How to complete Project Setup for a new project

Walk through each onboarding card — flight area, files, coordinate system, and flight markers.

Written by Raymond Fuorry
March 31, 2026

What is Project Setup?

Project Setup is a step-by-step onboarding workflow in the Project Portal for projects that have not yet had their first scan. A progress tracker on the right side of the screen shows your Onboarding process status (e.g., "3 of 8 mandatory steps") and confirms that "First Scan will proceed once all the necessary data has been received."

The cards you see depend on your scan tier. All projects require: Flight Area, Contract, Expected Start Date, Clearing Status, Site Access, Point of Contact, and Files. Gold and Platinum projects also require: Coordinate System, Prelim Flight, and Flight Markers. Silver scans do not use Ground Control Points and skip those cards.

Your TraceAir program manager may complete some of these cards on your behalf during onboarding, but you can also fill them out yourself. For new customers, your program manager will typically schedule a call to walk you through the process. Existing customers can self-confirm the details once the automated project setup email is sent.

Flight Area

The Flight Area card displays a map of your contracted site boundary with the flight area in acres. The default action is to review the boundary and click Confirm.

If the boundary needs minor adjustments, click into the map to open the Edit Flight Area view. From there you can drag boundary points to adjust the shape, or click Upload KML to replace the boundary with a KML file. The flight area size updates automatically as you make changes.

Important: Only make minor adjustments here. For significant phase changes or major boundary issues, contact your TraceAir program manager or account executive.

Contract

The Contract card confirms your signed contract with TraceAir. This card always defaults to Signed with a "Done" badge — no action is needed from you. Once the contract is signed, full onboarding is launched.

Expected Start Date

The Expected Start Date card asks you to specify your preferred start date for the project — this is the date of the first production scan. Select a date from the calendar picker and click Save. The actual date will be set after onboarding is complete.

Dates within the first two weeks are greyed out in the calendar. This reflects the typical time needed to fly the preliminary scan, get flight markers placed, and fly the first production scan. Your program manager and operations coordinator always work to reduce this timeline when possible. If you need a later start date, simply select the date that works best.

Clearing Status

The Clearing Status card asks whether your site is clear of obstacles and accessible for flights and flight marker setup. Select from the dropdown:

• The site has been cleared — your project is ready to proceed to the next steps.
• The site is not cleared — select the expected clearance date and describe the conditions, then click Save.

Why clearing matters for Gold and Platinum scans: Heavy vegetation on the site will interfere with the accuracy of cut/fill calculations. If your site is still heavily vegetated, you have two options: ask your TraceAir representative about a LiDAR scan (which can penetrate vegetation), or wait until your site has been cleared further before scheduling the first production scan.

Once clearing status, flight area, and expected start date are all confirmed, the preliminary flight is automatically scheduled for Gold and Platinum projects.

Site Access

The Site Access card is optional. It asks for any notes on site access for the pilot — such as gate codes, security check-in requirements, construction entrances, weekend closures, or an on-site contact person.

If there is nothing to communicate, you can leave the field blank and click Save. Any information you provide here is shared directly with the pilot before each flight.

Point of Contact

The Point of Contact card is required. Assign Points of Contact to oversee project onboarding and management. These contacts will receive all onboarding emails.

Enter an email address and click Add. The card also displays your existing Company Point of Contacts so you can see who is already assigned at the company level.

Recommendation: To keep communication simple, limit this role to no more than 2 people.

Coordinate System (Gold and Platinum only)

The Coordinate System card requires a Coordinate Reference System (CRS) to be defined to unlock TraceAir processing. Without the CRS, volumetric measurements will not be available. This card applies only to Gold and Platinum scan tiers.

You have two options:

• Forward CRS form your engineer or surveyor: Enter their email and click Send CRS form. They will receive a link to complete the form.
• Complete it yourself: Click Open CRS form if you have the CRS information on hand.

If TraceAir is facilitating GCP placement, the surveyor or engineer will also need to add Existing Control (EC) data to the form. The CRS form must be submitted and approved by the GIS team before GCP recommendations can be generated. Click the Instructions for this step link for detailed requirements.

