PhotoModeler Tutorial Videos – 2018

Tutorials take you step by step through the various features and capabilities of PhotoModeler. The tutorials are a great learning resource for new users of PhotoModeler, and as well as for seasoned experts. Expand each section to see the tutorial descriptions and links.

These tutorials are for PhotoModeler 2018 and older versions. See the new PhotoModeler Tutorials as well. Note that the set below is more complete so if you cannot find a newer tutorial for your topic please study the list below.

Pace and Offline Data

The tutorial videos move along quickly, and it is expected that most viewers will use the Pause / Play controls to suit their own pace. The Tutorial Installer page has downloadable installers for all tutorial project data (if you want to try the steps yourself), and all the videos. See Errata for changes to the program that no longer match the videos.

Previous Versions

Videos on this page are mostly based on recent versions of PhotoModeler (v2010 to v2018). If you are running an older version of PhotoModeler, Scanner or Motion please contact support.

PhotoModeler Tip Videos

In addition to the tutorials shown here, we recommend the PhotoModeler Tip Video Category List, which we update regularly with short videos covering other useful features and techniques.

PhotoModeler Tutorial Videos by Category

GETTING STARTED - introductions for the main project types

Name	Screen	Description and Data
User Interface Overview		Covers PhotoModeler's menu, status bar and pane interface.
Manual Points Project		For manual marked projects (or when you need to add manual marks and references to an automated project). Covers completing a simple manual points-based project start to finish. Project Data.
Automated Coded Targets		How to run an automatic project with RAD coded targets and offset points. Automatic marking and automatic referencing described as well. Project Data.
SmartMatch Project Introduction		Introductory overview of the SmartMatch tool - automatic matching of natural features across photographs.
Dense Surface Modeling		Set up and perform an dense surface modeling project with Multi-View Stereo and Smart Match. Project Data.
UAV/Drone Introduction		Introduction of the typical first processing steps of a UAV / drone project. For PMU version 2017.0.2 and later. Also see all UAV tutorial section below. Project Data.

BASICS - basic capabilities and tools needed in many project types

Name	Screen	Description and Data
Calibration Multi-sheet		How to calibrate a camera using the multiple sheet method. See the single sheet calibration method below as well. Project Data.
Scale / Rotate / Translate		Use of External Geometry Explorer to set up Scales, Rotations and Translates of the coordinate system. See Errata below for a change to the geometry add dialog.
Materials		Demonstrates how Materials (colors, textures, surface appearance) work.
Photo Zoom		Demonstrates the various tools for zooming and panning photograph views.
Properties		Demonstrates the Properties pane. All object have properties and this pane allows you to modify them.
Measure		Demonstrates how to use the Measure pane. Display various types of measurements of objects and between objects.
Referencing		Demonstrates Referencing (manually matching points and objects that are marked on different photos) with more detail than the Manual Points Project.
Surface Path Mode		Shows how to manually create a simple surface by selecting the objects that define its outline (the path).

FEATURES - more in depth descriptions of individual and unique program features

Name	Screen	Description and Data
Calibration Single Sheet - 1		How to calibrate a camera using the single sheet method. Note the video shows a large single sheet but can be done with small sheet too if you model small objects. Project Data.
Calibration Single Sheet - 2		Follow on video to number 1 above. [Recorded with an older version but the steps are very similar in latest.]
Project Review		Shows how to use the Project Review pane to improve the quality of a project.
Check Distances		How to use check distances and points to check accuracy or to compare to known values. See Errata below for a change to the geometry add dialog.
Surface Draw		Demonstrates the Surface Draw tool (drawing 3D data on a single photograph without referencing but on an existing surface).
Curves - Referenced		How to create Curves from multiple referenced 2D curve marks.
Curves - Through Points		How to create and fit Curves from existing 3D points.
Dimensions		How to create annotation text and dimension lines on photographs.
Field Calibration		How to calibrating a camera at same time as solving a project - called field calibrating.

SMARTMATCH / POINT CLOUDS AND MESHES - running automated SmartMatch and Dense Surface Model projects

Name	Screen	Description and Data
SmartMatch Introduction		Introductory overview of the new SmartMatch tool - automatic matching of natural features across photographs.
Dense Surface Modeling		Set up and perform an dense surface modeling project with Multi-View Stereo and Smart Match. Project Data.
SmartMatch and Manual Marking		Creating a SmartMatch project, oriented photos automatically, and further manual modeling based on that orientation.
PointMesh Modify		Demonstrates how to use the Modify Point Mesh tools.
PointMesh Points Edit		Demonstrates how to edit the points within a Point Cloud.

