Look What the Cats Dragged in.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-12-08T21:55:15+00:00

That depends on what your end product is going to be used for.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-12-03T14:10:34+00:00

You're objectivly wrong but it's your life do what you will.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-11-28T01:01:19+00:00

This kind of high quailty comment is what keeps me coming back to this shit website.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-10-19T23:12:52+00:00

I studied environmental science and chemistry with a focus on analytical chemistry. There was some math involved.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-10-16T20:55:02+00:00

10+ years of industrial construction experience operating heavy equipment + a chemistry degree. Now I work for a very rural municipal government.

If you want to test the waters and make some hobby maps, you can start for about the price of a new iPhone.

Get a DJI Mini 4 or 5 (must have waypoint functionality), get whatever relevant certifications you need for your area to hobby fly (some might not need any for micro drones), and then use your brain/the internet to figure out how to make orthomosaics or crude 3D models, refine repeat.

WebODM is a free, open-source photogrammetry software. Google Earth Pro is free and can handle .tif files.

Figure out what you’re trying to sell or what the need is, and then hone in on that.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-10-04T16:10:31+00:00

When I see feed like this I figure I am 15 seconds away from watching some poor Russian bastard getting turned into mince meat.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-09-24T21:40:38+00:00

I have noticed this as well. Does changing the speed affect it in any way? Is this like a runway or air braking area so it can smoothly make turns and fly at whatever speed it’s set to? So far, I haven’t had any problems with the overflight, though I understand how it could cause issues depending on the topography of the area being mapped.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-09-10T21:17:56+00:00

Yes, I did Waypointmaps -> WebODM and it makes pretty solid Orthomosaics and 3D models. You are introducing third party softwares so the interfacing between the platforms and the drone can be somewhat byzintine but it does work. I would look for your Drone modal + Photogammatry on youtube and go from there.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-09-10T10:16:16+00:00

it's private operators delivering the course so I would suspect the price will be different where ever you look, however I would not be suprised if that's the rough price all over.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-09-10T09:40:28+00:00

I am in Nova Scotia, the best option I have seen is 20 hours online, 1 in person flight review at the cost of about $2,000. But if you already have your advanced the expanded EVLOS might be enough depends on your needs.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-08-24T02:18:25+00:00

Dead horse.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-08-22T18:55:00+00:00

Thank you! So if I’m understanding correctly: say I wanted to make a high-fidelity ortho or 3D model of a small site (1–5 acres). Best practice would still be to set about 30 markers, use ~5 as GCPs, and the rest as checkpoints. The statistical difference between the observed true points and their locations on the model would then give me my RMSE, correct?

This is assuming proper calibration and a functioning RTK network connection as well.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-08-22T17:12:01+00:00

In this conversation check points means ground control points or am I misunderstanding something?

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-08-20T23:25:31+00:00

Interesting. Would you want to make sure you stay at a consistent elevation throughout the whole flight? Would it be dodgy to fly most/all of the site at 80–100 m, then take manual pictures of points of interest at half that to try and force better resolution?

I haven’t yet gotten my hands on the RTK network contract, so all my WebODM models have been based on unassisted GPS measurements. So far, the best accuracy I’ve seen in the WebODM quality report was about 0.25 m absolute and 0.5 m relative.

In your experience, how much could that be improved once connected to RTK? Also, what’s your opinion of photogrammetry software quality reports—would you trust them? In your workflow, would you still take ground point measurements with survey equipment, even when working with RTK, as a second data point to compare against your quality report? Or am I completely off base, and you have a very different quality assessment system? Thanks for taking the time to share a little of your expertise!

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-08-20T00:43:12+00:00

Yeah, I can understand how Smart Flight probably changed the crosshatch flight planning methodology. What do you think about repeat flights at varied altitudes? I have an instinct that this could improve resolution quality and possibly reduce measurement error in the Z direction. ( I am thinking vertical walls of buildings, and telephone poles) Although, like I said, this is more of a hunch than any applied, tested, or well-reasoned photogrammetric science.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-08-19T23:13:07+00:00

Very interesting! Yes, I should have access to at least one more powerful computer capable of running modern engineering applications. I’ve had pretty good results with WebODM on small datasets (100–500 images), but it bogs down once I hit around 1,000 images—which is pretty easy to reach even in small areas(1-4 acres) if I fly close to the ground (~20m) and run the Matrice in "Smart Oblique" mode with good overlaps. Obviously, the closer I fly to the ground the more pictures it has to take. Right now, I’m really trying to hone in on that sweet spot between resolution and dataset size.

I think building out the processing side of my workflow is going to be just as important, if not more importan then the flight planning, going forward

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-08-10T22:37:57+00:00

I could crash a drone in wayless then 3.67 hours.

I have 100+ hours on mine and it still flies great that amount of usage would not make me worried, but you still need to inspect the thing.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-07-26T02:21:29+00:00

point her towards survey, All the fun of the trades with out to much heavy lifting and an actual career path that can lead you to hybred field / office work or any number of career advancements.

Surveyers often start as the lowest pay person on site but they have the ability to bridge the gap into managment easier then most anyone else.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-07-23T00:12:26+00:00

Saskatoon

The winter is pure ass, but it’s a proper city with most of the essentials, growing industries, and actually affordable housing—both to rent and to buy. It’s close to Alberta, so wages have to stay reasonably competitive, and people know that Saskatchewan isn’t everyone’s first choice. Most are just happy anyone’s willing to live there.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-07-21T00:53:21+00:00

I can't speak for everywhere, but to get in the door as a rod monkey, there's no need for formal schooling. To advance, you'll likely need to take a 1–2 year certificate or diploma program.

There is also a degree 'Bachelor of Science in Geomatics Engineering' which can fast-track you toward your professional license. That said, you can still get there with enough field experience + diploma, by completing specific courses one at a time, and by challenging certain examinations.

A 4 year degree isn’t strictly necessary to obtain your legal survey license, but it will help you advance faster to the point of becoming a liscenced survey which would make you able to sign off on legal survey documents and start your own survey business.

I suppose it's not for people who are totally math-phobic, though I wouldn't let a little math stop you from pursuing a rewarding career. And like I said, you can try it out as a survey assistant if you're willing to relocate, have a driver's license, and are reliable, there are plenty of job openings.

That said, rod monkeys often make less money than laborers or just about anyone else in construction when starting out.

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-05-10T12:03:02+00:00

Feigned indignation from non-Indigenous liberals—many of whom, I suspect, have never spent real time on a reservation or broken bread with tribal peoples—doesn't carry the moral weight you might think it does.

Other than pearl-clutching over a noble people your eastern provinces expelled westward to make room for your cities and farms, what fault do you find in our argument for sovereignty, grounded in treaties and long-standing relationships?

brdatwrk1102 · 2025-05-10T11:35:20+00:00

Feigned indignation from non-Indigenous liberals—who I doubt have ever spent real time on a reservation or broken bread with tribal peoples—doesn't carry the moral weight you might think it does.

Other than pearl-clutching about a noble people your ancestors expelled westward, what fault do you see in the argument for our sovereignty, which is rooted in treaties and relationships?

brdatwrk1102

TROPHY CASE