Processing, mapping, and analysis software
Currently using Pix4Dmapper (perpetual license from a few years ago) but wondering if I should switch to cloud-based. My main work is construction topo, stockpiles, and the occasional boundary survey.
Starting a new firm and need to pick a processing platform. I've used Pix4D at my previous employer but want to evaluate everything fresh. Primary deliverables: orthos, DSMs, contours, and stockpile
Seeing a lot of drone data come across my desk with coordinate system issues. Common problems: 1. Mixing NAD83 and WGS84 (they're NOT the same thing) 2. Wrong geoid model applied to elevations 3. Sta
Budget is tight and I'm looking at OpenDroneMap/WebODM as an alternative to Pix4D or DroneDeploy. I know it's free but how does the accuracy actually compare? Running on a decent workstation (Ryzen 9
I'm doing a lot of work for small developers and homebuilders who don't use CAD or GIS. They just want to understand their site. Currently sending them PDFs of the ortho with annotations but it feels
Every project seems to have different coordinate requirements. Client wants State Plane, drone outputs WGS84, control is on a local assumed system. Spending too much time on transformations. What's y
Spending way too much time manually classifying point clouds in TerraSolid. Ground, vegetation, buildings, noise... it takes hours on large datasets. Are any of the AI-based classification tools actu
I'm trying to reduce software costs and wondering if QGIS can handle professional drone mapping deliverables. Currently using ArcGIS Pro but the $700/year licensing adds up. Specifically need to: - S
Dumb question maybe but I'm struggling with coordinate systems. My client wants deliverables in State Plane (NAD83 California Zone 5) but I'm not sure I'm setting up DroneDeploy correctly. Right now
Civil engineer client wants 1-foot contours from our drone survey of a 40-acre greenfield site. Currently processing in Pix4D and exporting to DXF. The raw contours are noisy as expected. What's your
My clients keep asking for "professional looking maps" instead of just raw ortho files. They want title blocks, legends, scale bars, north arrows - the whole cartographic package. Currently doing thi
Finally got my drone program running smoothly. Now the bottleneck is getting data into Civil3D for my clients. What's your workflow for going from DroneDeploy to Civil3D surfaces and contours? Right
Been hearing good things about Virtual Surveyor for construction earthworks calculations. Currently doing everything in Civil3D but the workflow is slow. They want $300/month which adds up. Anyone us
I've been testing different ways to get CAD design files onto our field tablets for stakeout and as-built comparison. Here's what I've found actually works vs what's a pain. Emlid Flow - Imports DXF
Updated DroneDeploy last week and now terrain following doesn't seem to actually work on my M3E. The flight plan shows elevation changes in the preview but the drone flies at a constant AGL based on t
Had an interesting discussion with a client yesterday who insisted on "3D orthomosaics" for a flat commercial site. Got me thinking about when the extra processing effort is actually justified. For t