PhotoModeler Updates

Tip 5: Photo Sets

6 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

This tip describes how projects with large numbers of photographs can be organized with Photo Sets. Photo Sets control visibility and help parcel the work for some of the algorithms.

YouTube link

PhotoModeler - what's in there?

1 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

At Eos we like to think of PhotoModeler like an onion. For many tasks you'll find the standard operations, that are front and center, are all you need. For other tasks you'll discover that PhotoModeler offers a wealth of feature-rich layers, giving you the power to efficiently and accurately handle complex 3D measurement projects.

Many of PhotoModeler's features have been added over the 20 years since it was initially introduced - most as a result of user input and an understanding of what real-world projects our customers are carrying out. We've created a new Comprehensive Feature List to help you learn about all of PhotoModeler features and benefits at a glance. We are peeling the onion for you!

Tip 4: 3D View Rotate and Zoom Point

23 Jan 2012 18:00:00 GMT

To follow up on tip #3, that was on 3D viewer navigation, this tip demonstrates the very useful ability to change the rotation- and zoom-about point. When you want to study some part of your 3d model in more detail, the default centered zoom- and rotate-about point can be cumbersome. The 'A key' answers that. Take a look.

YouTube link

New 2012 Release

18 Jan 2012 18:24:04 GMT

PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner have been upgraded to 2012.0. The new version is available as a download patch or from within PhotoModeler using the Check for Updates function. The big new feature is support for alpha-channel masks and chroma-keying (blue/green screen). These new masks can be used in texturing and DSM creation. In additon there are 45 smaller improvements and fixes.

Tip 3: Navigation in the 3D Viewer

9 Jan 2012 18:00:00 GMT

There are more ways to change the view (zoom, rotate, pan) in PhotoModeler`s 3D Viewer than the controls on the bottom right. There are mouse and keyboard short-cuts, you can customize (to make more like other 3d software you use), and 3Dconnexion`s 3D mouse is supported as well.

YouTube link

Winner of our first Social Media Contest

30 Dec 2011 21:01:00 GMT

By random draw, the winner of our first social media 'like' and '+1' contest is Julio Cuenca Sanabria. The winner gets one year of free Maintenance Subscription for PhotoModeler Scanner (or equivalent value in discounts towards other PhotoModeler products, upgrades, etc.). No cash value. Note we will have another contest in 2012 and all still-connected parties will be re-entered in that new contest.

End of Social Media Contest Dec. 30th, 2011

28 Dec 2011 19:40:26 GMT

The Facebook Like and Google+ contest is over in a few days. On Dec. 30th 1pm pacific, a random draw from the list of all those that have Liked us on Facebook or 1+ed us on Google+ (and emailed us) will pick one winner. If you have not already done so please use the links at the bottom of our home page to like or 1+ us.

The winner gets one year of free Maintenance Subscription for PhotoModeler Scanner (or equivalent value in PhotoModeler Maintenance Subscription, or an equivalent discount towards PhotoModeler purchases). No cash value. See Nov newsletter for details.

Tip 2: Colorizing point clouds to visualize height and depth

15 Dec 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Tip #2 - Colorized by Height

YouTube link

New Tips - Tip 1: Sizing Photo Thumbnails

9 Dec 2011 18:00:00 GMT

We are instituting a new regular feature called "PhotoModeler Tips". These tips will come out every 2 to 5 weeks and will contain a short video describing one feature. The features will be those often overlooked but very useful none-the-less.

Our first tip is below. Tip #1 - Sizing Photo Thumbnails

YouTube link

New Articles and Search

29 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT

There are some interesting new third-party articles on PhotoModeler: one is a comparison of laser scanning and photogrammetry in geology and terrain modeling, one shows an unmanned aerial vehicle capturing landslides, and one points out some interesting forensic work done by a long-time PhotoModeler customer.

In addition, all the reports and articles have been reorganized. They can now be searched by application field, product type and version number; they are sorted by date (most recent first); and most of the external publicly-available articles have a local pdf cache (for when remote site is inaccessible).

It is interesting to see the date range of these articles that shows the longevity of PhotoModeler. Our first article in the database is dated 1995 and the most recent Nov. 2011 !

Neat Examples of SmartMatch and DSM

25 Nov 2011 22:00:00 GMT

We have a new web page that shows projects that use both SmartMatch and DSM. Currently the two projects shown are at two ends of a scale - a ceramic bunny at one end, and a 2000 foot-long coal storage area at the other. The coal storage area would be very difficult (or far more expensive) to do without the SmartMatch and DSM capabilities in PhotoModeler Scanner. Take a look!

