Litchi and gimbal angles flying waypoints and POI's

[Bill Brannen]

I cannot get my P3P or my P4 to angle down enough to pick up my POI. It will not go at a steep enough angle to get the video I expect. I've tried everything I can try including setting the POI a -600 feet. It just won't angle down enough. This is very disappointing.

I'm trying to get a video of a golf driving range. I'm flying at 250 feet about 300 (900 ft) yards from the range. The POI is set at the place where golfers hit balls and I'm flying directly down range looking back in the golfers club face.

What can I do to fix!! HELP


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Bill Brannen]

Funny that not a single person knows the answer to this question?

I don't know why I joined such a lame group of Phantom fliers. Seems like everybody is crashing and wondering why they need to buy a better drone. Very disappointing.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[jiggyb21]

Are you leaving the waypoint set to POI or are you switching it back to Interpolate?

What angle does Litchi say the gimbal should be to get the shot when the POI is set to the correct altitude?

Does it simply not reach that angle?

Sent from my SM-N930F using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Bill Brannen]

Thanks for a reply! There are 3 specific waypoints that focus on 1 POI. The are all set to focus POI. It just doesn't go far enough on the angle to see the POI even if it is set at -600 ft? Just doesn't make sense. Bill


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Bill Brannen]

POI Angles. 64 66 68


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Bill Brannen]

The 3 key waypoints are aimed at the POI and just don't go down low enough. No interpolation


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[jiggyb21]

I started using litchi as soon as it came out. When it did the settings worked a little differently. POI basically didn't work at all and was just used to set the aircraft angles and then you would change to interpolate. My workflow is/was this:

-Place all the waypoints, then POI points.
-Set altitude of all waypoints, then POI points using the addition or subtraction from the given altitude of the first waypoint.
(Now here's the stuff)
-At each waypoint I choose the gimbal action POI and choose the numbered POI from the drop down. This will let Litchi select the proper aircraft and gimbal angles. Then toggle the action from POI back to Interpolate. It will leave the angles in place but now use an interpolate function at the waypoint. Leaving it on POI simply would not work in the past. I have kept this practice because I am used to it. I understand now, my method should be obsolete as, correct me if I'm wrong, POI is suppose to smoothly yaw the aircraft and gimbal angles as it moves from point to point?
Having said that, I have flown 100s of successful waypoint missions using Litchi and about a week ago I did have a similar thing happen to me. Manually changing the angle fixed it for me. In other words Litvhi is telling you 65...try changing it to 75 and see what happens. The fact that all 3 waypoints fail to tilt the gimbal enough makes me think it can be fixed in a setting.

NOTE- if you try my technique, you need to change all the points. Interpolate only works if the waypoint before/after it are also set to interpolate.

I know I gave you more info than necessary but I always like to leave a thorough reply for someone looking for an answer in the future.

Sent from my SM-N930F using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Bill Brannen]

Correct... the angles Litchi reaches are not enough.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Bill Brannen]

Thanks very much. I did try to manually set the three gimbal angles. You gave me a lot to work with and try.

Much Appreciated

Bill


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Bill Brannen]

LOL. you did leave me much to chew on!


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Pharm]

Just read your second post. Interesting, but poor attitude. This "lame group of Phantom fliers" helps a lot of people. You're quite lucky anyone even answered you after that selfish comment.

In any case, I've flown almost the exact same scenario with Litchi with no problems. Make sure POI is set in the main settings AND in each waypoint. If you don't solve it and I come up with a solution, I'll post it IF I have time.

 

[Bill Brannen]

I'm very sorry about what I said. At 70 years old it's been hard to find answers anywhere that seem to help. Please accept my apology.




Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Bill Brannen]

When you say main settings do you mean mission settings?

I've gone through 17 waypoints and 3 did not have Focus POI. One was at the end and 2 were on the flight to the site. At the site there were 3 key Focus POI's to get the shot needed.

The three shots were at close to the same altitude but the actual ground underneath them is 40 feet higher than the launch point.

Maybe if I bring the POI to 40 feet above could be the clue? Not sure? You think if it's 40 ft higher it would be shooting at a lower (steeper) angle because of the default 3 ft above POI.

