Virtual Litchi Mission

[goixiz]

I have just uploaded VLM V2.3.0 to dropbox - link in Post #1 of this thread.

Just a very few small bug fixes this time :

1) Fix bug in GE popups to honour unit selection.
2) Fix bug due to rounding error with high smoothing parameter
3) Fix bug in flight speed with altitude changes
4) Improve behaviour (hopefully!) on High Resolution screens

If you have not been affected by any of these bugs then you will not notice any difference.

Please let me know if I have introduced any new bugs!!

Thanks

N

thank you - greatly appreciate all your work and contribution

1. Is there any chance to have a hybrid flight = wps with curve and straight in same mission
2. Is it possible to have select all or multiselect like on the device so its easier to edit

Thanks again

 

[goixiz]

Member Bazucan posted this in a separate thread, but found it usefull to post this here as well.. This work perfect for Mac users, as you can run this through the Chrome browser..

Kudos to Namirda and Bazucan.


He went further and made Google Chrome extension that acts almost exactly as VLM.
Here is Chrome Litchi Virtual Mission

Usage:
1. Install extension in Chrome by clicking the link above
2. Install google-earth(-pro) desktop app
3. Go to Mission Hub - Litchi
4. Select a mission, click "MISSIONS"->"Export as CSV", it will download .kml file
5. Click downloaded .kml file to open it in google earth (or import it into google earth manually)
6. In google earth click mission name under "Temporary places" and double-click "Virtual mission"
7. Enjoy

He has added usage video as well in that thread. .

Is there any benefit of using the extension instead of VLM (Namirda) or the Mission Hub - Litchi on a PC(win10)
TIA

 

[namirda]

thank you - greatly appreciate all your work and contribution

1. Is there any chance to have a hybrid flight = wps with curve and straight in same mission
2. Is it possible to have select all or multiselect like on the device so its easier to edit

Thanks again

These are really questions for Litchi rather than VLM. However:

1) If you set the curve size to zero at a waypoint the drone will fly a series of straight lines.
2) You should ask Litchi about this.

Is there any benefit of using the extension instead of VLM (Namirda) or the Mission Hub - Litchi on a PC(win10)

No - I don't think so. The extension is probably of greater interest to Mac or Linux users. Both programs act as an interface between the Litchi Hub and Google Earth but they have a different approach.

N

 

[goixiz]

These are really questions for Litchi rather than VLM. However:

1) If you set the curve size to zero at a waypoint the drone will fly a series of straight lines.

N

On curve missions - if i set curve size to Zero will it trigger the actions ?
[I have sent msgs to litchi but they are not responsive]
Thanks

 

[namirda]

On curve missions - if i set curve size to Zero will it trigger the actions ?
[I have sent msgs to litchi but they are not responsive]
Thanks

You have asked this question before - and I have already answered it.

If you are still unsure you should just get your drone out of its box and try it.

N

 

[Bill Ludwig]

Hello namirda,
I love VLM and use it ALL the time! I just downloaded V. 2.3.0 and found that the Diagnostics box now defaults to Waypoints and Smooth Path 'On'. Personally, I would prefer to leave it as before with no defaults as it is somewhat annoying to always have to uncheck the three boxes. Would it be difficult to add a checkbox in Setup to let the user decide this function?
Thanks for a GREAT program!!

 

[namirda]

Hello namirda,
I love VLM and use it ALL the time! I just downloaded V. 2.3.0 and found that the Diagnostics box now defaults to Waypoints and Smooth Path 'On'. Personally, I would prefer to leave it as before with no defaults as it is somewhat annoying to always have to uncheck the three boxes. Would it be difficult to add a checkbox in Setup to let the user decide this function?
Thanks for a GREAT program!!

Hi Bill,

Glad you're getting good use out of VLM!

I don't recall changing any defaults - but you can change the settings back to your liking as follows:

If you take a look in the Google Earth tab of the VLM setup, you will see that there are two checkboxes on the right hand side to select whether you want to see the "Waypoint Path" or the "Smoothed Flight Path". If you deselect both then no paths will be plotted.

Thanks

N

 

[Bill Ludwig]

Ok, when I unchecked those two boxes, the Smooth Flight Path is no longer shown, but the Waypoint Markers still show. Any other thoughts? By the way, I'm using Chrome.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Bill Ludwig]

See above post. Also, there is no check box for Waypoint Markers.

 

[namirda]

Ok, when I unchecked those two boxes, the Smooth Flight Path is no longer shown, but the Waypoint Markers still show. Any other thoughts? By the way, I'm using Chrome.

Thanks,

Bill

Sorry Bill - if you don't want to look at the WP Markers or POIs then you will have to disable that in GE for now. If you were not seeing them previously then I think you must have been using V2.1 ?

I will add an option to further customise the GE display in the next release.

N

 

[Bill Ludwig]

Ok, thanks. Yes, I was using 2.1 previously. Not sure how to disable that in GE, but I'm sure I can figure it out. Couldn't live without VLM! Thanks again!!

 

[goixiz]

You have asked this question before - and I have already answered it.

If you are still unsure you should just get your drone out of its box and try it.

N

thanks for your great encouragement

 

[heder]

I only want to let you know that all works flawless here with Windows 7 x64 on a big Samsung chg90 Screen. I use VLM most to check the correct Height over ground of my mission path.I paint the Path in GE with the Height relative to the ground and import the exported KLM-Path in VLM. Works great. Keep up the good work.

Have you a Paypal Account for a few bucks to donate?

