Step 6: Managing and Reviewing the Build

Throughout the build process, you can monitor build progress from PhotoMesh Build Manager and view the build data already created in the PhotoMesh 3D Window. As soon as a build step is completed for a tile, its build data is viewable in the 3D Window, e.g. if aerotriangulation was performed, PhotoMesh can display the calculated camera positions in the 3D Window, and if reconstruction tiles were calculated, they can be displayed in the 3D Window, with each tile colorized according to the build step completed. You can also view point cloud, 3D model, and texture data for one or more tiles once this build step for the selected tile is completed. Build quality and production reports are available, as well, with statistical and graphical information about the build process. See "Reviewing Aerotriangulation and Reconstruction Tiles" in the "Reviewing Your Build" chapter for information.

After a build is complete, water bodies can be defined by drawing or importing a water body polygon, and mesh imperfections, such as bumps, irregular surfaces, or floating artifacts, can be marked for flattening, filling, and clean up using the Manual Retouch tool. See "Working with Water Body Polygons" and "Marking a Mesh Layer for Retouching" in the "Reviewing Your Build" chapter for information.

After reviewing build data, you can easily rebuild any of the following: the entire project, error tiles, or selected tiles. See "Monitoring a Build" in the "Building" chapter and the "Reviewing Your Build" chapter for information. Alternatively, you can create a new build version with different project steps and different build parameters. You have the option to create a completely new build version or one which copies the AT information from the previous build, thereby accelerating the build process. See "Creating a New Build Version" and "Creating a New Build Version with a Copy of the Current Aerotriangulation Results" in the "Building" chapter for information.

Before rebuilding, 3D models can be exported when necessary to external software, such as Autodesk^® MeshMixer, to perform certain edits, e.g. to remove a particular building that is being torn down, flatten surfaces and correct certain imperfections such as bumps or irregular surfaces, or edit textures, and then reimported to PhotoMesh. See the "Importing and Exporting Models" chapter for more information.