Drone Photogrammetry Overlap Calculator

Work out drone photogrammetry overlap instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Drone Photogrammetry Overlap Calculator

Forward overlap fixes how far the aircraft may travel between shots: trigger distance is the along-track footprint multiplied by one minus the overlap. Dividing by ground speed gives the required interval, and the camera's minimum interval therefore caps survey speed.

Formula

Overlap and trigger

trigger distance = footprint x (1 - overlap); interval = trigger distance / ground speed

Worked example

With the default values below, Drone Photogrammetry Overlap Calculator returns Distance between shots of 12.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Ground footprint along track: 60 m
Forward overlap target: 80 %
Ground speed: 6 m/s
Minimum camera interval: 2 s

Results

Distance between shots: 12.00 m
Camera trigger interval: 2.00 s
Maximum speed for the camera: 6.00 m/s
Shots per kilometre of line: 83 shots

Step by step

1Values used
2Overlap and trigger
3Distance between shots= 12.00 m
4Camera trigger interval= 2.00 s
5Maximum speed for the camera= 6.00 m/s
6Shots per kilometre of line= 83 shots

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What overlap should I use?

75-80% forward overlap is the common default for mapping; raise it to 85-90% over trees, water or low-texture surfaces.

What if the camera cannot keep up?

Slow down or climb. Both increase the distance available between shots, and climbing also widens the footprint.