Are you looking for the best free photogrammetry software for Windows? In this article, we will share 4 free photogrammetry photogrammetry software for all of you who need it.
Photogrammetry is the process of extracting measurements from one or more images to determine the accurate position of surface points. It is used for many purposes such as creating 3D objects from multiple images, for creating complex 2D and 3D motion planes for remote sensing, for measuring relative 3D motion, etc.
However, this photogrammetry software is mainly used to generate realistic models using multiple images. In most of the softwares mentioned below, you need to enter 50 and more images of objects taken from different angles to produce good results.
Since this software processes a lot of images, the time spent processing images and creating models is also quite high. However, this software also supports GPU and hence, works much faster in systems with GPU.
JPG is the most commonly supported image format among these software. Although some software also supports other image formats such as PNG, TIFF, etc. After loading the images into this software, you can follow the steps that I have included in the description of each software to generate 3D models.
Apart from generating 3D models, you can also rotate and view the generated models from all angles. Plus, tools to enhance the look of the model by changing the colors, lighting, etc., are also present in some software. After making changes to the 3D model, you can save it in OBJ, PLY, NVM, or any other supported format. Here are 4 of the best free Photogrammetry software for Windows.
1. Regard 3D
Regard 3D is a free, open source photogrammetry software for Windows, Linux, and MacOS. Regard 3D is used to generate 3D models using multiple photos of objects. In it, you can insert JPG and PNG images to generate models.
Apart from creating models, you can also use this software to make adjustments to the output model. The interface of this software is quite simple and easy and you can access and use all its features easily.
How to create a 3D model using Regard 3D:
- Launch this software and create a new project by specifying the project name and project path.
- After that, click the Add picture set button to load all the images of an object into this software.
- Now, click on the Compute matches button and set keypoint matches and keypoint sensitivity parameters and then hit OK. This process can take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
- Next, click the Triangulation button to open the Triangulation settings and then press OK without changing the default settings. The Triangulation process only takes a few minutes, after which you can see the structure of the point cloud objects on the interface.
- To create a realistic looking model, use the create dense cloud option. This option opens the Densification menu from where you can set the threshold, filter width, cell size, and more parameters.
- After setting the densification parameters, press the OK button to generate a 3D model.
To further enhance the model, you can use show texture, enable lighting, polygon mode, shading, and other tools. You can also export the final 3D model in a compatible Meshlab format by pressing the Export Scene to MeshLab button. To save the model in PLY format, press the Export Point Cloud button.
Additional features:
Output Console: Using it, you can view various information about the model creation process such as track length, 2D-3D fit, use of points for resection, strong camera index resection, and much more.
Edit User Camera DB: It lets you add and edit information about your camera like camera model, sensor width, aperture, etc.
It is one of the simplest photogrammetry software to operate and offers only the essential features. You can download Regard 3D from here.
2. COLMAP
COLMAP is a free, open source photogrammetry software for Windows, Linux, and MacOS. Using this software, you can create 3D solid structure of objects using many images of PNG and JPG formats. In order to produce a high-quality model, you need to include at least 50 images.
To reconstruct the model using the image, it used Structure From Motion (SFM) and Multi-View Stereo (MVS) photogrammetric techniques. To properly generate solid 3D models through this software, your system must have Nvidia GPU.
How to generate a 3D model using COLMAP:
- Open the interface of this software and go to the File menu to create a new project.
- After that, open the Reconstruction menu and select the automatic reconstruction option to open the automatic reconstruction floating panel.
- Now, in the floating pane, you need to specify the paths of Workspace Folder (output folder) and Image Folder (input images folder). Leave all other options of this floating in their original state.
- Next, press the Run button to start the reconstruction process. This process will take some time to complete, so be patient.
- Immediately after completing the reconstruction, you can see the structure consists of various points on the interface. PLY model file is also generated by this software which you can access from Workspace > Dense > () folder.
You can open the generated PLY file in MeshLab or any other CAD software to see the actual 3D structure.
