To know what features you need in photogrammetry software, you’ll need to understand how exactly it works.

Using photos as the source of data, the program automatically recognizes the shared points between every image and calculates the distances between them in 3D space. The result is a point cloud that you can transform into a 3D mesh. Some more advanced programs also provide tools for cleaning up the point cloud to enhance the overall quality.

Photogrammetry is generally not considered as accurate as laser or structured light 3D scanners, but is often the only solution for large areas. Where photogrammetry shines over 3D scanning is in capturing color and texture.

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For photogrammetry software tools to work properly, sufficient image data is needed, which means lots of large photo files. The data requires processing, which can be quick or time-consuming, depending on the software.

Some solutions work just from photo sources alone, while others can incorporate laser scanning, topological, and other data. Typically, laser scanner data is used for precision and photogrammetry data is overlaid for color and texture.

Some programs also provide their own analysis tools within the workspace, enabling you to measure, annotate maps, or enrich the data. Solutions like this are often used by infrastructure companies, forestry, mining, and defense.

Although how you take your photos generally doesn’t matter to the software, if you don’t have enough photos from enough angles you can have gaps or missing data. To achieve a high-quality 3D model, the pictures need to overlap by 80 to 90%.

Seasoned pilots understand the flight paths and speed required for accurate aerial photography, but if you intend to use a drone yourself, look for a model with waypoint navigation software or use photogrammetry software, like DroneDeploy, that includes a module for controlling the drone’s flight path.

Just like most products from the giant software publisher Autodesk, ReCap is developed for integration into workflows that rely on multiple tools — ReCap is short for “reality capture”, by the way.

You can export the result of your photo captures as a point cloud or mesh into CAD and BIM software, such as Autodesk AutoCAD or BIM 360.

The software has two basic modes — one for aerial photogrammetry and another for close-range photogrammetry. In addition to photographs, ReCap can also process laser scans and align them with photo-based projects to generate 3D models. Although ReCap can automatically register images, it allows you to pick manually to enhance the overall result.

Apart from capturing large structures in 3D, this photogrammetry software is also equipped with high-quality analytical tools, advanced editing, fly features for UAV/drone photos, and collaborative tools. ReCap also comes with several data services that are designed to process the scans. The foremost data service is Auto Cleanup, which automatically identifies and removes unwanted points like people and moving objects photographed accidentally. Another beneficial service converts the scan data into meshes that can be exported for processing in other applications.

New in ReCap Pro for 2024 is the ability to extract specific geometries of interest from large point cloud data via the “ReCap Cloud Viewer”.

Autodesk Recap Pro

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Agisoft Metashape – formerly known as Agisoft Photoscan – is a professional photogrammetry software and a popular choice for GIS applications, cultural heritage documentation, game development, and visual effects production. It is suitable for both close-range photogrammetry and aerial photogrammetry.

The program includes comprehensive tools for editing the point cloud before generating a 3D mesh. This includes automatic classifications of point clouds to customize geometry reconstruction. Meaning, the photogrammetry software can distinguish between diverse objects like buildings and trees, allowing you to filter them.

Metashape improves the processing time and quality of captures over previous iterations, using community-driven data to improve algorithms and machine learning. Over time, in theory, it will continue to improve the more the program is used.

Also, extensive measurement tools enable mining companies, surveyors, and others to conduct volumetric measurements. Among the other stunning features is the possibility of editing 4D models, which means entire scenes can be recorded in 3D and manipulated.

In 2021, Epic Games bought photogrammetry software company Capturing Reality to incorporate its technology into its Unreal Engine, which is used to develop some of the world’s best-known games, like Fortnite. The good news is that it’s also available to download.

The software called RealityCapture (v1.3) can produce accurate 3D models from a variety of input media and is a favorite among pros in surveying, architecture, cultural heritage documentation, virtual reality, and game development.

Like the other photogrammetry software on our list, RealityCapture uses photogrammetric techniques to reconstruct 3D geometry from 2D images to create accurate 3D models. What sets it apart is its automation. RealityCapture enables fully automatic combination of laser scans and photographs. Plus, it boasts really fast processing speeds and batch processing capabilities that let you work with large datasets — photo data, 3D scan data – to see results quickly.

With RealityCapture you can edit 3D meshes in real-time to refine and adjust models during the reconstruction process. This real-time feedback can enhance your ability to make immediate adjustments to achieve the desired results.

Another bonus is the cloud processing service, so you can offload computational tasks to the cloud for increased processing power and scalability.

