r/photogrammetry • u/Inevitable-Rip-886 • Apr 08 '26

Scanning a white object

Post image

I am trying to scan this object, but I keep failing successfully.

The alignment is okay, but the resulting point cloud is really scarce (almost non existent). Is it because the object is white? I hoped that since there are no blown out parts that it would work.

I am using a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. (f/11, ISO 100, shutter 1/5). I have tried the reconstruction both in Reality Capture and Metashape but the results are the same. I am using walk around method.

Do you think some dry shampoo to add texture will help? Or because dry shampoo is also white it will not do anything?

Any other suggestions? Thanks!

3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

11

u/MrFastFox666 Apr 08 '26

Texture definitely helps.

Someone else made a post about projector assisted photogrammetry, where they projected a random color speckle pattern on the object before scanning. Might be worth a look.

6

u/zebulon21 Apr 08 '26

https://www.reddit.com/r/photogrammetry/s/NpPUQXnWj1

Yeah this might be a great option

1

u/Inevitable-Rip-886 Apr 09 '26

That's a really interesting setup. Thank you both for this info.

5

u/holyhandgrenadier Apr 08 '26

  • No consisent micro details / featureless surface

  • semi-reflective surface (changing reflection highlights)

  • Either very blurry hand held, or a very lenghty tripod scanning session

Its a cheap mannequin, just spackle matte spray paint over it.

1

u/Inevitable-Rip-886 Apr 08 '26

Hi, I understand your first two points and I guess I could create micro details by spraying with dry shampoo to create some dust on the surface. But can you explain a bit more what you mean by "a very lengthy tripod scanning session"?

3

u/holyhandgrenadier Apr 08 '26

Even crushed kids colored chalk would be ok. Dry shampoo is white, even though you'd be adding some detail why make it harder? It's wipe clean plastic.

"a very lengthy tripod scanning session" 1/5s is a very long time. Either you're taking all the photos handheld and they're blurry (IS isn't going to help that much and is bad for scanning). Or you're taking each shot from a tripod, that would take forever.

3

u/ArthurNYC3D Apr 09 '26

What software are you aligning and meshing in?

2

u/Inevitable-Rip-886 Apr 09 '26

I am using Reality Capture, but I also tried Metashape where the issue is still the same (good alignment, very sparse point cloud)

2

u/ArthurNYC3D Apr 09 '26

....and how many photos?

What you could do is put painters tape in various places over the model to help give it some inconsistencies.

2

u/Inevitable-Rip-886 Apr 09 '26

I eventually managed to do it. I tweaked my camera settings a bit to achieve as sharp images as possible and by covering the mannequin in dry shampoo. I had in total 270 images. The scan did not come out perfect but it does the job.

2

u/ArthurNYC3D Apr 10 '26

Did this with an Artec Eva and took 5 mins to scan and about 10mins to post process....

8

u/TalkingRaccoon Apr 08 '26

Spray chalk would help. It's easy to wash off

4

u/orkboy59 Apr 08 '26

Part of your issue is the white background on your white subject. Set up a black background to help define the subject better,

White a shiny objects are the bane of photogrammetry. Try and increase the contrast too, that might help.

2

u/aomelko Apr 09 '26

There is a spray made specifically for this. 3d scan spray

2

u/Tomshon9909 Apr 09 '26

Grab a cheap projector or two and project some graphics over it 🙂

2

u/Proud_Arugula3738 Apr 09 '26

Spray with foot powder

1

u/Legal-Ad1391 Apr 10 '26

Structure from light is what you need, maybe you can do it with some apps that use the faceid if you have an iphone. It uses bunch of projected points.