https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.

me/ThDrksdHckr
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Drone Technology in Architecture,

Engineering, and Construction
A Strategic Guide to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operation
and Implementation

Daniel Tal

Jon Altschuld
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
This edition first published 2021
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by law. Advice on how to
obtain permission to reuse material from this title is available at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
The right of Daniel Tal, Jon Altschuld to be identified as the author(s) of this work has been asserted in accordance with law.
Registered Office
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
Editorial Office
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
For details of our global editorial offices, customer services, and more information about Wiley products visit us at www.
wiley.com.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some content that appears in
standard print versions of this book may not be available in other formats.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty
In view of ongoing research, equipment modifications, changes in governmental regulations, and the constant flow of
information relating to the use of experimental reagents, equipment, and devices, the reader is urged to review and evaluate
the information provided in the package insert or instructions for each chemical, piece of equipment, reagent, or device for,
among other things, any changes in the instructions or indication of usage and for added warnings and precautions. While
the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties
with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including
without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be
created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials or promotional statements for this work. The fact that
an organization, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information
does not mean that the publisher and authors endorse the information or services the organization, website, or product
may provide or recommendations it may make. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged
in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You
should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may
have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors
shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental,
consequential, or other damages.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Tal, Daniel, 1971- author. | Altschuld, Jon, 1986- author.
Title: Drone technology in architecture, engineering, and construction : a
strategic guide to unmanned aerial vehicle operation and implementation
/ Daniel Tal, DHM design and DanielTal.com, Denver, CO, USA, Jon
Altschuld, Chinook Landscape Architecture, Centennial, CO, USA.
Description: Hoboken, NJ, USA : Wiley, 2020. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020020196 (print) | LCCN 2020020197 (ebook) | ISBN
9781119545880 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119545897 (adobe pdf) | ISBN
9781119545903 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Aerial photography in geomorphology. | Aerial photography
in municipal engineering. | Drone aircraft in remote sensing. |
Photogrammetry in architecture. | Micro air vehicles--Industrial
applications. | Building sites--Location.
Classification: LCC TA593 .T288 2020 (print) | LCC TA593 (ebook) | DDC
620.0028/4--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020020196
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020020197

Cover Design: Wiley

Cover Image: Jon Altschuld/Chinook Landscape Architecture
Set in 10.5/13pts ChapparalPro Regular by SPi Global, Chennai, India
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Contents
Acknowledgments.......................................... vii Defining Drone Data and Visualization........ 30
2D Concept Overlay.................................... 31
Part 1: Introduction to Drone 3D Concept Model Overlay......................... 31
Practice.............................................. 1 3D Mesh....................................................... 31
Classified Point Clouds................................ 33
Chapter 1: How to Use This Book..............3 Construction Analysis over the Internet.... 33
Drones for Architecture, Engineering, and Contour CAD Line Work............................. 34
Construction (AEC).......................................... 3 Drone Photography..................................... 34
The Method Behind This Book....................... 4 Drone Video Footage................................... 34
Who Can Use This Book?................................. 4 Digital Elevation Model (DEM).................. 35
The Book Road Map......................................... 5 Plant Health................................................. 35
About the Authors........................................... 7 High-Resolution Orthorectified Image...... 35
Daniel Tal, ASLA, RLA................................... 7 Site Quantities and Takeoffs....................... 36
Jon Altschuld, ASLA, RLA............................ 8 Thermal Maps.............................................. 38
Important Contributor Justin Clark............ 9 Time-Based Site Comparisons.................... 38
Chapter 2: A Paradigm Shift
Part 2: Getting off the Ground........ 41
in Viewing the World..................................11
The Breadth of Drone Applications Is Just Chapter 4: Buy In.......................................43
Beginning to Be Discovered........................... 12 Return on Investment (ROI)......................... 43
Basic Drone Use........................................... 12 Start-Up Cost Estimate............................... 44
Current Breadth of Drone Use.................... 13 Annual Expenditures................................... 47
The Future Breadth of Drone Use.............. 16 Rate of Return (ROR).................................... 48
The Risks of Drone Technology.................... 17 Commodity............................................... 48
Why Use Drones?........................................... 21 Include in Proposals................................. 49
The Bottom Line on Drones.......................... 22 Project Collaboration and Deferred
Costs/Cost Savings.................................. 50
Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization Intangible Values..................................... 51
as a Full Cycle Tool....................................23 Value Added Services..................................... 52
Advantages..................................................... 23 Training Costs................................................ 56
Project Cycles............................................... 25 Remote 107 License.................................... 56
Written Proposal...................................... 26 Software and Photogrammetry Training
Proposal Interview................................... 26 Costs............................................................. 57
Project Start Up....................................... 27 Permissions Costs.......................................... 57
Concept Design and Design
Development............................................ 27 Chapter 5: Getting Started........................58
Construction Administration.................. 29 AEC Drone Standard Features....................... 58
Post-Construction.................................... 29 Flying Skills.................................................. 60
Visual Communication............................ 30 High Quality of Data................................... 61

Contents iii
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Power and Flight Time................................ 61 Flight Operations........................................ 89

Flight Controller Automations................... 61 Takeoff......................................................... 90
Third Party Apps......................................... 62 During Flight............................................... 91
Support and Troubleshooting..................... 63 Flight Area Awareness............................. 91
Drone Packages.............................................. 63 Maintaining Visual Line of Site
Applications and Software............................. 64 (VLOS)...................................................... 92
Device Apps.................................................. 64 Emergency Operations............................ 94
Categories.................................................... 64 Landing and Post-flight........................... 95
Flight Conditions..................................... 64 Automated Flying........................................... 95
Video and Photo Recording..................... 66 Pilot Control................................................ 95
Photogrammetry..................................... 68 Manual Intervention................................... 95
Insurance.................................................. 71 Pre-flight Planning for Automated
Online Portals.......................................... 71 Flights.......................................................... 96
Desktop Software........................................... 71
Photogrammetry......................................... 71 Part 3: Acquiring and
Photo Matching and Editing....................... 71 Working with Drone Data................ 97
Multimedia and Video Editing.................... 72
Computer Hardware...................................... 72 Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos................99
CPU............................................................... 73 Photo and Video Quality............................... 99
GPU.............................................................. 73 Using DJI Standard Apps.............................. 99
RAM............................................................. 73 Image Geotag............................................... 101
Storage Memory.......................................... 73 Litchi Flight Planning Software.................. 101
Litchi Smart Device App........................... 103
Chapter 6: Documentation, Litchi Desktop Web Portal........................ 104
Permissions, and License.........................74 Virtual Litchi Mission............................... 104
Professional Etiquette for Professional Working with Drone Photos........................ 106
Practice........................................................... 74 Annotated Images..................................... 106
The Legal Rules.............................................. 74 Photo Matches........................................... 107
Part 107.......................................................... 76 Hand Sketch Photo Matches..................... 107
Permissions – LAANC.................................... 77 Photoshop Photo Matches........................ 107
Permissions – State, Agency, County, 3D Model Photo Matches.......................... 111
and City Regulations...................................... 80 Working with Drone Videos........................ 114
Permissions – DJI FlySafe Pix4D (and Other) Animations................. 116
and Geo Zones................................................ 80
Insurance........................................................ 80 Chapter 9: Photogrammetry...................117
Documentation.............................................. 82 What Is Photogrammetry?.......................... 117
Drones and Photogrammetry...................... 118
Chapter 7: Best Practices Photogrammetry Accuracy and Precision.. 119
for Flying Drones.......................................86 Ground Control Points................................. 123
The Flying Mindset........................................ 86 Collecting Data............................................. 124
Drone Flying Apps......................................... 87 RTK Drones, Ground Control Pads............. 131
Simulator Mode........................................... 88 Processing the Data...................................... 132

iv Contents
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Processing Steps........................................... 134 Viewing and Processing in the Cloud....... 153

Photogrammetry Project Comparisons...... 139 Photogrammetry Software.................... 153
Project #1 – Rural Ranch........................... 139 Construction Management Viewing
Project #2 – US-50 Little Blue and Sharing Software................................ 153
Canyon....................................................... 143 Working with and Manipulating
Photogrammetry Hardware........................ 146 the 3D Mesh................................................. 154
Photogrammetry Software.......................... 146 File Format................................................. 154
Point Cloud to Mesh.................................. 155
Chapter 10: Working with 3D Models.....147 Mesh Decimation...................................... 155
Point Cloud versus 3D Mesh....................... 147 Mesh Manipulation and Proposed
Working with Point Clouds and Features...................................................... 156
3D Meshes.................................................... 148
Viewing and Sharing Online..................... 150 Chapter 11: The Future of UAVs.............159
Third-Party Sites.................................... 152 Final Word and Looking Ahead................... 163
Application............................................. 153 Index............................................................. 165

Contents v
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Acknowledgments
Jon Altschuld
This book has been created at a crossroads in my life. Shortly after deciding to go out on my
own and found Chinook Landscape Architecture, my longtime friend and colleague Daniel Tal
approached me about co-authoring a book on drone use and technology. We had collaborated
on projects for many years and had even written a business plan for integrating drones into an
existing practice when we worked together at a global engineering firm. The idea to write this
book was exciting and intimidating, much like the idea of going out on my own. And, as was the
case with starting Chinook, there are many friends, colleagues, and family members who made
it a possibility.
Thank you to Daniel for always being a collaborative resource and for co-authoring this book
with me.
There were several drone industry professionals who were helpful, and I’d like to give a spe-
cial thanks to Eran Steiner, founder and CEO of AirData UAV, and Joshua Haga of Pix4D. Eran
reviewed and added to sections outlining the importance of maintenance and operations log-
ging, and Joshua was a tremendous help in analyzing photogrammetry data and metrics for
particularly complex subjects.
Many of the projects highlighted in this book were collaborative efforts. Howard Hume of Yeh
and Associates, Inc. and Kevin Shanks of THK Associates, Inc. were key members of several of
these projects.
And finally, a big thank you to my wife Brittany and our entire family for putting up with late
nights, weekend work, and the overall level of stress that comes with both starting a company
and writing a book.

Daniel Tal
There are many people I would like to acknowledge that led to the creation of this book.
My parents, Nissim and Ruth Tal.
Justin Clark, who might as well be an uncredited author for this book. A partner in work and
innovation, our synergy and combined energy moves mountains, crashes drones, fries comput-
ers and made this book possible. I’ve never met or worked with a more talented person who I also
call friend.
Jenn Becker, Kaitlin Weber, Christ Fortin, Sam Carpenter and Alex Kistler for their boundless
humor, dedications to their craft, and making the days fun even when work is not.
The support of my wife, Jenn, and two kids, Anina and Raya, who are the reasons I do any-
thing in my life, I do it for them.
Ann Christensen, Bill Neumann and Laura Kirk, Karen Current, and last but for sure not least
Mark Wilcox for their support and belief in the work we do.
DHM Design who has funded my drone work and training; none of this would be possible
without them.

Acknowledgments vii
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
PA R T

1
Introduction to
Drone Practice
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

1
How to Use This
Book

T his chapter will provide an overview and road map of the book’s content to allow readers to
have a clear understanding of how to approach the book’s information.

Drones for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC)

Welcome to Drone Technology in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction. This book will
delve into the world of drones and how to implement and achieve professional quality results
using a drone in a variety of AEC related industries.
First, it is important to define the word drone as it relates to this book. The word drone is
used throughout this book to describe the various flying devices used to collect video foot-
age, images, and other data. Two more technically correct terms for these devices are UAVs
(unmanned aerial vehicles) or UASs (unmanned aerial systems). All three terms will be used
throughout the book.
The primary focus of these chapters is how to implement and use drones as it relates to
architecture, engineering, and construction (collectively called AEC) projects.The book is a road
map to implement UAVs through process driven steps with an emphasis on AEC projects. As
detailed in the parts and chapters below, the book will review specific technology, software,
regulations, costs, and practical data, and will provide direction to the implementation and
management of drones with an office business cycle and budget.
While detailed, the book is by no means comprehensive, as the technology is changing and
updating at a fast pace. However, this book should be more than enough to get any reader
started with flying a drone, getting insured/licensed, and collecting basic site and project data
(Figure 1.1).

Chapter 1: How to Use This Book 3

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 1-1: Flying a quadcopter drone for site inventory work in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Pikes Peak can be seen in the
­background. Source: Jon Altschuld.

The Method Behind This Book

Process is at the heart of this book. With that in mind, readers should go sequentially through
the chapters, even if they are already familiar with some of the material. In that case, skim
through sections, but it is important to understand all the different levels of logistics involved
with using drones for work.

Who Can Use This Book?

This book is intended for anyone interested in using drones, particularly on a
­professional level. This includes hobbyists, architects, landscape architects, surveyors,
­engineers, planners, and anyone else working in exterior built and non-built
environments.
This book DOES NOT require any prior knowledge or use of a drone. Instead, readers will
be provided with the full spectrum of requirements and activities to implement the tools, buy
the drone hardware, work with specific software, and understand regulations, permitting, and
rules that govern UAVs.

4 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

The license and permitting portions of the book focus on the rules in the United States,
but the remainder of the content would be appropriate for drone pilots and users anywhere in
the world.

The Book Road Map

Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice serves as a general introduction to drones and provides
an overview for the book. In addition, Part 1 provides a big picture approach to how drones fit
within a firm, what they can accomplish, and why the technology is easy to implement, if not
required. Part 1 includes:
Chapter 1: How to Use This Book provides a quick guide and overview for readers on how
to best approach this book. Chapter 2: A Paradigm Shift in Viewing the World discusses the
ethics, design implications, and mindset that drone operators and managers should consider
when bringing these tools to practice. Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool
reviews specific project types that have used drones. These projects span the broad AEC indus-
try and demonstrate how UAVs can be adapted for many types of locations, project goals, and
the range of deliverables (Figure 1.2).

Fig. 1-2: Drone view of the I-25 and Cimarron Interchange project part way through construction. Drones can be
­integrated in pre-design, design, construction, and post-construction phases. Source: Jon Altschuld.

Chapter 1: How to Use This Book 5

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Part 2: Getting off the Ground provides the nuts and bolts of drone ownership, implemen-
tation, permitting, and start-up costs. It includes chapters on how to fly a drone, a review
of drone hardware, specifics about rules and regulations, and tips to get the best results for
specific projects. Chapter 4: Buy In, addresses the challenge of bringing a new technology to a
practice. This includes how to answer questions from stakeholders about implementing drones
easily, and with minimal investment and full understanding of the benefits. Chapter 5: Get-
ting Started delves into drone hardware, what drones are best to start out with, the types of
drone sensors and equipment, computer hardware requirements to process drone data, and
photogrammetry and applications and software. Chapter 6: Documentation, Permissions, and
License focuses on the drone pilot requirements to legally fly a drone in the US, as well as ethi-
cal and insurance considerations. This includes how to obtain permission from clients and loca-
tions to fly, access important flight data, and how best to approach liability issues. Chapter 7:
Best Practices for Flying delves into the specifics of actual drone flight. This will include how
to best start flying a drone to collect videos, still images and specific data, and review autono-
mous drone flight through the use of apps (Figure 1.3).
Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data focuses on drone data types and processing.
This includes how to acquire, manipulate, and use the various data types produced from drone
flights. Chapters provide details on converting photogrammetry data into useful 3D models.
Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos provides examples of different types of graphics, videos, still
images, and diagrams that can be derived from drone footage. Chapter 9: Photogrammetry
provides an overview of collecting and processing data for photogrammetry. This chapter also
covers point cloud data, data classification, 3D mesh creation, contour creation, and more.
Chapter 10: Working with 3D Models discusses how to bring photogrammetry results into

Fig. 1-3: Knowing the rules and regulations for airspace and drone operations is important for legal and safety rea-
sons. This book guides you through the appropriate procedures for commercial drone use in the United States. Source:
SkyVector.com.

6 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 1-4: Drone data, when collected properly, can be used for accurate and precise measurements, existing conditions
inventory, and as the base for detailed 3D modeling of proposed design features. Source: Lyons Colorado Drainage and
River. Image by DHM Design.

3D visualization software. These chapters include a review of software like Pix4D, Maps Made
Easy, SketchUp, Lumion, and other programs that assist in the processing and visualization.
Chapter 11: The Future of UAVs briefly looks at other ways drones are being used in profes-
sional settings to collect data (Figure 1.4).

About the Authors

Lastly, it is important to introduce the experts behind this book. Each author has a respective
website with additional information.

Daniel Tal, ASLA, RLA

Daniel Tal is a practicing landscape architect. He has worked as an urban and site designer since
1998. Daniel graduated from Colorado State University and since developed a specialization in
3D modeling and rendering. He has authored two previous books on 3D modeling: SketchUp
for Site Design (first edition 2009, second edition 2016) and Rendering in SketchUp (2013),
both for John Wiley & Sons.
Daniel is a professional presenter and has provided hundreds of presentations and webinars.
In 2016, he was the keynote speaker for SketchUp Basecamp in Steamboat, Colorado. In 2017,
Daniel was hired by DHM Design in Denver, Colorado, to create a UAV studio and build a prac-
tice around drone use for landscape architecture and engineering work.
Daniel develops 3D related applications to assist others in 3D modeling including Place-
Maker (www.suplacemaker.com) and UrbanPaint (www.sketchurbanpaint.com), and has a
tutorial website for 3D modeling (www.danieltal.com). Daniel’s love for drones started when

Chapter 1: How to Use This Book 7

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Daniel Tal.

he met and worked with Jon Altschuld. In collaboration with Justin Clark and Jon Altschuld,
Daniel has pursued drone skills and work, including this book.

Jon Altschuld, ASLA, RLA

Jon Altschuld is a registered landscape architect with over 12 years of experience in the design
of natural areas, trails and open spaces, ecological restoration, parks, streetscapes, and trans-
portation planning. Throughout his career, he has established himself as a leader in visual com-
munication through emerging technologies such as 3D modeling and drone technology. His
visualization work has been featured by the ASLA, SketchUp, Landscape Architecture Maga-
zine, and various other trade publications.
Jon is also a regular presenter and speaker, and has taught numerous software workshops
and given professional training on drone data collection, SketchUp, Vue, CAD, Lumion, and
Adobe Graphics programs within the planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and
construction fields.
Currently, Jon is the principal and founder of Chinook Landscape Architecture, based in
Denver, Colorado.

8 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Jon Altschuld.

Important Contributor Justin Clark

We would like to give a special thank you to Justin Clark for his contribution to the knowl-
edge, graphics, and direction for this book. Justin has worked in the urban design and land-
scape architecture world since 1998. Starting out as a CAD draftsman, he moved his way
up to do 3D modeling and IT work, and became a jack-of-all trades with various 3D and
CAD software.
Justin is an accomplished drone pilot and master at photogrammetry flights and processing.
Daniel and Justin work closely on weekly drone related projects. Justin explores various, inno-
vative ways to fly sites that enhance safety and data acquisition. Daniel’s portions of the book
would not have been possible without the work, feedback, and assistance of Justin Clark. While not
an author of this book, his work was key to many of the graphics and flights that are included
in this book.
He is an avid outdoors man, relishing in snowboarding, snowmobiles, his truck (Nightmare),
and boating (Closer to the Sun).

Chapter 1: How to Use This Book 9

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Justin Clark (right) with Chris Fortin (left).

10 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

2
A Paradigm Shift
in Viewing the World

D rones have been in the public lexicon for decades. As military tools, drones have been a
focus of research and development for much longer. The earliest unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) date back to the 1800s when unmanned balloons with explosives were used for military
operations. During WWI and WWII, radio controlled unmanned aircraft were developed for
a variety of purposes. What we think of as modern drones were largely developed in warfare
in the mid 1980s. During this same time, the industry of hobby radio-controlled aircraft was
growing in popularity, and in the 1990s radio-controlled quadcopters and miniature UAVs
(drones) began coming to market.
Over the next 15–30 years, public sector drones slowly became cheaper and more widely
available. At the same time, several other consumer technologies were quickly advancing. In
particular, the progression of drone technology coincided with the digital camera revolution
(the first consumer digital camera was released in 1994). The convergence of these two emerg-
ing technologies during the early 2000s and into the early 2010s resulted in cheaper and more
reliable drones with payloads that were higher quality, more varied, smaller, and lighter. As this
happened, drones quickly gained user bases in professional settings ranging from agriculture, to
data and image collection, to natural resource monitoring.
Consumers and professionals alike were suddenly exposed to a new way of viewing their sur-
roundings. The low cost of entry, combined with the relatively easy operation, has turned drone
use into a standard practice for many industries. It has also opened the door for almost all indus-
tries to consider new ways of solving problems (Figure 2.1).

Chapter 2: A Paradigm Shift in Viewing the World 11

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 2-1: The quality of digital camera sensors plus the accessibility of drones allows us to view our surroundings in new
ways. Source: North Fruita Desert Trails Master Plan completed by Chinook Landscape Architecture and THK Associates, Inc.

The Breadth of Drone Applications Is Just Beginning

to Be Discovered
Basic Drone Use
In its most basic form, the commercial drone industry is providing a new way to view the natu-
ral and man-made world around us. The ability to view a site from above allows us to discover
a place in an entirely new way. Drone photography and videography is used all around us, from
social media, to real estate agents, to movies and television. For the architecture, engineering,
and construction industries, drone imagery provides a major shift both for how we design and
how non-designers view our projects. This includes how to effectively communicate design
ideas with clients, other members of the design team, and the public. Viewing a site from above
also has a powerful impact on the emotional connection one feels with the site (Figure 2.2).
Historically, site design has been presented primarily in plan view. In the last decade, the
spread of 3D programs has allowed for the integration of perspective views and interactive 3D
graphics of the site itself. However, these are often isolated and lacking in contextual content,
and the graphics do a poor job of communicating how the design will fit into its surroundings.
Similarly, construction industries have long been limited in how they can effectively track and
communicate the status of projects and constantly changing parameters.

12 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 2-2: Viewing a site from above changes our perspective on topography, connectivity, and context. Source:
­Conifer High School Sports Fields project completed by ECI Site Construction Management, Inc.

With the widespread use of drones, aerial views of landscapes, plazas, bridges, and build-
ings are now being viewed by everyone. This gives new significance to contextually sensitive
design efforts, and it is also an influential force in shaping how designs will be experienced
(Figure 2.3).

Current Breadth of Drone Use

As the drone industry has advanced, so have the applications that drones are used for. In Central
America, long-lost ancient cities have been revealed under centuries of rain forest growth by
drones equipped with LiDAR sensors. In Colorado, drones are gathering 3D topographic infor-
mation to create models of rockfaces for geohazard analysis and mitigation along interstate
highways. In Utah, ski areas are being mapped by drones for master planning purposes. Across
the globe, environmental researchers are using drones to identify and analyze ecological trends,
climate change, and wildlife habitat patches/edges. In many areas, drones are flying construc-
tion sites to observe and record progress and automatically check built conditions for accuracy/
consistency against digital construction drawings. Drones equipped with gas detection equip-
ment are being used to quickly and remotely inspect miles of pipelines for leaks. From inspect-
ing roofs, to real-time assessment of natural disasters, to police surveillance, to automated
home security sentries, drones are filling niche after niche (Figure 2.4).

Chapter 2: A Paradigm Shift in Viewing the World 13

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

(a)

(b)
Fig. 2-3: Although the snow scene rendering (a) is a great graphic, it has no contextual content and provides no
information about what surrounds the proposed building. The drone Photomatch (b), on the other hand, provides the
same level of 3D model detail, plus the surrounding conditions and views. Source: Hideway Station project completed
by Chinook Landscape Architecture and Viz Graphics.

14 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 2-4: SketchUp model of an existing rockface along I-70, with proposed rockfall mitigation netting and walls mod-
eled into it. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and THK Associates, Inc.

All of these applications focus on utilizing drones to position data collection sensors
(LiDAR, cameras, gas detection sensors, etc.) on a mobile, agile, and easy to operate platform.
This often results in a cheaper, quicker, and safer alternative to traditional methods. In some
cases, such as geohazard analysis in tight canyons or collecting climate data in extremely
remote locations, drones are providing a platform to collect data where it would not otherwise
be possible. In either case, the applications discussed above are disrupting their respective
industries and are forcing those within the industries to re-think the best way to solve prob-
lems. And yet, using drones to extend our reach with sensors is just the start.
Uber, Airbus, Altair Aerial, and other companies are scaling drones up in size in order
to use them as air taxis. If you think this sounds like science fiction and something that is
decades off from happening, the coming years will surprise you. Uber has already selected
Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne as pilot cities for their Uber Air project, with test flights
beginning in 2020. Although these will be piloted for now, it paves the path for autonomous
passenger flights, a trend that regulatory agencies and the public are starting to consider
and plan for.
Let’s also not forget the emerging use of drones for parcel and package delivery. Although
Amazon was initially at the forefront of this effort, Google’s Wing project has made major
advancements and was granted a certification by the FAA to begin delivering parcels in 2019.
Similar to the air taxis, this has a huge influence on how we view our airspace. The legal, ethi-
cal, and regulatory implications of these advances are continually evolving.

Chapter 2: A Paradigm Shift in Viewing the World 15

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

The Future Breadth of Drone Use

As we consider the mind-boggling ways that consumer and professional drones are currently
being utilized, it is logical to wonder what will come next. With so many expanding ben-
efits, we believe that drone technology applications will continue to see advances and new
uses for many years and decades, to come. Its unique versatility also allows this technology
to adapt and blend with other emerging technological frontiers. Two key technologies that
are advancing in parallel to drones are artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous naviga-
tion. As these three technologies continue to develop, their overlap and combined use cases
will multiply.
For the architecture, engineering, and construction industries, this will take many forms.
Imagine deploying a drone to autonomously fly a site while avoiding crashes, collect topo-
graphic data and high-resolution imagery, have it automatically processed into contours and a
basemap, and then receive an email when it’s done – all from your desk. In terms of laws and
regulations, we are not yet at a point where this is possible, but the technology is at the point
where this could be done. This could be replicated and applied to construction monitoring, site
security, endangered species protection, environmental conditions monitoring, disaster detec-
tion, and many other issues.
To take it a step further, image pattern recognition and artificial intelligence could be used
to automatically analyze the drone data and extract building footprints, street centerlines,
drainage ways, hardscape, etc. Ecopia, an AI driven geospatial company in Toronto, is already
doing this as they prepare their service for consumer release. Ecopia is offering the unprec-
edented technology of taking aerial photos and using image recognition AI to automate the
drafting process of computer aided design site plans. They generate survey ready (depending
on the source of the data) planimetric drawings that up until this point, could ONLY be done
by a human. And this is at a significant reduction in cost which can save companies hundreds
of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. The future holds the possibility for true artificial
intelligence to make management decisions based on this data. For example, this entire
process could be automated to identify potential debris flow catastrophes before they ever
occur, in a fraction of the time that it would take humans to arrive at the same conclusions
(Figure 2.5).
The most limiting factors for drone technology innovation will likely be regulations, and the
invention of other technology. However, regulations vary by city, state, region, and country;
worldwide, drone operators will push the envelope of how drones are being used in order to
solve problems while staying within regulations. In fact, there is a global incubator occurring
around the regulation of automated devices including cars and drones. The country or city that
hits upon the right mixture of rules, safety, and productivity will help set the rules and regula-
tions. More than likely it will be the combination of all these different “experiments in rules”
that will set the new global paradigm for these devices to work and function in our cities, aid-
ing people. In terms of other technology, as advances and inventions are developed, there will
be spikes in the number of ways drones are being used.
Fully automated drone fleets to deliver packages and people, and monitor and gather data is
the direction we are heading.

