Does DJI Mavic Air work with Litchi now?

[Ross Gerami]

I returned my Mavic Air 2 a few months ago because because DJI didn't have that ISD link or whatever you call to work with DJI & Litchi

 

[lannes]

No it doesn’t work, DJI has not release the SDK for the Mavic Air 2 yet.

 

[zeusfl]

I guess that will take more time.

 

[Tony McDrone]

Here you go.

Litchi Support (VC Technology Ltd) 14 Sep 2020, 10:27 BST Hi, DJI has said they will add support for the Mavic Air 2 in a future SDK update towards the end of the year. This update is required for Litchi to support this drone. At the moment we don't have more details on which feature will be supported. Kind Regards, Litchi Online help at Help - Litchi

 

[Thmoore]

I have seen (here) repeatedly that DJI plans to release the MA2 SDK sometime this month (September), though I can't swear to that myself.

Another software company was able to wrap support for the Mavic Mini into their DroneLink software within a week or two when DJI released the Mini's SDK, which was pretty cool.

Looking forward to this development!

 

[Mitch]

When I replaced my Mavic platinum with the air 2, I’ve since dearly missed putting missions together. It’s fun flying using the sticks by my personal primary interest is creating and flying missions. As of late, my air 2 has been collecting dust. It would be nice if the SDK would come out before winter here in Ohio to salvage what’s left of this calendar years decent weather conditions.

 

[dawgpilot]

I have seen (here) repeatedly that DJI plans to release the MA2 SDK sometime this month (September), though I can't swear to that myself.

Another software company was able to wrap support for the Mavic Mini into their DroneLink software within a week or two when DJI released the Mini's SDK, which was pretty cool.

Looking forward to this development!

A DJI employee mentioned September being the release date several months ago on DJI's SDK GitHub. Supposedly now the estimate is just "by the end of the year", supposedly due to Covid, etc.

 

[Kyle76]

I used Dronelink on my Mini before I sold it. They were quick to add support after release of the Mini’s SDK. I look forward to the same for the MA2. I’ve already paid for it so just waiting for support.

 

[NLOL]

I'm mystified by this belief in a need for an sdk.

No doubt the Litchi program will have a nice user interface, be protective against some dumb/sloppy mistakes, and do some other things nicely too. However, now, right now, it is a simple matter to fly hyperlapse way point missions that you create off line. Just create a waypoint file in the normal fashion in flight, then, edit it to your liking.

This is no big thing - not very technical. If you don't believe me - are blinded by the nay sayers and their nonsense technical explanations, just do this. Download a reader for the file type (ie, it's dot extension) and look at the file - not hard to edit that - just be very careful to not enter same value that sends your aircraft to Never Return Land.

Oh, you also need to know, as several people here have said, the waypoints are expressed in radians. That's not a hard conversion.

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

I'm mystified by this belief in a need for an sdk.

No doubt the Litchi program will have a nice user interface, be protective against some dumb/sloppy mistakes, and do some other things nicely too. However, now, right now, it is a simple matter to fly hyperlapse way point missions that you create off line. Just create a waypoint file in the normal fashion in flight, then, edit it to your liking.

This is no big thing - not very technical. If you don't believe me - are blinded by the nay sayers and their nonsense technical explanations, just do this. Download a reader for the file type (ie, it's dot extension) and look at the file - not hard to edit that - just be very careful to not enter same value that sends your aircraft to Never Return Land.

Oh, you also need to know, as several people here have said, the waypoints are expressed in radians. That's not a hard conversion.

Thanks for posting. Would you be able to elaborate on the files that you refer to, perhaps attaching a sample? I wondered about the hyperlapse waypoints, also. Colleagues use Phantom 4 drones with Pix4D and strip photography. I have an Air 2 and have been awaiting the SDK, too, to get it on the same page. Cheers

 

[NLOL]

There are 2 threads here from about Aug 20 and Aug 23 subjects for one is Files, subject for other is waypoints. They should put you on the right track.

 

[NLOL]

I forgot to add - json genie is the file viewer/editor I'm using.

 

[Dave Maine]

You re confused about the role that the DJI SDK plays in the Litchi-DJI environment. Hyperlapse etc are functions inside the DJI system, and are not available to 3rd party software. Neither are the stick controls or much else.

Until DJI includes a SDK that exposes these controls to the world of 3rd party apps, there is no way for the 3rd party to input any control information into the drone, or get any feedback back. Think of it as an solid wall without an entry gate.

 

[NLOL]

More nonsense. Just edit the json file with the values you want and fly it.

 

[svenmarbles]

More nonsense. Just edit the json file with the values you want and fly it.

So like, what, fly it in the waypoint mode inside of the hyper lapse function? You can perform a full on 20mph 1.5mile distance waypoint mission this way?

 

[Pappy]

More nonsense. Just edit the json file with the values you want and fly it.

So what are the individual waypoint files for? Looks like they are binary files. They are referenced in the json file as "index", for example - "index":1597858205944

 

[Claretcass]

The development plan was for dji to release the Mini SDK in the 3rd Quarter which they did and the MA2 SDK in the 4th Quarter which they will do especially as sales of the MA2 have been very high they are struggling to meet demand and are aware that many 3rd party developers are waiting to update their apps.

 

[NLOL]

Yes. Hyperlapse waypoint missions are stored in the .json file for re-use. The waypoint file can be flown first to last or last to first- it has a max capacity over 40 waypoints. Waypoints are saved in radian format; unusual perhaps from a lat/long perspective but not a hard conversion.

People seem hung up on whether the file is hex/ascii/binary/etc. That technicality need not be understood or dealt with if you get a .json file editor such as json genie. All you need do then is figure out the fields in the records and be very very careful in editing/creating your files. Flying a mission and saving it as dji does has built in safeguards . Entering your own values could create a fatally flawed mission.