@vico I have some feedback about this new feature in Litchi and that is the ability to choose the heading of the POI and the ‘design’. While you can set the heading of each waypoint 180 deg from the direction of the camera (POI 1) it would be ideal to set the heading of the the POI 1 and align the design (assuming the waypoints are on the same plane, and set it on a perpendicular plane to the POI (camera).
Why?
Prior to setting up my design in the exact location, I visit the site in daylight and take the coordinates of where the camera will be located and leave a marker, taking a heading of where I want the image to appear. It would be ideal for example, if the POI1/Camera heading was 270 deg, to set the plane of the design to exactly 180 deg (90 deg) on the same planar and centered on the POI1 270 deg axis. If the design was ‘locked’ on the cameras heading, and the camera was the pivot point, this would allow the image to easily be rotated around the POI1/Camera where ever it needed to face and keep it perpendicular to the POI/camera.
Here’s a sketch of what I envision.
I have a new design I am wanting to try but it involves real-time constellations and the camera-drone-constellation create a parallax that creates a lot of variables this would eliminate. I’m certain I can solve to the date/time, lon/lat, and position/angle of the constellation (heading), if I can eliminate having to worry the design is perpendicular to the camera heading.
I do realize I could attempt to fly this manually.. but not my first choice.
I’ve read your post several times trying to understand what it is that you are asking. Part of the confusion is because you mention POI headings but POIs don’t have headings.
Am I understanding correctly that you would like a POI generated that lies on a line perpendicular to the waypoints of the light painting mission? I can see how this would let you position the light painting mission so that it is centered in the desired field of view of the camera.
My light painting software does this by generating two POIs on a line perpendicular to the light painting waypoints. One POI is for the approximate location of the land camera. The opposite POI is for when the drone is to be turned in the opposite direction (for when that becomes necessary).
Here is a screen capture showing a light painting mission being rotated (along with the POIs):
Is this what you are looking for or have I totally misunderstood your request?
Partially correct - yes I understand the need for a second POI for turning the drone away from the camera.
What I’m describing is locking the design (group of waypoints) perpendicular to that axis (line between the POIs or as I described the centerline of the camera’s field of view. It would be ideal to have the design rotate around the camera POI at a set distance variable - meaning the heading of the centerline of the FOV of the camera.
@wesbarris with your utility, how are you able to keep the design waypoints perpendicular to the POI axis? In your example it would be ideal to move POI 2 and the design stay centered on the axis between POI 1 and POI 2.
In my utility, I compute the perpendicular centerline of the mission and place the two POIs on it at a distance equal to the width of the mission.
While what you are asking for makes sense and would be doable, it is probably not going to be high on the priority list. The Litchi developers would have to make that decision.
