I've had a long-time interest in 3D models and visualization. New software and cameras are rapidly advancing the ease and accuracy of building realistic models suitable for representing the scale and textural features of natural environments.

Below are three models that I've build using either my DJI Mavic Pro drone, an iPhone 12 Pro, and spherical photography.

The first two 3D models uses Agisoft Metashape to create 3D surface models from drone photography. Agisoft allows for building 3D models from photospheres, which I will explore in the near future. I am also using a similar application called RealityCapture, and as I build models with this tool I will add them to this gallery.

The third model of my backyard was built using an app called PolyCam. This was rendered entirely on an iPhone, with the app controlling the LIDAR sensor and color camera to build a 3D model on the fly. The fully rendered version must be processed by the app, but that is done locally and not in the cloud. There are limitations to this tool, ambient light can interfere with the depth sensing, and complex surfaces such as leaves and finer branching are below the resolution of the LIDAR sensor.