This page documents all supported data types for Mobile Mapping, Aerial, and Aerial Oblique Mappin Resources.
To read more about concepts of a Mapping Run and Resource Groups, see Orbit Mapping Resource

Mapping run is a combination of multiple individual resources that have a logical relation and are collected together by a mapping system. A mapping run is a flexible structure, not all components as listed below are mandatory.

Orbit imports 3D mapping data using intelligent templates. An import template is configured according to a well-known set of configurations, given carrier (vehicle, UAV, aircraft, etc..) setup and available data.
The use of templates simplifies and standardizes the import procedure for a well-known set of data.

Read more and download templates here: Mapping Resource Import Templates.

Orbit supports any combination of 3D mapping data and any coordinate system (CRS) on import. But be wise:

• The coordinate reference system should be part of the metadata of each resource.
• It is advised that all georeferenced resources are using the same CRS to avoid processing time of continuous coordinate transformation. If required convert CRS on import run.
• When converting the coordinate system of image positions apply the according adjustments on all orientation angles referring to the reference direction of the coordinate systems (most probably north).

• CRS: can be expressed using any supported coordinate system.
  After import, it is strongly advised that all mobile mapping resources use the same coordinate reference system. If required coordinates can be re-projected or transformed on import.

Optionally time-stamps can be imported. The time value can be a text string, integer, or decimal value.

String values will be displayed as-is and cannot be used for Content Manager post-processing and point cloud view restrictions.
For post-processing and point cloud view restrictions use of single time reference and “seconds” as time unit is required.

Use of Absolute (Standard) GPS Time is advised.
If Absolute GPS time values (600,000,000 < Timestamp < 3,000,000,000) are detected, Orbit will display these as “yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss”¹⁾.
If GPS Week Time Seconds values (0 ⇐ Timestamp =< 604,800) are detected, Orbit will be displayed these as “d hh:mm:ss”.

Notes on Absolute GPS Time :

• Orbit doesn't take leap seconds into account, more information : Wikipedia, GPS Timekeeping and Leap seconds.
• On storing Absolute GPS Time values in Point Cloud LAS files the actual stored value is the Absolute GPS Time minus 1,000,000,000. More information, see ASPRS LASer File Format Exchange Activities.

A trajectory of the mobile mapping vehicle is optional and can be used to display the accuracy or to adjust, clip, or extract a segment of the entire mobile mapping run.
Prepare the trajectory file in the same way as the image position and orientation file: see above.

Orbit supports spherical and planar images.
There are no limitations on the number of cameras, the type of camera, or the resolution of images.
One camera import requires one set of images and one position and orientation file.

The absolute position and orientations at the time of recording the images.
Two possibilities :

• absolute position and orientation for each camera at the time of recording
• absolute position and orientation of a reference frame at the time of recording combined with the fixed relative offset for each camera to this reference frame (aka lever arm & boresights ).

Preferably .txt or .csv files.
But any supported point vector resource can be used.

• One text file for each camera containing at least the below-described information for each image.
• Column headers are optional and free of choice.
• Columns and order of columns can be customized.
• Coordinates can be expressed using any supported coordinate system.
  After import, it is strongly advised that all mobile mapping resources use the same coordinate reference system. If required coordinates can be re-projected or transformed on import.
• Orientations can be expressed as :
  • Pan (heading, yaw), Tilt (pitch), Roll ²⁾
    Reference direction and orientation are documented below but can be customized.
  • Omega, Phi, Kappa ³⁾.
    Reference direction is pointing eastwards, but can be customized.
  • Normalized direction and up vector (direction Easting, direction Northing, direction Elevation, up Easting, up Northing, up Elevation)
• Origin (rotation = 0°) or rotation offset and positive sense of rotation of orientation angles can be customized.

Only when using an absolute position and orientation of a reference frame at time of recording, the fixed relative position and orientation for each camera to the used reference frame must be known. The relative position and orientation can be ignored when using the absolute position and orientation of images at time of recording.

Origin (rotation = 0°) or rotation offset and positive sense of rotation of orientation angles can be customized.

Metadata is optional, there is no limitation on the number of added image meta-attributes on import.

• date
• timestamp
• date time
• accuracy
• GPS information
• photo group id
• …

Preferably .jpg files.
But any supported image resource can be used.