16 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 2-5: Screenshot of Ecopia data derived from drone photogrammetry information. Using AI Vision software, Ecopia
can generate curbs, road, planting areas, trails, and other site data with relative accuracy up to 7 cm. Source: Ecopia
Data image produced by Daniel Tal. Image by Daniel Tal, Ambit3D.

The Risks of Drone Technology

Despite all of the benefits, the adoption of drone technology by architecture, engineering, and
construction industries, as well as consumer products industries, comes with some manageable
risks. These risks vary from understanding what data is being collected, to maintaining a safe
air traffic system, to protecting citizen privacy. Regulatory agencies will need to continually
adapt and refine rules to avoid risks, but in large part, the responsibility to manage these risks
lies with the professional drone operators.

Good Looking Data versus Good Data. At the top of the list of risks is understanding the
difference between good looking data and good data. Because of its low cost of entry and
ease of use, drone technology is perfectly poised to be widely used, but also widely
misunderstood. In particular, drone photogrammetry (discussed in detail in Chapter 9)
produces good looking data with very little background knowledge and expertise.
However, producing good photogrammetry data requires an understanding of drone
technology, geospatial systems, and photogrammetry software/processes. Not under-
standing how these technologies function together usually results in a 3D site model that
looks very impressive, but not very accurate.
Because the 3D site model looks so impressive and detailed, many professionals
assume the accuracy matches the detail they are seeing. In reality, the accuracy of the
model is hugely dependent on things that professionals are not trained in. These include
ground control points, camera angle in relation to the subject, and ground sampling
distance (all of these are discussed in detail in Chapter 9). It is not uncommon to see

Chapter 2: A Paradigm Shift in Viewing the World 17

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

elevation data be as far off as several hundred feet (in relation to projected coordinate
systems) prior to adding ground control point data. This is simply a product of the
accuracy of the drone’s onboard GPS system.
Similarly, it’s important to understand how camera angles and flight distance impact
data resolution for complex subjects in order to avoid spending several months trying to
re-process data into a usable result (Figure 2.6). Unfortunately, the only way to fix the
problem is to re-fly the project with a plan that accounts for these factors. One of the
authors, Jon Altschuld, has published a detailed online article on the dangers of good
looking data versus good data, and the common mistakes people make when looking at
drone photogrammetry data, particularly when working with complex and vertical
subjects (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/drones-­­rockfall-­­analysis-­­capturing-­­complex-­­
vertical-­­jon-­­altschuld/).
Using Surveying Tools Does Not a Surveyor Make Building on the last point, it is impera-
tive that any professional drone user understands the accuracy of their data, as well as the
legal implications of how that data can be used. A common risk that has become too
prevalent in the drone industry is confusing a drone photogrammetric model with a land
survey. Currently, professional licensed surveyors are collecting survey data with drones.
Although non-surveyor professionals are using the same technology, they lack the rigor or
practice of these professionals. Surveyors also use other tools, such as survey grade GPS
units, total stations, theodolites, assessor records, and survey benchmarks. Perhaps more
importantly, surveying is a licensed profession and attaining a license has both educa-
tional and working experience requirements. Surveys stamped by a professional licensed
surveyor (PLS) have major legal and financial implications (Figure 2.7).
As such, it’s important to understand that non-surveyor collected data should not be
considered a survey to be used for construction documentation or operations. If you are
not a PLS, do not represent your drone photogrammetry data as a survey. Period.
Ethical Drone Practices Questions. Another major risk with the widespread adoption of
drone technology is determining what constitutes ethical drone practices. In the United
States, drone use is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and there are
published federal rules for commercially operating a drone. However, there are many
misconceptions about what is legal, and the quickly evolving field of professional drone
deployment is forcing the FAA to adapt and refine these rules. For example, delivery of
goods via drone is explicitly prohibited per FAA rules. But because large technology
companies are willing to heavily research and invest in this use of drone technology due
to consumer demand, the FAA is working with these companies to develop rules and
regulations specifically for drone deliveries. As of 2020, both Google’s Wing service and
Amazon’s Prime Air service have been granted FAA approvals for drone delivery ser-
vices in select areas.
One of the most common misconceptions is that landowners have jurisdiction for the
airspace over their property. In fact, the FAA has jurisdiction over all navigable airspace.
In spite of this, many state, county, and local agencies have tried to enact drone bans over
their property. While they can ban the takeoff and landing on their property, they do not
actually have the authority to regulate activities in the airspace over their property.

18 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

(a)

(b)
Fig. 2-6: These two images show point clouds of the same subject, but flown from different distances. The first point
cloud (a) was flown approximately 30 feet from the subject, while the second (b) was flown approximately 90 feet from
the subject. This difference causes a drastic decrease in the number of points (point cloud B has approximately 20%
as many points as point cloud A) and the density of points (point cloud B has approximately 9% of the point density
compared to point cloud A). Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 2: A Paradigm Shift in Viewing the World 19

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 2-7: Even with RTK GPS technology and accurate ground control points, it is not legal, ethical, or a good idea to
advertise your products as survey level if you are not a surveyor. Source: North Fruita Desert Trails Master Plan com-
pleted by Chinook Landscape Architecture and THK Associates, Inc.

To add to the confusion, many agencies have adopted policies that protect the privacy of
citizens. For example, even though they do not have the authority to ban drone flights,
they can prohibit the use of drones to spy on, or invade the privacy of, citizens within
their properties. On top of this, many municipalities and agencies have created rules
internally, but have done a poor job of publishing what these rules are, or how to obtain
permission (many have simply tried to “ban drone activities” rather than provide a
system for approval). As you can imagine, this has created a confusing patchwork of
regulations, laws, and rules for professional drone users.
As with many ethical issues, the best path is often to proceed cautiously, over-
communicate, and adhere to rules whenever they can be found. Although flying on or
near a person’s property does not require you to obtain their approval, it is quick and easy
to let them know what you are doing and why. This also goes a long way to promoting the
idea of using drone technology for professional purposes, as opposed to being a toy or
hobby (Figure 2.8).

20 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 2-8: Whether it’s letting a property owner know you’ll be flying nearby, or talking to on-site construction crews,
even though the site superintendent knows you’ll be flying, over-communication is always a good idea to avoid sur-
prises and confrontations. Source: Chatfield High School Sports Fields project, completed by ECI Site Construction
Management, Inc.

Why Use Drones?

When considering all of the benefits and risks of drone technology in professional practice, one
of the first questions that often comes up is “why do we need to use drones?” This question is
asked by professionals, managers, clients, and academic programs alike. The answer, however,
is usually different for each person or company as it largely depends on their current practice
and if drones have been integrated into similar fields yet.
For some, drones provide a quicker, cheaper, and more frequent way to collect data
compared with traditional methods. For others, drones offer completely new types of data
that were previously unattainable, or too expensive to attain. And for some, drones pre-
sent an entirely new way of addressing an issue or viewing a site condition. This book will
go through many of the current trends and uses of drones throughout architecture, engi-
neering, and construction industries. Hopefully, the book will also inspire new ideas and
solutions.

Chapter 2: A Paradigm Shift in Viewing the World 21

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 2-9: Drone photogrammetry point cloud; this data was collected to evaluate sedimentation deposits during con-
struction. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and ECI Site Construction Management.

Overall, there is no single answer to why you need to use drones in your practice, but most
users find that they solve issues, fill information voids, and force them to think about project
sites and their surroundings in a completely new way. The low cost of entry and shallow learn-
ing curve for drone technology, combined with its widespread adoption in many industries,
makes it difficult to not justify the investment.

The Bottom Line on Drones

Drones are becoming a game-changing technology for many industries, including architecture,
engineering, landscape architecture, planning, construction, and other infrastructure related
industries. Not only do they provide a new perspective on our surroundings, but they do so
at a minimal cost and time investment. As a result, academic programs and companies alike
are quickly adopting the technology and uncovering new and unique ways of using it to solve
problems and make processes more efficient. These range from gaining new perspectives of
existing conditions, to gathering site data, to creating base maps, to monitoring construction
progress, to evaluating ecological conditions, to viewing the finished project and gathering
post-construction data (Figure 2.9).
We are currently at a point where drones are no longer a hobby or a toy; they are professional
tools that have already been widely adopted by firms within the architecture, engineering, and
construction industries. Firms and professionals that are not currently using drones in their
business are now faced with a decision to either add drones to their practice, sub-contract drone
services, or be in a position where they cannot offer a service that is quickly becoming a standard.

22 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

3
Drone Data
Visualization
as a Full Cycle Tool

D rones are full cycle tools for AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry
projects. From start up, development, construction and post-operation, aerial imagery,
videos, photogrammetry, and data provide unparalleled information on existing conditions,
design review, on-site progress, and use of a project location. This chapter provides an outline
of drone services and data and where they integrate with projects. Case studies and project
examples will accompany many of the types of products, deliverables, datasets, and uses pro-
vided by a drone through various project types and phases (Figure 3.1).

Advantages
Understanding the fundamental advantages of utilizing a drone helps determine the type of
project use and deliverables. Five of the fundamental advantages of using drones in AEC pro-
jects are discussed below.
Affordable. First, drones have a low cost of entry for a firm to implement, especially compared
with other ways to collect similar or even less detailed data. The exact budget for implementing a
drone program is reviewed in Chapter 4. Typically, the ROI is pennies on the dollar to purchase,
learn to fly, and become compliant with a drone. While it is worth noting that there is a wide
range in the price of drones, even lower cost options can deliver high quality datasets (Figure 3.2).
Flexible. Drones are flexible tools. In many cases, a project manager or staff can bring a
drone with them to capture data during site visits that need to occur regardless of the drone
operations. Similarly, knowledgeable drone pilots can direct others in remote locations with
the required flight mission parameters needed to fly a site.
Drones can capture a wide variety of data types. Some drones allow you to switch out
­camera/sensor types or use multiple cameras/sensors at the same time (DJI Matrice series).

Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool 23

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-1: Example of photogrammetry dataset generated from drone data. Bottom left shows the flight path, the top
left shows the views captured by the drone and to the right is the generated point cloud created in Pix4D. Source:
DHM Design and City of Englewood, CO.

Fig. 3-2: DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/

File:DJI_Phantom_4Pro_04-2017_img3_in_flight.jpg. Licensed under Free Art License.

This means you can affix a LiDAR sensor, multispectral camera, or high-powered optical zoom
camera. This allows drones to be unprecedented data gatherers.
Not all drone data is needed for every project and every project will have specific require-
ments. Maybe it’s just high-resolution aerial imagery, some recording footage, or maybe it’s
more involved and requires photogrammetry, LiDAR, survey, etc. How that data is used deter-
mines the data needed. This helps keep a project focused on outcome and budget.
Range and Access. One of the biggest reasons that drones are seeing widespread adoption
within the AEC industries is their ability to give users access to difficult to reach areas and

24 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-3: Pix4D desktop software is one example of an application used to process drone photos to create aerials,
models, and point clouds. Source: DHM Design.

vantage points. Although there are legal limitations (discussed in detail in Chapter 6), drones
are able to capture perspectives of project sites from previously unreachable areas. In many
situations, drones are replacing the need for high cost plane or satellite imagery collection, as
well as high cost and high risk manual inspection methods (climbing tall structures).
Integration. Drone data is easy to merge into existing project methods and workflows. Analy-
sis is a given by the nature of the drone’s vantage point and high-resolution photos and videos.
The ability to capture elevation and topographic information provides an almost instant sur-
vey. 3D models require less context to generate renderings and simulations by simply merging
photos with 3D renders. Drone data processing software, like Pix4D, DroneDeploy, and others,
are smart, easy to use tools that extract a variety of data easily shared with others on the pro-
ject or with other software for further development or analysis (Figure 3.3).
Safety. For some industries, drones represent an ideal way to keep workers and staff safe
and at a distance while still being able to gather necessary information. From oil rigs, to power
plants, roof inspection, and infrastructure analysis, this ability keeps drone operators out of
harm’s way and accomplishes the needed tasks. This is undeniably important and a huge benefit.

Project Cycles
Below are examples of how a drone can be used in specific project phases. A drone can be
used at any time during this process and is not at a disadvantage of not being used in a prior

Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool 25

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-4: Enlargements show detailed objects that are difficult or impossible to see from the ground. This image, taken
at the Three Mile Confluence in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, shows part of an irrigation headgate which was not
visible from the ground, as well as a rock spiral created by local visitors. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and
Wright Water Engineers.

phase. However, experience has shown that flying a drone at the first possible part of a project
becomes part of the natural workflow: the drone data will assist in design decisions, uncover-
ing hidden or hard to see elements, provide clarity on any conflicts, and use the data through-
out the project (Figure 3.4).

Written Proposal
Aerial footage and videos can be used in proposals to better present your team’s knowledge of
the project site and investment in pursuing the project. Local sites should be quick to fly to get
photos and recordings. This also provides an opportunity to quickly and efficiently create ini-
tial study and analysis graphics for the proposals (Figure 3.5). Consider including a photogram-
metry map that provides a contour file, 3D mesh, and classified 3D point clouds, all of which
are excellent as proposal images.

Proposal Interview
For interviews, especially if photogrammetry was captured, a 3D model, photos, and video are
valuable analysis tools. They go a long way to separate yourself from the competition and dem-
onstrate that your team is invested in seeing the project succeed. Similarly, CAD, 3D models, or

26 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-5: Annotated drone images for a project proposal. The bird’s eye images for the Frisco, Colorado, marina were
used in PowerPoint and allowed the team to highlight specific project locations for analysis and design considerations.
Source: DHM Design.

drawn concepts can be overlaid on photos and aerials of the project to assist with presentation
(Figure 3.6).

Project Start Up
For awarded projects, drone images are great for analysis and to share with consultants and
clients. This can represent the start of tracking project progress through the use of aerial data.
Project teams can overlay design data and continue to update the information as the project
progresses.

Concept Design and Design Development

Graphic overlays with 3D models, diagrams, and CAD information, as they are designed, can be
integrated with drone footage. Use of photogrammetry 3D models and bird’s eye drone images
to overlay 3D and 2D concept options are excellent communication tools for presentations and
approvals (Figure 3.7).

Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool 27

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-6: The hand drawn site plan (top), is overlaid on the photogrammetric mesh produced from a drone scan of
Little Dry Creek in Denver, Colorado. Using 3D modeling software (SketchUp and Lumion) and Photoshop allows for
the merger of 3D drone data with 2D hand drawn concepts which is then enhanced with additional 3D modeling trees,
people, and environment (bottom). Source: DHM Design and City of Englewood, CO.

Similarly, consultants and the overall design team can easily leverage drone aerial data and
3D models to coordinate pretty much any aspect of design. More context means more team
members can be involved and understand a project location; the ability to collect this data early

28 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-7: The existing drone photo (small to the right) is overlaid with a 3D model creating this simple but effective
photo match of the new roadway.

on means not having to wait for a complete survey and allows an early start on collaborative
design while being sensitive to context. A design team can see the site and design as a whole
together allowing for more informed decisions and changes.

Construction Administration
With the ability to re-fly pre-programmed flight paths, typically automated, a construction
project can be tracked through time, in almost real-time. This kind of tracking provides accu-
rate quantification of progress, material usage and safety assessments.
Flight data is uploaded to cloud software like Site Aware, Precision Hawk, Trimble Stra-
tus, and others, which then runs comparisons against the previous flights. These intelligent
programs allow users to measure slope, perform cut-fill calculations, trace material usage and
quantities and measure progress (Figure 3.8). They can even tie into BIM software and Gantt
schedule charts. The data and information can be shared between general contractors, sub-­
contractors, design consultants, and clients.

Post-Construction
Drones allow for projects to be monitored after construction and when operations begin:
the conditions of the site, location, building, or habitat can be assessed after the start of
operations and occupancy; grade can be measured as it starts to settle, geohazards such as
landslides or rockfalls can be monitored, infrastructure performance can be tracked and

Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool 29

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-8: Drone data in Pix4D and other software can be used to measure quantity, volume, and slope, or provide cut
sections and other measurement information. The example shows Lyons, Colorado, earthwork volume calculations.
Source: DHM Design.

measured and compared against standards or trends; and design intent compared against
as-builts, etc.

Visual Communication
Drone derived products can be used to inform public process, provide outreach, do public meet-
ings, for fundraising and more. Aerial photos or videos, combined with 3D models or analysis
diagrams, are an excellent means of communication that are easy to understand in context
(Figure 3.9).

Defining Drone Data and Visualization

In order to understand how drones can be used through the stages of a project, it is important
to define some of the types of data, graphics, images, diagrams, and information that can be
derived from a UAV. While Part 3 goes into greater detail, this section will start by defining
and describing these data types. Concepts and data type examples are sprinkled through-
out the book.
For the purposes of this book, we will look at data that can be acquired from a drone
equipped with a camera. With a camera, there are three main options for collecting data:
photos, video, and photogrammetry. Photogrammetry refers to generating 3D models, ortho-
graphic aerials, contour data, and other information derived from overlapping photos taken
by a drone. Working with photos, videos, and photogrammetry, designers can produce a wide
range of deliverables and information beneficial to a project. Many of these deliverables are
described below. Where applicable, a real-world example or case study is referenced.

30 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-9: 3D rendered graphic overlays are powerful visuals to show design. A new visitor center was designed and
built for the top of Pikes Peak, Colorado. The top image shows the existing condition. The bottom image is the overlay
with the proposed design of the new visitor center. Source: DHM Design and RTA/GWWO.

2D Concept Overlay
The merging of a drone bird’s eye image with a 2D plan drawing creates a seamless overlay
conveying quick conceptual ideas and layouts. See Chapter 8 for more about this process
(Figure 3.10).

3D Concept Model Overlay

Merging of a drone bird’s eye image with a 3D model of a site concept is done through
photo matching the images in photo editing software. See Chapter 8 for more information
(Figure 3.11).

3D Mesh
A 3D mesh is a surface created from 3D polygons. Typically, these are either triangular
irregular networks (TINs) or quadrangle (quad) meshes. Most photogrammetry software,
such as Pix4D and Metashape, will create a 3D mesh. This can then be used in 3D modeling
software, including SketchUp and Blender, to model proposed conditions into the exist-
ing context.

Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool 31

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-10: Diagrams, like the one in the top right, can be overlaid onto a drone bird’s eye image of a location as shown
for this preliminary master plan upgrade for facilities at Badlands National Park. Source: DHM Design.

Fig. 3-11: 3D models are easily merged with drone photos to create powerful context rich photo matches, like this
example of Hideaway Station. Source: Hideaway Station project, completed by Chinook Landscape Architecture and
Viz Graphics.

32 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-12: Photogrammetry software can classify data. Trees, buildings, and even road surfaces can be identified and
isolated. Source: DHM Design and City of Englewood, CO.

Classified Point Clouds

Software like Pix4D (and its related device app) can generate 3D point cloud data and
­models from photogrammetry images (see Chapter 9). This data can be classified; meaning
trees, ­vegetation, and man-made structures can be identified and sorted by the software.
This classified data can be toggled off from view and removed from 3D models, meshes, and
contour data (Figure 3.12).

Construction Analysis over the Internet

Software platforms, often cloud-based, allow for the analysis of a building or a site. One main
use is to follow construction progress. Flight data can be used to estimate cut-fill calculations,
measure quantities, determine slopes, and compare day-to-day construction progress. These
tools are often processed online and are easily accessed by multiple firms, s­ ub-­contractors and
people (Figure 3.13).

Fig. 3-13: Online cloud-based tools provide access to drone collected data for an entire team. Team members
can do volume calculations, cut sections, and generally view the aerials, point cloud, and mesh information. Source:
DHM Design.

Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool 33

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-14: Contour information can be derived during the photogrammetry process for a scanned project site. The
contours created for Little Dry Creek are laid over the high-resolution aerial to show how they match up. Source: DHM
Design and City of Englewood, CO.

Contour CAD Line Work

The photogrammetry process, using software like Pix4D, can generate contour line work that
can be easily used by any software that supports DWG / DXF CAD formats (Figure 3.14).
Ground control survey points are required for accurate contour survey, 3D models, and site
data. While survey-grade contours can be produced from proper photogrammetry methods,
they are not a substitute for when a survey is legally required unless they have been collected
by a surveyor (i.e. for construction drawings). However, this is becoming more common as the
technology progresses and more surveyors are using drones to obtain this kind of data.

Drone Photography
Standard cameras, supplemented by lens filters and coupled with apps, can turn even the
simplest drone camera into a professional quality flying photo studio with 4K options. Many
custom apps are available to enhance photography (Figure 3.15).

Drone Video Footage

Standard high-resolution videos are easy to record and for most drones go up to 4K video
resolution.

34 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-15: View of the Badlands National Park captured from the drone used for marketing and project reports.
Source: DHM Design.

Using apps like Litchi allows for automated, pre-programmed flight paths providing profes­
sional grade smoothness and camera views, not easily achievable with manual flight (Figure 3.16).

Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is a raster image color coded to show elevation relief and,
topography. The color of each pixel represents a specific elevation. DEMs are commonly used in
GIS and CAD software, and can be used to create contours and hillshades.

Plant Health
An up-and-coming innovative dataset is the ability to measure vegetation health and spread.
Primarily used in agriculture to monitor crop health, it includes the ability to assess if fields are
receiving enough or too much water, too much or too little light, exposure to hazardous chemi-
cals, and even monitor pests (Figure 3.17). As software and data become smarter, we should see
software able to provide ecological analysis of non-crop, natural ecosystems and even identity
plants by species.

High-Resolution Orthorectified Image

True plan high-resolution aerials from drones provide a super high degree of detail, down to
the pebbles in some instances. These image files tend to be large (two gigs or more) but printed
out, or integrated with project software like BlueBeam, CAD and 3D models, they are excellent
coordination tools for an entire project (Figure 3.18).

Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool 35

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-16: Videos and multimedia presentations created from drone footage make for excited clients, excellent market-
ing material, and provide another level of visual data capture useful for a project, like this example of Garden of the
Gods in Colorado Springs. Source: DHM Design.

High resolution orthorectified aerials, the product of most photogrammetry processes (see
Chapter 9), can be input into software like GIS or CAD and shared among different firms,
clients, and contractors. These super high–resolution aerial maps serve as great overlays, can
be used to scale and measure for project CAD work, notes, annotations, and layout allowing for
greater coordination by teams on a project (Figure 3.19).

Site Quantities and Takeoffs

Pix4D and other photogrammetry software allow for the calculation of areas, volumes and
sections from processed drone data. From estimating quantities, to changes in volume, to cal-
culating slope and more, drones are being used on construction sites to monitor and quan-
tify progress.

36 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-17: NDVI can capture (using multispectral cameras) moisture levels and measure plant health of crops and
other planted locations. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DroneMapper_Processed_NDVI_4cm_GSD.
png. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Fig. 3-18: High-resolution aerials can capture a great amount of detail.

Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool 37

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-19: Plan graphics, notes, and design overlays are combined with a high-resolution drone orthorectified
image for conceptual design at the Three Mile Creek Confluence in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Source: Chinook
Landscape Architecture and Wright Water Engineers.

Thermal Maps
Thermal maps show real-time heat index for materials like roofs, surfaces, vegetation, and
areas. Thermal maps are used to map building heat indexes, rescue missions, and to trace leaks.

Time-Based Site Comparisons

Being able to monitor a construction site over time is saving companies millions of dollars on
projects. The relative safety of a drone is allowing construction administration that is easy to
repeat and even easier to compare progress (Figure 3.20).

38 Part 1: Introduction to Drone Practice

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 3-20: The 88th Ave Open Space and water quality project shown during initial construction (top), continued site
grading (middle), and the construction of site amenities and public areas (bottom). Source: DHM Design.

Chapter 3: Drone Data Visualization as a Full Cycle Tool 39

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
PA R T

2
Getting off
the Ground
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

Buy In

M ost new technology is met with caution by business owners, principals, and managers.
There are specific business questions that need to be addressed and understood before
an investment should be made. Drones are no exception. The intent of this chapter is to pro-
vide information on how to best pitch the costs, benefits, and return on investment to imple-
ment drones into a firm or practice.

Return on Investment (ROI)

When discussing technology, computers, hardware, software, and apps with a business owner,
it’s sometimes accompanied by a sigh of resignation. For management, those responsible for
the firm’s budget and finance, investing into a technology like drones, in particular when it’s
being requested by staff, comes with loads of questions.
Most managers and owners want the answers to the questions listed below. These represent
the typical rate of investment versus rate of return.
1. How much does the hardware/software cost?
2. How long will it take to make it profitable? How much can we charge for the service?
3. Which staff should learn to use the technology?
4. How much is training to get up and running?
5. What resources and expertise are available in and out of the office to aid in
implementation?
6. Does it fit within our current technology culture and methods/workflows?

Chapter 4: Buy In 43
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Below are systematic answers to the above questions. Starting with a general but accurate
cost estimate, each section below further elaborates on the items found in the cost sheet.

Start-Up Cost Estimate

Let’s get the hard costs out of the way. Any experienced business owner investing in tech-
nology will want to see the estimate first and foremost. Table 4.1 shows the base costs for a
drone investment. It’s making some assumptions on hourly rates and potential future costs
of drones but should serve as a baseline for the overall expenditure. The estimate is broad,
but inclusive and detailed. Not all costs will apply to every firm. For example, not everyone
will need 3D modeling software. Similarly, Adobe Creative Cloud, AutoCAD, etc. are standard
in most firms and might already be accounted for in a budget. The base approximate cost
$15,000–16,000 also covers the drone purchase, insurance and labor hours to learn to fly,
and become licensed. Annual costs beyond the first investment are less, and are also included
below in Table 4.2.
Including photogrammetry or 3D modeling capabilities requires an investment in more
software and high-grade computer hardware. Again, for most AEC firms, the software (Photo-
shop, SketchUp) and hardware are usually already budgeted for and within existing workflows­.
The specific description related to hardware, software, apps, and training are detailed in other
book chapters.

Fig. 4-1: Drone hardware packages can be customized based on the number of drones, batteries, and accessories
your company needs. Source: Image by Daniel Tal.

44 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Table 4.1 Base costs for a drone investment.

