RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Content 2

CONTENT

Content ................................................................................................................................................... 2

Basic information ................................................................................................................................ 3

Definition of the Camera Coordinate System: .................................................................... 3

Definition of the Camera Calibration: .................................................................................... 3

Setup the Camera Device ............................................................................................................... 4

Add new Camera Device.............................................................................................................. 4

Definition of Camera Device ...................................................................................................... 4

Create a image list ............................................................................................................................. 7

Import Images into RiPROCESS ................................................................................................... 8

Navigate in Images and Scan Data ........................................................................................... 10

External Camera Calibration ........................................................................................................ 11

White Balance of an Image Gain Set........................................................................................ 13

Color Calibration ............................................................................................................................... 16

Color Calibration of one camera ............................................................................................. 16

Color Calibration of several cameras .................................................................................... 16

Coloring point clouds ...................................................................................................................... 18

View colored point data ................................................................................................................. 19

Export of Camera Data .................................................................................................................. 20

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Basic information 3

BASIC INFORMATION

DEFINITION OF THE CAMERA COORDINATE SYSTEM:

The camera model used is based on a Cartesian coordinate system (CaMera Coordinate System,
CMCS). The origin is coincident with that of an equivalent pinhole camera. The x-axis of the right-
handed coordinate system is aligned from left to right in the images, whereas the y-axis is aligned
from top to bottom. Thus, the z-axis corresponds to the direction of camera’s view.

DEFINITION OF THE CAMERA CALIBRATION:

The internal camera calibration describes the ideal pinhole camera represented by the focal length
and the equivalent center of the pinhole projected orthogonally onto the chip surface (= Image
focal point). The x and y axes use separate focal lengths fx and fy which are normalized by the
respective pixel width dx and dy, so that, for example, fx [pixel] = fx [m] /dx [m]. The center of
the image in relation to the CMCS is defined by the parameters Cx and Cy, given in pixel units.
For lenses with negligible distortion, usually Cx ~ Nx/2 and Cy ~ Ny/2, whereas Nx and Ny are
the number of pixel horizontal and vertical direction.

The lens distortion is modeled by at least two radial and two tangential coefficients: k1, k2, k3, k4
and p1, p2 respectively. In case the radial coefficients of higher order equal 0, the camera model
is identical to the one described in OpenCV (http://opencvlibrary.sourceforge.net/).

© RIEGL LMS 2011

RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Setup the Camera Device 4

SETUP THE CAMERA DEVICE

ADD NEW CAMERA DEVICE

Note: If the images are acquired using RiACQUIRE this step can be skipped (RiACQUIRE
automatically creates a camera device)

• Right click ‘CAMERA DEVICES’ > ‘Add’

DEFINITION OF CAMERA DEVICE

Note: If the images are acquired using RiACQUIRE this step can be skipped (RiACQUIRE
automatically creates a camera device)

• Right click ‘Camera#’ > ‘Edit’

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Setup the Camera Device 5

Type in the type of your camera device

Type in the serial number of your camera

device (not mandatory)

Type in additional information about your

camera device – not mandatory

dx / dy … size of one pixel in x / y

direction of the camera sensor [m]

Nx / Ny … number of pixels in x / y
direction
fx / fy … focal length [pixel] in x / y
direction (fx = f [m] / dx [m]; fy = f [m]
/ dy [m])

Cx / Cy … image focal point [pix] in

x / y direction
Camera Distortion Parameter
[For calibrated (undistorted) images all
values are 0; if you do not have
calibrated images please contact
[email protected]]
For any information about your camera please refer to camera data sheet / camera user manual.

Rotation Matrix
Camera Coordinate Sys. → IMU Coordinate
Sys.

Translation
Camera Coordinate Sys. → IMU Coordinate
Sys.

Must not be changed

Note: Use ‘right click’ for importing / exporting the mounting matrix.

© RIEGL LMS 2011

RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Setup the Camera Device 6

Parameters for ‘Color Channel Correction’ and

‘Vignetting Correction’ for all images captured
with this camera device.
Color Channel Correction: Please refer to
chapter “Color Calibration” for more information
on how to calculate a color correction.
Vignetting Correction: Correct lens vignetting
according to cosine law (cos ) factor.
Typical values for the factor: [1.0 .. 3.0]
Values close to 1.0 are for fish-eye lenses.

