Preparing and Selecting Imagery

Before uploading, you need to prepare the imagery collected during your flight. The process depends on the type of dataset you have — RGB, multispectral, thermal, or a stitched GeoTIFF. Each type has its own specifics, but all follow the same workflow of selecting the correct files and staging them in Solvi.

RGB Imagery

RGB datasets are the most common type of imagery uploaded to Solvi. These are standard photos captured by the drone’s visible-light camera and are usually stored as JPEG files. To prepare them for upload, gather all images from the flight. If the dataset is large, the drone may have split the images into multiple folders. In that case, you can first select one folder and then use the Add More Images option in the upload screen to include the rest.

Multispectral Imagery

Multispectral sensors capture several narrow spectral bands in addition to visible light. Depending on the camera model, a dataset may include five or more bands, plus a thermal channel. All band images from the flight should be uploaded together.

If you used a calibration panel during the flight, make sure the panel shots are included in the upload. Solvi will automatically recognize them and use them for radiometric calibration. Some sensors also include a Downwelling Light Sensor (DLS) to compensate for changing light conditions. You can choose to apply DLS calibration, but it should not be used together with a panel — only one calibration method should be applied.

For the DJI Mavic 3M, there is no official calibration panel provided. In this case, Solvi will apply DLS calibration automatically, unless you have captured your own panel images.

Thermal Imagery

Thermal imagery records surface temperature rather than visible light. The file format depends on the sensor: DJI drones such as the Mavic 3T typically produce R-JPEG files, while MicaSense Altum or Altum-PT export thermal data as TIFF files.

Thermal images are already calibrated by the sensor and do not require additional calibration with a panel or DLS.

For DJI drones, thermal images can be uploaded as a standalone dataset or together with RGB imagery from the same flight. Uploading both together is recommended, as the higher-resolution RGB images improve image matching and typically lead to better stitching results. For Altum and Altum-PT, the thermal band is included as part of the multispectral set and should be uploaded together with the other bands.

Stitched Map (GeoTIFF)

If you have already processed your imagery in external photogrammetry software, you can upload the stitched map directly as a GeoTIFF. This option skips stitching and allows Solvi to focus only on analysis. The GeoTIFF must be georeferenced and can include RGB, multispectral, or thermal layers depending on how it was generated.