2 Pro Second shot alignment 6 months later

[RadioFlyerMan]

Awesome job! Very creative transitions. I'm sure it took plenty of planning and inventiveness.

Thanks... yes it did... it was frustrating at times... and I like doing weird stuff.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Simply the best video that i've seen on this forum. Thanks for sharing and giving others something to shoot for, although that target is very far away. Excellent.

Thanks!

 

[360 Guy]

I'm truly glad I joined this forum to see that transition video.
Like said............the best I've seen yet by an non pro, great job, please post more of your works.
A tip-o-the hat Captain.

 

[360 Guy]

A tip-o-the hat Captain.
Well done, have seen none better for a non pro.
Please post more of your works here anytime soon.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Beautifully done, loved the video. I can see I have much to learn.

I understand the challenge of aligning things. I use Litchi to repeat missions, but it is far from 100% repeatable with waypoint locations and headings I spend much time in post stretching aligning and cropping my images.

Yes, Waypoints is limited in it's accuracy when the same flight is repeated over and over. The biggest variable is the altitude. FYI, I've never tried Litchi, so I can't speak to that.

I used a variety of techniques for these transitions. My primary one was to plan ahead when I took the first shot in the winter time, figuring I would eventually put it in the video. At the beginning of the shot, I would do a screen capture of GO4, which had the gimbal angle, the direction of cross hairs, the altitude, etc. Then six months later, I would try to line things up by reviewing the screen shot on my phone and replicate it on the live view in GO4.

For older winter shots that I had no screen capture, I would play the raw clip and do a screen capture on my computer to show the field of view. Then I'd go to the location an try to replicate that point of view on GO4 while looking at the picture on my iPhone. That process was a challenge, and required a lot of return trips. The transition of the big tree from winter to full green leaves and blue sky was really difficult. Lots of clips that did not work.

The most accurate and pre-planned approach was the one I used on the last transition sequence in the video of the slow drop down on the barn. In the middle of winter, I planted a stake where I took the first shot. My neighbor was good enough to let me leave it there and had to mow around it until I took it out a few days ago! At 12 ft above the stake, I pointed the cross hairs at a corner of the barn roof, while keeping the gimbal at level. Then used Tripod mode to go up. Subsequent shots produced a four part transition. In post, all I had to do was to zoom in to 105% to accommodate any lateral adjustment. The transition sequence came out spot on.

My last approach was to just wing it with nothing other than my memory of approximately where and how I took the first shot. Sometimes it worked, sometime it didn't.

I have a lot more transition events planned for the video, but it was long enough, so they were cut.

Here's an example of a screen capture on the first shot that I used later to line up the second shot...

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

A tip-o-the hat Captain.
Well done, have seen none better for a non pro.
Please post more of your works here anytime soon.

Thanks, and will do. I've got a truly challenging idea for an upcoming movie rolling around in my head.

 

[fguthrie]

Like others have said - this is the best drone video I've ever seen!! Congrats!! Your transitions are flawless and beautiful. very cinematic! A+++

 

[Barbara]

Yes, Waypoints is limited in it's accuracy when the same flight is repeated over and over. The biggest variable is the altitude. FYI, I've never tried Litchi, so I can't speak to that.

I used a variety of techniques for these transitions. My primary one was to plan ahead when I took the first shot in the winter time, figuring I would eventually put it in the video. At the beginning of the shot, I would do a screen capture of GO4, which had the gimbal angle, the direction of cross hairs, the altitude, etc. Then six months later, I would try to line things up by reviewing the screen shot on my phone and replicate it on the live view in GO4.

For older winter shots that I had no screen capture, I would play the raw clip and do a screen capture on my computer to show the field of view. Then I'd go to the location an try to replicate that point of view on GO4 while looking at the picture on my iPhone. That process was a challenge, and required a lot of return trips. The transition of the big tree from winter to full green leaves and blue sky was really difficult. Lots of clips that did not work.

The most accurate and pre-planned approach was the one I used on the last transition sequence in the video of the slow drop down on the barn. In the middle of winter, I planted a stake where I took the first shot. My neighbor was good enough to let me leave it there and had to mow around it until I took it out a few days ago! At 12 ft above the stake, I pointed the cross hairs at a corner of the barn roof, while keeping the gimbal at level. Then used Tripod mode to go up. Subsequent shots produced a four part transition. In post, all I had to do was to zoom in to 105% to accommodate any lateral adjustment. The transition sequence came out spot on.

My last approach was to just wing it with nothing other than my memory of approximately where and how I took the first shot. Sometimes it worked, sometime it didn't.

I have a lot more transition events planned for the video, but it was long enough, so they were cut.

Here's an example of a screen capture on the first shot that I used later to line up the second shot...

