Photo Requirements for AI Detection
SuperClear AI’s defect detection accuracy depends a lot on the quality of the photos you feed it. This article explains what kinds of photos work best, file size limits, supported formats, and the practical do’s and don’ts that will get you the most reliable AI results.
Supported Image Formats
Section titled “Supported Image Formats”- JPG / JPEG — Recommended for most photos
- PNG
- HEIC — Default format on newer iPhones; works fine
RAW files from DSLR cameras are not supported. If you have a RAW image, export it to JPG first.
File Size
Section titled “File Size”| File size | Status |
|---|---|
| Up to 50 MB | Recommended — uploads quickly |
| Over 50 MB | Allowed but slower — SuperClear AI shows a warning when you select files larger than this |
Most modern phone cameras produce photos in the 3-12 MB range, so you’re well under the limit. Only DSLR exports or extreme high-resolution images approach the warning threshold.
Photo Quality That Helps the AI
Section titled “Photo Quality That Helps the AI”Sharp, in-focus photos give the AI the most accurate detections. A blurry photo can hide defects entirely or trigger false positives. Tap to focus on your phone before you take the shot.
Lighting
Section titled “Lighting”- Natural daylight is best — early morning and late afternoon avoid harsh shadows
- Flash is acceptable if you’re indoors or in a dim area, but be aware it can wash out subtle defects
- Avoid backlighting — the camera will expose for the bright background and your subject will be too dark
Distance and Framing
Section titled “Distance and Framing”- Get close enough to see the WRB clearly — if the area of interest is just a tiny part of the photo, the AI may miss details
- Don’t get so close that the camera can’t focus or that you only see one small section
- Aim for the WRB to fill most of the frame
- Capture the area straight-on when possible — heavy angles can distort the appearance of seams, fasteners, and tape
Obstructions
Section titled “Obstructions”- Move scaffolding, tools, and people out of the frame when possible
- If something is unavoidably in the frame, take a second photo from a different angle
What to Avoid
Section titled “What to Avoid”- Blurry photos — slow down and let the camera focus before tapping the shutter
- Photos taken from too far away — zooming in digitally is no substitute for getting closer
- Heavy shadows across the WRB — wait for the sun to move or use flash
- Photos of multiple unrelated areas — one photo per condition is much easier for the AI than a panoramic shot
- Heavily edited photos — apply edits in SuperClear AI’s editor after the AI has run, not before upload
Where Photos Come From
Section titled “Where Photos Come From”SuperClear AI accepts photos from three sources:
- Device camera — Tap Take Photo in the upload screen to open your phone or tablet’s camera directly
- Photo gallery — Tap Select Images to pick existing photos from your device
- Drag and drop — On desktop, drag photos from your file explorer onto the upload area
Batch Uploads
Section titled “Batch Uploads”You can upload many photos at once. SuperClear AI handles each one, runs the AI in a single batch, and shows the results when complete. There’s no hard cap on the number of photos in a batch, but very large batches take longer to process.
Privacy and Photo Storage
Section titled “Privacy and Photo Storage”Photos you upload are stored securely on AWS S3 in your tenant’s storage bucket. Only authenticated users with access to the inspection can view the photos. SuperClear AI doesn’t share your photos with third parties or use them to train models without permission.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”The AI missed an obvious defect
Section titled “The AI missed an obvious defect”Solutions:
- Check the photo quality — was it in focus? Well-lit?
- Was the defect clearly visible, or was it small or partially obscured?
- Try lowering the confidence threshold in Photo Settings to see if the AI did detect something but at low confidence
- Use the image editor to add your own annotation if the AI missed it
The AI flagged something that’s not a defect
Section titled “The AI flagged something that’s not a defect”Solutions:
- Raise the confidence threshold in Photo Settings to filter out lower-confidence detections
- Use the image editor to remove the incorrect markup
My photo won’t upload
Section titled “My photo won’t upload”Solutions:
- Check your internet connection
- If the file is over 50 MB, the upload will be slow but should still work — wait for it
- If the file is in an unsupported format, convert to JPG first
- See Troubleshooting Common Issues