Are you contemplating adding aerial photogrammetry as a service to your business but you’re hesitant due to the high monetary investment? Would you like to purchase a multirotor (drone) but are afraid of buying more than what you need or, worse, the wrong things? Do you already have a multirotor and would like to know what you need to start doing aerial photogrammetry? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this lecture is for you. We’ll see what the bare minimum is needed to get into aerial photogrammetry in terms of both hardware, multirotor features, and software. Once we lay down the essentials, we’ll explore potential upgrades, like first-person video, propellers, and different antenna types. In addition, we’ll go over how to convert your photos into 3D objects and point clouds using ReCap Photo software, and see what we can do with this data by going over various industry workflows and the software used, such as, ReCap Pro software, 3ds Max software, InfraWorks software, and AutoCAD Map 3D software.

Can you really use only simple photographs as the base to build a fully parametric Building Information Model of existing buildings or infrastructure in Autodesk Revit? Don’t you need a laser scan? Or traditional survey?

In this hands on lab, you will have the opportunity to use Autodesk Recap to take photographs taken on an iPhone to produce a Autodesk Recap point cloud. We will take you through the full the whole process of this, from signing up your account through to the advanced GPS powered coordination features. We will then look at how we can use the outputs of this, including the mesh within Autodesk Remake, where we will show you how to import the data and visually inspect it. We will also dive into Autodesk Revit, where we will build a simple Autodesk Revit model which could be used for continued development. And…. We have a few surprises in store as well if we get the time!

Further to all of the above, we would love to share our findings of how we have utilised photogrammetry on large sites, such as a lift bridge on the Isle of Wight and to calculate cut and fill requirements to restore infrastructure after the floods in Cumbria. We will share our lessons learnt, best practice and even give you the opportunity to see the very impressive full dataset which was generated using over 600 30 mega pixel photos taken using a UAV (Unmanned Ariel Vehicle, or “Drone”).

If you are in civil engineering, architecture or manufacturing, it is likely that you need to capture existing conditions and store them in a digital form. The Forge Reality Capture API can help with that task. The Forge Reality Capture API covers the photogrammetry workflow. In this class, we will cover how to build a mobile app that lets you select images on your smartphone to create a photoscene that can be submitted to the Reality Capture API for processing and viewing the resulting 3D mesh model in the Forge Viewer on your mobile phone.

Photogrammetry is a quick and easy way to produce visually stunning and relatively accurate 3D models of existing conditions. Many photogrammetry classes focus on models of small objects. This class will explain the basics of photogrammetry and some tips you can use to get the best results out of your photos, especially when trying to create large background models that encompass multiple buildings, streets, trees, and so on. We’ll discuss sources of imagery and their pros and cons. We’ll review image quality, lighting, camera angles, quantity, and other similar topics in order to capture all the little details. We’ll discuss the process of bringing these source images into ReCap Photo software, as well as processing, scaling, decimation, and so on. Finally we’ll discuss how to bring photogrammetry models into other programs such as Revit software, ReCap software, Civil 3D software, and InfraWorks software.

This class will focus on how to leverage tools you probably already have access to in the Autodesk AEC Collection and Autodesk Construction Cloud to start processing, analyzing, and leveraging drone photogrammetry data to improve your construction processes. Once at scale, many companies will likely opt for a partner product purpose-built for this entire workflow, but it's crucial to get buy-in prior to making this investment. At BL Harbert International we found that the best way to accomplish this is by providing concrete examples company-wide of useful applications on our own projects. To achieve that we've leveraged several tools already at our disposal in the AEC Collection and Construction Cloud. This class will step through a workflow of processing imagery in Recap Photo, to then analyzing in either AutoCAD or Civil 3D, to finally sharing with stakeholders and making annotations in BIM 360 or Autodesk Build.

This case study of the Alamo Master Plan in San Antonio, Texas, reviews the use of LIDAR (light detection and ranging) and photogrammetry in the creation of a computer model. The model was used for both documentation in Revit software and visualization in 3ds Max software, and it documented 3 square kilometers of dense urban environment in less than 6 weeks. We'll review the hardware and how we used multiple Autodesk software packages such as ReCap software, Revit, and 3ds Max to develop a computer model for both master planning and visualization.