Drone Investment Sheet
All costs in USD

ITEM
DRONE COST NOTES
DJI Phantom or Mavic Pro Series $1,800.00 This is an approximate cost but includes
drone package all the base accessories wanted
in a drone.
DJI Phantom or Mavic drone
2× extra batteries Total of three batteries, one is included
with the drone.
Drone backpack
Controller lanyard
SD cards for video/photo capture
Car charger
Three-stage battery and control-
ler charger
Total $1,800.00

LICENSE AND REGISTRATION

Training material – $150.00 Best online videos to use.
RemotePilot101.com
Employee hours @$100 $4,000.00 40 hours of training time to study for
exam and learn to fly the drone.
Drone test exam for Part 107 license $150.00 Pass the test, get the license.
Drone registration $5.00 FAA drone registration – required.
Total $4,305.00

INSURANCE
Liability insurance $500.00* Covers medical or property damage in
the case of an accident.
Hull insurance $150.00* Covers damage to the actual drone.
Supplemental drone insurance $150.00 DJI Care replaces two drone losses.
Total $800.00
*Although drone liability insurance
can be purchased separately, many
general liability insurance policies will
now include drone liability.
(Continued)

Chapter 4: Buy In 45
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Table 4.1 (Continued)

Drone Investment Sheet
HARDWARE
Tablet or smart phone $300.00 The more current the better. Used to
control the drone.
Graphics computer $2,000.00 Work with photos and videos, create
multimedia presentations, process photo-
grammetry, and create 3D models.
Total $2,300.00

DEVICE APPS Apps are for smart devices, software is

for computers. Not all costs are applica-
ble to all users.
Litchi app $35.00 For flying and recording video.
Pix4D flying app $0.00 Free - for photogrammetry flight planning.
Maps Made Easy Map Pilot $10.00 For photogrammetry flight planning.
for DJI app
Map Pilot for DJI extra features Ranges Extra features include linear corridor
from mapping, terrain awareness (from NASA
$10 – 50 SRTM data), and RAW photo format.
Purchase only select features, or unlock
all features for $50.
Airmap or SkyVector $0.00 Free – airspace restrictions check.
UAV forecast $0.00 Free – weather conditions.
Total $45.00+

TOTAL COSTS not including soft- $9,250.00

ware (below)

SOFTWARE Apps are for smart devices; software are

for computers. Not all costs are applica-
ble to all users.
Pix4D photogrammetry process- $3,500.00 Available on month to month subscrip-
ing software annual tion as well.
Pix4D training $4,000 Not a steep learning curve. About 40
hours to learn to use.
Flight logging and maintenance track- Ranges
ing (Airdata UAV) free to $15/
month
Adobe Creative Cloud – photo and $800.00 Annual cost per user – Photoshop,
video processing annual Premier, Aftereffects, InDesign, etc.
Sketchup 3D modeling software $600.00 Annual cost.
annual
Lumion 3D rendering software $3,400.00 3D Rendering software.
Total $12,315.00

TOTAL COSTS with software $21,565.00

46 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Annual Expenditures
A quick chart showing maintenance and annual expenditure beyond year one is shown in
Table 4.2. Most of these costs are spread out over two years. For example, the drone license
exam by the FAA is required every two years and upgrading smart devices can be done every
two years. The variables are the drones themselves: does the firm require another drone,
more batteries, and/or current drone maintenance? For the estimate below, the full cost of
the drone hardware is included to reflect these relative costs. Most firms only require a sin-
gle drone and the option for more batteries. When new drone models are available, they are
worth the upgrade and cost. For DJI Phantom and Mavic series drones, a new line is intro-
duced every two to three years.

Table 4.2 Chart showing maintenance and annual expenditure beyond year one. All costs shown are annual, although
many costs would typically be on a two year cycle. For example, a new drone package would be reasonable to
purchase every two years; at $1,800, this equates to a $900 annual cost.

Drone Annual Costs

All costs in USD

ITEM
DRONE COST NOTES
DJI Phantom or Mavic Pro series $900.00 This is an approximate cost but includes all the
drone package base accessories wanted in a drone. These
costs represent the need for another drone, or
maintaining the current drone.
DJI Phantom or Mavic Pro
series drone
2× extra batteries
Drone backpack
Controller lanyard
SD cards for video/photo capture
Car charger
Three-stage battery and control-
ler charger
Additional batteries $180 each Drone operations will likely require more batteries
(for larger/multiple projects), as well as to replace
batteries as they age.
Total $900.00 plus
additional
batteries

LICENSE AND REGISTRATION Costs reflect two year expenditure cycle.

Training material – Remote $0.00 Already purchased.
Pilot101.com
Employee hours @$100 $1,500.00 30 hours of study time every two years.
Drone test exam for Part 107 license $75.00 Pass the test, get the license.
Total $1,575.00
(Continued)

Chapter 4: Buy In 47
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Table 4.2 (Continued)

Drone Annual Costs

INSURANCE
Liability insurance $500.00* Covers medical or property damage in the case
of an accident.
Hull insurance $150.00*
Supplemental drone insurance $150.00 DJI Care replaces two drone losses.
Total $800.00
*Although drone liability insurance can
be purchased separately, many gen-
eral liability insurance policies will now
include drone liability.
HARDWARE
Tablet or smart phone $150.00 The more current the better. Used to fly
the drone.
Graphics computer $1,000.00 Work with photos and videos, create multimedia
presentations, do photogrammetry works, and do
3D modeling.
Total $1,150.00

DEVICE APPS One time purchase with start up – no

annual costs.
Total $0.00

TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS $4,425.00

plus
addi-
tional
batteries

Rate of Return (ROR)

Getting the return on the investment answers the next important questions about budget and
financial investment. Below are strategies to monetize a drone service in-house.

Commodity
Drones can be quickly commoditized into project budgets. Designers and engineers with
a drone license can easily grab a drone, go on a site visit and, instead of just a camera, use
the drone to capture desired data. This can be easily rolled into project scope and fees
as part of the rates for project start up. Or just as easily, bump up fees to include drone
data capture as part of project site visits and describe the added benefits within the pro-
ject scope.

48 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

To calculate the costs and potential is simple, assuming a local project site. All costs are gen-
eral and approximate. Context items specific to the project that need to be factored include:
1. Cost to travel to location.
2. Amount of time to fly drone: this can be calculated at roughly 2–4 hours for every 20
acres of site to be flown. These estimates assume the drone team is flying the project
to collect photogrammetry information, photos, and videos. If doing automated grid
flights, it is also very quick and easy to pre-plan the flights in the office, which will give
you a very accurate estimate of flight time.
i. 20 acres: 2–4 hours
ii. 40–100 acres: 4–8 hours
iii. 100+ acres 4-16 and beyond
3. Time to process data: reviewing photos and processing photogrammetry is usually
equal to the number of hours flown. So, for every hour of flight time, estimate an hour
of processing work; this is the time it takes to set up processing, not how long the
software will take to process data. For larger datasets this can vary. Larger projects
can vary and this does not include using ground control points or survey information
with scans (covered in Chapter 9), which can increase the time required to set up data
processing.
4. For remote project sites, adjust the fee based on travel times and travel costs, days on
site, etc. Make sure to factor in additional day(s) due to weather conditions.
5. This approach allows for the costs to be included or rolled into the project start up and
site visit.

Include in Proposals
It is beneficial to include drone services in a proposal offering the scope of work for project
start up, site analysis, photogrammetry, and all the way through construction observation. The
advantages for including these services can be sold as:
1. Early collection of key site data like terrain, 3D model, and site analysis assists in pro-
ject start up and getting a head start on design while using detailed base information
obtained through drone collection.
2. Data collection done by qualified pilots who are also designers who understand the pro-
ject’s needs can focus on important and relevant data for a project.
3. Data can be shared across the entire project team allowing for stronger collaboration and
better results.
4. Relative low cost of drone scope.
5. Shows the firm has a tech IQ and presence; a cutting-edge advantage.
Similarly, include drones as part of the larger business development strategy. Providing presen-
tations and showing drone work to potential clients will get the word out and help promote a
firm’s design services and presence (Figure 4.2).

Chapter 4: Buy In 49
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 4-2: Stunning drone images from past projects make for great marketing materials on future projects.
Source: Image by Daniel Tal.

Project Collaboration and Deferred Costs/Cost Savings

A key advantage of drone data and images is the clarity, variety, and quality of the information.
Shared among a project team, this information can be used to collaborate on the project. For
example, for the 39th Street Greenway project a high-resolution aerial was tied into BlueBeam
software allowing the team of consultants (electrical, civil, landscape, utility, etc.) to effec-
tively design to solve issues, develop cost saving strategies, and provide detailed design layouts
(Figure 4.3).
All of the collaboration occurs through the cloud (Bentley ProjectWise in this case). At the
heart of this collaboration is the drone high-resolution aerial, the survey information, and
contours garnished from the drone data.
The cost savings alone pay for the cost of the drone investment and then some.
Having the preliminary site data, contours, aerials, etc. helps with managing the cost of
design. Design concepts can be started sooner and tested against site conditions without wait-
ing for a survey and by having detailed reference information to use and check. The information
can help in identifying design issues and considerations early on in the process. Consultants can
discuss existing conditions and formulate detailed project direction with greater clarity, find-
ing efficiencies in the process. For example, having a preliminary set of grades (2D CAD or 3D)
facilitates early ideas and concepts. Detailed high-resolution aerials give more detailed informa-
tion better than site photos, or free online aerials. The ability to use photogrammetry software
to measure volumes, view sections, and overlay other data is unprecedented for most projects in
the initial starting phase leading to more informed choices.

50 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 4-3: Drone and 3D model overlay image of the 39th Ave Greenway concept in Denver, Colorado. Source:
DHM Design.

All of these save the project time and, in turn, money. Less time needs to be spent on-site,
or revisiting a site; another savings in fees. In some instances, survey costs can be saved (even
if these are usually nominal for most projects) if the drone data is collected with a survey accu-
rate level of information in mind.

Intangible Values
Perception of a firm’s capabilities is key to clients and important for repeat business. For work
done by the authors, the client’s perception of designers using drones on projects is one of
admiration. Clients get a thrill when viewing their project from above. Clients gain greater
confidence in the firm’s overall expertise and the perception of the firm’s design and technol-
ogy IQ increases.
The added advantage of a competitive edge against other competitors is relevant; for
example, DHM design provided drone services for the City of Thornton, Colorado, as part of a
proposal. This helped secure the job for the Thornton Justice Center campus project because of
the availability of site information like the aerial and contours, not to mention the photos from
above the site. Given how fast drones are being adopted into the design sectors, the industry is
quickly approaching a tipping point of needing in-house drone services to maintain a com-
petitive edge.
Another intangible advantage is the ability to start design projects without waiting for
a survey. While a professional survey is still required in many instances (see Chapter 9),
the combination of high-resolution aerials, contours data, and 3D models produced from

Chapter 4: Buy In 51
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 4-4: Drones are a great way to gather high-resolution site images early in a project, or even before a ­project
begins. Source: Jon Altschuld/Chinook Landscape Architecture.

photogrammetry means that project design can start earlier in the process. This is a huge
advantage for coordination with other disciplines and providing preliminary ideas to clients
(Figure 4.4).

Value Added Services

Drone data can be leveraged to create varying types of deliverables, as discussed earlier in
the book. Mostly, these are graphics, videos, and plans derived from, or using, drone collected
aerial imagery, 3D models, and topographic information. These outputs can be advertised at a
greater premium cost; one that clients will pay for. Plus, these are easy products to include in
scope and proposal work alongside the basic drone services. In fact, once a firm produces their
first graphic derived examples, they should be included with all drone scope work as a separate
or additional fee. Give clients the à la carte choice.
It’s important to note that these services do require specific skilled labor and software to
create. They are covered in greater detail in Part 3, specifically Chapters 8–10.
­Here are some examples:
1. Multimedia videos. Drone footage and recordings of a site can be used to create high qual-
ity videos of existing and proposed conditions and changes for a location. Multimedia
videos are a great way to show clients the progress and final designs or can be used for

52 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 4-5: Multimedia videos are a great way to dress up drone footage by adding music, sounds, and captions.
Source: DHM Design.

discussions on existing conditions. They can also be used for public and stakeholder out-
reach, fundraising, social media marketing, and advertising on the firms website and any
place else the internet soaks up videos. Most multimedia drone videos can be produced
(using Camtasia or Adobe Premiere) within 16–24 billable hours, meaning they are a low
labor, high value product (Figure 4.5).

Fig. 4-6: Pix4D 3D point cloud of rockface along US-50 in southwest Colorado. Source: Chinook Landscape
­Architecture and Yeh and Associates, Inc.

Chapter 4: Buy In 53
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

(a)

(b)
Fig. 4-7: (a) and (b) Drone bird’s eye photos are easily used as backgrounds for context, merged with 3D models or
hand drawings, creating rich, expressive graphics. Source: DHM Design.

54 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

2. 3D models. Photogrammetry can provide 3D point cloud data that can be translated into
3D meshes or what is commonly known as a 3D model. These models can be leveraged
in various ways. First, they can be used to produce a concept design of a project location.
These can then be merged with drone images and animation. Software like Revit, Rhino,
SketchUp, MicroStation, and others work with drone 3D models. It’s not difficult to overlay
3D concept models into these drone derived models (Figure 4.7).
3. Drone video and photo matching. Merging 3D model images, animations, and even 2D
CAD or hand drawn concepts is easy to do with today’s software platforms like Adobe
Photoshop. These deliverables are more common as drone use spreads in the design
world. These images and videos provide excellent ways to convey project design ideas
within a site’s specific and current context. At DHM, doing work for the National Park
Service for Badlands National Park, drone photo matching with 3D models and 2D con-
cept overlays became the primary way for the design team and client to work through
the project phases and concepts.
4. Inspection and analysis. Analysis of structures, roads, bridges, and slope stabilization
have become easier to obtain and view with the use of drones. Using drone photogram-
metry derived 3D models and images to inspect walls, roofs, structures, and power lines
have brought the cost of these services down, making clients happy while still making a
firm money. Firms can reduce liability insurance cost and time spent on many of these
services (Figure 4.8).

Fig. 4-8: Zoomed in view of high detail 3D photogrammetric mesh for geohazard mitigation in California.
Source: C
­ hinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 4: Buy In 55
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Training Costs
Training is divided initially into two parts. The first is training time and costs to obtain the
Remote 107 license, required by the FAA to operate a UAV commercially. The FAA has a
Remote 107 fact sheet (search remote 107 license). The second part is training time to learn to
fly the drone in order to capture the desired data which is covered in Chapter 7.
Beyond the initial costs are training on software for processing data and other data delivera-
bles. These are detailed below as well.

Remote 107 License

The FAA calls this Part 107 but it’s commonly referred to as the Remote 107. We strongly rec-
ommend subscribing to www.remotepilot101.com to study for the license exam. This website
is excellent and has become the go-to site online to study for the drone test. It has excellent
content that is regularly updated and also offers renewal study videos. The drone license needs
to be renewed every two years.
It takes about 40 hours to study and take the exam. The exam costs $150 at any local offi-
cial FAA training center and takes about 40 minutes. We recommend setting aside the time
to study and take the exam and not spread out the studying over long stretches as that has
proven less effective.

Fig. 4-9: Photogrammetry software, while relatively straightforward, does require time for training and ­understanding
in order to use correctly and deliver quality results. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and Yeh and
­Associates, Inc.

56 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Software and Photogrammetry Training Costs

Learning how to use photogrammetry software should be factored into the cost of training.
Software like Pix4D or DroneDeploy, while relatively easy, does require some time to learn to
use correctly. There are plenty of online videos and tutorials to help assist in the learning pro-
cess (depending on the software). However, even after the initial learning hours, the ability to
generate more accurate photogrammetry requires more time spent learning and playing with
the various software; anticipate some additional training costs for each project that involves
photogrammetry, even though these can be minimal (Figure 4.9).
Similarly, to work with RTK and GPS survey drones or stations (see Chapter 9) requires
greater research and training time. In fact, this starts entering into survey education terri-
tory, which can be a deep well of information depending on the firm’s goal of using a drone:
the accuracy of the information required for a project indicates the continuing research and
education costs. Assume similar costs and training for doing 3D concept modeling with higher
end modeling and rendering software. One way of realizing these costs is to hire someone
proficient in these areas and integrate their experience into the drone flying and data collec-
tion goals.

Permissions Costs
In general, there are usually no costs associated with obtaining permission for flying a drone.
However, it’s worth mentioning in this section to budget for costs in terms of research and
time spent in contacting clients, municipalities, or any other important jurisdiction where
the drone is going to be flown. For example, to fly the drone in Badlands National Park took
an additional 16 hours of work to fill out forms, generate flight maps, and correspond with
National Parks officials. For flying over the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak took time
to formulate flight plans and fill out forms, and also correspond with the City of Colorado
Springs. To fly a location in Billings, Montana, near the airport, took 8 hours. Remember to
factor in these costs when flying some locations.

Chapter 4: Buy In 57
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

Getting Started

T his chapter is a road map for implementation. It reviews basic drone features, gear, and
flight apps. Included are important skills, understanding hardware, and a review of specific
software. These are all qualities required for a well-rounded drone program.
This chapter will review the following:
1. What you need to know about drones (hardware) and how to select a drone.
2. Related computer devices, including tablets, smart devices, laptops, and desktops and
how they impact workflow.
3. A detailed review of drone software, what they do, when to use them, and recom-
mendations.
4. A quick review of hardware related to processing drone data like photogrammetry.

AEC Drone Standard Features

There are many drones available on the market. However, drones are not created equal, each
one varying in strengths and weaknesses. The authors both use and recommend the DJI
Phantom Series and Mavic Pro Series drones by DJI as affordable and capable platforms. At
the time of writing, this means the Phantom 4 Pro V2 or the Mavic 2 Pro. To step up from
the P
­ hantom/Mavics would mean either the DJI Inspire 2 or the DJI Matrice 200/210 or 600
series (­Figure 5.1). All of these are excellent flyers, capture high quality data, are intelligent,
and include lots of supporting features and apps, and decent consumer support. Regardless of
which drones are available, DJI is still the authors’ preferred drone manufacturer for AEC work.

58 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

(a) (b)

(c) (d)
Fig. 5-1: DJI Phantom 4 Pro (a), Mavic 2 Pro (b), Matrice 210 (c), and Inspire 2 (d), respectively. Source: Jon Alts-
chuld, drone courtesy of DJI Colorado (Centennial, CO).

The drone industry is a large, expanding market, but with surprisingly few manufactur-
ers. DJI, at the time of writing, owns 70% of the global commercial drone market. That looks
likely to continue for the foreseeable future due to DJI’s range of consumer-professional grade
drones, easy to use software, and affordable prices. The Phantom and Mavic series drones are
recommended. Specifically the Phantom 4 Pro version 2 and the Mavic Pro version 2 can meet
most AEC needs for imagery, videos, and photogrammetry. For the qualities listed below, the
Phantom series is used as a reference.
Another alternative is the DJI Phantom RTK drone. The Phantom RTK drone uses the same
body as the Phantom 4 drone series. However, this drone is more expensive, because it includes

Chapter 5: Getting Started 59

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 5-2: DJI Phantom 4 Pro controller. Source: Jon Altschuld.

RTK GPS receivers (ranging in price from $6,000 to $10,000 depending on the setup). The RTK
drone can connect to free public local or national survey systems, for example in the US that
would be the CORS network, and can supplement ground control points (required for accurate
surveys, see Chapter 9). You can also pay and subscribe to private survey networks.

Flying Skills
Control, stability, and speed are at the heart of a solid AEC drone. Drones should be able to
hover accurately in place the instant they take off. The ability to quickly correct and stabilize
(because of active GPS connection and positioning) in winds and during high speed flights
(stop on a “dime”) is important. This is the necessary level of control desired. DJI Mavic, Phan-
tom, Matrice, and Inspire drones include a sport mode to allow for higher speeds to go longer
distances while conserving battery life. In addition, drones should be easy to control in any
direction of flight and quick to respond to control inputs (Figure 5.2).
The flight controller (what you hold in your hands) is also key to a drone’s flying skills. In
most cases, you will want to use a flight controller that can plug into your smart phone or tab-
let. Avoid dedicated controller screens that are built into the controller when possible. Using a
plugged in smart device allows for you to run different third party apps (detailed below), which
are often not available on flight controllers with dedicated screens. The Phantom and Mavic
series allows for both types of controls (smart phone and dedicated screen).

60 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

High Quality of Data

Most drones have cameras; however many cheaper ones do not have a gimbal. A gimbal uses
an internal gyroscope to keep the camera steady throughout flight, providing a smooth, bump
free video and image. For AEC work a drone with a gimbal is essential to generate quality data
and professional images/videos. Also essential is the use of a 4K camera, common with most
drones. The Phantom and Mavic drones have a fixed camera with a gimbal. They have smooth
flight but do not allow for full control of the camera other than pitch (up and down angle).
Otherwise the forward direction of the drone dictates the cameras direction. This is fine for
AEC projects and does not impede operations or gathering images, video, and data.
The DJI Inspire, the next level up drone from DJI for image/video collection, allows for full
independent camera control. The primary pilot operates the drone, while a secondary pilot
operates the camera from a separate controller. The Inspire can also be set up to be completely
controlled by a single pilot. The Inspire also has several camera and lens options that can be
swapped out.

Power and Flight Time

Drone maximum flight times are relatively short. Lithium ion batteries that power drones are
slowly improving, but the better drones are constructed from lightweight, durable compos-
ite material (for example the DJI Matrice is a carbon fiber: light and near indestructible) with
smart power management built in. In the case of the Phantom and Mavic Series, this equates to
approximately 27 minutes of flight time in good conditions. At the time of writing, this was the
upward limits for flight duration (for a drone of that size) (Figure 5.3). Most automated drone
apps will bring the drone home or end a mission when the drone hits 20 or 30% battery life. You
always want to have enough power to bring the drone home, and you don’t want to be landing at
0% battery. When the battery hits 0% all power is gone. Battery amount is impacted by tempera-
ture, wind, and continuous video recording. High winds force the drone to compensate using
more battery. Keeping the video recording throughout a flight uses more power. And lower temps
cause the battery to dispense energy at a faster rate (ideal battery temperature is 59 °F).
DJI offers smart batteries for their drones. These smart batteries are quick to charge and
come with all sorts of data that can be tracked to determine battery health and life. They are
stable and help manage power to maximize flight times. There are platforms like Airdata UAV
that allow you to read the data from the smart battery, assessing the battery’s health, if it has
run into any issues and power drains, the number of times it has been charged, and general
tracking of the power cells and their health.

Flight Controller Automations

AEC level drones should use smart algorithms to perform almost all functions from flight,
power management, and calibration. The drone should be able to complete autonomous flights
using apps, return to home when losing connection or another emergency, avoid obstacles, and
provide weather conditions warnings. The drone system must be compatible and able to work
with apps to perform functions outside of its stock features. These include mounting different

Chapter 5: Getting Started 61

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 5-3: DJI Phantom 4 Pro batteries. Source: Jon Altschuld.

cameras and sensors, and programming complex and repeated flight paths for the drone
to follow.
Again, the DJI series of drones allows for all of the above. They include five direction colli-
sion sensors and warnings when near objects as well as weather indicator and location warn-
ings, such as if you are near restricted airspace. All of this is valuable in-flight telemetry.

Third Party Apps

To obtain smooth flight paths or gather photogrammetry data and construction information,
third party apps are at the heart of drone flying. DJI does make their own flight controller
app; this is great for certain types of flights, but third party apps open up a wider range of
capabilities. Because DJI has such a large share of the drone market, many apps are developed
for DJI drones. These include apps like Litchi, Maps Made Easy Map Pilot, and Pix4Dcapture,
all reviewed below. In short, you want apps that support the drone with seamless integration
and interface. From the moment you start the app, fly the drone, and bring it back, there
should be few to no issues and the drone should do its job of collecting data or recording
footage. DJI drones have many app options for filming, capturing photogrammetry data, and
maneuvering.
As mentioned, it is often necessary to use a tablet or smart phone to fly a drone to access
these apps.

62 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Support and Troubleshooting

Inevitably, you will have to troubleshoot your drone and apps. You should expect that to hap-
pen. And expect to go online to look for answers and help, not just from the manufacturer,
like DJI, or the app you are using. Companies offer various levels of support. However, with so
many people using DJI drones, and associated popular apps, there is a large, organic support
network online. Do a search on your issue and review the links. More often than not you will
find a solution to the issue.

Drone Packages
There are many types of drones available on the market, and also many drone “packages” (see
Chapter 4 for costs) containing the same drone, which can be confusing. However, these pack-
ages often offer affordable pricing for a drone, extra batteries, and other accessories.
Below is a list of items to consider including in a starter package. You can purchase drones
directly from the DJI website and customize the package. There are also deals through Ama-
zon and other vendors that are more affordable. We recommend a package that includes the
items below.
1. Current DJI Phantom, Mavic, and Inspire drones: These drones come with one battery and
a standard controller.
2. Two or more extra batteries: Batteries mean flight time, and the more your operation
grows, the more batteries you will need to buy. Having three batteries to start with gives
you the ability to make multiple flights at a site and make site visits worthwhile. Six bat-
teries are ideal and should be the goal providing you back up just in case.
3. Car charger: to plug in batteries and charge them out in the field. Always allow recently
used batteries to fully cool before re-charging.
4. Multiport charger: These work with car chargers or regular outlets. It allows you to charge
three batteries in sequence. Each battery is charged one at a time but you don’t have to
babysit changing the batteries as they charge.
5. Controller lanyard: This clips into the controller and slips around your neck. This is essen-
tial as it ensures you won’t drop the controller and it sits comfortably around your neck,
taking the weight out of your hands. This is a must have.
6. Backpack or case: Another must have item. This allows you to take the drone and accesso-
ries just about anywhere and transport them safely.
7. Waterproof sleeve: This is for the backpack to keep it dry.
8. Micro SD card reader: This allows you to download the videos and images from the drone
SD card to a computer. Great to have this out in the field with a laptop and download
and review images after flights.
9. Micro SD card : 64 GBs of memory is recommended, which can fill up fast. Check the DJI
recommended SD card. This is important to ensure the card can correctly sync with the
drone to effectively record videos and photos. With HD ultra high writing speed (look
for UHS Class 3 cards) these cards can keep up with the camera taking snapshots or
recording videos.

Chapter 5: Getting Started 63

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

There are other drone companies, like Yuneec and Parrot, as well as fixed wing drones. How-
ever, for the purposes of this book, as already stated, we use DJI Phantom drones as they are
well tested, reliable, and affordable. Fixed wing drones have seen great success in certain appli-
cations, particularly for very large areas that do not need ultra high – resolution data. However,
they are much more expensive than quadcopter drones and so their use has been more limited
to projects that can support their cost and use.

Applications and Software

There are many apps that can be discussed for drone use. Chapter 9 goes into greater detail
(and examples) of some of the recommended software to use with the DJI series of drones;
much of the software listed can be used with a wide range of drones. We are going to focus on
some popular ones that have regular updates and support. The apps are subdivided into multi-
ple categories and subcategories based on use and function.
Below are the three main categories of apps/software and their associated subcategories,
with a list of useful apps worth trying.

