Essential Platform Workflow

  Step 1: Creating a site

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How to Create a New Site in the Propeller Platform

Choose a coordinate reference system

Once 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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What is a Coordinate Reference System

Training Video: Creating a Site and Selecting a Coordinate Reference System

New site created

With 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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Learn How to Navigate the Platform

Step 2: Working in the base map dataset

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.

• Road Base map: Provides a clear view of road infrastructure, including street names and important landmarks or points of interest.
• Satellite Base map: Presents aerial views of your site captured by satellite (please be aware that the age of the imagery can differ depending on the specific location and zoom level).
• Satellite + Road Base map: Offers a hybrid view, combining detailed satellite imagery with essential road networks and points of interest overlaid for context.
• None Base map: Gives you a clean, black canvas, allowing your markups, measurements, design files, and uploaded data to be the sole focus of the map view.

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Pre-construction Planning Without Survey Data

Site Settings

Measure and Markup Your Base map 

Leverage 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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Using the Measurement Tools

Meet Markup: More context on the map✏️🎨

How to Use Web Map Tile Service (WMTS)

KML Mission Plan Boundary

Even 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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How to Create KML Files for Mission Planning

Step 3: Enriching your Base map Dataset through the Universal Uploader 

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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Get Started Uploading Data

Survey Files

Whether 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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Upload Survey Files

Upload Design Files

Upload Media

TIN Surfaces

Triangulated 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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Upload Survey Files

DEM Surface and/or Orthophotos

Digital 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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How to Upload Pre-processed Data

Point Clouds

Point 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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Upload Lidar Point Clouds as LAS/LAZ Files to View Them as 3D Terrain

Design Files

Project 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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Upload Design Files

Composites

Now 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:

1. From the survey picker dropdown, select “Create Composite”, choose the data layers you want to merge, choose the date and time for where the composite will show up in the survey picker, and select “Create”. The composite will appear in the survey picker when it is complete.
2. From the survey tab, near the bottom of the pane, pull up the “Survey Explorer”. Select the survey layers you want to merge, click on the vertical ellipses, and “Create Composite”. Choose the date and time for where the composite will show ip in the survey picker, and select “Create”. The composite will appear in the survey picker when it is complete.

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Getting Started with Composite Surveys

Best Practices: Composite Surveys

Clamping Design Layers

In 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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Working with DXF Design Files

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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A Few Tips and Tricks For Using Workspaces

Media

Easily 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:

• Add a Label: Categorize the image using predefined labels (e.g., Hazard, Materials, Progress) for easy filtering and organization.
• Include a Comment: Provide a detailed description of what the image depicts, adding important context and observations.
• Tag Individuals: Directly notify relevant team members (e.g., Project Manager, Estimator) by tagging them in the photo's description, facilitating targeted communication and issue resolution.

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How to Upload and View Images In the Platform

Step 4: Base map Dataset Analysis 

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.

Cross-section Comparison

Easily 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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How to Measure a Cross-Section

Stockpile Measurement

Measure 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.

Reference Level Surface

Uses either the default lowest node elevation or highest node elevation as the base.

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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Measuring Stockpiles: The Basics

Surface Comparison

Once 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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How to Create a Surface Comparison

Converting Designs to Measurements

Here's a quick way to measure existing designs:

1. Right-click on the design in the map viewer.
2. Select CONVERT TO MEASUREMENT.
3. Open the measurement pane to view the converted boundary.
4. In the pane, choose the type of measurement you need. The platform will automatically calculate and display the measurement shortly after (allow more time for larger designs).

Note that larger conversions will take longer to calculate.

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Creating Custom Stockpile Inventory and Measurement Reports

Hydro Tools on Design

Propeller 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:

• Purpose: Visualize the potential extent of flooding at specific water elevations.
• Applications: Emergency preparedness, risk management, immediate assessment of flood scenarios.
• Usage: Enter a target flood elevation or select a point on the map representing that elevation. The tool will then display the areas that would be inundated up to that level on your surface.

2. Surface Runoff:

• Purpose: Simulate and visualize water flow across your site during rainfall or spills.
• Features: Options to indicate flow direction and analyze spill impact zones using point and polygon selections.
• Usage: Define an analysis area by picking a point and radius or drawing/selecting a polygon. You can then:
  • Show Preferential Path: Display the primary downhill flow direction and contributing catchment areas.
  • Liquid Drop Analysis: Simulate runoff from a specific point within the selected area.

3. Catchment Areas:

• Purpose: Define regions and automatically generate potential stream networks to analyze watershed effectiveness and identify contributing catchment areas.
• Usage: Draw or select a polygon to define the area of interest. You can then:
  • Show Stream Network: Visualize directional water flow into potential catchment areas.
  • Outflow Point Selection: Focus the stream network analysis on areas contributing to overflow at a specific chosen point.

4. Direct Rainfall:

• Purpose: Simulate surface water runoff and pooling on your site resulting directly from rainfall events.
• Applications: Preparing for and understanding water pooling and flow patterns for various rainfall intensities (including approximations of 10-year or 50-year events).
• Usage: Define an area of interest by drawing or selecting a polygon. Then, configure the simulation parameters:
  • Simulation Name: Provide a descriptive name for your analysis.
  • Rate of Rainfall: Input the rainfall intensity based on local averages or extreme event data.
  • Period of Simulation: Specify the duration of the rainfall event.
  • Water Depth Gradient: Define the slope influencing water accumulation.

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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How to Use the Hydrology Tools

Exports

Now 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:

• Stockpile and Measurement Report (PDF)
  • Generates a customizable PDF report for all visible measurements.
• Stockpile Inventory Report (CSV)
  • Generates a customizable CSV report for visible stockpiles. Only volume measurements will be included, excluding design-to-design measurements (unless created with the stockpile template).
• Measurement Report (CSV)
  • Generates a CSV report from all your visible measurements.

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Creating Custom Stockpile Inventory and Measurement Reports

Custom Exports

After 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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How to Export Custom Outputs & Using the Bulk Export Tool

Terrain Cleanups

• You can manipulate your imported data to clean up or remove unwanted terrain data. Simply click the broom icon in the survey tab, and draw around the area you want cleaned up. You can add breaklines before saving the measurement if the terrain you want to clean up is not completely flat by selecting the Add Breaklines button in the cleanup pane. Save your cleanup and allow the platform to refresh. You will now see the cleanup apply to your surface.
• To disable a terrain cleanup, select the vertical ellipses and choose Disable Terrain Cleanup. Allow the platform to refresh, and your original terrain will display.
• Select the eyeball icon to show or hide where terrain cleanups have been made. To delete a terrain cleanup altogether, select the vertical ellipses, and choose Delete Terrain Cleanup, then click Confirm Delete. The terrain cleanup no longer appears in your list.
  

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Export a Terrain Cleanup