This professional photogrammetry software is built for user-friendliness. Its user interface lowers the entry barriers for beginners and facilitates generating 3D scans with easy-to-use wizards that explain the process and help choose the right settings. Nonetheless, experienced users can make a lot of tweaks to optimize the result and profit from extensive exporting options into many file formats.

Like other cutting-edge solutions, we found 3DF Zephyr is capable of aligning photogrammetry data with laser scans. This way, you increase the precision of your 3D model while also retaining the texture maps. Although the usual process is completely automatic, you can intervene manually to work with your scan in a CAD program. 3DF Zephyr enables you to draw shapes using the imagery as a reference. This native CAD model can be sent to programs like Autodesk Revit for BIM (building information modeling).

One of the best things about this photogrammetry software on our view is that you can download a free version and take it for a test drive. The difference between the paid version is a 50-image cap used for the reconstruction and a smaller range of editing tools. Professionals should also check out the GIS and survey tools in the advanced versions.

Another major 3D software developer that has published its own take on photogrammetry software is Bentley. Given Bentley’s portfolio of sophisticated BIM and CAD software tools for architecture and building, it is no wonder that its iTwin Capture Modeler can generate 3D models of entire cityscapes. Hence, the program is suitable for large infrastructure projects and sites of large size.

iTwin Capture Modeler offers desktop capabilities for creating reality data that will serve as the digital context for design, engineering, construction, and operations workflows. It enables you to produce reality meshes of virtually any scale by using photographs or LiDAR point clouds. It is available in two versions: iTwin Capture Modeler and iTwin Capture Modeler Center.

Bentley has a bundle of reality and spatial modeling software solutions. The iTwin Capture Manage & Extract is hardware-neutral, independent from any post-processing software, and scalable. It lets you take massive amounts of spherical images, planar images, oblique images, point clouds, and textured meshes and combine them with traditional GIS resources, such as vector data, orthophotos, and raster images. Import reality data captured with terrestrial, mobile, and aerial mapping systems, taken on the road, rail, water, and in the air, both indoor and outdoor, and aboveground and below ground.

Correlator3D made by Simactive is an end-to-end photogrammetry software package. It focuses on aerially captured images and is equally capable of handling data from drones, aircraft, and satellites. If you are more interested in terrain than the structures upon it, Correlator3D has a powerful automated tool to turn your Digital Surface Model (DSM) into a Digital Terrain Model (DTM). You can also create orthomosaics and 3D models. It can even process multispectral and hyperspectral imagery, enabling users to analyze and extract information from different spectral bands

You can take your output data and integrate it into geographic information systems (GIS) and computer-aided design (CAD) software for further analysis and visualization.

Used extensively by private companies and governments, it comes with a free trial offer. As a pro software, it comes with deep resources and training opportunities.

DroneDeploy is an easy-to-use aerial photogrammetry software covering the entire process from flight to finished 3D model. This solution consists of two apps: Frist, a mobile app that’s used to control the drone’s flight path. Define the area you want to scan on an interactive map and set the direction the drone will follow. The app controls the entire flight from take-off to landing. The platform is compatible with a variety of drone models, supporting both consumer and enterprise-grade UAVs. This allows users to use a range of drones for data collection.

The second app is cloud-based and creates 3D models and maps using the images taken with your drone. You can select from various processing modes for your specific needs. You can view the result in four map layers that give you information on plant health and elevation. Besides, DroneDeploy is equipped with powerful tools that allow you to measure distances, areas, and volumes. To get the most out of your data, you can add additional features from the DroneDeploy app market.

The DroneDeploy ecosystem is compatible only with DJI drones.

Imagine Photogrammetry from software giant Hexagon is an integrated collection of software tools popular at national mapping agencies, regional mapping authorities, and commercial mapping companies.

Pro features include full analytical triangulation, digital terrain model generation, orthophoto production, and extracting 3D features. By automating precision measurement and including flexible operations such as terrain editing and feature extraction, the solution is flexible enough to fit a wide range of applications.

Hexagon offers an array of add-ons that expand the core functionality of Imagine Photogrammetry, such as a DSM (Digital Surface Mode) Module used for representing the topography or relief of the Earth’s surface; a Spatial Modeler;  and a Terrain Editor.

Photomodeler by PhotoModeler Technologies has long been a go-to tool for pros in various industries, from engineering and architecture to archaeology and forensics, before the rise of today’s affordable 3D scanning equipment because you only need a camera. But even now, it is still incredibly useful due to its precision. You can also import LIDAR and point cloud data to extract key evidence from your photos.

