How to Use DJI Terra for Photogrammetry

We will walk you through the photogrammetry process using DJI Terra in this video.
00:00 Intro
02:29 Create Reconstruction Mission
03:50 Import Images
07:03 Define Image POS Data
12:45 Camera Intrinsic Parameters Input
14:21 Aerotriangulation Process
18:08 Checkpoints and Ground Control Points
31:02 2D Map Reconstruction Process
36:22 Seven Parameter Coordinate Transformation
45:30 Navigate 2D Map Output files
46:30 3D Model Reconstruction Process
51:11 Measurement Tools
53:14 Navigate 3D Model Output files
Please leave your comments and/or questions below, and let me know what you think!

[@2252ryan]

You did a great job with this video. Please keep providing such detail videos as much as you can. Thank you.

[@2252ryan]

Great job. Please avail more of such videos to the DJI end-user community. Every bit helps.

[@flyinlo1474]

Very helpful tutorial on all features! Thank you.

[@AussieDevil14]

@DJI Academy Could you please do a video like this for the 'Agricultural Application' section of Terra, covering the different types of spraying, flight route types, how the different areas (Water, Ground, Pole, Building) affect flight path/spraying, and calibration points in 'Mission Area Planning'?

[@ethanduke]

Excellent walk through the software. Thank you.

[@CrniBudi]

Wow thank you so much 😍

[@emilekabore1925]

nice please can i get some numerique support of this one? thanks

[@rowennoropesa5873]

Hi! We do we get a "Reconstruction error -1"? We are using latest version of DJI TERRA (oct 2023). Video card, Ram is good, compatible and installed. Other desktop specs good too. So we tried using 2 flight data records for a point cloud output with DEM. And we keep on getting the error.

[@camerair]

Great video, but when will DJI start making its in-house software programs also avaiblle for Mac platform and not just Windows?

[@djiacademy]

Hi thanks for your feedback this is not currently planned.

[@shivshankarsonea5327]

Hi, I have just started with DJI TERRA, I have followed all the steps as shown in the video, but I can't get the orthophoto in any saved folder which the software have generated. I get only the image as tiles but I need all the tile in one image so that I can upload it in CAD. Please help me how to do so. Thanks

[@CR3DT]

I noticed that you POS coordinates are set to WGS88, correct me I am wrong, but regardless of what RTK corrections the drone gets, the drone will assume that they are WGS88/Ellipsoidal. So when running the image alignment that is where you shift everything to the correct coordinate system and Geoid.

[@runli9269]

No exactly, the system of the images relies on the RTK correction source, doesn’t always fall under WGS88. That is why you would need to define system when import images.

[@CR3DT]

Thank you for confirming. It working great.

[@tourajmohammadi1359]

Hi, I am a new user of Terra and needed clarification. First, I plan to use the Trimble R10 GNSS as the RTK Base on a Known point in the UTM coordinate system. All my GCPs will be observed with the Same UTM coordinate system. Also, my output coordinate system must be the same UTM system; in this case, what should I select in importing the image coordinate system selection? Second, my mission is oblique. What should I use in aero triangulation- advance distance to ground/subjects? Shall I measure the exact difference between the highest subject and the ground, or is proximate distance enough? Please bear with me. I am new to this.

[@runli9269]

Hello Touraj, 1. The system of the images relies on the RTK correction source, if images were captured by DJI drone under none-RTK flight, then it is under geodetic WGS 88 epsg 4326 by default. 2. Should be the shortest distance between camera and the closest ground/subject, and the proximate distance is good enough, doesn’t have to be very exact.

[@orlandonovoa355]

Español se agradecería. Gracias

[@건강과정보]

Hello, I have another question after organize a picture in Terra, the surroundings are bumpy and not very neat..Is there a way to clean up in a square or neat in terra? (simply how to cut the edge) thanks!

[@runli9269]

Hi Jeong Min, Yes! You can actually use the region if interest (ROI) setting to set a polygon shape boundary for the output model. That way Terra would not processing the surrounding and output the model with sharp edges.

[@건강과정보]

Hello, I enjoyed the video. I'm also currently buying and using Mavic3e, and I have a question, so I'm leaving a comment like this. 1. When shooting a fairly large site, does one battery run out and I need to retake it, does it continue from the place I shot in the first round or do I have to retake it from scratch? Thank you.

[@runli9269]

Hey JEONG MIN, the mission will resume at the break point of the previous flight and cover the rest of the mission. Therefore, you won't need to start it from scratch.

[@건강과정보]

@@runli9269 thank you so much u r advice!!^^

[@Yhetti26]

I need help with arbitrary coordinate GCP where can I learn this in DJI Terra?

[@johnlord7188]

Where does one go for support on Terra? I have a Terra on trial but cannot get any images to load in as it is only looking for *.img file and not jpgs and DNG’s.

[@runli9269]

Hi John, you can actually still select all the “.jpg” formatted images and import them even the File Explorer windows ask for “img” type.

[@TanjimMN]

I am new in drone surveying. I want to know where i input the RTK (D-RTK 2) base station data? Is GCP or check points are necessary?

[@runli9269]

Hello! The RTK system corrects GPS data in real-time, so the GPS data embedded in drone images is already corrected when captured. There is no need to import the D-RTK2 data in Terra.

[@kallerommedahl3767]

Hello. Are you not able to get m2 for a pile??? If i measure a pile i get m3 but when i measure the m2 both in 2D and 3D i only get the area that the pile stands on. Anyone know anything about this? Very important in some cases to know the m2 for the pile.

[@runli9269]

Hi Kalle! Your point is very interesting. Currently, Terra does not support pile surface area measurement. If you don’t mind, could you maybe explain a little bit more on why this feature might be important to have?

[@user-jr2bv9tz1b]

Where do i get the GCP coordinates that you uploaded? I saw that you had them prepared in a spreadsheet, but I'm not sure where that information came from? thanks

[@runli9269]

Hi Tanner, the GCP (Ground Control Point) coordinates were pre-measured and collected using a third party precise GNSS receiver. These coordinates are used to compare and correct drone data, thus they were not actually collected from the drone.

[@tannerboyle8832]

Cool! If I'm using a GCP, do I need this step for my post processing then?

[@runli9269]

@@tannerboyle8832 It depends on the global accuracy requirements, GCP would significantly improve your model’s global accuracy when applied.

[@priceakiina8407]

@@runli9269 Hi Run Li, can I get the name of the GNSS receiver. I would like to measure the coordinates of my GCP

[@runli9269]

​@@priceakiina8407 I use the DJI D-RTK2, but it requires an NTRIP service with a Phantom 4 RTK controller, which could be harder to find now. However, you can select any affordable third-party GNSS receiver options with a data collector.

[@CLMcrawlers]

So at the end, that's the file i send my client/customer? And they can open the file on their computer & see the 2d or 3d model i made for them?

[@CLMcrawlers]

I've done 2d & 3d models and used the measurements all work but I need to get this model to my client so he/she can pull the model upon their computer & take measurements or whatever? Or do I need to do that and just send it with measurements they ask for already on the model wen they open the file/model?

[@runli9269]

Hey Chris, if it's just for visualization, you can export the entire reconstruction mission (including measurements) as a .zip file and import it to a machine with a free version of Terra installed. The measurements can also be exported to an Excel sheet for sharing.

[@CLMcrawlers]

@Run Li thank you and have an excellent day...

[@CR3DT]

@@runli9269 Where can you get the free or viewer version of Terra all I see on their website is a trial or paid.

[@dcviverette0428]

@@CR3DT I would like to know that also. Any luck finding it?

[@LearningInVR]

need to make models easier to share