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IMAGE BASED MODELING WORKFLOW
Precise 3D Modeling without Blueprints
Here, you could stick to typical photogrammetry requirements similarly. If you're not yet familiar with ImageModeler, though, you’d rather not consider it a panacea – a magic tool to set you free from hours of modeling manually. Still, focus on aligning camera angles and locators perfectly, to improve modeling accuracy significantly and guide you through the first steps. Turn to numerous good ImageModeler tutorials easily available. So, I’d cover up a few issues, rather than dive deep into the topic, to help you avoid the mistakes I made initially.
How to Prepare your Images
• Use a similar resolution for all your images
• Shoot your images with similar camera lens settings, not to affect aligning them
• Your image quality and quantity affect alignment results. You need to use minimum 6 up to 10 images.
• Heavy post processing, artificial sharpness, AI upscaling and AI denoisers seem to mess everything up here
• Shoot your images with similar camera lens settings, not to affect aligning them
• Your image quality and quantity affect alignment results. You need to use minimum 6 up to 10 images.
• Heavy post processing, artificial sharpness, AI upscaling and AI denoisers seem to mess everything up here
Camera aligned to viewport in Blender
Locators set in ImageModeller
Aligning Images
First, try to focus on more obvious geometry points such as sharp corners and crossing lines easy to recognize from all camera angles.
You need to be patient, though. You’ll get first green locators after setting around 80 up to 100 points. Locators turn green when perpendicular lines from all camera angles intersect in one exact point. You could cut those not aligned properly, remaining orange or red.
Then, don't forget to set a scale to the scene you get. For instance, for a wheeled vehicle apply a wheelbase (easily available) to a few locators. If you fail to find your object’s dimensions, you could set them up later in your modeling software.
Finally, exported .fbx file will keep your locators apart from the vertices and cameras, which is really important. An imported scene will look like a mess from the first glimpse. This is why you could use modeling tools right inside ImageModeler to block out basic shapes by filling some vertices with polygons. This helps visually orient and align everything along the axis.
You need to be patient, though. You’ll get first green locators after setting around 80 up to 100 points. Locators turn green when perpendicular lines from all camera angles intersect in one exact point. You could cut those not aligned properly, remaining orange or red.
Then, don't forget to set a scale to the scene you get. For instance, for a wheeled vehicle apply a wheelbase (easily available) to a few locators. If you fail to find your object’s dimensions, you could set them up later in your modeling software.
Finally, exported .fbx file will keep your locators apart from the vertices and cameras, which is really important. An imported scene will look like a mess from the first glimpse. This is why you could use modeling tools right inside ImageModeler to block out basic shapes by filling some vertices with polygons. This helps visually orient and align everything along the axis.
Aligning cameras to viewport
• You could also face cameras imported into Blender the other way round regarding geometry. In this case, try importing a file to Max or Maya and re-export .fbx back again to Blender.
• To look through the camera, click “Cameras/ Set active object as a camera” in Blender, or “Panels/ Look through those selected” in Maya
• To look through the camera, click “Cameras/ Set active object as a camera” in Blender, or “Panels/ Look through those selected” in Maya
Rough temporary geometry blockout for better shape understanding
Subdivision surface applied on a very first steps
General tips
• Once everything is ready for modeling, you could choose to create curves for crucial geometry first. If they look correct from all camera angles, start modeling.
• Always remember you can't rely on such tools completely. Check proportions and shapes with references visually, all the time.
• Always remember you can't rely on such tools completely. Check proportions and shapes with references visually, all the time.
© 2024 Nick Samarin • 3D Artist • Designer • Please do not use any media without crediting. Thank you!