Meshroom Download

Meshrooms analyze the images detect features and find matches between them. From there they calculate the camera positions and scene geometry. This information helps generate a point cloud that represents the shape of the object or scene in 3D. The point cloud will transform into a 3D mesh, which forms the structure of the model. Finally, the original images had projected onto this mesh to add textures and bring your creation to life. One great thing about Meshroom is its versatility when it comes to photo sources.

The basics of photogrammetry are based on the science of computer algorithms. The process is defined as obtaining a precise measurement from a photograph. This is the process of taking a series of overlapping photographs of an object and then using computer algorithms to convert the information into the 3D rendered model. This is especially useful when the only depictions of an object are in 2D photos.

AliceVision

The software framework that Meshroom has been designed to be used with is AliceVision. This photogrammetric computer vision can provide the 3D reconstruction and computer algorithms required to complete this process. One of the main advantages of AliceVision is that it is free and open-source software available to everyone. According to the AliceVision website, they “aim to provide a strong base of software with state of the art computer vision algorithms that can then be tested, analyzed, and reused”  to create these reconstructions.

Meshroom is the key to using all the features of the AliceVision framework. It is essentially a plugin that allows the user to interface with and create the 3D reconstructions. It allows the user to create a command line and launch all the steps in the pipeline or even create custom automation.

Pipeline

A pipeline is simply the process that will drive software development. It does so by building, applying, testing, and deploying the specific code the user has chosen to suit their needs and preferences. This logical guide is filled with instructions for a computer to process in parallel, a necessary part of creating 3D renderings.

Open-Source

Meshroom is free for all users. The fact that it is open-source software means a user can customize it to whatever preferences they want. You can go to the website and download the source code. It is written in python, and you can use it with your scripts to customize the software further or create unique automation to drive the software and further your personal needs.

Requirements

There are a couple of things you might want to consider getting before using Meshroom, or at least understanding. To fully utilize the Meshroom software, you want to have a CUDA-enabled NVIDIA GPU (graphics processing unit). The binaries built into CUDA 10 are compatible with your computer capacity from 3.0 to 7.5. While you can still use the Meshroom program without having the CUDA-enabled GPU, the only thing you can do to create a 3D rendering is draft meshing. It is okay, but nowhere near the capabilities of CUDA.

Parameters

The Meshroom software will allow you to render a 3D reconstruction from photos in about 35 minutes. This is considered a fairly speedy timeframe, especially for software that is free for all. If you want to increase this speed, you can change a few things within the parameters to make it go somewhat faster. You can go into feature extraction and set the density to low, or you can go into the depth map and set its filter to reduce the max view angle.