EVO PRO 2, is my new go to mapping drone and yes over the P4Pv2

jaja6009 · Oct 4, 2020

Dougcjohn, what would you recommend if someone went to Capturing Reality and needed to do stockpiles? I did not see an easy integration with their product or did I miss this? Do you have a solution in mind for quick and easy stockpile calculations?

Dougcjohn · Oct 7, 2020

@jaja6009 , I'm continuing to learn Capturing Reality. As I find or realize how a feature works, it continues to show it's a superior product with much potential. I've also found their support line very impressive... navigating to the area were you can ask a question within Technical support, I've found they not only reply with a 1-2 days but they'll continue to reply with on-going discussion / questions. Through this, I think I've found it's currently not as supportive to Service Provider to Client as Pix4D, or DD Service or MetaShape Tools, although MetaShape lacks a quick install Player for Client, it does provide methods to obtain Volumetric's.

Capturing Reality evidently does too, but as you... I wasn't sure and I don't know the product in-depth.
So I shot a question to their Tech Support and below was their quick response.

Presented Question:
Version of RealityCapture used: 1.1
Used license: PPI/none
Problem description: Question on how to easily obtain volumes within a construction ortho? Better question, can Client use provided Ortho Image to obtain measurements and volume? How do to perform measurements and what do I provide so Client can perform?

Thanks,
Doug

CR Technical Response:
Hello,
you can see volume information once the ortho projection has been created and selected. It is written in the Selected ortho photo(s) panel:

If you hover over the volume row, you can see a description of this information or you can find it in the app help. Volume information is connected to the reconstruction region location, therefore there are two volumes: Cut Volume and Fill Volume. Cut volume is a volume found between the bottom of your reconstruction region and the surface of your model, and fill volume is a volume from the top of the reconstruction region to the model's surface. This information can be restricted by creating an ortho projection of only selected part of the model. By selecting only certain part of the model ortho projection is not going to be rectangular, even though reconstruction region is still rectangular.

It is possible to export a report of your ortho projection, or put onto a cloud, so you can send a link to it to your client, but it is going to obtain only the above mentioned information. Client is not going to be able to freely calculate volumes. There is not other way to share this information.

Regards,
Matej Kuric I Technical support specialist
Capturing Reality s.r.o. I Drieňová 3 I 821 01 Bratislava | Slovakia

Dougcjohn · Oct 19, 2020

jaja6009 said:
Dougcjohn, what would you recommend if someone went to Capturing Reality and needed to do stockpiles? I did not see an easy integration with their product or did I miss this? Do you have a solution in mind for quick and easy stockpile calculations?

@jaja6009 have you had more time to experiment with RC? I personally haven't gotten back to it much yet, but I have done a few more sessions with both Metashape & RC. I'm vacillating back & forth... I'm leaning back towards Metashape a bit more. The ease to obtain a 3D model, ortho, DEM and to be able to measure is so much more easily & quickly obtainable. The last 2 sessions, I feel Metashape did a better job on both model & ortho.

I'm looking forward to evaluating the Metashape 1.7 version soon to release. It's in a download beta currently.
Agisoft appears to also be creating a cloud processing option and a cloud presentation & sharable URL Links to Clients.
That would be a major plus in my opinion... which is one area MapsMadeEasy & DD have over other products.

I need to learn how to process RC, I keep getting memory overlimits and instructions to do steps to work around. I need to examine that a bit more.

jaja6009 · Oct 28, 2020

Dougcjohn said:
@jaja6009 , I'm continuing to learn Capturing Reality. As I find or realize how a feature works, it continues to show it's a superior product with much potential. I've also found their support line very impressive... navigating to the area were you can ask a question within Technical support, I've found they not only reply with a 1-2 days but they'll continue to reply with on-going discussion / questions. Through this, I think I've found it's currently not as supportive to Service Provider to Client as Pix4D, or DD Service or MetaShape Tools, although MetaShape lacks a quick install Player for Client, it does provide methods to obtain Volumetric's.

