Proceedings 18 th International Symposium CIPA 2001 
Potsdam (Germany), September 18 - 21, 2001 
SIMPLE METHODS OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY: EASY AND FAST 
Antonio Almagro 
Escuela de Estudios Arabes, CSIC 
Cuesta del Chapiz 22, E-18010 Granada, Spain 
Phone: +34 958 222290, E-mail: aalmagro@cica.es 
KEY WORDS: Simple Photogrammetry, Architectural Recording, Training 
ABSTRACT 
The need for surveying and recording the cultural property is increasing every day and is demanding proper answers from experts 
and scientists. The answer to such a problem must be based in the use of photogrammetry and other new technologies whose use 
must be widely extended. Experts in such technics are not enough in number for solving the problem. This means that they can’t take 
on their shoulders the responsibility of the complete task 
The real problem today for the developing of the use of photogrammetry lies in training the people able to operate those systems: 
Architects, archeologists, art historians, curators, draftsmen and technicians in general. Photogrammetry should be promoted and 
taught to these professionals, not as a sophisticated and complex systems requiring costly instruments and specialized technicians, 
but as a methodology that is accessible today to most of professionals and which is not as costly as it was before. Photogrammetry 
can contribute not only with precision, but specially with speed and efficiency regarding to documentation; It is an ideal system for 
producing 3D models, for creating data bases, and offering efficient solutions in emergency cases, etc. 
There are here some examples of the use of digital photogrammetry based on systems and methods which make possible to operate 
reducing the working time in the site, and operating very light and inexpensive equipment. This system is specially adapted to 
emergency works and archaeology, when it is needed to work on field without the full support of a complete office equipment. The 
use of the system is actually taught to architecture students in short courses proving how easy is its handling. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
It was 30 years ago that I finished my studies and I started working as an architect in the field of architectural conservation. With it I 
also started in a more or less systematic way my works in documentation of monuments and buildings. A few years later, in 1973, I 
had my first contacts with photogrammetry helped by Maurice Carbonnell and Hans Foramitti, founders of the C.I.P.A. Those were 
times of big analogical devices which implied great costs and limited and complex use and of the Foramitti's first attempts to 
adequate the equipments to the needs of architecture and to simplify its use. 
For fifteen years I still had to do 90% of the survey by direct methods (metric tape, water level and plumb-line) and the use of some 
simple systems with rectified photographs. It is only in some cases that I could use photogrammetry, always in extensive projects 
with considerable budget to cover expenses and turning to specialists and equipments from institutions not related to the Cultural 
Heritage. Fifteen years ago I had the chance to organise the first department in Spain working on architectural photogrammetry. I 
had to learn how to use the analog plotters, and to teach later to my staff. In this years the use of analytical plotters start but their cost 
was still very great and few people knew and had any access to their use. 
I think that nowadays the outlook in photogrammetry has changed in a radical way. It is my opinion that, had I had the means and 
knowledge that I have now when 1 started working, my labour during these years would have been much easier and, what is more 
important, more fruitful. But to get to where we are today, two main things had to happen. Firstly, the availability of effective 
systems that were simple to use and not too expensive at the same time. Secondly, a sufficient diffusion of these systems and, above 
all, the knowledge needed for its use and application. 
For me, these two events have already happened and today 1 can arrange and use fully effective systems, at a low cost and whose use 
is simple. I can even utilize them at home. These devices, in my case are synthesised in three basic software applied specifically to 
the production of surveys, to which we could add other standard drawing programmes or image-treatment programmes of common 
use. Firstly, I use a self-made software used for calculation of topographic measures that allows the computation of canevas, 
intersections and radiations, transformation of coordinates and drawing the computed points in AutoCAD. The second software I use 
is an image rectifier to make photo-plans of flat surfaces (such as facades and pavements). The third software is a programme for 
stereoscopic and tri-dimensional plotting based on the view through an stereoscope of images visualized on the computer screen. All 
this software operates on simple PCs and even on laptops, fact that makes the work easier anywhere and under any circumstance. In 
order to obtain the images, I use a digital camera although sometimes I also use scanned conventional photographs, obtained with 
semi-metric cameras. 
This equipment is based in two basic ideas: firstly that is of very simple use and easy to learn, which make it easier to work fast and 
with little field equipment and, by doing so, make it possible to sensibly reduce the amount of work that is necessary on field,