Photogrammetry Processing Workflow

Starting Photogrammetry Processing

To begin photogrammetry processing, navigate to the Photogrammetry tab in the Create section.

Uploading Your Photos

You can upload photos using one of the following methods:

• Upload from your computer – Select and upload image files directly from your local device.
• Use an existing dataset – Choose a previously uploaded photo dataset without needing to upload additional files.
• Copy from cloud storage – Enter an S3 or Azure Blob Storage location to import files.

Note: For photogrammetry processing to work, photos must contain GPS positional information in their EXIF or XMP metadata.

Select your coordinate system

Add project metadata

Configuring Output Type and Quality

Choose Output Quality

The config/preset determines the quality of the outputs, such as the resolution of the orthomosaic. Select the option that best fits your needs:

• Preview – Processes images at a lower resolution, ideal for testing or verifying data before committing to higher-quality processing. While these outputs are not visually refined, they provide a general preview of the final results.
• High Quality – Provides sufficient detail for most applications with moderate processing times.
• Ultra Quality – Offers the highest level of detail but requires significantly longer processing times.

If you already have an optimized Metashape workflow and would like to replicate it on Pointerra, contact us to arrange a custom configuration for your company.

Enable Manual Correction (Optional)

The "Apply Manual Correction" toggle enables additional refinement options before final processing, allowing you to:

• Crop the outputs
• Adjust vertical offsets
• Select ground control points (GCPs)

For more details, see the Photogrammetry Manual Correction guide.

Select Dataset Outputs

Choose which of the five dataset types you’d like to generate. These datasets will be automatically viewable in Pointerra, just like other datasets and point clouds. (Note: Selecting additional outputs will increase processing time.)

Choose your destination collection 

This is where your final project will be placed.

Choose any additional options and the click Submit.

Monitoring progress

Once your photos have been uploaded, the project review page will appear. You will receive a notification when processing reaches the review or manual correction stage. See Reviewing the Photogrammetry Outputs for more information.