Here are some typical steps for running a UAV project in PhotoModeler Premium. The following is based on a UAV with GPS data from EXIF or external file, and geographic surveyed ground control points:
1. Create new SmartMatch/DSM Project or SmartMatch/DSM Project (UAV).
2. Using the New Project Wizard:
a. Keep defaults for feature detect and orientation.
b. Load photos.
c. Use detected exif geo locations (or load external control file).
d. Use geo locations for camera station as control. Choose appropriate precisions. Defaults may not be correct for you. These values are reasonable for a multi-rotor UAV with non-RTK GPS. See Camera Station Geographic Precision.
e. Pick the uncalibrated camera option unless you have good quality camera from previous project (auto-calibration is slower).
f. Let PhotoModeler run the feature detect, matching and orientation.
3. Review that the camera stations and control camera locations (spheres) in 3d viewer have a reasonable line up and model looks good.
4. Save Project.
5. Open Imports and Coordinate Systems Pane.
6. Add a new object via the Import or Add Coordinate Systems Dialog – ‘Control the solution – Using known geographic control locations – loaded from a file’. These are your ground control points (GCPs).
7. Pick current columns to match the csv or similar file. ID, lat, long, Elevation (or N/E if UTM or state plane).
8. View the imported points in the 3d viewer to ensure they are where you expect. Consider turning off smart points so the GCPs can be seen more clearly.
9. Find the first GCP to be marked in the Imports list.
10. Use the Locate… tool to open photos where the GCP should be located. Zoom in so the ground location can be found in the photos. Note if Locate does not find the expected positions the coordinate systems of the GCP and station control may not match (a common issue is mismatched vertical datums). See the Locate Tool.
11. Enter Control Marking mode - the Triangle tool.
12. Control mark the point when visible and clear. Control mark the GCP in all the photos it appears in.
13. Repeat for all GCPs.
14. Re-process the project (just the optimize stage). See Processing Dialog. Note if this does not solve it might be due to the GCPs and the UAV GPS not being in the same (or close enough) coordinate system. When Locate is used in the step above you may see an indication of this issue. In this case you may need to disable the camera station control (in Imports and Coordinate Systems Pane) before processing.