Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RealityCapture VS COLMAP

Compare RealityCapture VS COLMAP and see what are their differences

RealityCapture logo RealityCapture

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

COLMAP logo COLMAP

Image-based 3D reconstruction pipeline with a graphical and command-line interface
  • RealityCapture Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-29
  • COLMAP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-17

RealityCapture features and specs

  • High Accuracy
    RealityCapture offers highly accurate photogrammetric 3D reconstructions, leading to precise and reliable models.
  • Fast Processing Speed
    The software is known for its rapid data processing capabilities, which significantly reduces the time needed to generate models.
  • Wide Range of Inputs
    Supports various input sources such as images, laser scans, and drone footage, making it versatile for different projects.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Designed with an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it accessible even for users who are new to photogrammetry.
  • Scalability
    Effective at handling large datasets, making it suitable for large-scale projects.

Possible disadvantages of RealityCapture

  • High System Requirements
    Demands high-end hardware for optimal performance, which can be a barrier for some users.
  • Cost
    The software may be considered expensive compared to other photogrammetry solutions on the market.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, mastering all the advanced features can take time and effort.
  • Limited MacOS Support
    Primarily designed for Windows, with limited functionality and support for MacOS users.
  • Licensing Restrictions
    License terms and conditions can be restrictive for certain types of commercial use, which may not align with every project's requirements.

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.

RealityCapture videos

RealityCapture to UE5

COLMAP videos

Free Photogrammetry: Photos to model in 6 minutes with COLMAP

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RealityCapture and COLMAP)
3D
69 69%
31% 31
Architecture
67 67%
33% 33
Freelance
67 67%
33% 33
Photos & Graphics
76 76%
24% 24

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, COLMAP seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. 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.

RealityCapture mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of RealityCapture yet. Tracking of RealityCapture recommendations started around Mar 2021.

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 RealityCapture and COLMAP, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

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

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

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.