Capturing Reality evidently does too, but as you... I wasn't sure and I don't know the product in-depth.
So I shot a question to their Tech Support and below was their quick response.

Presented Question:
Version of RealityCapture used: 1.1
Used license: PPI/none
Problem description: Question on how to easily obtain volumes within a construction ortho? Better question, can Client use provided Ortho Image to obtain measurements and volume? How do to perform measurements and what do I provide so Client can perform?

Thanks,
Doug

CR Technical Response:
Hello,
you can see volume information once the ortho projection has been created and selected. It is written in the Selected ortho photo(s) panel:

If you hover over the volume row, you can see a description of this information or you can find it in the app help. Volume information is connected to the reconstruction region location, therefore there are two volumes: Cut Volume and Fill Volume. Cut volume is a volume found between the bottom of your reconstruction region and the surface of your model, and fill volume is a volume from the top of the reconstruction region to the model's surface. This information can be restricted by creating an ortho projection of only selected part of the model. By selecting only certain part of the model ortho projection is not going to be rectangular, even though reconstruction region is still rectangular.

It is possible to export a report of your ortho projection, or put onto a cloud, so you can send a link to it to your client, but it is going to obtain only the above mentioned information. Client is not going to be able to freely calculate volumes. There is not other way to share this information.

Regards,
Matej Kuric I Technical support specialist
Capturing Reality s.r.o. I Drieňová 3 I 821 01 Bratislava | Slovakia

This projection toll might actually be what I need. If I can define the projection box to cover the same area on two different ortho projections gathered on different dates this could give me the cut and fill (erosion and deposition) of the beach we have been mapping and documenting (Especially the dunes). Thanks for asking and getting the info.

For your last question on if I was playing around anymore with Reality Capture, yes I was experimenting with it. I still have made my best 3D model ever with Reality Capture with zero interaction. (Nadir single grid, oblique double grid and 2 circulars.)

I am also having some problems. If I use the Map Wizard the application crashes every time without fail no matter how big or small the dataset is. I have to create a model or map with the self guided workflow. It is very annoying.

There is a 30% discount for Reality Capture up until November 2 that is very intriguing. I am having a hard time not pulling the trigger. We might get Pix4D perpetual at my real job and I have access to Drone Deploy Enterprise from school so if I get Reality Capture I can have some serious choices for different projects. I also just lost my Pix4D Cloud. I had an annual subscription to Pix4D Model from buying the Anafi Work and when Pix4D revamped their offerings and got rid of Model, I was given access to the full Pix4D Cloud online and just the Model on the Desktop. I really can't complain about that at all.

Tufargon · Oct 28, 2020

I haven't read through the whole thread but here is something you might not have known about.

Autel & Pix4D Partnership – FREE Pix4Dreact with EVO II Pro and Dual Rugged Bundles

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autelpilots.com

Dougcjohn · Oct 28, 2020

jaja6009 said:
This projection toll might actually be what I need. If I can define the projection box to cover the same area on two different ortho projections gathered on different dates this could give me the cut and fill (erosion and deposition) of the beach we have been mapping and documenting (Especially the dunes). Thanks for asking and getting the info.

For your last question on if I was playing around anymore with Reality Capture, yes I was experimenting with it. I still have made my best 3D model ever with Reality Capture with zero interaction. (Nadir single grid, oblique double grid and 2 circulars.)

I am also having some problems. If I use the Map Wizard the application crashes every time without fail no matter how big or small the dataset is. I have to create a model or map with the self guided workflow. It is very annoying.

There is a 30% discount for Reality Capture up until November 2 that is very intriguing. I am having a hard time not pulling the trigger. We might get Pix4D perpetual at my real job and I have access to Drone Deploy Enterprise from school so if I get Reality Capture I can have some serious choices for different projects. I also just lost my Pix4D Cloud. I had an annual subscription to Pix4D Model from buying the Anafi Work and when Pix4D revamped their offerings and got rid of Model, I was given access to the full Pix4D Cloud online and just the Model on the Desktop. I really can't complain about that at all.

