Matterport Workshop – Understanding the Postproduction Environment

Matterport Workshop is the postproduction environment used to review, edit and prepare a Matterport digital twin after it has been uploaded and processed.

An important distinction for anyone coming from a traditional surveying, CAD or point-cloud background is that Workshop is not a standalone software package that is downloaded and installed on a computer.

Instead, it forms part of the Matterport cloud platform and is accessed through a supported web browser while logged into your Matterport subscription.

For postproduction work, Workshop should be accessed on a desktop or laptop computer, rather than a phone, tablet or iPad.

A Different Software Architecture

Surveyors may be accustomed to applications such as Leica Cyclone, where the software is installed locally on a workstation and the survey data is subsequently opened and processed within that application.

Matterport takes a different approach.

With Matterport, the capture device and Capture app are used in the field to collect the spatial and visual data. The completed project is then uploaded to Matterport, where the data is processed in the cloud to create the digital twin.

Once processing is complete, the user logs into their Matterport account on a desktop or laptop computer and opens the model in Workshop.

In simplified terms:

Capture → Upload → Cloud Processing → Workshop Postproduction → Publish / Share / Export

There is therefore no separate Matterport Workshop application to download or install on the computer.

Why This Can Initially Feel Different

For someone accustomed to conventional surveying software, it is perfectly reasonable to look for a Matterport software download, installation file or desktop application.

It simply reflects the difference between two software architectures.

A traditional workflow might be:

Survey instrument → Download data → Local workstation → Installed software → Process and export

The Matterport workflow is:

Matterport camera → Capture app → Upload → Matterport cloud → Browser-based Workshop → Publish and export

The underlying principle is still familiar: capture the data, process it, review it and produce the required deliverables. What changes is where the processing and postproduction environment resides.

What You Need to Access Workshop

To carry out Matterport postproduction you normally require:

• A desktop or laptop computer.
• A suitable modern web browser.
• An internet connection.
• Login credentials for the relevant Matterport account.
• Appropriate permissions to access and edit the required Matterport Space.

You do not need to install Workshop on the computer.

This also means that, subject to account permissions and security policies, you are not tied to the particular computer originally used for the project.

Capture App and Workshop Have Different Roles

It is useful to separate the two parts of the Matterport workflow.

The Matterport Capture app, normally used on an iPad or other compatible mobile device, is primarily the field capture environment. It communicates with the Matterport camera and is used to create and manage the capture before upload.

Matterport Workshop is the postproduction environment. It is accessed after the Space has been uploaded and processed and is where much of the final presentation and configuration work takes place.

Workshop can be used for tasks including:

• reviewing the completed digital twin;
• hiding or displaying scan positions;
• setting the Start Location;
• creating and editing Mattertags;
• adding Labels;
• taking Measurements;
• applying Blur;
• configuring the Highlight Reel and Guided Tour;
• adjusting presentation settings;
• setting the Compass;
• creating Notes and other model information, where available;
• managing sharing and publication settings; and
• accessing available Matterport deliverables and add-ons.

The precise features available will depend on the Matterport subscription, account permissions and Matterport’s current platform functionality.

Workshop Is Not a Replacement for Specialist Surveying Software

For surveyors, another important distinction is that Matterport Workshop and applications such as Leica Cyclone serve different purposes.

Workshop is principally concerned with the Matterport digital twin and its associated postproduction, presentation, collaboration and deliverables.

Where a project requires specialist manipulation or analysis of point-cloud data, the appropriate Matterport deliverable can be exported for use in specialist applications such as Leica Cyclone, Autodesk ReCap, AutoCAD, Revit or other surveying and AEC software.

The two approaches can therefore be complementary rather than competing workflows.

Matterport provides a particularly accessible environment for capturing, documenting, navigating and sharing the real-world environment, while specialist desktop applications can subsequently be used where more advanced survey, point-cloud, CAD or BIM processing is required.

The Key Point

The easiest way to understand Matterport Workshop is:

Workshop is software, but it is delivered as part of the Matterport cloud platform rather than as a standalone application installed on your computer.

For postproduction, log into your Matterport subscription through a web browser on a desktop or laptop computer, select the required Space and open it in Workshop.

Once this distinction is understood, the Matterport workflow becomes considerably more intuitive, particularly for users moving between Matterport and established surveying, CAD and point-cloud applications.