Error while processing a project - PIX4Dcloud
If a project fails to process successfully in PIX4Dcloud, the processing may stop before any outputs are generated. This article describes the most common causes of processing failures and provides practical guidance on how to diagnose and resolve them.
Licenses: This information is valid for PIX4Dcloud Starter and PIX4Dcloud Pro licenses.
Roles: Only the user who processed the dataset receives an email with the log file of the dataset that failed to process. (Editors and above roles are the only ones who can process a dataset).
Warning: If the issue is related to the display of outputs rather than processing itself (for example, outputs exist but are not visible, or no error email was received), refer to: Output is not displayed / feature is missing in the cloud.
Common causes of processing failures
Cause 1: Insufficient server resources
Although PIX4Dcloud supports projects with up to 4,000 images, this does not guarantee successful processing in all scenarios. Processing may fail when projects are particularly demanding, for example:
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Large-format cameras (42 MP or higher)
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Very high image overlap, including oblique flights
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Large project extents combined with dense output settings
When reviewing the project log file, GPU and RAM usage consistently exceeding 90% indicates that processing was affected by insufficient server resources.
Recommended solutions
If the project was processed directly in PIX4Dcloud:
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Create a new project with a reduced number of images.
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Define a region of interest to limit the area to be processed.
If the project was uploaded from PIX4Dmapper or PIX4Dmatic for processing in PIX4Dcloud:
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Reduce the quality of the outputs (for example, lower point cloud density or increase the orthomosaic pixel size).
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Reduce the number of images by removing unnecessary or redundant images.
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Ensure that only the required outputs are selected for processing.
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Define a processing area to limit computation.
Information: It is strongly recommended to review the PIX4Dcloud best practices article to better understand processing limits and optimization strategies.
Cause 2: Incorrect or inconsistent inputs
Processing can also fail due to incorrect or incompatible inputs, including images, Ground Control Points (GCPs), or coordinate system definitions.
(In case of GCPs only valid for PIX4Dcloud Pro licenses)
Recommended checks
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Verify that the image quality is sufficient.
See: How to verify that the Image Quality is sufficient. -
Verify that there is enough overlap between images.
See: How to verify that there is enough overlap between the images. -
Verify that the image geolocation, output coordinate system, and GCP / Check Point coordinate systems are correctly defined and consistent.
See: How to verify all of the coordinate systems in PIX4Dcloud.
Information:
After processing completes (even if it fails), a Quality Report is usually included in the notification email. Reviewing this report can help identify the root cause of the failure.
For guidance on interpreting the Quality Report, see: this article.