It is important to note that these powerful open source platforms do not always get optimised the same way that paid software does when they are updated or when new versions are released. Therefore, some functions may differ slightly or some computation algorithms may not perform in the same way as their previous or updated versions. Older and up to date versions of the software are available from the software archives on the download pages of the respective software websites. It is not critical, but to ensure optimal learning, please use the versions of the software depicted in the courses (primarily regarding QGIS). The latest versions of the software can be used but just be aware that you may or may not need to tweak things yourself when using some processes.
These platforms are for the most part free, please donate to the developers!! It is important to contribute to these brilliant people so that they can keep these platforms updated and running smoothly! Click the icon to take you to the respective software websites and downloads page for more information. Please follow the download and installation information provided on the software websites.
Below is a list of the software that you will require to complete the courses at GeoWing Academy. Links to the download pages of each platform are provided. Please download the “most stable” or “long term release/builds” for each platform as the Beta versions will be more prone to crashing or not function properly.
Microsoft Office software is not provided.
A list of flight automation/mission planning app software examples as well as drone hardware examples along with other important app considerations is provided at the bottom of this page. These will give you an idea of what is available in terms of hardware and compatible drone mission planning software. Be sure to visit the websites for these specific items for more information.
Take the FREE GeoWing Academy Mini Course here
Quantum Graphics Information Systems
It is recommended to download the “most stable version” from the QGIS website
Item
Processor – CPU
Memory RAM
Hard Disk
Graphic Card
Operating System
Minimum
Core i3 2.7 Ghz
2 Gb
500 Gb SATA
1 Gb RAM
Windows 7-10, MacOS, Linux, BSD, and (Various Android Apps) for mobile and Tablets
recommended
Core i7 3.5 Ghz
8 Gb or More
SSD de 128 Gb or 500 Gb SATA
2 Gb RAM (NVIDIA GeForce)
Windows 7-10, MacOS, Linux, BSD, and (Various Android Apps) for mobile and Tablets
NOTE: WebODM is free if you have some computer knowledge and are able to install the software yourself, however if you need the installer a small affordable fee is required. The Installer Fee greatly helps the developers build and continue to maintain this incredible software! The Standard version is used in all GeoWing Academy courses.
Minimum System Requirements
FOR WINDOWS
• Windows 11 or newer (some versions of Windows 10 are supported as well, see https://endoflife.date/windows for a full list).
• 64bit CPU with MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3 and SSSE3 instruction set support or higher (was your CPU manufactured in the last 10 years?). Windows on Arm is not supported.
• 20 GB free disk space
• 8 GB RAM *, but you’ll be happiest with 16GB or more.
FOR MacOS
• MacOS 12 or newer. Apple Silicon (M1+) is supported.
• Mac hardware must be a 2010 or newer model and support virtualization.
• 20 GB free disk space
• 8 GB RAM *, but you’ll be happiest with 16GB or more.
Recommended System Requirements
Same as minimum requirements, but add more space and memory:
• 100 GB free disk space
• 16 GB RAM
* You will not be able to process more than 100 images with 8 GB of RAM. If you need to process larger datasets, check the Recommended System Requirements instead, or consider purchasing access to the WebODM lightning network.
*WebODM installers do not work on 32bit computers.
Cloud Compare
NOTE: It is difficult to find full specs for minimum and recommended systems requirements for CC, however it should run fine on most modern laptops and desktops. The specs below are from a 2014 Toshiba Portege laptop that runs the learning data sets just fine.
Estimated Minimum system requirements
Item
Operating System
Processor
RAM
RAM
Spec
Windows 10 or iOS
Intel® Core TM i7 3678U CPU @ 2.10GHz
4.00 GB
64 bit processor
Microsoft Excel
*Any version of Microsoft Excel from Windows 10 to the latest version of Excel 365 and above. Please note that a number of these courses are conducted using Microsoft Excel version from Windows 10. Some functions or buttons may be located in different locations in later versions.
Microsoft Word
*Any version of Microsoft Word from Windows 10 to the latest version of Excel 365 and above. Please note that a number of these courses are conducted using Microsoft Word version from Windows 10. Some functions or buttons may be located in different locations in later versions.
List of autopilot apps
The apps listed below allow UAV pilots to automate drone flights used to collect photogrammetry data consistently and evenly. Plans can be saved and flown again at any time allowing for consistent, repeatable data capture. Always ensure that your drone is compatible with the app before purchasing/downloading! Some paid versions allow a free trial period that allows you to use the software for a certain length of time to see if it is the right package for you. These are suggestions only!
