How to use Map Capture

Step 1 - Enter 3D Scan Vehicle Mode

Power on your drone and controlling device. Select the gray button that says Switch Mode.

Step 3 - Confirm Reboot 

Skydio will automatically reconnect to your controller and mobile device after rebooting

Skydio will automatically reconnect to your controller and mobile device. 

Ensure your Logs Card has been formatted before starting a scan. 

Move through the scan workflow using the Skydio 2/2+ Controller or Skydio Enterprise Controller. The workflow pane will collapse when you are prompted to manually fly and the app will display available Controller shortcuts.

Step 1 - Select Scan Mode

• Select Map Capture
• Use the right shoulder button to select Begin

Step 2 - Name Scan Site (optional)

The default scan name is composed of the scan mode you select followed by a UTC timestamp. Renaming the scan will replace the scan mode. 

• Ex: Map_Capture__2021-05-20T19-50-55.135854+00-00

[info] Scan names must use American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) characters. Unicode characters such as à, é, â, ü, ö, ä and the following symbols will be converted to underscores (_) in the scan directory name: < > : ; , \\ | ? * & $ { } ` “ [/info]

Step 3 - Launch

Select and hold the LAUNCH button to begin your flight. The drone will automatically climb to 16 ft (5 m) and hover.

Step 4 - Set Boundary Points

By default, a 328 ft x 328 ft (100m x 100m) polygon will automatically appear on your screen. Adjust the boundary points by dragging the green dots to surround the area you wish to scan.

• Move the entire polygon around the map using the arrows
• Add more boundary points by tapping the plus (+) on the white lines
• Press and hold a boundary point to remove it

By default, GPS coordinates are visible on the map view. When enabled, coordinates are shown for the:

• Launch Point
• Crosshair
• Location of the drone

To enable or disable GPS coordinates on the map view:

• Navigate to Device Settings > Phone
• From the Phone menu, select On Screen Display
• Tap to toggle Coordinates on or off 

Step 5 - Review or Edit Scan Settings

You must have at least five photos to begin a scan.

In a Map Capture, the Height is relative to the launch.

• Scan settings persist across scans of the same scan mode
• Editing the scan settings will impact the total flight time, number of photos and the required number of batteries.
• The blue line shows the path the drone will take during the scan

Select Edit Settings and tap the Reset button in the top right corner to restore settings to defaults. 

• Editing the scan settings will impact the total flight time, number of photos and the required number of batteries.

If you enable the Perimeter setting, you have the option to specify the number of photos taken.

• By default, Skydio will capture 36 photos when the Perimeter is enabled

Perimeter enabled

Crosshatch enabled

[note] The camera gimbal pitch represents the angle below the horizon. [/note]

Step 5 - Launch and Begin Scan

The planned flight path will turn from blue to green as the scan progresses.

• Switch between the map view and the live camera feed by selecting the map icon in the top right of the screen

You may pause at any point during your scan.

• Skydio will display how many photos have been captured
• While paused, you have the option to manually capture photos using the right shoulder button

Step 6 - Scan Complete 

The drone will automatically fly to the launch location upon completing the scan.

• Starting a new scan will prompt you with an option to save or discard the scan you just completed
• If you Return to Launch, Skydio will first fly laterally until it is above the Launch Point and then move vertically to reach it

After landing, you will see a summary of the most recent scan and the option to save or discard the scan you completed.

• Select Save and wait for the drone to process your scan. This is an important step to ensure your media is grouped by scan and can be viewed in the Edge Model Viewer.

Once processing is complete select Finish.

[tip] Check Save to Scan Library to save this scan location and settings for future use. Read How to save and repeat a Map Capture for more information. [/tip]

[caution] Do not remove the battery or power off during any post-flight tasks. Doing so will result in loss of data. Do not power off or disconnect from the drone until you return to the Begin Flight screen. [/caution]