Litchi question: ORBIT

Not A Speck Of Cereal · Nov 10, 2018

(or even DJI Go, but I don't think it does this)

I need a feature much like the DJI POI rotate feature, but rather than have the UAV pointed at the POI, I need it to point at a fixed point at some distance from the POI.

Example:
-- POI is at point A,
-- UAV is 30 feet from POI going in circles
-- UAV Operator is 80 feet from POI
-- UAV is always pointed at Operator as circles the POI

Best I can find from the litchi docs is to be in ORBIT mode and have the HEADING param be "manual", hence:

Help - Litchi

"Heading Mode: Defines the orientation of the aircraft while orbiting. Can be set to "Center", "Along the circle (Forward)", "Along the circle (Backward)", "Outwards" or "User Controlled (Manual)". The heading can be changed in real-time using the left joystick (mode 2). Push the joystick to the left to turn left, and to the right to turn right. "

I suppose that will do, but it requires always looking at the screen to point the orientation and manually move it as it rotates in orbit. I would prefer to spend more time eyeballing the craft as it rotates, because I want it to orbit an object, which I don't want to crash into.

Thanks for any feedback, including how I might be able to do this with some other app / method.

Chris

MapMaker53 · Nov 10, 2018

I'm a bit confused. POI is "Point Of Interest", which is what the camera points to and films. You say that you want it to circle a POI and point the camera at the drone operator. But then the drone operator would be the POI.

Sounds like you need to set up a waypoint mission consisting of multiple points in a circle, as many times as you wish the craft to circle an imaginary point (your "Point A") on the ground. Adjust the smooth turning radius so that the mission simulates a circle as best as possible around it. Establish where the operator will be standing and set a POI at that point. Then aim the camera direction for each waypoint at the POI. Naturally, this requires that the operator just stand in one place.

Unfortunately, only in the Tracking mode (that I know of) will the camera automatically track the pilot or other object -- but you can't set up a POI, radius of flight, or waypoints in that mode.

Not A Speck Of Cereal · Nov 10, 2018

Yeah, I'm using POI as "center point of circle", even though the operator is sort of the camera's point of interest. POI in cartography terms is a point on the map. I want to circle that coord while pointing at a fixed object outside of the diameter of the orbit.

Your waypoint mission is a great idea. If I remember right, the smooth turning radius may need tweaking before it does what I need, but I think your idea is solid, so I'll give it a try.

Thanks, Chris