Before flying your mission in the real world, use the Mission Preview to fly your mission with a virtual drone to see what the drone will do and capture. Use the mission preview timeline to see mission details, including data captured, mission length, drone and camera actions.
Pre-visualization tools are extremely helpful to prevent multiple visits to the field, or wasting time in the field editing mission, and allow you to catch mission plan issues before hand.
Another useful pre-flight visualization tool is the 3D Preview. Learn more.
Mission Preview now supports Google 3D for enhanced pre-visualization.
Mission Preview Page Overview
The Mission Preview page shows the mission plan on the map with a Virtual Drone displayed on the flight path, the field of view on the top right, and a timeline of the mission on the bottom.
The above mission preview and some of the following screenshots show the older non-Google 3D view.
Step 1 - Open Mission Preview
Select Mission Preview on the Mission Card.
Step 2 - Select Play to Start the Mission
Select the Play button to start the mission.
The Virtual Drone will fly from the Mission Reference pin to the first Mission Component Start location.
Adjust the Flight Speed, or Pause the Mission.
The Virtual Drone is seen on the map.
Step 3 - Use Drone Field of View to Ensure Correct Framing
As you Play the mission, watch the Virtual Drones Field of View to ensure the shots are correctly framed. Exit the Mission Preview and adjust the mission plan as needed.
Step 3.1 - FPV View Button
The FPV button in the virtual drone field of view can be used to switch between the FPV view, or a 3D view of the scene that displays the drone and its field of view along the flight path.
Change the Virtual Drone Camera
Select the drone camera you intend to use for your mission to ensure correct framing. Different drones have different camera specs.
Open the Virtual Drone Settings by selecting the drone indicators or the "..." button in the Virtual Drone Field of View.
Select the Camera to be used.
Step 4 - Use the Timeline to View Additional Details
Scroll through the timeline to view different mission components, flight time, camera and drone actions. Scroll down and open additional details.
Zoom in to see details such as the image number, and camera actions.
Toggle On Capture Markers
View locations of photos taken along the flight path on the map by toggling on capture markers.
Select the "..." button on the Mission Preview card to open the menu.
Select Toggle Capture Markers to view locations of photos taken on the flight path.
Enable or Disable Google 3D View
Enable or disable the higher quality Google 3D view, by opening the virtual drone settings.
Export to Google Earth
From the Mission Preview you can export to Google Earth for more advanced 3D visualization.
Learn more about Exporting to Google Earth.