ColmapForVisSat Patches

This repository uses git patch to implement ColmapForVisSat.

Since ColmapForVisSat is a full copy of Colmap, it is difficult to maintain. By relying on git apply <patch> this repository offers a simpler approach to incorporate the latest changes of the original Colmap library.

Different patched Colmap versions (mimicking ColmapForVisSat) can be found here - check the individual branches.

Compatibility

In contrast to the original ColmapForVisSat library, this repository supports current CUDA versions (validated with CUDA 13.2 on Ubuntu 24.04; earlier patch set generations were also validated with CUDA 11.8).

Current patch files are created for the Colmap commit b0af55be2808366609ee2023c5b9a980fdabd1ea (2026-08-05 16:20:14 +0000). The authoritative value is always the one in compatible_commit.txt.

Camera model id

Colmap assigns camera model ids positionally (the MAKE_ENUM_CLASS macro numbers the enum entries by their position in the list, explicit values cannot be expressed). The patches append the PERSPECTIVE model at the end of the enum, so its numeric id depends on how many models the patched Colmap commit defines — it has drifted across patch set generations (11 → 12 → 14 → 18) and will drift again whenever upstream adds camera models.

Consequences for data compatibility:

• Artifacts that persist the numeric model id — database.db (the cameras.model column and the camera blobs in two_view_geometries) and binary models (cameras.bin) — are only valid for builds of the same patch set generation. Do not reuse them across generations; convert through the text model format instead.
• Text models (cameras.txt) identify the model by name and are portable across all generations.

The patched src/colmap/sensor/models.h carries a static_assert that pins the numeric id validated for the current generation (18 for the b0af55be patch set). If the assert fires when building — e.g. after retargeting the patches to a newer Colmap commit — the id has drifted: update the asserted value deliberately, and treat databases and binary models produced by earlier generations as incompatible with the new build.

Apply a set of satellite specific patch files to the original Colmap repository

This repository uses Repository Patcher to apply the patches. Follow the install instructions here and the configuration instructions here.

Afterwards apply the patch files in the patches folder using the instructions here.

Build the patched Colmap repository

• Run sudo apt-get install libmetis-dev libopenimageio-dev openimageio-tools libopencv-dev libqt5svg5-dev (the OpenImageIO/OpenCV/Qt5Svg packages are required since the b0af55be-era Colmap replaced FreeImage with OpenImageIO and added a Qt5Svg dependency)
• If anaconda/miniconda is installed, make sure to run conda deactivate before running cmake.
• Follow the official install insctructions of Colmap for Linux.

For contributors/developers

Update patch files for newer Colmap versions

See the instructions here.

Create a branch for the patched colmap version

git clone https://github.com/SBCV/colmap
cd $PathToSBCVColmap
git switch -c vissat_<patches-commit-hash>

Non-trivial conversion notes

Inconsistencies

• src/base/reconstruction.cc --> Reconstruction::Normalize() --> if (translation_applied && scale_applied) {

  • add
    • const Eigen::Vector3d mean_coord = std::get<2>(bound);
    • const Eigen::Vector3d translation = mean_coord;

• src/controllers/bundle_adjustment.cc --> void BundleAdjustmentController::Run() { -->

  • can not uncomment reconstruction_->Normalize();, since line does not exist.
  • => uncomment reconstruction_->Normalize(); in src/ui/bundle_adjustment_widget.cc
  • keep reconstruction_->Normalize(); in src/sfm/incremental_mapper.cc, since these are not touched in the adapted colmap version

Obsolete ? (TODO)

- src/base/reconstruction.cc  -->  void Reconstruction::WriteCamerasText() -->  file << std::setprecision(PRECISION);
- src/base/reconstruction.cc  -->  void Reconstruction::WriteCamerasText() -->  line << std::setprecision(PRECISION);
- src/base/reconstruction.cc  -->  void Reconstruction::WriteImagesText() -->  file << std::setprecision(PRECISION);
- src/base/reconstruction.cc  -->  void Reconstruction::WriteImagesText() -->  line << std::setprecision(PRECISION);
- src/base/reconstruction.cc  -->  void Reconstruction::WritePoints3DText() -->  file << std::setprecision(PRECISION);
- src/base/reconstruction.cc  -->  void Reconstruction::WritePoints3DText() -->  line << std::setprecision(PRECISION);
- src/mvs/math.h

Questionable Changes (TODO)

• src/mvs/patch_match_cuda.cu --> Deleted return in line 181/385