DJI XT Thermal Mapping programs

[DylanWest]

I am currently having issues using pix4d with my DJI XT 336x256. Does anyone have tips on what image properties need to be changed for this to work? It only seems to recognize the XT high res camera.
Also, if anyone has any suggestions about other stitching software. Drone deploy is still in beta and seems to not work yet.
Thanks!

 

[bluelight.support]

if you had a sample image set i could try running it on a few packages i have (Photoscan Pro, Survey 3D, Drone2Map, etc)

 

[Skywolf007]

Wont work, not for mapping in thermal. The problem with all flir cameras are that they are very low resolution. Image processing software usually count every 8th pixel on a picture. With that low resolution, there are not enough points to create a good stich. There is a solution to do this, by mapping in RGB and Thermal, but those should be on the same drone. the software will process the RGB pics, and then use the XT pictures as a texture on the model.

 

[bluelight.support]

oh right - thats not what i was told - however didn't have any images to render to try!

 

[Skywolf007]

oh right - thats not what i was told - however didn't have any images to render to try!

You can try to render. I have the 640XT and it still not enough to create a good quality orthomosaic - we tried to use it on solar panels, but so far too many variables - sun ray angle, temperature differences etc to provide a good automated result. I tried Photoscan, Pix4d and reality capture. It seems Pix does the best job, but still not enough to provide an automated high quality output. You need way too much post processing and working with it, identifying the problems.

 

[bluelight.support]

thats concerning - i wonder whether I'm being told different as they want me to spend 11k on the camera. Have you tried with Survey 3D and Drone2Map as drone2map has specialist thermal options?

 

[DylanWest]

thats concerning - i wonder whether I'm being told different as they want me to spend 11k on the camera. Have you tried with Survey 3D and Drone2Map as drone2map has specialist thermal options?

Have not tried those yet. I talked to a drone rental company that rents the FLIR XT and they said that the problem is with FLIR, they encode their TIFFs...

I am wondering if anyone actually does this--thermal map a large area with a DJI FLIR XT--if someone has done this we have yet to talk to them.

Anyone?

 

[bluelight.support]

FLIR XT and they said that the problem is with FLIR, they encode their TIFFs

Oh - that contracts what i was told - on there DJI system i was told the images out of the flir were geo-located JPG with exif info - however this does not give radiometric data. So for solar surveys for example, I was expecting to fly a mapping mission and create standard style input which was colour co-ordinated to temperature ?

 

[Skywolf007]

We did this with the XT. The issue is with creating a model with thermal only. Of course you cant have radiometric model, no software supports it so far. You can create a model of a building with thermal map, but you also have to fly RGB with the same flight path. It looks like this: you map an area with the X3/X5/X5R. Then you map the same area with the XT. Since the XT has such a low resolution, its nearly impossible to build a model out of it. So you create an RGB model, and than you put an XT texture on the same model. Correct me if I'm wrong but this is the only way so far.....

 

[tvanness]

We did this with the XT. The issue is with creating a model with thermal only. Of course you cant have radiometric model, no software supports it so far. You can create a model of a building with thermal map, but you also have to fly RGB with the same flight path. It looks like this: you map an area with the X3/X5/X5R. Then you map the same area with the XT. Since the XT has such a low resolution, its nearly impossible to build a model out of it. So you create an RGB model, and than you put an XT texture on the same model. Correct me if I'm wrong but this is the only way so far.....

Do you have a copy of the final image?

 

[giumick]

So as it stands is it not possible to stitch any thermal images taken with a XT into a map of a area for argricultural uses or engineering survey? We are in the process of pricing the most cost effective set-up to run on our blade chroma with a custom printed mount. It seems a minefield to research.

.Does the XT not have radiometric data? The Vue Pro R we were looking at does and is £4.5k for 640 ish resolution if i remember right.

Still low but i thought Flir offered software to complete reports etc anyway so there would be no issues?

