iOS Waypoint App Comparison: Litchi 1.0 vs Autopilot 3.0

[Tallyrver]

I downloaded the Autopilot app from ITunes today, I must have missed the part about no waypoints yet. [emoji29] . I went back to this thread and saw that version 3 will have it around the end of the year. Are we there yet?

 

[lenmcgilvary]

It's in beta now, it's amazing


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[egoldy]

I downloaded the Autopilot app from ITunes today, I must have missed the part about no waypoints yet. [emoji29] . I went back to this thread and saw that version 3 will have it around the end of the year. Are we there yet?

Beta is out. Hoping for release soon.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Stealth Tours]

Don't be BUMMED OUT....you are just early. Get familiar with other modes. I have failed on a couple of items that force me to learn a little more...still can't properly "cache Maps" yet which has caused me to take the month of December off and on every video posted, for me, they go too fast on the first couple of selections....I thought I should always select the "barometer" since I have it, but it would launch me much higher than my altitude wishes were. Lastly, I can't stress enough, fly with your left finger ready to take EMERGENCY PILOT ACTION pushing from "F" to "P".

 

[jimerb]

I downloaded the Autopilot app from ITunes today, I must have missed the part about no waypoints yet. [emoji29] . I went back to this thread and saw that version 3 will have it around the end of the year. Are we there yet?

I'm not sure I understand, how can it not have waypoints? I thought it was all about mission planning and mapping out your route?

What am I missing?

 

[Hangar]

I'm not sure I understand, how can it not have waypoints? I thought it was all about mission planning and mapping out your route?

What am I missing?

There are many other Modes besides Waypoint Mode:
Autopilot - Autoflight Logic

Version 3.0 (which includes Waypoint Mode) is currently pending App Store approval from Apple. Apple has indicated that no reviews will be happening between Dec 22-29 for Christmas break. If you want early access, you are welcome to sign up for the beta on our home page.

 

[jimerb]

There are many other Modes besides Waypoint Mode:
Autopilot - Autoflight Logic

Version 3.0 (which includes Waypoint Mode) is currently pending App Store approval from Apple. Apple has indicated that no reviews will be happening between Dec 22-29 for Christmas break. If you want early access, you are welcome to sign up for the beta on our home page.

Thanks for that. I was just watching the training videos on YouTube and it looks pretty awesome. I will be purchasing shortly.

 

[Tallyrver]

I just did my first flight with Autopilot using orbit. Not for the faint of heart is all I can say! I picked a large oak tree as the focal point,set the height to 150 ft and the circle to 80 .l raised the Phantom to about 10 ft. And hit the launch button....I wasn't expecting how fast she tore out of there, i was so excited I forgot to hit the record button.
I let it make two rounds then hit disengage and return to home. Wow!

 

[Hangar]

AP does not allow this given its custom flight controller is in the app, but unlike Litchi, it does allow real-time flight path modification. AP flight controller has supports moving flight paths which can gets interesting when operating a Waypoint w/ Follow-me aircraft and gimbal movements.

Using a custom flight controller also allows Autopilot to offer other unique features such as true Bézier curves (not just corner rounding), and combined flight control Mission Types like Joystick and Mark. This is all now documented in Flight School here.

Gimbal Twitching especially when approaching low altitude flyover WP/FP. This appears to be due to gradual altitude adjustment from WP @200ft to WP @100ft.

Thank you confirming this - we saw it a few times during our own internal testing. This was actually due to a rounding issue in the code and it has been corrected in build 67. We are pulling back 66 from review to make sure this fix makes it in 3.0.

 

[2nd2non]

Thank you confirming this - we saw it a few times during our own internal testing. This was actually due to a rounding issue in the code and it has been corrected in build 67. We are pulling back 66 from review to make sure this fix makes it in 3.0.

Ran two comparison flights between build 66 and 67. I can confirm Gimbal twitch is fixed in build 67. Thanks!

