OpenDroneKitGeometry, from the planner
Planned by OpenDroneKit with these inputs: 30 x 20 m roof outline, 35 m. The drawing is the planner’s actual output for that test site in Aukerman Park, Ohio, not an illustration.
How is the roof inspection mission laid out?
The same line layout as the grid, but every point is a hover-and-capture stop (1.5 s by default, limited to 0-30 s) rather than a fly-through capture.
The camera can be locked to one heading for the whole roof, or follow the direction of travel.
Also accepted by the planner as: horizontal_inspection, inspection, roof.
Inputs
| Parameter | Meaning | Default |
|---|---|---|
altitude_m | Flight altitude in metres, relative to the take-off point unless an AMSL terrain model is loaded | 60 |
front_overlap_pct | Forward overlap between consecutive photos; with the camera footprint it sets the capture spacing | 80 |
side_overlap_pct | Overlap between neighbouring lines or rows; with the camera footprint it sets the line spacing | 70 |
speed_m_s | Planned cruise speed, written to every export | 5 |
camera | Camera profile used for footprint and ground-sample-distance estimates | mavic2pro |
gimbal_tilt_deg | Camera pitch; left blank, the template's own default is used | -90 |
flight_direction_deg | Bearing of the survey lines | 0 |
camera_direction_deg | Fixed camera heading when the camera direction is locked | — |
inspection_dwell_s | Hover time at each capture point | — |
Footprint, line spacing and GSD come from the camera profile; the GSD calculator uses the same formulas.
What survives each export?
- QGroundControl .plan and .waypoints: every point carries a DO_MOUNT_CONTROL gimbal command; 12 of 12 points are NAV_LOITER_TIME holds; no heading locks; 12 DO_DIGICAM_CONTROL captures.
- DJI WPML .kmz: gimbalRotate on every waypoint; hover action and toPointAndStopWithDiscontinuityCurvature turns at hold points; headings use followWayline; takePhoto at capture points; speed limited to 1-15 m/s.
- Litchi CSV: 12 waypoints fit in one file (the exporter splits at 99).
Each format has known issues, listed on its page: QGC .plan · .waypoints · DJI WPML · Litchi CSV.
Limits
- Planned without a terrain model the plan assumes flat ground at the launch elevation, and it says so in a warning.
- In this example 2 of 12 points fell outside the geofence (the drawn area) and were projected back inside it; the plan reports that count.
- Not flight-tested on an aircraft as part of these pages; the numbers above are the planner’s estimates.
Source and tests
Compiled by _compile_roof_inspection_primitive in mission/planner.py. The function is on public main (1ef6351); this drawing was planned with the development branch (0ae10e4), whose planner is ahead of main.
Tests in the development branch that exercise it:
tests/test_mission_constraints.pytests/test_mission_exports_carry_the_plan.pytests/test_standoff.pytests/test_template_inventory_is_derived.py
Related templates
Nadir or near-nadir lines over a drawn area, for orthomosaics, DSMs and coverage.
- Grid: A nadir lawnmower survey of a drawn area, for orthomosaics and elevation models.
- Double grid: A cross-hatched survey: the grid flown twice at crossing bearings, for 3D reconstruction of an area.
- Corridor: Parallel lanes along the long axis of a drawn strip, for roads, rails, pipelines and riverbanks.
- Solar: Row-aligned passes over a solar array, for RGB or thermal capture.
- Magnetic: Main survey lines plus perpendicular tie lines at constant altitude, for magnetometer surveys.
- Smart adaptive: A uniform grid plus a finer, lower, cross-hatched pass over regions that warrant a closer look.
All 22 templates: mission templates · mission planning.