Measurement Accuracy And Confidence

A measurement is a combination of source evidence, geometry, metadata, calibration, and assumptions. The drawn line or selected point is only one part of the result. InSite exposes blockers and confidence context because false precision is worse than no measurement.

Image measurements depend on camera geometry and scene assumptions. Important factors include range to target, field of view, image dimensions, focal length, zoom state, lens distortion, gimbal attitude, target plane, and whether the clicked points represent the same physical depth.

Thermal readings depend on radiometric data and correction assumptions. Emissivity, reflected temperature, distance, humidity, atmosphere, palette, and range mode can change interpretation. A thermal color scale alone is not a scientific measurement.

Orthophoto measurements depend on georeferencing, projection, pixel size, source processing accuracy, and terrain correction. They are strongest when the raster has reliable CRS metadata and ground control or processing accuracy appropriate for the use case.

Point cloud measurements are made in 3D scene coordinates, but they still depend on point density, reconstruction accuracy, alignment, scale, coordinate transform, and whether the selected points actually lie on the intended object.

• Read metadata and readiness blockers before saving measurements.
• Use calibration overrides only when the source of truth is known.
• Avoid over-reporting decimal precision when source uncertainty is larger.
• Record notes when a measurement is approximate.
• Prefer point cloud or georeferenced map measurements for geometry where source quality supports them.