Start Here
Not sure where to start? Here's how to navigate AeroCartwright based on where you are right now.
"I'm a drone pilot who wants to do professional mapping."
Where to start: The Complete Drone Mapping Workflow Guide — this covers the full pipeline from flight planning to deliverable, and will show you exactly what professional-grade mapping looks like and where the gaps usually are.
Read the Guide →"I'm a GIS professional who needs to understand drone data."
Where to start: What Is Drone Data? — this primer covers imagery, orthomosaics, point clouds, and elevation models. Then read What Is an Orthomosaic? and Drone Survey Accuracy to evaluate the deliverables you receive from drone contractors.
Start With Drone Data →"I need survey-grade accuracy from my drone."
Where to start: Ground Control Points — the complete guide. Then RTK vs. PPK to choose your positioning method. Then Drone Survey Accuracy for RMSE, CE90, and how to read a quality report. Optional: use the GCP Calculator to size your control network for the next job.
Start With GCPs →"I want to understand LiDAR for drone mapping."
Where to start: LiDAR vs. Photogrammetry — When to Use Each. This establishes the decision framework: where each technology wins, where it loses, and what each costs. Then DSM vs DTM vs DEM to understand the elevation products LiDAR enables. Deeper LiDAR processing tutorials are publishing on the Mon/Wed/Fri schedule.
Start With LiDAR →None of these fit? Browse it all.
Every published article lives in The Library, organized by category and tag. The interactive calculators handle the math for flight altitude and ground control planning.