- Identify raw input versus finished output.
- Test one production question at a time.
- Use your own difficult site conditions for the next trial.
Find out what the sample represents
Record the aircraft or payload, capture date, subject and available reference information. Identify whether the download contains raw inputs, a finished result or both. A finished demonstration model is useful for exploring a viewer, but it does not let you repeat the reconstruction.
Check usage terms and link availability before sharing the files. A public sample can have access limits or expire. Confirm the provider’s current terms and retain its capture notes with the files you are authorized to use.
- 01InspectSensor + reference + inputs
- 02ProcessA repeatable exercise
- 03TrialYour actual site and output
Test a specific production question
Choose one exercise: importing raw data, building the reconstruction, reviewing a point cloud, applying supported edits or exporting to the receiving tool. Keep a record of settings and time spent so the exercise can be repeated.
When comparing samples, use the same production stage. Do not treat one edited export and another raw input folder as evidence of a sensor difference.
What a useful sample includes
| Information | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| Capture method and sensor | Establishes what was actually collected. |
| Reference and units | Makes spatial alignment interpretable. |
| Original inputs | Supports a repeatable processing exercise. |
| Processing notes | Explains the demonstration result. |
| Independent check information, if available | Helps separate appearance from project quality. |
Follow the sample with a site trial
Samples often represent favorable conditions. A site trial should include your difficult surfaces, vegetation or geometry, using your references and receiving software. That is where missing coverage and production effort become visible.
Take the questions raised by the sample into the trial. If your team struggled with classification or export, solve that production step before collecting a much larger assignment. A sample is most useful when it narrows the next test rather than ending the evaluation.