Comparison of modern 3D modelling methods: the case study of the A. Sheptytskyi monument

The study presents a comparative analysis of three modern methods for creating three-dimensional

models of objects in geodetic practice: terrestrial laser scanning, classical photogrammetry, and the

innovative 3D Gaussian Splatting technique. The research was conducted on the example of the

monument to Andrey Sheptytskyi in Lviv, Ukraine. The aim of the work was to evaluate the

effectiveness, accuracy, and feasibility of these methods under real conditions. The terrestrial laser

scanner Trimble TX6 was used to collect high-precision reference data, while aerial imagery was

obtained using a DJI Mavic 3E drone equipped with an RTK module. The collected data were processed

in Trimble RealWorks®, Pix4Dmapper, and Luma AI software, enabling the implementation of

Gaussian Splatting. A comparative analysis of accuracy was performed in the CloudCompare

environment. The results showed that laser scanning provided the highest accuracy, confirming its role

as the reference method, though at the cost of significant time and financial resources. Classical

photogrammetry demonstrated lower accuracy but remained practical and cost-effective for large-scale

surveys. Gaussian Splatting achieved higher precision than photogrammetry while maintaining high

visual realism and significantly reducing hardware requirements, highlighting its potential as an

accessible alternative. The conducted study demonstrated the advantages and limitations of each

method, proving that the choice of technology depends on the available resources and accuracy

requirements. The findings confirm the growing relevance of hybrid approaches that balance precision

with efficiency in applied digital geodesy.