This article explains how to work with field boundaries and obstacles in PIX4Dfields.
Field boundaries are used to trim and add holes to layers, this allows us to only analyze a layer within a defined region. Obstacles are needed when creating Targeted Operation maps that will be used by spraying drones.
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IN THIS ARTICLE
Import field boundaries and obstacles
Draw field boundaries and obstacles
Copy (Duplicate) field boundaries and obstacles
Trim layers with field boundaries
Edit field boundaries and obstacles
Delete field boundaries and obstacles
Visibility of field boundaries and obstacles
Import field boundaries and obstacles
Different file formats can be imported into PIX4Dfields like Shapefiles, KML, GeoJSON and more.
- Click Boundaries on the left sidebar above the layer list to enter the boundaries mode.
- To import a field boundary, click Import shape on the Boundaries menu on the right.
Boundaries menu.
- Select whether to import the shape as a Boundary or Obstacle.
- To read the name of each boundary/obstacle, the column should be called "name".
- Navigate to the folder containing the file and select it.
- Click Open.
- To trim a layer with your boundary: Click Use to trim in the open edit dialogue of the boundary on the map or click trim on the selected boundary list item on the right board.
- In the TRIM LAYERS menu select the layers you want to trim and click Trim to do so.
Draw field boundaries and obstacles.
Click the Boundaries layer on the left board above the layer list to enter the boundaries mode.
- To draw a field boundary or obstacle, click the Draw boundary icon in the left corner of the map.
Draw field boundaries.
- Select Boundary or Obstacle.
- Left-click to start drawing.
- When drawing and the third vertex is created, a toolbox appears:
Toolbox icons when drawing a Boundary.
Toolbox icons when drawing an Obstacle.
- Click the Add holes icon when creating a boundary to take out any unwanted objects inside your field boundaries.
- Draw the hole inside the Boundary and click the Checkmark.
- Click the Add Sub Polygon icon when drawing both boundaries and obstacles to create a sub polygon.
- Name your newly created file.
- To trim: You can use the boundary immediately to trim directly from the edit dialogue. Just click Use to trim (the boundary will be saved automatically) and you enter the Trim layers mode.
OR
If you want to trim later, save manually and then select the boundary in the list on the right board and click the Trim button to enter the Trim layers mode.
Copy field boundaries and obstacles
To copy (duplicate):
- Select the boundary/obstacle you want to duplicate in the list on the Boundaries menu and click the Copy icon.
- A new field boundary is duplicated and appears automatically in edit mode. The original file you duplicated from stays untouched.
Trim layers with field boundaries
To trim layers with an imported file or custom-drawn field boundary:
- Double-click the boundary you want to use to trim in the boundary list on the right board. The edit dialogue opens. Then click the Use to trim button OR Select the layer you want to use to trim in the boundary list and click the Trim button.
- The Trim layers menu opens. Select the layers you want to trim and click Trim to do so.
Edit field boundaries and obstacles
To edit them:
- Double-click the boundary/obstacle you want to edit in the list on the right board. Or click the edit icon.
Editing icon.
- Click the edit geometry button in the opened edit dialogue.
- Drag the white dots to modify the field boundary.
- Click the "plus" sign to create more corners (dots) and vertices.
- To remove a vertex, drag the dot of the vertex that you would like to delete on top of any other dot. Wait until a red halo appears around the selected vertex, then release the mouse button.
- Click the check mark to accept the edited boundary’s geometry or click the X to cancel and leave the boundary unchanged.
- Save the edited boundary with the Save button.
Delete field boundaries and obstacles
To delete field boundaries/obstacles:
Click the trash bin icon of the file you want to delete from the list on the right board. Or double-click the file and click the trash bin in the opened edit dialog of the boundary/obstacle you want to delete.
Visibility of field boundaries and obstacles
Even when the boundary/obstacle layer is not selected, you can still turn the boundary visibility on and off. To do so, click the eye icon on the boundary layer item on the left sidebar.
Hi,
how can I create/import/draw/trim boundaries of the specific area/field in Pix4D Mapper?
Thank you!
Hi Michal,
Boundaries in fields are regions in mapper. You can draw/import regions (https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/204769419-How-to-create-a-Region-with-the-Index-Calculator) and get the index map for that region only.
If you want DSM, ortho, index (all the outputs) for a certain area, you have to draw a processing area (https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/202560179)
Hi Momtanu,
thank you for your promt reply, however, the second link does not work, can you confirm please?
Hi Michal, my bad, here is the working link:
https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/202560179
Hi,
I need to process several areas within one batch. I work in sugarcane and the lots have an average of 15 hectares and are subdivided by internal roads into sublots which I can define using the boundary tools. My goal is to generate the indices (NDVI) of these sublots all together eliminating the internal roads. Is it possible to define serveal limits (sublots) within the same lot an generate the indices at same time if i need to process them one by one?
Hey Felipe,
We replied to your ticket. Thanks for contacting us. At the moment this can be a workflow to follow: You can draw all the field boundaries. Then, you trim the orthomosaic with each boundary, and then generate and NDVI of each trimmed orthomosaic. I would recommend this workflow because you will get accurate results in that way. For now, it is not possible to hide the field boundaries, but I am passing this request to my team. Trial plot projects are in our roadmap, so we fully appreciate your feedback and feature requests in this regard. You can add any Pix4Dfields feature request here.
Cheers,
Hey there,
is it possible to import field boundaries as shapefile into Pix4Dcapture? Thanks!
Kind regards
Michael Rin
Hi Michael,
You can't import the shapefile into the Pix4Dcapture app. You can only import .kml/.kmz files to the android version of Pix4Dcapture. For more information, visit (Android) Import .kml/.kmz file.