With this new system of detecting obstacles, DJI included most of the extremely sought-after options and capabilities of its bigger prosumer drones. Considered one of these options can be waypoints.
Quick ahead to the 2023 launch of the Mini 4 Professional and its new omnidirectional impediment avoidance system, and flying waypoint missions has gotten even higher.
On this article, I’ll cowl what waypoint missions are, and how one can arrange and save waypoints on the DJI Mini 4 Professional.
If you’re enthusiastic about flying waypoint missions, this step-by-step information ought to assist you get properly in your method.
What are Waypoints?
When talking of flying drones, waypoints are a operate that enables the DJI Mini 4 Professional to routinely fly a pre-planned route whereas performing numerous digicam actions.
These actions embrace routinely taking pictures and movies alongside the route of areas pre-designated by the drone operator.
The built-in DJI waypoint function for client drones was beforehand solely obtainable for the Mavic 3 Sequence.
As DJI’s direct competitor, Autel has had waypoint modes on lots of its client drones for a number of years. It’s a much-needed transfer for DJI so as to add waypoint missions to their light-weight sequence of drones just like the Mini 4 Professional.
Previous to DJI including waypoint performance for his or her drones, the one approach to get waypoints can be by way of third social gathering flight app builders.
This oftentimes took fairly some time, as builders have to attend for DJI to launch the SDK (software program improvement equipment) for the actual drone.
After this, the third social gathering firm would wish time to construct within the help for stated drone mannequin.
Utilizing third social gathering software program may be inconvenient for these proudly owning both DJI RC’s or RC 2’s solely. It’s because third social gathering applications can not run on these DJI all-in-one distant controllers.
This created one other inconvenience as now the house owners of the drones that run these distant controllers would wish to buy extra DJI RC-N1, RC-N2, and even DJI RC Professional distant controllers.
In fact, utilizing high quality third social gathering flight management software program isn’t low cost. For instance, Litchi is presently between $24 and $26 for both iOS or Android gadgets.
If you’re utilizing each, you’ll realistically spend over $40.
By comparability, the DJI Waypoint function is free and included within the DJI Fly app for numerous makes of DJI drones and distant controllers.
» MORE: DJI Waypoints (Defined for Newbies)
Use Instances for Waypoints
With waypoints being an autonomous function, any waypoint mission will be saved and reused over and over, working with the very same parameters each time, if wanted.
Due to this function, you’ll be able to go to a saved waypoint location and run a beforehand saved mission over and over, precisely the identical each time.
With the power for saved waypoints to be reused, they’re good for:
- Building development pictures and movies
- Earlier than and after pictures
- Seasonal development pictures and movies
- Day-to-night actual property movies
» MORE: Does DJI Air 2S Have Waypoints? (Defined)
Easy methods to Set Up and Run Waypoint Missions
Word: Waypoint missions are solely obtainable when in video mode.
Fundamental waypoint setup:
Step 1: Whereas in Video Mode, fly to the situation the place you’d like to begin your waypoint and faucet the Waypoints icon on the left of your display.
Step 2: Press both the C1 button or the + image so as to add a waypoint.
After including your first waypoint, you will note it on the mini-map to the left, in addition to on the waypoint record.
Step 3: Proceed flying across the space, including as many waypoints as you want. Face the route you desire to the drone oriented when flying (though this may be modified later, as we’ll see).
When you’ve gotten completed all your waypoints, you will note the ultimate period, distance, and waypoint depend (in parentheses) of the mission.
» MORE: Does Mavic 3 Have Waypoints and Easy methods to Use It (Step-by-Step Information)
Modifying the Waypoints within the Present Mission
After the waypoint mission has been mapped out, there are a lot of totally different choices to customise each waypoint within the mission.
To switch a waypoint motion, merely click on on the waypoint quantity you’d like to switch and alter the parameters, as seen under:
| Digital camera Motion | Altitude | Pace | Heading | Gimbal Tilt | Zoom | Hover (Period) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Slider adjusts | World Settings | Slider adjusts | Customized, Slider adjusts |
1 – 3x | Slider adjusts |
| Take a Photograph | 3 – 9x | |||||
| Begin Recording | ||||||
| Cease Recording |
Moreover, all choices will be modified at any time, after the mission has been saved, as we’ll quickly focus on.