Additional features:
Model Statistics: Using it, you can view various statistics about the generated model like number of location points, number of images used, color profile, etc.
Render options: It lets you change the projection, background color, image frame, image colormap, and other parameters.
Extract Colors: Using it, you can extract any color you want from the 3D model.
Undistortion: It lets you reduce noise or distortion from the model.
Limitations:
this software does not work properly on systems lacking Nvidia GPUs.
This is another very capable photogrammetry software through which you can create high quality 3D models using multiple images. You can download COLMAP from here.
3. 3DF Zephyr Free
3DF Zephyr Free is another free photogrammetry software for Windows. Using this software, you can create realistic looking 3D models using multiple images of the objects that you want to digitally reconstruct.
Since it is a photogrammetric software, it uses various algorithms to take precise measurements from multiple photos to determine the exact texture, shape, light intensity and other parameters. this software requires about 40 to 50 images to create a high quality 3D model.
How to create a 3D model using 3DF Zephyr Free:
- Launch this software and go to the Workflow menu and create a New Project.
- project wizard will open where you need to enter all your images by pressing the plus button.
- After that, press the next button and select one of the presets from the settings menu, namely preset, advanced, and custom (custom settings) and press the next button again to see a summary of the previously selected options.
- Again, hit the next button to start the 3D mesh creation process which can take some time to complete.
- When the process is complete, you can see a lot of dots which represent the structure of the model.
- Now, to create a realistic looking 3D model, use the dense point cloud generation option which you can access from the workflow menu.
- From this menu, select a category according to your model such as close-up, aerial, human body, and urban. You can also select quick and high presets from this menu.
- Finally, press the Next button and then the Run button to start the dense point cloud generation process to create the 3D model.
Once the 3D model is generated, you can export it to an OBJ file by using the Textured map export option. Before exporting the model, you can use the pivot camera and orbit camera option to view the model from all directions.
Additional features:
Scenes: Using it, you can adjust camera position, light position, enable/disable uniform coloring, and many other features.
Mesh Filters: Using it, you can fill holes, update colors, and smooth model surfaces.
Screenshots: You can use it to take screenshot of the created model.
Quick Measurements: It lets you measure the distance between two points on the model.
Limitations:
This software is only free for personal use.
It is one of the best photogrammetry software as it produces one of the most realistic looking 3D modes using images. You can download 3DF Zephyr Free from here.
4. Meshroom
Meshroom is a free, open source photogrammetry software for Windows and Linux. Through this software, you can generate 3D models using multiple images of objects taken from all possible angles. It basically calculates the distance between surface points by analyzing all the images using various photogrammetric algorithms.
This software can produce a good quality 3D model of an object. The process of generating 3D models through this software is quite simple.
How to generate a 3D model using Meshroom:
- Open the interface of this software and go to File > New to create a new project.
- After that, select and drop all the JPG images of an object into its Images section.
- Now, you can see all your images on the left side and various graphics editor nodes just below the main editing section.
- After that, simply press the Start button to start the reconstruction process. This process takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
- Once the reconstruction process is complete, you can see the created 3D model. You can easily move around the generated 3D model via your mouse to view it from all angles.
After creating the model, this software automatically saves it in OBJ format. You can find the output of the OBJ file in the created Project folder. You can also further enhance the model using various tools present in the graph editor node like Depthmap, PrepDenseScene, FeatureMatching, ImageMatching, etc.
Additional features:
Live Reconstruction: Allows you to view the reconstruction of the 3D model at the time of processing.
3D Viewers: It lets you view a 3D model which you can also easily move around to view it from all directions.
Fullscreen: This feature allows this software to take up the entire screen.
This software provides all the essential tools that can create highly realistic 3D models from images with ease. You can download Meshroom from here.
Closing: Of the 4 software that we mentioned above, Meshroom is our favorite software because it can produce realistic-looking 3D models from images. Plus, it also lets you see the process of creating a live 3D model.