I was close to going with RC but noticed the normal license purchase covered less than the PPI method and for my limited use the PPI sales they have now and then works out more full featured for less $$.

But that all said, the Metashape (MS) new 1.7 version looks intriguing and I'm waiting to try it. I get great sets with MS pretty regularly without the memory or selection issues... which I don't know very good on RC yet... too busy to sit down and learn as I need to gain better use of RC. The new cloud and processing for MS 1.7 looks interesting too. The main part is the ability to send views of ortho or 3D to a client easily... so far best I've come across outside of DD which is still isn't my favor of choice.

jaja6009 · Nov 1, 2020

Dougcjohn said:
I was close to going with RC but noticed the normal license purchase covered less than the PPI method and for my limited use the PPI sales they have now and then works out more full featured for less $$.

But that all said, the Metashape (MS) new 1.7 version looks intriguing and I'm waiting to try it. I get great sets with MS pretty regularly without the memory or selection issues... which I don't know very good on RC yet... too busy to sit down and learn as I need to gain better use of RC. The new cloud and processing for MS 1.7 looks interesting too. The main part is the ability to send views of ortho or 3D to a client easily... so far best I've come across outside of DD which is still isn't my favor of choice.

I played around with Reality Capture for the last 2 days in an effort to see if I want to purchase it (Sale ends Monday 6:00 PM EST).

It does not crash anymore in Map Wizard?!? I made no changes and used the same data sets.

It is actually really easy to document beach dune erosion with the Ortho Projection Tool. The box can be set with coordinates and other information that make it repeatable on different orthos and the cut and fill calculations meet my needs. The 3D models (I do not need them for this use case, but for some reason other stakeholders are obsessed with them) come out very good.

Pros

Very Good 3D models for those that love em
Very fast processing
Beautiful Point Cloud
Easy enough that I can teach others at work who are not too technical
SALE PRICE!
Good Orthos, I've had outputs that are good and bad with all the other applications (Drone Deploy, Meta Shape, Pix4D, Maps Made Easy)

Cons

Only 3500 Images! - The section of beach I map the most is 2300 images with only nadir and almost 5000 with oblique. I prefer Oblique datasets due to the banana effect of nadir only images on long thin projects (Like the beach). See below
I am still learning the proper advanced settings
No Cloud Sharing
No Thermal Mapping
Severe banana effect (curved outputs) when using no GCPs and nadir only images on long thin projects (I changed Distortion Settings and this did fix it) I need to read up more on this and any effect it has on accuracy
Unable to get and data set from Parrot Anafi to Align (Drone of choice for projects in populated area due to small size and low visibility and sound) The Phantom 4 Pro would really do some damage to a person or car in a mishap.
25% Maintenance fee ($1000) per year and if you let it expire you will have to pay full price again to get the newest version of the software (Ouch)
No way to combine smaller projects into one large map or model
Needs a Certification program, webinar or workshops (More often and around the country) like Pix4D so you can really learn ALL about the application.

I have kind of reached the same conclusion as you. I am most likely not going with perpetual Reality Capture. I will most likely tomorrow purchase a ton of credits at sale price. I do have good use cases for Reality Capture for Real Estate (The 3D Tours you can make with both interior and exterior are awesome) and also with construction updates and my Home Inspection business.

I am most likely going with Pix4D perpetual as you can now buy cloud processing blocks (Processing and storage of projects for client view for $750). I am most familiar with Pix4D as we used it in my Remote Sensing class. Also the newest iteration has much improved outputs when including images with the sky in it (One of the largest creators of noise in Pix4D). Also Pix4D maintenance fee is $500 per year and if you do not purchase it before expiration you can renew it for 15% instead of 10%. I will use Esri Arc Desktop's Cut and Fill for my beach erosion project and may even purchase Global Mapper as I love the ease of use and perpetual license.

Wish I could have all of the options, but this will due instead.