When does a Litchi POI 'end'?

[Robert Leigh]

I've done a lot of Litchi waypoint flying but have never used POIs yet, because they confuse me. There's one thing especially I'd like advice on.

Suppose you've got a flight that consists of 20 waypoints, and you've put a POI for an object between, say, points 5 and 6, but not directly on the path between those two points. Presumably, as it's going from 5 to 6, the drone will angle itself round to keep pointing at the POI, until it's pointing backwards. But what happens after it's passed point 6? Will it resume pointing towards the next waypoint - that is, begin pointing to 7 - or will it keep pointing to the POI?

Also, assume that later on in the flight, the route loops back on itself, and, say, waypoints 15 and 16 are just as close to the POI as 5 and 6 were. Will the drone start pointing at the POI again?

 

[BrooklynFlyer]

You select a particular POI for each waypoint, otherwise you select "Disabled" for the next waypoint and it continues in the last direction it was facing

 

[marklyn]

I've noticed a particular 'goofiness' regarding Litchi POI's... I set up a mission (in mission hub) with 1 POI and had 2 waypoints (out of 6) set to focus on that POI and the rest of my waypoints were set to a manual setting that I set (with POI=none for those). If I then load the mission on my iPad, all of the waypoints now have a POI=1. I've tried this a number of times and each time it is the same. Would be interested if anyone has a different experience.

 

[Pvitale]

I've done a lot of Litchi waypoint flying but have never used POIs yet, because they confuse me. There's one thing especially I'd like advice on.

Suppose you've got a flight that consists of 20 waypoints, and you've put a POI for an object between, say, points 5 and 6, but not directly on the path between those two points. Presumably, as it's going from 5 to 6, the drone will angle itself round to keep pointing at the POI, until it's pointing backwards. But what happens after it's passed point 6? Will it resume pointing towards the next waypoint - that is, begin pointing to 7 - or will it keep pointing to the POI?

Also, assume that later on in the flight, the route loops back on itself, and, say, waypoints 15 and 16 are just as close to the POI as 5 and 6 were. Will the drone start pointing at the POI again?

When you go through set up you set from each h point where it will face through out flight.

 

[marklyn]

When you go through set up you set from each h point where it will face through out flight.

Pete, I wasn't sure if you were responding to my post but assumed you might...
I would see the logic in your statement counter-intuitive and not practical. I wouldn't want to set up 25-30 waypoints only to have to go back each time I make a change and re-load to my iPad and change all of the waypoints without POI's to the heading I want. I would hope that Litchi wasn't designed (on purpose) like that.

 

[ICHOTT]

I've done a lot of Litchi waypoint flying but have never used POIs yet, because they confuse me. There's one thing especially I'd like advice on.

Suppose you've got a flight that consists of 20 waypoints, and you've put a POI for an object between, say, points 5 and 6, but not directly on the path between those two points. Presumably, as it's going from 5 to 6, the drone will angle itself round to keep pointing at the POI, until it's pointing backwards. But what happens after it's passed point 6? Will it resume pointing towards the next waypoint - that is, begin pointing to 7 - or will it keep pointing to the POI?

Also, assume that later on in the flight, the route loops back on itself, and, say, waypoints 15 and 16 are just as close to the POI as 5 and 6 were. Will the drone start pointing at the POI again?

Real answer is try it so you know yourself Robert.
Not 20 wp though, just say 3 or 5 - set up small/short Test flights with different settings then extend or expand the flight as you experiment with additional height or poi settings and of course please report back with your findings

 

[lisadoc]

Suppose you've got a flight that consists of 20 waypoints, and you've put a POI for an object between, say, points 5 and 6, but not directly on the path between those two points. Presumably, as it's going from 5 to 6, the drone will angle itself round to keep pointing at the POI, until it's pointing backwards. But what happens after it's passed point 6? Will it resume pointing towards the next waypoint - that is, begin pointing to 7 - or will it keep pointing to the POI?

By default, when adding a waypoint, it will focus on the nearest POI, if there is one. Also, you can change the way the aircraft points by default in the mission settings, before adding waypoints or POIs. From the Litchi manual:

Mission Settings

• Heading Mode: Defines the heading of the aircraft during the mission. Choose between "Toward next Waypoint" ("Auto" on iOS) where the aircraft will point toward the next waypoint, "Initial Direction" ("Initial" on iOS) where the aircraft will keep the heading it has when the mission is started, "User Controlled" ("Manual" on iOS) where you are able to control the heading of the aircraft during the mission using the left joystick left/right (mode 2) or "Waypoint Defined" ("Custom" on iOS) where the aircraft will use the heading defined at each waypoint. Using "Waypoint Defined" ("Custom" on iOS) also means that the aircraft will smoothly transition from one waypoint's heading to the next.

