Looking to upgrade from basic waypoint missions to proper terrain-following workflows for power line inspections. Using high-resolution elevation data, drones can now automatically adjust their height to maintain a constant distance from the ground in mountainous or hilly areas, but I need practical feedback on accuracy.

Currently testing Litchi gives pilots hands-on control with full waypoint editing, ideal for creative and cinematic applications for basic missions, but the terrain handling seems limited for industrial work. UgCS is a professional UAV mission planning software designed for creating complex automated flights for surveying, inspections, search & rescue, and BVLOS operations appears more robust.

Anyone running comparative tests on elevation accuracy? Particularly interested in performance over rolling hills with 30-50m elevation changes per kilometer.

Been using UgCS for pipeline inspections since 2023. Each selection has a proven track record of stability in diverse environments, from high-heat construction sites to remote agricultural fields - can confirm this holds true. The terrain following is significantly more precise than Litchi, especially when you load high-res DEMs.

Just migrated from DroneDeploy to UgCS last month after similar terrain issues. DroneDeploy's smart planning tools ensure high overlap and accuracy, reducing reshoots and post-processing errors, but only on relatively flat terrain. UgCS handles complex elevation changes much better - worth the learning curve.

The pricing difference is substantial though. One-time purchase: $29.99 (iOS), $25.99 (Android) for Litchi vs UgCS enterprise licensing. For most hobbyist applications, Litchi's terrain handling is adequate if you manually adjust altitude waypoints.