Optimal Flight Height

PIX4Dcapture PIX4Dcapture Questions/Troubleshooting
1

My company is going to be using drones with pix4d for survey. Before we enter this new realm for us, I have a few questions:

  1. What is a good elevation range above ground that captures the most accurate information?
    -I am assuming that if we flew at 300 feet, the data will not have the same accuracy as 100 feet. I’m guessing it will also depend on the the specific camera used. But in general, what have you guys found to be the best elevation range?

  2. This ties back to #1. If we flew at a lower elevation, would we need more ground control points? And vice versa, would we need less at a higher elevation? What is a good balance, flight elevation and the amount of ground control points (what number of them are typically used) vs. the quality of data obtained?

I would appreciate any constructive answers. We are excited to use this software, and any help before the transition will greatly help. Thanks!

2

Hi @will.miles,

Just for your to understand, the accuracy of the project depends upon GSD(Ground sampling distance). Your GSD is based on the flight height and the camera parameters. However, we don’t suggest you fly lower than the certain altitudes because it would be difficult for overall construction of the project. We generally suggest flying at a height of 120 ft or higher. For more information about the accuracy, I would suggest you to go through our support article on Accuracy of Pix4D outputs.

The statement regarding the lower elevation flight and GCP is not true as far as I know. The number of GCPs depends upon the topography of the area and the total area covered. Regarding the number of GCPs, I would suggest you to go through our support article on Number and distribution of GCPs.

Regards,

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Thank you!