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Workflows, Best Practice guidance, Tips and Tricks to extract the best from Hammer Missions

Overview

Turning a 3D building outline into an automated façade flight mission is one of the quickest ways to prepare consistent, repeatable inspections. The core idea is simple: create the model, select the sides you want to inspect, let the system auto-generate the flight path, then tweak a few mission parameters before you fly.

Step 1 — Confirm your 3D model and view

After the building outline is created you can switch between a 2D plan and a 3D visualisation to check geometry and sightlines. Use the 2D/3D toggle (usually located in the top-right, below the location search) to confirm the model looks correct from all angles.

Step 2 — Start an auto-planned mission

To create a mission associated with that outline, open the system menu via the cog icon and choose auto plan mission. This brings up a list of mission templates; for customisable building façades, select the façade mission (labelled custom sides) to pick which edges will be flown.

Step 3 — Select the façade edges to fly

Click on the edge (or edges) of the building that you want to inspect. Once selected that edge will turn from red to green, the tool will auto-generate a façade flight plan for those sides. Review the proposed path and make sure it follows the areas you intended to cover.

Step 4 — Configure mission parameters

The auto-plan creates a basic route but you should always confirm and, where necessary, adjust the mission settings. The key parameters to check are:

• Top altitude: the highest altitude the drone will reach during the pass.
• Bottom altitude: the lowest altitude — this is where obstacle awareness is critical.
• Horizontal distance: how far from the façade the drone will fly; this affects image resolution (GSD) and safety margins.
• Overlap: the percentage of image overlap between adjacent frames. For façade inspections aim for 70–80% to ensure full coverage and reliable photogrammetry.
• Flight speed: the system will often auto-adjust recommended speed based on the other settings. You can reduce speed for better image quality, but avoid exceeding the recommended maximum.

Quick tip on overlap and speed

Increasing overlap to around 80% is common practice for façades. This improves stitching and helps when working on vertical surfaces with repeating patterns. Keep flight speed conservative: slower passes produce sharper images, and

"You should never go above the recommended flight speed."

If you prefer, reduce speed below the recommendation for extra image fidelity, but always balance this with battery life, mission execution time and any other operational constraints.

Step 5 — Finalise and launch

After you've adjusted the parameters and verified the route, click done. The mission will be saved and ready to execute. Once you have completed any relevant procedural/site checks, hit the white triangle in the right side panel and the Hammer Missions App will run through its  required pre-flight checks.

Best practices

1. Always keep visual awareness of the drone's position and avoid any obstacles.
2. Ensure that your flight altitude is safe and clear of any nearby obstacles.
3. When in doubt, increase overlap and reduce speed for better data quality.

Wrap-up

Auto-planning a façade mission from a 3D building outline streamlines inspection work and standardises data capture. With a few careful checks — selecting the right edges, setting altitudes and distance, and choosing appropriate overlap and speed — you'll have a mission that's both safe and effective.

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