Experiments in Mapping

[Tuna]

So I had a quick experiment in 3D mapping this week. It's a relatively easy process, though the software takes a long time to generate the map data. On my machine, 150 images took around 3 hours to be processed.

The steps I used were to plan the mission freehand in UAV Toolbox. The camera estimation tool makes it fairly painless to make sure each run overlaps the next - but yes, I need to write a proper mapping flight planner to make it really easy.

Then flying the mission couldn't be simpler. Put the Typhoon into photo mode, select Timelapse, start the camera capturing photos, then start the Cable Cam mission. It's a little bit of juggling, but everything 'just works', and in this case I got around 300+ photos for the area I was scanning.

The photo processing tools recommend each successive image needs to overlap by around 60%, and you need to be 5-10 times the height of the highest object you're capturing. So I flew at 60 meters, which makes certain I wasn't about to hit any power lines or trees. At the standard cable cam mission speed and 60 meters height, you get many more photos than you need, so I only used every other image to generate the map.

I used Open Drone Map to process the images, though you can use other software such as Pix4D. The Typhoon automatically geotags the images, so all you need to do is upload them and click 'go'. A few hours later you end up with a 2D orthomosaic photo, a 3D point cloud and a 3D textured mesh.

Here are the results:

 

[JulesTEO]

Very cool, specially having the H basically doing the flying and picture taking by itself, one feature I've wished the H had natively.

Back when I recently had purchased the H I also tested 3d mapping, using the point cloud only as a reference to manually create a clean 3D model. Obviously back then I had to fly and take the pictures manually (or at least using orbit)

Greetings!

 

[Steve Carr]

So I had a quick experiment in 3D mapping this week. It's a relatively easy process, though the software takes a long time to generate the map data. On my machine, 150 images took around 3 hours to be processed.

The steps I used were to plan the mission freehand in UAV Toolbox. The camera estimation tool makes it fairly painless to make sure each run overlaps the next - but yes, I need to write a proper mapping flight planner to make it really easy.

Interesting concept. I hope I will be able to follow the directions to try this in another month or so.

 

[Tuna]

I need to re-run the whole thing a few times to figure out the best settings - you can overlay the 2D view onto Google Maps and the increased level of detail is quite impressive.

 

[mwfoshee]

I've been using Maps Made Easy, You pay by the job, but small jobs are free. So far all my jobs have been free (5-7 acres) after processing you get all sorts of output.

and an overlap report



The downside, while all the projects I've completed have been correctly geo referenced, to date I've had ZERO luck using Ground Control Points. And to top it all off the most common solution to my errors from MME customer Service ......... I really need to purchase a DJI Product.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

At one point I emailed the folks at Drone Deploy asking if they had
a projected date of support for any Yuneec products... they told me
the same f'n thing... buy a DJI.

 

[Shadowolf]

Hey. I use ME , dronedeploy and open drone map. All I have great results. It takes a little more planning. However it would be nice to have the ability to start a flight plan in the middle or at any point.
I haven't used get reference points yet though.
U.A.V. Unlimited Aerial Video on Sketchfab

 

[mwfoshee]

@Shadowolf - have you used the opendronemap web gui WebODM yet?

 

[Shadowolf]

Nope. I will have to check that out. Didn't even know that had that.lol

 

[mwfoshee]

At one point I emailed the folks at Drone Deploy asking if they had
a projected date of support for any Yuneec products... they told me
the same f'n thing... buy a DJI.

Yes ,Also got that same response from the guys at Drone Mapper From their website: "DroneMapper Imagery Processing, Precision Agriculture, Photogrammetry and GIS software development. We generate pecision geo-referenced DEM, DSM, Orthomosaic, NDVI and Point Clouds from your aerial imagery." nothing about being DJI specific, yet when I had problems The last phone conversation was "have you tried a DJI product?" This was pre sale, I was evaluating their software prior to purchase.

I do feel Yuneec is screwing up the EXIF tags, When I view the Image Properties in Windows Explorer, the altitude is correct,

however, when the same image is viewed in GEOSetter the altitude is negative.


I complained to Yuneec and supposedly got to talk to the EXIF tag Guru. Still no response, Thats another Rant. Maybe Yuneec is working up the nerve to tell me I should buy DJI as well,

 

[mwfoshee]

I'm very excited to see @Tuna in this conversation.

 

[Shadowolf]

Lol. Yeah I noticed that alt. Was all negative on maps. Glad you checked I to it more.

 

[Eagle's Eye Video]

Yes ,Also got that same response from the guys at Drone Mapper From their website: "DroneMapper Imagery Processing, Precision Agriculture, Photogrammetry and GIS software development. We generate pecision geo-referenced DEM, DSM, Orthomosaic, NDVI and Point Clouds from your aerial imagery." nothing about being DJI specific, yet when I had problems The last phone conversation was "have you tried a DJI product?" This was pre sale, I was evaluating their software prior to purchase.

