Recent content by Bigriver

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    Fuzzy Point Clouds

    I'd definitely avoid trying to map wet pavement, as it would cause all kinds of problems I would think. Oily or dark patches can affect vertical accuracy too, like the low areas you mention. Correcting with MTPs may work, but would be very tedious. But if you are able to fly your missions...
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    Where to buy GCP plastic target ?

    I agree... now! :) I used tiles when I first started mapping. But then I found that a simple white paint dot with a circle around it worked in most situations, was much cheaper, and plenty accurate. No need to pick up GCPs and usually easily found on images. Also carry black paint for marks...
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    Fuzzy Point Clouds

    Hey JEM3345. I am no expert, but I have spent quite a bit of time working toward the same goal. I’ll share what I have found and have learned from other experienced mappers on this forum. Extracting reliable elevation data from uav mapping is not super easy. But it can be done with proper...
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    Shutter priority is the best...

    Looks very good. This has me wanting to experiment with the settings some more. I wish I was more attune with the camera settings and what effects they have. What altitude were you flying? And you're sure of the speeds you were flying?
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    Surveying elongated features

    If you are shooting nadir, or straight down, and as long as you are getting similar side/frontal overlap, I do not think that there would be a difference in your model output or accuracy. I fly missions both ways, but which method I chose depends on what I am mapping. If mapping a linear...
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    Interesting complaint from a mapping client...

    What’s up Dok! Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to work with Agisoft, so I can only speak toward Pix4D. Hopefully one day I'll get a chance to try Agisoft and find that it works better. Harley, your partner also has legitimate concerns. I have tried to capture some screen shots to...
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    Interesting complaint from a mapping client...

    D, your client has legitimate comments, but as I try to explain to my clients, unless the project site is right around the corner, it is very difficult to be able to plan for and acquire images in a certain condition… sunny vs. overcast. And then you must consider their deadline, which means we...
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    What common errors did you make when you started surveying and mapping?

    Errors? I have made many, including most of the ones mentioned above. Some have been financially costly, others just in time lost. 1. Changing mission type from grid to orbit in P4DCapture during flight, without verifying altitude. 2. Underestimating the effect of tall buildings on an...
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    The next challenge is smart digitization

    I hear ya! I digitize many of the projects I fly. And you are right. It gets very mundane after a while. Understanding what can (and can't) be accurately digitized from the orthomosaic requires a serious understanding of the dynamics of an aerial ortho. Trying to explain that to clients is...
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    New to surveying

    Ditto on the good comments on the Phantom 4 Pro. After a small (actually not so small) mishap with my current unit, I just picked up two more great units on Ebay for $750 and $875. Near new condition. Plenty out there, just check them out thoroughly. I have been mapping for three years with...
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    What deliverables are you giving your client?

    Funny that you mention that. I just spoke with Lizardtech earlier today, after downloading and testing the software a couple weeks ago. I expressed to them that the cost (about $3000) would prohibit me from buying a license at this time. That license also had a limit of like 100 GB processed...
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    P4A/P or Mavic 2 Pro for photogrammetry?

    Dumb question here... but why in the world wouldn't DJI (chinese) utilize the Beidou constellation (also chinese)?
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    Thoughts on the Phantom 4 RTK

    I need to check out the GSR app before writing it off completely, but it looked like a pretty basic grid mission planner. One problem of several mission planning apps is that the aircraft stops at each turn. Using Litchi, I am able to round off each turn and never change the speed of the...
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    Thoughts on the Phantom 4 RTK

    Dave - As an engineer and surveyor, you won't catch me picking sides in that fight. But I have experienced much of the same here. Like you were considering, to prove your accuracy to the surveyor, see if you can fly a project they have already ground surveyed. Georeference it with...
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    Mid-day Cloudburst in Arizona

    Great decision to stop, because you got a really fantastic shot. [emoji106]