Orbit supports any Spherical and Cubic Panorama, independently of file size or pixel resolution.
For example, Ladybug 3 and 5 are supported.

When working with Spherical panoramic images Orbit is using the stitched 360 x 180 degree panoramic image.

• Stitching the images should be done by the camera software, knowing and applying all camera calibration and distortion parameters.
• The centered pixel of the picture will be used to affect the orientation angles. If required this can be re-configured via a customized import.
• Any 2 x 1 pixel resolution ratio can be used but an equirectangular panoramic image should always be 360 x 180 degrees.
  There are no limitations to the image pixel resolution. If required Orbit can optimize high-resolution images (> 8000 x 4000 pixels) for online use.

Since Orbit AIM version 10.5.1 Cubic Panoramas are supported.

When working with Cubic panoramic images Orbit is using the 6 original equirectangular images.

• To display and use cubic panoramas properly it is required to know all orientation, calibration, and distortion parameters from the used cameras.
• Any pixel resolution can be used.

There are no limitations on the type of camera or the resolution of images. The maximum amount of planar images is 20. One camera import requires one set of images and one position and orientation file.

Preferably .jpg files. But any supported image resource can be used.

Any size, any resolution.
Preferably undistorted images, see Lens distortion.

For each camera following camera and sensor specifications will be used to optimize the integration and accuracy in Orbit.

The use of undistorted planar images is preferred.
When providing distorted images, lens distortion parameters must be provided corresponding to Brown implementation of OpenCV model.

LiDAR point cloud or point cloud derived from dense matching.
There are no limitations on the number of points, files, or the total size.

• Mobile Mapping: Recommended
• Oblique Mapping: Optional
• Aerial Mapping: Strongly recommended

• One or more supported point cloud resources, see Supported Generic Resources.
• Preferred: *.las files.

When using an Ascii text file as point cloud import it is possible to configure the data-structure:

• Flat ASCII text file, separated, columns and column headers
• R, G, B, I value ranges 0-255, values may be empty
• Character to define end of line

A Digital Terrain Model or Digital Surface Model covering the same area as the Mapping Resources.
Both a DTM or DSM can be used, but we recommend DTM for measurements and navigation.
Wikipedia, Digital Elevation Model.

• Mobile Mapping: Optional
• Oblique Mapping: Recommended
• Aerial Mapping: Optional

• One or more supported raster resources, see Supported Generic Resources.
• Preferred: single raster GeoTIFF file.

• CRS: Any supported projected coordinate system can be used.

A Textured Mesh covering the same area as the Mapping Resources can be used. It can be part of the run, but only be visualized using the Map GL component.
Use the Cesium 3D Tiles format.

An Orthophoto covering the same area as the Mapping Resources can be used. Any supported multiresolution image resource can be used.

Image annotation xml files are linked to the Mapping Resource images by filename.

One csv or xml annoation file with annotations for all imagery. Once xml annotation file per image.

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<annotation>
	<folder></folder>
	<filename>DSC02490.JPG</filename>
	<object>
		<tags>corrosion,structural_steel,light</tags>
		<comment></comment>
		<bound>
			<xmin>1541</xmin>
			<xmax>2008</xmax>
			<ymin>4257</ymin>
			<ymax>4555</ymax>
		</bound>
	</object>
</annotation>

