Calling all drone mappers! Not just aerials and videographers, but people who are mapping and 3D modelling.

1) What's you main data output?
2) What processing software are you using?

and last but not least,

3) What is one thing that you wish was easier or more streamlined in your process?


(EDIT)

4) What flight software are you using? (Pix4d Capture, DroneDeploy and etc.)

1) What's you main data output?
OBJ for blender rendering and post pro

2) What processing software are you using?
Agisoft metashape

3) What is one thing that you wish was easier or more streamlined in your process?
flight planning in complex enviroments

https://sketchfab.com/AlvaroL

Alvaro L Posted at 1-31 12:09
1) What's you main data output?
OBJ for blender rendering and post pro

Thanks for responding Alvaro L. What flight planning software are you currently using?

We are using DroneDeploy and Litchi for our P4P's and DataPilot for the Yuneec H520.
These are old, but just an idea of what we do.
https://sketchfab.com/chasco

Hi, thanks for the inquiry. Sure that our valued customers could provide feedback in regards to your queries. Please let us know if you need our assistance. Thank you for continued support.

Thanks Tony! I'm coming from different forums that deal mostly with drones and GPS so I'm excited to see the transition that DJI makes to serious mapping with the Phantom RTK and better GPS for the Matrice series. I mentioned in another post about breaking out for the rtk model so that would be awesome if you could help out with that. It seems like every other model is represented and I'm not sure that DJI understands what impact that is about to have on an $8 billion dollar industry.

1. Georeferenced point cloud to evaluate obstructions to airport approach surfaces - and contours for preliminary design.
2. Pix4D
3. Better understanding the RTK connections/accuracy/options - We have the base station, no dongles, access to CORS (apparently) via phone hotspot.  Need to know what level of georeferenced accuracy of point cloud I am getting:
a. just using base over unknown X,Y, Z with no CORS,   (only tested flights so far)
b. BASE with CORS corrections via wifi
c. Base over a known X,Y, Z monument
d. No Base, just P4RTK  (assume accuracy drops to P4P level and more GCPs needed)

HTA_RP-1 Posted at 2-2 14:24
1. Georeferenced point cloud to evaluate obstructions to airport approach surfaces - and contours for preliminary design.
2. Pix4D
3. Better understanding the RTK connections/accuracy/options - We have the base station, no dongles, access to CORS (apparently) via phone hotspot.  Need to know what level of georeferenced accuracy of point cloud I am getting:

Hi HTA! Here is a link to a troubleshooting session I went through with a user who was trying to PPK his P4 RTK data. His experience seems to be pretty common as there is no clear path to a PPK workflow, but I think we worked through it. PPK and a couple of Ground Control Points is currently the suggested method for maximum accuracy. Seems like your use-case is more of a relative accuracy scenario so the standard RTK w/o GCPs would probably be the most efficient for you.

https://forum.dronedeploy.com/t/dji-phantom-4-rtk-in-ppk-processing/12201

What flight planning software are you currently using?

own hand crafted method:

- I plan 2D flight lines and overlappings on Draftsight from existing public GIS databases, resolution 1/1000 in cities and 1/5000 elsewhere. This is possible at least in my country.
- Export data to Blender for proporcional editing of flight lines to adap them to 3D terrain, since Blender is much more powerful for anything 3D than any 2D CAD app.
- Draftsight again to get geo coords right, Blender is bad at georeferencing, and then DXF to KMZ with any free converter
- Import into litchi

A bit cumbersome but I have full precision control over flights and software cost, except from litchi = 0
I don't trust Litchi to properly manage AGL. If I had python knowledge this could be streamlined a lot, from instance directly exporting from Blender georeferenced KMZ or CSV.

Alvaro L Posted at 2-5 04:24
What flight planning software are you currently using?

own hand crafted method:

Have you ever used Google Earth Pro for Litchi planning? You can define 3D paths and polygons.
Where are you getting your 3D data if you don't trust Litchi? From what I have learned they all pretty much use the same srtm and lidar data.

CHASCOADMIN Posted at 2-3 05:35
Hi HTA! Here is a link to a troubleshooting session I went through with a user who was trying to PPK his P4 RTK data. His experience seems to be pretty common as there is no clear path to a PPK workflow, but I think we worked through it. PPK and a couple of Ground Control Points is currently the suggested method for maximum accuracy. Seems like your use-case is more of a relative accuracy scenario so the standard RTK w/o GCPs would probably be the most efficient for you.

https://forum.dronedeploy.com/t/dji-phantom-4-rtk-in-ppk-processing/12201

Thanks ChascoAdmin - I will take a look.  We need our output point cloud to be georeferenced to the local State Plane coordinate system which I believe is easiest if we collect the imagery in that same state plane system.  I am not a surveyor - just an airport planner, consultant, pilot with a passion to help airports efficiently comply with FAA required clear approach paths.

HTA_RP-1 Posted at 2-5 06:46
Thanks ChascoAdmin - I will take a look.  We need our output point cloud to be georeferenced to the local State Plane coordinate system which I believe is easiest if we collect the imagery in that same state plane system.  I am not a surveyor - just an airport planner, consultant, pilot with a passion to help airports efficiently comply with FAA required clear approach paths.

What flight software are you using? Have you used GCP's?

Currently using Pix4D capture with the P4P, Virtual Cockpit with the Indago II,  and the GS-RTK DJI ap with the P4P RTK.  Processing with Pix4D Mapper.  We have an advantage of having surveyed nail points at the end of every runway that we could set up the DRTK-2 station over or we can use the nail as a checkpoint which is what we were doing using GCP's prior to acquiring the RTK unit.  Like everyone else - we can save time if we could set the DJI Base over a known point that would then accurately georeference the photos to the known State Plane without have to use more than one or two additional GCP's.    The attached shows the nail used as a checkpoint and the GCP's we set using a Leica 20 using the P4P.