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Meshroom VS COLMAP

Compare Meshroom VS COLMAP and see what are their differences

RealityMAX
RealityMAX is the AI-powered 3D design collaboration platform, 100% online. Cooperate remotely with your colleagues on 3D projects and easily share your work with clients. Create Web3D and AR experiences in a snap, without a line of code. featured
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  3. » Reviews
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Meshroom logo Meshroom

Meshroom is a free, open-source 3D Reconstruction Software based on the AliceVision framework.

COLMAP logo COLMAP

Image-based 3D reconstruction pipeline with a graphical and command-line interface
  • Meshroom Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-27
  • COLMAP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-17

Meshroom features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    Meshroom is available for free and the source code is open, allowing users to modify and distribute the software under the terms of the license.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software features an intuitive graphical user interface that makes it accessible to beginners while still offering advanced options for experienced users.
  • Integration with AliceVision
    Meshroom integrates seamlessly with AliceVision, a photogrammetric computer vision framework, ensuring high-quality and accurate 3D reconstructions.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    The software is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows and Linux, making it versatile for different user environments.
  • Customizable Workflow
    Meshroom allows users to customize the photogrammetry workflow by modifying the node-based system, providing flexibility in how reconstructions are processed.

Possible disadvantages of Meshroom

  • High System Requirements
    The software requires a powerful computer with a high-end GPU and significant RAM to efficiently process large datasets, which might be a limitation for some users.
  • Steep Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic functionalities are user-friendly, mastering advanced features and custom workflows can be challenging and may require a steep learning curve.
  • Limited Documentation
    The available documentation and tutorials are not as comprehensive as some other commercial software, which might make it harder for users to troubleshoot and fully utilize all features.
  • Long Processing Times
    Processing large datasets can take a considerable amount of time, as the software requires extensive computational resources to generate high-quality reconstructions.
  • Lack of Support for Non-Standard Cameras
    Meshroom performs best with traditional DSLR or mirrorless cameras and may not support non-standard cameras as effectively, limiting its usability in some scenarios.

COLMAP features and specs

  • Comprehensive Toolkit
    COLMAP offers a wide range of features for 3D reconstruction, including Structure-from-Motion and Multi-View Stereo, allowing users to handle complete reconstruction pipelines.
  • Open Source
    COLMAP is open source, enabling users to study, modify, and adapt the code to fit their specific needs without licensing costs.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The software runs on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide user base.
  • High Accuracy
    COLMAP is known for producing precise and accurate reconstructions due to its advanced algorithms.
  • Active Community
    There is an active user and developer community that provides support, tutorials, and documentation, facilitating new users to get started.

Possible disadvantages of COLMAP

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find COLMAP challenging to master due to its comprehensive set of features and complex workflows.
  • High Computational Requirements
    The software demands significant computational resources for processing, which may limit its use on less powerful systems.
  • Interface Complexity
    The user interface can be overwhelming for beginners, as it presents a wide array of options and settings.
  • Limited Real-Time Capabilities
    COLMAP is not designed for real-time processing or applications, focusing instead on high-quality offline reconstruction.
  • Sparse Documentation
    While there is community support, the official documentation may not cover all user scenarios extensively, requiring users to seek information from multiple sources.

Analysis of Meshroom

Overall verdict

  • Meshroom is generally considered to be a good choice for those looking into photogrammetry, especially for users who appreciate open-source tools and require a cost-effective solution for creating detailed 3D models.

Why this product is good

  • Meshroom is a popular open-source 3D reconstruction software developed by AliceVision. It is favored for its ease of use, powerful photogrammetry capabilities, and ability to generate high-quality 3D models from photographs. Its seamless integration with other software and detailed documentation also contribute to its positive reception among users.

Recommended for

    Meshroom is recommended for hobbyists, researchers, and professionals in fields such as archaeology, architecture, and visual effects who seek an accessible and robust photogrammetry tool. It is also suitable for those with a technical background who are comfortable with open-source software.

