Marine Decking Tutorials and Videos

1. For those first learning to use PhotoModeler to measure boat deck panels. It takes you through a project that you can do at your office or home - so you can first learn the basics.

2. For those taking photographs and laying targets on a boat in preparation for PhotoModeler project work.

3. For those that will use the PhotoModeler software to convert the photographs into outlines that get exported to CAD.

4. Continue to learn how to use PhotoModeler for adding new panels, verifying measurements, using tools such as image enhance, and how to flatten from a 3D model for a 2D CAD export.

This video shows what happens when Surface Draw is place on the wrong surface (here outlining areas of boat decking), and how to fix it by assigning the correct surface. Surface Draw points, lines, or curves, assigned to a surface in PhotoModeler that does not match the true real-world surface will not calculate in the correct 3D position. This means, when they are viewed from on photos from other angles, their positions will not line-up and match. To fix this, the correct surface is assigned to the points and the correct 3D position are automatically calculated.

Explains a few methods for dealing with small deck panels that are smaller than can hold three normal targets. Also how to manually fix a panel without enough targets.

How to handle panels on a boat deck that are sloped relative to the main plane, and you are using the Surface Draw outline method.

Starting in version 2021.1 there is a new method to help pick the surface you are doing surface draw on - using a pop up menu of close by surfaces.

Using coded target preset configurations to automatically set up a project's coordinate system, planes, offsets etc.

When the Mark or 3D Projection of the model is the same color as the photo background it can be hard to see. This video outlines a few settings that can be used to improve this.

An overview of how to extract 2D outlines of flat decking panels using non-Letter Sheet targets.

PhotoModeler can create a planar surface along any axis pair or fit to a set of selected points. The size and offset of the plane can be modified using it's properties.

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.

When doing Surface Draw on a plane that does not match the true surface, due to targets with thickness, this video helps with setting up a default thickness/offset for the target planes.

High mark residuals are often caused by incorrect references. This video outlines a way to find incorrect references in a manually marked PhotoModeler project.

Use the expand selection to all windows command ('w' short-cut key) to select all marks and objects associated with the current selection in all open views (photos, tables and/or 3D view).

PhotoModeler has several tools to identify photos related to a point. This video outlines their use and different ways to help identify which photos are useful when creating 3D points.

Demonstrates Referencing (manually matching points and objects that are marked on different photos) with more detail than the Manual Points Project.

How to run an automatic project with RAD coded targets and offset points. Automatic marking and automatic referencing described as well.

A Plane Surface fitted to 3D points is a powerful capability in PhotoModeler. This video demonstrates this plane type, and how one can control the plane's 3D rotation and its trim size.

Demonstrates the Properties pane. All object have properties and this pane allows you to modify them.

How to create annotation text and dimension lines on photographs.

Demonstrates the Surface Draw tool (drawing 3D data on a single photograph without referencing but on an existing surface).

Use PhotoModeler's Surface Draw tool to model and measure a complex shape that lies on a simple surface. The example uses a kitchen sink cutout but the technique can be applied to fields like boat decking, templating, forensics, building design, restoration, archaeology, etc.

Covers PhotoModeler's interface, Ribbon, status bar, and Windows pane interface, and customization.

There are many sources for information on how to use PhotoModeler. This video highlights where to find them and how to use them.