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    Photo Match for Professional Architectural Photomontages

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    • E Offline
      ehaflett
      last edited by

      I've found that using the photo as a watermark in the background can be helpful in finding the angle at which to output your model graphic. It's not as accurate as Photomatch may be but it's helpful when combining your graphics in PS or Corel.

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      • thomthomT Offline
        thomthom
        last edited by

        @unknownuser said:

        As plot says the photo-match tool is not very efficient. Don't get me wrong SU itself is fantastic for photomantage.

        @unknownuser said:

        I much rather have 3DS max's method of placing matching points on the model, then their equal position on the photo and have the application work out the camera position from that.

        The method above can actually be duplicated with SU and Corel and probably PS as well.

        When I have very difficult mapping to do I take a shot of the piece within SU. I bring it into Corel set it down as a layer. I then creat my material layer over top and cut the material to match the SU image below. I import the texture and apply it....it fits like a glove and if not you can adjust it further by repositioning using the texture positioning tool.

        I don't use Photomatch to map textures, but to match the camera so I can render the model in V-Ray and merge the images in Photoshop.

        Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
        List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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        • L Offline
          linea
          last edited by

          As dcauldwell said I think photomatch is really good for smaller buildings. I don't think that 3d Studio or AutoCad are significantly more accurate though when it comes to complex geometry. I tend to just go out with the camera and photograph every elevation I need and then apply them all as textures to an estimated or measured model. it takes longer but it is much more accurate

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          • thomthomT Offline
            thomthom
            last edited by

            Now I am confused?
            Are we talking about using photomatch just to extract textures, or photomatch to display a model in actual context? I thought the OP was talking about the latter.

            Thomas Thomassen — SketchUp Monkey & Coding addict
            List of my plugins and link to the CookieWare fund

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            • L Offline
              linea
              last edited by

              Yes, sorry, drifted away from the thread a bit there

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              • dcauldwellD Offline
                dcauldwell
                last edited by

                @unknownuser said:

                I would really love to use Sketchup for this photomontaging but am a bit concerned as to its accuracy as it doesnt require camera location, focal lenght etc.

                Personally I wouldn't hesitate to use it for small or large buildings.
                Although it doesnt require camera location, focal length etc, the technique it uses is equally as good - matching persective.
                It gets easier to set up if the photo you are matching is taken at approx 45deg on plan, but clearly this is often not possible - so you make do.
                As photographs are often flawed in some way (barrel or pincushion distortion) it still comes down to making final adjustments by eye.
                For the record, the process I use is:-
                a) on site take several photos, guessing at where you will prefer your viewpoint for the finished montage
                b) create the model and match it to the photo in SU
                c) render the model (I use vray)
                d) export the render (I use png files)
                e) Using photoshop (or equiv) paste into a new layer over the photo - sometimes you need to create further layers and copy foreground info so it displays in front of the rendered model.

                Its dead easy once you've done a couple of times!!

                David

                Sketchup 2017
                (vray 2.00)

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                • plot-parisP Offline
                  plot-paris
                  last edited by

                  dcauldwell, amazing image. it took me quite a while to understand which part is not real 👍

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                  • I Offline
                    idraft
                    last edited by

                    I found and saved these a while ago, very good show on how to set up perspectives (as tought in the old school days). 👍

                    Cheers Jeff


                    2pt overview


                    2pt matching


                    3pt overview


                    3pt construction


                    3pt matching

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                    • pilouP Offline
                      pilou
                      last edited by

                      Cool tuts! 😎
                      Will be a classic! 😎

                      Frenchy Pilou
                      Is beautiful that please without concept!
                      My Little site :)

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                      • I Offline
                        idraft
                        last edited by

                        A quick sample of my photo matching, this was done in SU6 in about 1 hr straight from an origonal photo, can give clients a very good ex. of what there addition looks like.

                        I had to model the letterbox, fence and tree in foreground then locate in photomatched model. The picture probably needs fixing up in photoshop / gimp or similar to take some edges of.

                        cheers Jeff


                        photo match 0


                        photo match 7

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                        • MALAISEM Offline
                          MALAISE
                          last edited by

                          Thanks for such a useful tut. It really explains perspective rules . 👍 👍
                          I'm translating it in French

                          MALAISE 😄

                          La Connaissance n'a de valeur que partagée

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                          • G Offline
                            GUNAWAN W
                            last edited by

                            @dcauldwell said:

                            Here is an example
                            (the modelled and vray rendered part is the rear single storey extension)

                            http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4769/5108002crop2mh3.jpg

                            David

                            So david,
                            where is your models?
                            it's seems like photograph for me 😄

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                            • dcauldwellD Offline
                              dcauldwell
                              last edited by

                              G

                              Here is the rendered model. It is then merged in with the photograph in PS.
                              The mirror ball in the foreground was to check out the HDR sky, to see if it was positioned correctly.

