Photogrammetry in SC

[AstroSam]

Just read it on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/528cwl/why_everyone_is_not_excited_about_the_possibility/

From the monthly report: "Alongside Gamescom and 2.5 release, we spent some time investigating photogrammetry and working with the environment team on the procedural planet tech."

Photogrammetry is responsible for the ridiculously beautiful graphics from BF1, Battlefront and Ethan Carther, which are, in my opinion, close if not identical to real CGI quality as seen in the movies.

For the ones who didn't see what I'm talking about:

View: https://vimeo.com/172293964

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBrKxgj4aiM&feature=youtu.be&t=2m12s


This tech will take SC graphics, especially those required in PG, really higher, and make previous CR statement "Crysis quality level" (can't remember the exact words he said) obsolete.

I've never heard of "photogrammetry". Is that good or bad? Does it mean we all need MOAR hardware power? And what IS photogrammetry basically...?

 

[Reyalp CB4]

considering battlefront runs great on even low level machines and looks amazing id assume its good

 

[AstroSam]

Okay; never played Battlefront, but at first sight...that sounds good ;)
I will try to get some information about photoblabladingsbums lateron, for I'm curious whats this all about.

 

[Reyalp CB4]

did you watch the videos in the redit?

 

[Reyalp CB4]

and some real world uses http://www.aerometrex.com.au/blog/?p=999

 

[Reyalp CB4]

any who
short answer is

uses collections of photos to create highly detailed textures with detailed bump maps

photo-realistic ones.

 

[AstroSam]

did you watch the videos in the redit?

No, I can't

But I've found a pretty good explanation here: http://www.aerometrex.com.au/blog/?p=1052

quote:
Photogrammetry is the art and science of extracting accurate geometric properties of objects from overlapping photographs. The theory behind the photogrammetric process is as old as the invention of photography itself however the widespread development of computers has drastically improved the photogrammetric workflow through automation.

Triangulation is the fundamental principle behind the photogrammetric process where overlapping photographs taken at different angles intersect. By mathematically modelling intersecting lines associated with features visible on the photographs, accurate 3D points located in space are extracted. Through a bundle-adjustment process, which includes processing the camera calibration and orientation as well as triangulation of the photographs, the final 3D point coordinates are extracted. To generate the final 3D objects, the 3D-point cloud goes through a meshing and texturing process.


Applications of photogrammetry includes survey and mapping products such as orthophotography, digital elevation models and more recently 3D city models.
(...)
The downside of producing this kind of models is the large number of polygons which constitute captured 3D objects.


A big challenge during game development process is the geometric optimization of the multiple assets which constitute the game and it is why only a few games are currently using these types of assets.


Fortunately processing power and computer graphics are become more powerful every day which will make the ingestion of this complex data more mainstream.
(...)
While there are little doubts that we will see more and more of 3D assets created with 3D photogrammetry, the amount of data will still be limited by our computer and graphic power. The good news is improvements don’t stop.


Hm, learned something new today :)