AVIATRIX

User guide for the

Aviatrix Camera Control
and Flight Management System
for DSLR and medium format cameras
September 2014

www.aeroscientific.com.au
 About Aviatrix
Aviatrix is an aerial camera control system, incorporating both the software and hardware
required for controlling one or more cameras in light aircraft. Aviatrix will control a range of DSLR,
medium format and thermal imaging cameras. The hardware and software setup varies slightly
for each camera.

In addition to controlling the camera, Aviatrix also provides flight navigation information to the
pilot. This information can be displayed to the pilot either on a dedicated pilot’s screen, or on the
screen of the laptop.

A 10Hz, non-differential GPS is used for both pilot navigation and camera control. If the user
requires high accuracy GPS data for post processing, this can be added to the system. However, in
most cases, the system will usually retain the 10Hz GPS for navigation and camera control.

Aviatrix can trigger one or more cameras based on either location, distance flown, or time. For
location-based triggering, a predefined flight plan is required. This can be created using our
FlightPlanner software. For distance-based or time-based triggering, the user just has to set the
interval at which the camera should be triggered.
 About this user guide
This user guide describes the three principal Aviatrix systems that are currently in use:

• Aviatrix Classic – single DSLR or medium format camera system

• Aviatrix Dual – dual DSLR or medium format camera system

Note that not every page in this document is relevant to both systems; some notes relate to just
the single or dual camera systems.

A separate user guide is available for systems incorporating the FLIR thermal imaging camera.
 System architecture
The architecture of the Aviatrix system varies depending on the hardware that is being controlled.
Minimum requirements are a laptop computer running the Aviatrix software, a 10Hz GPS,
and at least one camera. Additional hardware that can be added includes an external pilot’s
display, an IMU (inertial measurement unit), a high accuracy GPS, and multiple cameras.

Aviatrix currently supports the following hardware (other hardware can be added on request):

• Digital cameras:
– Nikon, Canon, Sony, Hasselblad, Phase One
• Thermal imaging cameras:
– FLIR A-series and SC-series
• GPS/IMU:
– Trimble BX982 GPS
– Oxford Technical Solutions RT3000
– SBG Systems IG-500
– VectorNav VN-200
 Single camera system
USB VGA
10 Hz GPS External
pilot’s
display
Optional hardware
(optional)
(GPS, IMU etc.)

USB

Trigger box USB

Shutter PC sync cable

release
cable
 Dual camera system
USB VGA
10 Hz GPS External
pilot’s
display
Optional hardware
(optional)
(GPS, IMU etc.)

USB

Trigger box

PC sync cable PC sync cable

Shutter release Shutter release

cable cable
 Installation of the equipment
• The installation of the equipment into the aircraft will vary from aircraft to aircraft.
• When mounting the camera(s), the following points should be considered:
– The camera(s) must be attached rigidly to the airframe.
– Consider the use of rubber shock mounts to eliminate engine vibration from the
camera(s). Some users feel that shock mounts are important, other users do not see the
need.
– Make sure the camera(s) are oriented correctly (landscape or portrait).
– Tie up all loose cables and other loose items.
• The Qstarz GPS can be placed on the dash of the aircraft, making sure that it does not
obscure the forward view of the pilot. It needs to have a good view of the sky to ensure a
good position fix.
• The pilot’s screen can be mounted somewhere in the cockpit where the pilot can see it
clearly.

• It is the responsibility of the user to make sure that all legal requirements are met when
installing camera equipment in an aircraft. Please consult a suitably qualified engineer.
 Cables
For the DSLR system, the following cables must be connected:

• Qstarz GPS to USB port on laptop.

• Trigger box to USB port on laptop.

• Camera to USB port on laptop (optional; single camera systems only).

• Power to laptop computer.

• Shutter release cable from trigger box to camera.

• Feedback cable from trigger box to camera.

• VGA and USB cable from pilot’s display to laptop, and power to the pilot’s display.

• Any cables associated with optional GPS/IMU hardware.

 Powering the system
Laptop
• Depending on the length of the mission, the laptop computer can either be powered solely
by its internal battery, or by both internal and external power.
• External power can be provided by an inverter or converter. Make sure you know the voltage
of your aircraft beforehand, either 12VDC or 24VDC.
• An inverter will convert from either 12VDC or 24VDC to 110VAC or 240VAC. The laptop’s
mains power adapter can then be plugged into the inverter.
• A converter will convert from either 12VDC or 24VDC directly to the laptop’s voltage (e.g. for
Lenovos, this is 20VDC).
• It is advisable to power the laptop using both the internal battery and external mains power.

