Does WebODM cut it?

WebODM
#1

I think I’m over Webodm. I’m a Consumer but I do have some computer smarts.
I instal WebODm and all the bits it seems to need - with difficulty. I read the instructions. No two are the same. I flounder my way thru it and finally can ask it to create a map from my Drone images. To get it to the stage where I could sign into WebODm and load the images took a week of frustration, reading and trial and error. Everytime I struck a snag I’d look at documentation or Github or anything that I hoped might help. .The outcome of that was I read a very large number of problems and comments from others with problems and “experts” wanting examples , readouts, and diagnostics I didn’t know how to provide. To top it off I didnt get a fix. I uninstalled, reinstalled to get a chance to get it working.
I made two successful maps from it over another week but EVERY time Docker, or Oracle or the cat next door came up with a problem that prevented it from running and doing its thing. Reloading was the only solution that worked.

I think I’m trying to understand your community but I’m never going to be a programmer. I’m never going to be a desktop geek. I just want some software that works first time, everytime and doesnt intrude into the big picture work I want to achieve. Commercial software works, WebODM does some of the time.
I dont think I want an answer from this gripe because the nerds among you wont have enough information to analyse and provide it. However, the simple response is WebODm is too much trouble to persevere with. The community needs to acknowledge it and get into hard, hard testing.Thanks for listening

#2

Thanks for the feedback @bjk896. We have plans to make WebODM easier to use and we acknowledge that other solutions tend to “just work” better in many cases.

Check back with us in a year. We care about making the software easy to use for all users in the long term, not just for geeks.

#3

It is true that sometimes WebODM needs extensive brainstorming for us, the no experts ones, even for using the “payed” installer version (my case !0).
But in my opinion we should compare similar things. The capabilities of this (amazing !-) software would cost a few hundred or thousand more to get if it was under some brand and not freely distributed (and problem free).
I know the feeling, I have also spent many hours trying to short things out, I still do. So, WebODM isn’t exactly plug ‘n’ play, but eventually it does the job and, in my opinion, it does it good.
But I have a proposal: maybe, for those willing to buy the installer version, it should be more clear that WebODM is under development and that, in some cases, help from the community will be required to make things work!
Anyway, let’s see all this as a great, knowledge adventure! Making this better is up to our feedback (and their hard work), isn’t that great?!
Keep the good work guys, ty.-

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