> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.agronome.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Uploading Drone Imagery

> How to upload and process drone images

# Uploading Drone Imagery

Upload raw drone images and agronome.ai handles the rest — stitching, vegetation index generation, and tile rendering.

## Supported cameras

| Camera                      | Type                    | Indices available                 |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral   | Multispectral + RGB     | NDVI, NDRE, GNDVI, SAVI, EVI, CHM |
| DJI Phantom 4 Multispectral | Multispectral           | NDVI, NDRE, GNDVI, SAVI, EVI, CHM |
| MicaSense RedEdge-MX        | Multispectral           | NDVI, NDRE, GNDVI, SAVI, EVI, CHM |
| MicaSense Altum             | Multispectral + Thermal | NDVI, NDRE, GNDVI, SAVI, EVI, CHM |
| Any RGB camera              | RGB                     | Orthomosaic, Elevation            |

## Upload process

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select a field">
    Navigate to the field where the drone flight was conducted. Open the **Drones** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new flight">
    Click **Upload Drone Images**. Give the flight a name and optional notes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload images">
    Drag and drop your images or select them from your file browser. Images upload directly to cloud storage — large uploads are handled efficiently with parallel uploads and resume capability.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Automatic EXIF analysis">
    Once upload completes, agronome.ai analyzes EXIF metadata to identify the camera, spectral bands, flight altitude, and coverage area. This takes a few seconds.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Processing">
    The images are sent to OpenDroneMap for orthomosaic generation. Processing time depends on image count — typically 15-45 minutes for a standard field flight.
  </Step>

  <Step title="View results">
    When processing completes, layers appear in the **Analyze** tab. Switch between vegetation indices, orthomosaic, and elevation views.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Tips for good results

* **Overlap** — 75%+ front overlap and 65%+ side overlap produce the best orthomosaics
* **Altitude** — consistent altitude throughout the flight improves stitching quality
* **Lighting** — overcast conditions produce more uniform imagery than direct sunlight
* **GSD** — ground sampling distance is calculated from altitude and sensor size. Lower altitude = higher resolution
* **File format** — upload the original camera files (TIFF for multispectral, JPEG/DNG for RGB). Do not pre-process or rename files.

## Multispectral vs. RGB

**Multispectral flights** capture Near-Infrared (NIR) and Red Edge bands in addition to visible light. These enable vegetation indices like NDVI and NDRE that reveal plant health invisible to the naked eye.

**RGB flights** produce high-resolution orthomosaics and elevation models but cannot generate vegetation indices. Useful for visual inspection, plant counting, and general field documentation.