Hi Benjamin
A bit of progress, learned to export alignment components, bring them in and begin consolidating them with control points. The Help refers to a Feature Source setting to relate alignment components via merge using overlaps, use component features, or use all features, but it’s not indicated how to bring these up in Settings, thanks for pointing me.
Select images and in the 1Ds view you can change the feature source but you need to understand the settings.
The OVERLAP is great setting but it does not take feature overlap but CAMERA overlap, that means the same cameras in different COMPONENTS. this way you can align ultra fast as it takes into account just the “overlapping” cameras.
Lastly, you say you’ll often work up as big a composition as alignment will carry you, then segment via reconstruction zones with slight overlap and export in right-size mesh chunks. When you’re working on a large set, what control is there in RC to make these reconstruction areas somewhat uniform and logical, i.e. following a pattern that allows you to keep track of what next needs to be exported? Maybe, I just haven’t come across it yet, but I’m thinking a tool for segmenting on all three axis according to chunk size would make this workflow yet more procedural. Just a thought.
It is easier to use the RECONSTRUCTION REGION ( aka BBox ) and INFO TOOL ( numerical input on RRegion position, scale, orientation ) to get desired reconstruction areas. It is even better reconstruct as whole and then use the FILTERING tool and use the BBox to filter it for your use case…