by Jens Vedel

When is a picture worth much more than 1000 words? When it can be converted directly into a 3D model. Models of historic buildings and cultural relics enable architects and archaeologists to study their subject in closer detail than might otherwise be possible.

My own interest in photogrammetry — converting photographs of real objects to 3D computer models — begain when I was in architecture school at Aarhus University, Denmark. But photogrammetry software was expensive and difficult to use at the time.

A few years ago, I started using PhotoModeler as a hobby and found it to be user friendly and inexpensive. I suggested to a few building owners and museum curators that they could benefit by having 3D models to explain their buildings or cultural artifacts without going through a difficult modeling process. The idea met with immediate interest.

Aarhus Cathedral

One recent example is a model I created of the Aarhus Cathedral. This cathedral, in Denmark's second largest city, is one of the oldest red brick buildings in Jutland. The first bricks were laid around the year 1200 and the original church, built in the Romanesque style, was completed around 1300.   >>>

The photogrammetry process begins with a series of photos from different angles. The PhotoModeler user identifies key points on the structure. Image: Jens Vedel The software computes the geometry from the respective points on the photographs. Image: Jens Vedel   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.