DJI Mini 4 Pro 3D Model of a House: Flight Plan for Gaussian Splatting

How to fly a DJI Mini 4 Pro around a house so the footage becomes a 3D Gaussian-splat model, and how to turn that model into a tour your client can open on a phone.

The short answer

Yes, a DJI Mini 4 Pro can capture a house well enough for a 3D model. Fly three slow, connected orbits at low, middle and high heights with the camera angled at the building, keep exposure and white balance fixed, then upload the video or a ZIP of interval photos to Spatial Studio.

What you get is a Gaussian splat: a photoreal 3D scene of the house and grounds that people can move around in a browser. You can publish it as a tour with stops, hotspots and a contact button.

What you don't get is a CAD file, a mesh for 3D printing or survey-grade measurements. If the client needs roof measurements for a quote or a boundary survey, use a tool built for measurement.

Spatial Studio has no Mini 4 Pro specific settings. It treats the footage like any standard drone video or photo set, so this guide works for other camera drones too.

What the Mini 4 Pro brings

From DJI's Mini 4 Pro specs and product page:

• Under 249 g in the standard configuration. With the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus it weighs more. EU class C0.
• A 1/1.3-inch, 48 MP sensor.
• 4K video (3840x2160) at up to 60 fps, plus a 100 fps mode, saved as MP4 at up to 150 Mbps.
• Timed photos: 12 MP every 2 to 60 seconds, or 48 MP every 5 to 60 seconds. JPEG or DNG.
• Normal 8-bit colour, or 10-bit HLG and D-Log M.
• Waypoint Flight, which DJI describes as an automatic route function for precise route repeatability.
• Omnidirectional obstacle sensing.
• Up to 34 minutes of flight on the standard battery, in DJI's wind-tunnel test.

The flight plan: three orbits

This is the pattern from the drone guide inside Spatial Studio.

1. Walk the site first. Note trees, wires, chimneys, neighbouring buildings and people. Pick a clear take-off spot.
2. Low orbit. Fly one full, slow circle around the house with the camera angled toward it. This orbit carries the walls, doors, windows and porch.
3. Middle orbit. Climb gradually and fly a second circle that overlaps the first.
4. High orbit. Climb again for the roofline, roof, garden, driveway and surroundings.
5. Detail passes last. Only after the three wide orbits, fly closer passes along the entrance, a pool or anything else the client will want to show.

Keep the camera angle constant during each orbit and let the flight path create the coverage. Climbing gradually between orbits keeps them connected. Landing and starting a fresh clip can leave the orbits as separate floating pieces.

If you return to the same house later, for progress or a seasonal update, Waypoint Flight lets you repeat the same route.

Capture checklist

Exposure and white balance

Before the first orbit, take exposure and white balance off auto. Set them while the camera faces the brightest side of the house, so the sunny wall doesn't blow out when it comes around. Auto exposure that shifts as the sun moves into view shows up as patchy colour in the model.

Normal colour is the simplest place to start. D-Log M keeps more highlight range, but if you grade it, apply the same grade to the whole clip.

Video or interval photos?

The ZIP takes JPG, PNG or WebP, so shoot JPEG or convert DNG files before zipping. Video is the quicker first attempt. If it comes out soft, fly interval photos on the next visit and compare.

Drone rules come first

Follow your local drone rules every time: registration, remote ID where it applies, airspace and height limits, flying over people, and your neighbours' privacy. Get the property owner's permission before you fly.

DJI says training or an exam is not required for the standard Mini 4 Pro in most countries and regions, and also tells pilots to check local laws. The Plus battery takes it over 249 g, which can change which rules apply.

From footage to a client tour

1. Open Spatial Studio generation and choose Drone.
2. Upload the video or the image ZIP. Paid plans accept files up to 25 GB; the Free plan takes up to 2 GB and 10 minutes. You see a credit quote before anything starts. For scale, 1,250 drone images at Ultra quality is around 120 credits.
3. Check the model for holes, floating pieces and soft walls before you spend time on presentation.
4. Set an opening view that shows the whole property, then add stops for what the buyer cares about: the entrance, the garden, the roof, the view.
5. If you also shot the interior, add it as separate scenes in the same tour. Navigation hotspots take visitors from the aerial model into the rooms and back.
6. Add a contact button that opens your client's own form. Turn on password protection if the listing is private.
7. Publish, open the link on an ordinary phone, and send the embed code if it goes on a listing page.

Frequently asked questions

Can a DJI Mini 4 Pro make a 3D model of a house?

Yes, as a Gaussian splat. Fly connected orbits at three heights and upload the video or interval photos. Flight pattern and steady exposure matter more than the drone model.

How many photos do I need?

There is no fixed number. Spatial Studio accepts 30 to 4,500 images per ZIP. What matters is that every part of the house appears in many neighbouring photos.

Can I measure the house from the model?

You can turn on visitor measurements in splat scenes for distance, floor area and wall area. Accuracy depends on the scene's scale, so treat them as estimates, not survey figures.

Should I use a 360 drone instead?

A 360 drone records every direction at once, so you stop aiming the camera. A camera drone like the Mini 4 Pro puts more pixels on the building. The 360 drone guide covers the trade-off.

Related guides

• Drone Gaussian splatting flight guide
• 360 drone Gaussian splatting
• Outdoor capture guide
• Real estate splat capture checklist
• Embed a Gaussian splat tour