It may seem like science fiction, but the ability to create a 3D solid model from a series of photographs is now possible-and it's actually easier to do than you might think. Join us as we walk through and explore all the steps necessary for this new amazing workflow. We'll start at the beginning with the initial photo scan of an object utilizing ReCap software, and then we'll clean up the scan with ReMake software. The clean scan goes over to Fusion 360 software for conversion, and finally into Inventor software to complete the workflow. After we discuss each step in detail, we'll look at the incredible potential of this photo-to-solid workflow.

This course will focus on the workflow and best practices for capturing aerial photography, processing the images in ReCap Photo software and ReCap Pro software, and utilizing the output in Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection applications such as InfraWorks software, Civil 3D software, and Revit software.

The Reality Capture Group at Autodesk, Inc., is working on new ways to use laser scans or photos through the ReCap software technology to acquire, manipulate, and analyze real-world data. This class will focus on how to programmatically access the ReCap software web API (application programming interface) from a Microsoft .NET desktop application, and also how to access it from Android and iOS mobile apps. We will start with a quick overview of basic photogrammetry concepts and image parameters. We will follow with a brief introduction to REST-based web services, and we will explore how to authenticate with the Autodesk server using the OAuth protocol. We will then expose in detail the capabilities of the ReCap software web API and show you how to define a photo scene and create a dense 3D mesh from multiple pictures. We will also introduce the most effective practices to access and work with the API through examples in .NET, Android, and iOS apps.

The climate is changing, and sea levels are rising. This will have a catastrophic impact around the globe, especially for those who live in the Pacific Islands, as entire countries, cultures, and architectural artifacts are wiped off the map. As technology advances and becomes increasingly accessible, we now have tools to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Specifically, photogrammetry and virtual reality let us document artifacts at risk of submersion in order to support historic preservation efforts in the face of climate change. This session will present a recent project documenting archaeological and architectural ruins in Kosrae, Micronesia. The project supported effective decision making about the preservation of culturally significant artifacts by experiencing them from new points of view. To do this, the project investigated feasibility; developed workflows; and utilized drones, photogrammetry, virtual reality, and augmented reality toward the historic preservation of cultural artifacts.

As our global population increases, remote indigenous communities are compelled to develop to accommodate growth and responsible tourism. Technology is now available to support and promote development of remote communities in an environmentally and culturally sustainable manner. Specifically, photogrammetry and virtual reality (VR) enable effective decisions about sensitive development by empowering stakeholders with intuitive, immersive experiences of site conditions from new points of view. This session will present a recent project on the remote Fiji island of Vorovoro, executed as a joint effort between an indigenous island tribe, a university construction management program, a social enterprise promoting positive social impact, and a global AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) software corporation. The collaborative team created a feasibility study for a dam to retain fresh water on the island; developed new data workflows; and used drones, VR, and cloud-based collaboration platforms with a Forge partner.

Hurricane Harvey was a Category 4 storm that hit Texas on August 25, 2017. It caused $125 billion in damage, more than any other natural disaster in US history except Hurricane Katrina. It affected 13 million people from Texas through Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Harvey made landfall 3 times in 6 days. At its peak on September 1, 2017, one-third of Houston was underwater. In the first 24 hours, 2 feet of rain fell. Flooding forced 39,000 people out of their homes and into shelters. We got a chance to visit a friend and colleague who lost 3 cars, their entire first floor, and their folks’ home around the corner. By using photogrammetry, reality capture, drone footage, Revit software, and ReCap software, we were able to help record conditions for this devastating event.

From photos to 3D—this is a hands-on lab teaches you how is it really done. We cover best practices for taking your photos correctly so that every photogrammetry reconstruction is successful and you end up with a high-quality model. We also describe best practices for using ReCap™ Photo, including a detailed explanation of the postproduction processes that are necessary to create complex high-quality meshes and to prepare them for digital output or digital fabrication.

The reality capture group at Autodesk is working on ways to acquire, manipulate, or analyze real scene data using laser scans or photos through ReCap™ products. While several AU classes demonstrate ReCap use and workflows associated with these products, this class focuses on how to programmatically access the reality capture web API to create or extend an application. We start with a quick overview of basic photogrammetry concepts and image parameters. Then we approach the reality capture REST API and discuss how to define a photo scene from multiple photos and create a dense 3D mesh. We cover some of the advanced features that are available to customize and refine the process. Finally we conclude the class with a complete example written in PHP.

