What is a split capture?
A split capture happens when a capture is stopped mid-way through a site visit — either accidentally by tapping End Data Capture instead of Pause, or because the phone ran out of battery or lost connection to the camera. The result is two separate captures for a single site instead of one continuous one.
Split captures are the most common cause of missing sections in a digital twin, particularly missing rear externals or upper floor data.
Why rear externals are most often affected
The standard capture route covers the interior first, then exits to the rear garden and external elevations, before finishing at the front. If a capture stops before the exterior section is complete, the rear of the property is the part most likely to be missing or incomplete in the final model.
This is compounded by the fact that the exterior is often the final leg — so a stop in the last 10 minutes of a capture can result in no rear external data at all, even when the interior is perfect.
What happens to split captures during processing
The processing team can often stitch two captures from the same site together, provided there is enough visual overlap between them. If the second capture started from a point that was already covered in the first capture, there is data for the algorithm to anchor against.
If the second capture started from a completely different area with no overlap, stitching may not be possible and a re-capture of the missing section may be needed.
What to do if you accidentally stop a capture mid-site
1. Do not leave the site yet. If you realise the capture has stopped early, you can start a second capture while you are still on site.
2. Select the same site in the AIM Capture app and begin a new recording.
3. Start from a location you covered in the first capture — ideally somewhere you walked through near the end of the first session. Walk back through that area first, then continue into the missing sections. This creates the overlap the processing team needs to join the two captures together.
4. When you upload, both captures will appear against the same site. Contact the AIM support team and let them know you have two captures for the same property and that you need them stitched. Include the site name, date, and a note on which sections were covered in each capture if you can.
What to do if you have already left site
Contact the AIM support team with the site name, capture date, and a description of what is missing. The team will review the raw data to see whether the gap can be filled from what was captured or whether a re-visit is needed.
In many cases, partial data is recoverable. Do not assume you need a full re-capture until the support team has reviewed the files.
How to avoid split captures
- Use Pause, not End Data Capture, if you need to stop temporarily
- Start each site visit with a fully charged phone and camera
- Keep the AIM Capture app in the foreground throughout the capture — switching to another app can interrupt the connection to the camera
- Do the exterior and roof sections before the battery drops below 30%
If you do end up with a split capture, contact support before doing anything else. We can almost always work with two captures, provided there is some overlap between them.