Indeed, much planning went into your video, and it shows. Some interesting ideas, in particular using a planted landmar as a reference.

My own project is mostly photos. I used GO 4 to fly the mission manually initially. When I found a view I liked, I took a photo. I then uploaded the flight log to Airdata and downloaded a CSV version back to my PC. Reviewing the CSV file I find the record where I took the photo(s) and that gives me the coordinates, heading, altitude and camera pitch. You can then use that data to build a waypoint mission in Litchi.

It works, but not perfectly.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Indeed, much planning went into your video, and it shows. Some interesting ideas, in particular using a planted landmar as a reference.

My own project is mostly photos. I used GO 4 to fly the mission manually initially. When I found a view I liked, I took a photo. I then uploaded the flight log to Airdata and downloaded a CSV version back to my PC. Reviewing the CSV file I find the record where I took the photo(s) and that gives me the coordinates, heading, altitude and camera pitch. You can then use that data to build a waypoint mission in Litchi.

It works, but not perfectly.

Brilliant! I'm going to have take a look at Litchi.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Like others have said - this is the best drone video I've ever seen!! Congrats!! Your transitions are flawless and beautiful. very cinematic! A+++

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[PatrickMicc]

How do you align the drone and camera to the same position, altitude, speed, and gimbal angle for a second shot… six months later? For a distant field of view, waypoints works pretty good, with the barometer as its weakest link. But for close proximity, low altitude and canopy covered shots, different methods must be employed. That’s the challenge of producing the transitions in After the Winter. Try it for yourself and see what you can do.

I had luck with saving the waypoints and rerunning the mission, NICE VIDEO !
NOTE the Boscovs shot :27 second in, day to night. it is off a little but could DVE it close at critical points,

mavic_demo.small.movie.mts

drive.google.com

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

I had luck with saving the waypoints and rerunning the mission, NICE VIDEO !
NOTE the Boscovs shot :27 second in, day to night. it is off a little but could DVE it close at critical points,

mavic_demo.small.movie.mts

drive.google.com

Wow! That is most excellent! I gotta try that. Best thing about day to night is I don't have to wait months to finish the shots. I thought the match was great. Nice cuts on the truck. What drone, color format and post software are you using?

I like it when pilots try difficult shots and use their imagination to create something different.

When I commented that waypoints have some limitations, I took a simple waypoint flight that had about 4 point, starting at about 35 ft above the ground. I ran it about 5 times, one flight right after another. Each time the starting point got lower and lower. Now that could be because my M2P was heating up and affecting the electronics , or ambient conditions were changing. The bottom line is that I wish DJI would use pure x,y,z GPS to establish altitude instead of a barometric reading.

 

[GFields]

Very impressive! thanks for sharing!

 

[Barbara]

Brilliant! I'm going to have take a look at Litchi.

One thing I should mention if you plan to try Litchi for something like this. I had to use GO 4 to manually fly the mission initially and determine my waypoints as the flight log files Litchi generates does not populate the "IsPhoto" field necessary to recognize a waypoint.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

One thing I should mention if you plan to try Litchi for something like this. I had to use GO 4 to manually fly the mission initially and determine my waypoints as the flight log files Litchi generates does not populate the "IsPhoto" field necessary to recognize a waypoint.

Got it. Thanks.

 

[Rmv221]

How do you align the drone and camera to the same position, altitude, speed, and gimbal angle for a second shot… six months later? For a distant field of view, waypoints works pretty good, with the barometer as its weakest link. But for close proximity, low altitude and canopy covered shots, different methods must be employed. That’s the challenge of producing the transitions in After the Winter. Try it for yourself and see what you can do.

Fantastic video. I so nice to see the changes that you want to see it a few more times.....great work!

 

[JustDavid]

Most excellent video, thanks for sharing

 

[Tufargon]

I imagine an orbit would be very difficult but probably really incredible.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

I imagine an orbit would be very difficult but probably really incredible.

Actually I’m working on a year long POI for my neighbor using my M2P. And I’m optimistic it will work. I expect to zoom in about 105% in post to accommodate alignment. We’ll see.

A year ago, I tried a 360 deg pan (reverse POI) over 8 months with my MPP, but it didn’t work because I didn’t standardize the alignment of the gimbal with the horizon. Although I was directly over my house at 350 ft, the gimbal angle indicator on the GO4 (blue dot) was far too inaccurate to get any kind of alignment between clips.

However, using the cross hairs aligned with a distance landmark at a consistent altitude and position works great. Here’s an example:

 

[Karlewski]

You are one patient man with the drone AND in the editing room! Amazing! I have thought about doing something like this but just the thought of all the actual work, planning and precision, it just seems so daunting. Great job!