2011.1 Major Release

15 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT

New versions of PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner have just been released. The new version is 2011.1. This new version contains some significant improvements along with a number of fixes. The major improvements are:

- 64 bit versions of the programs are out of beta and now officially released. If you have a license for 32 bit PhotoModeler, a 64 bit version of Windows (Vista or 7), and often work with big projects (high resolution images or many images) then the new 64 bit versions will be significant for you.

- SmartMatch (PhotoModeler Scanner) has had a significant rewrite in a number of areas. The feature detection and matching have been sped up and are both threaded, now taking advantage of multiple CPU cores. The orientation stage has been revamped to handle larger projects and return better results with larger numbers of photos. In addition the user interface and reporting has been improved considerably.

- The animation export has been improved with new abilities for a) automatically adding key frames from each camera position in the project, and b) uploading a newly created PhotoModeler animation directly to YouTube. Combining these features allows one to quickly present a video of your scene and object to YouTube viewers.

- There are new file imports and exports: a) The new LAS format export is used to move point clouds to a number of external 3^rd party tools that accept the increasingly popular format. LAS files can also be imported as Point Meshes. b) For those that work with Total Station survey equipment and/or surveying software, PhotoModeler now imports and exports CSV data files that match common survey data file formats.

In addition, there are over 100 other improvements and fixes in 2011.1 - with several of these aimed at improving stability. See the Updates page for additional detail and download instructions.

SIGGRAPH Videos

12 Aug 2011 17:00:00 GMT

SIGGRAPH 2011 in Vancouver is now over. We had a great time and it went very well for us. PhotoModeler received a great reception and it was nice to meet up with new and existing PhotoModeler customers.

There are two related PhotoModeler/SIGGRAPH videos:

Matt's interview with 3D Total (click to view)

Our show video (click to view)

Enjoy!

PhotoModeler at SIGGRAPH

5 Jul 2011 19:00:00 GMT

We will be demonstrating PhotoModeler, PhotoModeler Scanner, and SmartMatch at the upcoming SIGGRAPH show in Vancouver.

Location: Vancouver Trade and Convention Center West
Dates of exhibit: Tues., Aug. 9th to Thurs Aug. 11th, 2011
PhotoModeler Booth Number: 273

Information on the SIGGRAPH site. Hope to see you all there!

New Money-Back Return Policy

21 Jul 2011 18:00:00 GMT

We've introduced a new money-back return policy for products ordered from Eos.

With the training videos, the demo downloads, the trial key with your own photos, and lastly this new return policy, customers can be very confident starting with PhotoModeler.

Our return rate has been extremely low, so we thought why not make it even easier for those that do need to return it for whatever reason? Between the products and our support services we are confident that customers will find new levels of productivity for 3d measurement and modeling, but it's also nice to know there's no risk to try it out!

New 2011.0.3 Release and 64bit PhotoModeler

26 May 2011 17:01:00 GMT

The 2011.0.3 upgrade is now available. PhotoModeler customers can get it by using Check for Updates (or by downloading from the support web site).

With this new version we have:

64 bit versions of PhotoModeler and Scanner available in beta. Please contact PhotoModeler support if you are interested in testing it out. The beta is available to existing 2010/2011 customers. The main improvement is that the 64bit version can access more memory so larger photos and projects can be handled. Windows Vista 64 or Windows 7 64bit are required.
The 3D Viewer options dialog now has an Apply button (no need to leave the dialog to try out settings).
The 3D Viewer has a gradient background and new buttons (its great looking!).
Text size for on-photo dimensions can be set in a preference.
SmartMatch can now be called externally via DDE (Scanner only)
... and 59 fixes and small improvements.

Social Networking - Facebook and Youtube

26 May 2011 17:00:00 GMT

PhotoModeler has a Facebook page. Please visit us at Facebook.com and Like us. Add comments to our wall if you'd like. We also have a Youtube channel that has some of our own Youtube PhotoModeler videos plus a play list that points to Youtube videos from other PhotoModeler users. Please visit Youtube PhotoModeler.

Amazing New Examples

8 Apr 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Our customers have shown us some very interesting projects recently.

First, we have a forensic application which is also an illustration of performing DSM scanning on a very small object using macro photography. One of the advantages of photo-based 3D scanning is its size independence. This example is a perfect illustration of that. The object is the end of a bullet cartridge and is less than a cm across. See full description here.

Second, we have an interesting application in hydrology and geomorphology. This is scan of a stream bed simulation table. See full description here.

Third, we have a mining project where the photographs were taken by a micro-drone. See full description here.

Lastly, we have a large architectural project done with 50 photographs and a number of overlapping scans resulting with a point cloud of 14 million points. Included is an interesting video that starts with an apparent solid model and zooming in until you can see the detail in the point clouds. See full description here.

New 2011.0.2 Release

10 Mar 2011 19:00:00 GMT

PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner have been upgraded to 2011.0.2. The new version is available as a download patch or from within PhotoModeler using the Check for Updates function. There are 17 fixes and small improvements. Main goal of this release is stability.

