The science and technique of obtaining reliable measurements and 3D models from overlapping photographs — the standard method for heritage surface documentation at scale.

Structure from Motion

The photogrammetric algorithm that reconstructs 3D geometry from a set of overlapping 2D photographs by tracking common feature points across images.

Point Cloud

A set of millions of data points in 3D space, each representing a measured location on a surface — the primary output of laser scanning and dense photogrammetry.

LiDAR

A remote sensing technology that measures distances by emitting laser pulses and recording the return time — producing accurate 3D point clouds of surfaces.

All Tags

Reality Capture

Guides (14)

Photogrammetry for Heritage Conservation: Methods, Workflow, Software and Best Practices

Reality Capture vs Traditional Survey for Heritage: When to Use Which

Point Cloud Processing for Heritage Documentation: Workflows, Software and Deliverables

3D Modelling for Heritage Documentation: Methods, Software and Outputs

AI and Machine Learning in Heritage Documentation: What Actually Works

Agisoft Metashape for Heritage Photogrammetry: Complete Workflow Guide

Terrestrial Laser Scanning vs Photogrammetry for Heritage: Which to Choose?

Field Photography Protocol for Heritage Photogrammetry

Point Cloud Registration and Cleaning in CloudCompare: A Heritage Workflow

Troubleshooting Heritage Photogrammetry: Doming, Holes, Reflective and Repetitive Surfaces

RealityCapture for Heritage Photogrammetry: Complete Workflow

Handheld and SLAM Mobile Scanning for Heritage Documentation

Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) for Inscriptions and Worn Carving

Rock Art and Petroglyph Documentation: Methods and Ethics

Glossary Terms (4)

Photogrammetry

Structure from Motion

Point Cloud

LiDAR