You don’t need specialized survey equipment to use SilagePlan. Any pro-sumer drone with a good camera and GPS can capture photos that our photogrammetry pipeline turns into accurate 3D models and volumes.
Compatible drones
These popular consumer and pro-sumer drones work well:
- DJI Mavic series (including Mavic Air and Mavic Pro models)
- DJI Phantom series
- DJI Air series
- Autel Evo series
Other brands and models work too, as long as they meet the basics below. If you’re unsure about a specific drone, contact support at [email protected] before you buy or fly.
What actually matters
A good camera
Sharp, well-exposed photos are the raw material for the 3D model. A camera with a stabilized gimbal — standard on the drones listed above — is plenty. Avoid drones with fixed, low-resolution cameras.
GPS geotagging
Each photo must carry GPS coordinates in its EXIF metadata. Photogrammetry uses these positions to place and scale the model, and the upload page uses them to show a map preview of your flight. Virtually all modern camera drones geotag automatically — just make sure the drone has a solid GPS lock before you take off. Photos without GPS data are a common cause of upload and processing problems; see Troubleshoot uploads.
JPG image output
The upload page accepts JPG images, which is the default photo format on all the drones above. If your drone is set to shoot RAW/DNG only, switch it to JPG (or JPG+RAW) before flying.
Improving accuracy: RTK, PPK, and ground control points
Standard drone GPS is accurate to within a few meters, which is fine for consistent volume measurement. For the highest accuracy — tighter absolute positioning and better flight-to-flight comparisons — you can add:
- RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) — drones with an RTK module correct their position in real time, down to centimeter level.
- PPK (Post-Processed Kinematic) — position corrections applied after the flight using logged satellite data.
- Ground Control Points (GCPs) — marked points on the ground with known coordinates, visible in your photos.
None of these are required. If you do use them, expand Add notes, GCP or PPK files on the upload page to Attach GCP file (CSV, TXT or XLS) or Attach PPK files (base & rover logs — OBS, MRK, NAV, UBX, BIN or ZIP), along with any important details in the notes — see Upload a drone flight.
Practical checklist before your first flight
- Battery charged and a spare on hand — a full site survey can take 10–20 minutes of flying
- Memory card with free space
- Camera set to JPG
- GPS lock acquired before takeoff
- Propellers and camera lens clean
Once your gear is sorted, read Flight best practices to learn how to actually fly the site — altitude, overlap, and coverage patterns that produce reliable models.