Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry is the art, science and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting photographic images and patterns of electromagnetic radiant imagery and other phenomena.

There are many variants of photogrammetry. One example is the extraction of three-dimensional measurements from two-dimensional data (i.e. images); for example, the distance between two points that lie on a plane parallel to the photographic image plane can be determined by measuring their distance on the image, if the scale of the image is known. Another is the extraction of accurate color ranges and values representing such quantities as albedo, specular reflection, metallicity, or ambient occlusion from photographs of materials for the purposes of physically based rendering.

Close-range photogrammetry refers to the collection of photography from a lesser distance than traditional aerial (or orbital) photogrammetry. Photogrammetric analysis may be applied to one photograph, or may use high-speed photography and remote sensing to detect, measure and record complex 2D and 3D motion fields by feeding measurements and imagery analysis into computational models in an attempt to successively estimate, with increasing accuracy, the actual, 3D relative motions.

Would you like to try photogrammetry?

There are multiple free or inexpensive software options. Please note, Autodesk ReCap is the only available option to use in the computer lab

NameTypeOutput File FormatsOSPrice
COLMAPAerial, Close-Rangeply, vrmlWindows, macOS, LinuxFree
MeshroomAerial, Close-Rangeabc, objWindows, LinuxFree
MicMacAerial, Close-Rangegeotiff, ply, xmlWindows, macOS, LinuxFree
Multi-View EnvironmentAerial, Close-RangeMVEWindows, macOSFree
OpenMVGAerial, Close-RangeplyLinux, Windows, MacOSFree
Regard3DAerial, Close-Rangeobj, plyWindows, macOS, LinuxFree
VisualSFMAerial, Close-RangeplyWindows, macOS, LinuxFree
3DF ZephyrAerial, Close-Rangeply, obj, fbx, pdf 3D, u3d, dae, pts, ptx, xyz, txt, las, e57WindowsLimited free version and paid version from €149+tax
Autodesk ReCapAerial, Close-Rangeasc, cl3, clr, e57, fls, fws, isproj, las, pcg, ptg, pts, ptx, rds, txt, xyb, xyz, zfs, zfprjWindowsFrom $40/month
Agisoft MetashapeAerial, Close-RangefbxWindows, macOS, LinuxFrom $179
Bentley ContextCaptureAerial, Close-Range3ms, 3sm, kml, dae, fbx, obj, dae, stlWindowsOn request
Correlator3DAerial.asc, geotiff, .lasWindowsFrom $250/month
DatuSurveyAerial, Close-RangeENH, NEH, DXF, PLY, PDF, LAS, PNG, GTIFFWindowsFrom $350/month
DroneDeployAerialdxf, GeoTIFF, las, obj, xyzWindows, macOS, Android, iOS$149/month or $99/month when billed annually
Elcovision 10Aerial, Close-RangeAll currently known image formatsWindowsOn request
iWitnessPROAerial, Close-RangeTXT, CSV, PTS, LAS, PLY, DXF, KMLWindows$2,495
IMAGINE PhotogrammetryAerialimg, igg, ovr. l, noaa, rpf, ddf, dem, til, dt2, ecrg, hdr, xml, ecw, url, ant, dig, alg, ers, gis, lan …WindowsOn request
LiMapperAerial, Close-RangePLY, OBJ, LAS
On request
PhotomodelerAerial, Close-Range3ds, 3dm, dxf, igs, kml, kmz, las, ma, ms, obj, pts, byu, facet, iv, ply, stl, txt, wrlWindowsOne time fee of $995 or from $49/month
Pix4DAerialobj, fix, dxf, las, las, kml, tif, osgb, slpk, shpWindows, macOS, Android, iOSOne-time fee of €3,990 or €260/month or €217/month when paid annually
RealityCaptureAerial, Close-Rangejpg, png, XYZ, XYZRGB, tiff, bmp, dib, rle, jpeg, jpe, jfif, exif, exr, tif, wdp, jxr, dds, KML, KMZ, obj, ply, partlist, fbx, dxf, dae, bvh, htr, trc, asf, amc, c3d, aoa, mcd, wmv, mp4WindowsFrom $99/for three months
SOCET GXPAerial
WindowsOn request
Trimble InphoAerial, Close-Range
WindowsOn request
WebODMAerialGeoTIFF, png, las, objWindows, macOSFrom $57