Files

The Files card is where you upload your design files. The card lists three file types:

• Design Grade (DG) — required for Gold and Platinum tiers. Enables Cut/Fill calculations on the platform. Accepted formats: XML (preferred), DXF, TTM, PC3, or DWG.
• Original Grade (OG) — optional. Enables historical comparison showing total dirt movement since pre-construction. Same accepted formats as Design Grade.
• Overlays — optional. Added as a visual layer over the aerial imagery on the site map. Accepted formats: DWG, DXF (preferred), or PDF.
• Lot Viewer — required to activate the Lot Viewer feature. Upload a DWG file that provides lot and pad data. Lot Viewer is included with Platinum scans and available as a paid add-on for Gold scans.
• Stormwater Report — required to activate the Stormwater Report heat map in the “Views” tab. Upload a DWG file that includes drainage inlet data. Included with Platinum scans; paid add-on for Gold scans.
• Slope Report — required to activate the Slopes view within Lot Viewer. Upload a DWG file with lot and pad slope data. Included with Platinum scans; paid add-on for Gold scans (purchased separately from Lot Viewer).
• Scheduler files — required to activate the Scheduler feature for milestone and task tracking. Upload an .mpp file from Microsoft Project. Included with Platinum scans; paid add-on for Gold scans.

Please specify the types of your uploaded files when submitting by checking the appropriate box. If any required files are missing, TraceAir will contact you.

Drag and drop files into the upload area, or click click to browse. Preferred formats are XML, DXF, and DWG. Folders are not supported — upload individual files only. Click the Instructions for this step link for detailed file requirements.

Tip: Submit all your CAD files — it is better to provide more and let the GIS team sort through them than to provide too few.

Prelim Flight (Gold and Platinum only)

The Prelim Flight card is informational — no action is needed from you. Once the Flight Area, Expected Start Date, and Clearing Status (set to "The site has been cleared") cards are all complete, the preliminary flight is automatically scheduled.

The prelim flight is an internal TraceAir flyover used to gain an understanding of the site so the GIS team can recommend reasonable GCP placement locations. Once scheduled, the card displays the Date of the Prelim Flight. After the prelim flies, TraceAir sends you recommended GCP placement locations via email.

Note: During project setup, you can always find your open GCP request in Project Portal Flight Markers card.

Flight Markers (Gold and Platinum only)

The Flight Markers card is where you upload the surveyed coordinates of your Ground Control Points (GCPs) after they have been placed.

Here is how the process works:

1. After the preliminary flight, TraceAir sends you an email with recommended GCP placement locations. You can also click View requested GCPs on this card to see the locations on a map.
2. Your surveyor places flight markers at the recommended locations and measures their exact coordinates.
3. The surveyor provides you with the coordinate data as a CSV, XLSX, or PDF file.
4. Upload that file to this card and click Save.

If TraceAir is placing the flight markers as part of a GCP maintenance contract, you do not need to take any action on this card — TraceAir handles it.

Click the Instructions for this step link for the detailed Flight Marker Guide, including marker materials, placement techniques, and maintenance procedures.

What happens after Project Setup is complete?

Once all mandatory cards are completed, TraceAir finalizes the scan schedule and coordinates the first production scan. You will receive email notifications at each step — when the flight is scheduled, when the scan is processed, and when your data is published to the Office platform (office.traceair.net).

After the first scan is processed, your project moves from the Project Setup tab to the Ongoing Projects tab, where you can manage future scans, upload updated files, adjust flight boundaries, and request add-ons like Lot Viewer, Scheduler, and additional Panoramas.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to complete all cards myself?

If you're not sure how to complete a card, contact your Program Manager who will assist you. The cards that most commonly require your input are Flight Area (to confirm boundaries), Files (to upload your design data), Coordinate System (to provide CRS information), and Flight Markers (to upload GCP coordinates after placement).

Which cards apply to Silver scans?

Silver scans require the Flight Area, Contract, Expected Start Date, Clearing Status, Point of Contact, and Files cards. The Coordinate System, Prelim Flight, and Flight Markers cards are for Gold and Platinum scans only, since Silver scans do not use Ground Control Points and do not include volumetric measurement tools.

What triggers the preliminary flight to be scheduled?

For Gold and Platinum scans, the prelim flight is automatically scheduled once three cards are complete: Flight Area (confirmed), Expected Start Date (saved), and Clearing Status (set to "The site has been cleared").

What if I need to change something after saving a card?

You can go back and update any card in the Project Setup tab at any time before the first scan is processed.

The calendar greys out the first two weeks. Why?

The two-week window reflects the typical time needed to fly the preliminary scan, get flight markers placed, and schedule the first production scan. Your program manager and operations coordinator always work to reduce this timeline when possible.