Camera(s)
• A fully charged DSLR camera(s) battery should be sufficient for an entire mission.
• Spare DSLR batteries (fully charged of course) can be useful for long missions.
• Some cameras have the option of external power (e.g. Nikon D3X, D700), whilst other
cameras (e.g. FLIR) can only be powered with external power.
 Qstarz GPS and trigger box
• A Qstarz BT-Q818XT non-differential GPS is used for pilot
navigation, and for acquisition of meta data. The Qstarz
GPS has been chosen since it provides data at 10Hz,
meaning the refresh rate on the screen is smooth, and
the accuracy of the meta data is less than 10m.

• Make sure the Qstarz GPS is set to 10Hz using the small switch on
the side, and the Li-ion battery should be removed from the GPS.

• The trigger box is a key component of the DSLR system: it is used to communicate between
the camera and the laptop. The trigger box does not need external power – it is powered
through the USB connection.

• Either one or two sockets on the trigger box connects to the custom camera cable, on which
there are two connectors: one for triggering the camera, and the other for receiving the
feedback from the camera.
 DSLR camera set up
Below are a few basic points regarding the set-up of the camera. It is expected however, that the
user already knows how to set up the camera correctly for vertical aerial photography.

• In the Aviatrix system, all the image data is stored on the CF/SD card(s) on the camera. High
spec cards with large capacities and fast read/write speeds are essential.

• It is important that both the camera and lens are set to MANUAL FOCUS. (The focussing of
the lens should be locked down in advance.)

• Always try to write RAW files, then convert to JPG/TIF after the completion of the flight. The
quality of JPG (fine) images created by the camera is lower than that of the JPGs created by
post-processing software.

• Manual exposure settings should also be used (fixed shutter speed, aperture and ISO).

• For cameras with two card slots, only one card should be used.
 Aviatrix trigger modes
There are three different ways of triggering the camera in Aviatrix:

1. Flight Lines mode:

The camera is triggered according to the pre-defined flight plan. As the pilot flies through a
trigger point, the camera is triggered to take on photograph.

2. Time-based mode:
The camera is triggered based on a pre-set time interval, either 0.2Hz (1 frame every 5
seconds), 0.5Hz (1 frame every 2 seconds), or 1 Hz (1 frame per second). The rate of
triggering is selected in the OPTIONS tab (details given below).

3. Distance-based mode:
The camera is triggered based on a pre-set distance from the previous trigger point. When
this mode is selected the camera is triggered straight away. It is not triggered again until the
camera is a set distance from the first trigger point (default value is 500m). The camera has to
be at least 500m from the previous point before the next point is triggered.
 Operation of the system (1)
To fly a specific flight plan, the Aviatrix system should be used as follows:

1. Create a flight plan

Flight plans are created in FlightPlanner. The *.fpl file is required for Aviatrix to function
correctly. Instructions on creating a flight plan are provided with the FlightPlanner software.

2. Fly the plan

Once the flight plan has been created, the Aviatrix software is used to acquire the imagery.
Aviatrix will guide the pilot to the area where the data is to be acquired, display flight lines for
the pilot to fly, and trigger the camera when the pilot flies through the trigger points. During
acquisition the image data is stored on the camera, whilst the meta data is stored on the
laptop computer.

3. Post-flight analysis and processing

After acquisition, the image data can be analysed using the AfterFlight software from
AeroScientific. The data can be processed using third party image processing software.
 Operation of the system (2)
To acquire data without a flight plan, the Aviatrix system should be used as follows:

1. Fly the area of interest

As before, the Aviatrix software is used to acquire the imagery. However, there is no guidance
of where to acquire the imagery; it is up to the pilot to decide when to activate and
deactivate the system. The pilot much choose whether to use time-based triggering, or
distance based triggering. No flight plan is required in time-based and distance-based
triggering. During acquisition the image data is stored on the camera, whilst the meta data is
stored on the laptop computer.

2. Post-flight analysis and processing

After acquisition, the image data can be analysed using the AfterFlight software from
AeroScientific. The data can be processed using third party image processing software.
 Operation of the system (3)
To use Aviatrix, the following steps should be followed:

1. Start the software, load a flight plan (if required) and choose the method of data acquisition
(using the SETUP tab).

2. Further acquisition and display settings can be selected using the OPTIONS tab.

3. Using the NAV tab, navigate to the area where the acquisition will take place.

4. Using the MAP tab, fly the flight lines and acquire the image data.

These steps are explained in further detail in the following pages.