Version 2.0

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ContextScene version="2.0">
	<PhotoCollection>
		<Photos>
			<Photo id="0">
				<ImagePath>D:/DATA/BE Lokeren Orbit - MMS by Topcon TEP/panorama1/original/LB_5000000.jpg</ImagePath>
			</Photo>
			<Photo id="1">
				<ImagePath>D:/DATA/BE Lokeren Orbit - MMS by Topcon TEP/panorama1/original/LB_5000001.jpg</ImagePath>
		</Photos>
	</PhotoCollection>
	<Annotations>
		<Labels>
			<Label id="1">
				<Name>person</Name>
			</Label>
			<Label id="3">
				<Name>car</Name>
			</Label>
			<Label id="8">
				<Name>truck</Name>
			</Label
		</Labels>
		<Objects2D>
			<ObjectsInPhoto>
				<PhotoId>0</PhotoId>
				<Objects>
					<Object2D id="0">
						<LabelInfo>
							<Confidence>0.9734092</Confidence>
							<LabelId>1</LabelId>
						</LabelInfo>
						<Box2D>
							<xmin>0.694173574447632</xmin>
							<ymin>0.540982902050018</ymin>
							<xmax>0.717123627662659</xmax>
							<ymax>0.666199862957001</ymax>
						</Box2D>
					</Object2D>
					<Object2D id="1">
						<LabelInfo>
							<Confidence>0.8548903</Confidence>
							<LabelId>3</LabelId>
						</LabelInfo>
						<Box2D>
							<xmin>0.00750905275344849</xmin>
							<ymin>0.559191405773163</ymin>
							<xmax>0.145229429006577</xmax>
							<ymax>0.784758269786835</ymax>
						</Box2D>
					</Object2D>
				</Objects>
			</ObjectsInPhoto>
			<ObjectsInPhoto>
				<PhotoId>1</PhotoId>
				<Objects>
					<Object2D id="0">
						<LabelInfo>
							<Confidence>0.9596778</Confidence>
							<LabelId>3</LabelId>
						</LabelInfo>
						<Box2D>
							<xmin>0.00675202906131744</xmin>
							<ymin>0.552075982093811</ymin>
							<xmax>0.148410230875015</xmax>
							<ymax>0.789381384849548</ymax>
						</Box2D>
					</Object2D>
			</ObjectsInPhoto>
		</Objects2D>
	</Annotations>
</ContextScene>

Version 1.0

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Scene version="1.0">
	<PositioningLevel>Unknown</PositioningLevel>
	<SpatialReferenceSystems/>
	<Devices/>
	<Poses/>
	<Shots>
		<Shot id="0">
			<DeviceId>0</DeviceId>
			<PoseId>0</PoseId>
			<ImagePath>Z:/Movyon/POC_bridge/Carreggiata_Nord/Carreggiata_Nord/01_Spalla inizio/P5590560.JPG</ImagePath>
			<NearDepth>3.41018193441476</NearDepth>
			<MedianDepth>5.31374846082021</MedianDepth>
			<FarDepth>6.03807500283101</FarDepth>
		</Shot>
		<Shot id="1">
			<DeviceId>0</DeviceId>
			<PoseId>1</PoseId>
			<ImagePath>Z:/Movyon/POC_bridge/Carreggiata_Nord/Carreggiata_Nord/01_Spalla inizio/P5600561.JPG</ImagePath>
			<NearDepth>3.35579477082049</NearDepth>
			<MedianDepth>5.22362535386351</MedianDepth>
			<FarDepth>5.86464739324289</FarDepth>
		</Shot>
	</Shots>
	<TiePoints/>
	<PointConstraints/>
	<Learning>
		<Labels>
			<Label>
				<Id>1</Id>
				<Name>person</Name>
			</Label>
			<Label>
				<Id>3</Id>
				<Name>car</Name>
			</Label>
		</Labels>
		<ObjectsInImages>
			<ObjectsInImage>
				<ImageId>0</ImageId>
				<Objects2D>
					<Object2D>
						<Id>0</Id>
						<LabelInfo>
							<Confidence>0.846392</Confidence>
							<LabelId>9</LabelId>
						</LabelInfo>
						<Box2D>
							<xmin>0.059297751635313</xmin>
							<ymin>0.145194128155708</ymin>
							<xmax>0.999414801597595</xmax>
							<ymax>0.438706368207932</ymax>
						</Box2D>
					</Object2D>
				</Objects2D>
			</ObjectsInImage>
			<ObjectsInImage>
				<ImageId>1</ImageId>
				<Objects2D>
					<Object2D>
						<Id>0</Id>
						<LabelInfo>
							<Confidence>0.9815791</Confidence>
							<LabelId>9</LabelId>
						</LabelInfo>
						<Box2D>
							<xmin>0.0492010489106178</xmin>
							<ymin>0.213278770446777</ymin>
							<xmax>0.978382289409637</xmax>
							<ymax>0.549207985401154</ymax>
						</Box2D>
					</Object2D>
				</Objects2D>
			</ObjectsInImage>
		</ObjectsInImages>
		<Objects3D/>
		<Segmentations2D/>
		<Segmentations3D/>
	</Learning>
	<PointClouds/>
	<Pairs/>
	<AutomaticTiePoints/>
</Scene>

Preferably .mp4 files.
When using cloud blob storage, the storage needs to support “range requests” to open the video at a specific time offset from start.

Any supported reference data can be added into Orbit. Reference data is not part of a Run.