• Drone Harmony (Paid – Android and iOS). DJI Drones only
• Litchi (Paid – Android). DJI Drones
• Drone Deploy (Free). DJI Drones
• Drone Link (Paid) DJI and Autel (Autel within limitations)
• Pix4D Capture (Free – Android). DJI, Parrot, Autel, Other
• GS Pro (Free DJI drones and iOS only)
Drone Weather App
This app is specifically designed for UAV pilots and gives great weather forecasting at the altitudes that civilian UAVs are used at. It is packed with features. This app is a suggestion.
• UAV Forecast (Paid)
Drone Flight Data Storage
This app is brilliant for storing all your drone flight log data including battery health readings, weather readings, drone health readings, signal strength readings, GPS signal readings and more. This app is a suggestion.
• Airdata (Free – limited number of flights and data storage and limited data accesss)
Consumer Drone/UAV hardware examples
Examples of off-the-shelf consumer drones with Red Green Blue (RGB) cameras. This DOES NOT include the Prosumer or Enterprise variants such as drones with thermal, LiDAR or multispectral sensors and RTK or PPK functions. These are drones that are readily available for everyone, systems that can be used for data collection, that are affordable and don’t require additional complex training to use.
Here is a consolidated list of consumer-level drones compatible with DroneDeploy, Pix4D, and Drone Harmony, including older models:
Supported DJI Consumer Drones:
- DJI Phantom Series:
- Phantom 3 (Professional, Advanced, Standard)
- Phantom 4 (including Pro, Pro V2.0, Advanced)
- DJI Mavic Series:
- Mavic Pro (including Platinum)
- Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom
- Mavic Air 1 and Mavic Air 2
- Mavic Air 2S
- Mavic Mini (1, 2, and Mini SE) for basic mapping tasks with third-party software.
- DJI Spark:
- The Spark can perform basic missions via some apps but lacks advanced compatibility features available in later drones.
- DJI Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro:
- Supported for more advanced mapping tasks, particularly in Drone Harmony.
- DJI Inspire Series:
- Inspire 1 and Inspire 2.
- DJI Mini 2:
- Offers compatibility with many mapping apps but with some limitations compared to larger models.
These drones work with platforms like DroneDeploy, Pix4D, and Drone Harmony depending on the software development kit (SDK) and flight controller compatibility. However, some newer drones, such as the Mavic 3 series, may not yet support certain third-party apps due to delayed SDK releases
Autel
• Evo 1 & 2
Parrot
• Anafi
There are a number of different drone manufacturers around the world. The ones mentioned above are simply examples of common consumer UAVs that are capable of collecting aerial data through 3rd party autopilot apps (such as those mentioned above) consistently which is what is required for photogrammetry.
It is important to note that these powerful open source platforms do not always get optimised the same way that paid software does when they are updated or when new versions are released. Therefore, some functions may differ slightly or some computation algorithms may not perform in the same way as their previous or updated versions. Older and up to date versions of the software are available from the software archives on the download pages of the respective software websites. It is not critical, but to ensure optimal learning, please use the versions of the software depicted in the courses (primarily regarding QGIS). The latest versions of the software can be used but just be aware that you may or may not need to tweak things yourself when using some processes.
These platforms are for the most part free, please donate to the developers!! It is important to contribute to these brilliant people so that they can keep these platforms updated and running smoothly! Click the icon to take you to the respective software websites and downloads page for more information. Please follow the download and installation information provided on the software websites.
Below is a list of the software that you will require to complete the courses at GeoWing Academy. Links to the download pages of each platform are provided. Please download the “most stable” or “long term release/builds” for each platform as the Beta versions will be more prone to crashing or not function properly.
Microsoft software is not provided.
A list of flight automation software examples as well as drone hardware examples is provided. These will give you an idea of what is available.
Take the FREE GeoWing Academy Mini Course here
Quantum Graphics Information Systems
It is recommended to download the “most stable version” from the QGIS website
Item
Processor – CPU
Memory RAM
Hard Disk
Graphic Card
Operating System
Minimum
Core i3 2.7 Ghz
2 Gb
500 Gb SATA
1 Gb RAM
Windows 7-10, MacOS, Linux, BSD, and (Various Android Apps) for mobile and Tablets
recommended
Core i7 3.5 Ghz
8 Gb or More
SSD de 128 Gb or 500 Gb SATA
2 Gb RAM (NVIDIA GeForce)
Windows 7-10, MacOS, Linux, BSD, and (Various Android Apps) for mobile and Tablets
NOTE: WebODM is free if you have some computer knowledge and are able to install the software yourself, however if you need the installer a small affordable fee is required. The Installer Fee greatly helps the developers build and continue to maintain this incredible software! The Standard version is used in all GeoWing Academy courses.