 

[namirda]

I only want to let you know that all works flawless here with Windows 7 x64 on a big Samsung chg90 Screen. I use VLM most to check the correct Height over ground of my mission path.I paint the Path in GE with the Height relative to the ground and import the exported KLM-Path in VLM. Works great. Keep up the good work.

Have you a Paypal Account for a few bucks to donate?

Thanks for your post - always good to hear positive feedback!

And thanks too for the offer of a donation - but not necessary. I prefer to keep VLM as a little hobby - if I start accepting payments then it will feel like work!

N

 

[heder]

It's not only the connection to GE, also good is that you start VLM and you're right in the Mission Hub. Before I knew from VLM, I went to the Litchis Page and Mission Hub via a Browser (Vivaldi), logged in and every Time I opened the Mission Hub (with the Browser) I was automatically logged in. Probably by Cookies. Then I installed VLM and what a great deal, I was also logged in immediately. But now, since a few Days, i have to log into VLM (on the Mission Hub page). Every Time i open VLM. Which data does VLM access so that I was logged in in the past? Do I need to open the Mission Hub at Litchis Web Page again in the Browser and log in so that VLM automatically logs me in?

Any Idea or Hint?

Thanks in advance

 

[namirda]

It's not only the connection to GE, also good is that you start VLM and you're right in the Mission Hub. Before I knew from VLM, I went to the Litchis Page and Mission Hub via a Browser (Vivaldi), logged in and every Time I opened the Mission Hub (with the Browser) I was automatically logged in. Probably by Cookies. Then I installed VLM and what a great deal, I was also logged in immediately. But now, since a few Days, i have to log into VLM (on the Mission Hub page). Every Time i open VLM. Which data does VLM access so that I was logged in in the past? Do I need to open the Mission Hub at Litchis Web Page again in the Browser and log in so that VLM automatically logs me in?

Any Idea or Hint?

Thanks in advance

VLM keeps a private chrome cache where it stores all the login info and web page data. You can choose to have this cache deleted each time VLM exits by clicking on the wastebin icon on the top right of the Mission Hub Panel in VLM. If you choose to retain the cache between VLM runs then you should not have to re-enter your login details each time.

Perhaps you changed that setting in the last few days?

N

 

[heder]

.... You can choose to have this cache deleted each time VLM exits by clicking on the wastebin icon on the top right of the Mission Hub Panel in VLM. If you choose to retain the cache between VLM runs then you should not have to re-enter your login details each time.

Perhaps you changed that setting in the last few days?

N

Ups...maybe i have pushed the Trash Button in the past few Days

Thanks for the Hint, i will load the Mission Hub in Chrome and try it again.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Dynochrome]

1) VLM does not support camera actions at all. It is designed to simulate "Curved" missions where there is a heading and gimbal setting defined at each and every waypoint. N

I thought it did when I read: "Virtual Mission" includes the heading and gimbal settings from Litchi and so the result is very similar to the real mission which you will eventually get when you fly your drone.

Thanks for setting this straight and the help. Often I don't want any curves,I want to stop, rotate directly at the next waypoint and go (like inspection of a square roof outer edge.) I'm afraid if I set the waypoints all manual they might not point exactly at the next waypoint and the drone would "yaw" to the next location. I think I might have found a way around this as I had mentioned.

"If you select TNW then the heading at each waypoint will be exactly towards the next waypoint which is probably not what you want for a curved mission."

I think it does the same thing at a "straight line " mission as well...

I am a little confused.. You wrote "VLM does not support camera actions at all." but then wrote:
"For each waypoint I choose a POI and initially set the gimbal to "Focus POI". If the VLM mission shows that the gimbal angles need some adjustment then change the gimbal mode at the offending waypoint to "Interpolate" and make the adjustment as required."

How can the VLM show gimble angles if VLM doesn't support camera actions? That was my original question #1 as my VLM gimble didn't duplicate the mission angles I had programed.

 

[Prismatic]

@namirda, but everyone using VLM:
I discovered (the hard way) an important setting in Google Earth:
View media item 2200 You must set the "Elevation Exaggeration" as null (1.0). Otherwise, your tour is apt to just bump along at "ground level" in the most annoying way. I think if that setting is >1, GE boosts all elevation data and then reframes the view. Although the path may display correctly, the waypoint data (and legs between them) is not similarly boosted, and so are most probably underground (unless the flight path is way high!). GE, quite reasonably, does not attempt to show rock strata so your tour rattles along at ground level like a dang Jeep.

However, you certainly can use "3D Imagery" as I did here; now that is truly a marvel:
View media item 2204

 

[namirda]

@namirda, but everyone using VLM:
I discovered (the hard way) an important setting in Google Earth:
View media item 2200 You must set the "Elevation Exaggeration" as null (1.0). Otherwise, your tour is apt to just bump along at "ground level" in the most annoying way. I think if that setting is >1, GE boosts all elevation data and then reframes the view. Although the path may display correctly, the waypoint data (and legs between them) is not similarly boosted, and so are most probably underground (unless the flight path is way high!). GE, quite reasonably, does not attempt to show rock strata so your tour rattles along at ground level like a dang Jeep.

However, you certainly can use "3D Imagery" as I did here; now that is truly a marvel:
View media item 2204

Hi,

Yes indeed - this has been discussed at least twice before on this thread (see for example #171 and preceding posts) but it's good that you post a reminder because this thread is getting so long that it takes a bit of effort to read through all posts.

I'm really not sure what application Google had in mind when they introduced this parameter - who wants to see a distorted earth??

N