PhotoModeler

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PhotoModeler
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Screenshot of PhotoModeler Scanner
Developer(s) Eos Systems Inc.
Initial release 1994; 30 years ago (1994)
Stable release 2016.0.8 / May 9, 2016
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Type Photogrammetry
License Proprietary commercial software
Website www.photomodeler.com

PhotoModeler is a software application that performs image-based modeling and close range stereophotogrammetry – producing 3D models and measurements from photography.

Close Range Photogrammetry (CRP) is a sub-set of photogrammetry and is differentiated from Aerial Photogrammetry by the type of input photographs. In CRP, photographs are taken from the ground, or from aerial positions that are at a closer range to the subject than typical Aerial Photogrammetry.[1][2] PhotoModeler and CRP are used for performing measurement and modeling in archaeology, architecture, biology, engineering, film production, forensics, and mining.[3][4][5] PhotoModeler, first publicly released in 1993, was the first commercial all-digital close-range photogrammetry and image-based-modeling system.[6]

Products

The PhotoModeler product line currently consists of the base PhotoModeler product, the PhotoModeler Scanner product, and the PhotoModeler Motion product.

Features

PhotoModeler creates accurate 3D models (consisting of Points, Lines, Curves, Edges, Cylinders, Surfaces, NURBS, and Shapes), and accurate 3D measurements from photographs taken with most standard cameras (either digital or film). 3D models can be created and exported with photographic textures extracted from the original photographs. Automation is available with coded targets (special 'barcode-like' circular targets placed in the scene before photography).

PhotoModeler Scanner is a super-set of PhotoModeler and includes all its features – it adds SmartMatch (automated feature detection and matching on photos), and DSM (dense surface modeling).

PhotoModeler Motion is a super-set of PhotoModeler Scanner and includes all its features – it adds capturing geometry over time (4D measurement = 3D + time).

File formats

PhotoModeler has the ability to read the following image formats: JPEG (.jpg), Tiff (.tif), Windows BMP (.bmp), PC Paintbrush (.pcx), Targa (.tga), Portable Network Graphics (.png), Pict (.pct), Photoshop (.psd), Portable Pixmap (.ppm), Macintosh Paint (.mac), EA Interchange File Format (.iff), CALS Raster (.cal), PhotoCD (.pcd), Silicon Graphics Image (.sgi), Silicon Graphics RGB (.rgb), Jpeg2000 (.jp2/.jpx), MS HDphoto (.hpd/.wdp).

PhotoModeler can import 3D data for comparison, matching, and as control points in the solution. The input file formats accepted are: DXF, Wavefront OBJ, 3D Studio 3DS, and Raw Text files.

PhotoModeler exports 3D data to the following formats (some with mapped photographic textures): 3ds, Rhino 3DM, DXF, Filmbox FBX, IGES, Google Earth, Maya Script, 3D Studio Max Script, Wavefront OBJ, Raw, and VRML.

Applications

Some of the applications of PhotoModeler are:

  • Accident reconstruction / Forensics[7]
  • Archaeology / Paleontology[8]
  • Architecture
  • Biology[9][10]
  • Engineering[11][12]
  • Film[13]
  • Mining[14]
  • Situational Awareness (SA)[15]

History

Development was started in 1990 by Alan Walford. The first public release was a beta in October 1993.

  • QMeasure beta – Oct. 1993
  • PhotoModeler 1 – Jan. 14, 1994
  • PhotoModeler 2 – Aug. 31, 1995
  • PhotoModeler LX – Jul. 1996
  • PhotoModeler 3 – Jul. 18th, 1997
  • PhotoModeler Lite – Mar. 24, 1999
  • PhotoModeler 4 – Nov. 2, 2000
  • PhotoModeler 5 – May 15, 2003
  • PhotoModeler 6 – Feb. 8th, 2007
  • PhotoModeler Scanner 6 - Apr. 21st, 2008
  • PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner 2010.0 – Oct. 28, 2010
  • PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner 2011.0 – Jan. 18, 2011
  • PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner 2012.0 – Jan. 18, 2012
  • PhotoModeler and PhotoModeler Scanner 2013.0 – Feb. 13, 2013
  • PhotoModeler, PhotoModeler Scanner and PhotoModeler Motion 2014.0 - Feb. 4, 2014
  • PhotoModeler, PhotoModeler Scanner and PhotoModeler Motion 2015.0 - Dec. 3, 2014

Alternatives

The direct alternatives to PhotoModeler are: Pixdim, RhinoPhoto, iWitness, Australis, and Elcovision.

CRP software for doing automated high-accuracy industrial measurement is GSI’s VStars.

Alternatives that carry out dense automated modeling similar to the PhotoModeler Scanner product are: AdamTech 3DM, Topcon Imagemaster, Autodesk’s 123D Catch, and PhotoScan.

PhotoModeler is now being used more regularly with drone, UAV, and UAS photography (Unmanned aerial vehicle). These vehicles produce photos that are closer to the subject (the ground) than traditional aerial photogrammetry (taken by fixed wing aircraft with high resolution cameras at higher altitude). Software packages suited to this other type of aerial photogrammetry are packages such as SOCET SET, or LPS (Leica Photogrammetry Suite).

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Atkinson 1996: p.9
  2. ↑ Luhman 2006: p.2
  3. ↑ Luhman 2006: p.469
  4. ↑ Karara 1989: p.321
  5. ↑ McGlone 2004: p.1015
  6. ↑ Earlier academic or discontinued all-digital CRP systems were: H. Haggren's Mapvision and Armin Gruen's DIPS in 1986.
  7. ↑ The Boston Channel 2008
  8. ↑ Matthews 2008: p. 11
  9. ↑ Bythell 2011
  10. ↑ de Bruyn 2009
  11. ↑ Grande 2006
  12. ↑ Richardson 2008
  13. ↑ Duesing 2006
  14. ↑ Dunn 2009
  15. ↑ Schwartz
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