App Chatter - Work flow tools

dougcjohn · Jun 9, 2019

Looked through the threads... older posts discuss some of the more popular apps: Litchi.
Although many new versions, a few revamped or new apps.. better integration with log books and 2D / 3D programs.
Attempting to make a Group Collection of useful apps, training, etc.
Feel free to add suggestions, links, or comments on products others may find helpful.

One App that came on strong 12-18 months ago as a freebie while in beta was Drone Harmony and received a lot of attention & praise.
The DH 'buzz" has seemed to settle down and It's been through several versions, added and improved features.

FLIGHT Mission:
I thought I'd take another look at few, including Drone Harmony.
For those not aware of Drone Harmony; it has a totally different way creating a mission, feels quite odd at first but it begins to grow on ya as you adjust. Your mission workflow is through "scenes", includes specifying both desired & avoided objects, then selecting a plan (flight template) and applying & generating the mission. The process of generating places the Way Pts and POI angles... fully able to edit Way Pt & POI's.
The DH developers have also recently added a Cloud / Web Version... it's a developing product but looks like a great addition.
I"m currently on the 1 time pmt Basic version, but will be moving to the Plus version after learning a bit more about DH.

The Litchi app I left a year ago due to buggy behavior and not supporting I2 and Matrice platforms. I noticed it's been revamped and includes many new platforms. I've always simply enjoyed building flight missions in Litchi HUB then using on iOS or Adroid devices.

Probably enjoyed the Auto Flight Logic's AutoPilot even more, but they too weren't very responsive to add new platforms. I've noticed they pretty much cover the DJI platform except the Mavic 2 Pro/Zoom... although last update was 10 months ago and no response when I emailed them regarding the Mavic 2 status.

One I think is pretty complete and quick to use is Flight Plan. For a small shop, they've managed to maintain all DJI platforms.
Has a very simplistic interface, but learning the tool it's very complete too. Also has a free cloud sync component.

I've been watching UgCS, looks like it's a strong program although on a Notebook... in addition supports several platform, including Yuneec H520, although without RC connection compared to DJI that retains the RC for override. It's growing & developing at a brisk pace... new features often.

Anyone play or revisit any of these flight mission programs lately. Any others that are worthwhile to take a look at?
Several others have developed over the last year: PrecisionFlight, Map Pilot / MapMadeEasy, Pix4D, or DJI's own GSPro or DJI Pilot?

Other new items over the last year or so...

LOGBOOK - Maintenance:
Logbook tools - DroneLogBook, AirData, KittyHawk, etc.
Personally I like the depth of the free & low cost version of Drone Logbook, but others feel the same with AirData.

POST Work: Photo - Video
Any new Video / Graphics tools anyone has found that adds value, function or entertainment to your post-work?
I've noticed Luminar has added a UAV Aerial program called AirMagic Be the first one to try AirMagic, the world’s first fully automated Drone Photos Enhancer.
Anyone found any other video / graphics tools new or improved?
Any links to add for learning aids, etc.

PHOTOGAMMETRY - Modeling:
Several new or revamped Aerial Photogammetry: Terrain, Mapping, 3D tools.
To mention a few for discussion and get others to maybe add a few more....
AutoDesk ReCap Pro (Cloud Based version) Low cost option
Reality Capture by CapturingReality (new strong player)
SimActive Correlator 3D
MapMadeEasy
Pix4D
Zephyr 3DF
DroneDeply 3D Map
Agisoft Metashape 3D (big improvement form Photoscan)
PrecisionHawk 3D Map
ContextCapture by Bentley Solutions (New one to me, but a very strong established player)

USEFUL Links:

Training Links:

Online Courses - Anytime, Anywhere | Udemy

Udemy is the world's largest destination for online courses. Discover an online course on Udemy.com and start learning a new skill today.

www.udemy.com

A pretty useful Training Site that has several sUAV, Modeling, Aerial 3D, and various video training for Drones.

