Hi there,
When making waypoint missions, I set the settings I can to be waypoint specified.
One thing I’m failing to understand is how the gimbal operates. I think ideally, most would want the gimbal to operate as “snapshotted” when a waypoint is created.
If I’m on my own for example, and I have an orchestrated shot planned, I don’t want to have to think about live gimbal adjustments. Am I doing something wrong, or is waypoint-specified gimbal pitches not recorded? I understand heading is waypoint-specified, but what’s the point of setting a heading, if it can’t follow a designated gimbal pitch when the heading direction is waypoint-specified. The 2 seem almost equally as important.
Thoughts? Am I just a n00b and don’t understand a feature that already exists?
Your question is not completely clear but I think it has to do with separate controls for heading and gimbal pitch angle.
When you select a POI to determine the heading at a waypoint, that will only affect the drone’s heading at that waypoint. If you also want the gimbal pitch angle to be set to point the camera (vertically) at that waypoint, you would need to set the gimbal pitch to “Focus POI”. Those two controls are set independently of each other to provide more flexibility.
Example:
I want to film an athlete, and they know the exact timing and pathing of the drone waypoint mission - lets say the 30-45second mission. The gimbal is supposed to tilt downwards(as example) where they are going to be moving/direction they’re heading, if I run off the logic that the gimbal pitch is “snapshotted” when setting the waypoint.
Gimbal heading does not seem to be snapshotted though
Incredible, is there a reason when heading is waypoint-specified, gimbal pitch isn’t automatically defaulted to be waypoint-specified as well?
Also not sure how I missed this feature. Is it on the same window as waypoint-specified heading? If so, I might recall that, and getting the exact pitch angle might be hard to guess, unless I can OSD the gimbal pitch while setting up the waypoints, so I can just take the number it’s currently at and plug it in, while setting the waypoints???
Track wouldn’t work with orchestrated waypoints though. I want to have control of the keyframming/pathing, and not allow Litchi to do it’s “best effort” tracking.
Can gimbal pitch be changed on-the-fly outdoors? Most of my waypoint missions, are inspired while on-site of the orchestrated shot, not while at my computer unfortunately
You also keep mentioning the POI setting. Does setting POIs make this gimbal pitch potentially easier to pursue or are there issues with POIs and setting the right pitch angles precisely to get “the shot” you’re going for. I like the idea of manually setting the gimbal pitch than some “best-effort” pitch.
Love the idea of just looking at the shot on my remote controller, and saying “hey! that looks great with the way the sun is right now, I want that gimbal position exactly”. Using a mission hub(assuming you mean the browser app), or POI is a little challenging with making these shots payoff.
It would also be nice if there was a setting to allow it to be waypoint-specified. It feels more natural to me that setting existing, than what is currently being used. Maybe I just am missing something about the flexibility point.
Yes. There is a third option for gimbal pitch: Manual. This will allow you to use the gimbal pitch wheel on your controller to adjust the pitch manually during flight.
I see. There is an option to configure a button on the remote to save the drone’s current location (and gimbal pitch) as a waypoint in a mission. Waypoint missions can also be created this way on-site.
If I am the subject, I hopefully want to be hands off with my remote - unless it’s an emergency. Is configuring the button the exact solution I’m looking for do you think?
Not to mention, I would like to replay the same waypoint mission twice - for example - with the same gimbal pitch actions.
One scene with a subject in the scene, one without the subject in the scene. So even with manual, it’s not ideal for smoother transitions (even if the waypoints themselves aren’t always “positioning precise”.
It is still not entirely clear what your use case is but if you want to be the subject and moving around while flying a waypoint mission while having the camera focus on you (the moving object) that is not possible.
I think I might need to try out the interpolate setting again
Position in 3D Space
Cruise Speed to which the way point is going to travel between points
Probably forgetting some other variables, but say if I’m a good athletic runner, running on a flat open path with a beautiful horizon with prop guards, I want to be able to make a shot where I configur the cruise speed around where I max-out with my running. I start the waypoint mission with it pointing at my legs, and eventually the camera speeds up to expose more of me, then gimbal looks up on my body and head more as I run towards it - then finally some sort of keyframed drone movement that begins making me less of the subject and more of the horizon, or something like that.
^ rough use-case idea
I thought I tried playing with the interpolation settings but maybe not. Obviously while doing this kind of running shot in a secluded area by myself, I need it to be programmed as I visualize the shot, so having the gimbal’s control automated during waypoint creation on my android phone connected to the RC is truly a requirement to get the shots I want.
One cannot combine a waypoint mission where headings and gimbal pitch angles are pre-configured for each waypoint with a dynamic object such as a person running around. However, there may still be a way to do what you describe.
Create a simple waypoint mission consisting of two waypoints. Place the two waypoints beside a path where the running is to take place. Don’t use POIs. Instead, set the heading at the two waypoints to the same value of around 300-340 degrees (assuming a south-to-north path). Set the gimbal pitch angle to something like -25 at the first waypoint and -5 at the second waypoint. Set the cruising speed to match how fast the runner will run. As the drone travels from WP1 to WP2, the heading will always point at 320 degrees (or whatever you set it to). As the drone travels from WP1 to WP2, the gimbal pitch angle will transition from -25 degrees to -5 degrees, revealing more of the runner. That will give you a start then you can tweak as necessary.
Thank you again for all your help yesterday @wesbarris!
Was a bit busy yesterday and today, but I think what info you gave me has provided confidence that I can get the concepts done that I have in mind. I’ll update once I get a chance hopefully this weekend if weather cooperates.
