Imaging Height and the Effects on Mission Quality

Imaging Height Explained

Imaging height lets the system know what you want to be modeled. It should be set to the tallest object you want to be modeled in your capture area relative to where you take off.

To ensure the best quality mission, set your image height around 10-15 feet above the estimated tallest object in your flight area. Since you're using your judgment for the height, it’s good practice to have a small buffer. If you are imaging the area below your takeoff location, you can set your image height to 0 or even a negative value.

Importance of Setting Proper Imaging Height

Your fly height and imaging heights are relative to the elevation of the take-off point. An important consideration when thinking of how to fly a quality mission is your imaging height. Your photos are going to be stitched together based on the imaging height you set and the most common cause for blank spots in the mission area is an image capture height that was set too low to include all of the terrain in the mission area.  For example (see image below), an image capture height of 30 feet on a site with hills, buildings, or stockpiles taller than 30 feet over the takeoff location will cause holes to appear in the mission area and result in stitching errors. 

As you plan your mission, keep in mind the topography of the area you are intending to fly. Whether there is a pit or a pile in the path of the drone, the drone will consistently stay at the height you specified in your mission planning. If you are flying a rising terrain make sure to set your flight height with an appropriate buffer while also setting your imaging height to include the higher points of the site. 

Imaging height affects your model while the fly height determines your image resolution. If you need detailed images, try flying closer to the object you are modeling.