Can't recreate results with same settings

[Serge]

Hello 3DF Zephyr devs! I am using free version (win64). It is a great app, but I've encountered some problems with re-creating custom preset, which gave me desired result. Dataset is 360 degree turntable on white background + Masquerade.

With default settings it couldn't orient cameras around object. Then I tried "Advanced" mode and after a couple of hours of try&error came up with good results - all images were processed OK along with cameras orientations.

BUT! I didn't look at what actual settings were used (as I want to use them in similiar projects). After a while I found some values used for processing by RMB clicking on "Sparse point cloud" in "Project" tab. They are stored as table and not like checkboxes from "Advanced" mode. These settings were exported as XML file.

Now I want to re-create sparse cloud in fresh project. I entered "Custom preset", loaded settings from XML file and switched settings type back to "Advanced" to see real buttons that produced satisfying results. Opened another instance of app and quickly typed this settings in "Advanced" mode. Finally I switched settings to "Custom" to check values and unfortunatelly, some crucial things doesn't match and app can't produce good result.

Some settings in "Custom" mode aren't affected/represented well enough by "Advanced" mode checkboxes. (Marked with red paint)

Advanced mode settings:


Here is comparison of "Custome" mode between my first good setup (XML file) and its "copy" redone manually in "Advanced" mode in another instance:


This is actual result of both versions:


As you can see these three parameters make huge difference. What bothering me most, is that I don't know why they have different values from the same setup in "Advanced" mode and that I can't re-create preset from scratch.

[Andrea Alessi]

Hi Serge,

thank you for your kind words!

You are correct - there isn't a 1-1 relationship between the advanced and custom mode. If you are importing settings from XML, you should keep those settings, as going back to advanced may overwrite some of those settings.

Basically you should run custom only in very specific case where changing preset/advanced doesn't work, mostly when the subject is very difficult to reconstruct and/or you don't have enough photos and/or the photos themselves are far from ideal.

On a side note, in the next version of zephyr we have added a way to share presets with a single ID you can create and upload to our server

[Serge]

Thanks for reply! Maybe you have an idea what could possibly change these three parameters from default. Does Zephyr produce identical results over and over regardless of how many times I iterrate same settings? Also I exported XML file along with exporting textured mesh, so maybe other workflow processes somehow interfere with these settings?

[Andrea Alessi]

Yes, absolutetly, zephyr is deterministic, so you will always get the same results with the same input.

Please note however that settings made with a certain version (e.g. 3.503) will behave differently in another (e.g. 3.702)