Waypoints

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I appreciate the the new firmware and DJI GO app updates. The waypoint mission mode still need to improve

I would like to use a map to ad waypoints or copy and past coordinates to plan my mission.

For now, you can only record waypoints while flying. This allow you to repeat missions and not create missions.
 
Yeah, I find it pretty annoying too because the initial fight to get the waypoints just drains the battery for no reason.
 
Frogbone, I do not see an autoflight app in the iOs app store. The Auto Pilot app is not updated yet to support Phantom 3. I will try Litchi, although I like ios devices.
 
I appreciate the the new firmware and DJI GO app updates. The waypoint mission mode still need to improve

I would like to use a map to ad waypoints or copy and past coordinates to plan my mission.

For now, you can only record waypoints while flying. This allow you to repeat missions and not create missions.
I agree!!! I'm glad I kept my P2 Vision plus. questioning my purchase on my P3P.
 
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Frogbone, I do not see an autoflight app in the iOs app store. The Auto Pilot app is not updated yet to support Phantom 3. I will try Litchi, although I like ios devices.

Autopilot won't have waypoints on release. They are working on it
 
I think their aim is to have a easy to fly platform for aerial video and photography, I am not sure full blown mission planning is necessarily suitable for either so they designed it to fly a route, scope out what you want to record and then fly that route again while allowing you to focus on the video capture. One saving grace is the ability to save the route so you can land, add another battery and go fly it again.

What is the appeal of route planning and flying long waypoint missions?
 
I think their aim is to have a easy to fly platform for aerial video and photography, I am not sure full blown mission planning is necessarily suitable for either so they designed it to fly a route, scope out what you want to record and then fly that route again while allowing you to focus on the video capture. One saving grace is the ability to save the route so you can land, add another battery and go fly it again.

What is the appeal of route planning and flying long waypoint missions?

Has anyone tried to 'repeat' a mission - as in the fly the mission setting waypoints, fly the mission itself, and then fly it again - all without landing. I find that after a mission has been flown the quad stops and hovers. How do I tell it to fly the mission again?
 
Yeah, I find it pretty annoying too because the initial fight to get the waypoints just drains the battery for no reason.

I've beta tested an app that lets you pre-program waypoints ahead of time. However, even though it's nice to take your time laying out a course without consuming the P3's battery power, I always found it nerve wracking when I let my P3 fly the pre-programmed course, and thus would make sure it was flying very high to clear any unseen obstacles that may be between the points. In fact, I found myself flying the proposed routes manually first--just to make sure I wasn't going to run into anything that wasn't apparently visible on the satellite image maps.

So there is a trade off, but I personally prefer flying the route manually myself so I can see what obstacles I might encounter along a given leg, especially when wanting to shoot scenes that are relatively low.

Yes, if all you plan to do is stay at 400' over a flat Kansas field, then pre-programming would be nice; but there is a legitimate use for programming on the fly--at least you're less likely to enter a typo altitude that buries your P3 into a flat piece of farmland.

Yes, pre-programming waypoints for surveys or SAR would be nice feature to have, but I wouldn't consider this current programming method to be a complete waste of battery power.
 
Has anyone tried to 'repeat' a mission - as in the fly the mission setting waypoints, fly the mission itself, and then fly it again - all without landing. I find that after a mission has been flown the quad stops and hovers. How do I tell it to fly the mission again?

It seems to auto save the waypoints so I just went back in to waypoints mode, hit the favourites button and selected the last auto saved 'mission'. There is an option to do different things after the waypoints are complete, not sure it has an option to fly again though.
 
It seems to auto save the waypoints so I just went back in to waypoints mode, hit the favourites button and selected the last auto saved 'mission'. There is an option to do different things after the waypoints are complete, not sure it has an option to fly again though.

That's what I ended up doing as well. Not serious, but it would have been nice to just press something like C1 or C2 to 'repeat'.
 
That's what I ended up doing as well. Not serious, but it would have been nice to just press something like C1 or C2 to 'repeat'.

Agreed, or I would like to be able to reverse and go back and forth in different directions. Auto flight Logics zip line has that ability, even though its limited to two points you can zip up and down that line until the battery runs dry if you wish.

Have to say though having used it just now in free mode where you control the camera direction I am really liking waypoints.
 
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I had the ground station pc software for my Phantom (that was when you could say phantom because there was only one version) It also required several hardware add-ons and cracking open the case, soldering wires and such. Unfortunately I never got to fly it after the upgrades but my impression then was that waypoints could be programmed before a flight but I'm unsure. However the waypoint scheme in the phantom 3 does seem a bit week-kneed. Personally I like to go in , get the shot and get it back. and leave. I'm sure there is a point to repeatedly flying the same route over and over, maybe for retakes while filming a feature or something but for the average Joe not so much. I'm also hoping for an upgrade but it's marvelous magic just as it is
 
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I've beta tested an app that lets you pre-program waypoints ahead of time. However, even though it's nice to take your time laying out a course without consuming the P3's battery power, I always found it nerve wracking when I let my P3 fly the pre-programmed course, and thus would make sure it was flying very high to clear any unseen obstacles that may be between the points. In fact, I found myself flying the proposed routes manually first--just to make sure I wasn't going to run into anything that wasn't apparently visible on the satellite image maps.

So there is a trade off, but I personally prefer flying the route manually myself so I can see what obstacles I might encounter along a given leg, especially when wanting to shoot scenes that are relatively low.

Yes, if all you plan to do is stay at 400' over a flat Kansas field, then pre-programming would be nice; but there is a legitimate use for programming on the fly--at least you're less likely to enter a typo altitude that buries your P3 into a flat piece of farmland.

Yes, pre-programming waypoints for surveys or SAR would be nice feature to have, but I wouldn't consider this current programming method to be a complete waste of battery power.


That's true. I'm not writing off this feature entirely. It's nice to be able to set the waypoints manually but I live on a lake and I know the whole thing very well by now. I know the altitude of the trees around me. What I wanted to do however is plot a course along the shore all the way around the lake above the water. I could safely plot that by clicking on the map and hitting GO, then sit back and focus on the image capture. But oh well, I'll just have to wait for a 3rd party app for something like that.
 
Why can't you just fly the route once concentrating on WHERE you want the drone to be at each waypoint and then bring her home and change the battery (or charge it and come back later) and then fly the mission and now concentrate on where you want the camera to be pointing?
Once the points are saved on the manual flight, you can replay that "mission" at any later time.
 
Why can't you just fly the route once concentrating on WHERE you want the drone to be at each waypoint and then bring her home and change the battery (or charge it and come back later) and then fly the mission and now concentrate on where you want the camera to be pointing?
Once the points are saved on the manual flight, you can replay that "mission" at any later time.


That's what I have been doing. It's the only way. It's obviously effective and the way to do when flying at a new site but with my phantom 2vision+ I was able to plot waypoints on a map before launch and set it on its way. I think this feature is handy and desirable and wish I had the option to do either, especially is well known areas.
 
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Yeah, I find it pretty annoying too because the initial fight to get the waypoints just drains the battery for no reason.
And wasting flying time - and not having ones eye on being a pilot.
Many have had a concept of waypoints far different to that at present achieved.
 

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