PhotoModeler Premium includes tools to model an object in motion or over time. Motion projects use video data or sequences of frames from a camera to track targets over time.
There are two types of motion projects: A Type 1 project is for static (non-moving) cameras, and a Type 2 project is for one or more moving cameras with some static (non-moving) points.
A motion project’s primary purpose is the modeling and measuring of shape and position change of targeted objects over time; users of the DSM tools can also run (and propagate) SmartMatch and DSM across epochs.
Motion projects use ‘epochs’. An epoch is one instant in time when two or more synchronized image frames have been captured (type 1) or when the moving points in the project are temporarily stationary (type 2).
The basic concept behind a motion project is to first set up a standard PhotoModeler project in the first epoch (using marking, automatic target marking, referencing and automatic referencing, and processing) and then to use tracking to follow the targets across epochs thereby giving the 3D position of the targets in each epoch.
The results can be exported in an epoch table for analysis by external programs and can be animated in the 3D Viewer.
Each epoch is essentially a separate PhotoModeler project but when PhotoModeler is in motion mode it knows the relationship of these projects. There are some other differences too as described below.
Operations carried out in most epochs can be automatically transferred to other epochs (for instance deleting a point so you do not have to change to each epoch and delete it there too).
In a type 2 project, the object is recorded using two or more images (can be from one camera) in its starting state. Four or more static points which do not move throughout the entire project must be present and have sufficient data to compute their 3D position. Once appropriate images have been captured in the starting state the object or scene can be altered (except for the static points) and recaptured using two or more images from the same or different locations as the previous epoch. These stages are repeated as needed.
See The Motion Project Procedure - Type 1 section for guidelines on how to set up motion projects with static cameras.
See The Motion Project Procedure - Type 2 section for guidelines on how to set up motion projects with a moving camera and static points.
See The Motion Project Images section for the image requirements.
See The Motion Project User Interface for details on how to access and use various motion functions.