I’m starting to tinker with a project where I’ll be creating 3D models of buildings. I have some previous experience with drone-based 3D scans, but I’m still a bit unsure about the best practices for data capturing.
I’ve read and watched a few guides, but I haven’t found clear answers to some specific questions:
Is it better to use video or still photos for reconstruction?
What’s a good rule of thumb for overlap and the number of photos needed?
Do most people plan their flights manually or use mission planning software for this?
Any insights, tips, or resources would be greatly appreciated!
So it depends on software but I personally have had better luck with just using photos for reconstruction. For a rule of thumb on the overlap depends on what your capturing but typically you want about 75% side overlap and 80% overlap. You can go down to 70 but I have had more success with 75%. As for planning I usually look at the job before I depart and get a general idea on how I want to approach the job. Once you get to the site you want to check notams, wind conditions, and airspace one more time before sending drone in the air. Then I would look at where my potential problem sites of the structure could be. Then once the drone is in the air I check my minimum height to be able to fly without hitting anything. I then put in mission plans into the controller and fly my mission. If you have any other questions let me know. I am happy to help.