COLMAP vs KIRI Engine

COLMAP is a free pipeline for reconstructing scenes in 3D from ordered or unordered image collections. Its Structure-from-Motion stage estimates camera poses and sparse 3D structure; its Multi-View Stereo stage uses PatchMatch stereo and stereo fusion to produce dense point clouds and meshes. Users can work through a graphical interface or command line. The GUI’s automatic reconstruction tool accepts an image folder and creates sparse and dense results in a workspace folder. For development, PyCOLMAP offers Python bindings for most functionality, and COLMAP can be built as a library for C++ code. Feature extraction options include SIFT, ALIKED, and LoMa; ALIKED and LoMa require ONNX support at build time. It supports a range of camera models and multi-camera rigs. Users can install pre-built binaries or build from source; macOS users also have a Homebrew formula, and a pre-built Docker image includes CUDA support. The library uses the new BSD license, while third-party dependencies have separate licenses. The project describes COLMAP as research software that may occasionally exit ungracefully when constraints are not met.

KIRI Engine is a 3D scanning application that creates models and visualizations using photogrammetry, Neural Surface Reconstruction, and 3D Gaussian Splatting. Photo Scan creates 3D models from photos. LiDAR Scan supports model scans, floor plans, and quick scene visualizations on LiDAR-equipped iOS devices, while Featureless Object Scan is designed for shiny, reflective, transparent, and low-texture objects. The free Basic plan costs nothing and permits up to 150 photos and 2 GB per scan, with unlimited scans and free exports. Pro costs $17.99 a month or $79.99 a year, and raises the limits to 500 photos and 5 GB per scan while adding faster queue processing and advanced scanning and modeling features. The API offers Photo Scan, Featureless Scan, and 3DGS Scan; each API call uses one credit. Credits cost 1.00 USD each, with a 500-credit minimum recharge and 10 free test credits at sign-up. Other listed tools include a website model embedder, a UE5 plug-in, and STL export. Uploaded photos and videos are processed on cloud servers, and local PC scanning is not on the company's roadmap at the moment.