Aviatrix: SETUP tab (1)
The SETUP tab is used to initialise the software. There
are six main steps that must be followed:

1. Select the output folder for storing the metadata.

2. Select the flight plan to be used (if required).

3. Connect to the trigger box.

4. Connect to the GPS.

5. Connect to the camera for feedback (optional).

6. Choose mode of operation:

– Flight Lines, Time-based, or Distance-based.
Aviatrix: SETUP tab (2)
The SETUP tab also provides information on the status
of the system:

• Green indicators show that the trigger box and GPS

are successfully communicating with Aviatrix.

• Real time GPS data is displayed.

• If the USB cable is connected between the camera

and the laptop, then the following information is
displayed:
– Storage remaining on the camera
– Battery level
– Camera details
(Further details given below.)
 Storage of metadata
• On every acquisition flight, Aviatrix automatically records the following metadata:
– All NMEA sentences received by the GPS receiver
– All IMU data, if an IMU is connected
– A text file for each image captured, containing many imaging parameters
– “PHOTO_CENTRES.txt”: locations where the trigger was sent to the camera
– “CAMERA_FEEDBACK.txt”: locations where feedback was received from the camera
(Many other files, used for debugging, are also stored, but can be ignored)

• The first step in the SETUP tab is to choose where to store the metadata files. Most users
choose to store the metadata on the desktop of the computer, so a button has been added
which enables the desktop to be chosen quickly. However, it is of course possible to browse
to another location to store the files.

• Every time a new instance of Aviatrix is started, the latest metadata is stored in a new folder
named using the current date/time. It is therefore impossible to ever overwrite metadata
from previous missions.
 GPS connection and simulation
• When connecting to the GPS, the correct
COM port should be chosen. Other
connection parameters (baud rate, data
bits etc.) can be left at their default values.

• Note that there is an option to select the

frequency of the incoming GPS data.

• There is an option to simulate the GPS,

assuming you have a valid NMEA file.
(A valid NMEA file contains GPRMC and
GPGGA sentences, recorded at 10hz.)

• Whenever Aviatrix is used, the incoming GPS data is recorded and stored in the meta data
directory, under the subfolder “GPS”. By browsing to this directory and selecting the NMEA
file, it is possible to “replay” a previous data acquisition flight.
 Camera feedback
• Feedback from the camera is a useful feature which enables the following functions:
– Image file names are written in to the meta data
– Storage space on the camera is displayed on the Aviatrix SETUP tab
– Remaining battery power in the camera is displayed on the Aviatrix SETUP tab

• Currently the camera feedback function has only been tested with certain cameras. Please
contact us for a list of cameras that we have tested.

• There are some important points to be aware of:

– If there are a lot of images on the card in the camera, it can take many minutes for
Aviatrix to establish communications with the camera. This is because the software has
to sort through all of the images on the card to get the latest file name. It is always
recommended that an empty card is used.
– The USB connection will run the Nikon battery down much more quickly than normal.
– Feedback from Canon cameras can be difficult to set up. Please contact us for help.
Aviatrix: NAV tab
The NAV tab is a GPS-centered display with underlying
moving maps. It is used to assist the pilot to navigate to
the area where the survey will be conducted.

Custom maps can be loaded by the user. Buttons are

provided for zooming in and out of the maps, and
changing which underlying map is displayed

The following information is provided to the pilot:

– Heading
– Ground speed
– Height (AMSL and AGL)
– Bearing, distance and time to center of
flight plan

(Please read the warning at the end of this document very carefully.)
 Loading maps for the NAV tab
• The NAV tab will display underlying maps and vector data in order to aid pilot navigation
related to the survey flight. The NAV tab will also read digital elevation files to provide
feedback on the height on the aircraft above the surface of the elevation model.

• All files (image, DEM, vector) must conform to the following projection and file formats:
– Geographic coordinates (planar unit: ARC DEGREES), ESPG projection 4326
– Images: TIF files, with corresponding TFW file, and PRJ file
– DEMs: ENVI-style BSQ file with corresponding HDR file
– Vector data: ESRI shape files consisting of DBF, PRJ, SHP and SHX files

• The correctly formatted files must be put in the appropriate directory under
C:\Program files (x86)\Aviatrix

• Further help is available from the staff at AeroScientific if required.

