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In this article, we describe how to process DJI drone images with RTK data in Agisoft Metashape Professional.  Using RTK coordinates of camera locations provides more accurate results, even when no GCPs are utilized. The main steps and our recommendations can be found in the description of each step below:

• Add photos
• Align photos
• Optimization
• Build Point Cloud
• Build DEM
• Build Orthomosaic 

Add photos

To add photos, select Add Photos... command from the Workflow menu. 

Enable "load camera location accuracy from XMP meta data" option in the Advanced preferences tab prior to the image loading in order to read and apply the measurement accuracy of the camera locations data.

The camera position will be displayed in the Model view: 

Accuracy values for all the respective cameras can see on the Reference pane. Otherwise default accuracy value (10 m) will be assumed for all camera coordinates in the chunk, hence, the value of the RTK/PPK measurements will efficiently be lost and the processing results will not be referenced with expected accuracy.

Align photos

1. Select Align Photos command from the Workflow menu. 

2. Set the parameters in the Align Photos dialog window: 

3. Click OK button.

4. The progress dialog box will appear displaying the current processing status. To cancel the processing click Cancel button. 

5. Alignment having been completed, computed camera positions, and a tie point cloud will be displayed.

Optimization

1. Click the Optimize toolbar button on the Reference pane. 

2. In the Optimize Camera Alignment dialog box, check additional camera parameters to be optimized. 

Usually, we recommend optimizing the camera alignment after placing the GCPs or in case RTK GPS data for cameras is used. In most cases, the complete set of the parameters (excluding b1 and b2 in project with GCPs) is recommended for optimization. 

Sometimes for RTK drone data, it may be helpful to enable "Fit additional corrections" option to get more accurate alignment results.

3. Click the OK button to start optimization. 

Build Point Cloud

1. Select Build Point Cloud command from the Workflow menu.

2. In the Build Point Cloud dialog box select the desired reconstruction parameters and click the OK button. 

3. The progress dialog box will appear displaying the current processing status. To cancel the processing, click on the Cancel button. 

Build DEM

1. Select the Build DEM... command from the Workflow menu.

2. In the Build DEM dialog box, set parameters. 

3. Click the OK button. The progress dialog box will appear displaying the current processing status. To cancel processing, click the Cancel button. 

Build Orthomosaic 

1. Select the Build Orthomosaic... command from the Workflow menu.

2. Set parameters in the Orthomosaic dialog window.  

You can build Orthomosaic using Mesh as source data, then before building orthomosaic you need to build Mesh.

3. Click the OK button. The progress dialog box will appear displaying the current processing status. To cancel the processing, click the Cancel button.