Whether you plan to use a drone on your site initially or need to begin project work before a drone survey is complete, this article provides the essential steps to get started with the Propeller platform. You'll learn the platform's fundamentals, discover valuable tips, and understand key project workflows applicable to any project. This includes a core base map dataset workflow and outline for universal project work in the Propeller platform, ensuring you can effectively manage and analyze your site data regardless of whether you're currently utilizing drone imagery.
To help you get started with the platform, we highly recommend watching this introductory video. It provides a visual overview of the key features and basic navigation, complementing this article and offering a dynamic way to quickly grasp the fundamentals of working within the Propeller platform.
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This is the foundational step for any project within Propeller. Before you can upload designs and surfaces or utilize drawing and measurement tools, you must first establish a dedicated site within the platform. This involves providing a name for your project, selecting the relevant industry, and defining the geographical area of your worksite. | |
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Choose a coordinate reference systemOnce your new site is created, choosing a coordinate reference system (CRS) is the next crucial step. Propeller offers the flexibility to choose between a published or a localized CRS. ❗ Heads up! The CRS you pick here will be the CRS used to process, measure, and export your data for that site. 💡 Tip: Check with your surveyor or customer success manager if you are unsure what CRS to use. |
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✅ Read more: What is a Coordinate Reference System Training Video: Creating a Site and Selecting a Coordinate Reference System |
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New site createdWith your site now set up, you'll see its approximate location displayed on a base map. This is your "area of interest" (AOI). You can switch between the three available base maps and begin working on your project. |
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What can you do with a base map? (Planning without survey data)Propeller's base maps are your go-to for initial project groundwork. You can quickly take approximate 2D measurements, import design files for context, and add markups for streamlined planning, estimations, and clear communication between the office and the field. Propeller uses HereMaps for base maps, and offers 3 toggleable layers to choose from. All users can select from three base map options: Road, Satellite, and a combined Satellite + Road view. A 'None' option is also provided.
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Measure and Markup Your Base mapLeverage the Satellite or Satellite + Road base maps to perform quick estimations for project planning. Easily draw polygons to calculate areas, lines to determine distances, and place points to identify specific locations. 💡 Tip: This becomes even more powerful when Web Map Tiling Services (WMTS) are active! You can also add valuable context to your base map by using the markup tools. Annotate potential issues, highlight key areas of interest, and jot down important notes directly on the map using freehand drawing, text labels, and point symbols. Customize the appearance of your markups with options for color, size, labels, icons, and more. |
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KML Mission Plan BoundaryEven before your drone flies, leverage the base map to plan your mission area. Simply draw a polygon to define the boundary and then export this as a KML file. This KML can be directly loaded into your remote controller via SD card or cable, streamlining your pre-flight setup. |
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In addition to measuring and drawing on the base map, you can also upload survey files, design files, and Media through the universal uploader button to perform analyses. |
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Survey FilesWhether you process your data with us or not, you can get value from Propeller’s survey file uploader, which allows you to bring in TIN surfaces, pre-processed datasets, and point clouds. |
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TIN SurfacesTriangulated Irregular Networks (TINs) are digital 3D surface models built from a series of points. Think of it like connecting a bunch of dots (elevation measurements) with straight lines to create a network of triangles that represent the terrain. Typically, field crews use rovers or other surveying equipment to collect these ground elevation points across a site. This collection of points is then processed using specialized point cloud software. The software analyzes these points and generates the TIN model by creating a mesh of interconnected triangular planes. This process results in a digital representation of the job site's surface. Accepted file formats: TIN (.dxf or .xml) |
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DEM Surface and/or OrthophotosDigital elevation models are aerial photogrammetric-based surfaces and are typically produced in combination with an orthomosaic photo. While Propeller is a fantastic way to produce both of these files from drone imagery processing, having the ability to view pre-processed datasets in Propeller is an important step for keeping everything in one convenient location. Accepted file formats: GeoTIFF (.tiff or .tif) |
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Point CloudsPoint clouds are files containing millions of geolocated points that depict a surveyed surface. Point clouds can be collected with an aerial LiDAR sensor or terrestrial laser scanner. Denser than TINs, but less dense than DEMs, point clouds typically provide a comprehensive view of ground objects on a job site including vegetation, equipment, powerlines, and the like. Point clouds can typically be filtered to either show ground or non-ground layers, and can be used in a similar way as TINs to generate an interpolated surface by connecting points. Accepted file formats: Point Cloud (.las or .laz) |
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✅ Read more: Upload Lidar Point Clouds as LAS/LAZ Files to View Them as 3D Terrain |
