Upload Drone Image

Who can use this feature?

Custom imagery upload is included in all paid plans. Users on a free plan can request it on demand. For any questions or to get started, contact support@openforests.com.

What can be uploaded?

We support georeferenced orthomosaics in GeoTIFF format. These are seamless aerial images created by capturing multiple overlapping photos and processing them through photogrammetry. The result is a single, map-accurate image of your area.

If you are hiring a drone operator or imagery provider, share the technical requirements below with them to ensure the delivered data is compatible.

Technical requirements for the GeoTIFF file

For the imagery to be correctly integrated into explorer.land, the final orthomosaic must meet these specifications:

• Format: 8-bit GeoTIFF with transparency

• Coordinate Reference System (CRS): Web Mercator EPSG:3857

• Compression: Uncompressed, or LZW compressed (no internal pyramid tiling needed)

• Colour: Colour-corrected, with shadow zones improved and a natural, balanced look

• Cropping: The orthomosaic should have a clean, smooth outline — not the irregular border that results from raw photo distribution

Guidelines for drone operators

If you are commissioning aerial imagery, the following recommendations help ensure the best possible result.

Weather conditions

Overcast skies with uniform cloud cover are ideal, as they produce diffuse, even lighting with no harsh shadows. A fully clear, sunny day is also acceptable. Avoid flying on days with patchy, moving clouds, as shifting light conditions create colour inconsistencies that can compromise both visual quality and photogrammetric processing.

Camera settings

• White balance: Must be fixed — do not use automatic white balance, as it changes between shots and causes color inconsistencies in the final mosaic.

• Shutter speed: Keep it short enough to avoid motion blur. Prefer a slower flight speed and allow higher ISO over a longer exposure.

• Focus: Set correctly for the flight altitude. If autofocus is not available, set to infinity — though note that for lower altitudes this may not always be appropriate.

• Color preset: Use neutral color profiles, especially when shooting in JPG. Avoid high-contrast or high-saturation presets, as they limit color correction options later.

Flight planning

• Cover the entire area of interest, including borders, which should be captured by at least two flight strips.

• Use a transversal (side) photo overlap of 75% or more — this is especially important for forested areas with low tree density.

• A longitudinal overlap of 70% or above is also recommended.

• For best results, consider flying perpendicular cross-grid flight patterns, which significantly improve 3D reconstruction quality.

Processing

• Use the highest quality settings available in your photogrammetry software for both photo matching and 3D point cloud generation.

• A high-density point cloud reduces artefacts in the final orthomosaic, such as distorted trees or misaligned tiles.

Division of responsibilities

You or your drone operator are responsible for data acquisition, photogrammetric processing, georeferencing, and color correction.

OpenForests handles the upload of the final GeoTIFF to our servers and its integration into explorer.land.

How to deliver the data

To get started, contact our support team at support@openforests.com with the following information:

• Your project name or URL on explorer.land

• Your images link: We advise you to use WeTransfer (free for files under 2 GB). For larger datasets, direct upload access to OpenForests servers can be arranged

• A brief description of the area and what the imagery shows

Our team will review your request and handle the upload for you.

Questions?

If you're unsure whether your file format is supported, feel free to ask when you reach out at support@openforests.com — we're happy to help.