As an official Agisoft representative, Akeydor provides cutting-edge photogrammetry solutions, empowering professionals across diverse industries with precision and adaptability in 3D modeling and spatial data analysis. Serving markets in England, Italy, Greece, and the entire Middle East, Akeydor’s expertise ensures that clients receive unparalleled support and access to the full suite of Agisoft tools for applications in environmental monitoring, cultural preservation, construction, and more.

Agisoft Metashape has become an essential tool for professionals across industries needing precise 3D models and spatial data, from environmental monitoring to cultural preservation. In this guide, we’ll explore workflows and configurations tailored to specific fields and discuss advanced settings to enhance project accuracy, automation, and output quality.

Industry-Specific Workflows in Agisoft Metashape

Environmental Monitoring: Creating Repeatable Workflows for Ecosystem Tracking

Environmental scientists often need periodic data to monitor changes in ecosystems over time. For example, using drone imagery taken every season, researchers can feed these time-series images into Metashape to construct comparable models. Here’s a step-by-step workflow for this application:

  1. Capture Overlapping Images: Schedule drone flights over targeted areas, ensuring images capture overlapping perspectives for precise alignment.
  2. Import & Align Images: Use Metashape’s alignment settings with high accuracy to detect changes down to minor surface-level shifts.
  3. Generate Dense Cloud & DEM: Build dense clouds for seasonal comparison and create Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to track elevation changes that might indicate soil erosion, vegetation growth, or water level shifts.
  4. Export Models for Comparative Analysis: Export models in GIS-compatible formats, allowing environmental teams to compare and analyze changes across seasons effectively.

Construction & Architecture: Accurate Site Mapping and Visualization

For construction sites, the ability to create accurate 3D models is crucial for planning and assessing ground conditions. This workflow supports detailed mapping from site preparation to project completion:

  1. Pre-Construction Mapping: Begin with a baseline model by capturing drone imagery before breaking ground.
  2. Data Import & Cloud Building: In Metashape, use high-resolution alignment to create detailed point clouds. Set quality to medium or high, depending on system capabilities.
  3. Generate Orthomosaics & Measure Site Progress: As the project advances, create orthomosaics and update models to reflect site progress. Metashape’s measurement tools allow for accurate distance and volume calculations, essential for project milestones.
  4. Export for CAD Integration: Export Metashape models into CAD software, enabling architects and engineers to cross-reference against original plans.

Advanced Settings and Configurations

Camera Calibration and Optimization for Increased Accuracy

To enhance the accuracy of your models, calibrating your camera settings within Metashape is essential. Under Tools > Camera Calibration, you can manually adjust camera parameters. If using drones, calibrate in controlled lighting to minimize lens distortion, which is crucial for high-stakes modeling projects in archaeology or architecture.

Batch Processing for High-Volume Projects

For large projects, Metashape’s Batch Processing feature automates repetitive tasks. Set up batch commands to handle large datasets, such as aligning photos and generating dense clouds, which can be time-consuming. This feature is especially useful in environmental and architectural projects, where datasets are large, and consistency is crucial.

Practical Tips for Optimal Results in Different Fields

  1. Lighting and Image Quality for Archaeology: In low-light conditions like cave sites or historical ruins, consistent, high-quality lighting ensures minimal shadow distortion. Natural light is ideal for outdoor scenes, while artificial lighting may be necessary for controlled environments.
  2. Hardware Recommendations for High-Resolution Models: For dense data processing, a high-end computer setup with a minimum of 32 GB RAM, a multi-core CPU, and a robust GPU is recommended. This setup ensures smooth processing for complex models like urban landscapes or large archaeological sites.
  3. Using DEMs for Coastal and Erosion Studies: DEMs are essential for monitoring changes in coastal regions. With Metashape, users can create DEMs for each time period, overlaying them to observe coastal erosion, sand deposition, or land loss.

Automating Workflows with Python Scripting in Metashape

Metashape supports Python scripting, which can significantly automate tasks for professionals managing multiple projects. For instance, an environmental monitoring team might script Metashape to automatically align images, build dense clouds, and export models. This reduces hands-on processing time, allowing more time for analysis.

Conclusion

Agisoft Metashape provides unmatched precision and adaptability for creating 3D models across diverse industries. By using advanced settings, tailored workflows, and automation options, professionals can produce highly accurate, detailed models suitable for everything from urban planning to ecosystem monitoring. Metashape not only simplifies complex modeling tasks but also brings a level of detail that makes it indispensable in fields requiring spatial data integrity and repeatable workflows.

For more insights on how Agisoft Metashape and other 3D photogrammetry solutions can elevate your projects, visit Akeydor, a leader in digital transformation and software solutions.