Device Apps
These are apps for smart phone and tablets that are available from the Apple or android store.
Many are free, have a free trial, or are low cost. There is a broad range of apps; the ones listed
below are recommended for most AEC projects. DJI and many other drone manufacturers have
their own flying app as well. For example, the DJI GO app, allows for the interface and control
of a drone through a smart device.
When it comes to these types of apps, we strongly recommend experimentation and prac-
tice. There are always news apps on the market, and given the relatively young age of the drone
industry, there is constant development and improvement. Similarly, don’t stick to one app for
any discreet task. Load up the various competing apps, check conditions on one or all of them
and be flexible about which ones you use. Online forums and communities are also a great
resource to see how others are using the available apps.

Categories
There are five discreet categories apps provide functions for. Below are detailed descriptions
for each category and recommended apps readers can start out with and use in their practice.
The apps below can be found in the Apple and Android stores.
1. Flight conditions
2. Video and photo recording
3. Photogrammetry
4. Insurance
5. Online portals

Flight Conditions
Flight conditions relate to weather, FAA airspace limits, and location specific rules and restric-
tions. For example, some apps will indicate if you’re near a heliport, restricted airspace or no

64 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

fly zone, wind speed, visibility, etc. Many apps overlap functions providing weather and loca-
tion information. It is important to note that sometimes these apps are not always accurate,
for weather conditions in particular. It is most important to assess a flying location first hand
and determine if it is ok to fly. It is the responsibility of the pilot to use the standard approach
outlined by the FAA (part of the Remote 107 exam and rules, see Chapter 6) to determine
flight conditions. These apps are not intended as a replacement.
C AirMap: To check local flying rules, proximities, and restrictions, AirMap is a current
app of choice. It provides weather conditions and the ability to create flight plans
and logs. It’s an excellent example of a multifaceted flight conditions map. AirMap
also integrates UAV laws for over 20 countries. Furthermore, AirMap provides access
to the FAA LAANC permissions system to obtain permissions to fly the drone in US
restricted airspace.
C SkyVector: This is actually a website, so it can be used on either a desktop computer or a
mobile device. SkyVector is an interactive web map that allows users to view aeronautical
sectional charts. These depict the FAA airspaces that you are required to adhere to when
flying commercially (Figure 5.4).
C UAV Forecast: Excellent holistic app. A simple message at the top of the app indicates if
you’re good or not good to fly.
C Windy: Detailed, up the minute wind information, which is crucial for flying in locations
with higher or unpredictable wind conditions. Windy provides info from local weather
stations and also wind and gust forecasts from multiple weather forecasting models
(Figure 5.5).

Fig. 5-4: FAA Sectional Charts and Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) are viewable for free in SkyVector. Source:
SkyVector.com.

Chapter 5: Getting Started 65

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 5-5: Screenshot of Hurricane Dorian wind speeds in Windy iPhone app.

Video and Photo Recording

Recording drone footage, photos, or videos is a very standard affair. There are many apps to
select from, and, like flight condition apps, many apps overlap in function allowing for various
recording of data. Listed below are apps that assist with recording straight photography and
video footage and not data or photogrammetry data collection (see next category).
C DJI GO: The DJI basic flight app is a quick and easy way to record photos and videos.
Simply click on the button and it will start recording. Tap the screen during a video

66 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 5-6: DJI Go app screenshot. Source: Jon Altschuld.

recording flight and you can capture a photo as well. To add more control over photo and
video recordings, DJI Go offers many custom, manual features including changing the
photo or recording ratio (4:3 versus 16:9 for example), color levels, capturing RAW pho-
tos or full channel videos (DLOG and LUT). There is a plethora of options to select from.
This is a solid app to use and if you use a DJI drone, you will learn to use these features
(Figure 5.6).
C Litchi: This is the recommended app for recording video and is becoming an industry
standard. Simple to use with excellent features if you want to capture smooth, consist-
ent, professional grade footage without being a pro; this is a must use app. Litchi has a
very useful online portal best accessed through a laptop or desktop. It allows for precise
creation of flight paths for the drone, including the adjustment of parameters such as
flight speed, camera direction, focus, smooth gimbal movements, being able to take
snapshot photos while recording video and more. Once the flight paths are created
online, the device app can be easily accessed (just log into your app) and with a click of
the button, the drone will take off, fly, record, and land on its own. These flight paths
can be created directly in the app as well, either before flight or during flight.

Chapter 5: Getting Started 67

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

For many people learning to fly a drone, capturing solid video footage is a challenge.
Jerky and quick flight motions make videos hard to watch. Litchi solves that issue and
then some. Litchi is reviewed in greater detail in Chapter 8.

Photogrammetry
There are several options for the capture of photogrammetry quality images and processing
(photogrammetry is covered in detail in Chapter 9). Because photogrammetry uses photos, any
app that captures photos can be used to collect the necessary data for photogrammetry. How-
ever, photogrammetry requires a large number of photos with regular overlaps, and there are
a number of apps that automate the capture of these photos. Each app below has an associated
web portal or software to process the data, but they are interchangeable. For example, photo-
graphs collected with the Maps Made Easy Map Pilot app can be processed with Pix4D or any
other photogrammetry software.
These apps are similar in use. Users define the area to fly through the device app. These are
usually flight grids or circular flight paths. The app then uploads the flight plan to the drone
and automates the entire flight process. The apps allow users to set the scanning resolution
(from 1/2 inch to 1 inch, etc.), provide estimated flight times, adjust the scanning paths, etc.
Once the flight is completed, users are required to upload the collected images either to the
apps cloud service or to a local software. This is detailed more below for each app.
The authors recommend all the apps listed below for this type of work. Each has its own
way of working and it will come down to preference and comfort.
C Maps Made Easy Map Pilot: In the Maps Made Easy Map Pilot app, simply touch the
screen to create a boundary area for your location and the app does the rest. You
can set the resolution based on flight height – the lower the drone flight eleva-
tion, the longer the flight and the more detailed the resolution. The app provides
full flight automation.
Once the flight data and images are recorded, either upload the images through the
Maps Made Easy website where the images are processed, or insert the photos into other
photogrammetry software. Maps Made Easy processing fees are based on the total num-
ber of images and output that are required. The website and app also allow for pre-flight
planning and saved paths to determine flight duration and locations.
The website is easy to use and includes quick tutorials (Figure 5.7).
C Pix4Dcapture: The Pix4Dcapture app provides multiple flight options and data record-
ing: 2D flight grids for quick, high-resolution aerials, oval flight paths, and detailed grids
for 3D generated data. The flight paths, once inputted into Pix4Dcapture, are fully
automated. Flight paths can be set up during pre-flight stages and run once in the field
(Figure 5.8).

68 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 5-7: Maps Made Easy app screenshot. Source: Jon Altschuld.

The data can be uploaded to Pix4D’s cloud or can be run locally through the Pix4D
Mapper software. The Pix4D online and desktop software require more nuance and invest-
ment in time to learn to use but provide some of the best outputs and more control than
fully automated processing such as Maps Made Easy (such as adding Ground Control for
geo-rectified data). Classified point cloud and 3D model data, AutoCAD/DWG contour
lines, and elevations maps are all possible outputs. Running the software to process the
data locally is faster than using the provided cloud service but requires a powerful com-
puter (see hardware below).
C DroneDeploy: This is a popular competitor to Pix4D and offers the same types of fea-
tures including automated flight paths, as well as online and local software to process
the data. For most users, choosing between the two will come down to personal prefer-
ence (Figure 5.9).

Chapter 5: Getting Started 69

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 5-8: Pix4Dcapture app screenshot. Source: Daniel Tal.

Fig. 5-9: DroneDeploy app screenshot. Source: Daniel Tal.

70 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Insurance
Liability coverage is reviewed in greater detail in Chapter 6. Two apps, Verifly and Sky-
watch, provide spot coverage for flying a drone site. Charging as little as $5 an hour, app
users can obtain coverage for a specific flight location. Coverage prices vary, as do the
amount covered (for example up to $1 million versus $500,000). These apps are great for
people who do not carry comprehensive business insurance. Both these apps also offer
hull insurance in addition to liability coverage.
In addition, the apps indicate the conditions in the flying location and how they relate to
the cost of coverage. A dense urban area near an airport might cost between $25 and $30 an
hour and have a lower policy liability.
Otherwise, there is not much difference between the two apps so this comes down to user
preference. For those starting out (including hobbyists) we recommend using these apps until
you need to obtain comprehensive insurance.

Online Portals
Some phone and tablet apps have associated online portals that work in tandem or have syn-
ergistic uses. For example, the Litchi app has an online portal that can be used from a laptop
or desktop. This portal can be used to pre-plan flight paths, camera angles, and drone speed,
among other features. These missions can be saved and then uploaded to the Litchi device
app. Pix4D, DroneDeploy, and Maps Made Easy have a flying app for your device and powerful
online and desktop software where data is uploaded and processed.

Desktop Software
Desktop and laptop software are usually powerful platforms that provide a variety of needs
ranging from video and photo editing to 3D modeling and photogrammetry processing to
be used on a laptop or desktop to process images, videos, and data. Many of these platforms
require more robust computer hardware or specific requirements to run efficiently. This is
reviewed below under hardware.

Photogrammetry
To process photogrammetry images (see Chapter 9) requires accessing software through a web
page and cloud service or dedicated local software. This is noted above for Maps Made Easy,
Pix4D and DroneDeploy. Chapter 9 discusses the details of processing photogrammetric data,
as well as several software options.

Photo Matching and Editing

Adobe Photoshop is an industry standard software that is used to touch up drone photos. A
photo editing software is required to produce drone photo matching which is the combination
of 3D models, 2D plan graphics, and 2D CAD plans over drone images and aerials.

Chapter 5: Getting Started 71

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Multimedia and Video Editing

Listed below is the recommended video editing software readily available at most firms.
1. Camtasia, by TechSmith, is an easy to use, affordable, stable video editing software. It
allows for captions, titles, graphics, animations, and many video outputs (like MP4).
2. Adobe Premiere Pro, like Photoshop, comes as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud package.
This is relatively easy to use, full featured editing software. It can handle large video files
and provides many options for touching up videos.
3. Adobe After Effects: Also part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, this high-powered video
editing software has been used for years to post-produce Hollywood films and special
effects. It is a required to be able to merge drone footage with animated 3D models. The
process is not simple and requires a knowledged user to perform.

Computer Hardware
When talking about computer hardware, we are typically referring to laptops or desktops to
crunch drone data, like images, videos, and photogrammetry. For laptops and desktops, the
three most important elements are the CPU, for example Intel-i9 or better chips, RAM, and
graphics card or GPU. There are three basic levels of computers you will want to process and
work with drone data:
Images and simple videos: If you only want the images and basic videos, almost any device
these days can handle that. Even basic to more advanced photo editing does not require
anything beyond a simple laptop.
Multimedia and 3D visualization: Merging drone footage with 3D models is an effective
presentation graphic. Similarly, processing high-resolution 4K drone video requires solid
processing, RAM, and graphic cards. These computers usually require top end, multi-
core processors, a minimum of 24–32 gigs of RAM and the best (recommended) NVidia
GeForce graphics card (on the market). These computers can be both laptops or desktops.
Many gaming computers fit this bill but it is still best to build a custom computer, through
a local computer service shop or go online and customize a system through gaming/indus-
try specific computer websites like iBuyPower, XI computers, Falcon, Dell, and others. The
average cost for these computers and laptops is around $1,000–4,000.
Photogrammetry: In many cases the multimedia and 3D computers are enough to do photo­
grammetry, but very detailed, large scale data processing times can be long. Most photogram-
metry software uses ALL of the computer’s resources in various phases to produce a point
cloud, 3D mesh, and classified data (reviewed in Chapter 3). Some companies build photo-
grammetry processing computers. In simplest terms these computers max out RAM (for
example 128 gigs), use a top rated or top tier CPU chip and motherboard, and the highest
end graphics card (if not multiple cards). These computers are ideal if you process at least
1 to 2 large drone datasets per week. The typical starting cost is no lower then $3,000.
Puget Systems (https://www.pugetsystems.com/solutions/engineering/photogrammetry.
php) builds photogrammetry specific computers. The other option is to build a computer
from off the shelf parts (that you can get from Micro Center for example).

72 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

CPU
The CPU, or processor, plays the lead role in processing the millions of data points and pix-
els from all of the photographs. CPUs are defined by their speed (measured in GHz), and the
number of processing cores they have. Most, if not all, desktop photogrammetry software can
utilize multi-core processors. As a result, it is best to find a balance between high speed and
high core count. Many processors not only have multiple cores, but also multiple threads. This
means that each core can handle multiple processes at a time. For example, you may see proces-
sors listed as 4 core/8 thread. This means they have four cores, but each core can act as a dual
core processor.

GPU
The GPU, or video card, is traditionally used to process what is being shown on monitors
or displays. However, they have been used more recently as a powerful way to process large
amounts of data, similar to the CPU. Different software can utilize the GPU in different ways,
so it is important to check what each software company recommends. An important factor to
any GPU is the amount of dedicated memory on the card. This memory is dedicated only to
the GPU processes, as opposed to being shared with the rest of the computer components. The
more dedicated memory, the better. Of course, the more dedicated memory, the costlier the
card will be.

RAM
The RAM memory is the memory that the CPU uses to complete all of the processes. Although
sometimes confused with storage memory (hard drives), this memory is completely separate
and different. RAM memory is used during processes and is freed up when processes are not
occurring. RAM can be upgraded (both by speed and amount), but the maximum amount of
memory is typically limited by the computer’s motherboard capabilities.

Storage Memory
The final limiting component is storage memory. This is where the actual files are stored and
is typically either a hard drive or a server. While this is less limiting than the CPU, GPU, and
RAM, it is still an important consideration for two reasons. First, certain photogrammetry
steps will run quicker if the storage drive it is working off is a fast drive. There are multiple
options ranging from mechanical hard drives (slow), to SSD solid state drives (faster), to
NVME M.2 (very fast) cards. The second reason is that photogrammetry files and their associ-
ated photographs take up a lot of storage space. Efficiently organizing the files and having a set
process/procedure for archiving older projects is key to running a successful drone photogram-
metry process.
It is not recommended to use laptops with photogrammetry. The process makes a computer
run hot and laptops, even with additional fans for ventilation, can be overheated by this pro-
cess. Desktops, custom ones in particular with larger towers, more fans and better ventilation,
are better suited to transfer and reduce heat.

Chapter 5: Getting Started 73

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

6
Documentation,
Permissions,
and License

T his chapter will review the licensure and documentation important to operating a drone
for commercial use. Most of the requirements are pretty straightforward and in some
instances are just recommended. It is worth implementing even the suggested documents and
record keeping to maintain effective, safe, and legal drone business.

Professional Etiquette for Professional Practice

Although professional use of drones is arguably in its infancy, it is progressing quickly and
drones are being used in a very wide range of fields. As a result, drone use is growing more
rapidly than standards of practice, and legal regulations in particular, are being developed. This
chapter will detail the legal requirements, the gray areas, and the common sense practices for
using drones in professional settings. Always err on the side of caution and safety when unsure
of how a regulation applies to your situation, or if there is not yet a regulation for your situ-
ation. Because drones are visible and exciting, one user acting irresponsibly has a large effect
on how the overall industry is viewed. The more drone users follow a professional standard of
conduct the better the perception of the industry in the eyes of the public.

The Legal Rules

For the purposes of this book, we will focus on legal rules and regulations within the United
States of America. Within the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the regulating
and enforcing agency for aerospace and airspace. Although each country has it’s own regula-
tions, many are very similar to the FAA’s, and so it is worthwhile to be familiar with the FAA
regulations. Their mission is “to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the

74 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 6-1: Screenshot of the FAA website for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Source: FAA.gov.

world” (https://www.faa.gov/about/mission/) (Figure 6.1). To understand how the FAA regu-

lates drone use, we have to first take a brief look at the history of drone regulations.
Historically, the FAA has been much more focused on manned aviation operations than
unmanned, but they do have jurisdiction over both. Prior to the widespread adoption of drone
use, the FAA’s unmanned regulations pertained mostly to hobbyists and commercial operators
with very expensive fixed wing aircraft. The number of operators (hobby and commercial) was
relatively small and the potential for conflict between manned and unmanned operations was
also relatively small.
As drones became cheaper to buy and easier to fly, the FAA has had to create new regula-
tions for their use, particularly commercial use. These regulations started as very cumbersome
and difficult to obtain Certificate of Authorizations (COAs) in the later 2000s, in which a

Chapter 6: Documentation, Permissions, and License 75

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

public entity had to be a sponsor of each individual application. The FAA Modernization and
Reform Act of 2012 slightly improved this process by instead requiring commercial users to
apply for a 333 exemption. These exemptions typically took six months or so to obtain, but
they were less restrictive and more commercial entities were able to secure them. However,
most 333 exemptions still required the operator to obtain an FAA Airman’s Certificate. There
are various types of Airman’s Certificate, such as private pilot’s licenses. One of the more com-
mon certificates that drone pilots were obtaining during the “333 exemption era” was a lighter-
than-air (LTA), or hot air balloon, pilot license. As you can imagine, this was a big limitation to
the commercial drone industry.
While the 333 exemptions seemed over-limiting at the time, they provided a temporary set
of regulations while the FAA developed a permanent set of rules specifically for commercial
drone use. In 2016, the Small Unmanned Aircraft Rule, or Part 107 for short, was released.
Part 107 details rules and regulations for commercial drone use, and it also introduced a new
category of airman’s certificate: the Remote Pilot Certificate.

Part 107
In order to fly a drone commercially, one must adhere to the Small Unmanned Aircraft Rule,
also known as 14 CFR Part 107, or just Part 107. To fly under Part 107, one must test for
and receive a Remote Pilot Certificate, register the UAS/drone, and follow all Part 107 rules
(Figure 6.2). Under FAA rules, a small unmanned aircraft weighs less than 55 pounds, includ-
ing payload.

Fig. 6-2: Example of an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate card. Source: Jon Altschuld.

76 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

The first step to flying commercially is to study for, and pass, the aeronautical knowledge
test for a Remote Pilot Certificate. Eligibility requirements are fairly simple and include being
at least 16 years old, being able to read, speak, write, and understand English, and being in a
physical and mental condition to safely operate a drone. If you meet these prerequisites, you
can register for the knowledge test. The test is an electronic, multiple choice exam, and you
receive results upon completion. Study material for the exam is available from a wide variety of
sources online, including the FAA’s “Safety Team” (FAASTeam) website. Another great source of
study material is RemotePilot101.com, which provides study courses and sample test questions
for a fee.
Following completion of the exam, one must create an IACRA account and wait for the FAA
systems to receive the test results (Figure 6.3). Once this is done, a plastic certification card is
sent to the recipient through the mail. The Remote Pilot Certificate is good for two years, at
which point a recurrent test must be taken to maintain the certificate. Both the initial and recur-
rent test must be scheduled and taken at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center (KTC).
Although the Remote Pilot Certificate, or license, is one of the most talked about steps to
flying commercially, it is not the only one. The aircraft must be registered with the FAA, and
the pilot must still adhere to all Part 107 rules. Registration is a simple and straightforward
process, and can usually be completed in under 10 minutes on the FAA website.
A full listing of the Part 107 rules can be found online, but they include:
C Aircraft must weigh less than 55 pounds, including payload
C Fly in Class G airspace
C Aircraft must remain within visual line of sight (VLOS) of pilot
C Do not fly over people
C Do not fly over moving traffic
C Do not fly above 400 feet AGL
For many of the Part 107 rules, a waiver or authorization can be applied for. For example,
although the rule is to only fly within Class G airspace, you can apply for an authorization to
fly within any airspace, for example Class B, C, or E which are restricted locations. The FAA
is under no obligation to grant such an authorization, but with proper planning and safety
provisions, they are regularly granted. Depending on the complexity of the rule, the requested
action, and the required review, turnaround on waivers and authorizations vary from minutes
to several months.

Permissions – LAANC
Airspace authorizations in particular have been prioritized by the FAA, and they have created
the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, or LAANC, system. LAANC is an
automated authorization system in which pilots can apply for immediate authorizations within
many airspaces around airports. The LAANC does not give blanket access to all airspaces, but it
is a huge improvement over the previous case-by-case review method. For many airports, there
is still a no fly zone immediately around it. Further out, there will typically be areas that can

Chapter 6: Documentation, Permissions, and License 77

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 6-3: Screenshot of IACRA website. Source: iacra.faa.gov.

be flown up to 100 feet AGL with an automated authorization, followed by areas further out in
which flights up to 400 feet AGL can be flown with automated authorization.
The LAANC system can be accessed using apps like AirMap and Skyward (they have a
website as well, Figure 6.4) or through the LAANC website. You will be required to register and
provide information about your flight, location, and time. Authorization, if approved, can be
quick. The process is seamless. Please note, this is not the same as applying for an FAA wavier.
The FAA waivers are for deviating from Part 107 flight rules.

Fig. 6-4: (a) Screenshot of the United States in the Skyward.io LAANC interactive map interface. Yellow areas have certain
airspace restrictions that you can have authorizations automatically approved for. Red areas are either not part of the LAANC
system or are more restrictive. These will require the traditional FAA waiver process. (b) Screenshot of the LAANC interactive
map in Skyward.io. By clicking on each yellow area, the system shows what ceiling altitude an automated approval can be
applied for. In this case, the center area containing the airport itself will not allow for any automated authorizations (ceiling of
0 feet). The next “layer” out will allow for automated authorizations up to a 100 feet ceiling (from ground, not from structures),
and the furthest “layer” will allow for automated authorizations up to a 400 feet ceiling. Source: Skyward.io.

78 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

(a)

(b)

Chapter 6: Documentation, Permissions, and License 79

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Permissions – State, Agency, County, and City Regulations

In addition to the FAA rules, many states, agencies, counties, and cities have tried to imple-
ment their own drone use rules. Generally, these organizations do not actually have jurisdic-
tion over the airspace above their property, and the FAA is the governing body. However,
they do have jurisdiction over what occurs on their property and many have enacted policies
regulating the takeoff and landing of drones on their property in an effort to regulate drone
use. While this has created a patchwork of rules that can be confusing to keep up with, it is
always prudent to research and sometimes even contact the jurisdiction in which you plan to
fly. Adhering to local regulations may require extra paperwork or applications, but adhering to
their rules will help to establish yourself as a professional, rather than a random drone opera-
tor trying to skirt the rules. Often in the AEC industries, the local municipality or agency is
also the client, and it’s never a good idea to ignore the clients’ regulations (Figure 6.5),

Permissions – DJI FlySafe and Geo Zones

DJI has its own website to restrict drones from flying in specific locations, in particular within
five miles of an airport or similar regulations. It is important to check any location you will fly
with a DJI drone at https://www.dji.com/flysafe/geo-map or do a search for DJI geo-map. This
process can be fairly involved so it’s crucial to do this before going to any mission site in order
to ensure you can fly.
You can find the exact location you plan on flying and if there is a restriction to either
take off or to a vertical flight limitation. If there are any restrictions on taking off or if you
are limited to a specific flight height that is below the mission requirements, you will need to
unlock the drone for that mission through the DJI Geo Zone Map website. Failure to do so can
cause the drone to refuse take off and fly as these locations are coded into the drone’s firmware
(Figure 6.6). It is important to note that DJI REQUIRES drone pilots to get approval from the
FAA (if within an FAA restricted area – they do not always align with DJI Geo Zones) and
submit that paperwork with the DJI request to unlock the drone. In many instances getting
both LAANC and DJI permissions to unlock an area can be done in under an hour.

Insurance
To fly a drone commercially, the FAA does not require liability insurance. Even though it’s
not required, it’s tough to imagine why a professional drone user would not purchase liability
insurance. Think about all of the other aspects of your business, and how each and every one of
them is probably covered by either commercial general liability, errors and emissions, work-
men’s compensation, unemployment, commercial automotive, or an umbrella policy. Out of all
those aspects, having an accident while operating a drone is probably more likely than many

Fig. 6-5: (a) follow flight plans and (b) follow flight paths. Some municipalities and agencies will require in depth applications
and information in order to take off or land from their property. For this project, the application required detailed flight plans
including flight paths, operator areas, and flight elevations/altitudes, as well as photographs of the aircraft and copies of
insurance, pre-flight checklists, and remote pilot certificates. Source: Jon Altschuld.

80 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

(a)

(b)

Chapter 6: Documentation, Permissions, and License 81

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 6-6: Screenshot of DJI’s Geo Zone Map; this is the same airport shown in Figure 6.4b. It is important to note that
DJI’s Geo Zones do not align with the FAA/LAANC boundaries, and in many cases, are more restrictive. Even though you
may not need an authorization from the FAA to fly within the outer “gray” areas shown in the DJI map, the DJI app will limit
your drone’s maximum height within this area (if flying a DJI drone of course). Source: dji.com.

things that those would cover. Drones can lose radio signal, batteries can fail, propellers can
break, or pilots can simply make an error and cause an accident.
Liability insurance for drone operations is generally very affordable when compared to
other liability insurance premiums. Many insurance providers are now offering drone liability
insurance packaged with their other policies, whereas companies used to have to purchase
a special policy just for the drone operations, often with a separate provider. Most drone
insurance policies have options to add hull insurance to cover the cost of repairing or replacing
the drone itself, in addition to any damage the drone causes to property or people.

Documentation
Once you are legally able to fly a drone commercially, it is important to consider what docu-
mentation you should keep with you when operating the drone. Having your remote pilot
certificate and UAS registration with you is a must, as you are required to present these items
if requested by a governing agent. If you carry insurance, it’s also a good idea to keep a copy of
your policy and contact info for your agent in the case of an accident. If you are flying under an
FAA Authorization or Waiver, you need to have a copy of those with you as well. These docu-
ments are also great to have on hand (including a business card) when approached by someone
from the public who is curious as to why are you flying a drone.
It is recommended (though not required) to keep a log of your flight operations. There are
many ways to do this, ranging from manually writing down records of flight times, battery per-
centages, weather conditions, etc., to using logging management systems to keep track of flights
and conditions. In addition to logging your operations, it can be a good idea to log or track your
maintenance. It is required that an operator keeps the aircraft properly maintained according to

82 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 6-7: Screenshot of the AirData UAV Dashboard and the general overview of a specific flight. Source: airdata.com.

manufacturer’s recommendations. One item regarding maintenance that is often overlooked is

software updates. Flying a drone with an out of date control device (tablet) operating system or
flight app (DJI Go4, Litchi, etc.) actually qualifies as improper maintenance.
Although there are several options, one of the best flight logging and maintenance tracking
systems available is AirData UAV. AirData UAV is an online management system that can auto-
matically sync with many flight apps, including DJI Go, Litchi, DroneDeploy, MapPilot (Maps
Made Easy), Pix4D, and others. Through this syncing, all flights can be easily uploaded to your
online account where you can view a lot of important flight data in your internet browser. Air-
Data UAV pulls from all of the data the drone collects, providing you with a much more robust
perspective of your flights and equipment (Figure 6.7).
For example, AirData UAV reads the battery information from every flight, but not just the
basic “starting percentage” and “ending percentage” values that are visible in more standard
flight viewers. AirData UAV also displays the voltage deviations for each battery cell, which is
a great indicator of battery health. Each DJI Phantom 4 battery contains four cells, and while
some deviations are normal, if a cell has more than 10 major deviations (deviating more than
0.07v from the other cells), it is a good indicator that the battery will fail soon. AirData UAV
also identifies the battery used in each flight, and tracks trends in battery health such as bat-
tery life and capacity. These generally decline over the life of a battery and knowing when to
retire a battery is an important part of maintenance (Figure 6.8).

