Litchi: Orbit and Waypoints are coming for the Mini

Awesome! A friend has a mini, and was looking for those two things...


What does Litchi currently support for the MM?

In addition to what @LifesShort mentions, Litchi has added a function (C1) which utilizes the RTH button on the FC giving the option of setting that switch to control one of a bunch of other functions. I'm currently using it to switch between a Virtual Reality HUD display and the front camera view when my phone is in FPV mode clipped in my headset. The Litchi's VR display is an awesome feature that also overcomes trying to view the phone's screen in sunlight.

Check this link out for the LITCHI USER GUIDE HERE. There's lots of info there. Note the 12 section tabs, one each for Settings/FPV/Pano/Waypoints/Focus, etc, etc. and not all features in the guide are currently available for the mini but they are adding more all the time.

Here's a direct link to the VR Page I mentioned above.

EyesWideShut said:

In addition to what @LifesShort mentions, Litchi has added a function (C1) which utilizes the RTH button on the FC giving the option of setting that switch to control one of a bunch of other functions. I'm currently using it to switch between a Virtual Reality HUD display and the front camera view when my phone is in FPV mode clipped in my headset. The Litchi's VR display is an awesome feature that also overcomes trying to view the phone's screen in sunlight.

Check this link out for the LITCHI USER GUIDE HERE. There's lots of info there. Note the 12 section tabs, one each for Settings/FPV/Pano/Waypoints/Focus, etc, etc. and not all features in the guide are currently available for the mini but they are adding more all the time.

Here's a direct link to the VR Page I mentioned above.

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My personal opinion never overuse the RTH button since you might always need it in case something goes wrong .. Think about unexpected rain or whatever you didn’t count on before

makis1985 said:

My personal opinion never overuse the RTH button since you might always need it in case something goes wrong .. Think about unexpected rain or whatever you didn’t count on before

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I don't use RTH normally but was concerned how it react with also being Litchi's C1 so I tested it. The RTH button on the controller works as normal with a short press/long press and went into RTH and canceled on another short press. I had taken the VR googles off when doing the test but imagine they switched from VR to phone camera as I did the presses.

I was not aware that RTH button can still keep the RTH function when long pressed ..

itsneedtokno said:

Awesome! A friend has a mini, and was looking for those two things...

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Does your friend know about Dronelink - it already has those 2 features in the release version.

LifesShort said:

Follow (AC folows the subject at a specified height and distance)

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Not in the iOS version of the Litchi beta.

Red Waypoint already support way-point with the mini.
I have the pro version. Red Waypoint APP


August 2020

Red Waypoint Pro Version 2.9.1
– Bugs Fixed
Red Waypoint Version 2.9.1
– Bugs Fixed
Red Waypoint Pro Version 2.9.0
– Added support for Mavic Mini
– Added support for M300 RTK
– C2 Button to Switch between Map/Cam view functionality
– Added Feature: Updated to DJI SDK 4.13
Red Waypoint Version 2.9.0
– Added support for Mavic Mini
– Added support for M300 RTK
– Added Feature: Updated to DJI SDK 4.13

This has been discussed in other threads, but to clarify a few things quickly:

1) In addition to Red Waypoint, Dronelink (www.dronelink.com) supports waypoints, Orbit, and many other functions. Dronelink also has an IOS version (RWP is only Android) as well as a web planning version. Both of these tools use "Virtual Joystick" within the DJI SDK to fly this missions.

@itsneedtokno - if your friend needs those features now, I'd check out those two solutions.

2) For Litchi to support waypoints like this, DJI would either need to update their SDK (probably not terribly likely) or LItchi would need to shift to a virtual joystick implementation. While possible, it's unlikely and would also require (like DL and RWP) for the drone to be connected to the controller to fly the mission.

LifesShort said:

Why do you say it's unlikely when Litchi plainly says that they will be adding this capability?

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I think it's the timescale which is uncertain. I'm not sure about RWP, but Dronelink is written around using virtual sticks for waypoints so it was probably straightforward to implement it for the Mini. Litchi, on the other hand, relies on uploading the mission to the drone so probably needs a significant rewrite to implement missions for the Mini. I can't imagine that this will be quick or easy.

I too asked Litchi the direct question about if/when waypoints and orbits would be implemented for the mini. This was their reply which is vague. It may come but it looks a way off:

Litchi Support (VC Technology Ltd)

6 Sep 2020, 11:29 BST

Hi,

We have no schedule date yet a lot of features are missing currently.

