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Cheapest 3d Mapping Software

jimhuntphoto

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I know the new model of software is per month fees. Pix4D and DroneDeploy and others are all over this. I hate it. I understand it. Is there a less expensive way to do 3d mapping? For someone who would like to get started these monthly prices are out of reach.

Thoughts?
 
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I know the new model of software is per month fees. Pix4D and DroneDeploy and others are all over this. I hate it. I understand it. Is there a less expensive way to do 3d mapping? For someone who would like to get started these monthly prices are out of reach.

Thoughts?
Check out Autodesk 123d Catch.. people have been using this for free for awhile now.. 3D Mapping With Your Drone – DIY Drones
 
Alitzure.com has been good for me. It's free up to a size limit, but even then you can do larger renders, but they won't guarantee they'll complete - although I did the one below on a free account and it was over twice the "free" amount and it rendered, just took a while (faster than Drone Deploy by for though). I really like their app too (I'm on Android).

St. Ignatius Loyola Church - Denver, CO
 
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Depends on what you want to use it for

Drone deploy or maps made easy are good value
 
Depends on what you want to use it for

Drone deploy or maps made easy are good value
Drone Deploy has a free level but you can't get 3d that way, the monthly fees are pretty steep starting at $90/month I believe. Maps Mad Easy is pay as you go/need I love the way it works and use it a lot for GIS mapping.
 
Drone Deploy has a free level but you can't get 3d that way, the monthly fees are pretty steep starting at $90/month I believe. Maps Mad Easy is pay as you go/need I love the way it works and use it a lot for GIS mapping.
DD will export 3D models for free, thats how I get my rough models done before pumping it through photoscan
 
Im really considering getting the NDVI upgrade for the Mavic. Hopefully it'll allow me to move on up to an inspire with a few jobs.
 
I've found Dronedeploy good for collecting the raw data. Dronedeploy has some interesting apps in the internal Dronedeploy app store.
Pix4D also collects the raw images and takes it up a notch, giving you additional route patterns.

Both Dronedeploy and Pix4D offer free trials.
The following site will make it possible to take up new Pro trials in Dronedeploy and Pix4D under as different users, if you are smart about how you use it:
(https://www.33mail.com/)
- this won't help you export maps from your previous trial though, you'll have to do that during the same trial period that you uploaded it in. It'll only help you to create new mapping projects as a Pro user.

I was able to create a 1.1TB (TIF) orthomosaic map of about 95.9 hectares at 185m altitude with about 85% overlap. I got resolution of about 5.6cm/pixel.
Dronedeploy presents an upper limit on how many photos and also on the total size of the photos you can upload to generate the map. I've found the predicted and actual amount of data produced is often different and it is sometimes hard to predict if you'll be over, under or way under the upload limit when planning the map.

There are a range of sites which allow you to import the raw photos from Dronedeploy and Pix4D, and generate the map on your PC.
- QGIS Desktop
(Things can become a little technical if you go down this path but when done correctly there isn't any reason you shouldn't be able to produce an orthomosaic map of the quality that Dronedeploy produces for you)

Here is an example of what I created using 2 Mavic batteries and 30 mins flight time (the original is 1.1Tb, this is a crude screenshot)

https://mavicpilots.com/media/screenshot_20180212-012621.1600/full

Happy to help anyone who needs help getting started with mapping

Cheers

Yannie
 
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Thanks for sharing this Yannie,
I also have a question what is the maximum area you can cover with your Mavic Pro, I mean if you need to cover 50 hectare is good but I have to cover a big area
more than 3500 hectares.
Do you think I can use Drone Deploy or Pix4D on such big area.
Thanks for your reply
Julie
 
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