Aviatrix: MAP tab (1)
The MAP tab is the tab that will most often be used by
the pilot. It provides a wide range of numerical and
graphical information to assist the pilot to accurately fly
the flight lines.

The MAP tab should only be used when the pilot is flying
the flight lines. It should not be used to navigate to the
survey area; the NAV tab is used for this purpose.

The MAP tab only becomes ‘active’ (as shown in the

image on the right) when the aircraft is aligned to a flight
line, and is within the specified tolerances.

If the MAP tab is not active (i.e. no navigation data is

displayed), it means that the aircraft is not aligned to a
flight line.
Aviatrix: MAP tab (2)
The image on the right shows an Aircraft track
example of an inactive MAP tab.
Only very limited data is displayed:
Required
• The aircraft track across the altitude
ground is shown in blue.
Run-in
• Extended flight lines are shown markers
in white.
Extended
• Run-in markers (with run flight lines
numbers) are shown at 5nm
(red), 3nm (amber) and 1nm
(green) from the start of the
flight line.
Aviatrix: MAP tab (3)
Distance left or
The image on the right shows an right of track
example of an active MAP tab.
Much more data is now displayed:
Angular offset

• Distance left or right of track,

shown both numerically, and Direction of
as a light bar display. flight line

• Angular offset from flight line,

shown as a light bar.

• Direction of flight line (note

that the direction can vary by
180 degrees, depending on
which way the line is flown).
Aviatrix: MAP tab (4)
• Distance and time to the start
of the flight runs, as well as run Distance and
number and frame number are time to start of
shown. flight line

• Trigger points are white circles. Trigger points

• Flight lines are red. Flight lines

• Currently active flight line is

green.
Currently active
flight line
Aviatrix: MAP tab (5)
• The MAP tab on the right is inactive. As a result no
navigation information, apart from the track of the
aircraft is shown.

• When the tab is inactive, imagery will not be

acquired in Flight Line mode.

• The reason the tab is inactive is because the aircraft

is currently out of tolerance with all of the flight
lines. This can happen for two reasons:
– the aircraft is too far from any of the flight lines,
or
– the angular deviation between the aircraft track
from the direction of the flight line is too great.

• The tolerances can be adjusted on the OPTIONS tab.

Aviatrix: MAP tab (6)
Trigger point colours:

• White circle – point has not been triggered

• Red/white target – point will be triggered very soon

• Blue circle – point was successfully triggered, but not

feedback from the camera was received

• Green circle – point was successfully triggered, and

feedback from the camera was received

Feedback from the camera comes from the “PC sync”

connection. If the camera’s shutter is successfully
triggered, the trigger box listens for confirmation via the
PC sync.
 How to fly flight lines
• Aviatrix is different to other aerial camera control systems: the acquisition of data can be
undertaken completely hands-off. There is no need to manually select which flight lines to fly.

• Flight lines can be flown in any direction, and in any order. There is no need to manually
select a flight line in advance, and no need to stay on a particular flight line once it has been
started. Data will be acquired from whichever flight line is in tolerance at that time.

• In Flight Lines mode, the camera is automatically triggered when the following are all true:
– the aircraft is close enough to a flight line (“distance off-track tolerance”)
– the aircraft’s track matches the direction of the flight line (“angular tolerance”)
– the aircraft is in the vicinity of a trigger point

• Care must be taken by the pilot to ensure that trigger points on neighbouring flight lines
aren’t accidentally triggered. Drifting from one flight line to a parallel flight line will cause
data to be acquired at trigger points on that neighbouring flight line.
Aviatrix: OPTIONS tab
The OPTIONS tab enables the user to change a range of
different settings in the Aviatrix software.

Light bar scale

The full deflection of the light bar displayed at the top of
the MAP tab can be changed to ±15, 30 or 60m.

GPS trail
The length of the GPS trail shown in the MAP tab can be
set to “None”, “Some”, or “All”.

Off-track tolerances
The distance and angular off-track tolerances can be
adjusted using the slider bars. The default values are
determined from the imported flight plan.
Aviatrix: OPTIONS tab
Time-based trigger mode settings
In time-based triggering mode, the camera can be
triggered at intervals of 0.2Hz, 0.5Hz, or 1Hz.

