What if drones could help create realistic 3D objects?
Drone capture of high resolution images of small buildings and structures to create 3D assets for use in game development. The process of photogrammetry can be useful for creating detailed 3D assets from real life objects large and small.
The Process
The photogrammetry process requires capturing images of an object from multiple angles and using software to merge these images together into a virtual 3D asset. Using a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone I was able to capture high resolution images of sheds, water towers and even a large church.
With the high resolution image data I was able to create detailed FBX files containing both textures and polygonal data. These raw unmodified files are often several gigabytes in size so I learned to reduce the polygon count of the objects in Blender to create smaller, simpler files that can quickly be loaded and rendered on even mobile devices.
I utilized the lo-poly conversion process to reduce 2 gigabyte FBX files down to a detailed 50 megabyte file. Those use a fraction of the system resources while preserving high quality resolution and textures. This new skill can be very useful for bringing nearly any physical objects or landscape into a video game or virtual world.
Download zip files of my custom 3D assets with textures below:
After learning this skill I wanted to model everything I could. It is such an exciting feeling to capture tangible objects and convert them into digital assets. Anything I see can be converted into a 3D .fbx or .obj file. These 3D models can be edited using software Like blender, imported into Unity or Unreal Engine for video game development, or even physically printed in a 3D printer.
One of the several hundred images used to create a 3D model of the silo
Photos taken from all around around the silo are merged together
This project combines both my love of drones and remote operated vehicles as well as my interest in creating three dimensional worlds.
A green garden shed located in Kapiolani Park, Oahu