Chapter 6: Documentation, Permissions, and License 83

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

(a)
Battery Cell Deviations over time: each bar represents a flight, ordered by date.
Click on each bar for more info. Here is an example of a problematic battery.
Minor Deviations Trend
100
Minor Deviations (per min)

75

50

25
Major Deviations (total)

7.5

5.0

2.5

0.0
Major Deviations
(b)

84 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

AirData UAV also includes an HD flight player, which allows you to replay each flight over a
map, along with detailed telemetry and alerts – similar to what you would see during the flight,
but with additional information. AirData UAV has developed a 3D aerodynamic model for each
aircraft type, enabling in-flight wind calculations, which can be viewed on a map, or as a wind–
altitude profile. These are helpful when flying in close proximity to structures, as it allows
for planning the safest approach, or in repeating flights, as a way to set the proper cruising
altitude to maximize flight time (Figure 6.9).
Another valuable feature of AirData UAV is the ability to schedule regular maintenance for
aircraft and batteries. Depending on the tier of membership, you can either adhere to recom-
mended maintenance schedules and routines, or you can create custom maintenance sched-
ules. Users can also create indicator thresholds to trigger alerts, and generate customized
reports for internal use or regulatory requirements.
Overall, the legal requirements to fly a drone for commercial use are not a barrier to imple-
menting a drone practice into a business. The perception of the legal requirements being a
barrier to entry is often greater than the actual requirements themselves. That being said, the
extremely quick growth of the consumer and prosumer drone markets, combined with this per-
ception, has resulted in many “professional” drone users skirting the rules and federal policies.
In order for drones to be more widely accepted into professional practice, commercial drone
users must adhere to laws and regulations, similar to any other professional practice.

Fig. 6-9: Screenshot of the AirData UAV HD flight player, in which you can view every control input and notification as well
as detailed information and statistics during that notification. Source: airdata.com.

Fig. 6.8: (a) Screenshot of AirData UAV data on a drone battery. This was a brand new battery and without analyzing the
AirData UAV information there would have been no signs that this battery was defective and likely to fail. (b) AirData UAV
also tracks trends across time. Because most drone batteries are “smart batteries,” AirData UAV can automatically identify
each specific battery. This chart shows that this particular battery is developing a trend of having more cell deviations as its
life progresses. Source: airdata.com.

Chapter 6: Documentation, Permissions, and License 85

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

7
Best Practices
for Flying Drones

S o far, Part 2 of this book has explained how to develop a plan for a drone program, “sell” it
to your company, and choose your equipment and software. You have also learned about
the legal requirements for flying a drone commercially. The last remaining piece of the puzzle
is learning to fly the drone.
Although drones are notoriously easy to fly (this is, in fact, one of the reasons they have
gained such widespread use so quickly), there is a big difference between flying a drone, and
flying a drone for efficient business practice. For a business, flying a drone requires an on-going
interest in bettering your flying skills, establishing company-wide standards of practice, and
standards of recording (Figure 7.1).

The Flying Mindset

Learning to fly a drone responsibly involves more than simply starting up the drone and taking
off. It requires the mindset and awareness of all the different pre-flight checks and planning.
This is similar to a standard airplane pilot’s pre-flight checklist and training.
For example, prior to any flight, it is important to identify the purpose and parameters
of the flight. While this may seem obvious for project specific flights, it also holds true for
training flights, even your very first flight. Prior to taking off, time should be spent research-
ing the drone’s controls, how the flight controller app works, and what to expect during
the flight.
Some basic considerations that are part of learning to fly a drone include:
1. How do you start the motors?
2. How do you stop the motors?

86 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 7-1: Drone operations can be fun, but integrating them into professional practice requires a commitment to train-
ing, maintenance, and pre-flight planning. Source: Jon Altschuld.

3. What happens when certain controller buttons are pressed?

4. How do you maneuver the drone up, down, sideways, point it in specific directions, etc.?
5. What should you do if something unexpected happens?
6. Where can you land the drone if something unexpected happens?
7. What apps do I use to fly the drone?
8. What is the basic equipment (drone, controller, screen, batteries, cords) needed to fly?
9. How do I carry all the equipment?
Much of this information can be found in the manufacturer’s documentation that comes
with the drone, or you can search online resources like YouTube and user forums.

Drone Flying Apps

Over time, the more you fly, the more you’ll likely use multiple flight controller apps, each
with its own unique interface and capabilities. Whether using the DJI GO 4 app (Figure 7.2),
Litchi, Map Pilot, or any other flight controller app, it is important to familiarize yourself
with how each one works and how you will use that app to complete your objectives. Most app

Chapter 7: Best Practices for Flying Drones 87

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 7-2: Screenshot from the DJI GO 4 manual website. The full manual can be viewed at https://store.dji.com/
guides/dji-go-4-manual/ Source: Jon Altschuld.

developers will provide documentation, or even create videos to teach users. There also are
a wealth of YouTube videos, forums, and websites where users of these apps share their
knowledge and experience.
These resources are not only important when first learning to fly, but also whenever you run
into an issue with an app, are curious about its capabilities, or are learning how to accomplish
a new objective with the app. For example, Litchi can be used to capture photos or videos for a
wide variety of uses. These include capturing 360° photographs, creating waypoint flights with
smooth curved transitions, automatically focusing the camera on different points of interest,
and creating time-lapse videos. Each of these require an in-depth understanding of the capa-
bilities of Litchi, where controls and settings are stored, and how those controls and settings
can be used to arrive at the final product.

Simulator Mode
Some manufacturers, such as DJI, even include a simulator mode in the flight controller app. This
allows someone to use the actual hardware (controller, with display device if needed) to practice
flying without the drone actually leaving the ground. This can be done inside at any time (day or
night), and it helps to train pilots about what their control inputs will cause the drone to do.

88 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

For example, most drones have an emergency shutoff procedure. This cuts off power to the
motors, even if the drone is in flight. It is a last resort measure, and certainly not something
that anybody would want to test while flying their drone. However, it is important to know
this procedure in case it is needed. It’s also important to know the procedure to make sure it
is not done accidentally (most of these require a somewhat complicated and unusual combi-
nation of joystick and button input to avoid this). Using the simulator function, a pilot can
practice performing an emergency shutoff procedure without ever putting people or the drone
at any risk.
The simulator function is also useful for simply learning the basics of flight control, as well
as practicing specific flight maneuvers.

Flight Operations
When in the field for flight operations, it is important to have standard practices that all of
your team members follow. While each company will have its own set of practices, this section
goes over several “rules of thumb” and considerations to take into account when creating flight
practice standards.
Flight Planning. Prior to going to the flight area, it is always a good idea to plan out your
operation. Often, this begins by viewing the project area in Google Earth with the 3D Ter-
rain option turned on. This bird’s eye view of the project area provides context for what is
surrounding the site, how you can access the site, where safe operator and flight areas are,
and potential issue areas (Figure 7.3).

Fig. 7-3: Planning out the area you can cover with each flight in Google Earth will ensure you are bidding projects
appropriately and you are familiar with the site constraints. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 7: Best Practices for Flying Drones 89

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Pre-Flight Checklist. Pre-flight checklists for drone operations are available from many
sources online, and they usually include items such as checking propellers, battery
level, battery seating, controller battery, memory card, GPS signal, weather, surround-
ings, closing other apps on the control tablet and putting it into “do not disturb,” etc.
Having a checklist enforces consistent practice across your entire team, and it encour-
ages a regular procedure for your pilots. This typically results in fewer careless acci-
dents and more attention paid to anything outside of the normal parameters. It is also
useful to prove your company has implemented safety protocols in case you do have
an accident.

Takeoff
During and directly following takeoff, it is a good idea to always climb to a low altitude (10–15
feet above the ground, for example) and test each of the controls. This means slowly test-
ing that each of the joystick directions and controls operates as expected, and ensuring that
all signal notifications (radio signal, GPS, battery percentage, controller battery percentage)
are correct and as expected. For example, if you take off and hover, and notice that the drone
battery has already dropped by 30%, you know you should land and remove the battery from
operations instead of continuing with the mission (Figure 7.4).
Another good rule of thumb for takeoffs is to keep the drone pointed in the same direction
as the pilot. Most drone flights are conducted safe distances from possible obstructions, but
the takeoff and landing usually pose the most risk because there are inherently obstructions
closer to the aircraft. During this time, a pilot’s quickest reaction is to move their fingers/hands
in the same direction that they are facing. If the drone is facing the pilot, it is much more likely
that the pilot will accidently move the drone in the opposite direction than they desire, causing
a collision.

Fig. 7-4: Hovering and testing all flight controls at a low altitude at the beginning of each flight is good practice.
Source: Jon Altschuld.

90 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

During Flight
Flight practice standards during flight will vary by project and objective, but there are some
common considerations. These include maintaining flight area awareness, keeping the drone
within visual line of sight (VLOS), having an emergency plan, and exercising caution over
doubt. It is important for a pilot to know their limitations and their comfort zone, and to
not push either. This is also where regular flight training comes in useful; it is better to push
your comfort zone a bit on a training flight with low risk (away from obstructions, without
the added pressure of billing time, usable deliverables, etc.), than on a project flight with
higher risk.

Flight Area Awareness

During drone flights, the perspective of how high and where the drone is in relation to other
objects can be very deceiving. This is especially true when trying to determine the height of
the drone and nearby objects as the drone gets further away from the pilot. There are two main
strategies to combat this. Both require that you take inventory of your flight area and sur-
roundings before taking off.
The first strategy is to utilize all of the information at hand; most flight controller apps
provide data on distance from the “home point” (takeoff point), AGL altitude (usually meas-
ured from the home point), and even distance to surroundings (on drones with obstacle avoid-
ance sensors).
Let’s look at a hypothetical, but very realistic, scenario. You are flying over a treed area and
on the live camera feed, the trees look incredibly close to the camera. You know from your
pre-flight inventory that the trees are approximately 40–60 feet tall, and they stand on ground
that is fairly close in elevation to your home point where you took off. The flight controller
app shows the AGL altitude is 90 feet. Even though the trees look very close on the live camera
feed, you know from this information that you are safely above them. This is actually very com-
mon because the camera on most drones zooms in a certain amount. This causes objects in the
live feed to appear closer than they are in real life. Of course, a pilot needs to rely on all avail-
able data, including visual line of sight and obstacle avoidance sensors, to fly safely and avoid
collisions (Figure 7.5).
The second strategy is to mark the bounds of the project area, and/or interim boundaries,
physically on the ground prior to flying. This strategy is less about avoiding collisions, and
more about ensuring the correct project area is captured in the dataset. Once in the air, it can
be very deceiving where the drone is, and the live camera feed can only provide so much visual
information. This is especially true when gathering very high-resolution data because higher
resolution typically requires flying closer to the subject, which means seeing less of the overall
subject in the live feed, or when flying areas without distinguishing features; the live feed only
captures one part of the overall subject at a time.
By marking the subject area, or individual flight areas, with markers that are visible from
the flight altitude, a pilot can easily recognize where the drone is in relation to the subject
boundaries. These markings can vary from temporary survey paint, to more formal mark-
ers, to simply inventorying existing features that are near boundaries. For projects capturing

Chapter 7: Best Practices for Flying Drones 91

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 7-5: The camera’s live view perspective can be deceiving in terms of how close the drone is to objects.
Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

rockfaces along highways, big lines and arrows are painted on the roadway and rockface to
denote each flight boundary (Figure 7.6). This allows the pilot to know when the drone has
travelled far enough to capture the appropriate photographic data for each flight. Prominent
features such as sign posts, or uniquely shaped trees, are also used to orient the pilot dur-
ing flight.
One common approach is to lay out recognizable objects, such as large orange 5 gallon
buckets or bucket lids, around a site location. Another option, depending on the site, is to use
survey marking paint to mark the extents of each flight, the overall project area, etc. This can
help with in-flight navigation and when post-processing data and looking for markers.

Maintaining Visual Line of Site (VLOS)

A challenge that every drone operator will run into is maintaining VLOS. This is required by
the FAA but once out in the world there are many reasons operators will lose visual contact
with a drone. This can be due to light and cloud conditions, the drone flying behind tree cano-
pies or around corners, or other obstructions. The FAA does note that it is acceptable to lose
visual line of sight for short periods depending on site conditions. Here are some suggestions
to ensure visual line of site for flying.
Pilot and observer – it is recommended by the FAA to have a pilot and observer. Two pairs
of eyes are always better than one. At DHM Design we try and have a pilot and visual observer
for most if not all drone flights. For complicated flights it’s a given (Figure 7.7).

92 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 7-6: Marking boundaries and overlap areas for flights, as well as locations of obstacles such as overhead power
lines will give you a better sense of your surroundings while in flight. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and Yeh
and Associates.

Fig. 7-7: A visual observer will allow you to focus on flight metrics without losing track of the drone. Source: Chinook
Landscape Architecture and THK Associates, Inc.

Chapter 7: Best Practices for Flying Drones 93

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Hover the drone – if you can’t find the drone with a visual scan of the sky, stop and hover.
In the case of automated flights, this might be more complicated than during manual flight.
You may need to pause the operation to make it hover. After regaining VLOS, you will want to
resume the mission; different flight apps have different controls for these procedures. Know all
of the features of the flight app you are using.
Frequently check the screen – while you do not want to be using the live camera feed on
the control tablet as your primary means of navigation (the FAA specifically states that the live
first person view from the camera is not an acceptable substitute for maintaining visual line of
sight), it is a useful tool for knowing where the drone is. Most apps allow for the camera to be
moved, even during automated flights, so you can scan the area the drone is in for any obstruc-
tions if needed.
Pay attention to the drone sensors – many drones now have obstacle avoidance sensors,
and some even display the distances to objects. Although the accuracy of these can vary, they
are useful for determining the proximity of objects to the drone and maintaining visual line of
sight. In many instances the drone sensor will trigger an alarm indicating its getting close to
an object.
Bring binoculars for the visual observer – this is also recommended by the FAA and is
an effective measure to locate the drone in the sky.

Emergency Operations
It is important to consider emergency actions during flights and have set procedures in place
before encountering these emergencies. These include what to do if the controller and drone
lose radio connection, if the drone has a “fly-away,” if a manned aircraft is approaching, if the
battery is suddenly too low to return to the home point, etc. Having a set procedure in place for
each of these will reduce the risk for injury, property damage, and as a result, legal action.
Most drones have a “return to home” button/feature; if for whatever reason you need the
drone to come back, you can press the return to home button and the drone will return to the
original launch point (hopefully near you). Many apps, like DJI Go, allow the return to home
button settings to be programmed with specific parameters such as rising to a specified alti-
tude before flying home to avoid any potential objects.
Most flight controller apps also allow programming for certain unexpected situations such
as a lost signal. With this programming, the drone can be told to automatically enact the
return to home protocol, hover in place, etc. if the signal between controller and drone is
completely lost.
For automated flying, the ability to take control of the drone for an emergency or other
reason is also typically straightforward. This can depend on the specific drone and app being
used to fly, but you should always understand how an app allows you to retake control of the
drone and learn about the manufacturer’s recommended controls prior to any flight, takeoff,
and landing.
It is a necessity to think about and prepare for emergencies when flying. Like most
accidents, they can happen quick and no human or even automated reaction time can
course correct.

94 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

The last rule of thumb for flight operations is: “when in doubt, just hover.” Just about every
drone that would be used for professional practice is controlled not only by the pilot, but also
by GPS positioning technology. This is why these drones will hover and hold in place, even
when battling winds. Letting go of the controls forces the drone to maintain its current posi-
tion. Although an exit plan is important when flying close to objects and something unex-
pected happens, it is just as important to not rush a decision if you need to think about the
best solution. If you have doubt about the best way to proceed or need to think about the next
step, just hover in place and take the time to arrive at the best solution.

Landing and Post-flight

As with taking off, landing with the drone facing the same direction as the pilot helps to avoid
control errors. After landing, it is a good idea to have either a post-flight checklist or at least
a post-flight procedure that accounts for examining the equipment and properly logging
the flight. Common items to inspect and record over time include battery trends, propeller
­damage/condition, gimbal movement, and controller input reaction time.

Automated Flying
The more you fly and do flight missions the more you will utilize both manual and automated
flying. For many projects, automated flights can capture more consistent photograph angles
and overlaps, as well as smoother video paths. The paths can also be saved to be re-flown at
future dates and compare site conditions over time.
Many flights, particularly nadir photogrammetry flights (see Chapter 9 for more details),
and certain video capture techniques, utilize flight controller apps that automate the flight
operations. These apps require some pre-flight inputs such as flight area, route (grid) spac-
ing, altitude, etc., and then the app will control the takeoff, fly the route, capture photos,
and land the drone. Although this may sound like the easiest way to fly a drone, we are
discussing it after looking at best practices for manual flight for a very important reason:
whether automated or manual, it is still the pilot’s responsibility to be in control of the aircraft at
all times.

Pilot Control
Maintaining the ability to be in control of the aircraft during automated flights means moni-
toring the flight and knowing how to pause the operation and take control of the aircraft at
any point. In order to do this effectively, the pilot must be familiar with everything relating to
manual flight controls and standards, as well as the controls and functionality of the auto-
mated flight controller app.

Manual Intervention
It is not uncommon for automated flights to require manual intervention for a variety of rea-
sons. The operation may be flying too close for comfort to nearby structures. For nadir photo-
grammetry flights, some apps will automatically slow the drone’s speed to account for lighting
conditions. As a result, an operation planned for minutes can be changed to hours because of

Chapter 7: Best Practices for Flying Drones 95

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 7-8: Screenshot of the Litchi Mission Hub Planner in Chrome. Through the Mission Hub, you can plan way-
points and flights from your office, saving field time and increasing your site awareness. Source: Chinook Landscape
Architecture.

dim lighting or harsh shadows. A smooth curved video flight may be travelling too fast for the
desired video. An operation may be taking place within controlled airspace (with FAA permis-
sion) and a manned flight is seen entering the operation area. In all of these situations, it is
crucial that the pilot know how to intervene and take control of the aircraft.

Pre-flight Planning for Automated Flights

One key advantage of automated flights is the ability to pre-flight program the automated
flight paths. This is usually done on a laptop or desktop, although many apps require flight
planning to occur on the smart device or controller being used with the drone.
Regardless, pre-flight automated flight planning is the ideal way to ensure safe flights and
allows pilots to know a location before they even arrive, which is especially useful for new or
unfamiliar locations. Pilots will have to learn to become proficient with these pre-flight tools.
In many instances, you will spend more time doing automated pre-flight paths than the actual
flying of the drone (Figure 7.8).

96 Part 2: Getting off the Ground

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
PA R T

3
Acquiring and
Working with
Drone Data
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

Imagery and Videos

I magery and video are at the heart of drone data. They provide unprecedented views and
quick visual analysis. Capturing smooth, professional quality video is equally valuable when
it comes to analysis and gaining a higher perspective of a site. Similarly, detail rich graphic
renderings are easily generated using annotation, photo editing, and 3D modeling software in
combination with drone imagery and videos. This chapter explores the different ways imagery
and videos can be captured and used to create infographics and renders (Figures 8.1 and 8.2).

Photo and Video Quality

At the time of this writing, most professional drones come equipped with cameras that can
collect 4K images and video (3840 × 2160 to 4096 x 2160 pixels). Of course, a more customized
drone setup can be configured with just about any standard DSLR camera. In the future, higher
quality outputs are sure to be available (Figure 8.3).
4K images and videos offer a superior level of detail, great for the type of visual work
described below. For most professional work, shooting the highest quality resolution is recom-
mended because it will provide the best results and flexibility when working with images in
editing software.

Using DJI Standard Apps

The DJI standard flying apps come loaded with camera and recording features. At its simplest,
the app allows you to adjust the camera and capture photos, or to start a video recording,
by clicking on the button in the app. It includes the standard ability to adjust resolution or
image type (RAW versus JPEG) directly through the app. The apps provide the ability for more

Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos 99

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-1: Bird’s eye drone image of Hudson Gardens in Littleton, Colorado. The base image is used for 3D visualiza-
tion. Source: DHM Design.

Fig. 8-2: The resulting image, post-processed with Photoshop, integrating a SketchUp and Lumion render creating an
expressive, context rich image. Source: DHM Design.

100 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-3: Drone capture image of a healing garden Labyrinth in Durango, Colorado. Chris Fortin and Justin Clark
­capturing marketing videos for a built DHM Design Project. Source: DHM Design.

advanced uses, including the ability to follow a tagged object (like a person walking, car, or
biker) or add a focal point for videos.

Image Geotag
Photos and video captured with a drone can be geotagged (it requires a drone connected to
GPS), meaning they have metadata attached to the image that include the location, height,
camera information, and much more (Figure 8.4) This is important information for the drone
to capture as it is required for photogrammetry software to create overlaps and process the
data. It also provides the ability to create geotag tours in Instagram and other apps.

Litchi Flight Planning Software

The Litchi Platform is mentioned in Chapter 5 and is a must have app for recording videos,
particularly with smooth and complex flight paths (https://flylitchi.com/). This simple but
powerful app is the way to capture smooth, professional looking video records by being able
to create pre-programmed recording flight paths. This can be done in the field (discussed in
the Litchi Smart Device App section below), or it can be done in the office. In the office, flight
planning can be done on the smart device that will control the drone, or it can be done online
through the Litchi web portal (Figure 8.5).
What Litchi does so well is allow you to pre-program each and every step of a flight using
waypoints. Each waypoint can have a custom flight speed, drone elevation and direction, and
angle the camera is pointing. It is possible to set focal points for each waypoint and issue

Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos 101

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-4: To access the Geotag information on a Windows computer, right click on the image, select Properties. From
the properties menu select Details. Scroll down to GPS. Source: Image by Daniel Tal.

commands when the drone hits a new waypoint like stop recording, take a photo, stop, rotate,
etc. Litchi also allows you to tell the drone to focus the camera on points of interest (POIs).
For example, you can program the drone to focus the camera on POI #1 for waypoints 1–4,
and then focus the camera on POI #2 for waypoints 5–7. This, combined with Litchi’s ability
to interpolate smooth flight curves between waypoints, enables you to capture videos that
smoothly transition between both waypoints and camera focus points. Trying to achieve the
same results with manual flight control is almost impossible or requires painstaking discipline
and reshoots.
Another feature offered by the app is the ability to “hug” the terrain; the drone will adjust
flight height based on the elevation underneath it. However, this height is based on distance
above ground at waypoint 1. This does work well but should be watched where there are
extreme terrain changes as this can cause the drone to drop or behave erratically. Please note:
Litchi is basing its height information based on the GPS elevation provided at waypoint 1.
Litchi also allows for the continuous capture of photos at designated intervals. Instead of
recording video, the app can be set to collect image burst at intervals from two seconds or more
during flight. Other options related to photos include setting the photo resolution, aspect, and

102 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-5: The Litchi App for a smart phone or tablet is easy to use, full of features and allows for excellent quality video
and photo capture. It includes the ability to plan missions in the field. Source: Image by Daniel Tal.

format type (JPEG versus RAW). This feature is a great way to collect high quality photos from
a flight path instead of having to extract images from a flown video recording which causes
reduction in quality.

Litchi Smart Device App

The app is intended to be installed on the device being used to fly the drone: smart phone,
tablet, or drone controller. Once installed, log into the app and you can access, load, copy, start,
modify, and delete missions. All of it is stored in the Litchi Cloud. Whatever device you log in
with that has the Litchi app will have access to all your missions.
Once a mission is uploaded, modifying the waypoints is possible and fairly straightforward.
While not as easy as using the desktop browser, you can make changes out in the field or create
new missions.
Creating missions in the field with the smart device app does have many useful applica-
tions. For example, you may want to create a mission that starts and/or ends with specific
views. Creating a mission in the office through the desktop web portal does not allow you
to do this. Alternatively, in the field you can fly to the desired starting location, aim the
camera to the view you want, and save the waypoint. You can continue this process until
all ­waypoints are saved. Next, you can save the mission and the drone will fly the smooth,
­interpolated path.
The app does also allow for camera adjustments while flying in mission simply by using the
standard camera controls. It is not uncommon to adjust the camera angle at the start of the
mission to ensure the best viewing angle.

Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos 103

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Litchi Desktop Web Portal

While you can create a new mission through the app on a smart device, Litchi also has a free
interface accessed through a web browser. This is the best way to create new missions and
flight paths; it’s generally easier to use the tools on a desktop or laptop than on a smart device
(Figure 8.6).
Creating missions can take minutes, then can be saved and accessed on your smart device
used to control the drone. Once you are at the mission location, open the app, load the mission,
upload it to the drone, and it will fly the mission as programmed. If capturing video, make sure
to start recording video before telling the drone to begin the mission.
Take the time and create thorough missions. The more time spent, the better the result and
the easier it is to fly a site. Using the desktop interface also allows for greater familiarity with
the site and all of Litchi’s features.

Virtual Litchi Mission

There is a third-party app for Litchi called Virtual Litchi Mission or VLM. An exported
Litchi mission (exported as a CSV file) from the desktop browser can be imported into VLM
and then exported as a KML file that can then be viewed in Google Earth (Figure 8.7). Turn-
ing on the 3D terrain and objects in Google Earth, you can then “fly” the mission virtually
in Google Earth, then assess and adjust the flight path as needed back in the Litchi apps
and browser (you cannot modify the mission in Google Earth). It’s the best way to preview a
mission without actually flying, but it is important to recognize that the Google Earth ter-
rain is not an exact representation of what is currently present on-site (Figure 8.8).

Fig. 8-6: Litchi Desktop app is an excellent tool to develop and plan out flights prior to going on-site. Users can
easily upload the mission to the Litchi app to fly, export or import other flight paths, and keep track of past mis-
sions. Source: Image by Daniel Tal.

104 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-7: Litchi Virtual Mission is a third-party app that allows for missions to be opened up and viewed in Google
Earth. Source: Image by Daniel Tal.

Fig. 8-8: Litchi Virtual Mission shown in Google Earth showing the drone flight path, the direction of the camera, and the
height of the drone. Users can play the flight path as a video to simulate what will be captured by the drone. Source:
­Construction image of Lyons Colorado Drainage way. Image Courtesy of DHM Design.

Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos 105

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Working with Drone Photos

Overlaying information on photos has been around since almost the start of p ­ hotography.
Drone photos allow for another permutation of superimposed information. Before drones, bal-
loons, planes, and satellites provided imagery as bases for infographics and visual simulations.
However, drones have given the average professional easy and quick access to aerial imagery
that can be used as the basis for these graphics. Possibly even more important, the imagery
collected from drones can be customized to individual projects, as opposed to using what is
available via satellites or planes. Below, three common ways of creating visualizations from
drone imagery are discussed.

