3D Scan capture settings overview

Photo Settings

Based on the available lighting conditions, your drone will automatically adjust photo settings to ensure it captures the best quality images. You will see in-app notifications alerting you if there are problems with the lighting conditions.

For consistency with reconstructions, Skydio recommends leaving all photo settings set to default. If needed you do have the ability to adjust the following:

• Photo Interval*
  • Off / 1s or 2s** / 5s / 10s
• HDR On/Off
• JPG / JPG+DNG***
• White Balance
• Shutter Speed
• Exposure

DNG must be enabled for each independent 3D Scan and your settings will NOT persist. DNG photos can only be captured when 'Stop for Photo' is enabled. If you enable DNG capture this will automatically toggle Stop for Photo.

* When Photo Interval is enabled your drone will continuously capture photos at the specified time interval until the setting is disabled or the flight ends. Available in the Manual Capture step of a 3D Capture.
** The fastest interval photo setting when capturing in raw DNG is two seconds. You may capture a photo every one second when capturing in JPG mode.

*** DNG photos are not displayed in the media tab of the Skydio Enterprise app and may be retrieved directly from the microSD card.

Overlap Percentage

Overlap between photos along a path. The default overlap is 80%; high overlap is recommended for complex scenes.

Sidelap Percentage

Sidelap between two adjacent flight paths. The default sidelap is 70%; high sidelap is recommended for complex scenes.

Stop for Photo

By default, the drone will fly through image capture points without stopping for smooth and efficient flight.

• Skydio automatically sets the best speed to capture photos based on your scan distance and lighting conditions, while ensuring your images remain crisp and clear

Toggle this setting on if you would like Skydio to stop before capturing a photo at each capture point.

• The drone will still accelerate between capture points
• Enabling this setting significantly increases the amount of time and batteries required to complete your scan

Maximum Speed Slider

Use the Maximum Speed slider to set the maximum speed at
which Skydio will travel while exploring, scanning and when
returning to the Launch Point or Rally Point.

Speed settings for 3D Capture and Tower Capture

• 1.1 - 11.2 mph (0.5 - 5 m/s)
• Default speed is 11.2 mph (5 m/s) 

Speed settings for 2D Capture or Map Capture

• 1.1 - 11.2 mph (0.5 - 5 m/s)
• Default speed is 5.6 mph (2.5 m/s) 

Speed settings for Indoor Capture

• 1.1 - 8 mph (0.5 - 3.5 m/s)
• Default speed is 8 mph (3.5 m/s) 

Capturing thermal images

Thermal images are enabled by default.

If you are flying with a Skydio X2 Color/Thermal, you have the ability to enable or disable thermal image capture in the camera settings. 

• Select IR JPG in camera settings to enable or disable

Scan Passes

Organizes the capture path into three continuous slices, Z, Y, and X.

The Z slices are completed first and resemble orbits at fixed heights going around the structure. By default, the camera gimbal angle is set to 15°. Use the Z Gimbal Pitch slider to adjust the camera angle at which the drone will capture photos while orbiting. Increased gimbal pitch results in capturing less sky and more photos of the surrounding area and structure itself.

Read How to use scan slices in 3D Scan for more detailed information.

Distance to Surface (m)

Distance to Surface (ft)

GSD (mm)

1.5

4.92

0.63

2

6.56

0.84

2.5

8.20

1.05

3

9.84

1.26

3.5

11.48

1.47

4

13.12

1.68

4.5

14.76

1.90

5

16.40

2.11

5.5

18.04

2.32

6

19.69

2.53

Distance to Surface (m)

Distance to Surface (ft)

GSD (mm)

1.5

4.92

0.63

2

6.56

0.84

2.5

8.20

1.05

3

9.84

1.26

3.5

11.48

1.47

4

13.12

1.68

4.5

14.76

1.90

5

16.40

2.11

5.5

18.04

2.32

6

19.69

2.53

6.5

21.33

2.74

7

22.97

2.95

7.5

24.61

3.16

8

26.25

3.37

Distance to Surface (m)

Distance to Surface (ft)

GSD (mm)

13.12

0.83

16.40

Distance to Surface

Set to achieve up to 0.5 centimeter precision (GSD)

Overlap/Sidelap

30%/30% overlap/sidelap from multiple angles of the tower infrastructure

Perimeter

Scan 3D volumes by traversing the 2D perimeter at multiple heights and taking pictures inward.

• Take place at the end of the scan, and the additional inward photos will improve reconstruction
• This is a good setting to enable when scanning vertical structures like tall buildings or towers
• The camera gimbal angle is set to 60° by default

Adjust the Gimbal Angle slider to your desired camera angle. The gimbal angle range for the Perimeter setting is 0-90 degrees. 

Crosshatch

Capture oblique images by enabling the Crosshatch setting. When enabled, Skydio will capture in a rotating lawn mower pattern.

• This increases the number of photos but provides better oblique imagery for reconstruction
• Instead of capturing nadir (top-down), the camera gimbal angle is adjustable to capture images at an angle for more detailed reconstruction
• The camera gimbal angle is set to 60° by default

When disabled, the drone will capture photos in a nadir lawn mower pattern.

Adjust the Gimbal Angle slider to your desired camera angle. The gimbal angle range for the Crosshatch setting is 55-85 degrees.