New 2011.0.1 Release with Two Great Features

24 Feb 2011 19:00:00 GMT

PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner have been upgraded to 2011.0.1. The new version is available as a download patch or from within PhotoModeler using the Check for Updates function.

There are 35 fixes and improvements. Two amazing new features are for PhotoModeler Scanner: a) the new 'colorize point clouds by height' 3d viewer function - click on thumbnail to the left to see larger version, and b) the Idealize step is no longer required before DSM creation.

See the New Features page.

New Authorized Service Firm in Australia

9 Feb 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Datapix from the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia is our latest Authorized service firm. They specialize in: Topographic, Civil and Structural Measurements, Aerial Photo Ortho-rectification, Photo Overlays and Visualizations.

We'll post some of their fascinating projects shortly. See the Authorized Service Firm page.

New Geology Article

28 Jan 2011 19:00:00 GMT

A new journal article describes a technique using PhotoModeler for the measurement of inaccessible geological features. Details here.

New PhotoModeler Reseller in the Balkans

28 Jan 2011 19:00:00 GMT

A new reseller in Slovenia will carry PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia. Information here.

PhotoModeler 2011 Release

14 Jan 2011 19:00:00 GMT

The first upgrade release for 2011 is now available. The release is '2011.0.0'. There are 64 changes and fixes. A few of the useful improvements are: Camera station GPS and geo-coordinates support, Further speed improvements, and Cursor-key table navigation. Details here.

This page describes our new version numbering system (that started with the 2010 release in October 2010).

PhotoModeler 2010 first patch released - 2010.0.9

1 Dec 2010 19:00:00 GMT

The first patch upgrade for PhotoModeler 2010 and PhotoModeler Scanner 2010 is now available. The release is 2010.0.09. There are 40 changes and fixes. A few useful improvements as well. Details here.

In addition, there are tutorial video updates - some now with closed captions, and a number of new ones. See www.photomodeler.com/tutorial-vids/online-tutorials.htm.

PhotoModeler 2010 Released!

28 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT

PhotoModeler 2010 and PhotoModeler Scanner 2010 are released today for sale.

With a new cornerstone feature in PhotoModeler Scanner 2010 called SmartMatch, the result can often be a stunning, photorealistic 3D model generated from photographs entirely automatically. SmartMatch detects and matches natural features in images - giving automated project setup and 3D data without the use of targets.

In addition, all of the software’s core algorithms have been rewritten for higher performance, and many of the algorithms are now threaded to take advantage of modern multi-core CPUs. Comparing the previous version PhotoModeler 6 to the new PhotoModeler 2010 on a four core computer, a user may experience speed improvements of up to 4x in project processing, 16x with automatic target marking, and 32x during Dense Surface Model creation.

PhotoModeler 2010 is the culmination of two years of development, combining Eos’ own research with feedback from our users, helping to push the new version onward to the key goals of more results, in less time, with less work.

In addition to the speed improvements and SmartMatch, other new features include support for geographic coordinates (geoids, map-systems, conversions); on-photo dimensions; an automated in-background project review; and a new External Geometry Explorer that consolidates control points, scale, rotation, external CAD file import and adds check distances, and multi-point affine. A complete list of new features can be found at: www.photomodeler.com/pm2010. A new set of tutorial videos describe many of the new capabilities in detail at www.photomodeler.com/tutorial-vids/online-tutorials.htm.

PhotoModeler 2010 New SmartMatch

4 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT

An amazing new feature was added to the PhotoModeler 2010 beta on Friday. The feature is called SmartMatch.

SmartMatch brings automation to create 3d data from every-day images. SmartMatch searches out natural feature points in images, matches them between photos, and generates 3d xyz points automatically. It is as simple as loading your photos and pressing “Go”.

The best way to understand SmartMatch is to watch the video on YouTube (try HD and full screen for best viewing)

For those familiar with PhotoModeler’s coded targets and automated coded target projects, you can think of SmartMatch as automation for photos without targets. SmartMatch creates SmartPoints as a replacement for coded targets in certain scenes. Think of the time that you can save - not having to place targets in your scene. Or consider the ability to work on projects automatically where the targets needed would be too large or difficult to place.

See What's New in 2010.

PhotoModeler 2010 Beta Release!

28 Jul 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Today we announced the availability of PhotoModeler 2010 and PhotoModeler Scanner 2010 as Beta releases. Speed enhancements are the big new feature of 2010 but there are many other interesting changes as well. See What's New in 2010. There is a limited-time special offer as well. See How to Get PhotoModeler 2010 Beta.

