AeroCartwright
A reference collection on drone mapping, photogrammetry, LiDAR workflows, and geospatial data processing. Written by a GIS scientist with M.S. GIS, FAA Part 107, and 10+ years of field experience.
WebODM (free) vs Pix4D (paid) for consumer drone imagery: orthomosaic quality, processing time, accuracy, GCP workflow, cost analysis, when to use each.
NeRF vs photogrammetry for drone mapping: accuracy numbers, output products, georeferencing limits, and a decision framework for when each wins.
Drone processing checklist: CRS setup, alignment QA, GCP integration, checkpoint validation, quality report review. Prevents accuracy failures.
Consumer drone mapping buyer's guide: DJI Mini 4 Pro vs Mini 3 Pro vs Autel Evo Nano+. Accuracy, rolling shutter, GCP needs — field-tested verdicts.
Complete QGIS workflow for drone data: import orthomosaics, build pyramids, contours from DEMs, point clouds, QField field review. QGIS 3.44 LTR.
Post-flight QA checklist: image review, coverage verification, metadata validation, 3-2-1 backup. Part 4 of the drone mapping checklist series.
United Flight 1980 reported striking a red drone on approach to San Diego International Airport. Here's what the incident reveals about mixed airspace risk and what every Part 107 operator needs to understand.
WGS84 vs NAD83, state plane, vertical datums — the CRS settings drone operators get wrong, and how to fix them in Metashape, Pix4D, and ODM.
GCP deployment checklist: placement, measurement procedure, photo documentation, field logging. Every step from planning through pre-flight.
An orthomosaic is a georeferenced image mosaic built from overlapping drone photos. How photogrammetry creates one, GSD, GeoTIFF vs COG, GIS use.
DSM vs DTM vs DEM for drone operators: definitions, how each is derived from photogrammetry, ground classification, and when each product is required.
Altitude, GSD, overlap, battery budget — the four parameters that decide whether drone mapping data is usable. Mission planning checklist for surveyors.
LiDAR vs photogrammetry for drone surveys: accuracy numbers, hardware costs, workflows, and a decision framework. When each technology wins.
Four positioning tiers for drone surveys: GPS, RTK/PPK, GCPs, and full RTK+GCPs+checkpoints. Match accuracy to the job — not every project needs the top tier.
Pre-flight checklist for drone surveys: airspace verification, weather assessment, equipment inspection. Part 1 of the 7-phase drone mapping checklist series.
WebODM split from the OpenDroneMap nonprofit on April 6, 2026. What changed, why, and migration steps — new GitHub URLs, Docker images, docs.
Real pricing, processing speed, and GCP workflow for all four — plus which one wins for survey-grade reports vs 3D meshes vs free pipelines.
Six-phase drone mapping checklist from pre-flight to deliverable handoff. Based on aviation protocols — prevents costly reflys and data rejection.
Why your software's 1 cm number is wrong, how vertical runs 2-3x worse than horizontal, and the 5 red flags in any drone mapping accuracy report.
Drone mapping risk framework: regulations, crashes, airspace, privacy, GPS spoofing. Four categories with LAANC, insurance, ADS-B, and checklists.
RTK vs PPK for drone surveys: both hit 1-3cm accuracy. RTK corrects in real time, PPK processes post-flight. Failure modes, costs, when to use each.
How many GCPs does a drone survey need? 5 for under 5 acres, 8-12 for 50-500. Distribution beats density. Always include independent checkpoints.
Your Part 107 certificate puts you in the same FAA system as airline captains. Sectional charts, LAANC, ADS-B In — airspace discipline matters.
PIX4Dmatic 2.0 absorbs PIX4Dsurvey into three tiers. Full comparison vs Metashape and DJI Terra on price, accuracy, GCP workflows, and deliverables.
Drone mapping hardware guide: CPU, GPU, RAM, NVMe requirements for photogrammetry. Workstation builds by project size and processing software.
Drone data explained: imagery, orthomosaics, point clouds, elevation models, 3D meshes. How photogrammetry turns photos into geospatial products.
AeroCartwright: drone mapping education and geospatial tools from a working GIS professional with firefighting, academic, and federal field experience.
New guides and references are being added regularly. Check back soon or browse all topics.
Calculate GSD, flight altitude, GCP count, and more.
