Blender - Calibrate Images For 3D Modeling

In this video I will show you how I calibrate images to model vehicles inside of Blender. This was the same technique used to calibrate the images of the hummer modeling series on my channel.
Things to keep in mind when placing locators:
1. Do not place locators on parts of the car that moved in other images. eg. Wheels, Mirrors, etc.
2. Try not to place locators on anything else in the images besides the subject at hand.
Chapters:
0:00 Image Modeling
0:15 Softwares To Use
0:41 Gathering Images
5:31 Calibrating The Images
25:58 Converting The FBX File
27:03 Importing Into Blender
Get Autodesk FBX convertor: www.autodesk.com/developer-ne...
You may get Image Modeler software on our discord server: / discord
Instagram: thenaturala...
Understood This Software with the help of Vexqty: / @vexqty

[@AlexTsekot]

I would recommend against placing too many locators in the beginning stages. Start with the front and place maybe 10-12 locators on the first 5 cameras, then calibrate, then start adding more and calibrating one camera at a time after that. I found that placing too many locators at the start can often confuse the application and if you've got so many it becomes more and more difficult too troubleshoot. There is also very little need to mirror the other side of the car, in most cases you can get away with maybe 8-10 images. Lastly the 'photos' in this tutorial look like renders of a 3d model already and the front and back views are perfect but if you are modeling an older car (before 2000) or maybe a car that is a bit more obscure and hard to find good pictures of then there is no chance your photos will be this good so your mileage may vary. Browse car auction sites and sites where your chosen car may be for sale, these generally have the best pictures of older cars.

[@TheRealJerseyJoe]

Perfect ! Now it all makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to explain the process in such great detail. Cheers M8 !

[@NaturalArtFreak]

thank you

[@TheRealJerseyJoe]

@@NaturalArtFreak -- You are very welcome indeed.... Great Job !

[@gdog8170]

@@NaturalArtFreak is image modeler from the discord pirated?

[@rayjynx]

​@@gdog8170 it has to be, autodesk stopped selling that long ago, nothing much we can do about it honestly.

[@jahormaksimau1597]

Really cool techniq. Thank you for sharing!!!

[@Serhii_Sirko]

Cool trick with cameras switching! - Awesome! Thanks

[@qaesterosei3815]

That's detailed work 🔥

[@iixt]

I've been looking for design by way of image for a long time, thank you🤩

[@NaturalArtFreak]

You're welcome

[@naikjoyx4291]

thank you for making this video

[@spartan22550]

thanks for sharing this, really nice solution

[@sandeepnugawela2837]

Bro this is extremely helpful. Thanks! for making a tutorial :)

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Glad you liked it!

[@peakzrl9995]

Great video :) , Keep the good work .

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Thanks, will do!

[@Z00M314]

very useful, thank you!

[@NaturalArtFreak]

You're welcome

[@yoyoyosiie]

this is incredible, I need to go find an empty field and take a load of pictures of my car. adding my own markers and scales will probably make it easier.

[@d.gallego.b4979]

Great video! thank u so muchhh

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Glad you liked it!!

[@Romaelzo]

awesome way! i didnt see that coming

[@NaturalArtFreak]

thanks

[@sam-2796]

My Man !! Thank YOUUUUUUUUUUU !!!

[@NaturalArtFreak]

you're welcome

[@skyguy7238]

Again, Great stuff. Awesome explanation like always. I'm curious what will be in the next video because this one is golden !

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Thank you

[@NorGlace]

amazing stuff thanks for this ! legit LEGEND!

[@NaturalArtFreak]

You're welcome

[@1rdwn]

Thank you so much!

[@NaturalArtFreak]

You're welcome!

[@twinsparadox8700]

💯

[@tjake2391]

ur my hero

[@Ahadanimates]

nice tutorial bro

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Thanks

[@TheBassMix]

Как я мог не заметить этот ролик 🗿👍 Спасибо за ролик😂👍

[@bullatich]

Thanks!

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Welcome!

[@manuelbarrios5464]

Thanks a lot! Very very helpful, we can get rid of "The blueprints" tyranny 🙂

[@NaturalArtFreak]

exactly haha

[@evgeniydeus8137]

That if you'll manage to find 7 perfect images of a specific vehicle...

