So, you are just getting started with drone mapping and wondering where to get started!
Welcome into this exciting world and we look forward to helping you go from zero to hero :-)
There are a a number of things that you will need to get some understanding around in order to be able to collect good data. This article covers the very basics. We also have an ebook which covers things in much more detail. Grab a copy at the bottom of our home page here.
Which drone should I use?
Some drones are more mapping compatible that others and not all drones are mapping compatible at all. We recommend you read this blog to learn more about getting the right drone.
You can see which DJI drones are compatible with most mission planning apps by looking at DroneLink here.
How do I collect good data?
It all starts with the right settings on your mission planning app. If your drone is compatible with a mission planning app (have you read the article above?), then there is a range you can use. Check out the videos here on this YouTube playlist.
If your drone isn't compatible, then using Waypoint Mapper might be a solution. Check out this blog here.
If you don't collect good data, then you can't 'make it better' once it gets to the next stage. Bad data will always produce a bad map or orthomosaic.
I've got some data, what comes next?
Once you have collected your drone mapping data, then this is where GeoNadir comes to help you!
There are some things that need to happen now with your raw data. We have a guide to getting started with GeoNadir here. But below are the basics.
Upload - You will upload your raw images to GeoNadir for processing. This video explains the upload workflow.
Process - Your raw data (all those individual photos from your mapping mission) need to be converted into a single map called an orthomosaic. Our software takes your raw images and uses the georeferencing on each image and hundreds to thousands of points in each photo to line them up with each other. This is why have good overlap and sidelap in your photos is essential. this helps with the matching process.
This matching process takes a lot of compute power and we produce the orthomosaic and digital elevation models. This can take several hours to produce after your upload has been completed (read more here). So be patient and we will send an email once it is finished. Sometimes your orthomosaic isn't what you might have expected it to be. Click here to find some reasons why this might occur.
Store - Your raw data and the orthomosaic and digital elevation models we produce can be several to tens of GB of data all up. This is a lot of data to store on your computer if you were using other software. But we store and manage all your data on AWS cloud servers. This keeps your data secure, organised, and easily accessible.
Analysis tools - Collecting your data is only the first step. Next you want to create information and insights. This is where our analysis tools come in. By creating a project and adding your datasets to a project then you can analyse your data.
Share and collaborate - Often you are collecting data to be able to share the data and insights with other people. You can easily share your projects with other people, in a similar way to sharing a Google document. Simple sharing, for live and collaborative mapping!
I've heard some other terms, can you help explain these?
GCPs or Ground Control Points - These help to increase the precision and accuracy of your drone data. Often used by surveyors to know the exact spot things are located on Earth. Read more here.
LiDAR - LiDAR is extremely large and complex data to be using. Read more here.
Multispectral data - Mutlispectral data allows us to detect, identify, and measure features invisible to the human eye at a variety of scales. Read more here.
Got some other terms that you are not sure about? Let us know at [email protected]
I need some help
Got it! Just search our heldesk here, or click the chatbot on the bottom right of the screen and ask us a question!