Model targets

Hey,

I'm having a lot of problems with getting model targets to work in Vuforia. I'm using a model made with photogrammetry and the app doesn't recognize the target at all. Anyway to troubleshoot the model? Some best practices or some starting point? I wrote to Vuforia support, but their only answer was to go to their forums for help.

 

Hello @andrzej_

There are a handful of actions you can take to improve the detection of your 3D model when using the Model Targets Feature:

1. Correct scale of the model is important for detection and tracking. Confirm that the scale of your CAD model is an accurate representation of your physical model. We also recommend using meters as your unit of measurement.
2. A more detailed model should provide a better tracking experience. While higher poly counts can work, we recommend keeping the count below 100k for best performance.
3. Which elements to remove from your 3d model may depend upon the experience you're trying to create. For example, if you want to detect a car from an exterior vantage point, then the interior elements are not going to provide benefit to detection and tracking and as such you can consider removing them.
4. Connected or fused meshes do not necessarily improve performance.
5. Remove transparent geometry from you CAD data. For example, if you are trying to detect a car, it is recommended that you do not include any of the windows or lights in the CAD model that will be used for the Model Targets dataset.
6. Include texture differences in your CAD model. Using the car example again, if the car has a decal painted on it or has a segment, such as the hood, that is a different color from the rest of the model, make sure that is included in your CAD model. This difference in texture will be used in the detection of the target, although it is difficult to quantify how much this can improve performance. Please note, the specific color is not relevant, just the differences in colors.
   1. Additional note here: The current model targets is not designed to work with realistic-looking textures with many different colors. They work best with single-colored surfaces that contain logos, etc.
7. Simplification tools, such as Simplygon, are able to process logos and transform them into geometry (edges). However, if you used Blender for simplification, it may destroy this info.
   
8. Try a different guideview for your target. If the guideview you are using doesn't contain enough of the geometry of your target, you may encounter issues detecting it. Often times a slightly angled view of the target will provide better results than a direct front view of the target.
9. There are a couple of different approaches to a different guideview you could try that may result in better performance:
   1. Try zooming in on the section of the object with the most geometry for your guideview, while keeping the rest of the model out of the view of the guideview. This will allow detection to be based off a smaller portion of the Model Target that is rich in geometry, but also will keep the rest of the model present. While moving back to see the rest of the model you will begin mapping the surroundings and likely end up with a better tracking experience.
      
   2. Another potential guideview would be closer, but at an angle from the front-left or front-right of the object. This will allow you to get the full object in view, but also start closer and allow more tracker mapping as you move around the object.