Virtual Litchi Mission

[namirda]

Well, as promised a while ago, I created a short blog post and video on how to set up VLM (for those that don't know how). Feel free to share so that more people can learn about this amazing tool. Also, let me know how it could be improved and I'll try to incorporate as time allows.

The tutorial can be found here: Virtual Litchi Missions in Google Earth - Avios Aerial Media

Or, if you prefer going straight to the video without my waffle (and handy links) you can go here:

I hope people find it useful.

Hi,

I've just taken a look at your Avios site after watching your tutorial video and noticed a comment which perhaps you can explain to me. Somebody (you?) said that :
VLM "...doesn’t follow some of the modes like heading defined etc. properly. But it’s pretty darn cool."

I would like to improve VLM if I can - but I don't understand what you meant by the 'heading defined mode' Can you please explain what that is and what goes wrong.....

Thanks

N

 

[houldsworth1]

Hi,

Thanks for making this video - good stuff.

A couple of small errors which you may want to correct if you make a second version:

1) If you are generating the csv files using the Litchi panel in VLM (ie the 'normal' way in VLM2) then the 'Watch Folder' setting is not used - the csv data is grabbed directly. In fact the csv file never goes into the "Watch Folder' at all.

The Watch Folder simply provides an additional way to get data into VLM. If for some reason you prefer to use the Litchi Mission Hub in your normal browser then you can export the csv file to the Watch Folder and VLM will pick it up from there. In VLM 1, this was the only option so it is really only provided for backward compatibility. You can also input an existing csv file using the File/Open menu in VLM so there are three different ways of getting csv data into the program.

2) I don't think it is true that setting the delete option with the Watch Folder will delete all csv files in the Watch Folder - is it?

There are a few other things you could have talked about such as the VLM Profile Panels and the GE Diagnostics - maybe next version?

Excellent job - thanks

N

Thanks for the feedback. So, based on what you are saying, the CSV folder is irrelevant in v2 on. Good point.

Re. item 2 - deleting CSV files. I tried an experiment with it where I put a CSV file in the folder and then started the app and the CSV file disappeared. Now I will say this was a V2 version, but not the current version, so maybe it doesn't do that anymore?

If I get time I'll try to incorporate the changes. Thanks again for a great tool!

 

[houldsworth1]

Hi,

I've just taken a look at your Avios site after watching your tutorial video and noticed a comment which perhaps you can explain to me. Somebody (you?) said that :
VLM "...doesn’t follow some of the modes like heading defined etc. properly. But it’s pretty darn cool."

I would like to improve VLM if I can - but I don't understand what you meant by the 'heading defined mode' Can you please explain what that is and what goes wrong.....

Thanks

N

That was me. In Litchi heading defined means that it should point the direction of travel but, if I recall correctly, it didn't do that. I'll have to go and re-test, but I do recall that in certain cases it doesn't do exactly what Litchi will do. I'll try to replicate and give you more specific details to assist when I get a moment.

 

[namirda]

That was me. In Litchi heading defined means that it should point the direction of travel but, if I recall correctly, it didn't do that. I'll have to go and re-test, but I do recall that in certain cases it doesn't do exactly what Litchi will do. I'll try to replicate and give you more specific details to assist when I get a moment.

Ah yes - now I understand!!

One of the modes in Litchi is called "To Next WayPoint" or TNW and indeed VLM has a problem with that because Litchi has a bug and always outputs a heading of zero in the csv file when TNW is selected. In VLM 2.1 there is now a warning when the heading is zero but otherwise there is not much else I can do.

Was this what you meant?

Thanks

N

 

[namirda]

Thanks for the feedback. So, based on what you are saying, the CSV folder is irrelevant in v2 on. Good point.

Re. item 2 - deleting CSV files. I tried an experiment with it where I put a CSV file in the folder and then started the app and the CSV file disappeared. Now I will say this was a V2 version, but not the current version, so maybe it doesn't do that anymore?

If I get time I'll try to incorporate the changes. Thanks again for a great tool!

1) Yes - the Watch Folder is not used in 'normal' mode in VLM2. It is only used if csv files are generated outside VLM and placed in the Watch Folder
2) If VLM detects a newly created csv file in the Watch Folder it will process it and then delete that file (and only that file) if the 'delete' option is selected.

Hope that's all clear now...

Thanks

N

 

[houldsworth1]

Ah yes - now I understand!!

