Platform User Manual: Understanding Tools and Interface

Platform Navigation - Home Screen

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You can access the DirtMate dashboard here. 

DirtMate is an add-on to the Platform that provides accurate worksite data and production efficiency insights that are simple to view, understand, share, and use.

Portal Settings: This section allows administrators to customize the overall portal environment. You can update the portal name, information displayed to users, and apply your organization's branding. Importantly, at the bottom of this menu, you'll find the option to remove demo sites. This feature helps maintain a clean and organized portal, especially when dealing with numerous sites.

People & Teams: Manage user access and permissions within your portal here. You can add new users, edit existing user profiles, and organize users into teams or groups. This section is crucial for controlling who can access different parts of the platform and what actions they are authorized to perform.

Sites & Access: This section focuses on controlling access to individual sites within your platform. Here, administrators can edit permissions for specific sites on a granular level, assigning different levels of access to individual users or predefined teams/groups. This ensures that sensitive site data is only accessible to authorized personnel.

Labs: Explore and enable experimental or advanced features within the Propeller platform in the Labs section. Currently, available options may include:

• Duplicate GCP Detection: Identify and manage potentially redundant Ground Control Points.
• Merging Models: Combine multiple processed datasets into a single model.
• Drag-and-Drop for Topcon GC3 Calibration Files: Simplify the process of uploading calibration data for Topcon GC3 equipment.

Note: Features available in Labs may change over time.

• Platform Analytics: Gain valuable insights into how your portal and individual sites are being utilized. This section provides data and reports on various usage metrics, helping you understand user engagement and identify areas for optimization.

WMTS & API (Premium Features): These advanced features are available as part of a paid premium subscription:

• WMTS (Web Map Tile Service): Enables you to "stream" one or more of your processed orthophotos directly into your preferred GIS (Geographic Information System) software. This facilitates seamless integration of your Propeller data with your existing geospatial workflows.
• API (Application Programming Interface): Provides programmatic access to your Propeller data and functionalities. This allows you to automate parts of your workflow and integrate Propeller with other internal systems, enhancing efficiency and customization.

Licenses: This section provides comprehensive information related to your organization's Propeller license. You can find details about the active license, your assigned sales representative, your customer success engineer, any registered drone information, and the number of credits used for processing.

Propeller Store / Partner Store: Access the online store to purchase accessories for your Propeller hardware. If you are a partner dealer, you will find a dedicated Partner store with specific offerings.

My Profile is where users can update and edit information related to their account.

My Profile lets users update and edit information related to their account.

Notifications are where users can update preferences for email notifications. 

Sites in the portal

These are organized alphabetically by default, but can be organized based on the creation date or date last updated.

SITE: This opens a dropdown menu for switching between sites without returning to the Home screen.

SURVEY: The current dataset opens a dropdown that navigates between different datasets, organized by creation date.

VIEW ON MOBILE is where you can scan a QR code with your phone or tablet's camera to open the survey on the Propeller mobile app.

The Settings panel provides you with the tools to customize your map view and behavior. Within Settings, you can adjust various aspects of the map display, including:

• Basemap Selection: Choose from a variety of underlying map styles to suit your needs.
• Camera Transitions: Control the animations and smoothness of camera movements when navigating the map.
• Camera Settings: Fine-tune parameters like zoom levels, tilt, and bearing for your preferred viewing perspective.
• Date and Time: Configure the displayed date and time for temporal data visualization or analysis.
• Geolocation Layout: Select your preferred format for displaying geographic coordinates. 

The SHARE button offers a fast and convenient way to grant access to a specific site within the platform. Click here to quickly invite new users to view or collaborate on the selected site by simply entering their email addresses. 

The UPLOAD button is your central point for bringing various types of project data into the platform. You can upload essential files such as surveys, design files, pre-processed data, and supporting media. Additionally, this feature enables you to efficiently bulk import point measurements, streamlining the process of incorporating large datasets into your site.

Use the Toggle full screen icon to expand the Propeller map to occupy your entire screen to hide browser elements and other interface components. Click the icon again or press the Esc key to return to the original map view.

Platform Tools: MEASURE

The MEASURE tab is where you can find any measurements you created using the tools available in the measure toolbar. This section provides a central overview of your point, line, and polygon measurements, allowing you to easily review, manage, and potentially edit or analyze the spatial data you've captured on the map.

The Measurement Toolbar

Platform Tools: SURVEY

The SURVEY tab provides access to various tools and visual layers within your survey data. Here, you can interact with key elements such as the point cloud and elevation map. You can create cropped surveys and Terrain Cleanups for smoothing out survey areas, the locations of camera positions, and a selection of SURVEY LAYERS to customize your view.

Platform Tools: DESIGNS

The DESIGNS tab is your hub for integrating and managing project design files. Once uploaded, these design files can be overlayed and compared directly with your flight data, enabling powerful analyses such as cut/fill calculations, adherence to specifications, and progress tracking against the intended design.

Platform Tools: MEDIA

Capture photographs of specific locations on your site using your mobile device or other image sources. Once captured, you can pin these images directly to their corresponding geographic locations on the map to visually document site conditions, compare imagery over time and create visual references to share with your crew.

Platform Tools: OUTPUTS

OUTPUTS is a collection of downloadable reports, maps, videos, and survey files including:

• Stockpile reports,
• Processing reports,
• Take-off map,
• PDF map,
• Fly through,
• Timelapse, and
• all processing-generated files

Platform Tools: HYDRO

The HYDRO tools provide powerful capabilities for understanding and visualizing water-related aspects of your site. This includes:

• Flood to Level: Visualize potential inundation areas based on specified water levels, helping you assess flood risk and plan accordingly.
• Surface Runoff: Analyze the flow of water across the terrain surface, identifying areas of potential accumulation and drainage patterns. This aids in understanding water movement and erosion risks.
• Catchment/Watershed Analysis: Delineate and analyze the upstream contributing areas (catchments or watersheds) for specific points on your site. This helps understand the flow of water into and out of your project area.
• Direct Rainfall: Visualize the impact of direct precipitation on your site's surface, allowing you to understand immediate runoff potential and identify areas prone to ponding after rainfall events.

Platform Tools: CREW

The CREW feature enables seamless collaboration by allowing office teams to easily share interactive maps with field crews or external stakeholders. Each shared map generates a unique, shareable URL. This link can be distributed to anyone, granting them access to view the interactive map on any device with a web browser, fostering real-time information sharing and improved communication across teams.