DOI: 10.5061/dryad.q7c400k
title: Data from: Structure from motion photogrammetry: does the choice of software matter for Ecology?

description: Structure-from-Motion (SfM) and Multiview-Stereo (MVS) is emerging as a
 flexible, self-service, remote sensing tool for generating fine-grained
 digital surface models (DSMs) in the Earth sciences and ecology. However,
 drone-based SfM+MVS applications have developed at a rapid pace over the
 past decade and there are now many software options available for data
 processing. Consequently, understanding of reproducibility issues caused
 by variations in software choice and their influence on data quality is
 relatively poorly understood. This understanding is crucial for the
 development of SfM+MVS if it is to fulfil a role as a new quantitative
 remote sensing tool to inform management frameworks and species
 conservation schemes. To address this knowledge gap, a lightweight
 multirotor drone carrying a Ricoh GR II consumer-grade camera was used to
 capture replicate, centimetre-resolution image datasets of a temperate,
 intensively managed grassland ecosystem. These data allowed the
 exploration of method reproducibility and the impact of SfM+MVS software
 choice on derived vegetation canopy height measurement accuracy. The
 quality of DSM height measurements derived from four different, yet widely
 used SfM-MVS software – Photoscan, Pix4D, 3DFlow Zephyr and MICMAC, were
 compared with in-situ sward height data captured on the same day as image
 capture. Using the same replicate image dataset (n=3) as input we
 demonstrate that there are 1.7, 2.0 and 2.5 cm differences in RMSE
 (excluding one outlier) between the outputs from different SfM+MVS
 software using "High", "Medium" and "Low"
 quality settings, respectively. Furthermore, we show that there can be a
 significant difference, although of small overall magnitude between
 replicate image datasets (n=3) processed using the same SfM+MVS software,
 following the same workflow, with a variance in RMSE of up to 1.3, 1.5 and
 2.7 cm (excluding one outlier) for “High”, “Medium” and “Low” quality
 settings, respectively. We conclude that SfM+MVS software choice does
 matter.
description: Photoscan High Quality
 Dataset 1Photoscan High Quality
 point cloud, replicate image dataset 1.THOneHQPS.plyEcologyandEvolution_MaterialGround control points, 2D image measurements and sward height measurements.Pix4D first image dataset, part 1Pix4D point cloud HQ (part 1), first image dataset.THOneHQPix_part_1.lasTHTwoHQPSPhotoscan High Quality point cloud, replicate image dataset 2.THThreeHQPSPhotoscan High Quality point cloud, replicate image dataset 3.THOneHQPix_part_2Pix4D point cloud HQ (part 2), first image dataset.THOneHQPix_part_3Pix4D point cloud high quality (part 3), replicate image dataset one.THOneHQPix_part_4Pix4D point cloud high quality (part 4), replicate image dataset one.THOneMedPixPix4D medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoMedPixPix4D medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THThreeMedPixPix4D medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.THOneHQMMMICMAC high quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoHQMMMICMAC high quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THThreeHQMMMICMAC high quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.THThreeHQPixPix4D high quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.THTwoHQPixPix4D high quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THOneLQPixPix4D low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoLQPixPix4D low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THThreeLQPixPix4D low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.THOneMedMMMICMAC medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoMedMMMICMAC medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THThreeMedMMMICMAC medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.THOneLQMMMICMAC low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoLQMMMICMAC low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THThreeLQMMMICMAC low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.THOneMedPSPhotoscan medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoMedPSPhotoscan medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THThreeMedPSPhotoscan medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.THOneLQPSPhotoscan low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoLQPSPhotoscan low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THThreeLQPSPhotoscan low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.PhotoscanProcessingReportsPhotoscan processing reports.Pix4DProcessingReportsPix4D processing reports.3DFlowProcessingReports3DFlow processing reports.THOneHQDF3DFlow high quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoHQDF3DFlow high quality settings, second replicate image dataset.THThreeHQDF3DFlow high quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.THOneMedDF3DFlow medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoMedDF3DFlow medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THThreeMedDF3DFlow medium quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.THOneLQDF3DFlow low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset one.THTwoLQDF3DFlow low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset two.THThreeLQDF3DFlow low quality point cloud, replicate image dataset three.