Autopilot Beta Test

[neilw]

Sounds like this issue.

I had the identical issue when using Follow for the first time on a yacht.

Since purchasing AP, I have tried it out/practised multiple times at the local RC airfield and had good results with Follow when walking. However, on my first yacht shoot with the new software, it worked fine in the Orbit mode (other than an exposure issue, see below). Circled beautifully and was controllable for distance, height, etc.

But I then switched to Follow (I was onboard) and the bird kept swinging left and right with virtually no usable footage (as can be seen in the raw footage. I eventually changed from a 180º Follow setting to a 270º setting and it helped a little, but still wild excursions back and forth.

I read the link on the above post (Sounds Like This issue), but I could not understand what it referenced, nor could I see in Flight School where there was an adjustment in the Follow settings. I had left the settings in default, which worked fine when practicing and walking, but did not perform at all when on the yacht. I had assumed that leaving most everything in default would work well and I could refine later if needed. Something doesn't seem right if this is how it acts on a default setting and following a fairly slow yacht.

Another issue also occurred on this shoot only. Had terrible exposure issues. Shot a lot of boats using Pilot/Go and never had this issue. Totally blown out and mostly unusable. Not sure what the deal is, but need to sort this out.

Started the bird in Go, then quit Go and went to AP. Typically always have the vid settings at AE, but as you can see in the vid, it did not set exposure correctly as the bird circled and changed position relative to the sun. Never had this issue shooting in Pilot/Go. Always corrects exposure properly as the bird moves. So not sure what is happening here, but until I can resolve these issues, will have to keep shooting yachts with Go. Hopefully it can be sorted.

IDEA: When I elected to quit the Follow mode and land back on the yacht, I forgot to switch back to GPS/P mode and experienced a very difficult final touchdown. Having always used Pilot/Go, I did not intuitively remember to switch back to P. Please think about a pop-up when disengaging a flight that reminds you to switch back to P for landing or something to that effect. Unless you use the app a lot, you're very likely to forget since your mind is focused on not landing in the water!

 

[Hangar]

I read the link on the above post (Sounds Like This issue), but I could not understand what it referenced, nor could I see in Flight School where there was an adjustment in the Follow settings. I had left the settings in default, which worked fine when practicing and walking, but did not perform at all when on the yacht. I had assumed that leaving most everything in default would work well and I could refine later if needed.

The link references the Responsiveness Movement Parameter (in app the settings). Finding a set of default values for the Mode Controls and Settings that accommodate all follow scenarios (speeds, wind conditions, course corrections, etc), is very difficult, but we are continuing to try to automate as much as possible. When automation proves too difficult or impossible, that is when we choose to expose a control or setting and leave it at the user's discretion.

In the video, were you using the Inspire RC as the Leader location source?
What version of Autopilot were you using?
Can you email the flight logs for that video to [email protected]?

Another issue also occurred on this shoot only. Had terrible exposure issues. Shot a lot of boats using Pilot/Go and never had this issue. Totally blown out and mostly unusable. Not sure what the deal is, but need to sort this out.

Are you saying the exposure settings that you selected in GO didn't stick when you switched to Autopilot, or are you saying they usually do stick, but didn't for this one particular shoot? We are planning to add camera settings eventually, but it will be after other higher priority features, such as Waypoint Mode.

IDEA: When I elected to quit the Follow mode and land back on the yacht, I forgot to switch back to GPS/P mode and experienced a very difficult final touchdown.

I though that F and P are identical with respect to GPS assist - it isn't until you switch to A when you disable to the GPS.

 

[neilw]

The link references the Responsiveness Movement Parameter (in app the settings). Finding a set of default values for the Mode Controls and Settings that accommodate all follow scenarios (speeds, wind conditions, course corrections, etc), is very difficult, but we are continuing to try to automate as much as possible. When automation proves too difficult or impossible, that is when we choose to expose a control or setting and leave it at the user's discretion.

In the video, were you using the Inspire RC as the Leader location source?
What version of Autopilot were you using?
Can you email the flight logs for that video to [email protected]?


