computer science

IMAGINE Photogrammetry

IMAGINE Photogrammetry is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand IMAGINE Photogrammetry rather than just read about it. In short: IMAGINE Photogrammetry (formerly Leica Photogrammetry Suite – LPS) is a software application for performing photogrammetric operations on imagery and extracting information from imagery. IMAGINE Photogrammetry is significant because it is a leading commercial photogrammetry application that is used by numerous national mapping agencies, regional mapping authorities, various DOTs, as well as commercial mapping firms.

Key takeaways

IMAGINE Photogrammetry belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect IMAGINE Photogrammetry to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of IMAGINE Photogrammetry from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

IMAGINE Photogrammetry (formerly Leica Photogrammetry Suite – LPS) is a software application for performing photogrammetric operations on imagery and extracting information from imagery. IMAGINE Photogrammetry is significant because it is a leading commercial photogrammetry application that is used by numerous national mapping agencies, regional mapping authorities, various DOTs, as well as commercial mapping firms. Aside from commercial and government applications, IMAGINE Photogrammetry is widely used in academic research. Research areas include landslide monitoring, cultural heritage studies, and more.

Capabilities IMAGINE Photogrammetry is generally used for the processing of raw imagery through to the creation of geospatial data products such as digital terrain models, 3D features, and digital orthophotos. There are a number of approaches for photogrammetric applications. Imagery may come from remote sensing satellites, airborne cameras (film or digital), or ground-based cameras. In the context of airborne film cameras, the workflow would involve scanning the imagery (creating a digital version of the film imagery), solving the interior orientation parameters, and triangulating the images. Once the images are triangulated, image pairs may be viewed in stereo and 3D measurements can be made. The system can automatically generate digital terrain models, which can be reviewed and edited in stereo. Once an accurate 3D surface has been derived, triangulated images may be orthorectified. In addition to this workflow, IMAGINE Photogrammetry supports 3D feature extraction, radiometric adjustment, and a number of additional digital image processing capabilities available from ERDAS IMAGINE, which is included with IMAGINE Photogrammetry.

Other workflows In addition to the workflows above, IMAGINE Photogrammetry also supports the following applications:

Satellite Photogrammetry Direct Georeferencing: ground control points (GCPs) are not used because the aircraft is equipped with Airborne GPS and IMU systems. This is an emerging workflow that is suitable for remote area mapping. Close-Range Photogrammetry

History While the initial release of IMAGINE Photogrammetry (called "Leica Photogrammetry Suite 8.7") was in late 2003, it was a combination of new technology as well as software previously developed by ERDAS (which was acquired by Leica Geosystems in 2003). The product evolution is as follows:

1991 - "Digital Ortho" in ERDAS 7.5 1993 - OrthoMAX 1994 - Warptool & Mosaictool in IMAGINE 8.2 1999 - OrthoBASE first release in IMAGINE 8.3.1 2000 - Stereo Analyst 1.0 (module for stereo feature extraction) 2001 - OrthoBASE Pro (module for automated terrain extraction) 2003 - Leica Photogrammetry Suite 8.7", 2004 - Leica Photogrammetry Suite 8.7 Service Pack 1 (incorporates add-on modules of ORIMA and PRO600, which were initially developed for use with SOCET SET) 2005 - Leica Photogrammetry Suite 8.7 Service Packs 2 and 3 ([Leica Geosystems] ADS40 sensor support, automated point measurement improvements) 2005 - Leica Photogrammetry Suite 9.0 (new module for image mosaicking, called MosaicPro) 2006 - Leica Photogrammetry Suite 9.1 (new TIN format: LTF, terrain split and merge improvements) 2008 - Leica Photogrammetry Suite 9.2 (ATE improvements, new sensor models, enhanced mosaicking) 2008 - With the re-branding of "Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging" to "ERDAS", the "Leica Photogrammetry Suite" name was converted to an acronym, "LPS". 2008 - LPS 9.3 (PRO600 Fundamentals released) 2010 - LPS 2010 released 2010 - LPS 2010 v10.1 released (new algorithm eATE release, as follow up to ATE) 2010 - LPS 2011 released (improvements to MosaicPro, Terrain Prep Tool and more) 2012 - LPS 2013 released 2014 - IMAGINE Photogrammetry (New package, New abilities like SGM)

See also Aerial Photography Digital Surface Model ERDAS IMAGINE Leica Geosystems Orthophoto Photogrammetry Remote Sensing Satellite imagery Stereoplotter Stereoscopy Triangulation

References

External links Hexagon Geospatial, official IMAGINE Photogrammetry product page

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with IMAGINE Photogrammetry

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what IMAGINE Photogrammetry claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to IMAGINE Photogrammetry before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about IMAGINE Photogrammetry ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of IMAGINE Photogrammetry

In research: IMAGINE Photogrammetry appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses IMAGINE Photogrammetry in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: IMAGINE Photogrammetry is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Photogrammetry software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for IMAGINE Photogrammetry outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study IMAGINE Photogrammetry in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what IMAGINE Photogrammetry means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain IMAGINE Photogrammetry out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is IMAGINE Photogrammetry in simple terms?

Why does IMAGINE Photogrammetry matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study IMAGINE Photogrammetry?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on IMAGINE Photogrammetry.