TopoFlight
Encyclopedia
TopoFlight is a three-dimensional flight planning software that was originally conceived by a team of experts in the mapping industry, in use since 2003. The program is used to facilitate the planning of flight lines with the help of a Digital Terrain Model (DTM), to document the flight plan and transfer it into the flight management system of the camera (for instance SoftNav, TrackAir, ASCOT or CCNS4), to calculate the costs of photogrammetric flight and subsequent photogrammetric products with the aid of Microsoft Excel
as well as flight parameters, and to complete the post checking of a flight (flying height, length overlap, and side lap). Coordinates that have been calculated can be exported to be used during flight. TopoFlight is able to work with frame, line, and LIDAR
sensors. the software is at version 7.
Version 6
Version 5
Version 4
Version 1
Additional maps can be attached as reference files. These maps include:
The reference files can be in the following formats:
Coordinate transformations – Transformation of the coordinates from the local grid to another system (such as WGS84
).
Calculation of image centers – calculation of coordinates of each image with image scales and overlap.
Calculation of the effective covered area by the images of each strip
Area of side lap – Calculation of the side lap between two neighboring flight lines.
Calculation of costs - Calculation of costs of flight and photogrammetric products which can be transferred into Excel. Custom forms can be later defined.
List of coordinates – Transfer of the flight parameters to Excel. Custom forms can later be defined.
Ground control points – The coordinates of existing ground control
points can be imported and annotated. They can also be placed with a mouse click to show the surveyor where to paint and measure a new ground control point.
Exporting the flight plan – The plot can be exported either through SHAPE files, DXF format, or in TIFF format with a TFW header file.
Transfer to flight management system – coordinates can be exported to ASCOT, CCNS, or TrackAir.
Check overlap for aerial triangulation – Check if the minimal overlap is achieved over the whole strip area.
Create image indexes – The coordinates of image centers, stored in a text file can be read by TopoFlight.
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
as well as flight parameters, and to complete the post checking of a flight (flying height, length overlap, and side lap). Coordinates that have been calculated can be exported to be used during flight. TopoFlight is able to work with frame, line, and LIDAR
LIDAR
LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
sensors. the software is at version 7.
History from 2003 – 2009
Version 7- Released in May 2009
- In 2008 at the International Congress on Geomatic and Surveying Engineering in Valencia, Spain, Professor Jorge Delgado (specializing in cartographic engineering, geodesy and photogrammetry) from the University of Jaen in Spain as well as Klaus Budmiger (of Flotron AG) et al. presented an oral presentation concerning the TopoFlight flight planning system (see contribution 22 at the International Congress on Geomatic and SurveyingSurveyingSee Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
Engineering)
Version 6
- Version 6 moved from a 32 bit32-bitThe range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
to a 64 bit64-bit64-bit is a word size that defines certain classes of computer architecture, buses, memory and CPUs, and by extension the software that runs on them. 64-bit CPUs have existed in supercomputers since the 1970s and in RISC-based workstations and servers since the early 1990s...
system. Version 6 Beta was released for testing in January 2008. It was available to existing users for testing in February. By April of that year, it was still not fully operational. There were issues with the latitudeLatitudeIn geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
and longitudeLongitudeLongitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
with respect to measurements in feet that had to be corrected. Eventually v.6 would allow for constant latitude calculations as well as: Google EarthGoogle EarthGoogle Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
export, more data formats, new projection management, faster calculation of overlap between strips, use of .prj files, LIDARLIDARLIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
flight planningFlight planningFlight planning is the process of producing a flight plan to describe a proposed aircraft flight. It involves two safety-critical aspects: fuel calculation, to ensure that the aircraft can safely reach the destination, and compliance with air traffic control requirements, to minimise the risk of...
, automatic checking over the internet if a new version is available, and downloading it, licensing with USB hardlocks (Aladdin), and coordinate grid display. By May 2008 the full version was operational and being distributed.
Version 5
- 2007 saw the advent of Version 5 of TopoFlight. It allowed for projections to be made using the Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate systemUniversal Transverse Mercator coordinate systemThe Universal Transverse Mercator geographic coordinate system uses a 2-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system to give locations on the surface of the Earth. It is a horizontal position representation, i.e...