FORENSICS, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION - various techniques in public safety, accident reconstruction, and forensics

Name	Screen	Description and Data
Security Camera Forensics		Getting measurements from a single security camera with high lens distortion. Describes steps-by-step, and how to quality checks.
Crush from an Exemplar		Measuring the crush of a vehicle from photos of an unknown source by adding them to a solved project of an exemplar and freezing the points. Project Data.
Crush - Multi-photo Unknown		Measuring the crush of a vehicle from photos of an unknown source using surveyed 3D data of an exemplar. See Errata below for a change to the geometry add dialog. Project Data.
Road Diagram - 1		Creating a diagram of a road scene using multiple photos and a calibrated camera. [Recorded with PM6 - steps very similar in latest.] Project Data.
Road Diagram - 2		Follow on video to number 1 above. [Recorded with PM6 - steps very similar in latest.]
Road Single Unknown Photo		Creating a diagram of a skid mark on road surface from a single camera of unknown origin with control points. See Errata below for a change to the geometry add dialog at 3:53. Project Data.

UAV AND DRONE - start to finish methods used with drone and UAV projects

Name	Screen	Description and Data
UAV Project Introduction Pre 2017		Walk-through for UAV / drone project with GPS and ground control in PhotoModeler UAS. For versions of PMU before 2017.0.2. Project Data.
UAV Project Introduction Post 2017		Introduction of the typical first processing steps of a UAV / drone project. For PMU version 2017.0.2 and later. Project Data
UAV Orthophotos		Follow on from UAV Intro. Describes creating an orthophoto in a UAS project. For PMU version 2017.0.2 and later. Project Data
UAV Ground Control Points		Follow on from UAV Intro. Describes adding ground control points to a UAS project. For PMU version 2017.0.2 and later. Project Data
UAV Dense Surface Creation		Follow on from UAV Intro. Describes creating a dense mesh via MVS. For PMU version 2017.0.2 and later. Project Data
UAV Contours and Profiles		Follow on from UAV Intro. Describes creating and displaying contours and profiles. For PMU version 2017.0.2 and later. Project Data
UAV Adding Manual Points		Follow on from UAV Intro. Describes adding individual points manually and via Auto-detect. For PMU version 2017.0.2 and later. Project Data

Errata

Below find a list of where the videos no longer match the software. The PhotoModeler software is developed faster than the tutorial videos can be updated sometimes. The errata below hopefully provides some guidance on how to follow the tutorial video using new versions of the software.

New Project Wizard - changed 2015.1.0
PhotoModeler versions 2015.1.1 (released March 2015) and later have a changed New Project Wizard. The first pane, and the path through the Wizard are different - esp. for SmartMatch projects (less clicks). Tutorials affected are: Automatic Coded Targets, Calibration Multi-sheet, Crush - Multi-Photo Unknown, Dense Surface Modeling, Road - Single Photo Unknown, SmartMatch and Manual Marking, SmartMatch Intro, and User Interface Overview.

Modify Mesh - changed 2013.0.1
PhotoModeler versions 2013.0.1 (released April 2013) and later have had some of the meshing options removed or renamed and additional options have been added. The general functionality remains the same. For detailed description of each option refer to the help file.

External Geometry Explorer Add Dialog - changed 2012.2
PhotoModeler versions 2012.2 (released Aug 2012) and later have a different style of Add Geometry Dialog in the External Geometry Explorer (EGE). The new dialog is focused on the end-goal and is easier to use and understand all the different options - but is quite different from what is shown in some of the videos above. For reference, this Tip video shows the new Add Geometry Dialog for comparison.

For the single road skid tutorial, the Add geometry would look like this in the new EGE:

Text File Import - changed 2012.2
PhotoModeler versions 2012.2 (released Aug 2012) and later use a new flexible Text and CSV file importer. No longer do you see just a file browser dialog to pick the import file, but a dialog that let's use skip rows and columns, pick your delimiter, change column order, etc. The 'Road - Single Photo Unknown' video shows the old style.

Photo Chip Names - changed 2012.2
PhotoModeler versions 2012.2 (released Aug 2012) and later show the name of the image file under Photo Chips in the Photo Control pane. Previous versions showed the photo number only. Names are by default set to the shortened image file name and can be cleared if desired.

3D View Fly-out Visibility Tab - changed 2012.2
PhotoModeler versions 2012.2 (released Aug 2012) and later have 3D Viewer windows with a fly-out tab on the upper left for some immediate visibility control settings. In previous versions all visibility control settings where only on the modal 3D Viewer options dialog.

3D View Control - changed 2011.0.3
PhotoModeler versions 2011.0.3 (released May 2011) and later have a new look for the 3D Viewer window. There is a new gradient background and new buttons. In previous releases (and in the tutorial videos) the buttons look like those on the left and in 2011.0.3 and later the buttons look like those on the right:

The Options button is now the 'gear-like' button (used for 'settings' in many modern interfaces), and the Reset button is the 'back-arrow-like' button. The buttons operate the same way they did in previous versions, they just look different.