Inputs - PIX4Dmatic

This article lists all the available input files supported by PIX4Dmatic, including their formats and descriptions.

PIX4Dmatic's main inputs are images and text files with ground control point coordinates.

IN THIS ARTICLE

Images

Region of interest (ROI)

Image geolocation and orientation

Ground Control Points (GCPs) file

Marks file

Vector files

Processing templates

Images

PIX4Dmatic is based on image processing and is optimized for large-scale, corridor, and terrestrial projects.

Extension	Description
.jpg, .jpeg	JPEG images
.tiff, .tif	TIFF images and depth maps

For more information about the supported cameras see: Which cameras are supported in PIX4Dmatic.

Region of interest (ROI)

PIX4Dmatic allows importing a defined area using .kml files, ensuring precise geographic coordinates for improved alignment and reconstruction of 3D models.

Extension	Description
.kml	A standard format file for storing geographic data, often used for representing points, lines, polygons, and other features in photogrammetry applications.

Image geolocation and orientation

The import of image geolocation and orientation is useful when the values are not available in the EXIF/Xmp tags or when using PPK workflows for better results.

Extension	Description
.csv, .txt	A text file containing seven or nine columns per line and a comma (,) to separate the values Seven columns: ID, coordinates, Yaw, Pitch, Roll Nine columns: ID, coordinates, Yaw, Pitch, Roll, Accuracy Horz, Accuracy Vert

For more information and all formats see Image geolocation and orientation import format articles.

Example: Image geolocation in geographic coordinates, Yaw, Pitch, Roll:

imagename, coordinate1 [decimal degrees], coordinate2 [decimal degrees], z [meter], yaw [decimal degrees], pitch [decimal degrees], roll [decimal degrees]

IMG_3165.JPG,46.2345612,6.5611445,539.931,38.6,3.5,8.3
IMG_3166.JPG,46.2323423,6.5623423,529.823,44.1,3.4,5.4

Ground Control Points (GCPs) file

Ground Control Points (GCPs) are used for precisely georeferencing the project.

Extension	Description
.csv, .txt	A text file containing four or six columns per line and a comma (,) to separate the values. Four columns: ID and coordinates Six columns: ID, coordinates, Accuracy Horz, and Accuracy Vert

For more information and all formats please see the GCPs import format article.

Example: GCPs in projected coordinates with accuracy values:

label,X [units],Y [units],z [units],Accuracy Horz [units],Accuracy Vert [units]

GCP0,2532795.105,1152094.639,395.883,0.02,0.02
GCP1,2532728.805,1152079.825,396.619,0.02,0.02

Marks file

Marks can be imported if they were previously marked and exported in a PIX4Dmapper or PIX4Dmatic project.

Extension	Description
.csv, .txt	A text file containing positions of marks on individual images.

For more information please see the How to import GCP marks from PIX4Dmapper into PIX4Dmatic article.

Vector files

Geometries can be imported into PIX4Dmatic if they are exported as vector files. The following conditions must be met:

Project CRS Requirement:

The option to import vector files becomes available only if the project's Coordinate Reference System (CRS) is set.

CRS Requirements for Imported Files:

The files must include a valid CRS (e.g., an accompanying .prj file) from which a WKT can be extracted.
All imported files must share the same CRS.

Extension	Description
.dxf, .shp, .geojson	Vector file formats used to store geometric and spatial data, with DXF primarily for CAD designs, SHP for GIS-based mapping and attributes, and GeoJSON for lightweight, web-friendly geospatial data.

Note: Layer colors are not taken into account when importing or exporting geometries in SHP, ZIP SHP, GeoJSON, DXF (For Autodesk) and CSV formats. There is only a limited support for colors when using the DXF format, in this format the colors are imported and exported using a limited palette of 256 colors. It is always possible to adjust the layers colors after import if necessary.

Processing templates

Custom processing templates can be imported if they were previously saved and exported from a PIX4Dmatic project.

Extension	Description
.json	A file containing a custom processing template including the Title and a Description (Optional)

For more information: Custom processing templates - PIX4Dmatic