Watch, experience, and understand how it's possible to create realistic environments and architecture with millions of polygons that can run on a mobile device.

This class will offer a deep explanation of the real worlds we need to recreate, and how to decide between modeling techniques, lighting systems to advantage of the mobile devices capabilities.

The first part will unveil the power of the techniques, showing in real time how a mobile device can handle a huge street and a detailed store with millions of polygons.

The second part will start with a brief analysis about the sort of information we need to create a huge environment suitable to be transformed into virtual reality. Professional pictures, or mobile cameras? Photogrammetry? When and how? We'll cover all the details you need, and questions you have.

Finally, we'll look at the incredible tools in 3ds Max to handle all sorts of big data, and to optimize it for mobile and virtual reality.

You'll walk away with an actionable approach for current and future virtual reality systems.

At Autodesk University 2018, we unveiled our innovative approach to deploying high-definition 3D laser scanning on cast-in-place concrete projects in San Francisco the day prior to concrete placement, analyzing the 3D point cloud against the BIM, and delivering a highly detailed report of deviations the following morning that the construction team could use to rectify any out-of-tolerance elements prior to concrete placement. The result was the highest quality ever achieved on CIP projects. The logical next step was to look inward at our process, software, and hardware for efficiency and quality gains, then look outward for other solutions. We deployed, tested, and analyzed the data from the following reality capture solutions in our quest to see if there truly is one tool that rules them all. We’ll compare the results from each unit and suggest the appropriate application for each. It’ll be a showdown between Leica RTC360 (LiDAR), Leica BLK360 (LiDAR), UAV (LiDAR), Matterport Pro2 (photogrammetry), and UAV (photogrammetry)

This class will cover data-gathering methods related to utility design. Typical data gathering may include topo survey, photos, and site visits. The future of making things includes using all the available methods to gather previously unreachable data and importing it into design. This is done using current methods, i.e., survey, incorporating 3D models from photogrammetry, LiDAR (light detection and ranging), GPR (ground penetrating radar), and electromagnetic locating. By using some or all of these technologies and harnessing them through Autodesk, Inc., software, we can present a view both above and below the ground, enabling designers to see things in a whole new way. This class will introduce basic capture concepts for LiDAR, GPR, photogrammetry, and electromagnetic locating to create a 3D model using ReCap software. We can import this ReCap software model into InfraWorks software to be incorporated into design. We will briefly go over using Autodesk 360 cloud-computing platform and Memento software as well.

This hands-on lab will demonstrate a reverse-engineering workflow that uses ReCap 360 software to move a real-life object into the Fusion 360 3D CAD design app, moving items from the ground to the cloud. In the Fusion 360 app, attendees will discover how to use OBJ files produced from photogrammetry to create powerful designs in the Fusion 360 app.

The United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) develops, manages, and protects western water resources for the nation. Built in an age of slide rules and manual drafting, USBR’s 492 dams and 53 power plants were each created using thousands of individual engineering drawings. These dams are critical infrastructure, and will continue to serve the nation for centuries, requiring new methods and technology for effective management. Using Autodesk software and with assistance from Autodesk, USBR set out to create unified intelligent models of Glen Canyon dam and power plant. The use of laser scanning, photogrammetry, CAD, BIM (Building Information Modeling), and SONAR enabled the creation of comprehensive multidiscipline 3D models. This project serves as a prototype to develop expertise, best practices, guidelines, and procedures, with applicability for many industries. This session will discuss the objectives and procedures, and provide an update on project status, intelligent-model creation, and future directions.

The United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) develops, manages, and protects western water resources for the United States. Built in an age of slide rules and drafting, the USBR's 492 dams and 53 power plants were each created from thousands of individual engineering drawings. These dams are critical infrastructure and will continue to serve the nation for centuries. Effective facility management requires new methods and technology. Using Autodesk software, and with assistance from Autodesk, the USBR set out to create unified intelligent models of Glen Canyon dam and power plant. The use of laser scanning, photogrammetry, CAD, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and SONAR enabled the creation of multidisciplinary, comprehensive 3D models. The data and models will be used for design, operations and maintenance, security, education, and visualization. This project serves as a prototype to develop expertise, best practices, guidelines, and procedures with applicability for many industries. This session will discuss the objectives, procedures, and project status.