Smart3DCapture® is automatically turning photos into 3D models, meaning that the quality of the

input dataset has a deep impact on the output 3D model which is generated.

In this document, you can find useful information on how to take photos to obtain optimal results
with Smart3DCapture.

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How to setup your camera
Very different types of cameras can be used to capture an input dataset for Smart3DCapture, ranging
from smartphones to the latest DSLR cameras. The quality of the resulting 3D models will depend on
the quality of the input photos and their spatial configuration.

To get the best results in Smart3DCapture, we recommend:

 A constant focal length during the acquisition: zoom "with your feet",
 A constant and homogeneous lighting.
You should avoid:

 Blurry photos: use adapted settings, and possibly a tripod under low lighting conditions.
 Flash light.
 Optical stabilization.
You must banish:

 Digital zoom,
 Any resizing/cropping/rotation of the input photos (turn off your camera's auto-rotation
mode) ,
 Fish-eye lenses.

For more information please refer to Smart3DCapture User Manual ("Preparing the imagery
dataset").

Limitations
1. Enough photos have to be taken to cover the entire object to reconstruct. Every point of the
scene must be captured at least in 2 adjacent photos.
2. Transparent or shiny parts cannot be properly reconstructed: glass, water, etc.
3. Parts of the object with a uniform aspect cannot be reconstructed: plain walls without texture,
etc.
4. The photos looking at a same part should be taken from neither to similar nor too different
points of view.

How to capture objects

Capturing an object is among the simplest cases. This is what we recommend to get started with
Smart3DCapture. Still, it requires a little bit of knowledge and practice to be done properly.
Remember that each part you want to reconstruct must be seen in at least 2 different photographs.

An easy way to fulfill this is to turn around the object with small steps (ensure a minimum 60%
overlap and a maximum angle difference of 15° between consecutive photos). Typically, you also
want to get a uniform resolution. To achieve this, try to maintain the camera at the same distance
from the object during all the acquisition (Figure 1).

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 Figure 1: Object acquisition

If you want to obtain more detail in some parts of the 3D model, progressively take photos closer and
closer to the object. Having photo resolutions that are too different may lead to a failure during the
aerotriangulation. This is why it is recommended to have medium range photos to link the ones that
are shot at close and long ranges (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Capturing a part of the object in more detail

To make sure to scan all the details of the object, circle around it at different levels. This will reveal
most hidden areas (Figure 3).

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 Figure 3: Circling at different levels

If the object has little texture, the aerotriangulation may fail due to an insufficient number of points
of interest. To circumvent this, we recommend to place the object on a highly textured surface, for
example a newspaper (Figure 5).

Figure 4: Using a highly textured surface

Capturing the bottom of the object is tricky since, in photogrammetry, the subject has to remain still
during all the acquisition. When turning the object upside-down to capture the bottom, the
background will not be consistent with the rest of the dataset, which will result in a failure. There are
several ways to deal with this difficulty:

 Taking photos of the object from all the needed points of view and masking the background
manually in all the photos with a third-party image editing software (this process can be
tedious).

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  Creating a shooting "studio" / turntable method: it consists in a stand that is completely
untextured. For example, use a white stand over a uniform white background and turn the
object instead of turning around it. You will then be able to capture any part of the object
without being bothered by the background (Figure 4).

Figure 5: Turntable method

How to capture bodies and faces

Capturing a human face/body in order to create a 3D model can be really challenging. Indeed, the
subject has to remain perfectly still during the whole acquisition, which is practically impossible to
achieve with a living human.

This is why professionals generally use RIGs (rigid camera systems). These systems are composed of
several cameras synchronized to shoot pictures simultaneously. The acquisition of the full dataset is
instantaneous, thus avoiding unwanted movements of the subject. The camera setup should follow
the same principles as for object scanning. With the difference that increasing the number of pictures
of your dataset means increasing the number of physical cameras, with an impact on the cost of the
system.

Figure 7: A rigid (abbr. RIG) camera system

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If you cannot afford a rigid camera system, and need to capture human bodies and faces with a
single camera, we recommend to keep the acquisition time as short as possible, since the odds of
movements increase over time. Hair is also quite complicated to model correctly, so be extra careful
when shooting it and do not forget to take photos of the top of the head. You should also try to
reduce the amount of background in your photos and try to get as much subject as possible (Figure
6). The same applies to any type of scene.

Figure 6: Avoid large background areas

How to capture façades and buildings

Some rules have to be followed in order to ensure a good acquisition:

 Follow a specific shooting order to avoid missing parts.

 Shoot at least 3 times the same part from different points of view.
 Limit the angle between two consecutive photos to a maximum of 15°.
The simplest way to capture a facade is to shoot photos from different evenly spaced stations, with
different angles (Figure 8). Ensure a 60% overlap between two consecutive front views and a
maximum angle of 15° for the side views.

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 Figure 8: Facade scanning

If you want to reconstruct the complete building and not only a single facade, make sure to respect
the maximum angle of 15° between two consecutive pictures when turning around the corner
(Figure 9). This way, you will help Smart3DCapture to connect the two faces of the building.

Figure 9: Turning around a building corner

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If the building cannot be photographed in all its height because of a lack of distance and/or because
the building it too tall, you will have to reproduce the pattern of Figure 9 at several heights. This
requires a lift, a mast or a UAS/UAV/drone. Otherwise, just take successive photos from bottom to
top, respecting the 60% overlap rule. In such case, please note that Smart3DCapture may lack
information to properly reconstruct the high parts and the roof.

When using a UAS, we recommend to circle around the building at different levels to limit hidden
areas (Figure 10). In this case, you can complete your aerial dataset with ground photos.

Remember that reflective, shiny or transparent parts may be hard or even impossible to
reconstruct.

Figure 10: Circling around a building at different heights

Conclusion
With only reasonable care and practice, you will be able to generate some amazing 3D models. Feel
free to share your accomplishments with the Community by posting on the forum at
http://community.acute3d.com and by publishing your models on Sketchfab.

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