Sketch-based guided modeling of 3D buildings from oriented photos

Capturing urban scenes using photogrammetric methods has become an interesting alternative to laser scanning in the past years. For the reconstruction of CAD-ready 3D models, two main types of interactive approaches have become prevalent: One uses the generated 3D point clouds to reconstruct polygonal surfaces, while the other focuses on 2D interaction in the photos to define edges and faces. We propose a novel interactive system that combines and enhances these approaches in order to optimize current reconstruction and modeling workflows. Our main interaction target are the photos, allowing simple 2D interactions and edge-based snapping. We use the underlying segmented point cloud to define the 3D context in which the sketched polygons are projected whenever possible. An intuitive visual guiding interface gives the user feedback on the accuracy to expect with the current state of modeling to keep the necessary interactions at a minimum level.