Tutorial by S. Menconero (CNR ISPC)
From Agisoft Metashape, it is possible to export two different Web3D formats that can later used in ATON. The glTF format is suitable for standard 3D mesh models of small- to medium-sized objects (e.g. vases, fossils), where extremely high resolution is not required.
The Cesium 3D Tiles format is on the other hand best suited for large, multi-resolution models (e.g. terrains, archaeological excavations).
How to export in glTF format
The latest versions of Metashape (e.g. v. 2.2.2) supports direct export in glb format, which is a binary and self-contained version of the glTF format.
Once the 3D mesh model with texture has been generated, you can export it in glb format by going to: File > Export > Export Model.
Then choose to save in binary glTF format (*.glb).
Next, set the following options.
The process will produce a single file with the .glb extension, which also contains the textures within it. You can now upload it to ATON (see populating collections ) and enjoy it!
How to export in 3D Tiles (multi-resolution) format
The latest versions of Metashape (e.g. v. 2.2.2) support direct export in Cesium 3D Tiles format.
Remember that if your 3D model contains geographic coordinates (typically very large numerical values), it is recommended to transform the coordinates into a local system, close to the origin of the Cartesian axes, to avoid visualisation issues.
After generating the 3D mesh model, run the command that divides the model into tiles: Workflow > Build Tiled Model
In the Build Tiled model dialog box select the desired reconstruction parameters. Refer to the Metashape User Manual for more information on the parameters. Click OK button when done.
Once the process is complete, you can export the tiled model: File → Export → Export Tiled Model.
Save as Cesium 3D Tiles 1.1 (*.3tz).
You must unzip the .3tz file: this will result into two folders (App and Data) and a tileset.json file. You can safely delete the App sub-folder.
You can now upload the entire folder to your ATON collection and enjoy it!