How to Fly

Roof Measurement

Suitable for:

• Solar
• Architecture and construction trades
• Drone service providers

Single-family house with DJI Matrice 4E/T, Mavic 3E/T/M or similar

Multi-family house, commercial or industrial building with DJI Matrice 4E/T, Mavic 3E/T/M or similar

Single-family house with DJI Mini 4 Pro, Mini 3 Pro, Air 3S or similar

Other drones without POI mode (manual circular flight)

Open Area, Property or Site

Suitable for:

• Surveyors
• Solar
• Drone service providers
• Crane and heavy-load industry
• Agriculture and forestry
• Garden and landscape construction
• Architecture and construction trades

DJI Matrice 4E/T, Mavic 3E/T/M or similar

Building Measurement

High-end measurement using the Smart 3D Capture function of the Matrice 4E

Checklist

• Images saved? (NO video!)
• All roof details clearly visible?
• Do the photos look high quality? (e.g. they should not be blurry)
• Do the photos cover and focus on all objects that need to be included in the 3D model?
• [if facade reconstruction is desired:] Facades visible?

FAQ

What flight altitude is optimal?

As a rule of thumb, we recommend a flight altitude of approx. 35 m above ground level. This keeps you clear of most obstacles such as trees while maintaining a relatively short distance to the object.

In general, a shorter distance to the object results in higher accuracy. This means that for maximum accuracy, you should fly at e.g. 25 m above the object. However, this increases both the data volume and the capture time.

IMPORTANT: If the distance to the object becomes too small, the survey may fail entirely because the so-called “overlap” of the images becomes insufficient (see illustration below).

For larger areas, flight altitudes of 50–60 m or more are therefore recommended.

How can I properly capture facades?

The facade should be clearly visible in the images. A good guideline is a gimbal tilt of 60–70° (90° = vertical).

How can I improve accuracy using RTK?

The error potential caused by poor GNSS positioning can be massively reduced by using an RTK-capable drone. This reduces GNSS error from 30–100 cm to 1–3 cm.

What should be considered for POI circular flights?

We often see circular flights being performed offset from the object. The object should be positioned as centrally as possible within the photos.

Can multiple POI circular flights be combined?

Yes, this is generally possible, but it depends somewhat on the drone model. With some drones from the Mini series, issues can occur when combining flights due to less precisely calibrated altitude measurement. With drones such as the Mavic series, however, this usually works without problems.