Annotated Images
The simplest way to utilize drone imagery in professional practice is to “mark up," or annotate
images (Figure 8.9). Typically, these are simple annotations such as text, labels, and simple 2D
overlays placed on top of drone images. This can be done in several different software pack-
ages, including Adobe InDesign or Photoshop. For final presentation, these can be shown
by themselves, on boards, within reports, in construction documents, or within PowerPoint
presentations. These are also easy to combine with drone videos: a drone video plays and then
pauses on the overlaid images. This is easy to accomplish with most presentation software like
PowerPoint or similar.

Fig. 8-9: Annotated image of North Fruita Data showing sustainable biking trail improvements. Source: Chinook Land-
scape Architecture and THK Associates, Inc.

106 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Photo Matches
A step up from annotated images in terms of complexity, a photo match entails “matching”
drawings of proposed features to a particular drone photo. The “matching” requires paying
close attention to the scale, angle, and focal length of the drone camera. The simplest type of
photo match is a plan view, and if the drone imagery has been processed with photogrammetry
software (see Chapter 9), proposed features can be drawn to scale over the image (Figure 8.10).
Generally, the proposed features of a photo match are created either by hand sketch, in Pho-
toshop, or in a 3D modeling software such as SketchUp (Figures 8.11 and 8.12).

Hand Sketch Photo Matches

Hand drawn plans, overlays, and perspectives can easily be placed over images. Depending
on the project and view, as well as the artist, it is often easier to draw on tracing paper directly
over the drone photo. This is essentially the same process as drawing a traditional plan or
perspective view, except that the drawing is being created on top of an image base. Final
alignment and compilation are often done in photo editing software such as Photoshop.
(­Figures 8.13–8.16).

Photoshop Photo Matches

This is essentially the same process as the hand sketch method described above, except that
instead of hand drawing proposed features, a photo editing software such as Photoshop is
used. Likewise, instead of drawing the proposed features, the software is used to compile the
final image. There are several different techniques to accomplish this. As with the hand sketch

Fig. 8-10: Existing conditions image of Little Dry Creek in Denver with the Denver skyline in the background.
Source: DHM Design and City of Englewood, CO.

Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos 107

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-11: A SketchUp model and Lumion render are integrated into the drone image to create an expressive photo-
match graphic. Source: DHM Design and City of Englewood, CO.

Fig. 8-12: Composite image showing the existing conditions faded out to highlight the proposed design for Little Dry
Creek. Source: DHM Design and City of Englewood, CO.

108 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-13: Aerial image of I-90 Interchange in Billings, Montana. 2D CAD line work is overlaid on to the aerial. This is the
first step in setting up the photomatch. Source: DHM Design.

Fig. 8-14: A 3D SketchUp model is generated from the 2D CAD line work. The manual modeling process is the most
time intensive task. However, by not needing to develop 3D context, a considerable amount of time is saved. Source:
DHM Design.

Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos 109

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-15: The bird’s eye drone image of existing conditions is selected for the model photo matching.
Source: DHM Design.

Fig. 8-16: The final image is completed in Photoshop. Perfectly merging the model with the drone image.
Source: DHM Desgin.

110 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

method, Photoshop compositing is a method that has been used for many years, but adding
drone imagery as a base gives it much more context (Figures 8.17 and 8.18).

3D Model Photo Matches

Although these are more complex to produce and require the use of 3D modeling software, 3D
model photo matches are more accurate than the previous two methods. These are great for
architectural and urban visualization. They are the best way to illustrate before and after condi-
tions in exact context.
Various 3D modeling programs can be used to create the model: SketchUp, 3ds Max, Rhino,
Revit, Lumion, Maya, etc. in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop or similar 3D editing software
(Figure 8.19).
Like the other photo match strategies, the 3D model is merged with the drone photo. This
requires the painstaking process of lining up the 3D model with the selected image or images
(camera location, camera angle, focal length, etc.).
One of the most challenging parts of this process can be attempting to line up images and
3D models that are spread out over large areas. For example, a single building in a relatively
close drone bird’s eye image is easier to compile then a large spread out location, like a camp
site or a building complex. Even for experienced photo editors, the process can take a little bit
of time to master (Figures 8.19–8.21).

Fig. 8-17: The raw drone photo shows the existing conditions as the site is under construction. Source: Chinook
­Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos 111

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-18: Post-production in Photoshop allows for annotation and expressive photo improvements including trees, water,
and grasses and showing the completed home. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture, Brandon Parsons, and Wright
Water Engineers.

Fig. 8-19: SketchUp model imported into Lumion showing the site and trail improvements. Source: DHM Design.

112 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 8-20: The drone image is overlaid over the model. The model, in Lumion, is rotated and adjusted to match the
photo. Lumion includes an image overlay feature making it easier to get the model view aligned to the image. Source:
DHM Design.

Fig. 8-21: The merged images show the site concept in the context of the real location. Source: DHM Design.

Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos 113

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Some pro tips:

1. First start by geolocating the model on a 3D aerial if available. This can assist in aligning
the 3D model with the bird’s eye image from the drone.
2. Complete the modeling of the proposed features.
3. Line up the 3D model with the image. There are various ways of doing this – Peek
Through (free desktop app) allows you to make one software panel transparent. In this
case, the SketchUp window is made transparent showing the drone image underneath.
The model is then aligned, as best as possible.
Similarly, the 3D software Lumion allows for a base image to be inserted and then made
transparent to line up the Lumion model to the drone image.
4. Try and get it close. It can be challenging, even with programs like 3ds Max, which
can help automate the process, to get 3D modeling software to exactly align with the
photograph. One strategy is to create simple models of existing features that show up in
the photo and that you know dimensions of. For example, if there are 70 feet tall power
poles in the photo, model 70 feet tall structures in the correct locations within the 3D
model. These will serve as “benchmarks” for you to align the 3D model view to the
photo with.
5. Export an image from the modeling software. Ensure you only export what you need and
try to include a “green screen” background in the export too.
6. In Photoshop combine the drone image with the 3D model. This can be tricky. There
are a couple of useful methods. First, mask out the renderings’ artifacts or loca-
tions that are not needed. You just want the objects/models that are the focus of
the render.
After masking is completed, use the Free Transform tools while making the layer trans-
parent and tweak the image to best fit with the image. This might require stretching the
model image into place.
7. If needed, go back to the model and adjust the view to get to a better fit. Keep the
photo editing software file with all its masks and layers. This way a new render can
be inserted and have the mask applied without having to redo the work beyond some
simple tweaks.
Another suggested tip is to use clone stamp to copy and paste aspects from the photo
over 3D modeling elements. For example, use vegetation from the photo or other
sources instead of 3D modeled trees. This can be done with cars, ground plane, and
other elements to add to the overall realism of the image.

Working with Drone Videos

There is a growing desire for merging 3D animations and drone videos. These compelling
multi-media videos show an existing real condition (drone footage) that is then overlaid with
a 3D model, just like the drone photo match, except the model is animated and fits neatly
within the drone footage. Although this sounds like a simple concept at first (especially if you

114 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

are already doing drone photo matches), matching a 3D model into a moving video is much
more complex.
There are many ways to achieve this but they require more specialized knowledge and
understanding of modeling, rendering, and video editing software. At minimum, it requires
an understanding of the following technology and methods. Suggested software is included
below but by no means is this the final word on how to achieve merged animation and drone
video footage.
C Camera Tracking. Camera tracking refers to the 3D path the drone took to capture the
footage (Figure 8.22). The “track” needs to be derived from the footage so it can then
be used in the 3D model animation. The track is then inserted into the 3D modeling
software where it is used to create an identical path for the 3D model. The animation
then matches the drone camera track and the two can be overlaid on each other, match-
ing track for track.
Adobe After Effects allows for the import of a footage, like a drone video, and then the
extraction of the camera track. This process does require some time for the software to
complete and it helps to have a robust computer (see the section on hardware in Chap-
ter 5). Once the camera track is processed and saved, it will be used again in After Effects
once the 3D model animation is completed.

Fig. 8-22: Camera tracking allows for the creation of animated video overlays merged with drone recorded
video. Source: Image by Daniel Tal.

Chapter 8: Imagery and Videos 115

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

C 3D Modeling Software. Several 3D modeling software packages allow for the import of
a camera track created in Adobe After Effects or similar software. Maya, 3ds Max and
Blender are three examples. All three programs require experience and good modeling
skills to use. When building such a model, like with photo matching above, it is impor-
tant to geolocate the model. This will help with matching the camera track to the model
versus the location it needs to be merged into. Again, having an aerial base underlay to
model over will assist in this process.
Next, the 3D model is generated in one of these software packages or similar. This
means generating the geometry, textures, and features of the model. Once complete, the
imported camera track is used to develop an exact animation path. The resulting anima-
tion should match the speed, height, camera direction, and aperture of the drone footage.
C Merging Footage with Model. The last step is importing the 3D model back into After
Effects (or similar software) that includes the original extracted camera track. The
animation is overlaid to the camera track and the drone footage in the movie time line.
From there, the user must “cut out” and align the 3D model animation with the footage.
Once completed, the video can be exported for presentation.

Pix4D (and Other) Animations

From a photogrammetry model or point cloud, most software like Pix4D, has features to create
flight path animations from that data.

116 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

Photogrammetry

I n this chapter, you will learn how drones can be used to create 3D data and geometry from
photographs with a process called photogrammetry. This process is fairly simple with the
technology available today, but capturing good data requires careful planning and an under-
standing of how the technology utilizes photographs. While the information in this chapter
can be applied to many drone and camera combinations and software packages, it adheres most
closely with DJI Phantom and Mavic drones and Pix4D photogrammetry software.
The photogrammetry process yields a variety of data outputs. They include:
C Classified or unclassified colored point clouds
C 3D textured meshes
C Orthorectified imagery
C Digital elevation models (DEMs)
C Topographic contours
C Reflectance and index maps

What Is Photogrammetry?
According to Merriam-Webster, photogrammetry is “the science of making reliable measure-
ments by the use of photographs and especially aerial photographs” (https://www.merriam-­
webster.com/dictionary/photogrammetry). In the photogrammetry process this chapter
discusses, those measurements are used to create 3D data and geometry in the form of point
clouds and meshes (Figure 9.1).

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 117

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-1: Drone photogrammetry data along I-70 in Colorado. From left to right, initial point cloud, final point cloud, 3D
mesh. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and HDR, Inc.

Photogrammetry requires a series of overlapping geotagged photographs. The geotag

provides information about where each photograph was taken from. Photogrammetry soft-
ware uses this information, as well as specific details of the camera such as sensor size, focal
length, and shutter type to determine points within the photographs. The software identifies
points that are present in multiple photos, and uses geometric algorithms to identify three
coordinates for every point: X, Y, and Z. Most photogrammetry software also identifies a red
(R), green (G), and blue (B) value based on the colors in the photographs. By the end of this
initial processing, the software will have created a 3D point cloud (Figure 9.2), in which every
point has six values – X, Y, Z (location), R, G, B (point color). When viewed from afar, the point
cloud often looks like a solid 3D mesh object. In reality, what is produced are individual points
located in 3D space forming the point cloud and the basis of the 3D data. The information can
be further refined, classified, and processed into a 3D mesh, which is ideal for additional 3D
modeling in software like SketchUp, for example.

Drones and Photogrammetry

Although photogrammetry has recently gained a lot of support and new software packages, the
process has been around for decades. The widespread use and affordability of drones combined
with high quality digital cameras has brought photogrammetry to the masses. Sites and pro-
jects that previously would have required custom, high quality, expensive airplane or satellite
acquired imagery can now capture imagery much quicker and cheaper, and often at a higher
resolution.

118 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-2: Drone photogrammetry point cloud. Each point has six values – X, Y, Z, R, G, B.
Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Drones equipped with GPS receivers and camera equipment can be used for
­ hotogrammetry. The drone must be able to geotag the photographs with the GPS data and
p
camera metadata (Figure 9.3). Based on the site and the type of project, the drone can be flown
manually, or it can be flown autonomously through flight programming apps discussed later in
this chapter. Because most of the consumer and professional grade drones available today have
these as standard features, drone photogrammetry has become common in the architecture,
engineering, and construction industries.
As a result of this booming use, several software packages have been developed and quickly
advanced to meet user requests and industry demands. Drone photogrammetry has become
common for surveying, site inspection, site analysis, construction monitoring, and for c­ reating
base 3D models of existing conditions for multiple uses. The 3D base model can be used for
various levels of design (based on the accuracy and precision of the model), for site analysis by
specialized trades (such as geotechnical engineering), or for visualization of proposed designs.

Photogrammetry Accuracy and Precision

The accuracy of photogrammetry results is at the heart of many discussions on its applicability
in professional settings. In order to understand photogrammetry accuracy, one must re-­consider
how they think about accuracy. Generally, there are two types of accuracy to consider:
1. Relative accuracy – how accurate are points and measurements within the project site.
2. Absolute accuracy – how accurate are the coordinates of points in the dataset in refer-
ence to a larger coordinate system.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 119

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-3: Camera information stored in a drone photograph’s metadata. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

It is also important to realize that the accuracy on a photogrammetry project is not a single
uniform number. While there are certain metrics to gauge a project’s average accuracy, this can
change with a number of variables. This is because photogrammetry data is based on photo-
graphic data. If the photoset does not capture enough of a specific feature, or if a feature (such
as vegetation) is moving or objects are in different positions, this can impact accuracy. In gen-
eral, the accuracy (both relative and absolute) of a photogrammetry dataset will depend on:
C Camera sensor and distance to subject – if the same site is flown at the same altitude
with a low-resolution camera and a high-resolution camera, the high-resolution photoset
will yield higher accuracy results. Similarly, if the same camera is used to fly the same
site, but at different heights (distances to the subject), the dataset flown lower/closer to
the subject will yield higher accuracy results (Figures 9.4 and 9.5).

120 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-4: Zoomed in images of the same subject taken from different heights. The above image was taken at a lower
altitude (closer to the subject) and is a higher resolution, meaning each pixel represents a smaller area in real life.
Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Fig. 9-5: Zoomed in images of the same subject taken from different heights. The image above was taken at a
higher altitude (further from the subject), and is a lower resolution, meaning each pixel represents a larger area in real
life. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 121

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-6: In this Pix4D screenshot, each thumbnail shows an individual drone photograph at the approximate location
taken. The final photogrammetry 3D mesh is shown faded in the background. As you can see, there is plenty of ­overlap
(approximately 80% in this case) between the photographs. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and ECI Site
­Construction Management, Inc.

Fig. 9-7: This project site was relatively flat, but it also contained vertical walls. In the screenshot, you can see
nadir images were taken looking straight down (roughly normal to the ground), as well as images taken at a slightly
­downward angle looking at the wall (roughly normal to the wall). Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and ECI Site
Construction Management, Inc.

122 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

C Photograph overlap – similar to the last point, it is important to remember that photo-
grammetry results are based on photographic data. One of the most common reasons
for poor photogrammetry results is a lack of overlap (Figure 9.6).
C Image quality consistency – over-exposed, under-exposed, blurry, etc. photographs will
negatively impact the project’s accuracy.
C Flight path normality – keeping the drone camera at an angle roughly normal (per-
pendicular) to the subject is important in collecting good data, especially for complex
subjects. This is why capturing only nadir (top down) images of a vertical structure does
not produce good data (Figure 9.7).

Ground Control Points

In order to create an accurate and precise photogrammetric model, ground control points
(GCPs) are required. A GCP is a point within the project that has known coordinates within
a specified coordinate system. For photogrammetry purposes, that point must be visible in
the photographs. During processing, the known coordinates of these GCPs are added to the
dataset and the entire model is rectified to be correctly geolocated and have a higher rela-
tive accuracy.
Although the drone will record GPS data for every photograph, that data is only so accu-
rate. GPS receivers are fairly accurate horizontally (latitude and longitude), but they are
notoriously inaccurate vertically (altitude/elevation). In the authors’ experience, the drone
GPS is typically within 1–3 meters accuracy compared to known points. Vertically, however,
that accuracy can easily grow to 20–50+ meters, especially when in areas where GPS signals
are sparse.
Adding accurate ground control points is required for achieving reasonable absolute
accuracy, and it also improves the relative accuracy of a project. In fact, the accuracy of the
GCPs is typically the limiting factor for the absolute accuracy of a photogrammetry project
(Figure 9.8).
There have been numerous studies and white papers on the accuracy of photogrammetry
in specific fields. Many of these cover photogrammetry in a more technical fashion, consider-
ing things such as base-height ratio, wide versus short baseline pairs, etc., in addition to just
overlap, distance/resolution, image quality, and GCPs. The collection and marking of GCPs are
discussed in more detail in the section below: GCP planning.
Also, below are links to some of these white papers/studies:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/mics.pix4d.com/KB/documents/Pix4D+White+paper_How+acc
urate+are+UAV+surveying+methods.pdf
https://www.pix4d.com/blog/getting-expected-accuracy-pix4dmapper
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/15/3/5609
http://www.c-astral.com/media/uploads/file/Bramor%20Accuracy%20compare_RTK_
GPS.pdf

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 123

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-8: GCPs shown in Pix4D. Spreading GCPs out across a project site improves the overall accuracy ­throughout
the site. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and ECI Site Construction ­Management, Inc.

Collecting Data
The first step to any drone photogrammetric project is collecting the data. In order to collect
usable data, pre-flight planning is necessary. Depending on the type and location of the
project, this planning typically includes flight planning, image collection planning, weather
planning, ground control points planning, and other project-specific planning requirements.
Flight Planning. Prior to going on-site, it is very important to create a flight plan that
outlines the individual flights of the operation. This flight plan needs to define the approxi-
mate extent and location of each flight based on numerous criteria. These include flight
(battery) time, height of subject(s) to be inventoried, and the shape of these subjects.
The flight plan also needs to account for FAA rules (or the rules of the governing agency)
such as keeping the drone within VLOS, not flying over people, not flying at night, check-
ing airspace requirements, etc. An easy way to document and present this flight plan is
to create named polygons in Google Earth for each individual flight. Text can be added to
the polygon notes in Google Earth, or a separate document can be created with notes on
each polygon.
Although some flight control apps allow you to plan and route individual flights on-site,
advanced office flight planning is much more complete. The flight plan is important for flying
safely, but it is also a crucial first step to ensuring any drone photogrammetry operation is
completed on time and within budget (Figure 9.9).
Image Collection Planning. There are two predominant approaches to collecting drone
­photographs for photogrammetry – nadir/automatic, and oblique/manual.

124 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-9: Flight planning can be done in Google Earth and is an important first step to properly pricing, scoping, and
completing drone operations. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Nadir/Automatic. Nadir simply means that the camera is pointing directly down when taking
photographs. In this scenario, the drone flies a regular grid above the project area and
­captures photographs at a set interval. The grid is typically flown at a consistent above ground
level (AGL) altitude. This altitude will correspond directly to the resolution of the photographs
taken, and in turn, the ground sampling distance (GSD) of the photogrammetric data. Just as
the resolution of aerial photographs is typically defined as the pixel resolution (i.e. 1 pixel = 1 inch),
the GSD defines the distance between the center of 2 pixels in the p ­ hotogrammetric point
cloud. A lower value GSD means a higher resolution result. The higher the altitude of the
flight, the greater the GSD, and the lower resolution of the final result. Another way to think
of this is: the further away the drone is from the subject (the ground in this case), the lower the
resolution of the images, and the lower the resolution of the final result.
Nadir flight grids are often flown with flight control apps like Pix4Dcapture or Maps Made
Easy Map Pilot. These apps allow you to pre-program a grid for an area based on the amount of
overlap (front and side) and altitude of the flight. During flight, the app controls the drone and
captures photographs, but the pilot does have the ability to pause the operation or take control
at any time (Figures 9.10 and 9.11).
Nadir flights typically require less experience and piloting skill because the drone is flown
far above any structures or landforms, and the photographs are taken automatically by the
flight control app. Generally, photographs should have at least 70–75% overlap, with more
overlap for heavily vegetated areas or more complex terrains.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 125

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-10: Example of a nadir image taken via drone. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

However, nadir grid flights will not work well for very complex terrains, structures, or
vertical surfaces. Because the photographs are only being taken from one angle, the entirety
of these features are not fully captured. Additional flights can be flown along the same grid,
but with the camera rotated to a non-nadir angle. The flight grid can also be rotated 90° on
additional flights. Both of these approaches will improve the quality of the photogrammetric
process, although it still isn’t the best solution for complex subjects that have vertical, near-­
vertical, and/or overhanging features.
Oblique/Manual. The other way of capturing drone photographs for photogrammetry is by
taking oblique photos through manual flights. This can be necessary when flying in tight or
constrained areas, or when the subject is very complex with vertical and overhanging surfaces.
Rather than pre-programming a grid that automatically performs the flight and captures
photographs, the pilot manually flies the drone and captures photographs. This requires more
planning, and typically more pilot experience, in order to collect a usable set of photographs
for the photogrammetry processing.
A perfect example of this is using drones to collect 3D data of rockfaces along highways
through the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Author Jon Altschuld and Chinook Landscape
Architecture have completed multiple operations to this end. For these operations, a curved
vertical grid was manually flown. A good way to think of this is to first consider the horizontal
flight grid used in the nadir/­automatic scenario. The main subject, the ground, is roughly
parallel to the grid. In the rockface scenario, the main subject is irregular and near vertical.
Accordingly, consider taking the horizontal grid, turning it on its side, and wrapping it around
the general curve of the rockface to be roughly parallel to it. Rather than the drone flying over

126 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-11: Screenshot of a horizontal nadir flight pattern, routed in the Maps Made Easy Map Pilot for DJI app.
Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

the subject, it flies in front of it, making passes at varying altitudes and camera angles (Fig-
ures 9.12 and 9.13).
Unfortunately, currently there is no good solution to automate these flight paths. This is
in large part due to the confined spaces and irregular subjects. These flights are flown manu-
ally by the pilot, and the pilot also manually captures each photograph through the drone. The
pilot must be very aware of the surroundings in order to avoid collisions with vegetation, struc-
tures, and the terrain. They also must be aware of how the terrain and subjects vary in order
to get more overlap for more complex features such as vertical faces, overhangs, or vegetation.
Because these subjects are typically more complex, more photograph overlap is needed (at
least 80%).
Combining Collection Methods. In certain cases, it can be very productive to capture photo-
graphs with both methods described above. Let us consider a project site that is generally open
but has a main house as the primary feature. It would make sense to complete a nadir/auto-
matic flight for the whole site, as well as two or three oblique flights that fly a circle around
the house. Each oblique flight would be flown at a different altitude. For this scenario, there
are even some flight apps (Litchi) that can automate the flight path and photograph taking for

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 127

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-12: Example of an oblique image taken via drone. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and Yeh and Associates.

Fig. 9-13: Oblique/manual flight paths viewed in Google Earth. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

128 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

the oblique circular flights. If there are other structures nearby that may interfere with these
flights, they should be flown manually in the interest of safety.
When considering flight path planning, remember that good data will require the drone
camera to be roughly normal (perpendicular) to the subject. We call this the “normality rule.”
Consider a project site with a house, for example. To capture images roughly normal to the roof
and the surrounding site, a horizontal flight grid capturing nadir images would be good. How-
ever, to capture images that are roughly normal to the sides of the house, the drone will need
to fly around the house taking pictures looking horizontally (or at a slight angle downwards),
most likely at different elevations.
Weather Planning. As with any drone operation, weather planning is an important step. From
a safety standpoint, it is important to make sure that the current weather and the weather
forecast support safe flying conditions. From a technical standpoint, p ­ hotogrammetry requires
a very large number of very clear and well-exposed photographs. Not only does this require a
substantial amount of flight time in stable flying conditions, but it also requires the subject be
as evenly lit as possible during the flights. If using an automatic flight app such as Map Pilot,
there is usually an option for the app to automatically slow the drone based on lighting condi-
tions. This means that the drone will slow down substantially if the subject is in dark shadow.
This allows the camera to take properly exposed photographs at a slower shutter speed. If the
drone is moving quickly while the camera is using a slower shutter speed, the photographs will
be blurred. For mountainous areas or areas with very dark shadows during part of the day, this
can change the time of an operation from minutes to hours (Figure 9.14).

Fig. 9-14: Flying a site with less available light requires a slower shutter speed to capture enough light. This also
requires the drone to fly slower; otherwise the slower shutter speed combined with the drone’s movement will cause
blurry photos, such as this example. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 129

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

From a business/operation standpoint, weather planning is key to keeping a project on

schedule and within budget. The data collection portion of a photogrammetry project (the
flights) is only the first step. If enough time is not built into the schedule for weather delays,
the entire project can be put behind schedule and over budget very quickly.
Ground Control Point Planning. As discussed in the GCP section earlier in this chapter, GCPs
are required for the accuracy of a photogrammetry project. GCPs can take a few forms, but
they must have known coordinates and they must be visible in the photographs. Because GCPs
must be visible in the photographs, advance planning is required. On some projects, there may
be multiple points that are already surveyed and are easily visible. On other projects, it may
be necessary to create GCPs with survey markers or paint. Although the coordinates can be
collected after the flights, the GCPs must be marked prior to the flights so that they are visible
during the processing steps (Figure 9.15).
GCP coordinates can be collected through a variety of methods, but it is important to note that
the accuracy of the final photogrammetric model will be limited by the accuracy of the GCP coor-
dinate collection. If GCP coordinates are collected with a GPS unit capable of one meter horizontal
and vertical accuracy, the maximum accuracy of the photogrammetry model will be one meter.
This accuracy is of course also impacted by the distance to the subject and photograph
resolution (resulting in the GSD), the amount of overlap between photographs, and the
complexity of the subject(s). GCP coordinates collected with more advanced surveying

Fig. 9-15: GCPs can be permanent survey markers, project specific markers, or they can be as simple as painted
marks. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and Yeh and Associates.

130 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

e­ quipment will result in more accurate photogrammetry models, as long as the photographs
are ­collected properly.
The number of GCPs will vary from project to project, but each processing software gives
recommendations based on the type of site, the number of flights, etc. As much as possible,
GCPs should be spread fairly evenly across a site, as opposed to a line of GCPs along one side of
a project.

RTK Drones, Ground Control Pads

Recently, more drones are being released that include real time kinematic (RTK) GPS receiv-
ers. These setups consist of a base receiver, and a rover receiver. The base is set on a tripod,
typically on a point with known coordinates. The rover is on the drone. In this type of setup,
the base is processing corrections in real time and transmitting those corrections to the rover
on the drone. Theoretically, this results in far more accurate geotags on the photographs. At
the time of writing this book, these setups still require GCPs, but typically far fewer GCPs per
project/area.
In addition to RTK being used on the drones themselves, GCPs can be collected with RTK
GPS setups to greatly increase the accuracy of the data. With either setup, the data collected
by the RTK receiver can also be post-processed (PPK); this is often done when the base station
has a constant connection to GPS satellites, but the connection between the base and rover is
intermittent, preventing consistent real-time corrections (Figure 9.16).

Fig. 9-16: Using an RTK GPS setup to collect GCPs. The RTK receiver in the foreground is the base and is set up on
a known point. The RTK receiver in the background is the rover and is moved to collect coordinates at each marked
GCP. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 131

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-17: Many projects will have unique considerations. This project required detailed traffic control plans which
limited the acceptable operational days and times. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture­and HDR, Inc.