One of the modes in Litchi is called "To Next WayPoint" or TNW and indeed VLM has a problem with that because Litchi has a bug and always outputs a heading of zero in the csv file when TNW is selected. In VLM 2.1 there is now a warning when the heading is zero but otherwise there is not much else I can do.

Was this what you meant?

Thanks

N

Yes, that was it. Thanks .

 

[djiboi]

Anyone have issues with the scroll bar and search box not working?

Virtual Litchi Mission V2 1 0 by Namirda 27 05 2018 11 00 50

 

[hakank22]

First time user of this excellent software. Thanks for providing it. I have an issue though. It appears like most of the missions I have run in LVM don't take a -15 degree gimbal pitch into account. One mission did for some reason I can't understand. So when having the gimbal in -15 degrees I almost only horizon in google earth. It shifts correctly when aiming at a POI but then it goes back to 0 degrees. Is it me doing something wrong?

 

[houldsworth1]

First time user of this excellent software. Thanks for providing it. I have an issue though. It appears like most of the missions I have run in LVM don't take a -15 degree gimbal pitch into account. One mission did for some reason I can't understand. So when having the gimbal in -15 degrees I almost only horizon in google earth. It shifts correctly when aiming at a POI but then it goes back to 0 degrees. Is it me doing something wrong?

I don't seem to have this issue. Can you share the mission so that we can load it?

 

[houldsworth1]

Hi,

Thanks for making this video - good stuff.

A couple of small errors which you may want to correct if you make a second version:

1) If you are generating the csv files using the Litchi panel in VLM (ie the 'normal' way in VLM2) then the 'Watch Folder' setting is not used - the csv data is grabbed directly. In fact the csv file never goes into the "Watch Folder' at all.

The Watch Folder simply provides an additional way to get data into VLM. If for some reason you prefer to use the Litchi Mission Hub in your normal browser then you can export the csv file to the Watch Folder and VLM will pick it up from there. In VLM 1, this was the only option so it is really only provided for backward compatibility. You can also input an existing csv file using the File/Open menu in VLM so there are three different ways of getting csv data into the program.

2) I don't think it is true that setting the delete option with the Watch Folder will delete all csv files in the Watch Folder - is it?

There are a few other things you could have talked about such as the VLM Profile Panels and the GE Diagnostics - maybe next version?

Excellent job - thanks

N

Hi Namirda,

I ran another test this morning and you're correct, it doesn't delete all of the CSV files. I swear I tested that in the previous version but I can't replicate it now so either something changed or (more likely) I messed up my original test.

I have corrected the video on that front and uploaded a new version. One of the reasons I prefer Vimeo over YouTube is that Vimeo allows me to replace the video while keeping the same URL.

Thanks!

 

[hakank22]

I don't seem to have this issue. Can you share the mission so that we can load it?

I took one example.: Mission Hub - Litchi

cheers

 

[hakank22]

I took one example.: Mission Hub - Litchi

cheers

Added how it looks like in google earth

 

[houldsworth1]

I took one example.: Mission Hub - Litchi

cheers

You have them set at 15deg...it should be -15deg

 

[hakank22]

You have them set at 15deg...it should be -15deg

AAAAAaaaaaah!

Fortunately litchi "converted" them to "-" when running the mission irl. Ok, yet another lesson learnt.

Thanks and sorry for my stupidity.

 

[houldsworth1]

AAAAAaaaaaah!

Fortunately litchi "converted" them to "-" when running the mission irl. Ok, yet another lesson learnt.

Thanks and sorry for my stupidity.

No problem. Fortunately, I'm perfect and have never made any mistakes

The good news...there is a bulk edit option now, so fixing that should be a 20-second procedure.

 

[rmatile]

Hey there.....VM was working great....now this?!?!?
Problems with input and the VM screen.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[houldsworth1]

Hey there.....VM was working great....now this?!?!?
Problems with input and the VM screen.

Any help would be appreciated.

Odd. Try resizing the window to see if it fixes it.

 

[namirda]

Hey there.....VM was working great....now this?!?!?
Problems with input and the VM screen.

Any help would be appreciated.

Hi

That black bar you have at the top of the screen looks very odd. Can you please restart VLM while pressing CTRL. That should reset everything to initial conditions.

N

 

[Bill Ludwig]

I get the same thing when attempting to run VLM from the .exe file. I always run it from the web --- > Mission Hub - Litchi

 

[Toothdoc]

Mine is WAY OFF.