Tap, hold and move finger = ?

[frasermade]

Hello all,

New to this game but avid lurker.

Today was fiddling with the Smart Controller to update my flight record and fiddle. As I was fiddling in the flight screen (not flying but drone powered up on the desk) I happened to touch the screen and hold, which vibrated and then, as I moved my finger away, a small target appeared with a distance dependent circle under my finger. As I move my finger further away from the start point the small blue arrow also starts to move away from the start point. I've not activated any intelligent flight modes, this is just in standard pilot only control mode.

Any thoughts on what this is? I've checked the manual but no dice. Also online, but it just throws up intelligent flight modes. I would go and fly and test it for myself but it's bucketing down with rain in Scotland and...I don't want to crash it inside the house!

Screenshot attached (hopefully)

Many thanks in advance for help!

FM

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Hello all,

New to this game but avid lurker.

Today was fiddling with the Smart Controller to update my flight record and fiddle. As I was fiddling in the flight screen (not flying but drone powered up on the desk) I happened to touch the screen and hold, which vibrated and then, as I moved my finger away, a small target appeared with a distance dependent circle under my finger. As I move my finger further away from the start point the small blue arrow also starts to move away from the start point. I've not activated any intelligent flight modes, this is just in standard pilot only control mode.

Any thoughts on what this is? I've checked the manual but no dice. Also online, but it just throws up intelligent flight modes. I would go and fly and test it for myself but it's bucketing down with rain in Scotland and...I don't want to crash it inside the house!

Screenshot attached (hopefully)

Many thanks in advance for help!

FM

Yes that is your camera moving as you pan across. . A feature most people are not aware of until it happens when your recording something other than black. It was a surprise to me when it happened also.


Phantomrain.org
Coal

 

[frasermade]

Yes that is your camera moving as you pan across. . A feature most people are not aware of until it happens when your recording something other than black. It was a surprise to me when it happened also.


Phantomrain.org
Coal

Thanks for the quick reply. So what does it control, if I'm flying in a straight line at a constant speed and altitude?

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Thanks for the quick reply. So what does it control, if I'm flying in a straight line at a constant speed and altitude?

It moves the gimbal attached to the camera and so you can do slow and smooth pans with the camera using your finger to slide the camera pointer.

 

[frasermade]

It moves the gimbal attached to the camera and so you can do slow and smooth pans with the camera using your finger to slide the camera pointer.

I am somewhat surprised and a little mind blown, as I assumed that in order to achieve left to right pans (or reverse) I had to yaw the bloody drone and fly sideways. I've been doing so with great success, albeit a large learning curve to do it.

But I can just turn the blinking camera with my finger!!? I mean...I've noticed it during startup whirling about to calibrate but never once questioned if I could move it left and right during flight. What an absolute spanner.

Thanks for your assistance!

 

[Cymruflyer]

Yep, you can do the same thing on the Mavic 2 if you have a phone or tablet to view your flight. Just tap on the screen and keep your finger there and pan left or right and the camera will follow your finger. Just wanted to let others know, who may not be aware of this feature and to let them know and not think this is only available with the SC. It can be done when viewing through a phone as well. Happy flying.

 

[DanMan32]

Of course the gimbal can only go so far left or right so you might have to yaw or fly sideways.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yep, you can do the same thing on the Mavic 2 if you have a phone or tablet to view your flight. Just tap on the screen and keep your finger there and pan left or right and the camera will follow your finger. Just wanted to let others know, who may not be aware of this feature and to let them know and not think this is only available with the SC. It can be done when viewing through a phone as well. Happy flying.

This "feature" is incomplete and undocumented because there still is no way, using the feature, in GO 4 to drag and restore the camera back to straight forward, because there is no reference of the degrees off center! Flying with a crooked camera is a disaster waiting to happen! The ONLY way to restore the camera to straight ahead after using this feature is to toggle camera straight down and then back up to horizontal, which ruins any continuous video you were shooting at the time. Yaw instead!

 

[frasermade]

Of course the gimbal can only go so far left or right so you might have to yaw or fly sideways.

For me using the Mavic 2 pro, I can turn the camera far more to the side and up/down than I can using yaw and the tilt wheel. I can see the front prop braces and the propellers using the touch to move, whereas using just the drone moves I can't.

 

[frasermade]

This "feature" is incomplete and undocumented because there still is no way, using the feature, in GO 4 to drag and restore the camera back to straight forward, because there is no reference of the degrees off center! Flying with a crooked camera is a disaster waiting to happen! The ONLY way to restore the camera to straight ahead after using this feature is to toggle camera straight down and then back up to horizontal, which ruins any continuous video you were shooting at the time. Yaw instead!

Good advice. I used this manual camera feature yesterday and was astounded at the potential it now gives. I set the drone up facing a clear line ahead, then I know I'm not going to hit anything, and can control the camera independently, achieving far more interesting shots with much less faff.

Still love a good manually flown camera shot though; trying to capture a nice flowong helix using manual camera moves is too hard with so little hands and fingers - much easier to use yaw, power, and turning in unison. All tools in the toolbox though.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Good advice. I used this manual camera feature yesterday and was astounded at the potential it now gives. I set the drone up facing a clear line ahead, then I know I'm not going to hit anything, and can control the camera independently, achieving far more interesting shots with much less faff.

Still love a good manually flown camera shot though; trying to capture a nice flowong helix using manual camera moves is too hard with so little hands and fingers - much easier to use yaw, power, and turning in unison. All tools in the toolbox though.

Just wish DJI had finished it off with a gimbal drag lateral angle overlay on the screen, like the gimbal tilt, so you know how much to drag it back to recenter it when you are done. Conceptually, it is a great feature, but it needs a proper reset that doesn't require tilting the camera straight down and then horizontal, ruining the continuous video.

 

[PAW]

Just wish DJI had finished it off with a gimbal drag lateral angle overlay on the screen, like the gimbal tilt, so you know how much to drag it back to recenter it when you are done. Conceptually, it is a great feature, but it needs a proper reset that doesn't require tilting the camera straight down and then horizontal, ruining the continuous video.

Yup, and allow using one of the control dials on the SC to control it instead of having to use the screen.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yup, and allow using one of the control dials on the SC to control it instead of having to use the screen.

Seems like a half-baked feature that is an Easter Egg right now, without a proper reset. More of a concept feature than a usable one. Hopefully, they finish it off and include full functionality in a later update, and then document its existence.