Mini 2 Photo Spheres?

[Frosty Of The North]

With the Mavic Mini's 360 sphere mode, how do you turn the resulting DNG images into a equirectangular photo sphere? It sounds like the DJI Go app does the stitching in-app, but the Mini's DJI Fly app doesn't?

 

[flyboy73]

I can't speak for the Mavic Mini, but this solution has worked well for me with the DJI Spark and Mavic Air 2. There is an app called Tiny Planets that is available in the Mac App Store, and possibly with the PC platform as well. Is this the sort of thing you were thinking of?

 

[phantomi]

You can also use Microsoft ICE app

 

[Frosty Of The North]

I can't speak for the Mavic Mini, but this solution has worked well for me with the DJI Spark and Mavic Air 2. There is an app called Tiny Planets that is available in the Mac App Store, and possibly with the PC platform as well. Is this the sort of thing you were thinking of?

Thanks for the answer, but that's not what I'm looking to do. A photo sphere is particular type of JPG that can be used for 360 degree panoramas that can be used by Facebook and other apps. Here's a ground-level (i.e. non-aerial) example of what I need to create: 2020-11-15 Photo Sphere Example.jpg.

 

[Frosty Of The North]

You can also use Microsoft ICE app

Yep, I did try ICE but the results weren't very good.

 

[Frosty Of The North]

It looks like Josiah2011's post was removed. I specifically want to use a sub-250g drone for this purpose, so I need to figure out the best workflow for the Mini 2.

 

[EyesWideShut]

@Frosty Of The North - Litchi has a great panorama mode and a beta version for the mini (not the mini 2) and not for Android so far. It has a custom mode where you tell how many rows/columns you want and an quick 360 mode where it automatically takes 22 photos and stiches them in low resolution from the cache photos while you're still flying, they are shot and stitched in less than a minute. You can view the 360 right away as a flat pano, a tiny planet or in Litchi's sphere viewer and ready to export to Facebook etc.

In low res it's so quick and easy due to the small file size. It also has options to download and stitch the medium or high res versions if you want to do it on your phone and if it has enough processing power. One of the great modes in Litchi. Another is Follow and I often use FPV with goggles so I can clearly see the device's screen without glare from the sun etc. and the immersion effect of flying. You can tilt the camera gimbal and look down by tilting your head. But that's really getting off your subject. Sorry.

 

[MiniMe2]

Hi,

You mentioned FPV goggles. I'm new to all this, and I've had some fun with the Mini and now the Mini 2, but I'd LOVE to add some FPV goggles into the mix. But when I look into it, it seems overly complicated. Could you please recommend a decent pair of goggles that would work with my Mini and Mini 2?

 

[karlblessing]

With the Mini 2 I would just use Microsoft ICE, set automatic mode, then when you get to stitch, set Stereographic with a -90 pitch to get the little planet look. It helps if you keep a lower height so that some of the taller stuff protrudes out into the sky.

I don't use the DNG from the Mini 2 though I wish I could, there's a bug where every DNG file has a different color/appearance in the upper left corner. But the Jpegs can still be used for stitching, but they're at most 3 megapixels in size when taken in the Panoramic mode.

The Litchi (Beta) app on the original mini can do the 360 degree capture with full size jpeg.

 

[dwallersv]

Hi,

You mentioned FPV goggles. I'm new to all this, and I've had some fun with the Mini and now the Mini 2, but I'd LOVE to add some FPV goggles into the mix. But when I look into it, it seems overly complicated. Could you please recommend a decent pair of goggles that would work with my Mini and Mini 2?

Litchi does FPV by displaying right/left images on your phone screen. You use a set of generic "smartphone" FPV goggles that mount the phone in front of your eyes with focusing lenses.

Do some searching. These "goggles" are ubiquitous, and cheap.

 

[MiniMe2]

Litchi does FPV by displaying right/left images on your phone screen. You use a set of generic "smartphone" FPV goggles that mount the phone in front of your eyes with focusing lenses.

Do some searching. These "goggles" are ubiquitous, and cheap.

Thank you. I have a pair of Google's Daydream View goggles. I guess I might be able to use them?

