The ground photo direction feature allows you to see the orientation and field of view for photos taken within the DroneDeploy Ground App. This tool provides critical context for site inspections by showing exactly which direction a person was facing when a photo was captured.
Availability: Who has access?
Ground photo direction is available for all paid DroneDeploy Aerial and Ground subscriptions.
This feature is available on the DroneDeploy mobile app for both iOS and Android.
You can access these directions within the Walkthrough and Progress Photos layers.
How to use ground photo direction
Open your project in DroneDeploy. Navigate to the map or floor plan where your ground data is located.
Select a photo icon. Tap on any photo icon on the map.
View the direction indicator. Once you select a photo, a cone-shaped indicator appears. This shows the direction the camera was pointing and the approximate field of view.
Navigate between photos. Tap the Left or Right arrows to move through the gallery. The direction indicator updates automatically for each photo.
Edit the orientation (if needed). If the view cone does not accurately reflect the direction of the photo, you can manually adjust it.
Click the center of the photo icon.
Select the Move Media tool by clicking the cross-hair icon in top right.
Click and drag the cross hairs next to the photo icon to adjust the view cone to the correct orientation.
Release and click save.
Key features
Dynamic orientation: The map icon rotates in real-time as you scroll through photos to reflect the compass heading of the mobile device at the time of capture.
Field of view visualization: A shaded cone extends from the photo point to illustrate the area captured in the frame.
Integrated workflow: This tool works with existing 360 Walkthroughs and standard 2D ground photos.
Why use this tool?
Ground photo direction is ideal for:
Remote inspections to understand spatial context without being on-site
Ensuring consistency for "before and after" comparisons
Subcontractor coordination with verifiable directional data
Limitations
Ground photo direction requires a mobile device with a functioning magnetometer (compass) during the time of capture.
Accuracy may be affected by local magnetic interference.
This feature is not available for photos uploaded via the web dashboard that do not contain directional EXIF metadata.
FAQs
Q: Does ground photo direction work with 360 photos?
A: Yes. For 360 photos, the indicator shows the center point of the current view you are looking at within the 360 player.
Q: Why do some of my photos not show a direction?
A: Photos must be captured using the DroneDeploy Ground App to ensure directional data is recorded. Photos uploaded from your device's gallery may lack the necessary metadata.
Q: What if my compass readings are inaccurate?
A: Compass readings can sometimes be inaccurate. If you notice any issues, try recalibrating your device's compass. The accuracy of the photo direction is dependent on the accuracy of your device's compass.
v2.2