Are you saying the exposure settings that you selected in GO didn't stick when you switched to Autopilot, or are you saying they usually do stick, but didn't for this one particular shoot? We are planning to add camera settings eventually, but it will be after other higher priority features, such as Waypoint Mode.


I though that F and P are identical with respect to GPS assist - it isn't until you switch to A when you disable to the GPS.

The settings in Follow were for Focus/Subject/Leader. Leader was set to Operator. It was set to Course with a bearing initially of 180º, then changed to 276º. Also says altitude 50ft., distance 69 ft. No offset.

I can't find anything on this, but could it be that the bird mimics any movement by me, the operator, while I am holding the RC/iPad and turning around to watch the bird (the 180º is relative to the direction the iPad is pointing?)? Hopefully not.

The software is the newest consumer/paid version 2.0.37 on an Inspire 1 using iOS 8.3.

I'll email the logs to you.

On the Responsiveness, I am quite confused about this. I had a very, very light wind situation (as can be seen in the video), and a <5 MPH boat speed. That would seem to be a very "basic" situation for following a bike, person, etc. The explanation in your online material is simply not very clear.

Do I need to turn it way up to 5 seconds for "normal" yacht following? Do I need to spend a battery to figure out what will work at each shoot, then go back and fly a second time with an adjusted setting? If so, is there a chance of something going wrong while I play with the Responsiveness settings?

I guess I am thinking that this setting needs a clearer explanation and some suggested settings for particular wind/vehicle speeds, if that is what the difference is (assuming the wind speed is always fairly light, no high wind situation). I felt very frustrated that this skipper was burning up fuel and I was getting crap for video, and it seemed there was nothing I had done wrong based on my testing on land (walking in front of the bird at the same settings I used for the yacht shoot).

Perhaps you could try to explain this apparently very critical setting with suggested settings for some common scenarios. It's just not practical to experiment while out over the water with fuel burning and tying people's time up. And can the setting even be changed while the Follow mode is engaged? If not, a lot of time can be wasted starting and stopping a yacht for a Follow mode setup and adjustment.

Some type of starting point based on what you're going to shoot would be helpful. All I know right now after reading that online help section several times is that the 1 Second setting does not work at all! A wasted shoot.

On the P vs F mode for landing, I don't know if its the same with GPS positioning. When I was landing, the bird was quite twitchy, drifting a bit with the wind, etc. It was in the F mode, so I only suspected perhaps it was not using GPS for positioning, but it could have been other factors (boat drift, etc.).

On the exposure issue, not sure what happened. When I have used AP, I always set GO vid settings to AE, had an ND/CP filter on the bird, and when shooting with Go/Pilot have always had decent results with the exposure adjusting pretty well as needed under simialr circumstances. But with this first shoot on the water using AP, it's clear that the AE did not auto expose. Why, I haven't a clue. The only thing I can pass along is that it auto exposes ok when flying/shooting with Go, but did not with AP.

Perhaps you can also clarify the situation on 2 apps connecting with the bird. Having the bird out over the water, I felt uncomfortable about switching back to Go to try to readjust the exposure settings. When this was happening, I flashed back to discussions earlier in this thread about the Inspire not being able to connect to 2 apps. Thus not wanting to see the bird fly away, autoland in the water, etc., I did not try to switch back to the Go app to make exposure adjusts.

Given the nature of flying over water and its consequences, is it okay to switch between apps (assuming you' re disengaged from a mode)? Do I lose my landing altitude reference, etc.? And, yes, having some exposure/cam controls within the app is, I think, important based on this experience. I have no problem switching apps if that is safe to do.

Overall, I love the app and its potential. I feel it needs some fine tuning, but more importantly, it needs much clearer instructions on some of the use and settings. I've been shooting professionally for almost 50 years, so understand cameras, settings, etc., but do have a hard time with several sections of your on line help/Fight School. As others have said, it would be very helpful to explain some of the settings using examples and typical settings. Many of us simply don't have the time to go out and practice using every possible setting change just to find out what is does or how it affects flight. And we can't arrange yachts for practicing like that either. Some suggested examples would save us from making the costly mistake I made on this shoot.

Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the upcoming improvements. And thanks for the great personal support you guys are providing.

 

[skyscope]

After using Focus Mode with the Inspire on several jobs I finally tested auto yaw with the P3P in Cruise Mode yesterday with stunning results. Nothing to complain, you absolutely rock!

By the way, with joystick strategy in all modes the right stick for controlling the camera is way too sensitive for me, perhaps you can implement adjustment settings for that in future updates?

 

[Hangar]

I can't find anything on this, but could it be that the bird mimics any movement by me, the operator, while I am holding the RC/iPad and turning around to watch the bird (the 180º is relative to the direction the iPad is pointing?)? Hopefully not.

This is not how it works.

Do I need to turn it way up to 5 seconds for "normal" yacht following? Do I need to spend a battery to figure out what will work at each shoot, then go back and fly a second time with an adjusted setting? If so, is there a chance of something going wrong while I play with the Responsiveness settings?

You can actually open the settings and change them mid-flight to see the effect. In the end we would prefer that the algorithms just "figure it all out" for you, but in the meantime we have chosen to expose settings, some more esoteric than others, to at least give you the chance to make adjustments if it is behaving in a way you don't like. As for Responsiveness in particular, you can think of it like a muting function on the joysticks. The less responsive it is, the slower the course corrections. In the case of slow-follow scenarios, less responsiveness can result in drifting back and forth because it responds slower to the course corrections being reported by the iPhone (which are erratic as discussed previously).

In the end, this is a flight controller, and it is extraordinaly complicated behind the scenes, and sometimes that complication peaks through in some of the settings and documentation. We are committed to making this "one button" easy, but it will take time to refine it.

As others have said, it would be very helpful to explain some of the settings using examples and typical settings. Many of us simply don't have the time to go out and practice using every possible setting change just to find out what is does or how it affects flight. And we can't arrange yachts for practicing like that either. Some suggested examples would save us from making the costly mistake I made on this shoot.

Totally understand, and we are definitely committed to improving our tutorial videos and documentation. Again, there is always a war for resources in terms of developing new features and documenting existing features - finding the balance is the trick.

 

[Hangar]

By the way, with joystick strategy in all modes the right stick for controlling the camera is way too sensitive for me, perhaps you can implement adjustment settings for that in future updates?

Do you mean on the P3 or Inspire 1? Is it the pitch/roll and/or yaw axis that is too sensitive?

 

[skyscope]

Do you mean on the P3 or Inspire 1? Is it the pitch/roll and/or yaw axis that is too sensitive?

I tested it on the P3 in Target Mode, and for me the reaction of the camera / P3 yaw was too sensitive on both axis, but especially the yaw movement reacts too sensitive to the stick controls.

But I'll test it on the Inspire within the next days too, when it stops raining...

 

[Hangar]

Version 2.1 just got approved. We will be starting the beta for 2.2 soon so remember to sign up if you haven't already.

 

[damoncooper]

Version 2.1 just got approved. We will be starting the beta for 2.2 soon so remember to sign up if you haven't already.

Will 2.2 include waypoints or is that a later 3.0-type thing?

 

[SKE]

Hey Autopilot, Is there a way to use the slave controller for the Inspire 1 as a "beacon" for focus mode?

Example: Focus is set to "Beacon" mode. Slave controller is placed in moving vehicle. Inspire is piloted with regular controller outside of vehicle while maintaining focus on the slave controller (beacon).

I think this would be a great addition if it is possible . I was using focus mode this weekend to shoot a moving vehicle in which I was a passenger. At times I had the Inspire behind the vehicle, and it was a bit nerve wracking. It would be great if this "beacon" focus mode would be possible.

 

[Hangar]

Will 2.2 include waypoints or is that a later 3.0-type thing?

Waypoints is planned for the 3.0, which is the next major released scheduled after the 2.2 update. 2.2 is going to bring Saved Flight Plans and a switch to Google Maps, both of which are critical for Waypoints to be functional.

