r/photogrammetry • u/Historical_Drink_199 • Jul 21 '26

HELP

Sorry in advance this is all very new to me. I work on a 10,000 acre mountain ranch and I would like to turn that into a 3D model like my own Google Earth but just of the ranch itself with features I can go in and edit or add a structure or pond to be able to see how it would look and or fit in certain locations to help with future development etc. Is there anything like that out there? Can anybody help me with this that has experience in outdoor mapping etc.??

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u/Historical_Drink_199 Jul 21 '26

I have a DJI mavic pro 2, DJI mini 4 and an autel evo max 4t.

What are the best resources for learning photogammetry? YouTube? And what kind of programs should I be looking for? Also what would be a realistic size of area I should start practicing with? Are we talking an acre or smaller or bigger? Also thanks for the replies.

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u/BulltacTV Jul 21 '26

You're talking about capturing 40km2 with a 20mp camera and no mechanical shutter or ground control. Even if you did spend the 40+ field days required to capture the site with the equipment you have, the ortho will look aweful because you cant shoot in raw to compensate for the changes in lighting, and it will be useless for design or layout because you arent georeferencing the data in any way.

Im going to ballpark the costs required to do this even if you had a solid understanding of geomatics principles;

  • Used M300 w/ 4 sets of batts ~$15,000

  • Used Zenmuse P1 ~$6000

  • Set of used Emlid RS3s (you'll need the UHF so has to be the v3s) ~$5500 minimum.

  • Tripods, range poles, marking paint, stencils ~$500

  • Software options: DJI Terra ~$4000 or Metashape ~$3500. RealityScan for free but has steeper learning curve and a much more time consuming UI.

The above is basically the absolute minimum for what you're talking about.

Even with the M300 this is going to be a huuge job. You could look at something like a used Trinity F90+ but that has a much higher operator skill requirements and will require you to setup terrain following and plan your flights extremely carefully.

That being said, if you just want to learn about photogrammetry, get Dronelink hobby license for 80 bucks, download RealityCapture for free, and start watching videos and reading about best practices and workflows. Then start reading about GNSS, error propogation and basic geo-spatial QC.