Area Targets from Matterport™ Scans

Area Targets are created from a 3D scanned digital model of a physical space. Such a model can be obtained by using the Matterport™ scanning solution. This guide lists the supported devices and guidance on how to use the technology to capture a rich and detailed model of your environment. Get started creating engaging AR applications for large environments, rooms, and spaces! The surrounding environment is your target playground!

Supported Devices

  • Matterport™ Pro3 Camera
  • Matterport™ Pro2 Camera
  • Leica BLK360

Follow this guide to set up your Matterport™ account and start scanning your chosen space to get an accurate digital replica of your environment.

Matterport scanning workflow

  1. Prerequisites
    • If you don't have one, set up a Matterport™ account and purchase the camera scanning equipment.
    • Please note that a Professional subscription plan or above is required.
    • A purchased Matterpak™ of your scanned space. See Purchasing the MatterPak™ below for details.
    • Matterport scans are authenticated in two ways in the Area Target Generator (ATG). See Retrieve Matterport™ Models in the ATG below for details.
  2. Preparing the camera and the environment.
  3. Scanning the environment.
  4. Uploading the scan to your Matterport cloud for processing.
  5. Purchasing the MatterPak™ of the model.
  6. Open the ATG and download the model.
  7. Generate the Area Target.

Set up an account with Matterport™

Go to MyMatterport.com and either enter your credentials, or click the Sign up for free button to create an account. Follow the instructions provided there to complete your Matterport™ profile, filling in all required input fields. To upgrade to a Professional Plan, please purchase the relevant subscription.

Equipment

In addition to the chosen camera, some additional equipment is required for obtaining a successful scan. These include:

  • Professional grade tripod

A camera may weigh 7,5 lbs. (3,4 kg) or more and rotates 360 degrees while scanning. Therefore, it is necessary to use a high-quality tripod that will not move or shake during the scanning process. It should be height adjustable. We recommend using some heavy-duty stand available from professional vendors with 3/8”-16 UNC mount screw.

  • Quick-release clamp

The Matterport™ Pro3 camera comes with a proprietary quick-release clamp included, that can be fixated on a standard 3/8”-16 UNC tripod mount.

For the Matterport™ Pro2 camera we recommend purchasing an Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release clamp that allows for easy fixation and release of the scanner from the tripod. This speeds-up handling of the camera during scanning.

  • iPad/iPhone, or a recent Android device

The Matterport™ Capture App is required to control the Matterport™ camera. The app connects to the Matterport™ camera via WiFi to control and manage the scanning process. It is free to download from the Apple AppStore or the Google Play.

For further details and specific recommendations see the Matterport™ Tripods, quick release clamps, and cases guide.

NOTE: In some situations, the abovementioned equipment might be acquired through rental or data generated by a full-service provider or an agency.

Prepare the Camera and the Environment

Before heading to the scanning site, it is always good to ensure that the camera and the mobile device is fully charged. We also recommend transporting the equipment safely in sturdy cases.

The Matterport™ Capture application allows you to review individual captures and a preview of the alignment of the entire scan. It also offers tools to remove any parts that you do not wish to have in the final mesh, and to mark windows or reflective surfaces. For information on the Matterport™ Capture App, please refer to Area Targets Scanning Guide or Best Practices from Matterport™.

Preparing the Environment

In extension of the general Best Practices for Choosing and Scanning Environments, there are some device-specific recommendations applicable to the Matterport™ scanners.

  • Minimize incoming sunlight from windows by closing the curtains or blinds, especially when working with the Matterport™ Pro2 scanner. At the same time ensure enough ambient lighting is provided, by e.g. switching on lamps and lighting, providing a typical lighting scenario.
  • Scanning outdoors with the Matterport™ Pro2 camera is not supported because bright sunlight can negatively impact the 3D data from a scan and lead to alignment issues and poor 3D geometry. Sunlight makes it very difficult to create a compact mesh of the scanned area.
  • The Matterport™ Pro3 scanner however allows scans outdoors due to its improved 3D scanning technology. When scanning for Area Targets, please note the general instructions mentioned on Best Practices for Choosing and Scanning Environments.
  • Additionally, Matterport’s ‘360-degree views’ (panorama only images) are not supported as they do not contribute to the dollhouse or floorplan view.

