Photogrammetry in the Cloud: Upload Drone Photos, Let CartaX Produce

Turning the 600 photos from a flight into products normally takes a powerful computer and someone to watch it for hours. Cloud production needs neither: you upload the photos, CartaX produces, and the outputs land in the project you chose and become layers on the map. This guide walks through the cloud route end to end; for the details of photo preparation see the photogrammetry guide.

Cloud production is part of the Professional plan; a single job may carry up to 2,000 photos.

Two ways to start

	Where	When it fits
Web	Dashboard → CartaX Studio page → Cloud production → New production	You want to send the job straight from the browser without installing Studio
CartaX Studio	Create wizard → Produce in the cloud (if the computer is not up to it, Produce also sends it to the cloud)	Studio is already installed

Both lead to the same place: you pick the flight's root folder (subfolders and RTK .MRK logs are scanned too), add a GCP file if you have one, and enter the project, layer name and capture date. Without a GCP file, production starts automatically once the upload finishes; with one, you first confirm the points in the photos.

What is produced?

Every job produces the same package at the same high quality; there is no output or quality selection:

Product	What happens on the map
Orthophoto	Raster layer in the project
DSM / DTM	Measurement elevation: Surface / DSM / DTM in the layer settings, elevation readout and volume calculation
Classified point cloud	With classes such as ground, vegetation and buildings; opens in its own viewer
Classes	Objects recognised on the orthophoto (buildings, roads, vehicles, water, fields, cables…)

A textured 3D model is not part of the production package today.

Extra search terms (optional) — type object names such as greenhouse or silo into this field under Advanced and they are searched for on site too, arriving as the Custom class in the Classes window. Details: Classes guide.

Ground control points (GCPs)

A GCP file is optional. If you provide one, once the photos are uploaded the points are found in the photos, you check and correct them, and the model is fitted to those points; when the job finishes, the Accuracy report opens from the History list on the CartaX Studio card in your dashboard. If you change your mind, Produce without GCPs drops the file and production starts on the RTK positions. For the file format and marking details see the photogrammetry guide.

The upload: following and stopping it

The photos upload from your browser; the screen shows the photo count and percentage.

• You can leave the page. The upload continues while the tab stays open; it shows on the CartaX Studio card in your dashboard and in the Jobs list on the CartaX Studio page. When you come back, the wizard reopens at the step it was on.
• Closing or reloading the tab stops the upload; the browser warns you before you leave.
• Picked the wrong folder? While the upload is running, Stop upload stops it; the photos uploaded so far are deleted. Files left behind by interrupted uploads are also cleaned up automatically.
• Once production has started in the cloud it cannot be stopped. Check the cost and the photo folder before you send the job.

Tokens: an estimate before the job starts

The charge follows the amount of imagery processed: photo count × resolution (megapixels). As soon as you pick the photo folder, the dialog shows the photo count, the total megapixels and the estimated tokens; if your balance is short it shows the missing amount and a Buy tokens button, and production cannot be started. If the cost changes while the photos upload, production does not start without your approval: the new cost is shown, and if you confirm, production starts without uploading the photos again. For the token rules see Plans and tokens.

Duration and tracking

Production usually takes 2–4 hours; under load it can stretch to 8 hours. Once the photos are uploaded you can shut your computer down — the job keeps running in the cloud. When it finishes you are notified in the notification bell (and on your device too, in the installed app if you allowed notifications).

Follow progress in the Jobs list on the CartaX Studio page on the web; if you sent the job from Studio it also shows on Studio's Jobs screen. Finished jobs gather in the History list: the last 90 days of jobs and the tokens spent.

Where do the outputs land?

In the project you chose. The orthophoto becomes a layer on the map; DSM/DTM enables the Measurement elevation option in the layer settings; the point cloud opens in its own viewer; Classes appears on the orthophoto row. There is nothing else to download — measurement, sharing and analysis work directly with these layers.

Capture tips

Result quality comes from the photos:

• Overlap: 75–80% forward, at least 65% side. Low overlap means holes in the model and drifting edges.
• Same altitude: fly the whole mission at the same height; mixed altitudes make the resolution uneven.
• Oblique pass: adding an oblique (angled) pass to the nadir flight brings out building facades better in the point cloud.
• Avoid: moving water, uniform snow/sand, harsh shadows, and mixing different lighting conditions in a single job.
• Position data: photos should carry GPS data; on RTK drones centimetre-level positions are used automatically.

How it differs from local production in Studio

	Cloud	Studio (this computer)
Cost	Tokens (by megapixels)	No tokens
Hardware	Not needed	Windows + NVIDIA graphics card (8 GB) + at least 16 GB RAM
Computer	Can be shut down once the photos are uploaded	Busy for the whole run
Classes	Yes	Yes
Per-job limit	2,000 photos	800 photos / 20,000 MP (fewer depending on memory)
Raw photos	Uploaded to CartaX	Stay on your computer

For the local route see Local production with CartaX Studio.

Related guides

• Orthophoto from drone photos
• Classes: automatic object recognition
• Local production with CartaX Studio
• Plans and tokens
• DSM vs DTM: what is the difference?

Frequently asked questions

Question	Answer
Is it on the Free plan?	No; it is part of the Professional plan.
How many photos can I send?	Up to 2,000 in a single job.
What is the price based on?	Photo count × megapixels.
What if my tokens are short?	Production cannot be started; buy the missing tokens first.
How long does it take?	Usually 2–4 hours; up to 8 hours under load.
Can I stop the upload?	Yes, while it is running; the uploaded photos are deleted. Production cannot be stopped once it has started.
Can I shut my computer down?	Yes, once the photos are uploaded.
Can I choose quality or outputs?	No; every job produces the same package at the same high quality.
Does it produce a 3D model?	Not part of the production package today.
Is there an extra charge for Classes?	No.