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Week 9: Pix4D Assignment
10/29/2025
This week’s lab was essentially the processing of the three dimensional scans taken in the week 4 assignment of the car and the light post. This lab used the data we had already collected and processed it through the PIX4D software in order to make three dimensional renders as well as some videos. At the beginning of the assignment, the data was first transfered into the PIX4d software, and the project storage location and name were determined before moving foreward. This step in the process as well as many others were completed with the help of the online help videos provided by the same company that made the software. Many understanding questions and analyses of the software were completed before working with the real data so as to be more prepared.
Figure 1: Project file folder
The above image shows the files which are saved to the computer as a part of the total products from these scans. In the collection folder, the images from the scan are placed. In the processing folder, the project itself is kept. In the analysis folder, the products analysis is kept. Once this was created, the proper coordinate system and units selections were made in the settings selections. After making final product selections to include a point cloud and rays (Figure 2), the below scene can be seen (Figure 3). This was a very simple process, and both projects followed the same, very basic, process. After this was complete, one had to unselect the layers which obstructed the view of the project to see the actual rendering.
Figure 2: Model Selection
Figure 3: Processing screen
Once the user could see the actual scan from the flight data, it was an incredible experience. Things had finally come to fruition which were started weeks before, and the products were very intricate and detailed. The first thing seen was in Figure 4, with many useless layers to the untrained eye. Once everything was checked off except for the triangle mesh, a beautiful picture was painted on the computer screen and is depicted in Figure 5. Something like that final image could very well be used to determine, for instance, details relevant to car crash data and even information relating to the fault of the incident. This Jeep scan turned out to be a huge success.
Figure 4: Jeep camera, rays, and tie points
Figure 5: Jeep triangle mesh
After the first scan was completed, it was time for the light post scan, which followed the same formula. All the same parameters and products were selected, and the images came out just the same. As seen below in Figure 6, the cameras, rays, and tie points provide little use to the casual viewer, and the scan was sort of a mess without further selections made. However, when these layers were removed and only the triangle meshes were present as seen in Figure 7, a wonderful scan was shown. Scans like these could very well be used for infrastructure related inspections as well as projects wanting to determine the health of towering structures. This scan was a huge success, but some others in the course did not have so much luck.
Figure 6: Light post cameras, rays, and tie points
Figure 7: Light post triangle meshes
Both of these scans, as well as still images of them, are available upon request, and they are much more complicated and loaded with information than the above images make it seem. There was also a video produced for each scan which was conducted with the help of the online tutorial videos for the tool in the selected software. These videos are available upon request, and they highlight key features in each scan with rotating, zooming, and spinning actions from the imaginary camera. This technology will likely prove incredibly valuable to operators in this growing industry, especially when capturing images humans are too afraid to collect by hand.
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