ready to give up

[valkerie1000]

I was so excited to try out this software but nothing I've done has produced anything recognizable. Is it actually possible to get anything but a blob from 50 pictures? (only allowed 50 pictures for the "free" version.) I am so frustrated that I am ready to give up...I want so much for this to work...

[TatjanaDzambazova]

Hi,

sorry to hear about the frustration. 

there are thousands of beautiful 3D models that we and many customers have done with the software. The algorithms work.

the recipe for making good 3d models is all in the way the photos are taken and the lighting conditions when they are taken.

please refer to the online videos and many tips that are both in the getting started guide as well as in some of the webinars as to HOW to take good photos. http://remake.autodesk.com/resources

When photos are well taken, enough and with enough overlap, it is possible to do good 3d models with 50 photos as well, but of course it wont be as good as with 250

there are also limitations one needs to know about - shiny transparent glossy objects are Not possible to reconstruct. This isnt a limitation of ReMake bt of any photogrammetry software.

and btw, the first 15 days of the software you can run in Trial mode that does let you taste the 250 images reconstruction.

if you share the 360.autodesk.com project folder with a sample set of photos that you have taken, i can advise what is wrong about them and help make better the next time?

tatjana.dzambazova@autodesk.com

tanja

[valkerie1000]

thanks for being willing to take a look.  I think I just shared the latest blob with you along with the pictures used to create it.

[TatjanaDzambazova]

Hi,

i did receive the mesh but not the photos. it will be only possible to advise if i see the photos. (right click on the photo folder and give me access rights to download. we will figure this out. taking photos for photogrammetry needs just a bit of specific settings and way but we have thaught many users , hopefully you will be one of them

tanja

[valkerie1000]

The photos were taken in movie mode and then cropped in and converted to jpeg (from png.) so they aren't the best.  but I don't need fine detail in the final product.  but perhaps the program needs better photos to get a "lock" on each other? I put bits of painters tape on to help it align....not sure it that helps or not.

[TatjanaDzambazova]

Hi.

that explains a lot.

there are some absolute no go's in photogrammetry and sadly you have reached many of them:

- we mention in many tutorials and webinars that we do not recommend taking videos and extracting photos as the photos are blurry and we loose the exif data that is crucially important for reconstruction. its simple a non accepted technique for ReMake and it works very very rarely

- we recommend absolutely no cropping images or editing the images in any way before reconstruction. that is not only needed but again it changes base parameters of the images that help the algorithms that look at camera location and lens to find the same pixels across images, . however you take the photos, if they are sharp, enough of them, with enough overlap you will not need to crop anything, the software figures it out

- so, those are absolutely the two main reasons why you are not getting anything

blurry photos are huge problem not because they prevent better level of detail, but because in blurry photos the algorithms cannot match pixels across photos and it fails all together.

so,to try make this better:

- all photos need to be sharp - and not only the subject but also the background we use the entire photo to match points and reconstruct 3d

- you need good overlap between the photos and taking them from different angles if you have details 

- if you have to use a life subject ( a person) help her by maybe resting the arms on skipolls etc so that he/she can stay longer still

- minimize the movement - its really not gonna work if the subject moves

- ideally in your case put the corset on a sewing doll, if you happen to have one.

- the light was great - no shadows, that was a good thing

- absolutely no editing or cropping of the photos before running them via remake

- no use of video, we don't support it

we have made similar reconstruction of fashion models busts and it can work even with an iphone, but still subject is crucial.

i know it takes a while to read or watch the tutorials, http://remake.autodesk.com/resources  but it does take a minimum amount of understanding how the algorithms work, what works and doesnt and the combination of things you tried ( video and cropping) were really impossible to create any meaningful result.  

its really easy once you get the idea but to do so,please read and watch a bit our vidoes and tutorials and try again. i will be here to guide and you can share a second dataset with me once you get it with the upper explained directions . attached two photos from your set - one that is perfect and you should aim for more photos like that , and one that is a no go ( and you have quite a few of those) 

hope this helps

tanja

[valkerie1000]

Thanks so much for your help with this...I had watched some of the instructionals and they said to try to get as high of a percentage as possible of the object in the photo...which is why I cropped...oops. 

it's been killing me not to try again. I don't get home from work before the sun sets during the week and need the extra light to get good clear shots. I am excited about trying again tomorrow. fingers crossed!!!