3D Model Questions

[Anonymous]

I would like to explore Photo on Recap360 in general but more specifically for some particular clients needs.  I ultimately want a model in MAX2014.  I see in the videos OBJ and FBX.  At any rate, what can I expect.  I'll get a single mesh and....how will I see the mesh textured in MAX?  I'll also get a texture map for the mesh UVW Unwrapped?  The texture is somehow baked into the mesh?  Is the rcs output an rgb textured point clould from the photos?

I'll need to manipulate the mesh object, edit the photo texturing of it, etc., in my traditional 3D environment.

I have yet to find info that gives me details on any of this.

Thanks,

Buck Wyckoff

Buckward Digital 

[Anonymous]

Well, im not familiar too much with 3Dmax, but I've been using maya with the .obj files. First off, if you want to do some editing it is pretty much necessary to do some poly count reduction. A Mudbox/maya combo would be great for this as to the ability to move down detail layers, edit, and have your edits sync well with the high fidelity model. Like you stated, if all you have is 3Dmax, there should be a reduction command to get a low poly model and you can always transfer attributes for the texture map, if it gets funky in the process. Something to know about the texture map, it will have all the extra mesh texture that your going to cut out while cleaning up your model. It is a bit annoying, best solution for that is to re uv a copied model and test some texture map burning. (this is my current state of the puzzle) For somereasone when i try and burn the quality of the texture is never as good.... Good luck, hope you get there. post any updates I'm curious to any other workflows.

[Anonymous]

I've been playing with it.  Interesting.  I'll post more later after digesting.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

So far, Im able to clean up any "debris" in maya, repair holes. I also love using autodesk meshmixer fix any holes and floaters (it's a free download btw). The I stick it into mudbox and re-topo (you get bonus auto rebuild lower mesh detail), transfer it back to maya to transfer maps from the untouched mesh to the new topo. After everything is synced up i have fun trying to put more details in. Next process to work out is refining the ability to take the diffuse map and jerry rig it into a bitmap to flush out some more detail. NOTE: for what im doing I need all the data to be in the mesh and not rely on texture maps to translate the visual details.

[Anonymous]

Some useful info in there.  Thanks.

I've been running a battery of tests to figure out what RCP does.  I've learned that it treats surface textures as displacement.  Even though in the photos going around an object, if the dark and light areas of a texture move uniformly (and therefore, exist on the same surface), RCP treats lighter colors as raised and darker colors as depressed.  The result on the mesh looks just like the texture was used as a displacement map.  The effect was minimized when the surface was a fine speckled texture with not too much contrast.  If the contrast it large and the pattern too big, the dark areas "chew" the edges of surfaces, making it look like a rat chewed it up.

Given the right kind of objects, the results are spectacular.  The Point Cloud (RCS) output is really nice.  FBX output gives you 3D camera positions for every photo in the analysis.