Given the number of tech companies working on finding solutions to GCP collection and
drones, it’s reasonable to expect that simple plug-and-play drone solutions to provide accurate
GCPs will be further developed. One example is the Propeller AeroPoints Ground Control pads
(https://www.propelleraero.com/aeropoints/). These are self-contained GCP marking and col-
lection units. All AeroPoints must be in place during flights so that they are all visible, and the
hardware connects to RTK GPS networks to provide corrected coordinates.
Project Specific Planning. Each project will have unique aspects that are best considered prior
to being on-site and flying. These could range from creating traffic closure plans to avoid flying
over moving traffic, to contacting local agencies about upcoming flights, to visiting a site in
person to determine where the pilot can safely fly from while maintaining VLOS. As part of
creating a flight plan, it is important to think through all of these items and plan how each one
will be addressed (Figure 9.17).
After preparing the flight plan, it is time to actually fly the drone and collect the data. Even
though actually flying the drone is the most visible part of the project and the part that people
will associate most with the project, it is just one part of the project. Flight considerations,
flight applications, and best practices for flying are covered in Chapters 5–7.

Processing the Data

After collecting the photographs, the work returns to the office. Downloading the photo-
graphs onto a computer or server is the first step. As discussed earlier, photogrammetry
requires a lot of overlap between the photographs. This results in a very large number of

132 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-18: Data for photogrammetry projects, as shown here for one project, can add up quickly. This 152 GB of data
is just the raw photographs, not including the actual photogrammetry models and files. Source: Chinook Landscape
Architecture.

photographs per project, and of course, a very large amount of virtual storage space. Properly
organizing the raw photographs on your computer or server will be key to both processing the
data efficiently, and being able to archive project data in order to keep your system running
smoothly (Figure 9.18).
Although there are many good ways to organize this data, a few good guidelines or sug-
gestions are:
C Organize drone photographs by flight and date.
C Organize drone photographs by photogrammetry processing area if possible. For larger
projects, it is likely that the overall project will be broken up into smaller projects for the
photogrammetry software to process and for everyone to view. Organizing the photo-
graphs into these areas will help when processing each area.
C Create a standard folder/organization system to be used for all drone photogramme-
try projects.
C Align the folder/organization system with conventions already used by your
organization.
C Develop a regular process for archiving project data. Most offices have a regularly
scheduled file system backup that backs up the entire file system. Because both the
photographs and photogrammetry files are very large, they can significantly slow down
this backup. Having a process in place that moves these files onto a long-term storage
drive(s) once they are no longer being actively used will avoid this conflict if the long-
term storage is not part of the regularly scheduled backup.
Once the photographs have been downloaded from the drone, the photogrammetry
­processing begins. Although each photogrammetry software package has slightly different
options, most follow the same general process. The following steps apply to desktop processing
software such as Pix4D Mapper and Agisoft Metashape. There are also simpler online options
such as Maps Made Easy; these are more intuitive and require fewer steps. All of these
options, ­including the pros and cons of each one, are discussed later in this chapter. The fol-
lowing process aligns most with the Pix4D Mapper software, although other photogrammetry
software uses very similar workflows. The Pix4D Mapper software breaks the processing down
into three distinct steps. The steps outlined below are broken down into more detail, and as a
result, the step numbers in this book do not correlate to the step numbers in Pix4D Mapper.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 133

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Processing Steps
Prior to beginning this processing, it is important to have thought through how many pro-
jects will make up the overall project. For a smaller project, it may all be processed together.
For larger projects, it may make more sense to split the overall project into smaller projects so
that the computer can process the data and everyone can access and view the files. Like with
the photographs, it is very helpful to organize the photogrammetry files according to these
groupings.
Step 1. The first step of processing involves importing the photographs into the photogram-
metry software. Most software will be able to recognize the make and model of the camera, as
well as its focal length, sensor size, etc. from the EXIF metadata. EXIF metadata is automati-
cally stored within each photograph and can be accessed by viewing the photograph’s proper-
ties in File Explorer or a similar application. This is also where the photograph’s location data
is recorded as GPS coordinates. Most software programs will show the location of the pho-
tographs over a low-resolution base map from sources like Digital Globe, Bing Maps, Google
Earth, etc. (Figure 9.19).

Fig. 9-19: Initial view in Pix4D after beginning a project and importing geotagged photographs (red dots). This screen-
shot was taken after adding GCPs (blue crosses). Source: North Fruita Desert Trails Master Plan completed by Chinook
Landscape Architecture and THK Associates, Inc.

134 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Depending on the software being used, you will need to provide certain inputs, such as
flight pattern, desired types of outputs, etc. Once all of this information has been fed into the
software, it will create an initial point cloud. The point cloud will display in 3D once processed,
and each point will have associated coordinates and a single color. When zoomed away from
the point cloud, it will have the appearance of the overall area.
This processing is demanding on computer hardware and can take several hours or more
depending on the amount of data and the capabilities of the hardware. The amount of data
is not based on the size of the area or how many photographs were taken, but rather how
many pixels will need to be processed. For example, a site with 1000 photos taken with a
10 ­megapixel camera will have far less data to be processed than the same site with 1000
photos taken with a 20 megapixel camera. Each software provides recommended hardware
­specifications, and general recommendations are discussed later in this chapter.
Step 2. Following the initial processing, manual tie points (MTPs) and GCPs are added to the
dataset. In Pix4D Mapper, an MTP is a point that can be visually identified in multiple photo-
graphs. A GCP is an MTP that you also have collected accurate coordinates for. Both MTPs and
GCPs will provide the software with more data, which it in turn uses to refine the photogram-
metry model and add relative accuracy. GCPs also provide the software with known accuracy
geolocation data, allowing it to rectify the location of the entire photogrammetry model up to
the accuracy of the GCP coordinates (Figure 9.20).
Typically, the GPS data that drones record on photographs is not very accurate; often the
horizontal accuracy is within 1–3 meters, and the vertical accuracy can be far less accurate
depending on several factors such as signal interference, weather conditions, satellite signal
availability, etc. To rectify this and ensure the photogrammetry model is accurately geolocated,
GCPs are often collected with higher end GPS equipment or survey equipment.

Fig. 9-20: A GCP marked in Pix4D. The right panel shows the correct coordinates and the error to the initial drone
GPS recording. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 135

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Step 3. After creating MTPs and GCPs, and adding the GCP coordinate data, the dataset is
re-processed to rectify based on this data. This re-processing takes far less time than the initial
processing. In certain cases, the GCP data can be added before the first step, although it is usu-
ally very helpful to have the initial point cloud to work from (Figure 9.21).
Step 4. The next step is to create a final point cloud and textured 3D mesh. Most software
will offer a variety of options for the point cloud and mesh, ranging from exported file formats,
to methods for creating the 3D mesh, to detail of the image texture, to density of the point
cloud, to point cloud classification. There is not one set of choices that will be correct for every
office or every project. These selections will need to be determined based on the subject of the
project, and how the data will be used.
This step is very time consuming, particularly the creation of the point cloud. For larger
projects, it is not uncommon for high end computers to take multiple days to complete this
step (Figure 9.22).
Step 5. At this point, the point cloud or mesh can be edited to filter out heavy vegetation,
normalize planar surfaces, or trim down to a specific area. Most of these edits are made to
the point cloud, and then the 3D mesh can be re-created. At this point, point clouds and
3D meshes can also be exported for use in other programs. Depending on the project, this
might be the final deliverable, or it might be the base from which design and analysis is
conducted.

Fig. 9-21: Tryptic showing the initial point cloud and geotagged photo locations (blue dots), corrected photo locations
based on GCP input (green dots), and photo angle/direction and thumbnails from corrected locations. Notice the
correction from GCP coordinates is mostly vertical as the drone’s on-board GPS is fairly accurate horizontally. Source:
North Fruita Desert Trails Master Plan completed by Chinook Landscape Architecture and THK Associates, Inc.

136 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-22: Final point cloud viewed in Pix4D. This point cloud contains a little over 80,000,000 points. Source: North
Fruita Desert Trails Master Plan completed by Chinook Landscape Architecture and THK Associates, Inc.

Step 6. The final step of the photogrammetry processing is the creation of an ortho-
rectified image, contours, and a digital elevation model (DEM). This step is optional, and
how the data for each project will be used should determine what outputs are needed
(Figure 9.23).
An orthorectified image is a composition of the entire project area, then rectified to remove
perspective distortions. In other words, the orthorectified image is a true plan view image that
can be scaled and measured from. The accuracy of this image will lessen at the edges of the
project where there are less photographs overlapping the area.
From the 3D photogrammetry model, most software can also create contours and/or
a DEM. Contours can typically be created at any set interval (1 foot, 1 meter, 5 feet, etc.),
and there are usually additional settings to control things like the resolution of the con-
tours. These settings will vary by project, and often require some trial and error to arrive
at the best d­ ataset. DEMs are GEOTIFF files. These are raster images that include eleva-
tion data for each pixel within the image. These are most often used in GIS software or
Autodesk Civil3D.
Although there are additional options based on the software being used and the specifics of
a project, these steps are the basic workflow for creating a photogrammetric model from drone
photographs. Below, we will take a closer look at two drone photogrammetry projects that vary
greatly in size, subject type, and project objective.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 137

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

(a)

(b)

(c)
Fig. 9-23: These three screenshots show a high-resolution orthorectified image (a), a DEM (b), and 1 inch contours
over the DEM (c) of the same area. Source: North Fruita Desert Trails Master Plan completed by Chinook Landscape
Architecture and THK Associates, Inc.

138 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Photogrammetry Project Comparisons

Project #1 – Rural Ranch
This project consisted of collecting data and creating a 3D mesh for a relatively small site of
just over 10 acres. The site is mostly bare ground, with some small rock outcroppings and
heavier evergreen vegetation along the perimeter of one side. The objective of using drone pho-
togrammetry on the project was to create a base model on which an architectural visualization
model of a proposed building could be built. Identifying an approximate building location that
offered the best views from particular rooms was also an important factor.
Flight Planning and Operation. In order to capture the photogrammetry photos, three total
flights were completed. The first flight was a horizontal grid flight at approximately 200
feet AGL, capturing nadir images. This flight captured photographs with 85% front and side
overlap. The next two flights were also horizontal grid flights, but at approximately 120 feet
AGL, and with the camera tilted at approximately 45°. The two tilted angle flights were flown
at grids perpendicular to each other to capture different angles of vegetation and site features.
Because these flights were closer to the subject, they captured photographs with 75% front and
side overlap. As mentioned earlier, an important part of this project was to plan for views of
the surrounding mountain ranges from rooms within the proposed building. To do so, addi-
tional flights were flown to capture a 360° panoramic image at several locations and heights.
These 360° images can later be added to the 3D model to simulate the view from different loca-
tions within the proposed building (Figure 9.24).
Ground Control Points. The objective of this project was not to create a survey grade model;
rather, it was to create a model for visualization purposes and to identify the approximate
location of a proposed structure. Later stages in the project will require full surveying and
documentation for construction drawing preparation. As such, this drone photogrammetry
project could have been completed without any ground control. However, ground control not
only accurately geolocates the project (absolute accuracy), but it also increases the accuracy
within the project (relative accuracy). For this reason, an RTK GPS setup was used to collect six
GCPs across the site. The accuracy of the GCP coordinates was 1 cm horizontally and vertically,

Fig. 9-24: For this project, flight 1 (red path) was a nadir flight flown at 200 feet AGL. Flights 2 and 3 (green and pink
paths) were flown at 120 feet AGL and captured oblique imagery. Flights 2 and 3 were flown in grids perpendicular to
each other. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 139

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-25: RTK GPS rover set up on a GCP. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

which results in the relative accuracy of the photogrammetry model to be up to 1 cm (depend-

ing on image overlap and coverage) (Figure 9.25).
Processing and Delivery. The photogrammetry portion of this project included 1,118 pho-
tographs, and they were processed in Pix4D Mapper software. The project was processed on a
slightly older workstation with an Intel® Core i7™-4770 3.40 GHZ quad core processor, 32 GB
of RAM, and a Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 970 graphics card with 4 GB of dedicated memory.
The average GSD of the project was 1.69 cm, or 0.67 in. After initial processing, the six GCPs
were marked and their coordinates added. The project was then re-optimized which corrected
for horizontal and vertical errors in the drone’s GPS receiver. As you can see in Figure 9.26, the
initial model was fairly close horizontally, but it was corrected quite a bit vertically. The blue
symbols each represent a photograph with the original GPS coordinates. The green symbols
represent their corrected positions, and the green connecting lines represent the distance of
the correction.

140 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 9-26: Photogrammetry initial point cloud with original photo locations and corrected photo locations.
Source: C
­ hinook Landscape Architecture and Viz Graphics.

After re-optimization, the final point cloud and 3D textured mesh were created. Creation
of the point cloud took just under 12 hours, classification of the point cloud took about 15
minutes, and creation of the textured 3D mesh took just under 1 hour. The final point cloud
contained approximately 90,000,000 points.
After this step, the point cloud was refined to remove the evergreen vegetation, and other
artifacts such as the drone pilot’s car. The 3D mesh was then regenerated as a “clean” mesh
without these features. The “clean” mesh still shows the image of these features, but on a
surface that is smoothed to meet the surrounding terrain. See comparison images below
(Figure 9.27).
For this project, there is no need for contours, an orthorectified image, or a DEM, so
this concluded the photogrammetry portion of the project. From here, the clean mesh was
imported into a 3D modeling software, SketchUp in this case. The 360° panorama photographs
were stitched together. The SketchUp model and the stitched 360° panoramas were the deliv-
erables for the client to then create the architectural model within.
Project Time. This project required 4 hours of travel, 3 hours of drone operations, and 5
hours of data processing. In all, the project only took 12 hours from start to completion.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 141

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

(a)

(b)

(c)
Fig. 9-27: (a) Raw point cloud, (b) classified point cloud with vegetation removed, (c) resulting 3D mesh.
Source: C
­ hinook Landscape Architecture and Viz Graphics.

142 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Project #2 – US-50 Little Blue Canyon

This project consisted of three separate areas along highway US-50 in Southwest Colorado
(Figure 9.28). The existing highway has one travel lane in each direction running through a
tight canyon with steep rockfaces/cliffs on one side and Blue Creek running along the other.
The highway crosses Blue Creek midway through the project site. Because of the tight physi-
cal constraints, the highway has sharp curves with poor visibility. The design team has been
tasked with developing proposed improvements to smooth the curves, improve v­ isibility
around these curves, and generally improve safety. One of the primary constraints is geohaz-
ards (rockfalls and rockslides) and our team used drone photogrammetry to capture 3D mod-
els of existing rockfaces in the three areas that the geotechnical engineers needed to study.
Flight Planning and Operation. In contrast to the rural ranch project, the subject of this
project is vertical, complex, and overhanging terrain. As a result, pre-programmed flight paths
were not an option, and nadir imagery by itself would not be useful. Prior to arriving on-site,
flight areas and processing areas were determined. Processing areas were defined based on
rockface separations (valleys) and the anticipated number of flights per area. For example, it

Fig. 9-28: One of the rockfaces where this project needed a detailed 3D point cloud and mesh for geohazard analysis.
Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 143

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

would make sense to process the first area (rockfaces A, B, and C) as a single project, except
that this overall area required 10 flights, which would have created an overly data-heavy pho-
togrammetry project that would be difficult to process and share. This processing certainly is
possible on a higher end workstation, although the geotechnical engineer’s workflow concen-
trated on specific areas, and providing a very large dataset of the entire area would not have
worked for the engineer’s software packages and workflows.
Instead, the area was split into rockfaces A, B, and C. Figure 9.29 shows polygons for
rockfaces A, B, and C, as well as the actual flight path lines. The “gap” in the flight paths
for rockface C (light blue lines) is where an overhead power line crosses through the site.
Each flight was manually piloted, with an irregular grid pattern that took a series of photo-
graphs at different altitudes and angles depending on the subject. The entire project required
16 flights and resulted in approximately 8,500 photographs. This equaled approximately 67 GB
of raw photograph data.
Ground Control Points. The photogrammetry model did not need to have survey grade accu-
racy, although it did need to be accurate enough for geotechnical analysis. For ground control,
the engineer collected field marked GCPs with a high-end GPS unit. These GCPs were marked
prior to flying. Unfortunately, marking and collecting GCPs on the rockface was not feasible
for safety and cost reasons. As a result, GCPs were only collected along the roadway. While not
ideal because the GCPs were not spread across the site, they did still provide the accurate geolo-
cation data for GCP rectification.

Fig. 9-29: Flight planning in Google Earth. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

144 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Processing and Delivery. The overall project was split into five projects: rockfaces A, B, C, D,
and E. Each project had approximately 1,200–2,200 photographs and were processed in Pix4D
Mapper software. The projects were processed on a workstation with an Intel® Core i9™-7900X
3.30 GHZ 10 core processor, 64 GB of RAM, and a Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 1080 graphics card
with 8 GB of dedicated memory.
For this project comparison, consider rockface D in particular. This project had just under
2,200 photographs. Because the drone was flying very close to the subject while capturing
photographs, the average GSD was 0.76 cm, or 0.30 in. During processing, four MTPs were cre-
ated, as well as nine GCPs. The MTPs were placed in areas up and across the rockface in order
to provide the software with more information to accurately tie the model together in areas
without GCP data.
The point cloud creation took about 11.5 hours and the 3D mesh about 40 minutes
(­Figure 9.30). The point cloud was not classified. Although this time seems very similar to the
rural ranch project at first glance, it is very important to point out the difference in computing
power. While the rural ranch project was processed with a four-core processor and 32 GB of
RAM, this project used a processor with two and a half times as many cores (10) and twice as
much RAM (32 GB). The final point cloud contained approximately 130,000,000 points.
The final deliverable to the geotechnical engineer was the entire photograph library, as well
as Pix4D files and point cloud files for each of the rockfaces.
Project Time. This project required 10 hours of travel, 16 hours of drone operations, and 18
hours of data processing. In all, the project took 40 hours from start to completion.

Fig. 9-30: Final point cloud. Zoomed in, the individual points are discernable, but from a distance the point cloud
appears solid. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture and Yeh and Associates.

Chapter 9: Photogrammetry 145

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Photogrammetry Hardware
Photogrammetry generally uses the same hardware as other drone projects discussed in this
book. See Chapter 5 for a detailed discussion of the hardware (drones, cameras, and processing
computers) used for photogrammetry.

Photogrammetry Software
There are a number of options for photogrammetry processing software. The cheapest and
easiest ones are online processing options. Although these will work great for some projects,
you have far fewer options and control over the final product. For example, most of them do
not offer a way to add GCPs. Most also do not have options to control the quality of the point
cloud or mesh, or to edit the point cloud and re-create the mesh. Some online options include
Maps Made Easy, DroneDeploy, and Autodesk Recap.
The other type of photogrammetry processing software is desktop software. Similar to
other software packages, this is an actual software license that is purchased and downloaded.
At the time of writing this book, the most popular desktop photogrammetry processing
software packages are Pix4D and Metashape, with RealityCapture gaining a growing following.
Pix4D offers multiple packages, but the most widely used is Pix4D Mapper. Pix4D also has
cloud processing options that allow users to upload photographs and have Pix4D complete the
basic processing. Metashape is made by Agisoft and was previously known as Photoscan. It is
offered in a Professional or Standard Edition. RealityCapture is particularly interesting because
it can combine laser scans (LiDAR) with photogrammetry. It also claims quicker processing
times and less unwanted artifact creation during processing.
Pix4D, Metashape, and RealityCapture are all considered professional grade
­photogrammetry solutions and offer a wealth of features and content. Although most offices
only use one or the other, it is worthwhile to research and use a free trial of each software
when determining which one is best for your practice.
In addition to Pix4D Mapper, Metashape, and RealityCapture, there are a number
of s­ pecialized software packages available for very targeted industries such as mining,
­construction administration, and security. These are typically much higher priced, and are
often packaged with hardware (drone, computers, etc.) and on-site training.
Chapter 10 will further discuss what can be done with the generated point cloud and 3D
mesh models. This includes how some of the photogrammetry software can be used to meas-
ure the model and point cloud and extract additional data, volumes, and sections.

146 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

10
Working with 3D
Models

P hotogrammetry, reviewed in Chapter 9, can generate point cloud data and 3D mesh mod-
els, allowing for a variety of different uses depending on the project. These 3D cloud and
mesh datasets allow for the extraction of site quantities and information useful for design and
construction. They can also be used for incredible visualizations. From construction observa-
tion and administration to creating visual graphics and renderings, this chapter will provide an
overview and specific examples of how to leverage 3D photogrammetric information.

Point Cloud versus 3D Mesh

Let’s start with some simple definitions of a point cloud versus a mesh:
Point Cloud. A point cloud, as defined in Chapter 9, is a point in space represented by XYZ
coordinates and color values. While a point cloud looks solid when viewed from a distance,
zooming in on point cloud data shows the different “points” of the cloud and the gaps
between each point. Most point cloud viewers allow you to adjust the size of each individual
point; a smaller sized setting shows more of the gaps while increasing the size causes
each point to have greater overlap. Adjusting this size is easy to do with most software
using a slider (Figure 10.1).
3D Mesh. A mesh is composed of 3D surfaces generated between, and connecting all,
the points in a point cloud. 3D software programs interpolate and triangulate distances
between the points generating a surface. In total, these surfaces create a solid 3D model;
there are no more gaps. 3D meshes offer a different perspective on the data; they tend
to look more irregular but dense, displaying the associated texture image (aerial) with
greater clarity.

Chapter 10: Working with 3D Models 147

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 10-1: High detail 3D point cloud of an unstable rockface in California. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

3D meshes are typically either triangular irregulated networks (TINs) or quadrangle

meshes. As the names suggest, a TIN is made up of triangles (often millions of them), and a
quadrangle mesh is made up of four-sided polygons. Most photogrammetric 3D meshes are
TINs (Figure 10.2).
Comparison. Each dataset allows for a different way to view the data. The dataset you use
will often be based on the software you are using. For example, Maptek Point Studio (a very
specialized geotechnical engineering software package) typically imports a point cloud and
then creates a 3D mesh that is suited specifically to tasks and tools within Point Studio.
SketchUp, Revit, Rhino, 3ds Max, and other mainstream 3D and 2D CAD software have the
ability to import point clouds. Using extensions in SketchUp, you can import point clouds
(search for Scan Essentials) or mesh data (search for Skimp for SketchUp).

Working with Point Clouds and 3D Meshes

There are three primary approaches to working with 3D data obtained from photogrammetry.
Each of these has different user skill requirements and software requirements; the easiest is
sharing and accessing 3D views from a computer internet browser, and the most advanced is
working with and manipulating the actual 3D geometry in powerful 3D modeling software:
1. Viewing/sharing point clouds and meshes online (Figure 10.3).
2. View and process point cloud/3D meshes in desktop software (Figure 10.4).
3. Working with and manipulating the 3D mesh (Figure 10.5).

148 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 10-2: High detail 3D mesh of an unstable rockface in California; this is the same dataset as Fig. 10-1. Source:
Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Fig. 10-3: Point clouds, aerials, mesh, and other drone data can be accessed via the cloud through a browser. These
links can be sent out to the project team or others for viewing, annotation, and download. Source: Image courtesy of
DHM Design.

Chapter 10: Working with 3D Models 149

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 10-4: DroneDeploy, Pix4D, and many other software packages have desktop versions that allow for local processing
and manipulation of drone data. Source: Image courtesy of DHM Design.

Viewing and Sharing Online

Most photogrammetric processing software has the option to process the data in the soft-
ware’s computing cloud. The person or company processing the cloud data through the
respective software can then send out a simple internet browser link to whomever requires
it. This link allows the end users to view the data through the browser and in many instances
provides some easy to use and great tools to measure the point cloud or 3D mesh. Most of
all, the end user has easy access and simple options to choose from. Some of these tools are:
C Navigation. The users have the option to view and adjust the point cloud or to view the
mesh and easily move around the 3D environment in the browser. This requires almost
no skill beyond using a mouse and browser.
C Measurements. Many of these browser links come with other tools including the ability
to measure distance using a simple “tape measure” like tool. Users can measure vertical
and horizontal distance or measure area and volumes of masses, like a dirt mount, an
embankment, or rockface.
C Sections. Some software (Pix4D for example) allows users to run a “line” between two
points. The cloud-connected browser will then calculate and generate a 2D section cut
slice along that line (Figure 10.6).

150 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 10-5: Drone data can be imported into 3D modeling programs. Crown Mountain Park 3D model, derived from a
drone is shown opened in SketchUp 3D modeling software. Source: Image courtesy of DHM Design.

Figure 10.6 Pix4D cloud software allows users to measure distances and volumes, create sections (as seen here), and in
general view drone collected data. Source: Image courtesy of DHM Design.

Chapter 10: Working with 3D Models 151

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Third-Party Sites
There are many online 3D viewing apps that utilize a browser and allow users to navigate
through a model. It requires the photogrammetric data to be processed and then uploaded to
one of these sites and most of these sites can only use the 3D mesh (not the point cloud). For
example, Sketchfab.com allows you to upload 3D mesh models and either share them publicly
(anyone can see the model) or privately (only those with the link or a password can view the
model). Once uploaded a simple link can be sent to users to navigate through the model. While
not packed with lots of tools, Sketchfab is effective for simply sharing 3D models. The big-
gest downside to Sketchfab is that model size is limited by your account level (i.e. higher cost
account levels allow for larger size models).
A step up from Sketchfab in terms of functionality is the CoLab online platform
(­Figure 10.7). CoLab is a cloud-based design review and issue tracking platform. Although
it was developed specifically for mechanical engineering and manufacturing teams, many
infrastructure, architecture, and site design firms have found it to be quite useful. Through
CoLab, you can upload full resolution 3D mesh models and invite team members and collabo-
rators. Anyone invited can then make comments and markups, and even create issue tickets
that are assigned to other team members. This can be a very effective way for remote or spread
out teams to share photogrammetry models and collaborate on issues or observations. This
platform can also be extremely useful for reviewing 3D models once you begin modeling pro-
posed features.

Fig. 10-7: CoLab allows for the sharing of 3D models online with collaborative issue tracking and resolution
tools. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

152 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Application
Regardless of which software or browser options are used, viewing 3D cloud or mesh informa-
tion is a great way for project managers and staff to view a site for various reasons. This could
range from understanding existing conditions, to tracking information and progress through
construction. It provides quick, seamless, and powerful ways to leverage information without
requiring a high skill level beyond the company or person processing the data.

