Measurement tools - PIX4Dmatic

Measurement tools

The following measurement tools (+Keyboard shortcut) are available in PIX4Dmatic:

• Distance (D). Measure distance by clicking two points.
• Volume (V). Draw a base surface on a point cloud to calculate the volume.
  • For more information about volume computation, read the following article - Volumes - PIX4Dmatic
• Scale constraint (T). Draw constraints to scale the project.
  • For more information about scale constraints, read the following article - Scale constraints - PIX4Dmatic
• Orientation constraint (G). Draw constraints to reorient the project. 
  • For more information about scale constraints, read the following article - Orientation constraints - PIX4Dmatic

How to use vectorization tools

1. Select the tool on the toolbar or use the keyboard shortcut.
2. Left-click in the 2D or 3D view to create the first vertex to start the measure.
3. Continue using the left-click to add more vertices to the geometry.
4. (Optional) Press the Esc key to cancel the measurement.
5. To finish the geometry:
   • Right-click in the 2D or 3D view to add the last vertex and finish the geometry.
   • Alternatively, press Enter to accept the edits and finish the geometry.
6. (Optional) Right-click again to exit the vectorization tool and to change to Simple selection (default).

How to edit measurement results tools

To move the vertex in the 3D view

1. Use the Simple selection tool to select an object.

2. Click on the existing geometry.

3. Click on the vertex and drag it to the new position.

After moving the vertex to the new position, the edits are automatically taken into account, and you can continue creating new geometries or edit existing ones.

To remove a vertex from existing geometry

1. Use the Simple selection tool to select an object.

2. Click on the existing geometry.

3. Click on the vertex and press the Delete key.

Editing geometry on images

To move the vertex on the images:

1. Use the Simple selection tool to click on an object.
2. Click on the vertex on the image and drag it to the new position on at least two images.
3. Press Enter to accept the edits.
4. (Optional) Hit the Esc key to cancel the edit.

After moving the vertex to the new position on at least two images, the position of the vertex is automatically changed and updated.

Editing geometry with vertex alignment

Aligning the vertices to a specific altitude is possible for objects with more than 1 vertex (polylines, polygons, volume polygons).

To vertically align the vertices:

1. Use the Simple selection tool to select an object.
2. To access the vertical alignment menu, click Align Vertices located near the object name in the bottom left corner of the PIX4Dmatic window and choose the desired alignment:
   
   • Align to the highest: All the vertices of the selected object are moved vertically to align with the highest vertex.
   • Align to the average: All the vertices of the selected object are moved vertically to align with the average altitude of all vertices of the selected object.
   • Align to the lowest: All the vertices of the selected object are moved vertically to align with the lowest vertex.
   • Custom height: All the vertices of the selected object are moved vertically to align with the given custom height.

Layers

All geometries created with measurement tools are organized into Layers. These layers help manage and categorize the various geometries according to the specific needs of the project. 

The properties of the layers are the following:

• Color: Change the color of the layer. All the geometries inside the layer will be colorized with the same color.
• Line width: Change the width of the line (Polyline) or the width of the perimeter line (Polygon and Circle) inside the layer.
• Select all: Select all the entities inside of the layer.
• Rename: To change the name of the layer.
• Triangulate geometries: Update outdated layer geometries if calibrated cameras are up-to-date
• Compute all outdated volumes: In case the volume calculation becomes outdated, this tool calculates all the volumes at once. 
• Export: Export the geometries by selecting the format and the layers.
• Delete: The selected layer and all the content within will be deleted.
• Lock layer. It is now possible to a lock layer. When a layer is locked, the geometries contained within cannot be modified. Locked geometries will appear grayed out, clearly indicating that they cannot be altered.