How to use Agisoft Ortho Mapping

Requires a Photogrammetry with Agisoft or legacy Full Photo license, plus a Metashape license.

This article explains step by step how to use the Agisoft Ortho Mapping tool. There are additional licensing requirements for licensing Metashape but no additional installation required.

It is recommended to review 3D Photo Engine addon, that adds new tools for the Orthophoto reconstruction.

Introduction

For TrueView and DJI image sensors, the orthomosaic can be generated and the image positions and
orientations refined using Agisoft Ortho Mapping , that is included in an addon license to LP360
Drone, called Photo with Agisoft. Images may also be processed in the Cloud version for Ortho
Mapping using LP360 points purchased in the LP360 Portal.

Pre-requisites

The Agisoft Ortho Mapping license is a separate key from the LP360 Drone+Photo with Agisoft licenses. See Licensing LP360 Drone+Desktop Photo with Agisoft for more information on activating/deactivating your Agisoft Ortho Mapping license. It is not necessary to install Metashape Pro to use this tool, however, Agisoft Ortho Mapping may also drive the GUI version of Metashape Pro (v2.0.x and v2.1.x) if you have such licenses or desire to purchase a node-locked or floating license.

If working with a TrueView sensor it is recommended to perform:

• Cycle import
• Trajectory Processing
• Geocoding, make sure to check the update exif tags
• Ground Classification (recommended)
• Building Classification (recommended)
• Generate a DEM with ground and buildings in GeoTiff format (recommended)

How to use Agisoft Ortho Mapping

This section will focus on how to generate an orthophoto from a TrueView 3D sensor, this means that the sensor can generate a LiDAR point cloud as well as capturing Images during the flight.

1. Orthophoto generation from a DEM with buildings and ground

This is the recommended workflow for TrueView 3D sensors, since it is the fastest way to generate an orthophoto and the one that will generate the best looking buildings.

1. Open Agisoft Ortho Mapping
2. Select the Input photos, can be 1 or more Photo layers. It is recommended to select the "RetainedPhoto" layer, since that layer contains only the photos from the flight lines.
3. In the Processing Location select "Local" or "Cloud".
   Note: Cloud processing has cost associated.
4. Output settings:
   1. Check Apply a priori EO if BBA Fails
   2. Check Generate Ortho from DEM --> Select the DEM generated before with the ground and buildings
      Learn how to generate a DEM for Agisoft Ortho Mapping
5. Give a name to the orthophoto
6. Press "Submit Ortho Mapping Job..."

2. Orthophoto generation without DEM

Typically only use this option for 2DIS (image only systems). This option will take much longer and will generate
a Dense Image Matching (DIM) point cloud.

1. Open Agisoft Ortho Mapping
2. Select the Input photos, can be 1 or more Photo layers. It is recommended to select the "RetainedPhoto" layer, since that layer contains only the photos from the flight lines.
3. In the Processing Location select "Local" or "Cloud".
   Note: Cloud processing has cost associated.
4. Output settings:
   1. Check Apply a priori EO if BBA Fails
   2. Check Generate Point Cloud / Ortho from Images --> Check both options
5. Give a name to the orthophoto and the point cloud
6. Press "Submit Ortho Mapping Job..."

After submiting the Ortho Mapping Job to the Job Manager queue for processing.

A successfully submitted job notification will appear confirming the job submission

If desired, or for troubleshooting, in Job Manager , select the applicable Agisoft Ortho Mapping job, then select View Log to review the Agisoft Ortho Mapping processing log.

The Agisoft Ortho Mapping job progress may be monitored using Job Manager . Upon completion of the Agisoft Ortho Mapping job by the Job Manager :

• Job Manager will indicate completion by the green checkmark flashing on the Job
  Manager icon
• A completion e-mail notification will be sent to the e-mail configured in the LP360 Email Notification Settings (File -> Project Settings -> Global -> LP360 E-mail Notification
  Settings)
• The job will need to be completed to add the resulting Orthomosaic layer and/or raster,
  as well as the optional LAS layer and/or LAS files to the open project. Plus, update the
  EXIFs on each photo to the bundle block adjusted values
• In Job Manager , select the applicable Agisoft Ortho Mapping job, then select View Report to review the Agisoft Ortho Mapping processing report. Review for position and orientation average corrections to be within tolerances for your system’s POS.

Optional: Use the Reproject Raster PCT providing it your deliverable project boundary, or boundaries if you would like to tile the ortho, as input geometry, leave the reproject unchecked so as not to reproject the raster, and it will quickly create you a clipped orthomosaic. This PCT is also useful for converting the Ortho Mapping generated orthomosaic from the default BigTIFF format to a regular TIFF for using the raster in Autodesk’s Civil3D, which cannot read BigTIFFs. Unless, of course, your orthomosaic is around 4GB or larger, thus requiring to be a BigTIFF, unless you use the Reproject Raster PCT to cut the orthomosaic into an index of your own or one created using the Grid Generator PCT.

Do I need a DEM for my orthophoto? If so, which DEM should I use?

In this section we will try to explain the difference between using a DEM or not. 

Learn how to build a DEM

DEM: Ground and Buildings

In this orthophoto, the user generated the DEM using the ground and buildings. This is the best quality orthophoto. With sharp building corners and low distortions in irregular features like trees.

DSM: All point

This is a quick alternative if the user does not need to classify the ground or the buildings. The buildings corners will be less sharp and the irregular features may have distortions.

No DEM: using 100% photogrammetry workflow

This is an option for users that just need a quick orthophoto, and do not have a LiDAR point cloud. It is more time consuming that the alternatives with DEM. The building corner will round and sometimes overlap with parts of the ground, irregular features will have distortions, and dense forest may present gaps.

DTM: Ground points only. NOT RECOMMENDED

This option is not recommended, since all vertical features will have distortions, especially buildings.