Running a Survey

Survey processing is the Process step of the job: raw photos in, measurable maps out. Runs live at /survey/projects/, and each run can link to a Project — open a project under Office ▸ Projects and its Mapping section shows the runs, or use Process in Survey on the job to start one already linked.

Create the processing project

New Project asks for a name, an optional description, a Coordinate System, and a Contour Interval (default 2 ft). You can change contours later on the map, so the defaults are fine to start.

Step 1 — Upload your drone files

Drag and drop everything from the drone into the upload zone — or click to browse:

• Photos (JPG/PNG/TIFF) — minimum 5, though real jobs are usually hundreds.
• GNSS files (MRK, OBS, NAV, RTK) — these enable PPK position correction.
• GCP files (.txt with an EPSG header) — auto-detected, and anchor the reconstruction to known coordinates (see GCP & PPK Accuracy).

PPK correction

When your DJI GNSS files (OBS/NAV/MRK) are detected, you’ll see a PPK data detected badge. PPK correction locates your flight from the observation file, pulls base-station observations for your flight’s date from the nearest NOAA/NGS CORS station, and post-processes with RTKLIB to compute centimeter-level photo positions — no base station required from you. If CORS data isn’t available for your flight’s date or area, we’ll tell you honestly and ask for a manual base station file instead. Accuracy is best when a CORS station is nearby; on long baselines expect it to taper.

Step 2 — Quality, cost, and start

Before anything uploads you pick a Processing Quality:

• Fast (5 cm/px) — quick progress maps and site reviews.
• Standard (3 cm/px) — good for most survey deliverables. The default.
• High (2 cm/px) — maximum accuracy for final deliverables; takes significantly longer.

Optional toggles: Turbo (H200-class GPU, priority and roughly 2× faster, +50% credits) and Structure mode (one whole 3D textured model of a building or object instead of tiles).

The Processing Cost card shows exactly what the run will draw before you commit — how much comes from your plan’s monthly allowance and how much from purchased credits. Standard quality costs about one credit per photo (with a small minimum per job to cover GPU spin-up), Fast costs half, High double. If you’re short, the card says so and offers Buy Credits; the run won’t start until it’s covered.

Hit Upload & Process and you’re done at the desk — you can close the page; processing continues on our servers.

What the statuses mean

The run’s badge walks through UPLOADING → PROCESSING → READY (or FAILED, or NEEDS CREDITS if the balance ran short). While processing, the page shows the live stage — extracting and matching features, reconstructing the scene, building the dense point cloud, meshing and texturing the model, then the elevation model, orthomosaic, and map tiles — plus how many jobs are ahead of yours in the queue.

What you get

When the run turns Ready:

• Orthomosaic — the measurable top-down map.
• Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM).
• Contour lines and hillshade.
• Classified point cloud — explore it in the Point Cloud tab.
• 3D model — a textured mesh in the 3D Model tab.

Open Map launches the map workspace: toggle and reorder layers, add survey points (ground points, spot elevations, benchmarks), draw lines, breaklines and polygons, and measure distance and area. Tools include cross-sections, Volume (Cut/Fill), contour regeneration, and surface flattening. From the run page you can also Export DXF, Export PDF, open the Deliverable Report, and check the Coverage Map.

Already have a finished ortho?

Use Advanced: Upload pre-processed GeoTIFF files on the run page to import an existing Orthomosaic and/or DSM GeoTIFF. The ortho is wired in as the map’s ortho layer (with a Cloud-Optimized build for smooth panning) rather than being filed as a photo.

Common questions

How many photos do I need? At least 5 to start a run, but quality comes from overlap — plan missions with the default 85/70 overlaps and let the photo count be what it is.

Do I need my own base station for PPK? No. Base observations come from the nearest NOAA/NGS CORS station when available. If we can’t get CORS data for your flight’s date or area, we tell you and ask for a manual base station file instead.

What does processing cost? About one credit per photo at Standard quality (half at Fast, double at High, +50% for Turbo), with a small per-job minimum. The cost card shows the exact number — plan allowance first, then credits — before you start.

Can I leave while it processes? Yes. Processing runs on our servers; close the page and come back anytime. The run’s status badge and stage bar pick up where things are.