I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question, but, if I can put my phone (running Litchi) into those goggles, then how does the remote for the drone communicate with the phone (in the goggles)? Does it use Bluetooth to communicate with the remote controller? [I'll do some googling. Looks like this will be helpful:

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[DanMan32]

With the Mavic Mini's 360 sphere mode, how do you turn the resulting DNG images into a equirectangular photo sphere? It sounds like the DJI Go app does the stitching in-app, but the Mini's DJI Fly app doesn't?

Actually the AC does the stitching in firmware. Otherwise it would have to download all the high resolution photos to the phone for the app to process, then upload the result back to the AC so it would be on the SD card. It would take quite a while to do it that way.

 

[dwallersv]

Thank you. I have a pair of Google's Daydream View goggles. I guess I might be able to use them?

I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question, but, if I can put my phone (running Litchi) into those goggles, then how does the remote for the drone communicate with the phone (in the goggles)? Does it use Bluetooth to communicate with the remote controller? [I'll do some googling. Looks like this will be helpful:

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You're gonna beat yourself senseless after I answer:

Longer USB cable. 3ft works pretty good.

 

[Frosty Of The North]

@Frosty Of The North - Litchi has a great panorama mode and a beta version for the mini (not the mini 2) and not for Android so far. It has a custom mode where you tell how many rows/columns you want and an quick 360 mode where it automatically takes 22 photos and stiches them in low resolution from the cache photos while you're still flying, they are shot and stitched in less than a minute. You can view the 360 right away as a flat pano, a tiny planet or in Litchi's sphere viewer and ready to export to Facebook etc.

In low res it's so quick and easy due to the small file size. It also has options to download and stitch the medium or high res versions if you want to do it on your phone and if it has enough processing power. One of the great modes in Litchi. Another is Follow and I often use FPV with goggles so I can clearly see the device's screen without glare from the sun etc. and the immersion effect of flying. You can tilt the camera gimbal and look down by tilting your head. But that's really getting off your subject. Sorry.

Drats! Just when I'm selling my Mini now that I have a Mini 2. That sounds ideal if it supported the Mini 2. (I fly with an iPad for now worries about Android.)

Have you heard any rumors about Litchi support for the Mini 2? How difficult is it to get up to speed flying with the Litchi app instead of DJI Fly?

 

[DanMan32]

Litchi can't support MA2 or MM2 until DJI produces an SDK for them.

 

[TDZHDTV]

With the Mavic Mini's 360 sphere mode, how do you turn the resulting DNG images into a equirectangular photo sphere? It sounds like the DJI Go app does the stitching in-app, but the Mini's DJI Fly app doesn't?

You can view this in the Fly app album once you’ve Bluetooth downloaded it from the Mini 2 to your device

 

[Frosty Of The North]

Litchi can't support MA2 or MM2 until DJI produces an SDK for them.

Here's hoping that's soon.

 

[Frosty Of The North]

You can view this in the Fly app album once you’ve Bluetooth downloaded it from the Mini 2 to your device

I'll look at that, thanks.

 

[Bobell69]

With the Mavic Mini's 360 sphere mode, how do you turn the resulting DNG images into a equirectangular photo sphere? It sounds like the DJI Go app does the stitching in-app, but the Mini's DJI Fly app doesn't?

I dont believe the sphere mode capn be programmed to produce dng files. I can only get jpgs with my mini 2

 

[MiniMe2]

You're gonna beat yourself senseless after I answer:

Longer USB cable. 3ft works pretty good.

After 10 days of beating myself senseless looking for a 3-foot cable, I'm prepared to throw in the towel. If Amazon.ca has such a thing, I'd loooooove to know about it. I've ordered two different cables so far (one and two) but neither allow for a connection between my rc and my Pixel 3XL phone.

I've ordered a third (to which I will add a microUSB-to-USB-C adapter) and am awaiting delievery, but my faith is shaken and I am completely psychologically prepared for another mildly expensive failure.

If there is a kind soul out there who can point me to a place where I can purchase a 3' cable that can successfully connect my Mavic Mini's remote controller to my Android phone, I would be immensely grateful.

Thanks for reading!