[@NaturalArtFreak]

@@evgeniydeus8137 you very much most likely would find images for any car.

[@count23all]

I think it would work great for studio miniatures as well. Say the star wars or star trek movies where they still used physical models. There are very inaccurate blueprints out there, and that's it. But since photos of the miniatures exist from nearly every angle, you could use this method on those instead of using blueprints too. Something to experiment...

[@Serge_MK]

I would strongly recommend directing the y-axis not along the doors, but from the rear center to the front.

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Also great yeah

[@h2hummer-521]

That is a wonderful video! Thanks a lot! But I ran into some problems that Hummer H2 photo gallery which include roof views are so hard to find, I tried to use roof images and photo sets from different scenes together but the render result was poor, I marked almost 100 points but there are still many misalignments, do you know where these photo gallery can be found?GM simply did not take super clear roof images for the old H2😢

[@user-oo7vf2bx3r]

Спасибо

[@krakenJASZ]

Is there a way to get the same method work after the image calibaration is done to bring them in maya or 3ds max instead of blender ? and setup everything similar but in a different modeling software

[@scott_booth]

Hi, Amazing video. Very helpful. PS, Has anyone used alternative software such as Meshroom instead of Autodesk Image Modeller? Just wondered if there are other options ? Thanks

[@wonderboy75]

I haven't tried this specifically, but in Reality Capture (photogrammetry software) it is possible to create locators manually in a similar fashion. It is also possible to export cameras with images linked to them, and import that in Blender. Maybe it can be used for this purpose.

[@count23all]

any chance you could refresh this method to use something more recent like fspy?

[@MattproThe]

Do you have any vehicle modeled that we can check ? using this method i mean, because i'm in doubt now.. doesn't the camera FOV/mm lens distortion affects the final modeling? even with calibration? thanks

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Yes, the intro video on my channel page has a vehicle in it that was achieved this way, no the camera fov won't affect the final model, I would advice you go images with little to no distortion in the them. Or with properties that the Blender camera can define. And most properties of cameras can be defined by Blender. And all that is set by the calibration.

[@melodyy9628]

unless the image was taken using fisheye lens, this method is way more accurate than using blueprints.

[@AlexTsekot]

You are correct, and depending on the car you want to make you might not have very many points to 'snag' on meaning your calibration might be slightly off here and there, but its still way more accurate than blueprints.

[@nikworldpvt3194]

Hey, Autodesk ImageModeler 2009 has been discontinued is their any chance how to get that?Also I am not sure about Autodesk FBX converter can you help with providing Gdrive links? So I can continue learning with the help of your playlist

[@MrAsavich]

It would be interesting to make a video with the car, and then import it into the scene using Camera Tracking. The timeline will serve as an array with cameras. But maybe I didn't fully grasp the essence of such calibration.

[@aadityagambhir8375]

I am not able to find autodesk image modeler. Can anyone help?

[@shanester1832]

This is a valuable tutorial. I'm all over this and going through it now. Mixing renders and photos is bad understandably. What about photos from different sources, how problematic are different focal lengths/cameras? Have you successfully modeled something from multiple sources?

[@NaturalArtFreak]

That is fine, the reason renders and photos don't mix is how a company would say on their website as disclaimer that a product may not be as seen in the renders, pictures taken from different sources of the same car which is the final product of the company is fine... not sure if it makes sense... simply put renders are not the final product, they are just a representation...

[@shanester1832]

@NaturalArtFreak Thanks for the response. It makes total sense renders & real photos don't mix. The blueprint & final product have slight differences that won't align. That won't be an issue I'll be dealing with. What I've been wrestling with is different cameras and focal lengths, trying to match positions & painfully trying to align multiple angles. It's a lot of trouble and never quite right.

[@razeru_]

Is there any way to allign a already existing model of a car to images to model modifications like bumpers?

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Probably not without tweaking the car over and over, cause that car may have been modeled from blueprint which isn't entirely accurate.

[@user-sc3gx4lv7d]

hi. do you know alternative foe macos?

[@rodrigopinto3549]

I think i messed up somewhere i was only able to use it for 30 days was there a code posted somewhere?