Parameters for the definition of the ‘region of

interest’ for all images. Images parts outside
this region are not used for coloring the point
cloud.
Hint: Once this option is enabled the region of
interest is displayed in the ‘Camera Data’
window and the values can also be adopted in
the ‘Camera Data’ window using the mouse
cursor.

Please refer to chapter “White Balance of a

Gain Set” for more information on how to
create a ‘White Balance Table’

© RIEGL LMS 2011

RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Create a image list 7

CREATE A IMAGE LIST

Note: If the images are acquired using RiACQUIRE this step can be skipped (RiACQUIRE
automatically creates a camera device)

Note: This step has to be done for each record separately.

The image list is a standard text (ASCII) file with the extension *.EIF.

Each image is stored in a separate line. Content of one line of the *EIF file:
time-stamp˽file-name

time-stamp: time-stamp of the image in seconds (day-seconds or week-seconds according to the

trajectory), unlimited number of digits, decimal separator = ‘.’
˽: separator between time-stamp and file-name; consist of at least one blank / space
file-name: absolute or relative file-path and file-name of the image

Example:
12345.6789000 my_beautiful_picture_no1.jpg
23456.7890000 my_beautiful_picture_no2.jpg
...

Note: Supported file formats are: bmp, gif, jpg, png, tiff

Note: RIEGL standard folder for image files ..\04_CAM_RAW\01_EIF

Hint: If you do not use RiACQUIRE for image acquisition, refer to the manual of your image
acquisition software to get information about exporting ASCII-files.

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Import Images into RiPROCESS 8

IMPORT IMAGES INTO RIPROCESS

Note: If the images are acquired using RiACQUIRE this step can be skipped (RiACQUIRE
automatically creates an EIF file which is read by RiPROCESS when the project is loaded for
the first time)

Note: This step has to be done for each record separately.

• Right click a ‘Record’ > ‘New’ > ‘Camera Data’

Define Camera device (which was

designed in step 1)

Define Trajectory

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Import Images into RiPROCESS 9

Right click ‘Import image list ...’

In the file-browser define where
your image list file (*.eif) is stored

Note: RIEGL standard folder for image files is ‘..\04_CAM_RAW\03_IMG\’

Note: If during the import a file cannot be found a dialog will appear assisting you defining the
right file path of the image.

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Navigate in Images and Scan Data 10

NAVIGATE IN IMAGES AND SCAN DATA

• open ‘camera data’ of a record (right click > open or double click) (can also be done for
multiple selected camera data at once, which will show all images in a combined view)
• open a view and add laser data to the view
• choose ‘arrange windows vertically’

• start ‘synchronize with view’

• if you now move the mouse in the laser data the mouse cursor in the camera data should
also move (at the according part of the image)

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data External Camera Calibration 11

EXTERNAL CAMERA CALIBRATION

• Right click ‘Camera#’ > ‘Edit’

• Go to tab ‘Mounting’
• Right click in the ‘Matrix CMCS → IMU’ window and select ‘Calculate ...’

• start a synchronized view / camera data

• open a ‘camera data’ window
• define your ‘Camera data view’ by clicking in the ‘camera data’ window

• Hit ‘Next’
• Open a view and add laser data (of the same record as the camera data)
• define your ‘Laser data view (3D)’ by clicking in the ‘view’ window

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data External Camera Calibration 12

• Hit ‘Next’
• define at least 4 corresponding points in the laser data (view window) and in the camera
data;
o make sure that the points are spread over the entire image
o For MLS make in addition sure that the points cover the maximum possible spread
in target depth
o to define a point use ‘ALT + click’
• after the definition of each corresponding point-set hit ‘+’ in the ‘Mounting’ window

• Hit ‘Next’
• check the statistics of you camera calibration (in the mounting window), if you want to
change anything hit ‘Back’
• once you are satisfied with the camera calibration close all windows (camera data and view
windows) the new calibration is applied immediately

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data White Balance of an Image Gain Set 13

WHITE BALANCE OF AN IMAGE GAIN SET

Note: This step is only available for images captured using the RIEGL VMX-250-CS6.

Note: For best results please use ‘White balance wizard’ in RiACQUIRE.

Note: this step has to be done for each Camera Device.

