Prepare coverage

Prepare your area coverage flight

In Orbit UAS Mapping extension two coverage modes are available. Here we explain further the 'horizontal plane' or 'area' coverage mode.

To generate a new flightplan you need a background or reference map to position your flight area in Orbit GIS. Three different backgrounds can be used to position your background flightplan area:

• Vector data: Drag and drop a georeferenced vector data (*.shp, *.ovf, etc) in Orbit.

• Coordinate: Select your coordinate reference system and scale by clicking on the Map Statusbar. Choose a reference point by adding the coordinates via the button . Find this button on the tools sidebar via constructions as shown right.
  

• Image: 3 options
  • Drag and drop a georeferenced image (*.tiff, *.ecw, *.jpg, …) in Orbit.
  • Use the resource browser to get access to local files or resources served on corporate (EOS) or internet-based (WMS, WFS) server systems.
  • Import an image via the Google Earth import Extension

1. add the main flight direction (or the direction of strip creation) by selecting the line icon . You can delete the line by selecting the 'remove construction line' button .

Function	Description
Create manually	Create a new construction line by clicking 2 points
Delete all lines	Delete all construction lines

2. add the area that you want to cover by selecting . Once added you can insert, delete or move points with the other buttons.

Function	Use	Description
Create new object	normal	Click to start drawing a new object. Continue clicking to add points to the area. End by a right-click to open the context menu and choose “Stop”. During drawing from the 3rd point on, use <Shift> to create a new line perpendicular to the previous line. The new object is automatically selected.
	shift	Click on a part to remove it from the object.
	control	Click to add a part to the selected object.
Add a part from other object	normal	Activate the dataset of the focus object. Click on a vertex or segment from an other object to add the part to the focus object. Orbit will duplicate the part into the focus object.
Delete Segment	normal	Click 2 vertices to delete the intermediate segments. In case of an area object the deleted segment has contain at least two sides.
Add a point	normal	Insert between 2 vertices : click on a segment and drag the inserted vertex to its correct position.
	control	as Line
Move a point	normal	Move vertex : click and drag a vertex. Move segment : click and drag a segment.
	shift	Move part instead of only the vertex or segment.
	control	Move vertex or segment and keep orientation of adjoining segment(s).
Remove a point	normal	Click a vertex to remove it from the selected object. A line has at least 2 vertices, an area at least 3.

3. set the home position by activating

Function	Description
home position	Click in the mapcanvas to add a home position. In case you want to replace the home position, repeat the action.

Generate your flight plan by selecting the generate button and have a look at the results of the different generated flights by selecting the result tab. More information about this tab can be found in 8. results tab.

Once generated new datasets will be created in your datasetlist (and saved in your folder structure). Three layers will be created:

• Pre - Stereo Overlay: presents the footprints of stereo coverage
• Pre - Flight Path: presents the coordinates of image shots, home positions, and flight path
• Pre - Photo Overlay: presents the footprints of the images
  

Tick on/off your layers to overview your different generated flights. Open your layers to select in more details.

In this option there is the possibility to move the “home position” for the different flights. Select the required flight in the 'home per flight'-box (1 - 53 photos) and click in the mapcanvas the preferred location of this home position. Execute this for all the flights if needed. Save project after this step.

Click on the results tab to have a brief resume of your preflight details. Hoover on text, to know more details such as units, etc.

preflight details to interpret are: flight time of all generated flights in minutes surface covered of the generated flights in ha number of photos that will be taken number of strips number of flights the longest flight in m the longest strip in m the base distance in m the trigger interval in sec the expected footprint coverage in m² the coverage per hour in ha/h a table that summarize the number of photos and time per flight