Distance-based trigger mode settings

In distance-based triggering mode, the camera will be
triggered when it has moved a certain distance from the
last trigger point. The default distance is 500m, but it
can be changed to any user-specified value.

Sound on/off
Audio feedback is provided when points are triggered
(one beep) and when confirmation is received that the
camera’s shutter was activated (second beep). A series
of three beeps are played at the end of each flight line if
all triggered points on that line were triggered.
Aviatrix: OPTIONS tab
Night Vision
Night Vision mode changes the background colours to
black to reduce ambient light in the cockpit at night.

Pilot Screen
If a second monitor is connected to the laptop, then the
Aviatrix screen can be split between the two monitors.
Further details are given below.

Reset Run(s)
Function to reset flight lines where points have already
been triggered. Further details are given below.

View Settings
Many of the colours on the MAP tab can be changed.
Further details are given below.
 Pilot Screen
If a pilot’s display is connected to the laptop, then the Aviatrix screen can be split between the
two monitors. This is ideal when there is a camera operator assisting the pilot with the
acquisition.

On the operator’s display, the SETUP,

NAV and OPTIONS tabs are placed to
the left, and the MAP tab is placed to
the right.

On the pilot’s display, only the MAP

tab is present.

When using the spilt screen in this way, the operator’s

screen is ACTIVE, and the pilot’s screen is PASSIVE. This
means that the operator has complete control over the
pilot’s display. The pilot is not able to use any of the buttons.
 Reset run(s)
Once a point has been triggered, it will not trigger again
unless the whole flight line is reset. The Reset Runs
function allows flight lines to be reset, so that their trigger
points can be triggered again.

Options in the Reset runs dialogue allow either some or all

of the runs to be reset so they can be reflown.

Note that no matter how many times a flight line is reset,

it is impossible to overwrite previously acquired data. All
of the meta data associated with the acquisition is written
to separate time-stamped folders. All image data is stored
on the camera under unique file names.
 View Settings
The View Settings dialogue allows the user to change the
colours on the NAV and MAP tabs.

It is also possible to show/hide the following features:

• Run numbers
• Mile markers
• Radius rings (set at 0.5nm and 1nm)
• Flight line extensions
• Next predicted flight line

It is also possible to save default view settings, so that

every time Aviatrix is started, the selected colour scheme
is initiated.
 Warnings
Please read the following carefully, and contact us if there is anything you do not understand.

Installation of equipment:
• It is the responsibility of the user to make sure that all legal requirements are met when
installing camera equipment in an aircraft. Please consult a suitably qualified engineer.

Aircraft navigation:
• The Aviatrix software is provided to assist with aircraft navigation related to aerial survey. It is
not certified for aircraft navigation, and it is not designed replace any required means of
aircraft navigation. Heights AGL are indicative only: they must not be used for terrain
avoidance. Speeds, headings and distances are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Aviatrix is a camera control system, not an aircraft navigation system.

Operation of the system:

• It is the responsibility of the pilot to make sure that the operation of this camera control
system does not compromise the safety of the flight.
 About AeroScientific
AeroScientific is a business unit of Spatial Scientific Pty. Ltd., an Australian-based aerial services
company. We supply high-end (but cost-effective) software and hardware to aerial
photographers and aerial surveyors worldwide.

Our PhD-qualified engineers have developed a range of software tools and hardware solutions
to simplify the process of aerial image acquisition. Our software will take care of flight planning,
aerial camera control, post-mission analysis and multi-image alignment.

As aerial surveyors ourselves, with considerable experience in aerial survey operations

(topographic, multispectral, thermal and more), we feel that we truly understand the challenges
that operators face. We have developed our software to make aerial image acquisition as simple
and hassle-free as possible. Having used our own custom-designed technology for many years,
we are now pleased to offer our clients this same technology. We've streamlined our own aerial
image acquisition process; we'd now like to help others streamline theirs.

We are keen to support everyone in the industry, from new operators who are just beginning,
to world-class survey companies that are looking to add new and exciting technology to their
operations. Our mission is to make aerial imaging technologies accessible to anyone, through
state-of-the-art technology, innovation, leadership and collaborative partnerships.
 Further information
For further information, you can contact the AeroScientific team at:

• Website: www.aeroscientific.com.au

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: +618 8376 0772 (Australian Central time – office hours only)

• Skype: AeroScientific

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/aeroscientific

• Twitter: @AeroScientific