Graphical radial triangulation is performed with simple instruments, such as mirror stereoscope, a ruler, a pencil and a tracing sheet. The steps are given below:
1. The photographs are laid out in strips and all GCPs are identified on the photographs and their numbers marked on the photographs.
2. The principal point is obtained for each photograph. The principal points are then stereoscopically transferred to the adjoining photographs as conjugate principal points.
3. Now two points, called minor control points (MCPs), also called pass points or wing points, are selected on both sides of the principal point of photo, fulfilling the following conditions:
a. The two points should be as nearly at the same elevation as the principal point.
b. The points should be at a distance from the principal point, which is equal to twice the mean base of the adjoining photographs.
c. The points should lie approximately on the bisector of the base angle on either side, and d. The point should serve as lateral point as well.
4. The MCPs are selected and transferred stereoscopically to adjoining photographs.
5. The lateral control points (LCPs) are selected in the centre of lateral overlaps of adjacent strips to serve as connecting points between different the strips. These LCPs are selected at least at the beginning and the end of the strip and on every third photo of the strip. These are then stereoscopically transferred to photographs of adjoining strips.
6. The radial directions from the principal point to all minor control, lateral control and ground control points appearing on the photograph are drawn, through the points.

Due to elevation differences of terrain and variations in the flying height of aircraft, the scale of photographs generally varies considerably. The photographs of a strip are required to be brought to a common scale through graphical triangulation. The plot of the strip where all the photographs, having uniform scale, are fixed in their correct relative position is called as MCP.

Each strip is plotted on a transparent sheet to facilitate the drawing. The photographs are laid out in their correct relative directions so that the plotting is carried out in the right direction. With the first photograph in position below the tracing sheet, principal point base is transferred. The base line is extended up to the edge of the photograph on either side. The position of principal points of the first photograph and one of the two adjacent photographs is then transferred on the tracing sheet. The radial directions to all the points appearing on the photograph are also drawn.

The scaling is then carried out by plotting the actual distance AB between the two ground control points, between which the scaling is to be done, on a straight line drawn on a separate sheet. A semicircle is drawn taking B′ as centre and distance BB′ as radius. The scaled position of any other point C′ on minor control plot is obtained by coinciding A′ with A and C′ falling on the line AB.

After scaling all the points of minor control plots, these points are pricked through the tracing sheet. The positions of principal points, minor control points and lateral control points of all the strips are likewise pricked on the graph sheet and adjusted so that all ground control points fall over their plotted positions and lateral control points give positions of least error.