I do feel Yuneec is screwing up the EXIF tags, When I view the Image Properties in Windows Explorer, the altitude is correct,

I complained to Yuneec and supposedly got to talk to the EXIF tag Guru. Still no response, Thats another Rant. Maybe Yuneec is working up the nerve to tell me I should buy DJI as well,

Yep, saw that posting you have in Tuna's UAV Toolkit thread asking for future features.
So I have a question on this, since this an area that I have yet to explore, but I want to.
I know that you can do batch processing of images in Photoshop, and there are batch
renaming programs out there. Is there a program that will batch process editing of EXIF
tags? And if there is, could you just change that one parameter that shows altitude
as being below sea level, to above sea level? Would that work to correct the issue?

 

[mwfoshee]

Yep, saw that posting you have in Tuna's UAV Toolkit thread asking for future features.
So I have a question on this, since this an area that I have yet to explore, but I want to.
I know that you can do batch processing of images in Photoshop, and there are batch
renaming programs out there. Is there a program that will batch process editing of EXIF
tags? And if there is, could you just change that one parameter that shows altitude
as being below sea level, to above sea level? Would that work to correct the issue?

You can use exiftool, If I'm not mistaken though it's one of those programs you run in terminal, no GUI. I use Geosetter, it does a little more and uses EXIFTOOL underneath but wraps it all up in a nice GUI. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

I did correct all the elevations "en masse" so to speak with GEOSetter and the good news is MME processed them correctly, bad news, I still can't get any service to work with my Ground Control Points, I was hoping fixing the neg. altitude numbers would work.

 

[mgpereira]

So I had a quick experiment in 3D mapping this week. It's a relatively easy process, though the software takes a long time to generate the map data. On my machine, 150 images took around 3 hours to be processed.

The steps I used were to plan the mission freehand in UAV Toolbox. The camera estimation tool makes it fairly painless to make sure each run overlaps the next - but yes, I need to write a proper mapping flight planner to make it really easy.

Then flying the mission couldn't be simpler. Put the Typhoon into photo mode, select Timelapse, start the camera capturing photos, then start the Cable Cam mission. It's a little bit of juggling, but everything 'just works', and in this case I got around 300+ photos for the area I was scanning.

The photo processing tools recommend each successive image needs to overlap by around 60%, and you need to be 5-10 times the height of the highest object you're capturing. So I flew at 60 meters, which makes certain I wasn't about to hit any power lines or trees. At the standard cable cam mission speed and 60 meters height, you get many more photos than you need, so I only used every other image to generate the map.

I used Open Drone Map to process the images, though you can use other software such as Pix4D. The Typhoon automatically geotags the images, so all you need to do is upload them and click 'go'. A few hours later you end up with a 2D orthomosaic photo, a 3D point cloud and a 3D textured mesh.

Here are the results:

HH

So I had a quick experiment in 3D mapping this week. It's a relatively easy process, though the software takes a long time to generate the map data. On my machine, 150 images took around 3 hours to be processed.

The steps I used were to plan the mission freehand in UAV Toolbox. The camera estimation tool makes it fairly painless to make sure each run overlaps the next - but yes, I need to write a proper mapping flight planner to make it really easy.

Then flying the mission couldn't be simpler. Put the Typhoon into photo mode, select Timelapse, start the camera capturing photos, then start the Cable Cam mission. It's a little bit of juggling, but everything 'just works', and in this case I got around 300+ photos for the area I was scanning.

The photo processing tools recommend each successive image needs to overlap by around 60%, and you need to be 5-10 times the height of the highest object you're capturing. So I flew at 60 meters, which makes certain I wasn't about to hit any power lines or trees. At the standard cable cam mission speed and 60 meters height, you get many more photos than you need, so I only used every other image to generate the map.

I used Open Drone Map to process the images, though you can use other software such as Pix4D. The Typhoon automatically geotags the images, so all you need to do is upload them and click 'go'. A few hours later you end up with a 2D orthomosaic photo, a 3D point cloud and a 3D textured mesh.

Here are the results:

Hi

You can use exiftool, If I'm not mistaken though it's one of those programs you run in terminal, no GUI. I use Geosetter, it does a little more and uses EXIFTOOL underneath but wraps it all up in a nice GUI. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

I did correct all the elevations "en masse" so to speak with GEOSetter and the good news is MME processed them correctly, bad news, I still can't get any service to work with my Ground Control Points, I was hoping fixing the neg. altitude numbers would work.

Hi, how are you?
I own a DJI P4, but wanted to buy a YUNEEC Thyphoon H. I work with topography. The doubt for me to decide on Yuneec would be if it puts geotags in the photos. Does it do it automatically as you said it?

 

[PatR]

It does.

 

[Ralphy]

Ran this one a couple days ago. Yuneec typhoon h with tunas uavtoolbox and agisoft photoscan

 

[WheelsUp]

I need to re-run the whole thing a few times to figure out the best settings - you can overlay the 2D view onto Google Maps and the increased level of detail is quite impressive.

@Tuna , I have been a long time fan of your UAV Toolbox app. I have a request for taking pics over a 1,500 acre forest. With no property boundaries, I have received shape files in various formats like (UTM, NAD83, Zone 16, Meters). What is the easiest way to create a mission for my YTH to follow while taking pics?