After experimenting with DroneDeploy for a couple of months, I have a question that doesn’t seem to be answered in any of the help docs or FAQs. The broad function of DD is clearly defined- to create orthophotos, elevation maps, and plant health surveys. As well, the process for doing so is quite clear, and DD does a great job of facilitating that. But the question remains, what is the intended function of these maps after they have been stitched together?
There doesn’t appear to be a large focus on actionable data, as the outputs from DD are lacking some key elements. As far as I can tell there really isn’t a way to get good data out of your maps for use in other applications.
3D Models: good detail, but lacking proper scale for volumetric measurements in 3rd party platforms and not geo-referenced
Elevation: somewhat functional analysis tools in the web viewer, but no easy way to measure elevation at specific points. Exports are lacking features; a false color map with no scale or pixel metadata included in the TIFF looks good, but does not facilitate analysis.
Plant Health: Again, somewhat functional in the web viewer, but exports lack color scales or keys to define the colors assigned to each pixel.
My customers ask what can be done with the maps we produce, and I’ve found it’s difficult to give an answer any better than directing them to Drone Deploy’s still young and evolving web-based tools. I’d love to say that we can export data for their own analysis and manipulation in whatever existing workflow they have, but that’s not the case as of yet.
Does anyone have any solid export use-cases you could describe to help clear things up? How are you keeping your customers happy with the tools and formats currently offered?
@AerieWorks - Sorry to hear this has been your experience. What workflows are your clients currently using? We’d welcome the feedback for our team so we can work towards compatibility. A couple of notes on your comments above-
Though the 3D models are not georeferenced, the .las point clouds are geo-referenced and useable in software such as AutoCad (please see here for more information).
We agree that our Elevation tools could become more robust with additional features, and the ones you’ve described are upcoming shortly (I’ll make a note to contact you as these become available for beta testing).
We’ve focused on our Plant Health tools in-browser, but appreciate your feedback on the need for a full experience when exported.
It’s true that 3D output is not yet robust or usable. Should be better when oblic pictures will be integrated in the fly.
May be on the 2D export could also exist a “mapping tool” that could create basic hcarts form the orthophoto that we could redesign after, in order not to be obliged to create the all mapping from the picture.
Ok so let me get this right about your clients. You’re generating maps for customers who have no use for them? Me thinks that you need to rethink your tool kit being that DD is just a hammer & chisel in your kit of many tools.
Many clients love having the maps of their sites so that they can get a feel for what’s going on, especially smaller construction/development firms. I don’t think AerieWorks or any of us for that matter would be producing maps for clients that have no use for them, but a lot of the bigger firms that I have been working with are asking the same questions that AerieWorks has asked…“Other than looking at them and making a couple of measurements and notes, What else can I do with these maps to make my job sites more efficient”? It’s not a good feeling when standing in front of multi million/billion dollar companies with no answer!
Glad to see this discussion. I’ve also been experimenting with DD in agriculture for several months, and have a number of agronomists and farm managers analysing maps we have produced. While they are getting great value out of the visual, and also the elevation maps, it seems some of the tools are inadequate or they just don’t understand how to use them to get the right information to make better decisions. Take it or leave with NDVI
I’m keen to connect with others and share experiences, will come back to this forum early next week.
I’m thinking about setting up a bit of a roundtable conference call, interested parties can I’ll call-in at a particular time that suits us and we can just kick a few issues around on the phone. We can cover a huge amount more ground then back and forth on the forum