PhotoModeler software extracts measurements from photographs taken with an ordinary camera, but you can also feed it drone and video footage. It’s a low-cost way to achieve accurate 2D or 3D measurements and reality capture.

Inside the photogrammetry software, you can choose between three methods to generate your model: manually match common features between images, automatically generate a 3D model from coded targets, or generate point clouds from overlapping images.

The standard version of PhotoModeler contains the core functionalities and is best suited for manual, CAD, and single photo projects. The premium version adds UAS comparability to support drone-taken imagery and integrate 3D laser scan data, among other features.

If you’re looking to get your feet wet in areal photogrammetry with, say, your own drone, take a good look at WebODM. The folks at OpenDroneMap created WebODM to be an accessible and user-friendly platform. Upload your drone imagery, and the software takes care of the almost all of the processing steps.

You can produce elevation and textured 3D models, geo-referenced maps, and point clouds. It can be used on your computer offline or loaded to servers to use from the cloud, and you can export your elevation contours to the likes of AutoCAD, ShapeFile, and more.

The Software is open source, and you can download it from the GitHub page for free. Some command-line skills are required, though, to get it running. If you want a more accessible entry to the software and customer support, you can also purchase a perpetual license for $57 that comes with an installer.

Pix4Dmapper is photogrammetry software designed for processing aerial and drone imagery to generate accurate and high-quality 3D maps, models, and point clouds. Developed by the company Pix4D, the software is widely used in surveying, agriculture, construction, environmental monitoring, and other industries that require detailed geospatial information.

It generates point clouds, 3D meshes, or elevation maps and Pix4D has also developed a free mobile app for Android and iOS that lets you use a drone as your mapping tool and controls the drone’s flight path to ensure enough overlap between the images for photogrammetry processing.

The imagery is then processed in the Pix4D software that runs on your desktop computer or in the cloud. This is where you generate point clouds, orthomosaics, elevation models, and index maps.

The software boasts some impressive analytical tools that cater to specific industries, such as agriculture, for example, with its ability to generate crop zonation and prescription maps that can help farmers increase their productivity, the company says.

Pix4Dmapper  also supports “georeferencing”, meaning that the output data is accurately aligned with real-world coordinates.

In addition to Pix4Dmappers, the company offers targeted software, such as Pix4Dfields for agriculture and Pix4Dmatic for large-scale terrestrial mapping.

Built by BAE Systems, a defense, security, and aerospace company, Socet GXP (v4.5) is an advanced geospatial intelligence software that uses satellite and aerial imagery. It’s primarily designed to analyze images, produce intelligence, test sensor models, and extract and edit terrain. Unless you have access to this type of input media, this solution isn’t for you.

The software was created from Socet SET but upgraded with advanced technology and a new system setup. The program allows you to combine multiple workflows.

Socet GXP is used in real-life applications like homeland security, disaster relief, humanitarian efforts, and defense missions.

Trimble Geospatial designed Trimble Inpho to precisely transform aerial imagery into accurate point clouds, surface models, or orthophoto mosaics.

The software is aimed at a wide range of uses, including national mapping, forestry, agriculture, mining, utility and energy, urban development, defense, and disaster response. With Inpho, you can also process airborne LiDAR scanning data. Users can import, process, and analyze point cloud data obtained from airborne or terrestrial LiDAR sensors.

Trimble Geospatial has more than 30 years of experience and boasts cutting-edge technologies along with robust tech support.

As drones, scanners, and software become more accessible and available, the field of photogrammetry is booming. From law enforcement to land management, urban planning to climate science, photogrammetry coupled with other types of data is rapidly advancing these disciplines.

There’s more to mastering photogrammetry than software and drones. You’ll need a solid foundation in camera geometry, image matching and triangulation, various sensor and data types, plus understanding point clouds and their applications.

If you’re not in a position to take a university course on photogrammetry, you could try these online courses below.

Recommended Online Courses

• Introduction to Photogrammetry by EpicGames
• Advanced Photogrammetry and Mapping with UAS Certificate from Michigan Tech University
• Start a drone business – Aerial Photography and Mapping at Udemy
• Photogrammetry With Drones: In Mapping Technology at Udemy
• Photogrammetry for Product Design and AEC at LinkedIn Learning
• Master 3D Reconstruction with Advanced Photogrammetry by 3D Geodata Academy
• Pix4Dmapper Essentials certification at Pix4Dmapper