I am having issues with merging projects created using Pix4D Catch and a DJI Drone. The following are steps I used to process the data sets within the software.
Project #1 using Pix4DCatch with iPhone 15 Pro Max:
1.) Import all images into the project.
2.) Download GCP csv. file from Trimble Reveal GNSS.
3.) Select horizontal coordinate reference system (WGS 84 - EPSG:4326)
Select vertical coordinate reference system (EGM96 height - EPSG:5773)
Assign which columns from the imported csv. file are latitude, longitude, and altitude.
4.) Tie the GCP to individual photos within the project.
5.) Manually enter the altitude within the GCP to match with project #2.
6.) Run calibration of the photos.
7.) Once calibration is completed and all photos and GCP are accepted within the project, save the project.
Project #2 using DJI Mavic Aerial Photos:
1.) Import all images into the project.
2.) Download GCP csv. file.
3.) Select horizontal coordinate reference system (WGS 84 - EPSG:4326)
Select vertical coordinate reference system (EGM96 height - EPSG:5773)
Assign which columns from the imported csv. file are latitude, longitude, and altitude.
4.) Tie the GCP to individual photos within the project.
5.) Manually enter the altitude within the GCP to match with project #2.
6.) Run calibration of the photos.
7.) Once calibration is completed and all photos and GCP are accepted within the project, save the project.
8.) Merge the projects together making project #2 the primary project.
I attached a screen shot as a reference when I merge the projects together.
Have you reviewed our technical support document on how to merge projects in PIX4Dmatic? It detail the steps.
I think you need to register the tie points. This step is optional, but since it appears that you have common GCPs between the projects, it will snap the GCPs together and align the projects.
Please take a look at the article above. It should walk you through the steps.
I read this document, and everything in it I have done. I just updated to version 1.74 from 1.71 hoping this may help and it has, but there are still some issues when inspecting the project closely. The vehicle and nearby terrain are slightly offset from each other. I added 4 tie points on the vehicle between the two projects hoping this would help, but when I re-calibrated the project, several photos now will not calibrate. I will attach photos for you as a reference.
Thanks for your willingness to look into this for me. I remapped the scene using Catch and a DJI Drone, except this time I added additional ground targets around the car and magnetic tiles on the car hoping to get more accurate manual tie points. This seems to have helped but the two projects still are not synced perfectly. They’re roughly a foot off, which you can see on the framing of the vehicle in the Mesh data. Below I have attached the quality report for the first and newest project I just completed along with a few screen shots for you to see.
I finally got the two projects to merge properly after several trial and error attempts. What it ultimately boiled down to was the path of travel when flying the drone. Due to the several changes in elevation with the landscape and tree canopies I believe I found the best way to get around this. Photos linked below of the final merged project.
my deep respect for the research you are doing!! Looks like you found a workflow to get this right.
Can you please describe that in detail (although I think this would be the job of the support team here…) How many MTPs have you used to nail these two data sets?
Another question, have you tried it in a different software? Normally it shouldn’t be so much effort on the user side to simply align images from two different sensors… both with RTK data
Did the support give you more information than the information above? Have they given you some useful advice after checking the quality report? Following this conversation here it looks like the support doesn’t really know an answer or how to help…
This project took several attempts of trial and error. I ultimately ended up using 4 ground targets around the car along with 11 April Tags, which are magnetic tiles each with a unique design, to attach on the sides and roof of the car. I attached manual tie points to each ground target and several of the April tags in both projects. I later found using only the 4 ground targets were sufficient enough.
I ran the data sets in Reality Capture and FARO SCENE and had no issues processing the data. This only seemed to happen in Pix.
I sent the quality reports as they requested and never heard anything back or any solutions to solve the problem.
If you want further detail as to how I precisely gathered the data and processed them let me know and I’ll be glad to help.
Product support doesn’t solve the problem and isn’t answering since 10 days - so the users have to find a complex way for solving it
Frankly, and from a user’s point of view, this is disappointing.
so my conclusion: Right now it looks like I can’t combine RTK data sets from PIX4Dcatch and the drone without having a lot of effort (and therefore costs) in PIX4Dmatic. Contacting PIX4D support makes even more work and in the end you have to solve the problem yourself, without feedback from the supports…
Just for us users: If you somehow could do a step by step description what solved this issues in your case in detail I woud be very very thankful Tylor.
and to be fair, can you rule out errors in your data acquisition?
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