Getting started - PIX4Dscan

Follow

Download the latest version of the PIX4Dscan app for iOS and Android.

app_store.png google-play-badge.png

Step 1. Equipment setup

 
Important: The very first connection to the drone has to be done with the drone manufacturer application before using PIX4Dscan. Once the drone is configured and all the sensors are successfully calibrated (gimbal, compass, and IMU calibration), the PIX4Dscan app can be used.
    1. Go to the area where the target structure is located.
    2. Turn on the controller and the drone.
    3. Connect the controller to the device with the corresponding cable.
    4. Launch PIX4Dscan.
    5. Log in with the PIX4D user account credentials (an internet connection is required for this step).
    6. Select the drone model from the Drone selector section. 
    7. Once the status of the drone is Connected, tap Map view.
      Note: If the plan is to fly without an Internet connection, the following steps need to be performed before going to the field. More information in Offline basemaps and missions.

Step 2. Safety and Security settings check

Before starting the mission, it is strongly recommended to go through the Safety and Security settings. A detailed description of the settings can be found in PIX4Dscan - Settings.

Note: For the safety and security settings coming from the vendor applications, their values are retrieved in PIX4Dscan (signal lost action, RTH height, etc.).

On the top bar, tap unnamed.png if you are not logged in, or Group_1953.png if you are logged in (it shows the user's initials), to access the general settings.

  1. Ensure the minimum drone battery level to start a mission is correctly set.
  2. Ensure the signal lost action is defined correctly.
  3. Ensure the RTH height is set correctly. Notice that later on while defining the mission settings, if the position of the drone while setting the point of interest center is detected as higher than the RTH height, the user is asked to confirm this value again.
  4. Ensure the maximum flight altitude and geofencing are set correctly in the vendor app.

After setting the Safety and Security checks, the user is ready to start flying.

Step 3. Create a project, select the mission(s) and fly

  1. Tap add_mission.png from the map view to create a new project.
  2. Select one or multiple Mission types and tap Done.
    Project_creation_Asset.PNG
    Important: Cell tower asset and Transmission tower asset are not compatible with Generic Missions. A project can contain a unique asset mission (e.g. Cell tower or Transmission tower) or multiple generic missions (e.g. Orbit, Cylinder, Grid).

When selecting Cell tower or Transmission tower: 

Mission planning is done by flying the drone on the field in order to ensure that the flight plan is positioned correctly. The take-off and the point of interest definition phases are done by manually piloting the drone.

 
Important: A basemap is not needed for those missions. In order to correctly position the mission, a characteristic point, for example, the center of the point of interest (cell tower center reference point), needs to be identified while flying the drone with the remote controller. The mission is then created using the measured position of these points.

To perform a Cell tower or Transmission tower, the steps are the following:

1.Take-off in manual mode at least 20m away from the upcoming mission flight path in a safe place.
2.Follow the instructions on the screen to define the point of interest references.

3. Select the 3D Model or Visual Inspection mission and adjust the parameters if needed. 
4. Tap Start mission. The drone exits the manual mode and performs the mission. An estimate of the time remaining until completion is displayed throughout the whole mission.
5. (Optional) A mission can be interrupted anytime. More information in How to interrupt a PIX4Dscan mission.
6. Repeat the steps from 3 to 5 for each mission. Multiple missions of the same type can be performed for a Cell tower asset or a Transmission tower asset.

When selecting Orbit, Cylinder or Grid mission:

The take-off phase is handled by PIX4Dscan but the mission can also be started from the air. The base map is used to position the flight plan and set the mission boundaries.

To perform an Orbit, Cylinder, or Grid mission, the steps are the following:

1. Place and design the mission over the basemap (spatial reference).
2. Define the mission properties. For more information visit, PIX4Dscan - Manual.
3. Tap Start mission. The drone takes off automatically climbs up to the mission height and performs the mission. An estimate of the time remaining until completion is displayed throughout the whole mission.
4. (Optional) A mission can be interrupted anytime.  For more information visit, How to interrupt a PIX4Dscan mission.

When a mission is over:

1. Tap the return to home button or manually fly the drone home for landing.
2. Switch off the drone and the controller.

The acquired images/videos are now stored on the SD card or internal storage and they can be used for visual inspection and to generate photogrammetric products.

Step 4. Process the dataset

Upload the acquired images/videos to a new inspection in the PIX4Dinspect cloud platform.

The dataset can now be inspected and processed, in order to generate the results and inspect the scanned structure.

Was this article helpful?
7 out of 7 found this helpful

Article feedback (for troubleshooting, post here instead)

0 comments

Article is closed for comments.