Integrating Digital Close Range Photogrammetry with ArcGIS

The University of Texas at Dallas has been developing the building and analysis of 3D virtual models through ground LIDAR and digital photography. Also being explored is the use of close range photogrammetry (SIROVISION from CSIRO in Australia specifically at this time) as a compliment to the LIDAR approach for mapping natural and man made features. This method has the capability of providing very high resolution and accuracy models for spatial measurements. A custom built two camera system is used with high resolution survey measurements from a total station and RTK GPS to capture and build 3D photorealistic models. The resultant model (point cloud, triangulated mesh and positioned photo) is imported into ArcGIS where ArcScene and ArcGlobe can provide the geologist with 3D virtual applications in the lab to visualize and analyze the 3D model. As result of this integration the 3D model will be in UTM coordinates which facilitates the overlay of the model onto satellite imagery. Also, the extracted geospatial features will have attributes. Tools have been built in ArcScene which will allow the digitization of 3D points which can then be extracted as polygons or polylines in multipatch formats.