I fly the drone on a 17000 foot mission with the three main waypoints about 90 feet apart.

Your input would be greatly appreciated.




Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[Bill Brannen]

Lastly I've flown the mission with a P3P and a P4 with the same result.

I do golf courses from a strategy perspective and this problem arises doing particular angle shots.

I'm wondering if it could be a bad alogorithm? I'm a ME by trade but too old to do those equations!


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[jiggyb21]

I believe Pharm did mean "mission settings", yes.
I assume you understand this but I will just say it anyway. (I don't think this can be your problem based on what you've said). The altitude at the first waypoint you set becomes the base by which all subsequent waypoints and POIs are calculated from. You would generally like to take the altitude of the first waypoint and add to it the increase/decrease in elevation at the POI. Of course, in your situation, it would only decrease the gimbal pitch resulting in an even higher camera angle. You mention the waypoints being just 90' apart. What is your aircraft speed? I have definitely had Litchi somewhat abandon a gimbal command when "it" deems the distance too short for the speed. If it doesn't rain here tomorrow I will try to replicate your issue. You have already given the angles at which Litchi has told you the gimbal would be. Can you also give me the aircraft height, speed and the height of all of the POIs and Waypoints.

Last question and most important!!! Is the aircraft still in radio contact with the RC at these waypoints??

 

[jiggyb21]

Better yet, share the route with me. That would easily be the best way to figure out what is wrong. Go to Litchi Mission Hub on your computer, click "MISSION" on the bottom left and locate the mission. Right-Click on the little chain links and paste the link here. If you want to keep it private just message me with the link. Without doing that, everything else is speculation.

 

[Bill Brannen]

Will do jiggyb21. I haven't used the mission hub much.

I think you are on to something. They are curved turns set to cruise speed of 23mph they are 298 ft 246 ft then 27ft high. They are 117 and 131 ft spacings. So they are moving too fast to reach down. The outside two are moving to the correct position but when the center goes down the POI is not reached at all.

I'm not connected to my remote when it is flying most of the mission.

I think I can slow down the mission entering and leaving the 3 core waypoints. Maybe that's what's causing the problem?

Bill

Bill Brannen
275 Summerfield Dr
Alpharetta,GA 30022
[email protected]
678-641-7697 cell
770-475-2077 home




Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[jiggyb21]

Will do jiggyb21. I haven't used the mission hub much.

I think you are on to something. They are curved turns set to cruise speed of 23mph they are 298 ft 246 ft then 27ft high. They are 117 and 131 ft spacings. So they are moving too fast to reach down. The outside two are moving to the correct position but when the center goes down the POI is not reached at all.

I'm not connected to my remote when it is flying most of the mission.

I think I can slow down the mission entering and leaving the 3 core waypoints. Maybe that's what's causing the problem?

Bill

Bill Brannen
275 Summerfield Dr
Alpharetta,GA 30022
[email protected]
678-641-7697 cell
770-475-2077 home




Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

So here's the thing then....Litchi needs to be connected to the RC in order to control the gimbal while using POI mode. In POI mode, the RC controls the gimbal in real time. If you set the mission up the way I described before (changing all waypoint actions from POI to Interpolate- it can be done as the very last step of your route plan) the gimbal angles are uploaded at the start of the mission and will work even when the RC loses communication. There is a thread on here somewhere......

Read carefully "Gimbal Pitch". While it isn't crystal clear you can see that using interpolate, the aircraft gets the commands at the onset of the mission.

 

[jiggyb21]

A piece of advice. It is far easier to begin your mission planning using the mission hub. Imperative really. On the computer, once you place the first waypoint, every waypoint or POI thereafter will tell you exactly how the elevation has changed in relation to the first. It will actually say "XXX feet above/below 1st waypoint" See screenshot.

 

[GhostRdrTat]

Funny that not a single person knows the answer to this question?

I don't know why I joined such a lame group of Phantom fliers. Seems like everybody is crashing and wondering why they need to buy a better drone. Very disappointing.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

With an attitude like that would you expect many responses? There are some very knowledgeable helpful and friendly veteran fliers on this site that are more than willing to take time out of their schedule to help other fliers learn and grow, they love sharing their knowledge and experience. A little courtesy goes along way.