If you might want to delete waypoints, merely choose the specified waypoint. You’ll enter the modification display to your chosen waypoint. From there, press the delete icon.
To view your present waypoints, faucet the mini-map within the backside left-hand nook. To return to the reside view/digicam view, faucet that space once more.
» MORE: DJI Mini 3 Professional Waypoints (Defined for Newbies)
Working the Waypoint Mission
In spite of everything particular person waypoint choices have been adjusted to your liking there are just a few steps concerned with truly working the mission.
Earlier than working the mission, there are international mission-based settings that may likewise be set. We’ll take a look at these as properly.
Step 1: Press the again arrow on the waypoint modification display. When you made no modifications to any of the waypoints, see Step 2.
Step 2: Press subsequent on the right-hand facet of the waypoint part.
Step 3: You possibly can both press GO on this subsequent display or change the ultimate general flight settings first after which press go.
The flight settings are under the subsequent image.
Ultimate Flight Settings:
| World Pace | Digital camera | Finish of Flight | On Sign Misplaced | Begin Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slider adjusts | 1 – 3x | Hover | RTH | Select any Waypoint |
| 3 – 9x | RTH | Hover | ||
| Land | Land | |||
| Again to Begin | Proceed |
After urgent GO, wherever the drone is within the air, it is going to then proceed to the primary waypoint, alter the peak, heading, and gimbal tilt, after which proceed to run the mission.
» MORE: DJI Air 3 Waypoints (All You Have to Know)
Saving the Waypoint Mission
Any waypoint mission will be saved upon completion.
The automated method of doing so can be by exiting the Waypoint operate solely.
At this level, upon exit, you can be prompted to both save the mission and exit or exit with out saving.
You too can manually save your waypoint mission.
To manually save your mission:
Step 1: Press the Save icon, which seems like a sheet of paper.
Step 2: You may be dropped at the Waypoint Historical past display, together with your present waypoint mission on the highest. Press SAVE.
Step 3: Select between both Save, which is able to save the mission as a generic file title, or Save As, which is able to will let you save the mission as one thing recognizable.
Your newly saved waypoint mission will now present up with the date the mission was saved.
» MORE: DJI Mini 4 Professional – Easy methods to Use Energetic Monitor 360 (With Video)
Creating Distant Waypoint Missions
One of many nice issues in regards to the waypoint mission planner is that you simply wouldn’t have to be on the location the place you want to fly to create waypoints.
For this text, I created a mission miles from the place I subsequently ran the waypoints for this text.
I created the mission early within the day, then drove half-hour to the situation the place the mission would run later within the day and ran the mission.
This might show to be very helpful for individuals who must plan consumer or industrial missions previous to getting on location.
Moreover, with the power to switch waypoints within the mission planner, any top and motion changes will be made as soon as on location and surveying the mission website.
To remotely create a waypoint mission:
Step 1: Whereas each the Mini 4 Professional and distant controller are on, faucet on the world map within the decrease left-hand nook of the display. Then increase the world map within the digicam view display.
Step 2: Open the waypoint mode by urgent the waypoint icon.
Step 3: Find the world on the map you want to place your first waypoint. Faucet the world together with your finger to set the waypoint. Proceed to do that for all of the waypoints wanted.
Step 4: Save the waypoint mission by tapping on the save icon.
Step 5: Both Save the mission or do a Save As and title the mission one thing customized.
Step 6: Exit the waypoint mission planner.
As a quick reminder, these are the foremost issues to know earlier than setting waypoints remotely:
- The Mini 4 Professional and distant controller have to be powered on and linked to the web. That is wanted for the waypoints to make use of the map function.
- As a substitute of utilizing the C1 button or + image, faucet the display on the designated waypoint location so as to add the waypoint.
- Any waypoints will be modified at any time after the mission is saved. Even remotely.
