Litchi waypoints...

[Bleepindrones]

so I just completed my first couple automated flights using litchi, it's completely awesome! I just had a few questions that maybe some of you might know.

I don't really have any need for this but thought it would be cool, is there a way to auto land and then take off again halfway through a planned route? Let's say I wanted to deliver a package or something in the middle of a route that is out of sight? Is that a possibility?

I also would like to be able to fly lower to the ground during an automated flight, but I'm finding it hard to guesstimate the elevation changes from my takeoff location. I see there is a terrain map view option but it doesn't give me elevation figures... Does anyone have a good idea to help in that situation?

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Automated landing, no. You'd have to assure good signal when it would land. End mission there. Plan 2nd mission from there to continue on. But you need good signal to initiate take off.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Terrain/elevation differences. You can record way points in live time while manually flying the course. Tap on drone icon on map view at the height and direction you want for each waypoint fly to next point tap, and so on, save and re-fly as a automated mission.

 

[With The Birds]

You can plan a route in google earth to load into litchi. This will give you relative altitudes to work with.

It's advisable to allow an error margin as the barometer in the phantoms can be off a fair bit (10 meters isn't uncommon).

 

[Bleepindrones]

Automated landing, no. You'd have to assure good signal when it would land. End mission there. Plan 2nd mission from there to continue on. But you need good signal to initiate take off.

Awesome guys, thanks for the advice!

 

[Bleepindrones]

You can plan a route in google earth to load into litchi. This will give you relative altitudes to work with.

It's advisable to allow an error margin as the barometer in the phantoms can be off a fair bit (10 meters isn't uncommon).

Thanks! One more problem I had is that when the drone comes back into range and reconnects to the litchi app, I can't stop recording until I turn off the drone. The app just won't allow me to hit the stop button. In fact, even before I start flying it won't allow me to change any camera settings at all. It only starts recording because it's set to record automatically on take off I guess... Any suggestions there?

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Stop recording while it's still in the air.. I know, stupid huh.. It's the only way to do it.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

And you only can change camera settings while it's not recording. to change settings, press stop in the air or on the ground. Then you can access settings to change them.

 

[Spiderpig]

For elevation changes there is a spreadsheet people use that uses the altitude from google earth and then adds the height you want your drone to be at. So say you start your flight at 400 MSL and your hightest point is 500 MSL and you want to keep you drone 50 m above the ground, you would have to keep adding to that 50 m to keep it at the same level.

Remember the drone sets 0 at takeoff.

 

[BillW50]

Tell me more about this spreadsheet Spiderpig.

 

[Spiderpig]

Tell me more about this spreadsheet Spiderpig.

There are various ways of doing this...found this good link for using google earth:

Plan Mission in Google Earth, convert, import to Litchi Mission Hub

Here's a link I found to the actual spreadsheet:
www.phantompilots.com/attachments/litchi-elevation-profiler-zip.52258/

Keep in mind that google earth is not 100% accurate either so people usually add another 30 m for safety as well. But you can reduce that if you find that the google earth elevation data is accurate.

As always, keep you finger on the mode switch and are ready to take over manually.

 

[Bleepindrones]

Sweet, good advice! So yesterday I modified my map by adding just one way point to my originally successful automated Trip. But this time it canceled halfway through the trip and flew straight home. I tried it again with no changes and the second time the camera decided to point straight down halfway through the flight even though I had focus points set and haven't changed anything from the previous flights. What do you think happened?

 

[DanD2]

Thanks! One more problem I had is that when the drone comes back into range and reconnects to the litchi app, I can't stop recording until I turn off the drone. The app just won't allow me to hit the stop button. In fact, even before I start flying it won't allow me to change any camera settings at all. It only starts recording because it's set to record automatically on take off I guess... Any suggestions there?

Why don't you set your last waypoint position to automatically stop recording?

 

[Bleepindrones]

And you only can change camera settings while it's not recording. to change settings, press stop in the air or on the ground. Then you can access settings to change them.

Ya, thats what I'm trying but it still wont let me change them, almost as if my touchscreen isnt working... it'll let me open the options but wont let me click on any option other than what is already selected.

 

[Bleepindrones]

Why don't you set your last waypoint position to automatically stop recording?

Is that an option? I havent seen any start/stop recording options yet...

 

[BillW50]

If you use curved turns, you can't use those options.

 

[BillW50]

Thanks! One more problem I had is that when the drone comes back into range and reconnects to the litchi app, I can't stop recording until I turn off the drone. The app just won't allow me to hit the stop button. In fact, even before I start flying it won't allow me to change any camera settings at all. It only starts recording because it's set to record automatically on take off I guess... Any suggestions there?

Really? Even if you cancel the mission? That is the only way I can stop the camera. I start mine manually before the mission starts. Is this what you do?

 

[BillW50]

You can plan a route in google earth to load into litchi. This will give you relative altitudes to work with.

It's advisable to allow an error margin as the barometer in the phantoms can be off a fair bit (10 meters isn't uncommon).

The Mission Hub gives altitudes of each waypoint, what is wrong using the MH?

 

[With The Birds]

The Mission Hub gives altitudes of each waypoint, what is wrong using the MH?

Does the mission hub give AGL -or- are the waypoint altitudes referenced to homepoint? If it's the later then what is wrong with it, at least to the extent I offered my suggestion, is it is less than helpful in planning a flight having reference to the terrain. If you plan in google earth and import to litchi you can use the relative altitude differences to create your own reference to the proposed launch point.

 

[BillW50]

Does the mission hub give AGL -or- are the waypoint altitudes referenced to homepoint? If it's the later then what is wrong with it, at least to the extent I offered my suggestion, is it is less than helpful in planning a flight having reference to the terrain. If you plan in google earth and import to litchi you can use the relative altitude differences to create your own reference to the proposed launch point.

The Mission Hub displays both. Plus in map view you can select terrain view which displays the map as a topographical map.