Automated And Expert Processing
AVAG offers two types of photogrammetric processing, both accessible from any subscription plan. You choose the right one based on your accuracy requirements and workflow.
Automated processing
Section titled “Automated processing”Automated processing is included at no extra cost on all plans: Trial, Professional, and Enterprise. It requires no Ground Control Points (GCPs) and no manual intervention. Once you upload your photos and click Process Data, AVAG handles everything automatically.
What you get:
- Full photogrammetric processing of your JPG images
- Orthophoto, Digital Surface Model (DSM), slope model, and point cloud as outputs
- Coordinate system read automatically from your photos’ EXIF data
- Unlimited number of photos per dataset (within your storage capacity)
- Results delivered directly to your map as a new layer
Automated processing is ideal for regular site monitoring flights where you need a fast, reliable read on progress without the overhead of setting up ground control.
Expert processing
Section titled “Expert processing”Expert processing is a paid service available on any plan. It involves semi-automatic processing handled by AVAG’s photogrammetry team, with GCP application and accuracy verification before final delivery.
You get everything in automated processing, plus:
- GCP application and verification by photogrammetry experts
- Accuracy checks before final delivery
- Advanced MapClean feature
- Higher absolute accuracy suitable for volumes, billing, design comparisons, and formal hand-offs
Expert processing is purchased as credits – one credit covers one dataset of up to 500 photos, at 99€ per credit. Credits can be purchased directly from the Subscription page inside the app.
Unlimited number of photos
Section titled “Unlimited number of photos”There is no limit on the number of photos you can include in a single dataset: both Automated and Expert processing support unlimited photos, subject to your plan’s storage capacity. Larger datasets simply take longer to process.
The Trial and Professional plans both include 200 GB of storage. If you need more, additional storage can be purchased in 100 GB increments at 25€ per month from the Subscription page. Enterprise plans include custom storage capacity tailored to your needs.
How long does processing take?
Section titled “How long does processing take?”Processing times depend on the dataset size and what’s currently in the queue.
Automated processing – Processed in the order datasets are received. If the queue is empty, results can be ready within minutes. A typical 250-photo dataset takes around 35 minutes from upload to results. If there are other large datasets ahead of yours, it may take longer. There’s no fixed time estimate because it depends on the current queue.
Expert processing – Also handled in order of submission, subject to the availability of the processing team. Average processing time is around 9 hours, with guaranteed delivery within 48 hours. 90% of datasets uploaded before 12:00 CET are processed the same day.
When do I need GCPs?
Section titled “When do I need GCPs?”This question comes up constantly on active construction sites. You have an RTK drone, you’re flying regularly, and setting GCPs takes time. So do you still need them?
The short answer is: yes, more often than you might think.
RTK drones are excellent for fast, frequent internal monitoring flights. They give you a quick read on progress without the overhead of setting up ground control. But there are important limitations to be aware of:
If signal drops mid-flight, your data isn’t necessarily lost – it can often be recovered via PPK post-processing, but only if your drone supports it and logging was active. Without that fallback, you’re flying on standard GNSS accuracy, and that’s where a proper GCP network becomes the difference between a recoverable dataset and a wasted flight.
GCPs offer benefits that go further than accuracy alone. They catch systematic drift you won’t notice until it’s too late – the kind of error that compounds over time and only becomes visible when you compare datasets or hand off data to a client.
A practical rule of thumb:
Use RTK for what it’s genuinely good at – fast internal monitoring flights where you need a quick read on progress. But when data drives decisions (volumes, billing, design comparisons, formal hand-offs), build your survey on GCPs.
On sites moving millions of cubic meters, RTK-only is the shortcut. A well-placed GCP network, validated with independent check points, is what serious earthworks and infrastructure projects are built on. The setup cost is a few hours. The cost of a systematic error at that scale is not.
Best practice: Always add a minimum of 3 independent check points that are not used in processing. Use them to validate your results after processing. They take around 20 minutes to set up and can save an entire dataset.