Viewing and Processing in the Cloud

Photogrammetry Software
Many photogrammetry software includes its own cloud-based viewing platforms. These
cloud-based viewers are very similar to the browser but with more features. Depending on the
platform, there are a number of additional tools and options to collaborate between multiple
users to assist in project management. In fact, there are powerful construction administration
platforms that integrate drone data with management and annotation tools.
Most photogrammetry software needs to be installed on a user’s desktop or laptop. In some
instances, a software specific browser is installed for project collaboration.
Below are some common features available, some are software specific or dependent:
C Project Folders. Users can access different projects and drone data in an organized file
structure.
C Drone Data. Users can access holistic data information: images, video footage, point
cloud, aerials, 3D meshes, and other data. It’s not just limited to point cloud and 3D
mesh information.
C Collaboration. These cloud-based platforms allow end users to collaborate on a project.
Users can comment or annotate on datasets, modify and upload useful information, and
help work on the project from a remote location or office.
C Calculations. Users can measure distances, volumes, and do cut fill calculations by compar-
ing data. There are more options for the type of data measurements that can be extracted.

Construction Management Viewing and Sharing Software

Some of the more powerful cloud-based drone software like SiteAware, PrecisonHawk, or
Trimble Stratus (Figure 10.8) provide specific project tools to better collaborate and track a
flown site. One of the most powerful tools is the ability to compare site data between flights,
over time. This requires the drone to be flown over pre-recorded and identical flight paths.
The flight paths are then re-flown over different intervals: daily, multiple times a week, or less
often. As each flight’s data is uploaded and processed, the cloud software can process compari-
sons between the different datasets.
This allows for the tracking of progress on a site such as changes in grade, decrease and
increase of material quantities, confirmation of delivery of materials, and other general
construction progress. End users will be updated by the software on site changes. This
includes the ability to tie these comparisons to Gantt charts, cost estimating spreadsheets,

Chapter 10: Working with 3D Models 153

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 10-8: Trimble Stratus is another platform used to process, view, and edit drone captured data. It is a complete project
management tool that allows, among other things, users to compare drone data captured over different intervals and time.
Source: Trimble YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRk4QxR3xIU&feature=emb_logo

and even project schedules. Data can be used to evaluate safety conditions, track equipment,
and monitor security. In short, it gives unprecedented remote sensing information for a site
during construction phases.
The interesting thing about such software is the general ease of use. This does not require
a great investment in time for end users. In particular, managers do not need to fly the drone,
but are given the ability to easily track a project, ensure costs are kept in check, and ensure
progess is being made. The interfaces are simple, not cluttered, with clearly stated options and
functions.

Working with and Manipulating the 3D Mesh

There are many reasons to create 3D models from drone photogrammetry data. This can range
from infrastructure modeling of roadways, bridges, and channels, to aesthetic rendering for
architecture and urban design. For example, point cloud data imported into Civil 3D software
provides the opportunity to generate grading files and create roadway or building foundation
modeling. Other software like SketchUp, Revit, 3ds Max, AutoCAD, Rhino, and Blender to
name a few, each have options for the import of such information, allowing for modifications
of a mesh for analysis or modification.

File Format
File format is always important to determine what will best import into any given software. In
general, most photogrammetry software can produce or export an FBX, OBJ, and/or Collada

154 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

format file. These are a solid range of formats that can be imported by most 3D modeling soft-
ware. As important, these formats can be imported into decimation software referenced below.

Point Cloud to Mesh

While it’s possible to use point cloud data in all the software listed above, to modify the drone
data typically requires the information to be a 3D mesh. Most of the software mentioned above
can import point cloud data and most of them can generate 3D mesh from the point cloud
(Figure 10.9). However, this is not always the most ideal way to work with a point cloud gener-
ated 3D mesh.
It’s important to have a clean, manageable mesh to generate 3D renderings from
­(Figure 10.10). Being cleaned up refers to a classified point cloud (see Chapter 9), which
results in a site model where vegetation and other vertical objects are placed on layers and
can be turned off. This provides a clean base model.

Mesh Decimation
However, before importing the classified mesh into software, it’s important to decimate the
mesh (i.e. reduce the total number of surfaces that compose the dataset). As mentioned earlier,
most photogrammetry meshes are TINs, so another way to think of decimation is reducing the
number of triangles. This makes the base mesh easier to work with as it’s a much smaller file.
It allows for better performance and makes modifications/manipulations easier. Software like
Rhino can decimate these types of meshes with ease. However, Rhino is limited in exporting

Fig. 10-9: Clear Creek Canyon pedestrian bridge 3D model integrated into the 3D mesh derived from drone. The drone
captured photogrammetry was done with a high level of detail in mind with the goal of generating a highly detailed, photo
real quality mesh. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 10: Working with 3D Models 155

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 10-10: Clear Creek Canyon pedestrian bridge 3D model is integrated into the 3D mesh derived from drone photo-
grammetry. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

successfully to other software. Other software packages need a little help. In particular Revit,
SketchUp, and to a lesser extent, 3ds Max. Using third party decimation software prior to
import becomes important and these apps are readily available.
For SketchUp, one option is the Skimp extension (Figure 10.11). This allows for the import
of the mesh and can decimate or reduce the mesh size by 90% or more. Decimation makes it
ideal to work in SketchUp and other software. Others options are Atangeo Balancer and Mesh-
lab. All of these programs are fairly simple to use. Load the mesh data from the photogram-
metry software, usually this would be an FBX or OBJ format as mentioned above. Then, using
a simple slider or value entry indicate the amount of decimation. As much as 99% reduction if
needed, although the model will likely lose too much detail at 99% decimation. For SketchUp
users, it’s recommended to decimate a mesh in order to arrive at a final mesh with fewer than
500,000 faces, or triangles. The correct decimation percentage will vary based on the project,
and it is important to keep an eye on where details are being lost or retained at different deci-
mation percentages. This will maintain a solid level of performance.

Mesh Manipulation and Proposed Features

Modeling design concepts and overlays in 3D using an existing mesh captured from a drone
provides an ideal base for rendering and visualizations (Figure 10.12). Once the mesh is
imported into programs like SketchUp, Rhino, or Revit, it becomes simple to render the model
using apps like Lumion, Enscape, or V-Ray (just to name a very few).
Examples of these types of modeling are mentioned in Chapter 8 when matching drone
photos to 3D modeling. In this instance, design concepts like roads, bridges, urban plazas,

156 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 10-11: The SketchUp extension SKIMP allows for the import of 3D mesh created from drone photogrammetry. The
extension allows for the decimation of the mesh size, making it easier to import and work with. Source: Image by Daniel Tal.

Fig. 10-12: The bridge and trail, modeled in SketchUp, is incorporated into the drone mesh, then imported into Lumion for
final rendering. White areas represent the drone data 3D mesh, while the colored bridge and trail represent the proposed
features modeled in SketchUp. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

Chapter 10: Working with 3D Models 157

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 10-13: The combined power of 3D modeling and drone photogrammetry allows for a compelling approach to any
type of design project. Source: Chinook Landscape Architecture.

and architecture are set into the drone base model. If the model was classified, trees and
other vertical objects that were removed can simply be re-added with higher quality (not
mesh-model, blobby looking) vegetation, cars, people, and other exterior objects and
­entourage. These types of results are usually harder to come by without drone photogram-
metry data. The inclusion of the drone base file, a natural extraction from most drone
data, saves time and provides accurate, high-resolution textures conveying a stronger
sense of realism.
In addition to modeling proposed features onto the drone photogrammetry mesh base,
grading changes can be modeled. Once imported into a 3D modeling software such as
SketchUp, the photogrammetry mesh is 3D geometry, just like any other 3D geometry. Cuts,
fills, and other grading changes can be modeled directly into the 3D mesh.
Environmental modeling software Lumion and 3ds Max are ideal to use with this type of
data. Their large libraries of vegetation, people, and objects allow for a complete dress up of the
model to produce conceptual renderings ideal for presentation and public engagement (Fig-
ure 10.13).
For example, for this bridge concept model, the classified mesh is first imported into
SketchUp. The 3D bridge and trail are then modeled in SketchUp within the site location. Site
plan modifications can be included as needed. The model is then imported into Lumion. Here,
shrubs and trees are added over the aerial in appropriate locations. The higher quality vegetation
library allows for wide variation to create accurate context. Adding people, cars, and other objects
using the Lumion and SketchUp 3D Warehouse libraries completes the model. Also in Lumion,
the sun, weather, and other filters and effects can be added to produce renderings or animations.

158 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr
CHAPTER

11

The Future of UAVs

D rone technology has disrupted how we collect and view data in our surroundings. What
once took weeks of field collection can now be collected in a matter of days, often hours.
Areas once considered unreachable, or at least uncollectable from a data perspective, are now
thought of as no problem. The precision of the data collected via drones makes us question
how we traditionally collect data and what that precision means. On top of this, technologies
traditionally used in a lab or very small scale settings are finding new uses in landscape scale
projects because of drones.
Although this book focuses on site and physical data in architecture, engineering, and con-
struction industries, the application of drone technology already reaches far beyond these.
Within these industries, drones are also being used with LiDAR sensors, thermal sensors,
­infrared/multispectral sensors, and NDVI sensors (Figure 11.1).
Within other industries, drones are being used in a plethora of new ways. Drones have been
used to uncover hidden archaeological sites with LiDAR and ground penetrating radar. Entire
software packages have been developed to use drones for construction administration and mon-
itor construction progress matched up with BIM design drawings. Full turn-key operations for
automated drone site surveillance have been developed for security operations. Drones are being
used to monitor ice shelf changes and movements. Drones have helped to track wildlife poachers
and protect endangered species.
The one commonality between all of these is that the drone is simply a platform to place data
collection sensors in hard-to-reach vantage points much more cheaply and quickly than tradi-
tional platforms such as airplanes, satellites, or ground vehicles. Below are a few examples of
where drone technology is already progressing:

Chapter 11: The Future of UAVs 159

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 11-1: Thermal drone imagery (dataset courtesy of Pix4D). Source: Jon Altschuld.

NDVI Sensors and Plant Identification. The ability to use infrared, Normalized Difference
Vegetation Index (NDVI), and other sensors to measure and quantify plant and ecosystem
information is still in its infancy but will quickly grow into its own market segment for
drones. The basic premise is that healthy vegetation reflects more, or a better quality of,
light compared to less healthy flora. This allows for the measurement of evapotranspira-
tion. This is most often measured through the NDVI, which measures the level of green
color in leaves to assess plant health and level of moisture or water needs. NDVI, specifi-
cally on drones, has been pioneered largely by the agricultural industry and is already
widely used for crop production and management (Figure 11.2).
For some quick information go to:
https://gisgeography.com/ndvi-normalized-difference-vegetation-index/
https://support.dronedeploy.com/docs/understanding-ndvi-data
Gas Leak Detection. Custom drones can be outfitted with sensors to detect gas leaks. This
is ideal for inspection of gas and power facilities, pipelines that traverse hundreds of miles,
mines, and more. There are already specific drone models to do this type of work allowing
for quicker and safer detection. These drones are highly specialized and prices typically
start around $40,000–50,000. See the following examples:
https://viper-­­drones.com/systems/dji-­­m600-­­pro-­­optical-­­gas-­­imaging-­­gas-­­leak-­­detection-­­
system/
http://ulcrobotics.com/services/uav-gas-leak-detection/

160 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 11-2: NDVI image of a sequoia tree (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF306Hp6Q4I).

Ecopia Geospatial. Ecopia (https://www.ecopiatech.com/) is a Canadian start up that

provides AI driven remote sensing products. Using advanced algorithms Ecopia is able
to generate building footprints and building heights from aerial imagery. One of the
products/services Ecopia offers is the ability to generate line work and edges from aeri-
als to create a 2D line survey of a location. Ecopia software can generate curbs, gutters,
walks, walls, and building footprints, and identify and annotate plant locations, park-
ing lots, sports fields, landscape and forests, and more. They provide this information
as a DWG, JSON, shapefile, and other formats. Customers can fly a drone, collect
the aerial data, and send this data to Ecopia who will generate the desired line work
(Figure 11.3).
Automated “Drone Boxes.” An up and coming technology are on-site drone storage boxes
with computer hardware and automated flight tools. These have many functions. For exam-
ple, these can be placed at a location while a drone operator hundreds or thousands of miles
away can access the drone box and drone stored inside. The operator can order the drone
to fly and scan a location and return to the box. The box contains the hardware needed to
process data and share telemetry and information with the user. Although this is currently
beyond what is allowed under FAA rules, the FAA rules are quickly evolving and rules/
regulations vary by country.

Chapter 11: The Future of UAVs 161

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Fig. 11-3: Ecopia Tech uses computer AI to identify and segment a high-resolution aerial into an accurate CAD
­drawing. Source: Image by Daniel Tal.

Some example links:

https://www.airoboticsdrones.com/
https://percepto.co/solutions/
Drone Delivery Systems. One of the most common and well publicized drone innovations
is the use of drones to deliver packages of various sizes to locations. This will take time to
develop as countries figure out how to integrate such devices into airspace, not to mention
the current limitations on flight times and battery life. However, both Google and Amazon
have secured certification from the FAA to operate delivery drones within US airspace.
Sentries and Security. From small single-family home security drones, to perimeter drones,
to police observation and reconnaissance drones, security has been part of the drone indus-
try from the very start of unmanned flights. Among other things, this has sparked an inter-
esting debate for police departments across the US as to whether they should implement
drones. Some have opted out, while others like Memphis, have a drone fleet that help patrol
the streets. Many police and rescue organizations have developed drone fleets to assist with
search and rescue operations.
This is a growing industry that will be part of the larger community, facility, and home
security field in the coming years. See the following example:
https://sunflower-labs.com/
Passenger Drones. From UBER to Boeing, passenger drones might make their debut before
driverless cars become a full-scale reality. As of 2019, they are already being tested in

162 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Australia by Uber. Passenger drones will offer the ability for short hops. As airspace rules
are being reviewed for greater inclusion of commercial drones, passenger drones or drone
taxis will lift people from airports to local destinations, similar to other mass transit. The
reduced costs and requirements for large infrastructure can potentially launch this part of
the industry into overdrive quickly.
Below are some example links:
https://passengerdrone.com/
http://www.ehang.com/ehang184/
https://www.uber.com/us/en/elevate/

Final Word and Looking Ahead

Drones are an emergent, disruptive technology. Market growth and new technologies will
define the uses of this versatile technology. If you read this book, follow the steps, and become
part of the expanding drone technology sector, then you are part of the future and wherever
that might go.
Some quick suggestions for readers to keep an eye on the future:
1. Keep your license current every two years. You never know what having a license might
mean in the future for work and, even better, the chance to play with new and cutting-­
edge technology.
2. Make sure to explore different software and hardware. Don’t be married to a single type
of drone manufacturer or software. Things are always changing and there are new play-
ers in both markets.
3. Share knowledge and information with other drone users. This is the best way to learn
about new tech and current trends.
4. Have fun. You get to fly a small, portable plane. It’s the stuff of science fiction.

Fig. 11-4: Jon Altschuld flying a Phantom 4 Pro. Source: Jon Altschuld.

Chapter 11: The Future of UAVs 163

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

As the drone industry moves forward, we encourage you to explore other uses of drones
within your industry, whatever that may be. Look for opportunities to combine drones with
other technologies, sensors, software, and experts to arrive at a solution for whatever unique
problem your project faces.

164 Part 3: Acquiring and Working with Drone Data

https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Index

Symbols C
2D Concept overlay, See Drone Uses Camera, See Drone Sensors
3D Concept Model Overlay, See Drone Uses Chinook Landscape Architecture 8, 12, 14, 15,
3D Mesh, See Drone Uses 19, 20, 22, 26, 32, 38, 52, 53, 55, 56, 89,
3D modelling 7, 8, 9, 28, 31, 44, 46, 48, 71, 99, 92, 93, 96, 106, 111, 112, 118, 119, 120,
107, 111, 114, 115, 116, 118, 141, 148, 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129,
151, 155, 156, 158 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137,
138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145,
148, 149, 152, 155, 156, 157, 158
A Classified Point Clouds, See Drone Uses
AEC 3, 5, 23, 24, 44, 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, 80 CoLab 152
Aerials, high resolution aerials 25, 27, 30, 33, 35, Computer Hardware 6, 44, 71, 72, 135, 161
36, 37, 50, 51, 68, 71, 149, 153, 161 Construction, See Drone Uses
AirData UAV 46, 61, 83, 85 Construction monitoring 16, 119
Annual Expenditure 47 Construction progress 22, 33, 153, 159
Apps 6, 34, 35, 43, 44, 46, 48, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, Contour CAD Line Work 34
64, 65, 66, 68, 71, 78, 83, 87, 88, 90, 91, Contour Data, Contours 16, 30, 33, 34, 35, 50,
94, 95, 96, 99, 101, 104, 119, 124, 125, 51, 117, 137, 138, 141
127, 152, 156 Costs 3, 6, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 56,
Architecture 3, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 57, 63, 154, 163
21, 22, 23, 26, 32, 38, 52, 53, 55, 56, 89,
92, 93, 96, 106, 111, 112, 118, 119, 120,
121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, D
130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, DEM 35, 137, 138, 141
138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, DHM Design 7, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34,
148, 149, 152, 154, 155, 156, 35, 36, 39, 51, 53, 54, 92, 100, 101, 105,
157, 158, 159 107, 108, 109, 110, 112, 113,
Artificial Intelligence, AI 16 149, 150, 151
AutoCAD 8, 9, 26, 27, 34, 35, 36, 44, 50, 55, 69, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) 35, 137,
71, 109, 148, 154, 162 138, 141
Automated flight 69, 95, 96, 161 DJI 23, 24, 45, 46, 47, 48, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63,
64, 66, 67, 80, 82, 83, 87, 88, 94, 99,
117, 127, 160
B DJI Flysafe 80
BIM 29, 159 DJI Geozones 80

Index 165
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

DJI (Continued) CAD, see AutoCAD 8, 9, 26, 27, 34, 35, 36, 44,
DJI Go 64, 66, 67, 83, 87, 88, 94 50, 55, 69, 71, 109, 148, 154, 162
DJI Inspire 58, 61 Classified Point Clouds 33
DJI Matrice 23, 58, 61 Construction 3, 5, 8, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22,
DJI Mavic 60 23, 29, 33, 34, 38, 39, 49, 62, 105, 106,
DJI Phantom 24, 45, 47, 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 111, 119, 122, 124, 139, 146, 147,
64, 83, 117 153, 154, 159
DJI Phantom RTK 59 Construction administration 29, 38,
Documentation 6, 18, 74, 82, 87, 88, 139 146, 153, 159
Drone apps, apps for drones, software for Cut-fill calculations 29, 33
drones 61 Intangible Values, 51
Litchi 35, 46, 62, 67, 68, 71, 83, 87, 88, 96, Photomatch 14, 109
101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 127 Photography 12, 34, 66, 106
Pix4D 7, 24, 25, 30, 31, 33, 34, 38, 46, 53, 57, Plant Health, NDVI 35, 37, 160
62, 68, 69, 70, 71, 83, 116, 117, 122, 123, Point Cloud, 6, 19, 22, 24, 33, 53, 55, 69, 72,
124, 133, 134, 135, 137, 140, 145, 146, 116, 118, 119, 125, 135, 136, 137, 141,
150, 151, 160 142, 143, 145, 146, 147, 148, 150, 152,
Pix4Dcapture 125 153, 154, 155
Windy 65, 66 Proposals 26, 49
Drone Data Visualization 5, 23 Sections 4, 30, 33, 38, 50, 146, 150, 151
DroneDeploy 70, 83, 146, 150, 160 Thermal Maps 38
Drone Equipment Video Footage 3, 35, 66, 68, 115, 153
Batteries 45, 47, 48, 61, 62, 63, 82, 85, 87 Visual Communication, Presentations, inter-
Flight Controller 60, 61, 62, 86, 87, 88, views 8, 30
91, 94, 95
iPhone 66
Packages 16, 44, 63, 106, 116, 117, 118, 119, E
144, 146, 150, 156, 159, 162 Ecopia 16, 17, 161, 162
Tablet 46, 48, 60, 62, 71, 83, 90, 94, 103 Emergency Operations 94
Drone maintenance 47 Engineering 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 72, 119,
Drone Sensors 6, 94 148, 152, 159
Camera 11, 12, 17, 18, 23, 24, 30, 34, 35, 48, Ethics 5
61, 63, 67, 71, 88, 91, 92, 94, 99, 101, 102, EXIF 134
103, 105, 107, 111, 115, 116, 117, 118,
119, 120, 123, 125, 126, 127, 129,
134, 135, 139 F
Gas Detection 13, 15 FAA 15, 18, 45, 47, 56, 64, 65, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78,
LiDAR 13, 15, 24, 146, 159 80, 82, 92, 94, 96, 124, 161, 162
NDVI 37, 159, 160, 161 Fixed wing 64, 75
Drone Uses 59 Flight Area Awareness 91
2D Concept overlay 31 Flight Conditions 64, 65
3D Concept Model Overlay 31 Apps, See Drone Apps
3D Mesh 6, 26, 31, 72, 118, 122, 136, Weather, See Weather
139, 141, 142, 145, 146, 147, 148, Flight Operations 82, 89, 95
149, 150, 152, 153, 154, 155, Flight pattern 127, 135
156, 157, 158 Full Cycle Tool 5, 23

166 Index
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

G Learning to Fly 68, 86, 88

Automated flying, See Automated Flight
GCP, Ground Control Points 17, 20, 49, 60, 123,
Flight Area Awareness, See Flight
124, 130, 139, 140, 144, 145
Area Awareness
Geohazard mitigation 15, 55
Flight Operations, See Flight Operations
Geohazards 29, 143
Flight Times 61, 68, 82, 162
Geotag 101, 102, 118, 119
Flying Skills 60, 86
Geotechnical 119, 143, 144, 145, 148
Pre-Flight Planning 87, 96, 124
GIS 35, 36, 137
Simulator Mode 88
GPS 18, 20, 57, 60, 90, 95, 101, 102, 119, 123,
Takeoff 18, 80, 90, 91, 94, 95
130, 131, 132, 134, 135, 136,
Visual Line of Site (VLOS) 91, 92, 94
139, 140, 144
Liability 6, 45, 48, 55, 71, 80, 82
Grid flight pattern 49, 95, 125, 126,
LiDAR See Drone Sensors
129, 139, 144
Litchi 35, 46, 62, 67, 68, 71, 83, 87, 88, 96, 101,
Ground Control 17, 18, 20, 34, 49, 60, 69, 123,
102, 103, 104, 105, 127
124, 130, 131, 132, 139, 144, 145
Lumion 7, 8, 28, 46, 100, 108, 111, 112, 113,
Ground Control Points, GCP Planning 17,
114, 156, 157, 158
20, 49, 60, 123, 124, 130, 139, 140,
144, 145
Ground Control Points (GCPs) 17, 20, 49, 60, M
123, 124, 130, 139, 140, 144, 145 Mesh decimation 155
Metadata 101, 119, 120, 134
H Metashape 31, 133, 146
High Resolution Orthorectified Aerials 35, 36,
38, 117, 137, 138, 141 N
Nadir 95, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127,
129, 139, 143
I
NDVI See Drone Sensors
IACRA, See Part 107
Insurance, for Drones 6, 44, 45, 48, 55, 64,
71, 80, 82 O
Intangible Values, See Drone Uses Oblique 124, 126, 127, 128, 129, 139
Orthorectified imagery 35, 36, 38, 117,
137, 138, 141
J
Justin Clark 8, 9, 10, 101
P
Part 107 license 45, 47, 56, 76, 77, 78
L IACRA 77, 78
Landscape architecture 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20, Part 107 rules 76, 77
22, 26, 32, 38, 52, 53, 55, 56, 89, 92, 93, Photography, See Drone Uses
96, 106, 111, 112, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, Photogrammatery
124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, Accuracy 13, 17, 18, 57, 94, 119, 120, 123, 124,
132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 130, 131, 135, 137, 139, 140, 144
140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 148, 149, Collecting 6, 15, 18, 30, 62, 123, 124,
152, 155, 156, 157, 158 132, 139, 144

Index 167
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

Photogrammatery (Continued) Skyward 78

Ground Control Points, See Ground Software 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 17, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33,
Control Points 34, 35, 36, 38, 43, 44, 46, 49, 50, 52, 55,
Processing Data 6, 56, 92 56, 57, 58, 59, 64, 68, 69, 71, 72, 73, 83,
Processing Steps 130, 134 86, 99, 101, 106, 107, 111, 114, 115, 116,
Software, See Pix4D, Drone Deploy 117, 118, 119, 131, 133, 134, 135, 136,
Weather, See Weather 137, 140, 141, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148,
Photomatch, See Drone Uses 150, 151, 153, 154, 155, 156, 158, 159,
PhotoShop 28, 44, 46, 55, 71, 72, 100, 106, 107, 161, 163, 164
110, 111, 112, 114 Agisoft 133, 146
Pix4D 7, 24, 25, 30, 31, 33, 34, 38, 46, 53, 57, 62, Drone Deploy, See Drone Deploy
68, 69, 70, 71, 83, 116, 117, 122, 123, 124, Metashape
133, 134, 135, 137, 140, 145, 146, Pix4D – See Pix4D Capture, Pix4D Cloud,
150, 151, 160 Pix4Dmapper
Pix4Dcapture 125 Surveying 18, 119, 123, 130, 139
Pix4D Cloud 151
Pix4Dmapper 123
Plant Health, NDVI See Drone Uses, See
T
Drone Sensors Takeoff, See Learning to Fly
Point Cloud, See Drone Uses Thermal Maps, See Drone Uses
Pre-Flight Planning, See Learning to Fly Third Party Apps, see Drone Apps 60, 62
Time 11, 13, 16, 22, 23, 25, 29, 38, 45, 47, 48, 49,
51, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 63, 69, 73, 76,
Q 78, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, 94, 95, 96, 99,
Quadcopter 4, 64 104, 109, 111, 115, 116, 124, 125, 129,
130, 131, 132, 136, 141, 145, 146, 153,
154, 158, 162
R Training 8, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 56, 57, 86,
RemotePilot101.com 45, 56, 77 87, 91, 146
Rendering 7, 14, 46, 57, 115, 154, 156, 157 Trimble 29, 153, 154
Resources 43, 72, 87, 88
Revit 55, 111, 148, 154, 156
Risks 17, 21 V
Rockfall Mitigation 15, 55 Value Added Services 52
ROI, Rate of investment 23, 43 Vegetation Index 37, 159, 160, 161
ROR, Rate of return 48 Video Footage, See Drone Uses
RTK Drones, See Ground Control Visual Communication, Presentations, interviews,
See Drone Uses
Visualization 5, 7, 8, 23, 30, 72, 100,
S 111, 119, 139
Simulator Mode, See learning to Fly Visual Line of Site (VLOS) 91, 92, 94
SketchFab 152
SketchUp 7, 8, 15, 28, 31, 44, 46, 55, 100, 107,
108, 109, 111, 112, 114, 118, 141, 148, W
151, 154, 156, 157, 158 Weather 46, 49, 61, 62, 64, 65, 82, 90, 124, 129,
Skimp 148, 156, 157 130, 135, 158
SkyVector 6, 46, 65 Windy 65, 66

168 Index
https://t.me/bookzillaaa - https://t.me/ThDrksdHckr

WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

Go to www.wiley.com/go/eula to access Wiley’s ebook EULA.