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Core Concepts

Shuttermap is built around a small set of core concepts that define how inspections are planned, executed, and reviewed.

Understanding these concepts and how they relate to each other will make the rest of the platform easier to use and reason about.

Teams

Teams represent groups of users who collaborate on inspection work.

A team defines:

  • Who can access shared inspection resources
  • How inspection procedures are created and reused
  • How permissions are managed through roles

Team Roles

Teams support two roles:

  • Admin
    Team admins manage team-level resources and access. Team admins are automatically granted admin access to all projects owned by the team.

  • Member
    Team members can participate in inspection work according to their project-level roles.

Shot sheets and asset models are owned and managed at the team level, allowing inspection procedures and reference models to be shared across projects.

Projects

Projects organize inspection work by scope.

A project typically represents:

  • A geographic area
  • A site or facility
  • A specific inspection campaign

Projects group together:

  • Assets to be inspected
  • Assignments that track inspection progress

Project Roles

Projects support the following roles:

  • Admin
    Full control over the project, including configuration and access.

  • Manager
    Manages inspection planning, assignments, and progress.

  • Pilot
    Executes inspections in the field and contributes captured imagery.

  • Viewer
    Has read-only access to inspection data and progress.

Team admins are automatically project admins for all projects within the team.

Projects do not own shot sheets or asset models. Instead, they reference shared team-level resources.

Assets

Assets represent the real-world infrastructure being inspected.

Examples include:

  • Distribution poles
  • Transmission towers
  • Substations
  • Other physical structures

Assets exist at the project level and represent specific physical objects being inspected. Shot Sheets defined by the team can be reused across projects and applied to different assets.

Assets define what is being inspected, not how it is inspected.

Asset Models

Asset models are user-uploaded 3D models used to represent assets during planning and review.

Asset models:

  • Are owned and managed at the team level
  • Can be reused across multiple projects
  • Provide geometric context for camera planning
  • Do not need to be perfectly accurate to be useful

Asset models support spatial understanding and camera-aware planning, but they are planning references, not as-built records.

Shots

Shots define individual inspection views.

A shot specifies:

  • A camera position
  • A camera orientation
  • Framing and zoom intent

Shots are created with inspection intent. They describe what needs to be seen, not how a drone should be flown.

A shot is not a photo. It is a planned camera view that can be executed repeatedly in the field.

Shot Sheets

Shot sheets organize shots into a structured inspection procedure.

Shot sheets:

  • Are owned and managed at the team level
  • Define the order and intent of shots
  • Can be reused across projects and assets

By separating shot sheets from projects, teams can standardize inspection procedures while applying them to different locations or campaigns.

Assignments

Assignments represent inspection work to be performed.

An assignment links together:

  • One or more project-level assets
  • A team-level shot sheet
  • Execution status and progress

Assignments are used to track what inspections are planned, in progress, or completed. They provide the connection between inspection planning and field execution.

How These Concepts Work Together

At a high level:

  • Teams define shared inspection procedures and reference models
  • Projects define inspection scope and access
  • Asset models provide reusable geometric context
  • Assets represent physical inspection targets within a project
  • Shot sheets define how inspections should be performed
  • Assignments connect planning intent to execution and progress tracking

This separation allows inspection procedures and planning artifacts to remain stable while inspection scope and execution vary over time.

Next Steps

With these concepts in mind, you can:

  • Learn how inspections are planned end to end
  • Explore how shots and camera behavior are designed
  • Understand how assignments are used to track inspection progress