Litchi App Video Training:

Phantom Filmschool

courses.phantomfilmschool.com

Drone U™

Drone Pilot Training - Start Your Drone Business

www.thedroneu.com

dougcjohn · Jul 8, 2019

Another strong Photogammetry / 3D Modeling performer is iWitness. They apparently got their initial start working with accident scene and reconstruction. They have a strong product; also had a few email exchanges and was refreshing they a very prompt & informative support channel.
In comparison to other products; they are also a lower cost solution that isn't lacking.

iWitness Pro v4, iWitness™ and iWitnessPRO™ - iWitness

While exchanging emails, I also learned of other great products that work with Litchi.
DJI Flight Planner @ $99, Flight planning software for DJI drones - DJIFlightPlanner
DJI After Flight @ $29, DJIFlightPlanner

Found a short guide on using DJIFlightPlanner with Litchi.

https://www.djiflightplanner.com/documents/Using_DJIFlightPlanner_with_Litchi.pdf

Older 2017 video, but informative on DJIFlightPlanner

dougcjohn · Jul 8, 2019

Add the VLM tool... Virtual Litchi Mission with Goole Earth.
Virtual Litchi Mission

The Author of the VLM has expressed each User now have their own Google API Key to ease usage on his key. The new VLM version presents the option to enter your own API key.

I wasn't familiar with the Google API within the Google Cloud Platform.
For those similar to myself, I made a short guide to obtain & create your own Google API.
I posted at the end of the Mavic VLM Post... short cut pasted in...
Virtual Litchi Mission on post #743

R.P..R · Jul 9, 2019

I did a similar round trip workflow, but flown the Typhoon H Plus. I how it flew the mission that I extracted the points from the flight and uploaded to Litchi.

I did not emphasize the VLM Litchi’s at that time was not accurate.

I’m glad that you posted this. It’s time for me to look at it again.

dougcjohn · Jul 9, 2019

Well that's one way to get your telemetry points to Litchi.... good video!

I did the VLM recently, and he's made several improvements.
Another issue was the altitude adjustment, using the difference of Google Earth & your desired. I need to relocate the article that discussed that, I don't think it was in the 38 page Post above. But that corrects one of the altitude issues.

You can still use his API key by default, but under VLM setup, last tab there is a input window to enter your own Google API key if desired.

The DJIFlightPlanner is pretty cool, a different direction than VLM. It generates a flight mission that get's exported to Litchi. After examining, it has several good features. The 2 tools $99 & $29, I think if you contact them you'll get both for a better combo price.

Check out the iWitness Pro too... that one is pretty powerful and has several points stronger than other products. I haven't purchased one yet, but narrowing it down. The Owner replies back on evening & weekends, amazed me and very helpful & informative.

R.P..R · Jul 11, 2019

dougcjohn said:
Well that's one way to get your telemetry points to Litchi.... good video!

I did the VLM recently, and he's made several improvements.
Another issue was the altitude adjustment, using the difference of Google Earth & your desired. I need to relocate the article that discussed that, I don't think it was in the 38 page Post above. But that corrects one of the altitude issues.

You can still use his API key by default, but under VLM setup, last tab there is a input window to enter your own Google API key if desired.

The DJIFlightPlanner is pretty cool, a different direction than VLM. It generates a flight mission that get's exported to Litchi. After examining, it has several good features. The 2 tools $99 & $29, I think if you contact them you'll get both for a better combo price.

Check out the iWitness Pro too... that one is pretty powerful and has several points stronger than other products. I haven't purchased one yet, but narrowing it down. The Owner replies back on evening & weekends, amazed me and very helpful & informative.

I have been living in a cave!!! I just checked out the new improvements and it’s pretty impressive. You’re always tapped in, bro! Thanks for sharing.

dougcjohn · Jul 11, 2019

Few add on notes:
Add the DJI Camera- Field of View file.

https://flylitchi.com/assets/DJI%20Cameras%20-%20Field%20of%20View.kml

If Link bad.... this page go to bottom and download the file.

Help - Litchi

Litchi's manual. Find information on how to use Litchi.

flylitchi.com

To add the DJI Camera FOV File...
Have Google Earth Open and double click this file, it will install into GE Temp area, drag up to "MY Places".
You can now select the Camera to more accurately match virtual with reality.

Backup your Google Earth data files:
Right Click on "My Places", select Save As... ???Name.KMZ file.
If any data you want to retain is in the Temporary Section, drag it up under the My Places.
The KMZ file is now a full backup... if you pooch the GE enviroment.... get GE back and double click the KMZ file. All your data is restored to the Tempory Section... just drag up what you want to the MY Places.
Also nice if your experimenting with a mission gets wild, bring the KMZ backup back to Tempory, Rename your Mission and drag up to MY Places as a secondary copy.

Unit Sync:
On Tab 1. It's been stressed important to make sure all your apps: Litchi, VLM, GE are all set to the same Units: metric or Imperial.

Altitude Adjustment:
On the Altitude adjustment mentioned above in previous post. It is the difference between how Google Earth and the Google API use the altitude value. There is a small difference to be adjusted.

