Welcome to this quick tutorial on how to generate an orthophoto directly from a point cloud in 3Dsurvey.
Let’s walk through the steps for creating both standard and custom-plane orthophotos using point cloud data.
Watch the tutorial
1. What’s New?
You can now create orthophotos not just from dense meshes but also directly from point clouds. This allows for faster workflows and greater flexibility—especially when working with SLAM or LiDAR-generated datasets.
2. Generating a Standard Orthophoto from a Point Cloud
Step 1: Open the Orthophoto Tool
Go to the toolbar and click “Orthophoto” > “Calculate New”.
Step 2: Choose Your Input
In the input options, select your point cloud instead of a 3D mesh.
Step 3: Set the Resolution
Define your desired resolution. For this example, we’ll use 1 centimeter per pixel.
Step 4: Start the Calculation
Click “Calculate” and wait a few seconds.
Your orthophoto will be generated and displayed automatically.
3. Creating a Custom-Plane Orthophoto (e.g., a Facade)
Want to generate an orthophoto from a vertical surface like a facade? Here’s how:
Step 1: Select a Custom Plane
Choose the plane that corresponds to the surface you want to generate the orthophoto from.
Step 2: Adjust the Plane Extents
Manipulate the edges of the selected plane to define the area of interest.
For example, drag the corners to fit the height and width of the facade.
Step 3: Generate the Orthophoto
Press “Calculate” and let 3Dsurvey process the custom-plane orthophoto.
That’s it! Your facade orthophoto is now ready for analysis, annotation, or export.
4. Summary
Orthophotos can now be created directly from point clouds in 3Dsurvey.
Use the standard top-down view for ground-level mapping.
Use the custom-plane option for vertical surfaces like building facades.
Simply define the resolution, select the area, and calculate—it’s that easy!
