Rethinking the Orthophoto
For decades, orthophotos have been understood only as top-down, bird’s-eye images. This traditional approach only shows the uppermost visible surfaces—roofs, tree canopies, and other objects that obscure the ground.
With 3Dsurvey 4.1, this limitation is removed.
The Ground Orthophoto introduces a new way of visualizing your data: instead of displaying what’s on top, it prioritizes what’s underneath, the actual ground surface you typically need for measurement and analysis.
Why Ground Orthophoto Matters
In many real-world projects, the most important information is sometimes hidden:
- Ground beneath trees
- Surfaces under roofs or overhangs
- True building edges instead of roof outlines
Ground Orthophoto filters out these upper layers wherever possible, revealing the true ground geometry captured in your dataset.
How It Works
Creating a Ground Orthophoto follows the standard workflow and requires no additional data preparation.
Step-by-step:
- Process your project as usual
Complete the standard workflow and generate a full 3D mesh. - Open the Orthophoto tab
Navigate to the orthophoto generation panel. - Select the default orthophoto option
Choose the first orthophoto creation option. - Enable Ground Orthophoto
In the settings window, simply check the “Ground Orthophoto” option. - Generate the output
The orthophoto is created almost instantly.
What Makes It Different
When comparing a classic orthophoto with a ground orthophoto, the difference becomes immediately clear:
- Vegetation filtering
Tree canopies are removed where ground data exists, revealing trunks, terrain, and objects below. - Improved building accuracy
Instead of roof outlines, you see actual wall positions and building corners. - Occlusion removal
Areas hidden beneath structures (like roofs covering parking lots) become visible if properly captured during data acquisition.
Real-World Examples
- Parking lot with trees
Instead of tree crowns, you can clearly see what lies beneath—ground features, shafts, and objects. - Building edges
Traditional orthophotos show roof extent, while ground orthophotos reveal the true footprint of the structure. - Covered areas
Even fully covered spaces, such as parking areas under a roof, become visible—provided the data was captured during scanning.
Key Takeaway
Ground Orthophoto isn’t just a new feature, it’s a shift in how orthophotos are used. By prioritizing the actual measurement surface, it enables more accurate analysis and better decision-making across surveying, construction, and inspection workflows.