                              Cheers David

                              http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/5998/004oz1.png

                              Sketchup 2017
                              (vray 2.00)

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                              • marked001M Offline
                                marked001
                                last edited by

                                the other problem with photomatch for me, is that is creates a 2 point perspective or some odd setup.. which isnt supported by Maxwell... so its useless... my workaround is to use photomatch..tape a piece of trace to the screen.. trace over a few key edges... and then use that to create my own scene... 😉 haha..

                                http://www.revision21vis.com

                                instagram: revi21on

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                                • dcauldwellD Offline
                                  dcauldwell
                                  last edited by

                                  . . . and if you make a mistake, do you use correction fluid on the screen? I'd love to see you working on a sketch!

                                  I think SU actually creates a 3 point perspective, but because most photos are taken at eye level they look like 2 point.

                                  David

                                  Sketchup 2017
                                  (vray 2.00)

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                                  • marked001M Offline
                                    marked001
                                    last edited by

                                    haha... yeah, its definitley a half a$$ method..i admit!

                                    i dont know.. they do appear to be 3 point, but i dont know, they are weird.. and Maxwell & Podium dont support them when the output 😕

                                    http://www.revision21vis.com

                                    instagram: revi21on

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                                    • G Offline
                                      GUNAWAN W
                                      last edited by

                                      @dcauldwell said:

                                      G
                                      Here is the rendered model. It is then merged in with the photograph in PS.
                                      The mirror ball in the foreground was to check out the HDR sky, to see if it was positioned correctly.
                                      Cheers David

                                      geeez, i see, really impressive work 👍 👍

                                      allow me to add this link to video tutorial section.

                                      Thank's

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                                      • A Offline
                                        August
                                        last edited by

                                        Hi idraft,
                                        @idraft said:

                                        I found and saved these a while ago, very good show on how to set up perspectives (as tought in the old school days).

                                        Do you happen to know the original author? Your use of the word "found" suggests that it is not you.

                                        Also, ANYONE,

                                        Months ago I ran across a similar tutorial about the geometry of photo matching that I have not been able to find again. (It was saved on my employer's laptop and was in a folder I missed in my last-minute archiving on the day of the layoff. Word to the wise...)

                                        The tutorial I'm looking for, if I recall correctly, used a ranch-style house and constructed the camera position(s) someplace in the front yard. Again IIRC, it took a different approach than the files idraft found. In the above files A-E, the image plane and view line are straight and an object is constructed at an angle and then finally rotated to square. In the tutorial I'm looking for, the object was presumed square with the axes and the technique constructed the image plane at an angle. Also, IIRC, it did not use any actual photos but instead illustrated the geometry with a line drawing instead of a photo.

                                        I suspect that this "missing" tutorial was old, possibly from SU v4, prior to the built-in Photo Match tool.

                                        Does this ring any bells in anyone's memory?

                                        Thanks,
                                        August

                                        “An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.”
                                        [floatr:v1mcbde2]-- Charles Dickens[/floatr:v1mcbde2]

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                                        • I Offline
                                          idraft
                                          last edited by

                                          This is where I found them back in 2004 (remember then?)
                                          http://groups.google.com/group/Sketchup-Pro/browse_thread/thread/14168c7bbabd829/bd0617c15f78519d

                                          Seems like there are two authors being Michael Young and Ron Kempke (3pt construction). The download of the .skp files is in the link above. 👍

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                                          • A Offline
                                            August
                                            last edited by

                                            Thanks idraft,
                                            @idraft said:

                                            This is where I found them back in 2004 ...

                                            The download is in the first message in that thread, which seems to be wrapping up a previous discussion from elsewhere.

                                            The thread includes a very good discussion of field-of-view and how it relates to the angle in the human eye where peripheral vision takes over from the sharper vision of the retina's central area.

                                            It also has an offer from rkempke in October 2005 to put together step-by-step tutorials using camera_parameters.rb, but that was apparently delayed by "solutions for every conceivable situation you may encounter in a 1-pt., 2-pt., or 3-pt. perspective, but each situation requires its own tutorial with a unique set of instructions and calculations."

                                            If anyone knows if Ron ever completed that project, I for one would be VERY interested. That offer was the most recent post from him containing the word "perspective".

                                            Thanks,
                                            August

                                            “An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.”
                                            [floatr:v1mcbde2]-- Charles Dickens[/floatr:v1mcbde2]

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