Lets talk drone mapping deliverables. This episode is for the drone mapping newbies- or even those of you that have been specializing
in a specific area and may not know about other file types. First deliverable and the most widely used
is the Orthomosaic, which is a mosaic of drone images that have
been orthorectified. Thats just a fancy way of saying that all
the drone pictures you took last week of that development property,were processed to create
a single, accurate and measurable picture. I just call it a map. So the orthomosaic is a large picture that
you can use to deliver to a client that wants an overview of a specific location. Even if your client needs volume measurements
or contour lines, its not a bad idea to give them a picture they can measure with. After all its always good to under promise
and over deliver. And, speaking of volume measurements and contours. The orthomosaic is not used for your 3-dimensional
measurements but I like to use it occasionally to overlay the contour lines. For 3 dimensional measurements you need to
produce a DEM-Digital Elevation Model. In the photogrammetry software, Pix4D, they
call the DEM a DSM-Digital Surface Model and they also have a DTM-Digital Terrain Model. But its all pretty similar. The DSM shows the terrain and anything else
above the surface, like trees, and buildings. The DTM shows the terrain of the land without
trees or buildings. If you use a software like Agisoft photoscan
then youve probably notice they keep it simple, and just call it a DEM. And all of the files I just mentioned are
called Geo-tif files. Theyre geo-referenced images with a .TIF file
extension Now, lets talk about contour lines. Both Pix4D and Photoscan allow you to create
contours inside their software. But, Ive found that you get better results
if you take the DEM out of your photogrammetry software and put it into a third party software
like GIS, QGIS or Global Mapper. From there you can generate your 3D contour
lines. Now some software will let you export a shape
file. It is called that because it has a .shp file
extension, which is a file that's used in GIS or QGIS. The only problem with a shape file is that
many engineering firms dont use GIS. So you may need to create a file type that
engineers can use, like a .DWG file. That file type can then be put into a program
called AutoCad, which is used by, probably 99% of engineering firms. Now lets talk about volume measurements. Pix4d lets you make volume measurements from
the point cloud, and I have to admit I think they do it well. I mean, They make it pretty easy to do, and they give you a simple tool to let you
export the information so that you can give your client the data they need. Photoscan also has volume measurement tools,
although I havent worked with them much. One thing to think about is how youll give
your client the information they want. Well, I have this book that gives great advice. It says that if you ask, you shall receive. So ask your client what type of deliverable
they prefer. Some clients may just ask for the DEM,
But most will want the data. So if all you need to do is make the measurements
and put the information in an easy to read colorful report with a few screenshots, then
your life just got a little easier. There isnt really a one file type fits all
your needs kinda thing in this industry. So never be afraid to ask. You can always say, I have clients with different needs, so in
order to make sure I meet your needs, Help me, help you. If they respond by saying, you, are hanging on by a very thin thread, and I dig that about you. Then they're probably cool with any questions you have to ask. Ok well thats all the time I have right now. And I hope this information was helpful. If so please remember to share it and hit
the like button. That helps us know were providing information you want. Of course, the best way to let us know what you want is to make a comment below. Tell us what information you would like to
see, or share your experience and knowledge.
