Best way for "On the Fly" Dronie?

• 

  Jim McAndrew Dronelink Staff

  • February 19, 2021 11:48

  Would this work?

  Almost. The one issue is, if you pause the mission it automatically stops the camera. You could restart it manually but it won't be one continuous shot.

  Will the camera just jump to the view at each waypoint i.e the end waypoint "view" isn't really important as the drone will only show that view once it reaches that last waypoint and won't gradually interpolate there?

  It will interpolate. I recommend you go do a dronie beforehand and look in your mission history to see the mission plan that it generates so you can understand exactly how it functions.

  Assume there is no "Dronie" mode that lets you fly to a specific point with specific view, start and finish, without manually entering distance?

  There is not.

  Assume there is no function to stay x amount of time at an "On The Fly" waypoint (or Dronie start point) so, for example, to capture some static video before you zoom off into the "Dronie"?

  There is not, but all of the on-the-fly functions are open source, so you can copy them and make them do whatever you want (if you know javascript). You can also just copy the mission plan that it creates in your mission history and modify the plan.

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• 

  Andrew Busst

  • February 19, 2021 11:57

  Ok thanks Jim

  Will Dronelink let me load say 4 or 5 or 6 or whatever it takes waypoints all in the same place to allow some time to capture static video? (during an "On The Fly" path mission) i.e. is there are a small delay between waypoints or if in the same place are they effectively instant achieving no delay at all?

   

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• 

  Jim McAndrew Dronelink Staff

  • February 19, 2021 11:58

  There is no delay. You really should just try it.

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• 

  Andrew Busst

  • February 19, 2021 11:58

  OK cheers will do 

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• 

  Andrew Busst

  • February 25, 2021 10:22

  /*

  So have been playing around a bit more with the "On The Fly" Commands and Javascript.

  I have managed to turn off the Camera starting and ending at the first and last waypoint in the path.

  Thought I had nailed this then started the video ran the edited On The Fly "Path" and of course the video stopped when I paused the Function so assume that is a (excuse the double up) "Function" of the "On The Fly" function. You pause any function and video pauses if recording it's not something to easily code out in Javascript? 

  So  I went hunting for "wait" code and found this in the "Jobsight" function...

                      const component = new Dronelink.WaitComponent()

                      component.time = 3.0

                      return component

  So now I'm thinking I have managed the video to be on from the start I can just throw this component in at my first waypoint for maybe 5-10 secs time and whallah! Job done. I get a static view seconds of video before the drone moves off to the next way point.

  So how would I do that actually? I'm sure it's not just a case of dropping these three lines of javascript into the "Path" function, or is it? 

  Any pointers gratefully received!! Here is the vanilla function....

  */

  const waypoints = variables["order"] === "Backward" ? variables["waypoints"].slice().reverse() : variables["waypoints"]
  let speed = Dronelink.Convert.milesPerHourToMetersPerSecond(10.0)

  if (variables["speed"] > 0) {
  speed = variables["speed"]
  }

  const component = new Dronelink.PathComponent()
  component.approachComponent.altitudeRange.altitude = waypoints[0].spatial.altitude
  component.droneMotionLimits.horizontal = new Dronelink.MotionLimitsOptional()
  component.droneMotionLimits.horizontal.velocity = new Dronelink.Limits(speed, 0)
  component.approachComponent.droneMotionLimits.horizontal = new Dronelink.MotionLimitsOptional()
  component.approachComponent.droneMotionLimits.horizontal.velocity = new Dronelink.Limits(Dronelink.Convert.milesPerHourToMetersPerSecond(20), 0)
  component.cornering = variables["pathing"] === "Straight" ? Dronelink.PathCornering.Rounded : Dronelink.PathCornering.Intersect

  if (variables["camera"] !== "None") {
  component.approachComponent.immediateComponent = (() => {
  const list = new Dronelink.ListComponent()
  list.childComponents.push(new Dronelink.CommandComponent(new Dronelink.StopCaptureCameraCommand()))

  list.childComponents.push(
  (() => {
  const command = new Dronelink.ModeCameraCommand()
  command.mode = variables["camera"] === "Photos" ? Dronelink.CameraMode.Photo : Dronelink.CameraMode.Video
  return new Dronelink.CommandComponent(command)
  })()
  )

  component.assetSource = new Dronelink.AssetSource()
  if (variables["camera"] === "Photos") {
  component.assetSource.descriptors.tags = ["Image Series"]
  list.childComponents.push(
  (() => {
  const command = new Dronelink.PhotoModeCameraCommand()
  command.photoMode = Dronelink.CameraPhotoMode.Interval
  return new Dronelink.CommandComponent(command)
  })()
  )
  } else {
  component.assetSource.descriptors.tags = ["Video"]
  }

  return list
  })()
  }

  waypoints.forEach((drone, index) => {
  const offset = component.referenceCoordinate(context).offset(drone.spatial.coordinate)
  if (index === 0) {
  component.approachComponent.destinationOffset = offset
  } else {
  const waypoint = new Dronelink.PathComponentWaypoint()
  waypoint.offset = offset
  component.addWaypoint(waypoint, context)
  }
  })