• open ‘camera data’ of the white balance record (right click > open or double click)
• start the white balance tool (clicking the ‘white balance’ icon)

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data White Balance of an Image Gain Set 14

• click ‘make a selection’

• move the selection (blue rectangle) to the part of the image which shows a shade of grey
(gray card, asphalt, …) and change the size of the selection
• copy the selection to the other images of the gain set

• select calculation mode (‘white balance with gray card’ / ‘white balance w/o grey card’)
o white balance with gray card: adoption of the brightness of an image set (captured
with different gain settings) plus color adjustment (equal of RGB-channels)
o white balance w/o grey card: adoption of the brightness of an image set (captured
with different gain settings)

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data White Balance of an Image Gain Set 15

• click ‘calculate white balance’ to start the white balance calculation for each image (gain
setting) in which a selection was made

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Color Calibration 16

COLOR CALIBRATION

There are two options for the color calibration tool:

1) color calibration of one camera
2) color calibration between several cameras

The first option helps to do a color calibration of all images captured by ‘Camera#’. Using this tool
it is possible to adapt the image color to a certain user defined value. All the other image colors
are adapted accordingly.
The second option can be used to adapt the colors of several cameras. This tool can be used to
adopt the image color in a way that the same real world object has the same color in all images
(captured by the different Camera Devices). Again all the other image colors are adapted
respectively.

COLOR CALIBRATION OF ONE CAMERA

• To start ‘color calibration’ right click ‘CAMERA DEVICES’ > ‘Color Adjustment’
• Add Camera Data to the ‘Color Adjustment’ window using drag&drop

• Select ‘custom’ in the ‘Reference color’ drop down menu

• Click ‘Make a selection’ and select the “region of interest” in the image
• In the ‘Color Adjustment’ window type in the “target RGB-values” of the “region of
interest” (in the ‘Red’ ‘Green’ and ‘Blue’ fields)
• Hit ‘Calculate’
• A results window will appear
• ‘Accept’ or ‘discard’ the calculated values

COLOR CALIBRATION OF SEVERAL CAMERAS

• To start ‘color calibration’ right click ‘CAMERA DEVICES’ > ‘Color Adjustment’
• Add all Camera Data to be adjusted to the ‘Color Adjustment’ window using drag&drop

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Color Calibration 17

• Select one of the images in the ‘Reference color’ drop down menu
• Click ‘Make a selection’ and select the “region of interest” in each image
• Hit ‘Calculate’
• A results window will be appear
• ‘Accept’ or ‘discard’ the calculated values

© RIEGL LMS 2011

RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Coloring point clouds 18

COLORING POINT CLOUDS

• Start ‘color scan wizard’ (Tool > Color scan wizard)

• Define input parameters for coloring the point cloud

Define scan data to be colored

Define camera data to be used

Define maximum distance (target

distance)

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data View colored point data 19

VIEW COLORED POINT DATA

• Create a ‘view’ with ‘view type’ ‘true color’

Note: only points with color information will be displayed.

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Export of Camera Data 20

EXPORT OF CAMERA DATA

• To export image data right click the concerning ‘camera data’ and choose ‘Export’

• Define output parameters

Define the output format and output folder

settings.

Define additional output settings.

Enable the option ‘undistort images’ if you
want to export undistorted images (disabling
this option will export the original images).

Define if you want to export an image list

(ASCII or KML). Enabling those options will
give you additional tabs to define further
settings.

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RiPROCESS User Guide Handling of Camera Data Export of Camera Data 21

This tab is only displayed if the option ‘Export

image list as CSV file’ on the ‘settings’ tab is
enabled.
Define the coordinate system and height
information which is used for creating the
image file.
Default settings are taken from the project
settings.
Select no coordinate system to export in PRCS
(Project Coordinate System).

This tab is only displayed if the option ‘Export

image list as KML file’ on the ‘settings’ tab is
enabled.
Define here the height information which
should be used for creating the KLM file.
‘Altitude mode’ ‘Absolute’ will export height
information relative to MLS (mean sea level)
and only gives correct results when a geoid
model file is specified in the project settings. If
you do not have a geoid model or want to
export ellipsoidal height information choose
‘Relative to ground’ for ‘Altitude mode’.

© RIEGL LMS 2011