What's new

Version 27.0

Vegetation indices from any RGB drone

No multispectral camera? DroneField now computes VDVI, NGRDI, ExG and VARI from the RGB orthomosaic of any supported drone. The bands are prepared the first time you switch the index layer on — after that, every RGB index is instant. In multispectral projects the RGB indices appear in a second row under NDVI … VARI. The index layer is now called MS index or RGB index, and the application map works with RGB indices too. Details →

What do the values mean?

A new guide table shows, for all eight indices, which values mean bare soil, sparse or stressed, medium and dense, healthy crop. Details →

Application map: pixel filter and a tidier panel

The vegetation index panel’s range slider now only colours the map — it no longer changes the application plan. Which pixels count in a cell’s average is set by the new Pixel filter on the application map panel. The panel is reorganised into Grid, Buffers and Zoning by; Min. valid share sits under Mean index with a live explanation of what the current value does. Details →

Zoning by living share

Choose Mean index or Living share above the zone table. Living share ranks cells by the share of living plants — the right logic for desiccation and weed patches. The live/dead threshold is computed automatically from the field’s own pixels and can be overridden. Both modes offer a starting set (Mean index: 4 zones on the index’s typical bands, Living share: 3 zones, every dose 0 l/ha) and remember their own zones and doses — Mean index separately for each vegetation index. AI plans with an untreated zone open in Living share mode. Details →

Visible edge buffer

The cells the edge buffer adds beyond the field boundary (DJI / XAG prescriptions) are now drawn on the map, dashed and faded. Details →

More accurate multispectral values

Multispectral reflectance now also applies each band’s sensor gain correction. NDRE and NDVI values move up slightly and are more consistent between flights — reprocess multispectral projects made with earlier versions before comparing them. The band GeoTIFFs in Layers/ now open directly in QGIS.

Target GSD down to 2 cm/px

The processing panel’s GSD slider now goes down to 2 cm/px — fine enough for plant counting. The minimum follows your images: a survey flown at 5 cm/px cannot be processed finer than 5 cm/px, and the slider shows the source resolution underneath. Details →

Fixes

• Switching the vegetation index with the application map open now updates the plan.
• The 3D map drapes the vegetation index that is currently shown, including RGB indices.
• The PDF report names the active index on its index page.
• The processing panel starts from the project’s own GSD.
• The Weed preset was removed (it was valid only in an early growth stage and often misread).

Version 26.5.2

Application map: coverage to the field edge

Until now the zone grid stopped short of the field boundary, leaving a strip of up to half a cell along slanted edges with no dose — and most spray drones skip areas without a dose. The grid now reaches the boundary: edge cells overhang it as whole squares, on the map and in every export, and the drone’s own boundary trims the spray. Field area and product totals still count only the part inside the field. Details →

Edge buffer (DJI / XAG)

New setting in the application map panel: Off / 1 / 2 / 3 cells (default: 1 cell). The DJI and XAG prescription maps are extended beyond the field edge by this many cells, so the outermost strip is sprayed even when the flight boundary is exactly the field edge. The boundary file itself does not change. Details →

Zone buffer

New slider, 0–20 m (default: off). Treated zones are widened into the untreated zone by the chosen distance, rounded up to whole cells, so small patches between two spray passes are not missed. Tip: about half your swath width. The change is visible on the map and included in the totals and all exports. Details →

DJI Matrice 5TD (beta)

Surveys from the wide camera of the Matrice 5TD (Dock 4) can now be imported and processed into an RGB orthomosaic. Zoom and thermal images are skipped automatically. Details →

Import without an MRK file

The MRK file is no longer required. If it is missing, image positions are read from the photos’ own GPS tags — for example on Matrice 4E/4T missions that don’t write an MRK. With RTK positions from the MRK the result is still the most accurate. Details →

Smaller improvements

• Zenmuse P1 — fixed an issue in P1 camera processing that reduced positional accuracy, mainly near the ends of the flight lines. Projects processed with an earlier version should be processed again.
• AI analysis — clearer error messages: a missing subscription, the monthly limit or no internet connection now tell you exactly what to do instead of a generic “try again”. Details →
• PNG / JPEG export of the application map shows the full edge cells, just like the map.

Version 26.5

Released 5 October 2026.

DJI Matrice 4E support

Surveys captured with the wide camera of the DJI Matrice 4E (and Matrice 4T) can now be imported and processed into an RGB orthomosaic. Zoom and thermal images are skipped automatically — only the mapping-ready images go into the project. Details →

Low-altitude flights

Surveys flown at 30–60 m used to come out weaker than higher flights. This is fixed: low-altitude orthomosaics now stitch as accurately as 80–120 m surveys. Details →

High resolution: native image quality

The High resolution switch now builds the orthomosaic at the native resolution of the source images — the finest details stay sharp when you zoom in. Processing takes longer, but memory use stays bounded, so it completes on large fields and on machines with less memory. Details →

Illumination balancing

New switch in the processing settings. When enabled, the finished orthomosaic is smoothed for lighting changes during the flight — passing clouds, a sinking sun — and for the brightness difference between outbound and return strips. It only affects the visual base map, not the vegetation indices. Details →

Cleaner orthomosaic

On long surveys flown under changing light, a faint square grid could show up in the orthomosaic. This no longer happens.

Smaller improvements

• Project list — projects are grouped by client, and groups can be collapsed. Going back returns to the project you last opened, and the search filter is kept. Details →
• Editable project details — a project’s year, region, client and name can be edited afterwards (pencil icon on the project details panel); the project folder moves automatically. Details →
• DJI multi-field export — multi-field projects get a separate boundary file per field, named after the field; application map files carry the field name too. Details →
• XAG VRA — fixed an issue where the “do not treat” zone could receive a dose.

Version 26.4

The 26.4 release brings AI into the everyday workflow — from boundary drawing to a complete draft spray plan.

AI vegetation analysis (AI VRA)

The vegetation index panel’s new AI analysis button walks you through a short wizard, then the Luna assistant picks the best index, zones the field, proposes doses with an agronomic explanation and generates a PDF report. 10 analyses / month / device are included. Details →

AI field boundary

Click the field on the orthomosaic and the on-device segmentation model draws the boundary — refine it with + / − points. No internet needed. Details →

Multi-flight import

Battery-swap surveys no longer need folder juggling: select one folder and DroneField detects and merges the flights that belong together, with a confirmation list. Details →

High resolution (HQ) mode

An optional switch in the processing settings for a sharper orthomosaic when zooming in — at the cost of roughly 2× processing time and larger output files. HQ projects get a purple HQ badge in the project list. Details →

Zenmuse P1 support (beta)

DJI M300 / M350 RTK with the Zenmuse P1 camera is now supported for RGB orthomosaic creation. Multispectral features are not available with this camera. Details →

Smaller improvements

• Manual zoning with index bands — application-map zones now use min–max index bands instead of an equal-area split, with overlap / gap warnings and a magic-wand fix. Details →
• Live-share zoning — desiccation and weed-patch AI plans zone by the share of living vegetation per cell, not the average index. Details →
• Dose summary on export — the XAG Spot / Hardi / ABZ export confirmation aggregates per dose (colour, dose, hectares) instead of listing every polygon.
• XAG export — saving an XAG route now auto-generates an AI boundary when the project has none (required by nf.xa.com).
• 3D map — rugged terrain (quarries, pits, steep banks) now renders true to life; agricultural fields look the same as before.
• 9 languages — the full interface, including the AI analysis report, is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil) and Romanian.