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Elev8 Visions
Aerial view of a Canadian industrial site with substation, access roads and earthworks

Reality capture · Mapping · 3D

Turn current conditions into a usable digital record.

High-resolution aerial mapping, 3D reality capture and geospatial data acquisition for infrastructure, engineering and remote projects.

Assess a Capture ProjectExplore Deliverables
Acquisition
RGB · RTK
Outputs
Ortho · 3D · Point cloud
Workflow
GIS · CAD · Cloud
Deployment
Local · Remote

The workflow

From field conditions to digital site intelligence.

  1. 01AOI

    Plan

    Define the requirement before the aircraft leaves the ground.

    • · area of interest
    • · required outputs
    • · accuracy requirement
    • · downstream workflow
    • · control strategy
    • · regulatory requirements
  2. 02Capture

    Capture

    Acquire the site under controlled, repeatable mission parameters.

    • · high-resolution RGB imagery
    • · RTK / GNSS-supported data
    • · ground control / checkpoints where appropriate
    • · supplemental imagery where required
  3. 03Process

    Process

    Build the spatial products the project actually needs.

    • · orthomosaic
    • · point cloud
    • · 3D mesh
    • · surface model
    • · terrain-related products where appropriate
  4. 04QA

    Review

    Check the dataset against the acquisition specification.

    • · acquisition QA/QC
    • · visual review
    • · data checks
    • · project-specific processing
  5. 05Deliver

    Deliver

    Hand the data over in the formats the project team works in.

    • · GIS layers
    • · CAD-compatible exports
    • · hosted 3D environment
    • · imagery
    • · point cloud
    • · raw data where required

Deliverables

One capture can support multiple outputs.

Real project data — aerial orthomosaic of the Ontario rail yard showing tracks, rolling stock and surrounding infrastructure
Real Elev8 project dataOrthomosaic
Aerial imagery of the yard environment. Ontario rail yard, single photogrammetric acquisition — LiDAR was not used. View the project record →

Orthomosaic

A high-resolution georeferenced aerial image that provides a current top-down view of the site.

  • site context
  • planning
  • documentation
  • GIS workflows
  • visual comparison

Point cloud

Dense 3D spatial data representing the captured environment.

  • measurement
  • 3D analysis
  • downstream professional workflows
  • CAD / GIS integration

3D reality model

A textured 3D representation of current site conditions that can be reviewed remotely.

  • stakeholder review
  • planning
  • remote collaboration
  • site history

Surface model

A digital representation of the visible surface captured during the mission. Not a professional topographic survey unless a licensed professional is engaged for that purpose.

  • terrain context
  • surface analysis
  • project planning

Hosted digital viewer

A browser-based environment where teams can review the captured site without specialized desktop software.

  • project meetings
  • owner review
  • remote collaboration
  • historical documentation

Raw / professional data

Raw imagery, point clouds and agreed geospatial outputs can be delivered where professional teams require direct access to the source data.

  • professional workflows
  • independent processing
  • archival

Shared intelligence

Capture once. Support multiple project teams.

Current digital site

Ortho · point cloud · 3D · surface, shared with:

  • Engineering
  • Geomatics
  • Project management
  • Asset management
  • GIS
  • Owners

Illustrative diagram

Engineering

Existing-condition context and downstream professional analysis.

Geomatics

Aerial acquisition and spatial data supporting professional workflows.

Project management

Progress, coordination, planning and stakeholder review.

Asset management

Current-condition records and repeat comparison.

GIS

Current imagery and spatial datasets.

Owners

Simple visual access to project conditions.

Change over time

A baseline becomes more valuable every time you repeat it.

  1. 01

    Baseline

  2. 02

    Repeat 1 (concept)

  3. 03

    Repeat 2 (concept)

  4. 04

    Event (concept)

  5. 05

    Closeout (concept)

  • construction progress
  • site development
  • reclamation
  • earthworks
  • asset changes
  • vegetation
  • pre / post event
  • existing conditions

Standardized repeat acquisition creates a consistent visual and spatial history that is easier to compare than isolated photographs or field notes.

Different outputs

Mapping answers “where.” Reality capture adds “what does it look like?”

Mapping

Best for

  • · top-down context
  • · GIS
  • · location
  • · spatial relationships
  • · large areas

Outputs

  • orthomosaic
  • point cloud
  • surface data
  • GIS layers

Reality capture

Best for

  • · visual context
  • · 3D review
  • · remote collaboration
  • · detailed current conditions
  • · stakeholder communication

Outputs

  • 3D model
  • imagery
  • hosted viewer
  • point cloud

Hybrid

Often the strongest solution: combine mapping and 3D reality capture so the project has both spatial and visual context.

