High-Resolution Imagery & Aerial Maps

Aerial Imagery

Aerial Imagery - What is it?

Aerial imagery - also known as ortho-imagery or ortho-photography- is a type of photograph of the land that is taken from above, usually from planes or drones that fly at low altitude.

Aerial Versus Satellite Imagery

Aerial imagery gives close-up, clearer views of smaller scale areas of land, whereas satellite imagery is predominantly used to monitor larger scale areas, remotely. As such, satellite imagery cannot provide the detail required for property assessment or site reconnaissance, although it is used for macro-analysis of suburbs and cities.

Aerial Imagery - Past and Present

Although aerial imagery goes as far back as the invention of aeroplanes, its evolution reflects advancements in geospatial technology and digitised mapping over recent decades especially.

Aerial Imagery -  Use Cases

Today, aerial imagery has many use cases that are government-driven or supported. Agricultural management, urban and sustainability planning and land use are some key areas that benefit from the use of aerial imagery.

Aerial Imagery and Mapping Applications

Aerial imagery is geo-referenced so it can be used with other spatial data to understand and assess different features and attributes of a location. Mapping applications utilise aerial imagery to provide a snapshot in time of areas of land for analysis and evaluation in conjunction with other datasets. Since aerial imagery enables close-up and clear views of structures and topography, it is the preferred imagery used in mapping applications for property and planning purposes.

Aerial Imagery & Landchecker

Landchecker: Aerial views of every property

Landchecker, a map-based application, utilises two types of aerial imagery - standard and high-resolution - to capture land across metro and regional areas nationwide, in effect providing customers with an aerial view of every property in Australia.

Landchecker harnesses High-Resolution for metro areas

Landchecker partnered with geospatial tech company and leading aerial imagery supplier, Aerometrex, in 2020, to provide property professionals with the highest resolution aerial imagery of properties across all metropolitan areas. Through Aerometrex' MetroMap image service, Landchecker customers on professional plans benefit from images that are high in quality (6 x higher resolution than the best satellite imagery ) and frequently updated (four times a year) for metro areas.

Standard Vs High-resolution - the differences.

While Landchecker utilises both of these types of aerial imagery, it’s good to understand the differences so that you can make the most of the app and select the best plan to suit your property needs.

Here are some ways YOU can harness high-res aerial imagery:

Whatever your property profession or wherever you are on your property journey, you can utilise high-resolution aerial imagery to help you make those critical decisions, all from desktop vantage.

Site assessments: Check the feasibility of a site before you kickstart your DA for council approval. High-resolution images clearly show the physical characteristics of a site as well as plot size, shape and zoning. You can measure a site in the aerial image by using the measuring tools made available to you on the side-panel.

Planning: Apply planning zones and overlays to your aerial image on the map so that you can visually evaluate development setbacks and potential within the context of local planning precedents. Apply the planning permit filter to your aerial map-view, and examine nearby properties with permits similar to your subject property.

Prospecting: Finding sites through site finder with high-res aerial imagery makes for a realistic reconnaissance experience. Without having to physically travel from site to site, you can appreciate suburbs, land and lots from an aerial perspective, and within your selected search criteria, without leaving your desk. Save your search results and images to a project for sharing or for your own record.

Property reviews: Whether for legal or valuation purposes, you can check a property’s changes over time by viewing and comparing the extensive archive of historic images for that property, made available when you turn on high-resolution aerial imagery. The clarity and frequency of images enables you to identify the finest details and slightest changes over time from a close-up, aerial perspective.

Exporting your high-res aerial images:

You can export your high-resolution aerial image simply by selecting your property or site on the map as directed when you click on the high-res export icon. Images are formatted in JPEG or PNG, and can be georeferenced if applicable.