No drone? GoPro ahead
GoPro Hero 5 Black and Pix4D to make 3D models
Kengo Kuma’s “Under One Roof” design for the ArtLab building definitely qualifies as #ArchitecturePorn. It just opened its doors in Switzerland at the EPFL campus, and while the finishing details were being put in place, we took a GoPro Hero 5 Black and walked around the building capturing images to create a shareable 3D model in Pix4D software. This way, everyone can get closer to this geometric poetry, materialized in black slate, metal and wood.
Using a GoPro Hero 5 Black for Terrestrial 3D Modeling
Hero 5 Black GPS feature
GPS tags register the latitude, longitude and altitude of the camera position when each image is taken. When computing images to create a 3D model, this data enables Pix4D software to correctly locate, scale, and orient each picture, enhancing results and speeding up processing. When using a camera with built-in GPS tagging like the Hero 5 Black, coordinates are included in the EXIF data, with no need to use an external GPS logger. Image geolocation is added automatically in the software.
This is why the GoPro Hero 5 Black is ideal for image-based 3D modeling, whether using alone for terrestrial mapping, or in combination with the GoPro Karma drone for aerial mapping.
Camera settings and image capture for easy 3D modeling
To capture images suited for terrestrial 3D modeling, the best setting is the image timelapse mode. The highest resolution image (12mp) and the wide image modes should be selected. Trigger the camera shutter button and walk around your object of interest, adjusting the walking speed in function to the object distance. This is important to ensure that the image-capture-time-lapse results in sufficient image overlap for consecutive images.
Processing with Pix4Dmodel software
Pix4Dmodel is a photogrammetry software that uses images to create professional 3D models.
The software identifies unique points in the pictures and generates a 3D point cloud to reconstruct the object in 3D; the model can then be shared online or uploaded to a 3D visualization platform like Sketchfab.
The Building
Attracting attention in the architecture and design scene, the ArtLab building claims daring angular geometry that resembles a folded origami piece, topped with a black slate roof of nearly 250-meters. Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, it opened its doors Thursday, November 3rd.
EPFL, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, is one of the most important international research hubs in Switzerland.
More information about the project:
Architects
Kengo Kuma and Associates, Tokyo, Japan.