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Design FilesProject winning, planning, and monitoring are all made possible through design files. Even without a drone survey, you can now bring designs into Propeller. Now, you have not only a data repository that can be shared across your organization and clients, but also a way to visualize, inspect, and measure your designs. Both 2D and 3D data formats can be displayed for a wide variety of applications. These include PDF plan sheets, CAD point and linework drawings, or final grade surface models for example. This functionality allows you to estimate load counts by calculating volumes of final grade designs, determine catchment areas or surface runoff in a rain event, and even walk around your plan sheet in the field and add to the map by viewing in the mobile app. Accepted file formats: Designs (.pdf, .dxf, .ttm, .ifc, .kml/.kmz, and *.xml *CgPoints, Alignments, and Surfaces only*) |
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CompositesNow that you have multiple data sources in your base map dataset, you can merge or “composite” them together to form one, unified data layer. There are two ways to do this:
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Clamping Design LayersIn Propeller, design layers might appear to float above or sink below the main map. To align them properly, select the vertical ellipses next to the main design file and choose "Clamp all layers." You can also clamp individual layers by expanding the design file and using the ellipses next to each sub-layer. |
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Organizing files (Workspaces & Folders)To help you stay organized within a site, the platform provides Workspaces. Found in the top left corner, a Workspace is essentially a main folder for your project data. Think of it as a top-level folder on your computer. Inside a Workspace, you can create subfolders to further categorize and manage your information. |
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MediaEasily upload mobile and 360 photos into your site through the universal uploader. The phone's Camera must have location services turned on for the photo to be geolocated on the map, unless taking the photo directly from the Propeller App. Anyone with access to the site can view images taken from the field to get a better picture of what and where things are on site. To further enhance the information associated with each photo, you have the ability to:
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With project files now in your base map dataset, 3D measurements on that data are possible. Below are some examples of tools available for base map data analysis. |
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Cross-section ComparisonEasily compute a cross-section of your designs by drawing a line anywhere on your file in the map viewer. A cross-section chart is displayed in the bottom pane. You can adjust your scale and units in the top left and right corners of this view. You can also share your view so others can see your work. |
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Stockpile MeasurementMeasure stockpiles on site from hand-collected rover topos or designs by drawing a polygon measurement at the toe of the pile. You can select your “from” and “to” surfaces–ensuring that your “from” surface is your data file and the “to” surface is set to one of the following to generate a base for your pile: Smart Volume Surface Uses elevations of all measurement nodes to interpolate a triangulated base. |
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Reference Level Surface Uses either the default lowest node elevation or highest node elevation as the base. |
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Custom Surface Uses a single elevation for the base that is determined by the user’s input. Design/Survey If you have a surface file depicting the base of the pile, you can use that for calculations. Furthermore, you can add weight, density, shrink/swell, and material properties to your measurement for more accurate calculations. |
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Surface ComparisonOnce you have two or more surface files in your site, you can compare the two using the surface comparison tool. Much like the stockpile tool, your “from” surface is typically a survey of some kind (rover, pre-processed, etc). However, your “to” surface can be another type of surface file (different rover/ pre-processed survey or a design surface). This tool outputs a cut/fill map that depicts affected areas between the two surfaces. For example, you could compare your rover topo to the phase 1 design surface to monitor how you’re tracking on your project’s goals, where work has been done, and where work still needs to be done. |
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Converting Designs to MeasurementsHere's a quick way to measure existing designs:
Note that larger conversions will take longer to calculate. |
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Hydro Tools on DesignPropeller offers four powerful hydrology analysis tools: Flood to Level, Surface Runoff, Catchment Areas, and Direct Rainfall. These tools can be applied to TIN surface files (including those generated from Propeller-processed surveys or uploaded in .dxf or .xml format) to visualize and analyze water-related conditions on your site. 1. Flood to Level:
2. Surface Runoff:
3. Catchment Areas:
4. Direct Rainfall:
Important Note: While the Hydro tools are designed for surface files like TINs, you can utilize design files in .dxf or .xml format by uploading them as TIN Surfaces to perform hydrological analyses. |
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ExportsNow that you’ve brought in and manipulated your data, you can export your analysis in a number of ways. These exports include take-off files for use in complimentary software and sharable reports. Stockpile and Measurement Reports Toggle on the measurements you want to export in the measurement tab. Navigate to outputs tab and select one of the following reports to generate:
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Custom ExportsAfter manipulating your data, you can export that data as a DEM, outline, surface, or contours. To do this, simply draw a polygon of the area you want to export. Save the measurement, and select either the download button from the measurement pane, right click the measurement in the map viewer, or use the vertical ellipses button on the measurement tab and choose “export”. A list of available data types appears, and you can select your desired parameters. The export will either go to your downloads folder, or for contours, will send to your email. |
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Terrain Cleanups
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I still can't do it!
We wrote these articles to equip you with everything you need to get the job done on your own, but we understand that sometimes this isn't sufficient.
If you're stuck, you can connect with our support team by clicking the support button on the top right corner of your user portal.
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