Processing with RTK Data in Aura

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  • Published on May 12, 2026
  • 2 minute(s) read
  • Matthew Toohey
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This article explains how to process raw RTK scan data in Aura to generate an accurately georeferenced point cloud. The workflow covers specifying the base CRS used during capture, applying reprojection to a new horizontal and vertical CRS, and incorporating custom geoid models where required.

If a stable correction link during the scan is not possible, PPK Georeferencing is an alternative. See Understanding PPK Georeferencing for more information.

What you will need

  • Raw RTK scan data captured with a supported Hovermap or GX1 device.

  • Aura installed on a Windows device.

  • Knowledge of the base coordinate reference system (CRS) used during capture.

  • (Optional) The target horizontal and vertical CRS for reprojection.

  • (Optional) A custom geoid file (GTX or TIF) if required for the vertical CRS.

Procedure

Step 1: Create a new processing job

  1. Open Aura and go to the Process tab.

  2. Select + Process Scan to create a new scan job.

  3. In the Configure New Scan Job panel, select the Slam/RTK workflow.

  4. Click Add Dataset and browse to the folder containing the scan data.

    Add Dataset panel with scan folder selected

  5. When Aura detects RTK data in the dataset, toggle on Use RTK data.

    Use RTK data toggle enabled

Step 2: Configure the output location

  1. In the Location field, enter a name for the output folder.

  2. Aura creates a subfolder with this name, which stores all processed outputs.

Step 3: Set georeferencing options

  1. Click Processing Settings.

  2. Under Georeferencing in the General tab, select the RTK device and GNSS receiver used during data capture.

For GX1, set the Georeferencing mode to RTK (Built-in). For Hovermap, select the appropriate mode for the mount type. The supported GNSS receiver is listed in the GNSS Receiver dropdown.

For optimal results, ensure that the Georeferencing mode and GNSS receiver type match the hardware used during data collection. The resulting point cloud remains usable, but accuracy may be affected.

Georeferencing options in Processing Settings, General tab

Step 4: Define the base CRS

  1. Under Base coordinate reference system, select the CRS in which the data was originally collected.

    Base coordinate reference system selection

  2. Alternatively, toggle on Custom base coordinate reference system to manually enter a PROJ string describing the geodetic CRS.

    Custom base coordinate reference system with PROJ string input

Step 5: Enable and configure reprojection

  1. Toggle on Reprojection to enable CRS transformation for the processed output.

    Reprojection toggle enabled

  2. From the Horizontal dropdown, select a predefined CRS for horizontal reprojection.

    Horizontal CRS dropdown

  3. Once a Horizontal CRS is selected, the Vertical dropdown becomes active. From the Vertical dropdown, select a predefined vertical CRS, or click Import geoid file to upload a custom geoid file (GTX or TIF).

    Vertical CRS dropdown with Import geoid file option

  4. Alternatively, toggle on Custom target coordinate reference system to manually enter a PROJ string describing the target CRS.

    Custom target coordinate reference system with PROJ string input

Step 6: Finalize settings and start processing

  1. Click Save to apply all configuration settings and return to the Configure New Scan Job panel.

  2. Start processing the scan.

  3. Review the output in the Visualize tab once processing is complete.

Outcome

The raw RTK scan data has been processed into an accurately georeferenced point cloud in the specified base CRS, with optional reprojection applied to the target horizontal and vertical CRS. The output is available for review in the Visualize tab.