Getting started

Recommended hardware - PIX4Dmatic

The following article describes the minimum and recommended hardware and software requirements for PIX4Dmatic. PIX4Dmatic supports both Windows and macOS platforms.

Note: PIX4Dmatic supports GPU hardware acceleration to enhance performance during key processing steps, including calibration, densification, and orthomosaic generation. Currently, only NVIDIA GPUs are supported for this feature, as they utilize CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture)—a parallel computing platform required for acceleration. AMD GPUs and systems running on macOS are not compatible with CUDA and, therefore, cannot benefit from GPU hardware acceleration in PIX4Dmatic at this time.
Important: The calibration, densification, and skymasking processes will be significantly longer on macOS when compared to a recommended Windows machine.

Minimum (Windows and macOS)

  Windows_logo_-_2012 Windows Apple_logo_black.svg macOS
Operating System  Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) Sequoia (15.x) + Sonoma (14.x)
CPU Quad-core or hexa-core Intel i5 Apple M1 or newer
GPU Any (NVIDIA/Intel/AMD) GPU that supports OpenGL 4.1 or higher  Apple Integrated GPU 
RAM
  • 32 GB (2,000-5,000 images at 20 MP).
  • 64 GB (5,000-10,000 images at 20 MP).
  • 32 GB (2,000-5,000 images at 20 MP).
  • 64 GB (5,000-10,000 images at 20 MP).
Disk Space*
  • SSD, 150 GB - 300 GB Free space (2,000-5,000 images at 20 MP).
  • SSD, 300 GB - 450 GB Free space (5,000-10,000 images at 20 MP).
  • SSD, 150 GB - 300 GB Free space (2,000-5,000 images at 20 MP).
  • SSD, 300 GB - 450 GB Free space (5,000-10,000 images at 20 MP).

Important announcement for Apple_logo_black.svg macOS : PIX4Dmatic Hardware Compatibility Update

From version 1.64, PIX4Dmatic will support Apple devices with Apple silicon processors (M1, M2, M4, and all variants). Apple devices with Intel processors should continue using PIX4Dmatic version 1.63 and avoid future updates. Maintain the PIX4Dmatic license according to hardware specifications. This update enhances compatibility with the latest hardware innovations.

Important:

  • From PIX4Dmatic version 1.72.0, macOS Ventura (13.x) is no longer supported.
  • From PIX4Dmatic version 1.61.1, macOS Monterey (12.x) is no longer supported.
  • From PIX4Dmatic version 1.46.0, macOS Big Sur (11.x) is no longer supported.
Important: PIX4Dmatic has been tested with datasets containing up to 10,000 images at 20 megapixels each. For optimal performance and stability, it is recommended to split datasets larger than 10,000 images into multiple projects. This approach helps ensure smooth processing and prevents potential issues related to memory and processing limits.

Recommended (Windows only)

Operating System Windows 10 or 11 (64 bits)
CPU Intel i7, i9, Xeon

GPU 

GeForce GTX 10 series, or RTX series

RAM

  • 64 GB (2,000-5,000 images at 20 MP)
  • 128 GB (5,000-10,000 images at 20 MP)

Disk space*:

  • SSD, 250 GB - 400 GB Free space (2,000-5,000 images at 20 MP)
  • SSD, 400 GB - 550 GB Free space (5,000-10,000 images at 20 MP)
Note*: The recommended values for available disk space do not include the additional space required to store input images or exported results. These recommendations specifically apply to workflows that include the Mesh processing step and the export of a 3D Mesh, which can significantly increase storage requirements.
Important: This information is based on Pix4D's testing experience and should be used as a general guide, not as a guarantee.