Photography Calculators

Timelapse & video

Drone Mapping Overlap Calculator

Mapping is aerial photogrammetry with a grid. Footprint is altitude times sensor over focal length. Spacing is footprint times (1 − overlap). Photo counts are ceil(area / spacing) plus one, then multiplied. GSD here assumes a 4000 px-wide image — check your real pixel count if the job is certified. Fly a short test line before the whole field.

Inputs

Units
m

Height above the ground you will map, not AMSL. Imperial shows feet.

mm

Actual focal length of the mapping camera, not 35 mm equivalent.

mm

MFT-class drones are often ~17.3 mm wide. Mini 1-inch sensors are smaller.

mm
m

Side of the rectangle you fly along. Imperial shows feet.

m
%

80% is a common mapping default. 70% is lean; 90% is dense.

%

70% side overlap is typical. Raise it on 3D sites with buildings.

Results

Footprint width
57.67m
Footprint height
43.33m
Photos along-track
25
Photos across-track
10
Total photos
250
GSD (4000 px width)
1.44cm/px

Uses a 4000-pixel image width as a stand-in. Scale by 4000/yourWidth for a real body.

Recommended gear

Calculation method

Ground footprint width is altitude times sensor width over focal length (same units game as field of view). Height uses sensor height. Forward spacing is footprint height times one minus front overlap; side spacing uses width and side overlap. Along-track photos are the ceiling of area length over forward spacing, plus one for the extra end frame; across-track is the same with area width. Total is the product. GSD in cm/px is footprint width in metres divided by 4000 pixels, times 100.

Exact formula

footprint = altitude × sensor / f. spacing = footprint × (1 − overlap/100). photos = (ceil(area/spacing)+1) along × across. gsdCm = footprintW/4000×100 (4000 px stand-in). Limits: Terrain, gimbal tilt, wind, RTK and true image width omitted; overlaps must be under 100%.

Wind and terrain

Hills shrink AGL on the upslope and grow footprint in the valley. Plan for the highest ground in the site or you will punch holes in the mesh.

Battery vs photo count

Total photos is not flight time. A 200-photo grid at 2 s interval is still a short flight; transit, climb and extra lines for wind are the real budget.

Frequently asked questions

Why 4000 pixels?

GSD needs an image width. Many 4/3 mapping stills sit near 4–5000 px. If you have 8000 px, your real GSD is about half this number. It is a planning stand-in, not a certified GSD.

Nadir only?

Yes. A 45° oblique grid is a different footprint. Keep the gimbal at −90° for this math, or the overlap you typed is a lie.

Legal altitude?

This tool does not know your aviation rules. Stay inside the local cap even if GSD wants 120 m.

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