Analysis of COLMAP

Overall verdict

  • Yes, COLMAP is considered a good tool for 3D reconstruction tasks, offering a comprehensive set of features and reliable performance. It stands out for its accuracy, ease of use, and flexibility, making it a preferred choice among researchers and professionals in the field of photogrammetry and 3D modeling.

Why this product is good

  • COLMAP is widely regarded as a robust and efficient structure-from-motion and multi-view stereo pipeline. It is open-source and provides extensive documentation, making it accessible for both academic and commercial uses. It supports a wide range of features such as automatic reconstruction, custom parameter settings, and advanced algorithms for feature extraction and matching. Additionally, it is actively maintained and updated by its developers, ensuring its compatibility with the latest advancements in computer vision technology.

Recommended for

    COLMAP is recommended for researchers, developers, and professionals working in fields such as computer vision, photogrammetry, and 3D modeling. It is particularly useful for those who require high-quality 3D reconstructions from photographic data and need a versatile, open-source tool that can be customized for specific projects.

Meshroom videos

+ Add

Meshroom -- 3D Models from Photos using this Free Open Source Photogrammetry Software

More videos:

  • Review - MeshRoom Vs Reality Capture with blender
  • Tutorial - FREE MESHROOM A beginner tutorial, introduction to photogrammetry

COLMAP videos

+ Add

Free Photogrammetry: Photos to model in 6 minutes with COLMAP

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Meshroom and COLMAP)

Meshroom

COLMAP

3D
71 71%
3D
29% 29
Architecture
73 73%
Architecture
27% 27
Freelance
74 74%
Freelance
26% 26
3D Modeling
63 63%
3D Modeling
37% 37

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Meshroom seems to be a lot more popular than COLMAP. While we know about 16 links to Meshroom, we've tracked only 1 mention of COLMAP. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Meshroom mentions (16)

  • Where is Meshroom SFM source code?
    I know there is this github repo Https://github.com/alicevision/meshroom. Source: about 3 years ago
  • I am new to photogrammetry and have a really stupid question I can't find an answer to on Google.
    You can input your photos into Meshroom using a capable computer or Colab. Even if you're only interested in some of the depthmaps, you'll have to input a full set of images around the object. It will take 2-4 times longer than default but for your usecase you may want to change the 'Downscale' attribute to 1. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Who knows an app for that?
    I know this is r/fossdroid, but I don't think there is any Foss Android application capable of that. However, meshroom came into my mind. It is free and open source with linux support. The downside of it is that you can't create the model right in your phone, but you first need to take many photos to then upload to your computer and process. Source: over 3 years ago
  • 3D modelling just by walking around the object
    This has been used in Video games for the Better part of decade, already. And you can do this yourself without an iphone with lidar, by taking a lot of pictures of an object from various angles, and then use something like meshroom to make a detailed 3d model of it. Source: over 3 years ago
  • 3D modelling just by walking around the object
    This is using the Iphones LIDAR, (basiacally laser depth sensor) to get accurate data, but it can be done also be done without it, just with a lot of pictures of all around the object, from various angles, and some software like meshroom. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

COLMAP mentions (1)

  • How to do Structure from motion (SfM) from a video in Blender?
    First there's COLMAP that seems to be able to work with SfM data. And then there's Blender-Addon-Photgrammetry-Importer which can take the output of COLMAP and import that into blender. Source: almost 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Meshroom and COLMAP, you can also consider the following products

Regard3D - Regard3D is a free, multiplatform, open-source structure-from-motion application.

RealityCapture - RealityCapture is a software solution which automatically produces high resolution 3D models from photographs or laser-scans.

3DF Zephyr - Next up in my series of Photogrammetry Software Reviews — after ReMake, PhotoScan & RealityCapture — is 3DF Zephyr (including the Free version).

Pix4Dmapper - Photogrammetry software for professional drone-based mapping, purely from images.

ContextCapture - Acute3D develops breakthrough photogrammetry software solutions to automatically turn photos into photorealistic high resolution 3D models

PhotoModeler - Learn more about the PhotoModeler software for generating 3D data, measurements and models of the real world using just a camera. Based on photogrammetry.

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