QUESTIONS BEFORE YOUR FIRST SCAN
Drone Gaussian Splatting FAQ.
Practical answers about drone recordings, Gaussian Splats and your account.
What is a Gaussian Splat?
A Gaussian Splat is a 3D scene represented by many small, oriented elements with position, size, opacity and color. Gaussian Splatting renders these elements together to reproduce the appearance of the captured scene from different viewpoints. The result is an interactive 3D representation, not a conventional polygon mesh or a CAD model.
Can I create a Gaussian Splat from drone video?
Yes. Upload overlapping drone recordings of the same area, select the videos and start a generation. DroneSplatter extracts frames, estimates camera positions and trains a Gaussian Splat on remote GPU workers. You can inspect the result in your browser and download it as a PLY file.
How much drone footage do I need?
There is no fixed number of minutes that guarantees a useful model. You need sharp, overlapping views from different positions that cover the scene you want to reconstruct. Moving around the subject provides different information from hovering in one place. Each selected video must yield at least 10 sampled images; this is a processing minimum, not a guarantee of sufficient coverage. Upload and duration limits depend on your plan.
What video formats are supported?
The uploader accepts MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI and M4V files. These are containers: the codec inside the file must also be readable by the processing pipeline, and the browser must be able to read its duration for the upload checks. An accepted file extension alone does not guarantee compatibility. Keep the original recording; if a file cannot be read, export a compatible copy rather than only renaming its extension.
How is Gaussian Splatting different from photogrammetry?
Both can start from overlapping images and camera-position estimation. A typical mesh-based photogrammetry workflow reconstructs surfaces as polygons and textures. Gaussian Splatting represents the appearance of the scene with 3D Gaussians for view synthesis. DroneSplatter exports a Gaussian Splat PLY, not a textured mesh. Choose a mesh workflow when you need editable surface geometry or a mesh-based measurement workflow.
Who is DroneSplatter for?
DroneSplatter is designed for architectural visualization teams, architects, 3D artists and drone operators who want to bring existing buildings and surrounding landscapes into a visual project. It combines cloud generation with browser viewing, reference alignment and PLY export. It is not a substitute for a measured survey or an editable building model.
Can I create a Gaussian Splat from a 360 video?
Yes. Upload the stitched equirectangular film with a 2:1 aspect ratio and mark it as a 360 film in the generation form; the portal recognises the format automatically. Every frame is projected into six camera views that cover the whole sphere and share one fixed rig, so a single pass with a 360 camera reconstructs the surroundings in every direction.
What can I upload?
DroneSplatter accepts drone videos, 360 films, supported JPG/PNG photos and complete 2:1 equirectangular panoramas. Use overlapping recordings of the same area. You can combine multiple videos in one project, or generate from a collection of photos and panoramas.
How should I capture drone footage?
Record from several positions with substantial overlap and consistent lighting. Keep the subject in view and avoid motion blur. A longer recording is not automatically better: coverage and sharp images matter. Reconstruction quality depends on the footage.
Do I need a powerful GPU?
No local GPU is required to submit a job. Processing runs on remote GPU workers. Your browser and device still need to support interactive 3D viewing.
Can I download the Gaussian Splat?
Yes. You can download the generated PLY model, including on Free. You can also save an alignment and download an adjusted PLY. Use software that supports Gaussian Splat PLY files; a standard mesh importer may not support them.
Can I use DroneSplatter with Unreal Engine?
The export path is a Gaussian Splat PLY file. To use it in Unreal Engine, choose a compatible Gaussian Splat renderer or plugin that accepts this PLY representation and supports your engine version. A conventional mesh importer is not enough. DroneSplatter does not provide a direct Unreal Engine integration, and compatibility with every third-party plugin has not been verified. Check scale and orientation after import.
Can I align the model to an existing project?
Yes. Match corresponding points between the splat and a map or an uploaded FBX reference. Save the scale, rotation and position, then export the adjusted model without retraining. The fit is not a guarantee of survey accuracy.
Can I share a model without sharing my account?
Yes. Create a sharing link so other people can explore that model in their browser without an account. Only share models you intend the link recipient to see.
What is included in Free?
Free includes five generations in total at Preview quality, with viewing, alignment, sharing, downloads and optional sky masking. Upload and processing limits apply.
Can I try Starter or Pro for free?
Yes. New subscribers can start one 7-day trial on either plan, with its full generation allowance and all features. A card is required. Unless you cancel before the trial ends, Starter continues at €29/month or Pro at €55/month. Cancel from Account and billing. Free remains available with any unused Free generations if you cancel during the trial.
How do paid plans work?
Starter costs €29 per month and Pro costs €55 per month. Each includes up to 30 generations per paid monthly period, without rollover. Starter uses Good quality with 12,000 training steps; Pro includes Ultra with 30,000 steps. One job per customer can be queued or processing at a time. Purchasing may require account approval.
What happens when I cancel?
Cancellation takes effect at the end of the paid period. PLY models are kept for a while afterwards so you can return, but may eventually be deleted. There is no guaranteed retention period. Download any models you want to make sure you keep. Free models are also retained until they are deleted.
Can I remove unwanted sky?
Optional sky masking excludes detected sky from training. It can reduce unwanted splats in the sky. It does not automatically crop the entire model or guarantee that every sky artifact disappears.
Ready to prepare a project?
Read the public documentation for capture, upload, quality and export steps, or see a real drone reconstruction.