Georeferencing

Good data starts with a defined positional requirement.

Not every project requires the same positional accuracy. Elev8 selects RTK/GNSS, control and QA/QC workflows based on the intended use of the data.

  • RTK
  • GNSS
  • network corrections
  • base station
  • ground control where appropriate
  • checkpoints
  • coordinate-system definition
  • QA/QC

Accuracy should be defined before capture — not assumed afterward.

Engineering & geomatics

Acquisition that fits into professional workflows.

  1. 01

    Professional team defines

    • · area of interest
    • · coordinate system
    • · required accuracy
    • · control strategy
    • · downstream output
    • · professional requirements
  2. 02

    Elev8 acquires

    • · RPAS planning
    • · regulatory compliance
    • · field capture
    • · RTK / GNSS workflow
    • · imagery
    • · processing
    • · acquisition QA/QC
  3. 03

    Professional team completes

    • · regulated survey
    • · engineering interpretation
    • · certification
    • · design
    • · professional deliverables

Elev8 is not an Ontario Land Surveyor and not a professional engineering firm. Legal survey requires appropriate professional authority, engineering judgement requires qualified engineers where applicable, and some assets still require hands-on specialist inspection or conventional field verification. One-time simple photography with no downstream spatial requirement may be better handled with a simpler workflow.

Work With Elev8

One capture method. Multiple infrastructure environments.

Rail

Corridor existing conditions, construction, access and terrain context.

View sector →

Utilities

Right-of-way, substations, capital projects and remote assets.

View sector →

Remote industrial & mining

Large-site spatial records, terrain and repeat capture.

View sector →

Environmental & corridors

Baseline imagery, terrain and GIS workflows.

View sector →

Construction

Used selectively: baseline capture, owner-funded documentation, technical project requirements and repeat captures where the budget and workflow support it.

Project record

Look at the actual data.

Project examples are published as truthful generic descriptions where client information is confidential.

Representative overhead image of an industrial earthworks site

Representative site image — not a published project record

Typical capture
RGB / RTK
Output
Orthomosaic · 3D · Surface
Application
Current site intelligence

Published project records

Published Elev8 records show real outputs from single acquisitions — orthomosaics, 3D meshes and point clouds — with the capture method stated for each.

View case studies →
  • orthomosaic
  • 3D model
  • point cloud
  • surface
  • raw imagery
  • hosted viewer

Remote access to the site

Put the current site in the browser.

When appropriate, Elev8 can deliver a browser-based project environment so stakeholders can review current conditions without installing specialized software.

Dataset · Ontario industrial siteCapture date · project definedRevision · 01Status · hosted
Hosted viewer mockup showing a 3D site model of an industrial facility
ModelPoint cloudOrthoMeasure
Illustrative interface
  • remote review
  • stakeholder meetings
  • issue discussion
  • visual coordination
  • historical access
  • simple sharing

Hosting terms and retention are defined by project or service agreement.

From project to record

Current conditions become historical intelligence.

Project intelligence record

An optional ongoing arrangement that keeps the digital record current and accessible. Scoped per project.

  • · baseline capture
  • · hosted viewer
  • · future recaptures
  • · historical datasets
  • · organized project archive

Questions

Reality capture and mapping FAQ

Reality capture is the process of creating a digital representation of current physical conditions using imagery, photogrammetry, LiDAR or related acquisition methods.

Interior / underground reality capture

Reality capture is not limited to aerial acquisition.

Where the environment is enclosed, underground or GNSS-denied, the same current-conditions record can be built with a different platform. Handheld, mobile SLAM, robotic, RPAS or hybrid acquisition is selected around the information requirement.

  • Handheld
  • Mobile SLAM
  • Robotic
  • RPAS
  • Hybrid
Explore GPS-Denied & Confined Acquisition →

Project intake

Send us the site.

Send the location, site plan, KML/KMZ or project requirement. Elev8 will assess the area, required outputs and acquisition workflow before recommending an approach.

KML · KMZ · PDF · site plan · coordinates · drawing

Project team
Site
Primary requirement
Positional requirement

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Field proof

Related project records

PROJECT / 001 · Real project · Dataset available

New Ontario School — Reality Capture & Existing Conditions

An aerial reality-capture acquisition producing a 3D digital record of the school site.

Reality Capture · Mapping · 3D

View project

PROJECT / 002 · Real project · Dataset available

Hospital Site — Orthomosaic & 3D Existing-Conditions Capture

One acquisition produced both a top-down spatial record and a 3D visual record of the hospital site.

Reality Capture · Mapping · 3D · Orthomosaic

View project