[@wandrinsheep]

can't find this for MacOS anywhere

[@vbobotrin]

How do you install it on a Windows 11? It shows me some sort of an error "InstallShield Engine (iKernel.exe) could not be installed." Does anyone knows how to avoid it?

[@LFSPharaoh]

I need image modeler so bad. I’ve spent so much time trying to find a good alternative with no luck.

[@joseenriquejoson1994]

Use FSpy instead. Even CG Essentials showcased it for modelling in Blender

[@user-su2id5pt3g]

Rutracker

[@thinK463]

Hey bro, I don't have autodesk imagemodeler Can you recommend any addon for blender in calibrating the images

[@bitsurface5654]

try this with blender (camera tracking) I think this should work too with other workarounds.

[@fullyleaded]

When the locator is yellow. Is there any clues as to where you should move it to get it to go green? Or is it just guesswork?

[@NaturalArtFreak]

You will see the deviation indicated by a cross and a dot, the closer they are to each other the more accurate the result.

[@outofthefoxootf979]

Tried this but mine don't look like that and it's hard to find 60+ markers on a simple car like the Honda Crx that I'm trying to reference.

[@sopheak_horn]

Sir can you share link download Autodesk image modeling

[@tanaydeokar6881]

I’m trying to download software from discord link,but it’s asking for decryption key What’s the decryption key?

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Please ask in discord not here

[@dineshpanchal4508]

How do I download image modeler software from the link, ididnt find it there

[@kenmorris2858]

The only place I could find it was on sites which were suspicious. I refuse to download pirated software from warez sites or newsgroups. A good way to get a virus and get into legal trouble. And shame of NaturalArtFreak to suggest we do so.

[@volkyRides]

It is posible to do camera tracking inside blender. What are the advantages of this approach?

[@NaturalArtFreak]

it can be very accurate, and there's basically no other software that can do it, at least not that I know of. so no, while you can track videos in Blender this won't work in blender for images like this, at least not yet.

[@vladivanco7556]

@@NaturalArtFreak I envision smb's making an addon for blender after this video. But, we all, and you as the author may help those programmers make an addon faster: Tell what you achieved in the video, then tell that it'd be great to have a blender addon for this, and lastly, ask to re-share so we could reach those who will want to make this addon. Publish it as a video, a short in YTB, a story on IG, and a post on your discord and everywhere you can imagine. Your interested audience will do the same, and we hope we all get this add-on in a year or so. Also, sharing this thought in the video's description might be a good idea.

[@NaturalArtFreak]

@@vladivanco7556 I've been thinking about that, not a bad idea

[@seikanzai]

How can I get the Autodesk image modeler? can you tell me

[@SebDJ]

Any chance you managed to find it? I can't see it anywhere!

[@SebDJ]

@@baker4211 yeah, I wasn't able to find it anywhere!

[@SebDJ]

@@baker4211 sure, that'd be great, thank you!

[@baker4211]

@@SebDJ just attached the link, can you see that comment?

[@xayzer]

I don't know how you did this. I even used the same images that you used in the tutorial, and I was INCREDIBLY careful in placing the markers (even named them all individually so that there's no confusion), and more than half of them end up being yellow and red. And no matter how much I adjust them, they remain yellow and red (and after I try to adjust them and then calibrate, there end up being even more yellow and red markers).

[@xayzer]

I managed to make things work, and I'm leaving a comment here in case someone encounters the same issues as me. Instead of importing all the images at once, I started with only two and added about 13 control points between them, then calibrating, and only adding more images if all the control points are green. I kept adding an image and control points, calibrating, then importing another image. Keep saving often, and if suddenly your control points turn red or yellow, just reload a save because it's a big mess trying to fix them.

[@thomascook7319]

same thing to me @@xayzer

[@xayzer]

If you mean you are experiencing the same problems as me, look at the comment with which I replied to my original comment, I found a solution that works for me and I wrote down the details. @@thomascook7319

[@mediumsolid2256]

Is ImageModeler compatible with Windows 11? I can't seem to run mine properly, it always crashes when I try to start a project with multiple images.

[@NaturalArtFreak]

Yes I run on Windows 11

[@mediumsolid2256]

@@NaturalArtFreak Thank you for the answer, I guess I'll never know what the reason is, because troubleshooting it isn't helping much and the software is not outputting any log files. Just out of curiousity, did you have to set it to "Windows Vista Service Pack 2" compability mode by any chance?