Minimum System Requirements
FOR WINDOWS
• Windows 11 or newer (some versions of Windows 10 are supported as well, see https://endoflife.date/windows for a full list).
• 64bit CPU with MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3 and SSSE3 instruction set support or higher (was your CPU manufactured in the last 10 years?). Windows on Arm is not supported.
• 20 GB free disk space
• 8 GB RAM *, but you’ll be happiest with 16GB or more.
FOR MacOS
• MacOS 12 or newer. Apple Silicon (M1+) is supported.
• Mac hardware must be a 2010 or newer model and support virtualization.
• 20 GB free disk space
• 8 GB RAM *, but you’ll be happiest with 16GB or more.
Recommended System Requirements
Same as minimum requirements, but add more space and memory:
• 100 GB free disk space
• 16 GB RAM
* You will not be able to process more than 100 images with 8 GB of RAM. If you need to process larger datasets, check the Recommended System Requirements instead, or consider purchasing access to the WebODM lightning network.
*WebODM installers do not work on 32bit computers.
Cloud Compare
NOTE: It is difficult to find full specs for minimum and recommended systems requirements for CC, however it should run fine on most modern laptops and desktops. The specs below are from a 2014 Toshiba Portege laptop that runs the learning data sets just fine.
Estimated Minimum system requirements
Item
Operating System
Processor
RAM
RAM
Spec
Windows 10 or iOS
Intel® Core TM i7 3678U CPU @ 2.10GHz
4.00 GB
64 bit processor
Microsoft Excel
*Any version of Microsoft Excel from Windows 10 to the latest version of Excel 365 and above. Please note that a number of these courses are conducted using Microsoft Excel version from Windows 10. Some functions or buttons may be located in different locations in later versions.
Microsoft Word
*Any version of Microsoft Word from Windows 10 to the latest version of Excel 365 and above. Please note that a number of these courses are conducted using Microsoft Word version from Windows 10. Some functions or buttons may be located in different locations in later versions.
List of autopilot apps
The apps listed below allow UAV pilots to automate drone flights used to collect photogrammetry data consistently and evenly. Plans can be saved and flown again at any time allowing for consistent, repeatable data capture. Always ensure that your drone is compatible with the app before purchasing/downloading! Some paid versions allow a free trial period that allows you to use the software for a certain length of time to see if it is the right package for you. These are suggestions only!
• Drone Harmony (Paid – Android and iOS). DJI Drones only
• Litchi (Paid – Android). DJI Drones
• Drone Deploy (Free). DJI Drones
• Drone Link (Paid) DJI and Autel (Autel within limitations)
• Pix4D Capture (Free – Android). DJI, Parrot, Autel, Other
• GS Pro (Free DJI drones and iOS only)
Drone Weather App
This app is specifically designed for UAV pilots and gives great weather forecasting at the altitudes that civilian UAVs are used at. It is packed with features. This app is a suggestion.
• UAV Forecast (Paid)
Drone Flight Data Storage
This app is brilliant for storing all your drone flight log data including battery health readings, weather readings, drone health readings, signal strength readings, GPS signal readings and more. This app is a suggestion.
• Airdata (Free – limited number of flights and data storage and limited data accesss)
Consumer Drone/UAV hardware examples
Examples of off-the-shelf consumer drones with Red Green Blue (RGB) cameras. This DOES NOT include the Prosumer or Enterprise variants such as drones with thermal, LiDAR or multispectral sensors and RTK or PPK functions. These are drones that are readily available for everyone, systems that can be used for data collection, that are affordable and don’t require additional complex training to use.
DJI
• Phantom range (3, 4, 4 Pro etc. excluding Phantom RTK)
• Inspire, Inspire 2
• Mavic range (Pro, 2 Pro, 3)
• Mavic Mini range (2, 2SE, etc.)
• Spark
Autel
• Evo 1 & 2
Parrot
• Anafi
There are a number of different drone manufacturers around the world. The ones mentioned above are simply examples of common consumer UAVs that are capable of collecting aerial data through 3rd party autopilot apps (such as those mentioned above) consistently which is what is required for photogrammetry.