Generate Facade missions on-the-fly using the drone position, to fly vertical columns, or stacked horizontal paths, in front of a structure to perform vertical mapping, inspections, and data capture for 3D modeling.
Define the boundaries of the facade mission (structures right side, left side, top edge, and minimum safe altitude), then set the overlap, sample distance, camera angle, and flight pattern, before execution.
A Growth plan is required for this feature.
Step 1 - Open Adaptive Facade On-the-Fly Mission
After opening, select Get Started to follow the step-by-step instructions.
Step 1.1 - Enable Reticle and Gimbal Angle Readout
It is sometimes helpful to enable the following user interface features in the Flight Dashboard. Specifically the Heading & Gimbal Attitude, and Reticle. The Extended Mission Summary setting will show which row and column you are on when flying the mission.
Step 2 - Mark the Right Corner with Gimbal at -90°
Fly the drone directly above the right corner of the structure, using the on-screen reticle to align the drone position.
With the gimbal angle is set to -90, select Mark.
It can be helpful to check the gimbal roll as well.
Step 3 - Mark the Left Corner with Gimbal at -90°
Fly to the left side of the structure to mark the left corner with gimbal at -90.
Pro Tip: Keep the drone heading perpendicular to the edge for a sample distance indicator in Step 5.
After marking, the distance from the right point will be displayed.
This is also the mission reference point (purple pin). After battery swaps, to georectify the mission with new satellite connections, re-align the mission by flying over this point again and use the mission alignment workflow.
Step 4 - Mark the Top Edge with Gimbal at 0°
After selecting Mark, the altitude above your take-off location will display. The gimbal must be at 0 degrees.
Step 5 - Mark the Minimum Altitude, Target Distance and Gimbal Pitch
In one step, the minimum safe altitude, target distance and gimbal pitch are recorded.
First fly the drone to the minimum safe altitude for the entire structure section being flown, then fly to the target distance from the structure surface (this sets the sampling distance), and finally set the gimbal pitch angle. The sample distance will be displayed on below the mark button.
Step 6 - Select Horizontal or Vertical Flight Pattern
Step 7 - Select Media Type
Step 8 - Optionally Edit Advanced Settings
The default horizontal and vertical overlap values (80% | 80%) can be changed in the advanced settings.
Step 9 - Input Mission Name
Step 10 - Review Input Summary and Generate Mission
Review the inputs, make any chances if needed, and then select Continue to generate the mission.
The generated mission displays in the map. Access a 3D preview by opening the mission card and selecting 3D Preview.
Step 11 - Start and Fly Mission
Select the Play button to start the mission. The drone will approach the starting point, and begin flying the mission.
Select the camera settings you want before starting the mission, and tap the screen to use auto-focus if supported by your drone.
Use Drone Offsets to Adjust Position and Framing Real-Time
Drone offsets are automatically enabled for Adaptive Facade OTF missions. The panel to the right can be opened and closed, and allows a pilot to make real-time adjustments to the drone position and framing during flight, and allows real-time control over the EV. This panel is also used for geo-rectification (aligning a mission after battery swaps) when the mission is paused.
Learn more about Drone Offsets.
Show Extended Mission Summary for Extra Details
Georectify / Align the Mission After Battery Swaps
For the highest accuracy, use the georecitifaction feature to align the mission.
Open the Georecitfy workflow in the drone offsets, and select the align button shown below.
This will open the georectification workflow.
Align the mission based on the top left corner as marked earlier.
Learn more about the mission alignment workflow.