To compensate for the difference, open the VLM program and select in upper menu bar, Setup / Change Mission Settings.
In the popup dialog box, in 1st Tab "General" modify the middle variable "HP Altitude Reference". Select USER Radio Button.
Go Back in Google Earth, hover or select your Home Point LZ area and note in memory the Elev value at bottom of GE screen. Enter this elevation value into the above VLM "HP Altitude Reference" input box. Apply.

Open 2nd Tab, and set the Watch Folder to your preferred directory.

Option 1: Create your mission in Litchi. Save to Litchi Hub, open in VLM. Make adj indicated above. Then Missions / Export CVS. This will now open in Google Earth and show the flight mission. Pretty Cool!!

Opt 2: Create your mission in Google Earth in 3D view of objects and move mission to Litchi.

dougcjohn · Jul 12, 2019

Just for the fun of it... when you've installed DJI Camera FOV file. If you double click a camera, it spins Google Earth to Paris Eiffel Tower. As you click each Camera Lens, this gives you a reference of the Lens power & FOV.

R.P..R · Jul 12, 2019

dougcjohn said:
Few add on notes:
Add the DJI Camera- Field of View file.

https://flylitchi.com/assets/DJI%20Cameras%20-%20Field%20of%20View.kml
If Link bad.... this page go to bottom and download the file.

Help - Litchi

Litchi's manual. Find information on how to use Litchi.

flylitchi.com

To add the DJI Camera FOV File...
Have Google Earth Open and double click this file, it will install into GE Temp area, drag up to "MY Places".
You can now select the Camera to more accurately match virtual with reality.

Backup your Google Earth data files:
Right Click on "My Places", select Save As... ???Name.KMZ file.
If any data you want to retain is in the Temporary Section, drag it up under the My Places.
The KMZ file is now a full backup... if you pooch the GE enviroment.... get GE back and double click the KMZ file. All your data is restored to the Tempory Section... just drag up what you want to the MY Places.
Also nice if your experimenting with a mission gets wild, bring the KMZ backup back to Tempory, Rename your Mission and drag up to MY Places as a secondary copy.

Unit Sync:
On Tab 1. It's been stressed important to make sure all your apps: Litchi, VLM, GE are all set to the same Units: metric or Imperial.

Altitude Adjustment:
On the Altitude adjustment mentioned above in previous post. It is the difference between how Google Earth and the Google API use the altitude value. There is a small difference to be adjusted.

To compensate for the difference, open the VLM program and select in upper menu bar, Setup / Change Mission Settings.
In the popup dialog box, in 1st Tab "General" modify the middle variable "HP Altitude Reference". Select USER Radio Button.
Go Back in Google Earth, hover or select your Home Point LZ area and note in memory the Elev value at bottom of GE screen. Enter this elevation value into the above VLM "HP Altitude Reference" input box. Apply.

Open 2nd Tab, and set the Watch Folder to your preferred directory.

Option 1: Create your mission in Litchi. Save to Litchi Hub, open in VLM. Make adj indicated above. Then Missions / Export CVS. This will now open in Google Earth and show the flight mission. Pretty Cool!!

Opt 2: Create your mission in Google Earth in 3D view of objects and move mission to Litchi.

This workflow is also called “Relative to ground”

R.P..R · Jul 12, 2019

Thanks to @dougcjohn AGAIN!!

I overlayed VLM to my workflow RTG (Relative To Ground) and I am liking it now. This new method is certainly useful when it comes to mission planning.

Here's my footage from today.

dougcjohn · Jul 13, 2019

R.P..R said:
Thanks to @dougcjohn AGAIN!! I overlayed VLM to my workflow RTG (Relative To Ground) and I am liking it now. This new method is certainly useful when it comes to mission planning.

Here's my footage from today.

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Nice flow, looks great!
I see your Waypoint 3D path, which option for gimbal did you select? Without a POI to associate, gimbal tends to hunt, but yours is tracking like a center POI is associated all the way.
Great layout.

R.P..R · Jul 13, 2019

dougcjohn said:
Nice flow, looks great!
I see your Waypoint 3D path, which option for gimbal did you select? Without a POI to associate, gimbal tends to hunt, but yours is tracking like a center POI is associated all the way.
Great layout.

I accidentally had the gimbal set to default and I was manually handling the gimbal wheel. I will do more test next week, and I’ll be sure to also either set the camera to POI or interpolate according to the latitude.

