Pix4D Desktop: so much quality difference program file VS export file

PIX4Dmapper PIX4Dmapper Questions/Troubleshooting
1

Hi everyone.

Sorry for my English, is very terrible. With some friends, are trying to use Pix4d for architecture, in small projects.

The idea for the worlflow is this:

Step 1: use Pix4D to do the take-over of the building. Very good quality in pix4d, like you can see in example here.

Step 2: export in FBX and OBJ.

Step 3: draw the project in varius program (Rhino, Blender, Sketckup…)

Step 4: Open the Pix4d export file in the program (fbx or OBJ)

Step 5: Merge it with the project and render both.

The problem, the GREAT problem, is from the step 4: the quality in pi4d is very good, but in every other program with the export files, the quality IS NOT the same.

For an estate agency, it will not be a problem, but if you’re an architect or engineer, is great. You will always had a lower quality in render because the output from pix4d is not so good.

Where er are wrong? Wich is the problem?

I’ve tryed the smooth command everywhere in Blender or similar, but it’s always the same: the file is worse than the original in Pix4d


Thanks a lot.

2

No one can help? :frowning:

3

Hello Davide,

The third-party software has their own way of handling mesh files and displaying them. It should not be too different from what you can see in the rayCloud of Pix4Dmapper though. Based on the screenshots I see that the lighting of the models is different.
Perhaps there are some display settings specific to the third-party software to be adjusted but I am afraid we cannot really help on that. 

For example, you can check the following screenshots with the same model in Meshlab:

4

Hello Antigoni,

for first, very thanks for your reply. I will try this afternoon to work witch the light option and I write again.

Thanks again by now!

5

Hi Antigoni, I’ve tryed: the situation is a little better, but otherwise far from Pix4d quality. It’s a problem of the export settings for OBJ I think, because also the FBX model that I upload in Sketchfab is better.

6

Hi Davide,

Are you importing the exported files in the same software?
Could you please tell me in which software they are imported and attach some screenshots indicating the differences?

Did you try to change any other rendering settings in the third party software you are using? In our knowledge base, you can find step by step instructions about how to import a 3D textured mesh in Sketchfab, but also in 3ds Max and Maya. 

Please take a look at the articles to make sure that you are correctly importing the 3D mesh.

Regards,

7

 

hi Antigoni,

I’ve done some othet experiments. This is sketchfab:

https://sketchfab.com/models/08423a7e995a4a71935e844ba6196cf3

Nice quality, all seems ok.

Than I’ve put the same fbx in 3DS 2019, using the info:

5. On each window, there are visualization options in the upper-left corner.
6. Switch from Default shading to Flat color.

https://49c3a2ed-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/trattativehwugrade/pagina_foto/Cattura.JPG?attachauth=ANoY7crV5_9yfRUFulpk5hH6FY-8O5GenK12BSnaui76IJqZ97ML3N5KuBDNFamaMLVS1GOqUPp2EmMthXRbxMLzI_YnL6wQMWOxds1qsxail7Ls4jVCKOGLcAzSp4bD-2v6EsiEi5LVaBJ3kKolemPW4v9YjQfgFL8znRPGDPwc-f0HtujJY9KAxtAajSSMc-7jvTBzR_1-d0t7_wPbZ_A1Z_FQDEtTAxlqWgDOrNxUADuyJRJoIVk%3D&attredirects=0

Terrible. How is possible??

8

Hi Davide,

Is the .fbx file that you are importing in both software, right? If so, I would recommend maybe checking more advanced visualization options of 3DS max. There should be a way to improve the display but I am afraid that my knowledge of 3DS max is not adequate to help you with this. 

In case that you are importing the .obj file in sketchfab, I would like to ask you to try importing the fbx and checking how this looks like. 

Regards,

 

9

Hello,

I am facing the exact same issue with Autodesk 3DS Max.

When importing the OBJ, 3DS prompts for settings, like described here : https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2019/ENU/3DSMax-Data-Exchange/files/GUID-7A9535E6-235D-459B-B32D-5A9E5E4EBF28-htm.html

However, I cannot figure out what are the best settings, especially the smoothing ones.

What would you recommend ?

1 Like
10

Is more than one year that I try to done this thinks and I have no reply everywere. 

I give up, an came back to the old style work: photomerge. Probably is too early for this tecnology.

 

1 Like
11

Hello. I too have been trying for a long time to have better models on 3ds Max and I have tried every instruction found on the net, but nothing. Visualization is fantastic on Pix4D and bad on 3ds Max render. So I agree: it’s still too early to make the most of a model in modeling software. There are two things, or the export / import reduces its quality or these programs are too far behind Pix.

12

Archimed, you’re in Italy right? Could we contact to merge information and experience on this workflow?

Thanks

1 Like
13

Sì sì Davide, ti scrivo direttamente in italiano, mi chiamo Antonio. Come posso contattarti?

14

Perfetto! Mandami una mail a   davide.bolognaATgmail.com
Grazie, a presto!

 

Ps: corretto, cambia solo la @ scusa ero dal cell!