Part of putting your drone to work is having the right data for analysis. Below is a description of DroneDeploy data exports. Please see Exporting your data for directions to download the data.
Local 2D Coordinate Systems
Customers on a Business, Premier, or Enterprise plan can export 2D datasets as localized coordinate systems such as State Plane Coordinate System or Universal Transverse Mercator. Please see here for more information.
Export Map Projections
By default most exports are Web Mercator EPSG:3857 (WGS84). This is great for importing into web mapping systems such as Google earth or Mapbox
We also make exports available in the most common global spherical coordinate system: EPSG:4326 (WGS84) - commonly useful for more traditional "desktop" mapping tools.
If you require a local or custom EPSG code such as State Plane or UTM, contact our support team to enquire about our business and enterprise accounts with custom EPSG support.
All 2D layers
RGB Image
Includes .twf file with georeferenced metadata.
Easy to share through any standard image software such as Windows Photo Viewer or Preview. Print or use within presentations.
2D Orthomosaic
Plant Health Map (NDVI)
Plant Health
.shp (shapefile)
_Available on "Business" and "Enterprise" subscription plans
See Shapefile Exports.
Elevation Toolbox(Digital Surface Model)
RGB Image or
Raw Elevation Values
.tif or
.kml
Available on "Business" and "Enterprise" subscription plans
Exportable as:
RGB photo
one-band Geotiff file with embedded values.
Contours
.shp
Available on "Business" and "Enterprise" subscription plans
See Contours.
Georeferenced lines of equal elevation according to the chosen interval.
Contours
.dxf
Available on "Business" and "Enterprise" subscription plans
Not georeferenced
See Contours. For use in AutoDesk suite and Mining/Construction software.
3D Model
Point cloud
.las
point cloud
Only available in spherical coordinates via EPSG:4326 (WGS84) with elevation in m
Can be used in AutoCad (see here for instructions), or ArcGIS, Global Mapper, Applied Imagery, or similar software.
Digital model
.obj surface with .jpg texture files Model
Not georeferenced: defined in a model-local coordinate system.
For visualization in 3D software such as Sketchfab or editing in Blender, Rhino, or similar packages.
Point cloud
.xyz Point cloud
Only available on "Business" and "Enterprise" plans
Most common file format accepted across Construction/Mining software formats.
Resolution is specifiable
Choosing between WGS84 and Web Mercator
When you specify "Web Mercator", your export is projected in WGS84 EPSG:3857. This is a version of WGS84 that is optimized for web viewing. If you'd like to view your files on your website, Google Earth, or something similar, choose this option. If you're using the files in ArcGIS or something similar, choose WGS84.
Pick the right file for the right program.
Make sure you are using each file within an appropriate program. For example, trying to view a high-resolution GeoTiff within an image viewer will not work. A Web Mercator GeoTiff is a better choice for Google Earth than a JPG image.
I've requested exports, but they're not coming to my email.
Please check your spam folder, and whitelist "exports@dronedeploy.com" For customers with custom email domains, this is especially relevant.
I get a red X on my KML files in Google Earth.
Google Earth renders differently on each machine. Try exporting the map at 50cm resolution rather than a lower resolution, and see if that works. Work your way down to the resolution your computer can comfortably load.
I can't open my export.
Please see the above chart for suggested viewers for each file. Not every program can comfortably open every type of file. Also be sure to set the projection specified above.
If you get errors when opening a large export file, this is likely due to the file size being larger than your setup can comfortably process. There are a couple of options-
- Choose a lower resolution for the export.
- If you need the highest level resolution, opt to receive your map as a set of tiles rather than a single merged image. This may be easier to process on your computer than a multiple GB file. To do this, do not check "single image" when generating your export.
My export looks "stretched."
DroneDeploy data is geo-referenced in WGS84, which is an Earth-centered datum. It is the same reference as GPS. Distortion on this projection is higher at far northern and far southern latitudes than it is close to the equator. Though the geo-referencing is intact, the maps may appear stretched in one direction.
If you would like to view the map for reference, choose Web Mercator (EPSG: 3857) when exporting your map. It will more closely resemble your in-browser map.
Please email support@dronedeploy.com for further assistance.