My photogrammetry workflow begins by photographing full rotations of a selected object at different angles, ensuring that the scanning software is able to reconstruct the high poly model with as much information as possible. Photos were taken into Lightroom for a quick color correction before importing them into Reality Capture for the high poly recreation. After constructing the asset, I import the high poly mesh into ZBrush in order to sculpt the bottom faces, push the normal details a bit further for baking, and to ZRemesh the model a few times; this allows me to gather a better performing high poly model and a basic low poly model at the same time before entering Maya for retopologizing, as to give myself chance to avoid some issues that may arise when working with a high poly model as a live object. Once the low poly model is better retopologized and unwrapped, I bring the models into Marmoset Toolbag for baking and then to Substance Painter for texturing before using Unreal Engine and/or Marmoset Toolbag for the final renders. 


Notes:
 

• Programs used in process: Lightroom, Reality Capture, ZBrush, Maya, Marmoset Toolbag (baking and renders), Substance Painter, and Unreal Engine (process video turnaround).

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• Example photos taken with a Nikon D5300 (18-55m f/3.5-5.6G lens) as raw files to preserve max color information for correction. Photos were then converted to PNG for use in Reality capture.

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• Around 28-30 photos were taken for this example, however you are welcome to take more depending on the size or complexity of the object you plan to render. After completing this study, I would prefer an average of 40-60 images per asset to establish proper software interpretation of detail.

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• When exporting a reconstructed model from Reality Capture, the model might have open faces on the bottom because the program could have trouble interpreting the data of spaces that might be closed off (in this case, the program did not build the full bottom of the object because it was touching a platform). If you import the high poly scanned object into ZBrush, ZBrush will automatically close off the bottom of said object. This allows you to ZRemesh it once in order to do a final sculpt to match the newly closed off polys with the rest of the model.

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- Photos and Reality Capture footage were taken in collaboration with Jesse L. Welch.