Cheers
Mick

 

[bluelight.support]

So as it stands is it not possible to stitch any thermal images taken with a XT

I have managed to stitch together to make an ortho with a sample image set, however it will not give DEM data as its not high enough resolution, the best you can get is a low res ortho which you can use an an overlay to other data - it is geo referenced. It worked with Photoscan Pro, but NOT with 3D Survey or Drone2Map as there was not enough resolution.

 

[Barking Deer]

The Maps Made Easy folks say Are the Zenmuse XT and Zemuse Z3 Supported in Map Pilot that:

"The XT will . . . work even though it will not likely make very good maps. We are looking at adding XT support but there are too many different models and options to do it cleanly at this point. Thermal mapping really only works with the high resolution radiometric variants of the XT camera."

 

[Lars - DDI]

Hello,
We had actually made some okey orthomosaic with the xt 640x512 13mm 30hz (not the advanced version). But now i had run into some problems, pix4d prefers .tiff grayscale datasets, the previous orthomosaic we made was from .jpg, but suddenly with the latest job, the finished ortho seems to both be twisted, misplaced and in odd dimensions.
So there fore i would like to try with .tiff files in grayscale, but none of the apps i have tried can capture data in .tiff.
I can set it up in the dji go, but when i launch the mapping app (and closing the dji go) i changes back to .jpg... Anyone know a app that can capture thermal dataset from highres xt in .tiff file format?
Side note: i fly iOS and inspire 1...

Hope anyone sits on the solution
Have a nice evening .....

 

[Barking Deer]

Maps Made Easy takes jpg datasets, and your first map is free. Why not give it a try?

Just a guess, but it sounds like the problem is either bad or no embedded geo-tags and not JPG vs TIFF. It could also be insufficient overlap?

 

[Lars - DDI]

Maps Made Easy takes jpg datasets, and your first map is free. Why not give it a try?

Just a guess, but it sounds like the problem is either bad or no embedded geo-tags and not JPG vs TIFF. It could also be insufficient overlap?

BarkingDeer-

I will give it a go, with the same dataset, i processed through pix4d.. to see if any difference show up..

When i checked the positioning in pix4d the pictures alligned perfectly, and showet the same overlap as set in the flight plan (90% front 90% side), and the xt is updated to last firmware, where the geo tag issues should have been fixed..

I think the main issue is the file format .jpg and not .tiff.. But i cant find a app that can trigger .tiff files, with the correct High overlap..

Just saw pix4d came put with an Update to their capture app, and i know Android version Can trigger .tiff files, but missing the overlap, cause the overlap is based om x5 15mm camera/lens..

Will try the new version tomorrow morning, and give a update afterwords..

 

[Magda]

Wont work, not for mapping in thermal. The problem with all flir cameras are that they are very low resolution. Image processing software usually count every 8th pixel on a picture. With that low resolution, there are not enough points to create a good stich. There is a solution to do this, by mapping in RGB and Thermal, but those should be on the same drone. the software will process the RGB pics, and then use the XT pictures as a texture on the model.

By seeing "those should be on the same drone" you mean on the same gimbal where roll and pitch angle will be the same and field of view more or less the same?

Or having drone with dual gimbal with XT and RGB camera side by side like matrices 200 still will work?

 

[Bob Stekeur]

Maps Made Easy takes jpg datasets, and your first map is free. Why not give it a try?

Just a guess, but it sounds like the problem is either bad or no embedded geo-tags and not JPG vs TIFF. It could also be insufficient overlap?

I tried it as well as every one I could find including Microsoft Image Composite editor and nothing worked. I'm using the XT336

 

[tvanness]

I fly an Inspire 1 with a DJI XT 640, 9 MM radiometric. I have had some success with structures using the jpeg setting and the grey tone palettes. It seams that the more color the palette has in it, the more trouble the software has stitching it together. The ortho is not clean due to the fish eye effect of the 9mm lens. not perfect, but good enough for basic analysis.

 

[Bob Stekeur]

You have had more luck than I've had. The best result I've had, and that was about 30% was with Microsoft's Image Composite editor. That was also with greyscale