Drone Data Parser

Python scripts for processing and analyzing DJI drone and 3D survey data

Author

Eric Tannant

• Originally created: 2021
• Last Updated: August 2025
• Version: 1.6
• License: MIT

Overview

This project contains specialized modules for drone data processing:

1. Camera Position Calculator - Correlates drone images with GPS coordinates
2. DXF Vertex Reader - Advanced 3D vertex extraction with geological analysis and variance calculations
3. RINEX OBS File Corrector - Fixes formatting issues in GPS observation files
4. Legacy Scripts - Previous versions now largely obsolette (DXF point reader, Pix4D analysis)

Modules

1. Camera Position Calculator (camera_pos_calculator.py)

Calculates accurate camera positions for drone images by correlating timestamp data with RINEX GPS positioning data.

Features:

• Processes jpg files
• Interpolates GPS positions based on image timestamps
• Applies offset corrections for precise positioning

Requirements:

• JPG/jpg image files (format: prefix_prefix_ID.jpg)
• .pos RINEX positioning file
• .MRK timestamp file
• Python packages: pandas

Output:

• Camera_coords.csv - CSV file with image names and corrected coordinates

Usage:

python camera_pos_calculator.py

2. DXF Vertex Reader (dxf_vertex_reader.py)

Advanced DXF file processor that extracts 3D vertex coordinates from polylines with geological analysis capabilities.

Features:

• Processes DXF VERTEX entities from polylines
• Removes duplicate vertices within polylines
• Filters to only process 3-vertex triangular faces
• Calculates geological dip and dip direction angles
• Computes triangle area measurements
• Advanced variance analysis using ±0.05 coordinate perturbations
• CSV output with natural sorting and precision control
• Comprehensive error handling and validation

Requirements:

• DXF file with VERTEX entities in polylines
• Python packages: numpy, tkinter

Output:

• CSV file with vertex coordinates and geological analysis (dip, dip direction, area, variance)

Usage:

python dxf_vertex_reader.py

3. RINEX OBS File Corrector (rinex_obs_file_corrector.py)

Corrects and reformats RINEX observation files to ensure proper formatting and RINEX standard compliance.

Features:

• Batch processing of all .obs files in directory
• Time format standardization
• Header corrections and proper spacing
• Automatic backup of original files

Requirements:

• .obs RINEX observation files
• Standard Python library (os, math)

Output:

• Corrected files with _corrected.obs suffix

Usage:

python rinex_obs_file_corrector.py

Legacy Scripts (Old-Scripts/)

The Old-Scripts/ directory contains previous versions of tools maintained for compatibility:

DXF Point Reader (dxf_file_point_reader.py)

Legacy version that extracts 3D point coordinates from DXF POINT entities.

Features:

• Extracts all POINT entities from DXF files
• Simple coordinate extraction without geological analysis
• Formatted text output with point numbering

Usage:

python Old-Scripts/dxf_file_point_reader.py

Pix4D Geological Analysis (pix4d_3pt_face_dip_dipdir.py)

Legacy geological analysis tool for Pix4D-generated DXF files.

Features:

• Processes grouped 3-point sets from Pix4D
• Basic dip and dip direction calculations
• Triangle area measurements

Usage:

python Old-Scripts/pix4d_3pt_face_dip_dipdir.py

Installation

Quick Start

For users who want to get started immediately:

# Clone the repository
git clone <repository-url>
cd drone-data-parser

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run any script
python dxf_vertex_reader.py

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+ installed on your system
• Git (optional, for cloning)

Setup Instructions

1. Clone or download the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd drone-data-parser

   Or download and extract the ZIP file to your desired location.

2. Create a virtual environment (recommended)

   # Create virtual environment
   python -m venv drone-parser-env

3. Activate the virtual environment

   On Windows:

   # Command Prompt
   drone-parser-env\Scripts\activate
   
   # PowerShell
   drone-parser-env\Scripts\Activate.ps1
   
   # Git Bash
   source drone-parser-env/Scripts/activate

   On macOS/Linux:

   source drone-parser-env/bin/activate

4. Install required packages

   Option A: Using requirements.txt (recommended)

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Running the Scripts

Once the virtual environment is activated and packages are installed, you can run any of the scripts:

python camera_pos_calculator.py
python dxf_vertex_reader.py
python rinex_obs_file_corrector.py

# Legacy scripts
python Old-Scripts/dxf_file_point_reader.py
python Old-Scripts/pix4d_3pt_face_dip_dipdir.py

File Structure

drone-data-parser/
├── camera_pos_calculator.py             # Camera position calculator
├── dxf_vertex_reader.py                 # Advanced DXF vertex reader with geological analysis
├── rinex_obs_file_corrector.py          # RINEX file corrector
├── requirements.txt                     # Python dependencies
├── LICENSE                              # MIT License
├── README.md                            # This documentation
└── Old-Scripts/                         # Legacy scripts directory
    ├── dxf_file_point_reader.py         # Legacy DXF point extractor
    └── pix4d_3pt_face_dip_dipdir.py     # Legacy Pix4D geological analysis

Data Flow Examples

Camera Position Processing

Image Files (*.jpg) + RINEX Data (*.pos) + Timestamps (*.MRK)
    → Camera_coords.csv

DXF Vertex Reader

DXF File (VERTEX polylines) → 3-vertex filtering → Duplicate removal
    → Geological calculations (dip, dip direction, area)
    → Variance analysis (±0.05 coordinate perturbations)
    → CSV report with geological measurements

RINEX Correction

Raw OBS files (*.obs) → Formatted files (*_corrected.obs)

Legacy DXF Point Extraction (Superseded by DXF Vertex Reader)

DXF File (POINT entities) → Coordinate extraction → Text report

Troubleshooting

Installation Issues

1. Python version errors: Ensure you're using Python 3.10 or higher

   python --version

2. Pip not found: Make sure pip is installed and updated

   python -m ensurepip --upgrade
   python -m pip install --upgrade pip

3. Virtual environment issues: Recreate the virtual environment

   deactivate  # if already in a venv
   rm -rf drone-parser-env  # remove old environment
   python -m venv drone-parser-env
   # Reactivate and install

Runtime Issues

1. No files found: Ensure input files are in the correct directory
2. Import errors: Verify all packages are installed correctly with pip list
3. File format errors: Verify input files follow expected formats
4. Permission errors: Ensure write permissions in output directory

File Format Requirements

• Image files: Must follow naming pattern prefix_prefix_ID.jpg
• DXF files: Must contain POINT entities in standard DXF format
• RINEX files: Must be valid observation files with .obs extension

Contributing

This project is maintained by Eric Tannant. For issues or improvements:

1. Ensure code follows PEP 8 style guidelines
2. Add appropriate type hints and docstrings
3. Include error handling for edge cases

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.