Downloaded a trial version of Pix4Dmapper to my pc, installed it and started it up. When I tried to upload photos from a photo mission (via Pix4D capture) the software crashes. It has done this repeatedly and Pix4D customer support never responded to my emailed enquiry asking for help to resolve. Now the trial version has expired think its best to look elsewhere especially as Pix4Dmapper is expensive on a monthly subscription … can anyone recommend alternative photogrammetry software? Thanks in advance.
I know little about the subject but, whilst a little old, this thread suggest there may be : Open Drone Map - a serious alternative to Pix4d
Also this search will take you to several thread where there may be relevant info.
3 Likes
Thanks Dave! @NeiltheWheel that link (old) that @OzoneVibe has shared is my original experiments into OpenSource 3D mapping and OpenDroneMap was the best alternative back then! I still use it today, as it does a fab job making 3D textured meshes and maps for FREE!
Regards your Pix4DMapper crashing, I’m going to hazard a guess you’re running out of memory on your PC. I would highly recommend running it on the MOST powerful mega spec machine you can lay hands on it as it’s a beast to run! Even on my M1 Mac it takes a while to crunch the data! The best bet is to use the Cloud Service and let them crunch the data, this is where Pix4D is great but as you say, its pricey!
2 Likes
Another ODM convert here, highly recommend it every time someone asks about photogrammetry here.
As a bonus, you can run it on AWS to use cloud processing if you don’t want to invest in a high spec machine, at a fraction of the cost of the lightning network, or what pix4d charge for cloud processing.
1 Like
thankyou for the link
1 Like
Hi Longstride
thankyou for replying to my query, much appreciated as I run a surveying company (land surveys, measured building surveys and 3D BIM) and we are looking to incorporate drones alongside our toolbox of laser surveying kit.
Im running a Predator Helios 300 i7-10750H CPU @ 2.60 GHZ with 16GB of RAM installed (with 15.8 currently usable) with a built in NVIDIA GeForce graphics card. Im assuming then I am going to have to up its performance?
1 Like
thankyou for the recommendation
I’m guessing thats Windows? 16GB isn’t a whole lot of RAM these days and some of the images can be big, so a big old data set?
Make a new email (easily done online) and signup for another trial on Pix4D but instead of installing mapper on your PC (it never worked well for me either!) just upload the files you captured in Pix4D Capture to the Cloud Service and process them there!
Thats my advice! (Or get ODM, but it’s a tad more fiddly than Pix4d and you’ll need more than 16 GB!)
Good luck!
1 Like
For home use, I play it extremely safe, vpn on from different UK areas, create a new email address rinse and repeat.
Luckily i have an i7-12700h laptop with rtx 3060 gpu and just for kicks windows iris xe built in, and upgraded the 16gb to 32gb with 2 16gbs sticks from another laptop. Plug it in, Stick it on Turbo mode and away she goes.
Hate getting ripped off from Cloud computing.
Inside my work is a different story, they pay for all licenses for all the software so I can work away…cloud computing is handy, but boy do they get their moneys worth out of businesses/users.
Try Reality Capture. I think they do a free version and a paid version.
1 Like
thankyou Terry2 for the suggestion of Reality Capture, I will check it out.
thanks … useful info to know!