Kind Regards,
Litchi
Online help at https://flylitchi.com/help

Litchi cannot provide waypoint support until DJI upgrades the drone firmware with a new api that it can talk to. Right now any waypoint instructions sent from outside the DJI software system is ignored.

maelstrom said:

I think it's the timescale which is uncertain. I'm not sure about RWP, but Dronelink is written around using virtual sticks for waypoints so it was probably straightforward to implement it for the Mini. Litchi, on the other hand, relies on uploading the mission to the drone so probably needs a significant rewrite to implement missions for the Mini. I can't imagine that this will be quick or easy.

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@LifesShort

I would say it's kind of like saying, "why can't I just put diesel gas in my car?" It's because the car was not designed for that type of gas. It's changing the heart of the way the car runs.

Same with LItchi / Virtual Sticks. It wasn't necessarily "straight forward" for DL. DL built a custom flight controller that does a LOT of things - using the virtual sticks capability within DJI to control the drone.

For Litchi to support waypoints, either the SDK has to change or Litchi has to move to a Virtual Stick implementation - which as was stated above would be a significant re-write.

LifesShort said:

What I hear is everyone saying that Litchi would require a rewrite and I understand that. I don't argue that at all. But, if Litchi says they are adding this functionality, who are we to say that they aren't? Does anyone here have any inside information as to Litchi's business plans?

I suspect that Litchi will release a version specifically for the Mini that will work in much the same way as Dronelink, but with the Litchi interface. I have no way of knowing this as I don't have any inside information, it's just my guess.

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You are welcome to ask them - it seems that they've simply responded that they "plan on doing it".. They absolutely COULD do it.

I'm just saying that TECHNICALLY it's not a small feat. Even if they released a "new version", it wouldn't work like the old version. It would not have offline waypoints at a minimum - probably lose some other functionality as well.

Well, Litchi is definitely internally already using a Virtual stick control loop for a lot of their functionality (track, follow, focus). It's true they have never used it for waypoint missions (didn't have to up to now) but a large chunk of the required code is already there. I would guess it does not require a huge addition in the source code. I would also guess they are perhaps waiting to see how will the situation with the SDK develop. Will the MA2 SDK also be crippled or if not will the DJI perhaps add the missions SDK support to the MM at the same time. It's not unthinkable. If the DJI does not soon produce the M3/MA3, their sales in the Europe will fall rapidly. Only the MM is somewhat immune to the new regulations that are coming in just a few short months so could actually currently be the best investment for EU customers (DJI could keep selling it for longer than MA2).
Another thing is that programmers certainly do not like 'special cases' or custom workarounds if they can be avoided. Makes the code less elegant, harder to debug and maintain. I don't think that they are in much of a hurry to implement the waypoints especially as they are currently the only ones providing the somewhat functional follow-me and track functionality that users seem to prefer to pre-programmed missions.

Dave Maine said:

Litchi cannot provide waypoint support until DJI upgrades the drone firmware with a new api that it can talk to. Right now any waypoint instructions sent from outside the DJI software system is ignored.

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If DJI ever had any incentive to support waypoints in the Mini's firmware, they won't have any at all after Litchi implements a virtual stick solution. Given how central waypoints are to what Litchi offers, I have to think that Litchi must have already lobbied DJI to support them in the firmware, so whatever the reason, the answer was apparently no. Frankly, I don't expect to see any significant enhancements to the Mini's firmware, which is a shame given its potential.

But for waypoints, I don't see any reason to wait for Litchi when Dronelink is available now. I guess Red Waypoints is okay if you just want something simple that's easy to learn. Dronelink is harder to learn because it has so much more functionality -- and more than Litchi, too -- but IMO, it's well worth the learning curve for the level of control it gives you. I'm also spoiled now that I don't want any mission planner that won't let me preview the mission in Google Earth -- that's both fun and very useful for getting the mission right on the first flight.

dsvilko said:

I don't think that they are in much of a hurry to implement the waypoints especially as they are currently the only ones providing the somewhat functional follow-me and track functionality that users seem to prefer to pre-programmed missions.

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But, oddly, these functions are OS-dependent. Follow me is only available for Android. If Dronelink can implement both of these for iOS as well, they could corner the market.