Anyone using these? I've seen quite a few firms that seem to be breaking ground w/these. Anyone care to elaborate on their uses? I'd be interested in how to break into something like this, though I have some doubts about my local market justifying this type of technology.
I'm guessing for large scale topography or stock pile volumes they would great but for places/work by me which is mostly small boundary, small topo etc it doesn't translate too well
hlbennettpls, post: 401779, member: 10049 wrote: Anyone using these? I've seen quite a few firms that seem to be breaking ground w/these. Anyone care to elaborate on their uses? I'd be interested in how to break into something like this, though I have some doubts about my local market justifying this type of technology.
we are using a DJI phantom 4 for topo surveys where the grass is low or non-existent. Spot checks of our models is suggesting the accuracy we are getting is acceptable. the orthophotos we are generating are good for doing completeness checks as well. buying the drone and software won't break the bank and will pay for itself once you do several fair sized topo surveys. put in a good amount of out-of-hours learning on the software, and theory of it all, and you may be putting it to good use fairly soon.
I'm at the point now where it's so quick and easy to fly the drone, stitch together an ortho (free software) and use it as a background to all my projects. It literally takes 10 minutes to fly and 10 minutes to dump. I run the processing on another laptop and after an hour or so of processing, I've got a very detailed useful ortho.
I also begin each job with GPS on state plane.
Mark O, post: 401798, member: 11591 wrote: I'm at the point now where it's so quick and easy to fly the drone, stitch together an ortho (free software) and use it as a background to all my projects. It literally takes 10 minutes to fly and 10 minutes to dump. I run the processing on another laptop and after an hour or so of processing, I've got a very detailed useful ortho.
I also begin each job with GPS on state plane.
Mark O,
What software? I don't know of any free software that uses GCP's (ground control points) to create the Orthophoto. Sounds you are the software to stitch photo, then manual translate and rotate the imagery to SPC.
Yeah, mark, I am interested too.
Pix 4D. It stitches together an image, then I bring it in to my drawings manually, but since I'm using it only as a visual reference/check I can get it pretty close. About as close as the resolution.
You can use GCP to tighten it up, and it also creates a great 3D model which also at times is useful. As for using it for anything else.... the accuracy just isn't there yet.
Mark O, post: 401805, member: 11591 wrote: You can use GCP to tighten it up, and it also creates a great 3D model which also at times is useful. As for using it for anything else.... the accuracy just isn't there yet.
Mark O,
Pix4D Pro, is certainly not FREE, you need it when using GCP's. Appears you are using Pix4D's free Discovery, which is very limited. You likley have scale and rotation issues with out GCP's. This is what you get for FREE.
leegreen, post: 401807, member: 2332 wrote: Mark O,
Pix4D Pro, is certainly not FREE, you need it when using GCP's. Appears you are using Pix4D's free Discovery, which is very limited. You likley have scale and rotation issues with out GCP's. This is what you get for FREE.
I use the FREE version and it doesn't need GCP's. If you know what you're doing you don't need to pay for the full priced version. Even with GCP's it's not there yet (from a professional surveying perspective) just saying.
Hmmm, interesting take you have there!
Can't say I agree with you on any of that.
leegreen, post: 401841, member: 2332 wrote: Hmmm, interesting take you have there!
Can't say I agree with you on any of that.
Well I see it as another tool in the bag. A highly efficient and cost effective tool if you know how to use it correctly.
This is not about the drone, it's all about the product and the software. But I would not go in blindly.
Anyhow, what's your experience, and I'm interested in what are you using them for?
Mark O, post: 401798, member: 11591 wrote: I'm at the point now where it's so quick and easy to fly the drone, stitch together an ortho (free software) and use it as a background to all my projects. It literally takes 10 minutes to fly and 10 minutes to dump. I run the processing on another laptop and after an hour or so of processing, I've got a very detailed useful ortho.
I also begin each job with GPS on state plane.
Which free software do you use for ortho?
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Mark O, post: 401849, member: 11591 wrote: Well I see it as another tool in the bag. A highly efficient and cost effective tool if you know how to use it correctly.
This is not about the drone, it's all about the product and the software. But I would not go in blindly.
Anyhow, what's your experience, and I'm interested in what are you using them for?
I am using Pix4d to create Point Clouds, DSM's, DTM's, OrthoPhoto's and TakeOff volumes. When checking points with RTK and EDM my results have been å±2x the GSD. I have found that if you don't have enough control points the vertical and horizontal will be off considerably. I went a training session given by Pix4D, they highly recommend GCP's and check points, and insist they are ALWAYS required for survey grade orthos, points clouds, DTM and DSM. Kinda doing running a traverse with a 1 minute instrument and steel tape, with no traverse closure. You just don't know how good it is, unless you have built in checks and balances. I would never recommend using unverified data from Pix4d or any software.
I could understand take-off volumes, and creating contours (does it require a 3rd party software?), and for orthophotos, but the results I got even with GCP was more than double the error's I typically get with GPS. Personally, I can't put my stamp on something with that kind of error. So I mostly use it for what it's worth, and right now I don't have enough work to justify PIX4D's pricetag in the work I do.
To me, this technology is the future, but it's still lacking at a PE/PLS level. I remember talking with a surveying professor just two years ago and he said it would never happen, lol.
It's also got it's limitations in the woods. Prettymuch useless there,
For just an aerial backdrop, which is what it sounds you are using it for...you can use Microsoft ICE (free) to stitch the photos together, then use Autocad Raster Design or Esri ArcMap to rubber sheet the image to fit features you have tied during your survey.
I have done this with photos taken from an airplane, but not drone pictures yet.
I definitely wouldn't call this ortho rectified, but it does serve a purpose and is better than what is probably available from various internet data clearing houses.