Work out drone photogrammetry overlap instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
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.
Overlap and trigger
trigger distance = footprint x (1 - overlap); interval = trigger distance / ground speed
75-80% forward overlap is the common default for mapping; raise it to 85-90% over trees, water or low-texture surfaces.
Slow down or climb. Both increase the distance available between shots, and climbing also widens the footprint.