Now that 2019 is coming to a close and DroneDeploy is about to release their Fall update we thought it would be helpful to look at existing issues and feature requests that are still hanging around. After discussions at the conference it is understood that many of these are either complicated processes or at the mercy of the DJI SDK, but we as the community are here to help as best as we can. I know there are several of us that wouldn’t mind sacrificing a drone in the name of progress.
There is a poll for Feature Requests a couple of lines down. Please pick your top 2 to 5 wants and needs! If you have an idea that is not on the list message me and we will discuss adding it to the list.
Also, a big KUDOS! to the DroneDeploy Team for knocking out a large portion of the most requested features with the new release!
Bugs and Existing Functionality Improvements
Mavic 2 Pro Video Feed Blackout
Phantom 4 Pro Image Skipping/Uneven Spacing
Large Map Export Failure (Memory Allotment)
Linear Flight Plan Optimization
Multiple Points of Interest for Video and Progress Photos
Organization User Sorting
Organization User Groups
Deleting Existing Exports
Easier Reprocessing of GCP’s and Checkpoints
DJI Flight Log Integration
Elevation Profile - Along the bottom of the Map and in the Report like Google Earth. It needs to show show the Elevation/Location on the EP graph and the Distance line.
Elevation Profile Along a Mutisegment Distance - The current EP only is shown the the Distance is one segment, we need to see them along the entire path of the distance or Add a EP Tool by itself (may be a better choice).
Spiral Flight Path - Have the following user settings: Point of Interest (POI), Start Elevation, End Elevation, Radius, Vertical Rotation (for every 360 degrees the drone goes up X amount of Ft/Meters), Camera Angle (normally 0 degrees, but could be tilted up if camera allowed), Last Lap Camera Angle (Once Done angle the camera down for Obligue angle). This would be used for Elevated Water tanks, Antennas, Windmills, etc
Linear Flight Path - I know the new release will be addressing this but currently I don’t know what it looks like. If it doesn’t have these settings add them, Allow the user to draw the path (can be miles) and Auto break it up into small missions by X amount of linear feet/meters (ex: 1600 feet) and each segment will have proper overlap into the next mission (can be be 100% overlap or a finger joint overlap). Allow the user to choose how far out from the centerline to go left and right individually (Ex: the user may fly 100’ to left and 50’ to the right).
Additional Flight Paths - Paths that could be used for videos and/or abnormal flight paths.
These are just a few items that would help the DD users. I will add more as I remember them.
I wasn’t able to update the poll so I have recreated it. Pick 2 to 5 items. We will run with what we currently have, but suggestions are still welcome and will be added to the OP when dealing with changes to existing functionality.
Feature Request Poll
Terrain Following
Pro and Business Plan Client Accounts with Editing
Per Project Pricing
Line Elevation Profile Bottom Location and Tracking Indicator
Polyline (multiple point line) Profiles w/ Bottom Location
I am not a DD employee and this is a culmination of what has actually been discussed in the forums. Despite how great we think the P4RTK and M210RTK are they are not practice for most users, especially the 210. Both are held back by DJI’s own design. As for GCP’s if you are getting by without them then good for you, but they are still the industry standard for true ground accuracy and certifiable work.
Having a ‘smarter’ crosshatch mission type that stops taking oblique shots once they include land beyond the mission’s perimeter box, or at a minimum, be able to intervene during the mission and tell the drone to continue to the next waypoint at a decent speed without taking any further pictures. Once on the next waypoint start taking pictures again. I reckon I end up taking a few hundred pictures that simply aren’t necessary or of the subject, meaning tens of minutes of wasted battery time.
Be able to continue from where the last photo was taken rather than the last completed waypoint, or again at minimum, integrate additional waypoints within the straight so that the extent of duplication is kept to a minimum, again limiting the amount of precious battery time wasted.
Not that I’m overly hopeful now, but add the toggles already designed in the standard mission to the progress reports to allow us to manage the exposure and focus settings. Shouldn’t be a lot to ask.
I have a KML file (or CSV), which has in it coordinates (Id1/Lat1/Lon1/Alt1, Id2/Lat2/Lon2/Alt2…etc.) that I generated and would like to know if there is a possibility to upload the file to the Drone via the DroneDeploy App so it will fly from point-to-point and pause at each point for taking an image ?
Good luck on #1. You basically have to stop the alliance short and one direction go past the boundary and then shoot really coming back the other direction. In the Yuneec Datapilot it’s a setting for a shorter longer turnaround. This is why there’s a crosshatch, so that you’re catching that line that you’re crossing. It becomes even though define properties as well. What we really need is an inside out scan, Opposite of structure scan.
For #2 multi-battery missions are supposed to behave differently. I haven’t flown one yet so I am not sure on this one. #3 have you tried manual flight?
My first thought would be Litchi. You can import the CSV into Google Earth and make a KML. Import the KML into Litchi and fine tune from there. If you are looking at specific objects it should be easily to place the points of interest, but if you are shooting an area, like aerials of an entire construction site it will take a couple of dry runs to get the horizontally and vertical positions on the POI’s right. There are other occasions where the waypoints can be set, but I manually fly to them and line up different perspectives each time.
Can you share a little more about the project and end goal?
I have the KML file containing the points. I tried to upload them into DD App via the “Import KML or SHP” but it only accepts polygon KML files. I imported the KML file into Google Earth and it appeared OK.
I am not familiar with Litchi. Is it free ?
I am not sure if DD has a “Point-to-Point” feature so the drone can move to these points.
I can manually fly from one post to another, but how to get the KML into the App ?
It is for flying from one post to another and pausing and taking some images.
Correct, DD only accepts polygons at this point. Litchi does as well as paths and points, but it turns them all into a traditional point-to-point flight. It is $24-25 and worth it’s weight in gold for its versatility.
In Litchi you can be flying and planning a mission at the same time. So I manually fly what I want and set the waypoints at my positions. Then if desired I can set the POI’s and dry-run to get them right or just manually control the yaw and pitch of the camera. The granular control of the points allows you to control horizontal, vertical and heading of each waypoint independently as well and the position and vertical of each POI.