3D Modelling of Château Charleval by Drone for Provence Art Galerie

We know Château Charleval (Bouches-du-Rhône, South of France) very well, having filmed it many times since 2021 — both from the ground and from the air — whether capturing the monument itself or the impressive artworks displayed in its galleries and vast park.

In September 2025, we carried out a much more technical mission there, with the goal of creating a three-dimensional model of the site. This process uses drone photogrammetry, which we detail below:

What is Drone Photogrammetry?

Drone photogrammetry consists of capturing a series of aerial photographs of a site or object from various angles in order to reconstruct an accurate 3D model and a geo-referenced orthophotographic map.

Using specialised software, these images are processed to generate dense point clouds, 3D meshes and measurable topographic data.

This technology delivers centimetre-level accuracy, making it ideal for mapping, topographic surveys, construction site monitoring or building and terrain modelling. Fast, safe and cost-effective, drone photogrammetry is an efficient alternative to traditional surveys, offering a complete, reliable and measurable view of reality.

Topographical Challenges of Château Charleval for 3D Modelling

To capture the images required for the 3D modelling of Château Charleval with centimetre precision, the drone had to fly very close to the building, its roof and façades.

Surrounded by trees and featuring four corner towers, the château required a drone capable of precise automated flight, multi-angle capture and obstacle avoidance.

Our DJI Matrice 4E drone, equipped with an RTK module, provided sub-centimetre positioning accuracy. In certain critical areas, manual intervention was necessary to safely reposition the aircraft and avoid the trees.

How Does a 3D Capture Mission with a DJI Matrice 4E Work?

A mission carried out with the DJI Matrice 4E drone follows a rigorous process:

• Site study and flight planning: defining survey areas, placing ground control points (GCPs) if needed, and programming the mission to ensure optimal image overlap.
• Automated flight: equipped with a 20 MP high-resolution sensor and an RTK module, the drone follows precise trajectories to ensure centimetric geolocation of each shot.
• Image acquisition: hundreds of photos are taken following a regular grid pattern, at different altitudes and angles.
• Post-processing: images are processed with photogrammetry software to generate point clouds, textured 3D models, orthophotographs and measurable topographic data.

For this mission, the Matrice 4E captured over 1,700 20 MP photos around the monument, plus 900 images for the orthophoto of the château and its park. These 2,600 images were processed using Metashape for the 3D model and WebODM for the orthomosaic.