  const path = component.path(context)
  waypoints.forEach((drone, index) => {
  const marker = new Dronelink.PathComponentMarker(index === 0 ? 0 : path.nearestDistance(drone.spatial.coordinate))
  marker.altitude = drone.spatial.altitude
  if (variables["orientations"] === undefined || variables["orientations"] === "Framing from Waypoints") {
  marker.droneOrientation = new Dronelink.Orientation3Optional()
  marker.droneOrientation.z = drone.spatial.orientation.yaw
  marker.droneOrientation.zReference = Dronelink.OrientationZReference.North
  marker.gimbalOrientations = {}
  marker.gimbalOrientations[0] = new Dronelink.Orientation3Optional()
  marker.gimbalOrientations[0].pitch = drone.gimbal().orientation.pitch
  }

  if (index === 0) {
  if (variables["orientations"] === "Point of Interest") {
  let pointOfInterest = new Dronelink.PointOfInterest()
  component.pointsOfInterest.push(pointOfInterest)
  pointOfInterest.referencedOffset.coordinateOffset = component.referenceCoordinate(context).offset(variables["poi"].spatial.coordinate)
  marker.pointOfInterestID = pointOfInterest.id
  }

  if (variables["orientations"] === "My Location") {
  let pointOfInterest = new Dronelink.PointOfInterest()
  component.pointsOfInterest.push(pointOfInterest)
  pointOfInterest.referencedOffset.coordinateOffset = component.referenceCoordinate(context).offset(context.device.spatial.coordinate)
  marker.pointOfInterestID = pointOfInterest.id
  }

  if (variables["camera"] !== "None") {
  marker.component = new Dronelink.CommandComponent(new Dronelink.StartCaptureCameraCommand())
  }
  }

  if (index === waypoints.length - 1) {
  marker.component = new Dronelink.CommandComponent(new Dronelink.StopCaptureCameraCommand())
  }

  component.addMarker(marker)
  })

  plan.rootComponent.childComponents.push(component)

  if (variables["name"]) {
  plan.descriptors.name = variables["name"]
  }

   

  // Many thanks in advance!

   

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• 

  Raffaello Di Martino IZ0QWM

  • February 25, 2021 13:50

  To stop and start the camera, or wait some time at every waypoint, you have to insert the code in the marker.component just you do on the web interface.

  Like you see in the example, the last waypoint ( waypoints.length - 1 ) has also a marker that stops the camera.
  In the same way you can manage every marker you need with a component.

  If I can advise you, the first few times, create a fake mission on the web interface and insert everything you need: waypoints, markers, commands.

  Then recreate everything in javascript.

  Use the gituhub link of Dronelink to find all the calls: https://github.com/dronelink

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• 

  Jim McAndrew Dronelink Staff

  • February 26, 2021 03:28

  it's not something to easily code out in Javascript?

  This functionality is currently hard coded into the app. We may consider removing it in the future but most people seem to like it.

  wait some time at every waypoint

  Putting a wait component in a marker will not cause the drone to stop and wait at the marker. All that will accomplish is a delay before executing any subsequent components at that marker (assuming you used the wait in a list).

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• 

  Andrew Busst

  • February 26, 2021 04:33

  Ok just had another thought.....using the Multiple Elements On The Fly Function could I...

  • start with one Path that has camera point backwards to my Wedding Party
  • I use a ridiculously slow speed like 0.1km/hr and travel a tiny distance (like a metre)
  • then path two would start off from where Path 1 ended and launch into a dronie at normal speed?

   

  That feels like it would work? The ability to On The Fly navigate like that and precisely set drone location by pre flying to those spots is just huge, especially with multiple types of elements able to be incorporated.

  Assume for multi element the video would just keep rolling between elements? 

   

  Cheers 

   

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• 

  Raffaello Di Martino IZ0QWM

  • February 26, 2021 10:01

  Hi Andrew I've done some test using the disengage that should permit to use the drone by hand while in the mission.

  Please look at this: https://app.dronelink.com/raffaello-di-martino/vicino-casa/plan/HEjKQupjGqVnK2JJIiUX/fdx5WFgOR1kUEFilN7do

  Use the simulator to test.

  You can change the destination of the second path, and you can also change the drone heading.

  Obviously, in post production you would then have to cut out pieces of video that you don't need.

  Raf

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• 

  Andrew Busst

  • February 26, 2021 11:20

  Thanks Raf 

  Can I load that as a Javascript function for use on the fly? As looks like a standard mission which I'm trying to avoid as will have many variables I physically need to avoid by placing the drone in a particular spot (determined by foliage etc) and have to dynamically (and quickly) set up?

  Cheers 

  Andrew

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• 

  Jim McAndrew Dronelink Staff

  • February 26, 2021 12:42

  Assume for multi element the video would just keep rolling between elements?

  That is not how that function is currently written - you would have to change it.

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• 

  Andrew Busst

  • February 26, 2021 21:40

  So just commenting out your camera options and camera start stop commands should do that?

  Most people would probably want continuous roll of video better to have too much than too little?

  Thanks

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  Jim McAndrew Dronelink Staff

  • February 27, 2021 13:14

  It is probably going to require more surgery than that as you will be using two Path components, so if you comment out code it is going to apply to both of them.

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