting with Reality Modeling and capture techniques and finishing some advice on how to merge the georeferenced photographs from a drone with non-georeferenced photographs.

PhotoModeler

Another great photogrammetry solution is PhotoModeler, a plugin available with the 3D modeling software Rhino. It provides with accurate 2D or 3D measurement, 3D scanning, and reality capture. Inside the software, users can choose to manually match common features between images or automatically generate a 3D model. There is also an option to generate point clouds from overlapping images. PhotoModeler is able to extract measurements or models from any photograph taken with a regular camera.

PhotoModeler Official Channel offers over 100 videos revealing tips you can use while working in the software. Through these tips you can learn how to use various features and modes of PhotoModeler along with multiple tricks and other useful advice the authors prepared for you.

iWitnessPro

iWitnessPro is another great professional photogrammetry solution for you. Being pretty affordable and easy-to-use, the software boasts its high-level accuracy and the ability to generate 3D point clouds of a stunning resolution of 1 pixel. It's suitable for working with drone photography material as well as videography frames. Besides, you can choose from close-range or aerial photogrammetry depending on the geometry of your object. The software supports Ground Control Points (GCPs) and can generate orthoimages and digital surface models (DSMs).  Whta's more important, iWitnessPro can be integrated into larger workflows, as the data can be smoothly exported into CAD programs.

Grzegorz Baran's YouTube channel is a great source for artists who'd like to try photogrammetry as the author thoroughly explains how to make outdoor and props scanning demonstrating every step in his detailed tutorials for multiple photogrammetry software.

Agisoft Metashape

One more professional photogrammetry solution is Agisoft Metashape. This software is a good choice for GIS applications, game development, and VFX production offering a variety of features like photogrammetric triangulation, point cloud data, 3D model generation, and textures. It automatically classifies point clouds to customize geometry reconstruction making it possible to distinguish between various objects like buildings and trees which helps you filter them easily. There are two versions of the software: the standard and the professional one. More advanced users can choose a professional edition, although if you want to try it, the standard edition will be just fine for you as it provides all the basic tools you might need.

You can check Fast Photogrammetry YouTube channel to see the introduction to photogrammetry and some useful tips for beginners who decided to use Agisoft Metashape in their workflow. You will go through a  step-by-step process of generating a 3D model from digital photographs. Besides, the author is telling how to properly capture scale markers sharing the method he used for scaling the wall.

3DF Zephyr

If you're a beginner who is looking for a state-of-the-art efficient photogrammetry solution, 3DF Zephyr offers a free version of its software. The difference with the paid version is a 50-image cap that's used for the reconstruction and a smaller range of editing tools. Although it still provides all the 3D reconstruction tools and basic editing tools that you will need as a beginner. 3DF Zephyr's interface is built in a user-friendly way with easy-to-use wizards helping beginners better understand the process and choose the right settings for generating 3D scans. More advanced users can choose a paid version of the software that also offers GIS and survey tools.

To increase the accuracy of your 3D models, 3DF Zephyr offers the ability to align photogrammetry data with laser scans. The software automatically generates the 3D models, although there is an option to manually work with your scan in a CAD program.

The official 3DflowChannel has a variety of #FlowTips videos providing a detailed information on whatever subject you might be interested in: from generating orthophotos from laser scans and extracting polylines from a single camera to tips how to import your orthophoto to various software including even Google Maps.

These were our 7 picks for the great solutions you can use in your workflow. We hope this list will be helpful for both beginners and advanced artists who use photogrammetry. Do you agree with our list? What software would you have added here? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don't forget to join our new Reddit pageour new Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we are sharing breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.

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