Scanning the Environment

Mount the camera with the clamp, power up. Turn on the mobile device connect it to the Matterport™ camera’s Wi-Fi. Start the Matterport™ Capture app and verify if the camera is connected in Settings. Use the New Job button to start a new project, and start capturing with the Capture button.

The camera will perform a 360-degree rotation to scan its surroundings (make sure you are not in the field-of-view). A preview will be downloaded from the scanner into the Capture app. For more detailed information on the scanning process, please consult Matterport’s Scan a Space and introduction video.

NOTE: Use the Capture app’s tools (Mirrors, Trim, and Windows) at the end of the capture session to mark highly reflective facades and outdoor facing windows as it will help reduce alignment errors. Make sure the arrow in the marking is facing the correct direction as illustrated in the image below:

Upload the Scan

When the scanned environment is complete, press the upload button in the Matterport™ Capture App menu to upload it to your account for processing. Do not forget to disconnect from the Camera’s WIFI and connect to a different one for the upload process. Due to large file sizes, a stable network is recommended.

NOTE: Once a scan is uploaded to your Matterport™ account, processing can take several hours, depending on the size of the scan. Due to this processing delay, in most cases, you will not be able to generate the Area Target directly at scanning-time. Therefore, we advise you to plan an additional on-site-trip for testing the Area Target.

Purchase the MatterPak™

Using the uploaded 3D scan, the Matterport™ cloud service generates several derived products automatically. A couple of hours after the upload is finished you will receive a notification from Matterport™. Visit your Matterport™ account and open the specific space.

  1. Go to the Add-ons section of the space associated with the scan.
  2. Select the MatterPak™ by Matterport add-on.
  3. Trigger the purchase via Get, and confirm using the Purchase button. This button will change into a Download button after the purchase process has been finished and the request was processed.
  4. The ATG will automatically retrieve the data directly from the Matterport™ servers when you generate the Area Target. Although it is not a requirement, you can download your completed model for development purposes.

NOTE: Mattertags (annotations and snapshots added to the 3D model for presentation) are not included in the Area Targets creation process. Such markup components should be authored in the Unity Editor or coded in your native application.

For additional information on MatterPak™, visit the Matterport™ support site on Downloading the MatterPak™ bundle.

Retrieve Matterport™ Models in the ATG

Matterport™ OAuth credentials

With a Matterport™ account, you can sign in and access your models linked to your account directly from the ATG. Once creating an Area Target from a Matterport™ space with the Matterport™ button, sign in and authorize the ATG to access and retrieve a model from a list of your available spaces.

See the ATG Installation Guide for details on setting the option for Matterport™ authentication flow and the Create Area Targets for a step-by-step guide.

Matterport™ API Tokens (Legacy)

Please note that the API Tokens are now the legacy method for connecting to your Matterport™ account and will be removed as a workflow soon. Please use Matterport™ OAuth credentials instead.

With a Matterport™ account, you can gain access to their API and SDK developer tools that can be used to retrieve your models from within the ATG. The Matterport™ API lets you generate a Matterport™ API token ID and Secret. Admin privileges of the account are necessary to request the token pair. For more information, please see Matterport™ Integration with PTC Vuforia.

NOTE: The Matterport™ API tokens are part of the Matterport™ API & SDK developer tool licenses and must be purchased in addition to your subscription plan to gain access to the Production Access API. The Sandbox Access API will not work.

  1. The token ID and the token secret can be requested in my.matterport.com under your Account Settings (Admin only).
  2. In the Developer Tools section, click the Apply to Purchase.
  3. Fill out the form with the use case as Integration with PTC/Vuforia.
  4. After submission you should receive an email from Matterport™ with additional instructions.
  5. When all prerequisites are confirmed and established, the token ID and token Secret can be generated under section API Token Management in the Developer Tools section. See also Matterport’s™ guide to Generate API Keys. Depending on your plan, different number of API tokens might be available.
    • Copy & Paste the generated token-pair to a safe location. They are later used to provide access for the ATG to retrieve your models. You may revoke the access again in your Matterport™ account. After revoking and relaunching the ATG, you will again be requested to enter a valid token pair upon the next target generation attempt.

NOTE: The token secret is only visible right after you pressed confirm. It will not be available after you close the window! If you lose the token Secret, you will need to revoke the token ID and Secret and repeat the above steps. Revoking a token ID can be done in the public tokens list embedded into the API Token Management section. For additional support please see Matterport™ API documentation.

Go to How to Create Area Targets for inserting the token pair into the ATG’s authentication fields.

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