New Articles Mentioning PhotoModeler Scanner

3 Jun 2010 19:00:00 GMT

We have added two new articles showing the use of PhotoModeler Scanner in scanning both large and small objects. One involves a comparison to the low-cost David laser scanner. The articles page now has a section dedicated to articles and reports that mention PhotoModeler Scanner specifically (as well as the existing categorization by application field). See our updated Articles and Reports Page.

Mining and Reclamation Study

29 Apr 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Mike Dunn, of The Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation, Pittsburgh, published his slides from a recent presentation on the use of Close Range Photogrammetry in Mining and Reclamation. See our updated Geology Page.

Application Page Changes

19 Apr 2010 19:00:00 GMT

The PhotoModeler home page has been updated to highlight our most common current application areas. We have added new Geology and Archaeology sections using some existing content, plus giving us a platform to showcase those areas more in the future.

The accident reconstruction and forensic application areas have seen a bigger change with the introduction of the Accident Reconstruction and Forensics Mini Site featuring significant new content and structure.

Modeling an Inukshuk with an iPhone Camera

19 Feb 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Since Eos Systems, the developer of PhotoModeler, is located in Vancouver, BC - the home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, what better project to carry out than to model the iconic Inukshuk. Inukshuk are native Inuit statues made of large stacked rocks. They are stone landmarks used for navigation, or markers for hunting grounds or food caches. Vancouver has a large Inukshuk on the shores of English Bay that many say was one of the inspirations for the games logo.

Is the camera in an iPhone 3GS good enough to do photogrammetric modeling? It is indeed! The project described on the iPhone Inukshuk page shows that you can model a complex shape like an inukshuk with an iPhone camera.

Interesting new article on sail modeling

15 Jan 2010 19:00:00 GMT

A new article written by a customer describes how they used four cameras and PhotoModeler to model sail shape (a spinnaker) in a wind tunnel and compared it to the design shape.

Fall Newsletter

5 Oct 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Our fall PhotoModeler newsletter has been published. It has three topics: an interesting case study on remote property assessment; a link to our new scanning white paper; and a description of this RSS feed.

New Customer Accuracy Study for a PMV Setup

28 Sep 2009 19:00:00 GMT

A new customer-written article titled "Metric Potential of a 3D Measurement System Based on Digital Compact Cameras" has just been published on our site.

Customers that use multiple cameras simultaneously might wonder what sort of accuracy is possible. Multiple cameras are used with the PhotoModeler Video add-on (PMV) to track object movement or shape change.

This article addresses that while using inexpensive consumer-grade digital cameras with zoom lenses. This type of camera is not ideal for photogrammetry but is inexpensive and if you need more than one (when capturing an object frozen at one instant in time from multiple views) it is nice to keep cost down. When keeping cost down, can you still have accurate measurement? - this paper addresses that concern.

Newly Published Whitepaper

11 Aug 2009 19:00 GMT

A new white paper titled "A New Way to 3D Scan" has just been published on our site.

Here is an excerpt:

Introduction
Do you need to create dense 3D point clouds and detailed surface models of physical objects, and do you want to do it in a cost-effective and efficient manner? A new class of 3D scanning technologies, called photo-based scanning, may be the solution you are looking for.

This new technology uses a standard off-the-shelf digital camera in combination with specialized software that analyzes the digital images - there is no additional hardware required. The new technology is called photo-based scanning, or photogrammetric scanning.

In this white paper we define 3D scanning, review the current methods for 3D scanning, introduce photo-based scanning, plus examine strengths and weaknesses of the various technologies.

Fascinating use of PhotoModeler Video

9 Jul 2009 21:30:29 GMT

A customer used PhotoModeler and the PMV module (which adds the 4th dimension (time) to measurement) to track changes in wing shape of micro unmanned aerial vehicles (muav).

View the project description page to see photos and access links to their full papers discussing the technique and the results.

PhotoModeler 6.3.3 Patch Release

22 Apr 2009 18:47:00 GMT

PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner 6.3.3 upgrade patch has been released. This release is mostly for small fixes, and to synchronize with the new CD printing.

To find out more about this release visit the upgrades page.

New 3rd Party Articles

15 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

A number of new interesting articles written by 3rd parties were added to our articles page. Some of these are:

"PhotoModeler Scanner in VFX"
"Police Take Accident Reconstruction To Skies"
"Photogrammertry for the Preparation of Archaeological Excavation. 3D Restitution According to Modern & Archive Images of Beaufort Castle Landscape (Lebanon)"
"Using digital images to reconstruct three-dimensional biological forms: a new tool for morphological studies"
"How to weigh an elephant seal with one finger: a simple three-dimensional photogrammetric application"

View the articles page.

PhotoModeler Automation Release

20 Jan 2009 20:00:01 GMT

PhotoModeler 6.3 with RAD targets and a greatly enhanced automation module was released Jan. 20th, 2009.

Read the press release or visit the add-on modules page for more information.