I’m really loving this workflow that I’ve decided to review all of my current saved missions, I also noticed that Litchi made great improvements with how the hub handles a round trip sharing of the files, whereas before importing GE kml file, I often find myself adjusting the coordinates.

dougcjohn · Jul 13, 2019

R.P..R said:
I accidentally had the gimbal set to default and I was manually handling the gimbal wheel. I will do more test next week, and I’ll be sure to also either set the camera to POI or interpolate according to the latitude.

I’m really loving this workflow that I’ve decided to review all of my current saved missions, I also noticed that Litchi made great improvements with how the hub handles a round trip sharing of the files, whereas before importing GE kml file, I often find myself adjusting the coordinates.

That explains it, I was curious... thought you found another feature.

I've been experimenting placing 4 POI's... more towards each side... then individually move in or out / up or down to obtain the view captured for each side. Have Interpolate last waypoint / first of next set as each transition to next set of waypoints per side... using the rounding like in yours to smooth it all. Helps when structure is in a more congested dense area... I think, looks to improve... still comparing.

Are you creating in Litchi, to VLM to GE and back to Litchi or creating in GE to VLM to Litchi.

It's an interesting set of Tools working together.

dougcjohn · Jul 13, 2019

Note to View in Google Earth....
I believe it was mentioned somewhere, but if not...
To View your flight mission in 3d motion... after performing the VLM Export CSV and it creates a File within GE Temporary... if you click the "down arrow" icon next to your File... that shows "Virtual Mission" and Diagnostics.
If you Double Click the Virtual Mission, it will play the mission in 3D within Google Earth.
This is the cool part and if I missed indicating... Not intended.

R.P..R · Jul 13, 2019

Are you flying your i2? What lens are you using? I tried the oly 12mm FOV and the angle perspective does not quite match, can you kindly guide me on which FOV is working for you?
However, when I switch to using Panasonic 15mm it matched my footage perfectly. Sent Litchi an email and also reloading the FOV files, just in case of a break error on my end, when I uploaded the camera files.

dougcjohn · Jul 13, 2019

R.P..R said:
Are you flying your i2? What lens are you using? I tried the oly 12mm FOV and the angle perspective does not quite match, can you kindly guide me on which FOV is working for you?
However, when I switch to using Panasonic 15mm it matched my footage perfectly. Sent Litchi an email and also reloading the FOV files, just in case of a break error on my end, when I uploaded the camera files.

You're a step in Ft of me... I've been experimenting with M2P, M2Z and MA.
Although, if you're taking the VLM CSV to GE... then a quick solution I think I recall is to modify an unused Drone type... use the P4A as the Inspire 2 with 12mm. 12mm 84, 15mm 72.

If too narrow or wide, adjust the VLM program's Camera FOV in this Drone type file to match your lens.
This gets passed to GE to create it's Fight mission.

The GE DJI Camera FOV file is when you "create" a flight mission in GE and pass a GE KML file to VLM to convert to Litchi. For this you create in GE, save as a KML.. Open VLM, select Import and select the KML file... then save as a Litchi Flight Mission after tweaks are completed, pass back to GE to see how it looks or open Litchi to fly mission.

I'll grab a few screen shots...

dougcjohn · Jul 13, 2019

Here's an example of creating the flight first in Google Earth, exporting to VLM as a KML, then saving as a Litchi Mission or sending back to GE as a CSV to review.

This Google Earth picture is route made in Google Earth. Notice on Left Side the Pin Markers made, Notice no POI's are needed it assigns the "Aim" while aligning your view in the 3D GE. If you look at the Import compile text, the 4th Green line down in 2nd Green section... states POI imported = 0. But Gimbal is aimed per your actual 3D View in GE... can be tweaked in angle within VLM or Litchi.

The VLM picture is Importing the GE KLM and having VLM convert to a Litchi mission.

NOTE: The VLM Setup Dialog, on the Drone Type. Select and unused Drone Type and fill in values for I2. This example, I used the P4A and it's now a Inspire 2 with 12mm lens.

dougcjohn · Jul 13, 2019

By the way... the Speed in Drone Index file is Max allowed by VLM. Doesn't really matter, it's basically a warning aid to tell you if you've constructed your flight mission outside of the drones limits. The only one that gets exported to Google Earth is the FOV.

R.P..R · Jul 13, 2019

I’m not seeing the VLM parameters, I made my map while at the field on my Mac Pro and opted for the chrome extension. I will be home next week, and I’ll download the pc .xt copy

Thanks a bunch for the reply.