Vendor Data Submission Guide: Panoramic Imagery for AirWorks Processing

Document Version: 1.1
Audience: Technical Data Collection Teams & Vendor Business Representatives

1. Introduction

Thank you for partnering with AirWorks to deliver high-quality geospatial intelligence. This document outlines the precise technical specifications required for panoramic (360°) imagery to ensure successful and accurate processing within the AirWorks platform.

Adherence to these guidelines is critical. Correctly formatted data enables our AI engines to automatically extract precise measurements, models, and insights, ensuring a fast and successful project delivery for our mutual clients.

2. Scope & Purpose

This guide defines the standards for:

Panoramic image quality and format.
Essential geospatial and orientation metadata.
Data packaging and delivery protocols.

Consequences of Non-Compliance: Imagery that does not meet these specifications may be rejected by our automated ingestion systems, cause processing failures, or result in inaccurate outputs, leading to project delays.

3. Technical Specifications Summary

Feature	Requirement	Notes
Image Format	JPEG (`.jpg`)	No other formats are accepted.
Projection	Equirectangular	Standard 360° projection.
Minimum Resolution	8000 px (width) × 4000 px (height)	Higher resolutions (e.g., 16K, 18K) are acceptable and encouraged.
Metadata Tags (EXIF)	Mandatory: Lat, Long, Altitude, Yaw, Pitch, Roll	Must be written into the EXIF header of each image file.
Packaging	ZIP archive containing only JPG files.

4. Detailed Requirements

4.1. Image Format & Quality

Format: All panoramic images must be delivered as .JPG files.
Resolution: Each image must have a minimum resolution of 8000 pixels wide by 4000 pixels high. This 2:1 aspect ratio is non-negotiable for equirectangular projection.
Projection: Images must be in equirectangular projection (also known as equirectangular panoramic projection). This is the standard "unwrapped" format for 360° images where the horizontal field of view is 360° and the vertical is 180°.

4.2. Metadata Requirements (Critical)

Each individual JPG file must have the following metadata embedded directly into its EXIF header. This data is used to geolocate and orient each image in 3D space.

EXIF Tag Name (Group)	Description	Example	Units
GPS Latitude (GPS)	Latitude of the camera center	`42.360081`	Decimal Degrees
GPS Longitude (GPS)	Longitude of the camera center	`-71.058884`	Decimal Degrees
GPS Altitude (GPS)	Altitude of the camera above sea level (MSL) or ground (AGL) [Please specify which]	`55.5`	Meters
Pose Heading Degrees (XMP)	Yaw - Direction the camera is facing (0° to 360°). 0° = North, 90° = East.	`182.74`	Degrees
Pose Pitch Degrees (XMP)	Pitch - Tilt of the camera up or down (-90° to +90°). 0° = Level, +90° = Straight Down.	`-2.15`	Degrees
Pose Roll Degrees (XMP)	Roll - Rotation of the camera around its lens axis (-180° to +180°). 0° = Level.	`1.22`	Degrees

4.3. Data Packaging & Delivery

File Packaging: All JPG files for a single delivery must be compiled into a ZIP archive.
Content Restrictions: The ZIP file must contain only the required JPG files. Do not include:
- TIFF (.tif) files
- Point cloud data (e.g., .las, .laz, .e57)
- Project files, reports, or PDFs
- Area of Interest files (.kml. or .kmz)
Upload Process: This ZIP file will be uploaded to the secure AirWorks portal provided for your project.
System Action: Our automated ingestion system will scan the ZIP file. Any file that is not a JPG will be silently dropped and not processed.

5. Best Practices for Data Collection

Sensor Calibration: Ensure your panoramic camera and any accompanying GPS/IMU units are properly calibrated before capture.
Metadata Verification: Use a tool like ExifTool (command-line) or other metadata viewers to spot-check several images from a dataset before delivery to confirm all required tags are present and accurate.
Consistent Altitude Reference: Clearly state in your communication with AirWorks whether altitude values are Above Ground Level (AGL) or Above Mean Sea Level (MSL). Consistency across a project is vital.
Naming Conventions: While not mandatory, using a consistent and logical file naming convention (e.g., ProjectName_SeqNumber.jpg) can aid in troubleshooting.

6. Troubleshooting & Support

Common Rejection Reasons:

"Invalid file type in archive": The ZIP contained non-JPG files.
"Missing required metadata": One or more required EXIF tags were not found on an image.
"Image resolution below minimum": An image was smaller than 8000x4000 pixels.

For technical questions regarding this specification, please contact your AirWorks project manager or our support team at: support@airworks.io

Confidentiality: This document contains proprietary information of AirWorks and is to be used solely for the purpose of facilitating data submission for joint projects.