Block
A Block item manages a set of input data used for 3D reconstruction: photos and/or point clouds. The block item manages photos and their properties (photogroup properties: sensor size, focal length, principal point, lens distortion / pose: position, rotation), and optional point clouds.
Based on the block item, one or several reconstructions can be created.
A photo can be used for 3D reconstruction if it is complete. A photo is complete if it fulfills the following conditions:
- Its image file is in a supported file format (see Input photograph file formats) and is not corrupted,
- Its photogroup properties and pose (see Useful concepts):
To achieve the two above conditions, photogroup properties and photo poses must result from a joint optimization of the different photos of the block. The set of consistently optimized photos constitutes the main component of the block.
You can obtain a set of complete photos by two main methods:
- By adding photos to the block, with only a coarse guess of photogroup properties, and then by using ContextCapture 's aerotriangulation to estimate complete and accurate photogroup properties and photo poses.
- By importing photos with complete and accurate photogroup properties and photo poses (e.g., from third-party aerotriangulation software) from an XML file (see Import blocks).
The block item is defined by the following properties:
- Photos: the photos you imported or added, and their associated photogroup properties and photo poses (computed by Aerotriangulation, or imported).
- Point clouds: imported from point cloud files.
- Survey Points: Control points or user tie points entered manually, or imported. Survey points are optional.
- Automatic Tie Points: automatically extracted by ContextCapture , or imported.
- Positioning Constraints: position/orientation/scale priors based on user tie points.
- Additional data additional knowledge on the acquisition used to help aerotriangulation.
- List of reconstructions based on the block.
The block General tab manages the block dashboard and block reconstructions.
For convenience, a block with some known 3D data (photo poses, control points, point clouds) can be displayed in 3D in the 3D view tab.
For a block, the following features are proposed:
- Import blocks: import blocks from XML file.
- Export block: block can be exported to various file formats.
- Split block: divide a large aerial block into several parts.
- Extract block: extract region from block.
- Load/unload blocks: load/unload blocks from the active project.
- Merge blocks: merge a selection of blocks into one new block.
- Share: share images and orientations on ProjectWise ContextShare.