 

[John Locke]

I sure hope more training videos are planned for AP. Flight school text is crazy long but very little actual instruction, mostly definitions, capability statements and disclaimers. The interface of AP isn't very intuitive IMHO. It looks capable of amazing things but feels like I need a PHD in aeronautics to use it ;-)

 

[2nd2non]

I sure hope more training videos are planned for AP. Flight school text is crazy long but very little actual instruction, mostly definitions, capability statements and disclaimers. The interface of AP isn't very intuitive IMHO. It looks capable of amazing things but feels like I need a PHD in aeronautics to use it ;-)

In my review, I mention it's 'like learning a new language'. But once you know it, you see what is possible. If you don't need the complex cinematic scripting or advanced maneuvers, then you are probably better off with a less powerful, but effective app like Litchi. It's all in what you need and the time you want to invest. For me- I started using this app b4 all the online tutorials or full blown flight plan. I've found its best to RTFM, test, RTFM again, test again. Sort of like you were supposed to do when you first got your quad [emoji6]. Others are able to jump right into the app and get going right away...I'm not one of these [emoji17].

 

[Hangar]

I sure hope more training videos are planned for AP. Flight school text is crazy long but very little actual instruction, mostly definitions, capability statements and disclaimers. The interface of AP isn't very intuitive IMHO. It looks capable of amazing things but feels like I need a PHD in aeronautics to use it ;-)

We have an extensive catalogue of tutorial videos here, have you watched all of them? If so, is there something else you were looking for us to cover?

 

[Wacker2611]

I like the look of Autopilot very much, but one of Litchis biggest pluses is the fact that it will complete a mission even if all the signal is lost. I'd really miss that.

 

[2nd2non]

I like the look of Autopilot very much, but one of Litchis biggest pluses is the fact that it will complete a mission even if all the signal is lost. I'd really miss that.

You can't even fly FPV if signal is lost. I used Litchi to fly around a mountain and must admit it was nerve racking not seeing the bird or its view. If the flight errors out for some reason, you're hosed. Also in the U.S. given the registration requirement and confirmation to "fly VLOS", this gets tricky [emoji6].

 

[Wacker2611]

You can't even fly FPV if signal is lost. I used Litchi to fly around a mountain and must admit it was nerve racking not seeing the bird or its view. If the flight errors out for some reason, you're hosed. Also in the U.S. given the registration requirement and confirmation to "fly VLOS", this gets tricky [emoji6].

Agreed, but I like the security that when, on rare(ish) occasions that I do lose signal for a few moments, that assuming I've kept my powder dry and done my homework with elevations etc the thing will complete and come back. If there was some sort of catastrophic failure no amount of fpv will help you (bird strikes, battery failure etc).

 

[Hangar]

Agreed, but I like the security that when, on rare(ish) occasions that I do lose signal for a few moments, that assuming I've kept my powder dry and done my homework with elevations etc the thing will complete and come back. If there was some sort of catastrophic failure no amount of fpv will help you (bird strikes, battery failure etc).

If you are planning a mission where you expect signal loss and RTH would cause the aircraft to run into something like a mountain, please don't use Autopilot. For the majority of your missions (you said this was rare(ish)), use Autopilot to create sequences that aren't possible with anything else! We just updated Flight School with a table that clearly lays out what features are unique to Autopilot Waypoint Mode relative to other products that use the SDK implementation. Click here to read more.

 

[Wacker2611]

If you are planning a mission where you expect signal loss and RTH would cause the aircraft to run into something like a mountain, please don't use Autopilot. For the majority of your missions (you said this was rare(ish)), use Autopilot to create sequences that aren't possible with anything else! We just updated Flight School with a table that clearly lays out what features are unique to Autopilot Waypoint Mode relative to other products that use the SDK implementation. Click here to read more.

Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely be buying it! I've seen the feature set and your app looks brilliant and definitely offers more depth and options.

 

[John Locke]

We have an extensive catalogue of tutorial videos here, have you watched all of them? If so, is there something else you were looking for us to cover?

No, but I definitely will. I didn't know they existed. I've been reading all of the flight school text. May I suggest you put the training video link at the beginning of the flight school? Or did I miss it somehow?

When do you expect 3.0 with way-points to be released? Jan 3 or thereabouts?

 

[Tom Whitnah]

Is there any way to base the speed of a waypoint flight on the location of the remote. I've been recording courses with DJI Go for mountain unicycling and find i often get a head or behind the part of the course that is being filmed at that time and some sort of virtual tether to control progress along a course would help a lot.