[@NaturalArtFreak]

@@mediumsolid2256 no didn't have to do any of that...

[@mediumsolid2256]

@@NaturalArtFreak Okay, good to know. Thanks for the info, much appreciated. Take care.

[@NaturalArtFreak]

@@mediumsolid2256 you're welcome

[@adityanimje2903]

bro, from where did u got Autodesk Imagemodeler ?

[@NaturalArtFreak]

If you mean online, I have no idea, got mine from somebody.

[@adityanimje2903]

@@NaturalArtFreak I was searching for this software from last year. Can U plz help ?

[@DrivableDesigns]

@@adityanimje2903 Check the description, the link is in his Discord server.

[@Pakilla64]

image modeler crashes when loading images

[@roblox_jun2027]

how to download imagemodeler?

[@bitsurface5654]

try with photomodeler or blender itself.

[@beshoynabil4787]

Where do I download a program Image modeler?

[@NaturalArtFreak]

If you mean online, I have no idea, I got mine from somebody.

[@beshoynabil4787]

@@NaturalArtFreak Do you know an alternative to it?

[@NCSiebertdesign]

@@beshoynabil4787 There's no alternative unfortunately. Closest but still very far we have is f-spy.

[@DrivableDesigns]

@@NaturalArtFreak It is in the Discord linked in the description.

[@NaturalArtFreak]

@@beshoynabil4787 join our discord link in description

[@eviv8010]

or you can use Ninja Ripper and get the model straight from the configurator lol

[@user-iz4yd6ox5q]

Oh..I cant said something about this programm without bad words..I calibrate my images, all locator was green. Then i save file and go to sleep. On the next morning all my locator was yellow -.-

[@datasquids5109]

I have found a way which reduce everything you did

[@b4rtmod]

How did you done??

[@bitsurface5654]

Blender has a camera reconstruction (camera tracking), I did not try this but I think you could get this done in blender instead of Imagemodeler 2009. But I am not sure. I should try this once. If you load your images as a sequence in blender you should be able to reconstruct your cameras by hand in blender like you did in Imagemodeler by hand. There is also other Software like Photomodeler or Photoscanner much newer then 2009 on the market. At last this is SFM-structure from motion. I think they stoped this software because there are better solutions for this.

[@carsonw722]

Any luck with using Blender to do the calibration?

[@bitsurface5654]

@@carsonw722 I tried this, but my Photos were not good at all and I had not enough tracking points. But there is a software calls photomodeler and is much newer then 2009, maybe you can do this with this software. Because I am on linux and cannot install a win.exe. But I used Photomodeler in an earlier version 20 years ago. So here I am sure that it can make the same as imagemodeler that is actually not on the market.

[@gibson2623]

The 3rd software should be autodesk Maya

[@NaturalArtFreak]

whatever 3d software you want to import it to. this is to import into blender.

[@gibson2623]

@@NaturalArtFreak heheh, was just a joke. I remember using this back in the day. Nice tut man ;)

[@NaturalArtFreak]

haha thanks man

[@gibson2623]

@@NaturalArtFreak 😆💛

[@kenmorris2858]

Sorry but I can not find any LEGAL means by which to download Image Modele, thereby you should re-do this tutorial recommending a link to LEGAL or Open Source Photogrammetry.

[@kenmorris2858]

PS: I do love your tutorial, just have concerns over the choice of photogrammetry software.

[@kenmorris2858]

Kindly answer. My question and concern is a valid concern I believe many others have thoughts on. Thanks in advance.

[@NaturalArtFreak]

I mentioned at the beginning of the tutorial that the software has been discontinued and I also haven't found any similar software that does this kind of job. If I do I'll make a video on it.

[@kenmorris2858]

@@NaturalArtFreak - Thank you very much, I really appreciate your reply and the fact you are evaluating other photogrammetry software for this tutorial.

[@NaturalArtFreak]

@@kenmorris2858 you're welcome

[@mgmenstorworkinprogress482]

Why can't I export from ImagesModeller what I did? export button not available

[@Usermwaoeuw28181]

you need to use the cracked version

[@oleksiidergun1580]

Thanks!

[@NaturalArtFreak]

You're welcome