How to Get Started with Matterport

Introduction to Matterport

Welcome back to another Momentum 360 weekly blog! In this one, we’ll go over how to get started with Matterport. In this tutorial guide, I’ll show you how to properly get setup with the largest virtual reality software in the world!

Since 2011, Matterport has been the leading provider of creating digital twins within lidar and virtual reality technology. Millions of Matterport virtual tours have been captured since their inception, and that trend is only set to grow as time goes on. It’s time for you to get set up with the Matterport system, so your business can thrive and grow using virtual reality!

Setting Up Your Matterport Account

The first step to working with Matterport is to create an account with them here. While setting up your account, you’ll be prompted to select one of their several packages to start creating Matterport virtual tours. Before you lock yourself into a monthly/annual plan, you need to first consider how many Matterport tours you’ll be creating. If you plan on doing a Matterport virtual tour for your business, I’d actually recommend hiring a professional company like Momentum 360 to do this for you. If you’re planning on creating your very own Matterport virtual tour company, I’d recommend you select the lowest plan, so you’re not wasting money on a plan that you don’t need yet. Once you get set up with your plan, let’s move onto the second most important piece of your equipment arsenal, your tripod!

Essential Equipment for Matterport

Tripod Requirements

Before anything, you need to get a tripod for your Matterport camera. Moreso, a tripod that’s strong enough so it doesn’t break or collapse during scanning. The tripod needs to be agile enough to go up and down stairs, as well as other structural placements so that you can still get the shot. What we recommend is that you also invest on getting a dolly for your tripod, so that you have wheels to maneuver each scan without having to pick up and put down the Matterport camera.

This will allow you to capture spaces in less time, being more efficient in your business so you can shoot more spaces, and ultimately make more money. This is an investment in your business that will pay off years down the line, not just in days and months.

The Matterport Pro 3 Camera

So you have your account setup, your tripod, but now it’s time to invest in the most important thing for your business, buying an actual Matterport camera! But not just any Matterport camera, we’d recommend that you buy the new Matterport Pro 3, so that you can also include exterior LIDAR scanning, as well as interior. In addition, you’ll also have the ability to get more accurate dimensions, since the Matterport Pro 3 has infinitely more accurate detectors.

You can check the different Matterport cameras here, just know that there are a ton of options to choose from. We recommend investing in the Matterport Pro 3, but just know that there are so many different options for your business, so don’t feel financially trapped that you have to buy the Pro 3, it’s just our recommendation after doing over 100,000 Matterport shoots.

Using the Matterport Capture App

After you wait for your camera to arrive, you need to download and get familiarized with the Matterport Capture App. This app is where all the magic happens, you will shoot, edit and optimize your Matterport virtual tours in the app. Using the Matterport login which you can see right here, you will be able to perform post production on the model you just shot to the exact specification you want.

The Matterport Capture App will allow you to also see square footage for accurate dimensions, if you’re to order floor plans or any other media that Matterport offers.

Best Practices for Matterport Scanning

Rejoice, your Matterport camera has finally arrived! Now it’s finally time to get started with shooting Matterport virtual tours. We recommend that you go through this article here, that goes over the best practices and secrets for shooting Matterport virtual tours, so that your models come out clean, professional, and make your clients very happy! Using these best practices, you’ll stand out from 99% of Matterport technicians out there. Simply put, people don’t read the Matterport tutorials, so in doing so will put you so much farther ahead than the majority of other technicians.

If you want to earn jobs with the big dogs, you need to learn how to shoot properly enough for the big dogs. These larger companies don’t have the patience for mistakes, inaccuracies, or any mishaps, so you need to prepare yourself to be a true professional in every sense of the word. In doing so, you’ll be a force to reckon with. Setting proper expectations with your clients, and then executing on everything you said you were going to do, will again put you ahead of 99% of the technicians there.

Scanning Outdoors

Scanning patios, gardens, and porches with 360° Views

Outside in direct sunlight? Switch to Matterport’s 360° View mode and take your scan. 360° Views are similar to 3D scans, but only collect 2D visual data.

Testing Your Scans

Taking test scans

We highly endorse the concept of “test models” – before you scan, take one or two “test” scans and upload that test model to the cloud. Because you’ve only taken a few scans, these models will process almost immediately and become visible. These test models can help you understand the lighting and environmental hurdles that are unique to the property you are scanning

Testing with larger models

You can test with larger models as well – duplicate the model in the Capture app, make changes, then upload the duplicate. This workflow will allow you to quickly and easily add new scans, delete scans, and change your markings, without potentially ruining your original scans.

Uploading to Matterport Cloud

Since you’ve already purchased a Matterport camera, you should have an email invite to join Matterport Cloud. If you didn’t receive an invite yet, please contact us directly.

Matterport Cloud is where all your uploaded scans will live – you can access the Cloud directly at any time by going to my.matterport.com, and logging in.

Delivering High-Quality Matterport Scans to Clients

This is probably one of the most important sections of the entire blog, the delivery to your client. If you want to continuously earn referrals for your business, you’re going to need to deliver high quality work. Here’s a list that allows you to have higher quality work than your competitor, so that you can earn more business:

• Cleaning Your Matterport Dollhouse
  • Using your Matterport Capture App, making sure that you’re trimming your model to get rid of extra data and weird looking miscellaneous specs on your dollhouse, this way you’re able to have a professional looking dollhouse with no specs.
• Adding in Company and Contact Information
  • Add in your client’s information and better yet, use the sales person’s information so people can contact them to get more leads and sales! Have this ready by the time you deliver to your client, and your client will know you are one step above the competition.
• Adding Optimized Tags
  • Use Mattertags to call out certain features of a space, and give more clarity and CTAs for the model, the more optimized tags, the more opportunity to rank higher on Google using Search Engine Optimization.
• Using MPEmbed
  • Using this new software that transforms your model into a more enhanced Matterport version, you will have more revenue producing features than you will know what to do with for your client.
• Adding Lead Form
  • Make sure there is a lead form for your model, so interested leads can connect with your client immediately. Remember, the more lead forms, the more potential revenue for their business.
• Adding to Google Business Profile
  • Add your client’s Matterport model to their Google Business Profile, just doing this alone will give your client an added bump up on Google’s ranking algorithm, as well as give future client’s an online 360 perspective!
• Adding to Google Analytics
  • Make sure you add your client’s Matterport model to their Google Analytics profile, so they can see on a monthly basis how many impressions, clicks, and conversions they’re generating from the Matterport model alone.

Conclusion

Simply put, after reading this guide, you’ll be ahead of the majority of Matterport technicians out there. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me using our number 215-607-6482 or our email address info@momentum360.com

Momentum 360 is a Premiere Small Business and Real Estate marketing company in Philadelphia and tri-state area. Our main service offerings are 3D Virtual Tours powered by Matterport, as well as photography and videography. We are both a Matterport Service Provider and Google Trusted Photography agency. While 3D Virtual Tours started in real estate, they are versatile and applicable across every industry.

Momentum 360 specializes in virtual tours for real estate, small businesses, restaurants, retail, healthcare, professional services, and much more. These virtual tours help our clients showcase their business online, while also allowing them to rank higher on Google with SEO, and get more followers on social media. Call for a quote today.

If you’re looking for how to get started with Matterport, look no further! This article has given you everything you need to know about being successful with their software, cameras, and technology. Do yourself a favor, and re-read this article after you’ve read it the first time, to make sure it sticks in your head. This way, you’ll be able to soak up all of the golden nuggets that have come across you in this read.

Matterport will only continue to dominate as time goes on. Not to be so black and white, but if you aren’t adjusting with the times, you will simply be left in the dust.

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