(UTM). DTM importing functions began to be addressed with this version as it was not possible to import DEM data without reprojecting it as DTM first. Version 5 could only plan in projected coordinates but could output the flight lines and image centers to lat/long. Input required a text file with projected coordinates (like UTM). These issues were going to be changed for v.6. - Another issue that was encountered in v. 5 that needed to be addressed was the impossibility to perform flight planning by filling a "horseshoe shaped" area of interest. The break line tool had to be used line per line to modify the new lines to the desired area of interest manually. After this, an enumeration could be performed.
Version 4
- Version 4 was the first version available for sale to the public.
Version 1
- In 2003 the first version of TopoFlight was created mainly for internal use by specialized, technical professionals.
File formats
TopoFlight works with multiple layers. The generated flight plans are stored in the widely used "shape format" (ESRI/ARC VIEW).Additional maps can be attached as reference files. These maps include:
- Topographic maps
- Project area
- Existing control points
- Flight navigation maps
The reference files can be in the following formats:
- SHAPE from ESRIESRIEsri is a software development and services company providing Geographic Information System software and geodatabase management applications. The headquarters of Esri is in Redlands, California....
- DXF from AutoCADAutoCADAutoCAD is a software application for computer-aided design and drafting in both 2D and 3D. It is developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. First released in December 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on personal computers, notably the IBM PC...
- DGN from Mirostation
- TIFF with tfw- header for all raster files
Features
Best fit flying height – Calculation of the best flying height to achieve the desired image scale as well as minimum and maximum image scales for given flying height.Coordinate transformations – Transformation of the coordinates from the local grid to another system (such as WGS84
World Geodetic System
The World Geodetic System is a standard for use in cartography, geodesy, and navigation. It comprises a standard coordinate frame for the Earth, a standard spheroidal reference surface for raw altitude data, and a gravitational equipotential surface that defines the nominal sea level.The latest...
).
Calculation of image centers – calculation of coordinates of each image with image scales and overlap.
Calculation of the effective covered area by the images of each strip
Area of side lap – Calculation of the side lap between two neighboring flight lines.
Calculation of costs - Calculation of costs of flight and photogrammetric products which can be transferred into Excel. Custom forms can be later defined.
List of coordinates – Transfer of the flight parameters to Excel. Custom forms can later be defined.
Ground control points – The coordinates of existing ground control
Ground control
- Aviation and spaceflight :* Air traffic control, in charge of the controlled areas on an airport*A mission control center, such as the one at Johnson Space Center, responsible for spaceflight- Engineering :...
points can be imported and annotated. They can also be placed with a mouse click to show the surveyor where to paint and measure a new ground control point.
Exporting the flight plan – The plot can be exported either through SHAPE files, DXF format, or in TIFF format with a TFW header file.
Transfer to flight management system – coordinates can be exported to ASCOT, CCNS, or TrackAir.
Check overlap for aerial triangulation – Check if the minimal overlap is achieved over the whole strip area.
Create image indexes – The coordinates of image centers, stored in a text file can be read by TopoFlight.
Users
TopoFlight is currently in use in 19 countries including US, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Austria, Italy and others.See also
- PhotogrammetryPhotogrammetryPhotogrammetry is the practice of determining the geometric properties of objects from photographic images. Photogrammetry is as old as modern photography and can be dated to the mid-nineteenth century....
- Aerial SurveyAerial surveyAerial survey is a geomatics method of collecting information by using aerial photography, LiDAR or from remote sensing imagery using other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared, gamma, or ultraviolet. It can also refer to the chart or map made by analysing a region from the air...
- PhotomappingPhotomappingPhotomapping involves the process of drawing a map from a photographic base. “In all likelihood, computer map making, including analogue processing, will have replaced manual map making for well over 90 per cent of all maps".-Principles and Definitions:...
- TopographyTopographyTopography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
- Flight planningFlight planningFlight planning is the process of producing a flight plan to describe a proposed aircraft flight. It involves two safety-critical aspects: fuel calculation, to ensure that the aircraft can safely reach the destination, and compliance with air traffic control requirements, to minimise the risk of...
- Aerial photographyAerial photographyAerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...
- Remote SensingRemote sensingRemote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon, without making physical contact with the object. In modern usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth by means of propagated signals Remote sensing...
- LIDARLIDARLIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
- OrthophotoOrthophotoAn orthophoto, orthophotograph or orthoimage is an aerial photograph geometrically corrected such that the scale is uniform: the photo has the same lack of distortion as a map...