GSD Calculator for Drone Pilots Using Google Sheets
- Sadique Habibullah
- Apr 19
- 3 min read
Overview
When a drone services company from the USA reached out, they had a specific need—but it wasn’t just another web form or visual tweak.
They work on highly customized aerial data projects, and they wanted to create a Ground Sample Distance (GSD) Calculator that UAV pilots could use. It sounds simple at first: select a sensor, enter an altitude, get the GSD. But the real complexity was hidden behind the scenes.
They needed the calculator to pull real-time data from a Google Spreadsheet—not just any sheet, but one where each sensor had its own tab, and all the key values for the calculation were buried inside specific cells on each sheet.
Wix doesn’t natively support this kind of deep integration. So we had to get creative.
The Challenge: Real-Time Google Sheets Integration Inside Wix
The calculator’s logic was tied entirely to data that lived in a multi-sheet Google Spreadsheet. Here’s what we had to figure out:
Authenticate and connect to Google Sheets API securely from Wix’s backend
Dynamically access different sheets within the spreadsheet based on the user’s selected sensor
Extract values from specific cells to power the GSD calculation
Do all of the above in real-time, every time a user changed input—without slowing down the site
This wasn’t a plug-and-play task. We had to use the Google Sheets API, handle OAuth-based authentication, and write logic that could dynamically query the right sheet, parse the right data, and feed it instantly to the front-end tool.
The Solution: A Smart, Google Sheets-Powered GSD Tool for UAV Pilots
We built the calculator from the ground up using Wix Velo and a custom backend function that connected to Google’s API.
Here's how it worked:
When a user selected a sensor from the dropdown, the tool used that sensor’s name to locate the correct sheet inside the Google Spreadsheet.
Then, when the user entered an altitude, we sent a secure request to our backend logic, which authenticated with Google, pulled the needed values from the corresponding sheet and cells, and performed the GSD calculation.
Finally, we sent the result back to the front end for display—clean, quick, and accurate.
All of this happened in seconds. Users didn’t see the complexity—they just saw the result.
Results & Impact
Real-Time Calculations: The tool fetches the latest data from Google Sheets on demand—no manual syncs, no stale data.
Sensor-Specific Accuracy: Each sensor’s tab is used dynamically, ensuring pilots get the right GSD every time.
Seamless Integration: Despite the API complexity, the tool feels native inside the Wix site.
Positive Client Feedback: The client appreciated the reliability, the accuracy, and how invisible the complexity was to their users.
Scalable by Design: New sensors can be added just by creating a new tab in the spreadsheet—no need to edit the site.
Technologies Used
Wix Velo – For backend functions and front-end interactivity
Google Sheets API – To securely connect to and fetch data from Google Sheets
JavaScript – For dynamic behavior and calculation logic
OAuth Tokens – For secure and authenticated access to external data
Structured Spreadsheet Design – To allow scalable and predictable data access patterns
Let’s Build Smarter Tools on Wix
Whether you need to pull live data from a spreadsheet, connect an API, or create a custom tool for a very specific audience—we can help make it happen.
📩 Reach out today, and let’s bring your technical ideas to life on Wix.
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