Export your 3D model and camera positions from Pix4D Cloud

PIX4Dcloud cannot export calibrated cameras, so download the project into PIX4Dmatic first, then upload from there.

Written By Nira.app

Last updated 2 days ago

PIX4Dcloud has no supported way to download the calibrated camera parameters that Nira uses to place your photos onto the model. Pix4D does support downloading a PIX4Dcloud project into PIX4Dmatic, and Nira reads PIX4Dmatic's camera data directly, so that is the route to use.

Before you start. You need PIX4Dmatic 2.4.0 or later and access to the PIX4Dcloud project. Nira is not affiliated with Pix4D. PIX4Dcloud and PIX4Dmatic are trademarks of Pix4D SA.

1. Download the project into PIX4Dmatic

Pix4D documents this step themselves: Download from PIX4Dcloud in PIX4Dmatic. In short:

  1. In PIX4Dmatic, choose File > Download from PIX4Dcloud..., or click the PIX4Dcloud button at the top right of the window.

  2. Select the organization the project belongs to, then select the project.

Pix4D downloads the calibration and the dense point cloud into the PIX4Dmatic project. Other outputs, the mesh included, do not come down this way, so the mesh is the next step.

2. Get a mesh

Nira needs a mesh alongside the camera data. You have two options:

  • Generate it in PIX4Dmatic from the downloaded point cloud, then export it with the rest of the project in the next step.

  • Download the one PIX4Dcloud already made. Open the project in PIX4Dcloud, click Files & Reports, then the Results tab, and click Download next to Mesh OBJ under Outputs. The zip contains the .obj, .mtl, texture .jpg and offset.xyz. Keep all four together and upload them to Nira with everything else.

3. Check that you have the original photos

Nira matches photos to cameras by filename, so upload the originals under their original names. If you no longer have them, open the project in PIX4Dcloud, go to Files & Reports then Results, and click Download next to Input images under Bundles. Pix4D emails you a link when the zip is ready.

4. Export from PIX4Dmatic and upload to Nira

From here it is an ordinary PIX4Dmatic upload: export the project as OPF with both Input cameras and Calibration enabled, export the mesh if you generated one in PIX4Dmatic, and drag the results into Nira together with your photos. The PIX4Dmatic guide walks through each export and what to drag in.

Troubleshooting

  • The project does not appear in the download list. Check that you picked the right organization, and that the project finished processing in PIX4Dcloud.

  • Nira asks you to re-export the camera data. The OPF export needs both Input cameras and Calibration ticked. Input cameras on its own does not contain the calibrated camera data.

  • Photos do not line up in Nira. Include offset.xyz from the mesh export in the same upload, and make sure the photos are the originals that were processed, under the same file names.