 

[Brojon]

By default, when adding a waypoint, it will focus on the nearest POI, if there is one. Also, you can change the way the aircraft points by default in the mission settings, before adding waypoints or POIs. From the Litchi manual:

Mission Settings

• Heading Mode: Defines the heading of the aircraft during the mission. Choose between "Toward next Waypoint" ("Auto" on iOS) where the aircraft will point toward the next waypoint, "Initial Direction" ("Initial" on iOS) where the aircraft will keep the heading it has when the mission is started, "User Controlled" ("Manual" on iOS) where you are able to control the heading of the aircraft during the mission using the left joystick left/right (mode 2) or "Waypoint Defined" ("Custom" on iOS) where the aircraft will use the heading defined at each waypoint. Using "Waypoint Defined" ("Custom" on iOS) also means that the aircraft will smoothly transition from one waypoint's heading to the next.

Actually it's been my experience that the aircraft is set to orient towards the nearest POI but in fact the camera is default "disabled".
I've also noticed that if I insert a new point it tends to do the same AND influence the subsequent points in that it will ignore heading settings on the point and fly pointing at the POI. Very annoying after I've carefully set everything up.

 

[marklyn]

I couldn't agree more Brojon. I've written to Litchi about this and so far it's in the big black email hole.

 

[lisadoc]

Actually it's been my experience that the aircraft is set to orient towards the nearest POI but in fact the camera is default "disabled".

Guess I could have been a bit clearer on this. Yes, it is the aircraft orientation we're talking about, not the gimbal angle.

I've also noticed that if I insert a new point it tends to do the same AND influence the subsequent points in that it will ignore heading settings on the point and fly pointing at the POI. Very annoying after I've carefully set everything up.

This doesn't happen for me on either Mission Hub or the app (I just tested it again to be sure). It doesn't change aircraft heading with the insertion of a new POI or the insertion of a new waypoint. What version of the app are you using? And since the Mission Hub is definitely current, try it on that as well as see if it does the same thing you're talking about because it doesn't change when I try it.

 

[Dragonfly]

One reason I went away from litchi to Drone Harmony. In Drone Harmony you define your POI at the waypoint and unless its told otherwise (to face another POI) drone will turn automatically at next waypoint to face heading to next waypoint all in a smooth turn from facing POI.

 

[Brojon]

This doesn't happen for me on either Mission Hub or the app (I just tested it again to be sure). It doesn't change aircraft heading with the insertion of a new POI or the insertion of a new waypoint. What version of the app are you using? And since the Mission Hub is definitely current, try it on that as well as see if it does the same thing you're talking about because it doesn't change when I try it.

Plunk down a few points. Now plunk down a POI and add a few more points. Note that the new points default to pointing at POI.
If you fly this mission the initial points will orient the craft to the POI. It's like plopping down the POI influences all the points.
I'll see if I can't demo it.

 

[lisadoc]

Plunk down a few points. Now plunk down a POI and add a few more points. Note that the new points default to pointing at POI.

But that's not what you said (at least my reading of it). You said the following:

I've also noticed that if I insert a new point it tends to do the same AND influence the subsequent points in that it will ignore heading settings on the point and fly pointing at the POI. Very annoying after I've carefully set everything up.

This behavior, to me, makes perfect sense. If you put down waypoints without specifically setting/designating a heading, the heading will be for the last heading of any waypoint that you had previously set (even if a different mission). When you put down a POI, the headings of the waypoints then turn to face that POI. Otherwise, what would you be putting a POI down for?

However, if you do as you said above and set the heading for any particular waypoint ("after I've carefully set everything up"), the waypoint headings won't change for those headings already set. To me, this is what the behavior you would be looking for would result in. If I were a programmer crafting the Litchi software, this is a similar sort of action I would probably set as the default. I'm not saying that your viewpoint is wrong. I'm just saying that the choice that the Litchi programmers made at least makes sense to me.

 

[marklyn]

I finally got a response from Litchi regarding incorrectly aligned waypoints with POI's...
"Regarding POIs, there is a known issue where if you have several POIs aligned with a waypoint, then when loading the mission the waypoint’s POI may be assigned to the wrong POI among the ones that are aligned. This is something we hope to fix soon."

 

[marklyn]

lisadoc, I understand that, but I wouldn't say it's 'totally' different. I'd say the issue is similar in regard to waypoints pointing to the wrong POI whether loading a mission or creating a new one and it's possible that when litchi fixes the code for what I posted, it might be reasonable to assume it automatically fixes the op's issue. Reasonable, no?

 

[lisadoc]

lisadoc, I understand that, but I wouldn't say it's 'totally' different. I'd say the issue is similar in regard to waypoints pointing to the wrong POI whether loading a mission or creating a new one and it's possible that when litchi fixes the code for what I posted, it might be reasonable to assume it automatically fixes the op's issue. Reasonable, no?

Personally, I don't see the original issue as a "problem" to be fixed. Like I wrote above, the behavior that it currently does makes logical sense from an operational standpoint. I understand the issue with your problem upon loading. (Who wants to do all the work, save it, and only have it open up in a different manner). I get that frustration. But I don't see that same sort of behavior in existing missions and insertion of waypoints. We'll see which way they go when they update the app.

 

[JetexJim]

This discussion points up that one thing Litchi could really do with is a means of 'dry running' the mission. Nothing fancy, just so we can see where the drone will be pointing has it runs around the path.