Creating Complex Waypoint Flight Plans for The Air 3 and the Mavic 3

[Conservative Nihilist]

I have Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro, and soon Air 3S I don't see they are compatible with Litchi.

This is correct. The Air 3 and Mavic 3 family of drones are not directly compatible with Lichi, BUT the conversion utility created by DJ Barris makes it possible to transcribe saved Litchi waypoint missions into DJI Fly format waypoint missions whereby waypoint missions can be created with Litchi, then converted to DJI Fly waypoint flight plans that WILL be compatible with the Air 3, and Mavic 3 drones.

Whether or not the Air 3S can also fly such converted waypoint flight plans in DJI Fly remains to be seen once that model is released today, October 15th, 2024.

 

[Wavepilot Aerial]

Perhaps someone knowledgeable in this thread can help me convert a Litchi waypoint flight to a Mavic 3 Pro waypoint flight using Wes Barris's Litchi to DJI Fly converter. I have successfully downloaded Wes's converted KMZ file, but when trying to import it into the DJI Fly app my DJI RC, I can't find the "waypoint" folder in the Android directory as he instructs. There is a mention of enabling USB debugging to find the "waypoint" directory, but I can't find that option either. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Conservative Nihilist]

DJ Barris can be reached at the Litchi forum and he will be able to address any questions that arise in the use of the waypoint mission translator he created. This is the link to his page at that forum, which I strongly advise that you join to benefit from the wealth of knowledge made available there by the developers of Litchi and other knowledgeable users of that versatile product.

wesbarris

I have been flying using Litchi since 2017. I primarily use Litchi to capture video using waypoint missions with smooth turns. I have created several web applications to augment Litchi missions. I use DaVinci Resolve to edit the captured video into its final form.

forum.flylitchi.com

 

[Wavepilot Aerial]

DJ Barris can be reached at the Litchi forum and he will be able to address any questions that arise in the use of the waypoint mission translator he created. This is the link to his page at that forum, which I strongly advise that you join to benefit from the wealth of knowledge made available there by the developers of Litchi and other knowledgeable users of that versatile product.

wesbarris

I have been flying using Litchi since 2017. I primarily use Litchi to capture video using waypoint missions with smooth turns. I have created several web applications to augment Litchi missions. I use DaVinci Resolve to edit the captured video into its final form.

forum.flylitchi.com

Thanks, Conservative Nihilist. I just posted on the Litchi Forum.

 

[riterb97]

Just a few minutes ago I stumbled on a waypoint creation utility that allows owners of DJI Fly-based drones to create highly complex waypoint flight plans on their laptop or desktop and then transfer such waypoint sequences to the dedicated RC Pro Controller. The free version of this utility greatly simplifies the process of creating waypoint missions for DJI Fly-based drones, and the $15 monthly subscription version adds several more useful and time-saving functionalities.

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Above is the website offering this groundbreaking waypoint creation tool for DJI Fly, and below is the link to a YouTube video published by the college students who created this versatile product that many newer DJI drone owners will find immensely useful. Even the gimbal tilt angle can be customized for each waypoint with this new product, and that is a step beyond the capabilities of Litchi, which only works with DJI GO4 and earlier drones.

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Virtually all the drone flying I do is waypoint missions, and the main reason I haven't thus far been inclined to buy a DJI Air 3 has been the complicated user interface that was the only option available for creating waypoint flight plans directly on the RC Pro controller. Now that highly detailed waypoint flight plans can be created on a laptop and then transposed into a usable form on the RC controller which can then upload the waypoint sequence to the drone before takeoff, I might bite the bullet and buy an Air 3.

I am curious to hear whether other visitors to this forum have ever encountered this time-saving waypoint-generating utility, and if so, how their experience has been in flying missions created with this method. Either way, this is an amazing product whose time has come, and whose introduction will surely win over many older drone owners who have been toying with the idea of adding an Air 3 or Mavic 3 to their drone fleet.

I have tried it and delete it soon after. It's a very basic program with a lot of short comings. I will not trust my waypoint flights with the date from this program. I also thought it's an excellent idea, but that was it. But be your own judge rather.

Regards

 

[Conservative Nihilist]

I have tried it and delete it soon after. It's a very basic program with a lot of short comings. I will not trust my waypoint flights with the date from this program. I also thought it's an excellent idea, but that was it. But be your own judge rather.

Regards

I'm afraid I agree with your findings, Riter. My enthusiasm for this product also waned as soon as it dawned on me that it is NOT a waypoint flight planning utility as suggested by its name, but is purely and exclusively a MAPPING utility for creating Orthomosaic and 3D maps of a localized area.

While I am interested in 3D mapping and will try my hand at that genre of drone operations eventually, my primary interest in all drones, for now, is flying long waypoint missions that typically travel over 6 miles from the launch point since BVLOS flights are legal where I reside.

Mapping with drones is an entirely different operation from autonomous waypoint mission planning. Any drone-related product whose advertisement fails to make the distinction between mapping and waypoint flying is engaging in deceptive advertising. The only reason I decided not to delete this entire discussion thread has been to see whether I have missed something obvious, such that another forum contributor might point out how to fly actual waypoint missions with this product.

 

[Facherty]

I feel that the Litchi Mission Utilities site is the best way for me to deploy waypoint missions. Clearly Litchi itself is never going to run on the Air 3, despite the Air 3 being able to store the waypoints on its internal memory.

Unfortunately, DJI has provided no real substitute for Litchi to allow an easy user interface to make and preview programmed flights. The idea of flying the route first, capturing waypoints, seems silly: without an easy way to edit the waypoints to include actions and Points of Interest, it is no fun at all.

In contrast, Litchi allows editing of all the key parameters in the mission, and via other utilities you can preview the mission on Google Earth. Unfortunately, you will be left with a great mission that the Air 3 will never fly.

That's where Litchi Mission Utilities comes in: use Litchi Mission to DJI Fly or Pilot 2 Waypoints. This tool re-creates the mission using DJI's instruction set, and allows you to replace a DJI limited "mission" with your carefully crafted and rehearsed mission.

Perhaps best of all, it's free - a donation is asked for, and that's it.