Check out the new major features
New features for working with very large scan data sets.
3DF Zephyr 6.0 introduces a number of structural changes intended to make it easier to manipulate the huge datasets that photogrammetry can generate, particularly when scanning environments. The experimental new 'Volume of Interest' (VOI) system works like a 3D version of a render region system, enabling users to set a clipping volume inside which data is displayed. Parts of the mesh or point cloud outside the volume are not displayed in the viewport, improving interactive performance, although the rest of the data is still there. Any filter applied while the VOI is set is only applied to the visible part of the data set. In addition, project files are now organised modularly, with point clouds, meshes and textured meshes now only being loaded on demand, resulting in "dramatic" reductions in load and save times.
3DF Scarlet, the new standalone edition of the software for registering laser scan data, gets "non-blocking" rendering, intended to improve interactivity within the software.
Users can also perform basic pre-processing on a data set to reduce its density, including culling points outside a given range, or setting a maximum value for the number of points in a scan.
New Python console, better marker detection, and support for more 3D file formats
Other changes include a new Python console, supplementing the existing batching tool, intended to enable users to automate a broader range of repetitive tasks. The tracking marker detection system has also been extended, with users now able to roughly marquee-select a marker in an image and have 3DF Zephyr automatically identify its centre. The system also works for the spherical markers used in forensic reconstructions.
In addition, the software's underlying photoconsistency and multiview stereo algorithms have been updated, the latter resulting in the recovery of more fine details in the 3D meshes generated.
- Photoconsistency improvements (speed and accuracy)
- MVS Improvements (speed and thin structure recovery)
- 3DF Scarlet overall speed and algorithms improvements
- New faster and efficient modular save zep format
- Added python Console (supersedes Lua)
- New volume of interest to select the region of interest
- Revisited control points interface
- New sphere detection
- SfM general accuracy improvements
- SfM speed improvements on large datasets
- General multithreaded improvements (improved speed)
- Faster mesh decimation
- Improved advanced settings interface
- Improved speed for data loading on project wizard and constraints tables
- New map widget
- New hole filling filter with iterative selection
- New Guided breakline tool
- Added Planar UV texture reprojection for quickly creating normal/albedo maps on planar surfaces
- Added surface scan preset (replaces close-range)
- Improved polyline drawing
- Can now compute elevation profile from any mesh
- Added the possibility to load custom skybox
- Improved marker detection in Scarlet
- Improved multi-icp in Scarlet
- Added scan prefiltering in Scarlet
- New Scarlet gizmo
- Added Sphere detection in Scarlet
- Added Metadata.xml georeferencing data importing
- Improved import reference system dialog
- Added global ETA to the progress bar
- Improved ground filter performances and added manual editing
- Faster PNG saving
- Improved control points auto-matching
- Better pure rotation photo handling
- Can now import constraints from ptgui project
- Camera rig with shared camera center support
- Fixed Multiband functions bugs
- Automatic DJI multispectral data
- RCP import / export
- Alembic .abc import and export support
- Added 3MF export format
- Added DXF export format
- Added NCN export format
- Added DGN export format
- Added LAZ export format
- Added AVI export format
- Added Bubble view import Faro .fls format
- Fixed GCPs placement over lidar data bug
- Added drawing elements and orthophotos export to Autocad
- Added drawing elements merging command
- Mesh and dense point cloud filters
- Added Horizontal distance in quick measurements
- Improved drag and drop
- GPS coordinates loaded from Exif are now converted automatically to the selected source system
- Added control point editing window
- Removed cameras limit of three photos
- Added tons of unknown and creative bugs. Just kidding