Problem with waypoints generation

[geobrun]

Hi,

Thank you for your awesome work! :)

I have been encountering a small problem during my Dji Mavic 3 flight planning: everything seems to work fine, except the waypoints generation. As you can see on the image below, only 6 waypoints have been generated, while 39 projection centres have been generated (for the 39 future photos). So it lacks 33 waypoints to run the mission. Is there something I didn't understand with the result or is there a parameter I didn't set up right?

[JMG30]

Hi

I'm glad you like it.

Waypoints are generated only at the start/end of route and if there is any change in flight direction, so everything looks fine to me. It would not make sense to generate them in the same places as the projection centres - they would contain exactly the same information.

Edit: I've never done any real flight, this plugin was just my thesis so I don't know how useful it is in real life. That's probably why some things are "strange" for someone who does it professionally.

[geobrun]

Okay, thank you for your edit, I better understand the purpose of your work!

So I will try to apply your work into my job: the first part seems alright, I will use the projection centres to define the waypoints to take picture with my drone (I need a waypoint for each picture with Dji drones).

If I can, I will develop a small QGIS script to convert the layer "projection centres" to a "KML/KMZ" file usable with Dji drones. And of course, I will transmit you this script if you are interested in!

[JMG30]

I think that's a great idea. When you finish I'll mention about it in the Guide if you don't mind so others can use the script too, okay?

[geobrun]

Hi @JMG30,

I finished to write the small script. Everything seems to be alright: my Dji Mavic 3 can read the KMZ file generated by the script. I will probably test this KMZ file next week by flying with the drone. If everything works, I will transmit you the script.

This said, I'm not used to program QGIS plugins. I just wrote a very basic script (but well commented) that uses static paths (like C:\Users\geobrun\Documents) to generate the KMZ file. For a more generic utilisation, it should be better to link this script to input/ouput boxes trough the plugin window. Will you be able to do that ? I could then write the small documentation for you if you want ?

[JMG30]

I will try. Does the script support both block and corridor flights?

[geobrun]

I only wrote this script to work for block flights (no need for corridor flights). And the resulting KMZ file can only be operated by Dji Mavic 3 drone as far as I know.

Maybe it is a very specific development that would be useless for you? I only know it would be a very useful script for Dji Mavic 3 owners because of some development limitations on this drone model.

I made the first flight with this script last Thursday and I now need to create the corresponding orthomosaic (this week hopefully). If the whole process works alright, I will then transmit you everything you need to integrate my (small) work into your plugin!

[geobrun]

Hi @JMG30,

After several flights, it appears that my script is working fine. As I told you, this script would be useful only for Dji Mavic 3 user. So I'm not sure you need to integrate it into your plugin.

But if you want so, I can make a PR adding a button to your dialog window allowing the user to create on demand a XML file from the flight plan generated by your plugin.

[JMG30]

Hi,

first of all - I'm sorry that I haven't replied for so long, but I've been a bit busy lately.

I may try to implement your script into my plugin, but I don't promise anything - it depends on how difficult it will be and when I find the time.

[Skeletonworker]

Hello @geobrun !
I'm very interested in the script you created.
Can I get it? my email: skeletonworker@gmail.com
Thank you.

[geobrun]

Hi @Skeletonworker,

Of course I can send you the script. You will probably have to readapt it a bit, but the main code is all right. One of its inconvenient is that it currently only works with "one altitude for the same flight" and Mavic 3 drone.

I also integrated this script into a personal QGIS plugin. But I can't send you this plugin because it includes other algorithms specific to the structure I'm working for. Its advantage is that this plugin integrates also "Terrain following" function of flight planner plugin. So I can send you this part of this plugin, but you will have to generate your own plugin in this case.

The last possibility is that I integrate this function to the Flight Planner plugin. I think it wouldn't take me too much time to push my modifications to this Github repository. What do you think about it @JMG30?

[Skeletonworker]

Hello @geobrun
Please send me part of this plugin, I’ll try to create my own plugin.

[geobrun]

Hello @geobrun Please send me part of this plugin, I’ll try to create my own plugin.

Done!

[Skeletonworker]

@geobrun
Thank you very much!

[Eandelin]

@geobrun Cool it is my understanding that the Mavic 3 and the Mini 4 pro read the same input KMZ. Do you have an output kmz you've already tested that you can share. email: eric@vertx.biz

[geobrun]

@Eandelin: done!

[Eandelin]

@geobrun FYI it works for the Mini 4 Pro as well. I had no problem dropping into the waypoint folder of the DJI RC-2 controller.
This is great news. Now is there an easy way to have Flight Planner export at a minimum the flight lines in DJI's import format which is .kmz with the wpmz folder and "Name".kml and waylines.wpml files. @JMG30 This would be a much better alternative to WayPointMap. There is at least one beer in it for who ever can make this a reality.