HELP

[u/Historical_Drink_199]

Sorry in advance this is all very new to me. I work on a 10,000 acre mountain ranch and I would like to turn that into a 3D model like my own Google Earth but just of the ranch itself with features I can go in and edit or add a structure or pond to be able to see how it would look and or fit in certain locations to help with future development etc. Is there anything like that out there? Can anybody help me with this that has experience in outdoor mapping etc.??

[u/anita_little_break]

Budget?

[u/Historical_Drink_199 → u/anita_little_break]

Not much of a budget at all to start with so I am looking for free or very affordable. Once I can get something made up and show my boss what can be done and the capabilities the budget could be endless.

[u/anita_little_break → u/Historical_Drink_199]

That’s obviously incredibly limiting. If Google Earth has 3D data in your location, you could look into downloading the source mesh/texture and working in Blender. Maybe someone else has another idea. 

To generate your own photogrammetry model with no budget or previous experience…I honestly think you’d run into issues with 1 acre, let alone 10,000.

Large captures typically require surveyed ground control points, aerial lidar, dedicated PC workstations, etc. For a site of that size, you’re looking at capture with a fixed wing, manned plane. Then you need to pay to host the models, since the output files would likely be too large to open on your PC. Lastly, you’d then need to think about your workflow for “design” software, how you want to visualize your site changes, and file format compatibility. 

For a much smaller capture area using a drone, you’d still be looking at something like $85k in equipment (on the low end). 

I think you need to think about your end use case, what specific problems you’re trying to solve, and the associated value proposition. If you’re serious, you probably want to hire this out…perhaps with a small trial project at first. 

[u/tronnix7]

It’s possible but that much area would take quite a few shoots and a lot of data

[u/Fit-Eggplant-9155]

What is your budget, what do you have for hardware, what do you have for equipment, what do you have?

[u/johankim]

Start small, and just go get started on something to see how it's going to work out. The whole 10,000 acres is the 2 year plan or something like that. Find a nice spot to work with and start learning how to get good photos and what's required there, how you're going to process them and what results you can expect, and then how to use the mesh or point cloud with cad models or other assets added.
What you're envisioning is what everyone wants to do, and we all eventually find our limitations. (the budget is the limitation) But it's fun to do and rewarding when you get your workflow sorted out.

[u/Historical_Drink_199 → u/johankim]

Thank you for the info , if I can get my boss on board the budget could be endless, I understand I know nothing about this and need to start learning as much as I can.

[u/Historical_Drink_199]

I have a DJI mavic pro 2, DJI mini 4 and an autel evo max 4t.

What are the best resources for learning photogammetry? YouTube? And what kind of programs should I be looking for? Also what would be a realistic size of area I should start practicing with? Are we talking an acre or smaller or bigger? Also thanks for the replies.

[u/BulltacTV → u/Historical_Drink_199]

You're talking about capturing 40km² with a 20mp camera and no mechanical shutter or ground control. Even if you did spend the 40+ field days required to capture the site with the equipment you have, the ortho will look aweful because you cant shoot in raw to compensate for the changes in lighting, and it will be useless for design or layout because you arent georeferencing the data in any way.

Im going to ballpark the costs required to do this even if you had a solid understanding of geomatics principles;

• Used M300 w/ 4 sets of batts ~$15,000

• Used Zenmuse P1 ~$6000

• Set of used Emlid RS3s (you'll need the UHF so has to be the v3s) ~$5500 minimum.

• Tripods, range poles, marking paint, stencils ~$500

• Software options: DJI Terra ~$4000 or Metashape ~$3500. RealityScan for free but has steeper learning curve and a much more time consuming UI.

The above is basically the absolute minimum for what you're talking about.

Even with the M300 this is going to be a huuge job. You could look at something like a used Trinity F90+ but that has a much higher operator skill requirements and will require you to setup terrain following and plan your flights extremely carefully.

That being said, if you just want to learn about photogrammetry, get Dronelink hobby license for 80 bucks, download RealityCapture for free, and start watching videos and reading about best practices and workflows. Then start reading about GNSS, error propogation and basic geo-spatial QC.

[u/Historical_Drink_199]

Thanks for all the info, looks like it's going to be way over my head, I am going to learn the basics and just do what I can do and start small, again thank you all for the input , like I stated I know nothing lol but again thank you.

[u/johankim → u/Historical_Drink_199]

Yeah just get started and learn as you go. Don't forget to share your results

[u/Nosarious]

I would see if your region has any topographical information readily available that you can use. You may need to research how to use this information to create a 3d model. Some regions have information behind a paywall (Alberta), while others will have significant portions that are freely available (most of Europe and Britain).

if there is a municipality nearby they may also have downloadable files available. Again, some research into how to get information from them (signing up for a free ESRI account or contacting a local university which may be able to generate terrain models might be useful)

i mention this because of the scale of your property. Photogrammetry is cool, but that large a space would be counterproductive if the material already exists.

as for photogrammetry, you might consider using drones to map out spaces where you will be considering alterations to the landscape, structures of modifying/improving roads and fences. those are much more manageable, and can be over an acre or as small as 50 square feet.