Hey Autopilot, Is there a way to use the slave controller for the Inspire 1 as a "beacon" for focus mode?

We are working on a new feature that will bring this type of functionality, but not with the Inspire RC. Stay tuned.

 

[gregdd]

Waypoints is planned for the 3.0, which is the next major released scheduled after the 2.2 update. 2.2 is going to bring Saved Flight Plans and a switch to Google Maps, both of which are critical for Waypoints to be functional.

For me, to be able to have map caching is even more important than Waypoints because i fly out of cell range all the time so this makes me happy.

For map caching, would it be possible to actually define an area to have saved just like many GPS Hiking apps do? I think it is so awkward the way the Go app does it in that you have to open it, pan around and zoom in and out and then turn off your wifi to verify all areas are cached. Keep in mind that sometimes i dont always know exactly where i will fly until i get up in the mountains so might need to cache larger areas and the Go app sucks for that.

 

[Nick Komic]

I've heard that people are experiencing problems with the Air2 crashing with latest Go App version and that the Mini4 is not. About to purchase the Air2 but, wondering if the Mini4 will work with Auto Flight as suggested Air2?

 

[neilw]

This is not how it works.


As for Responsiveness in particular, you can think of it like a muting function on the joysticks. The less responsive it is, the slower the course corrections. In the case of slow-follow scenarios, less responsiveness can result in drifting back and forth because it responds slower to the course corrections being reported by the iPhone (which are erratic as discussed previously).

Still not clear on the exact effect of the Responsiveness setting. It definitely doesn't work set at 1 second for a slow moving boat (< 5mph) in light wind. But if I read your reply correctly, you are saying that if it is set to be less responsive (more than 1 second??), the wild swinging back and forth would be worse?

What I guess I and a few others are asking, given the above common scenario, what would be a reasonable starting point (setting) to try? 1/2 second? 3 seconds? 5 seconds?

Also, on my initial questions above, I was asking for clarification: it is okay to switch between AP and Go during the flight in order to adjust the camera settings? Can I assume that it would NOT be okay to switch while engaged in a mode? Just wanted to be sure from someone who is experienced doing this before I try it over water.

 

[Hangar]

you are saying that if it is set to be less responsive (more than 1 second??), the wild swinging back and forth would be worse?

Yes. The idea is you would change it to instant and see how you like it. Probably the aircraft would be "twitchy" so then you would back it off until it started swaying again - unless you didn't care about the twitching. Build 2.2 is going to have some changes to the Flight Controller that will hopefully do away with the need for the responsiveness setting, so make sure you are signed up for the beta.

 

[neilw]

Yes. The idea is you would change it to instant and see how you like it. Probably the aircraft would be "twitchy" so then you would back it off until it started swaying again - unless you didn't care about the twitching. Build 2.2 is going to have some changes to the Flight Controller that will hopefully do away with the need for the responsiveness setting, so make sure you are signed up for the beta.

Just to be clear and avoid problems, when you say set it to Instant, does that mean 1/2 second setting or 5 seconds setting?

 

[Hangar]

Just to be clear and avoid problems, when you say set it to Instant, does that mean 1/2 second setting or 5 seconds setting?

There is actually a setting called instant, which is faster than the 1/2 second setting. It means that Autopilot is allowed to send a course correction that is as much as 100% back pitch to 100% forward pitch instantly, for example (no delay).

 

[neilw]

Not sure if this is "normal". Upgraded to the new 2.1.44. Using an iPad Mini 3 on iOS 8.3. If I directly switch from Go v2.2 to AP, AP crashes 100% of the time. Tried turning off video cache, but no difference. If I go to the Finder first (or another app), then open AP, works fine. Not sure if others have had this issue, but I've tried it repeatedly this morning after the update and it crashes 100% of the time directly switching.

I also noticed that if I am in Go and adjust the cam, then switch to the Finder then to AP, then if I try to go back to Go directly, the bird is disconnected and I can't adjust the cam. So the same is true in this situation -- I need to go from AP to the Finder (or another app), then back to Go in order to have Go connected and adjust the cam.

 

[Hangar]

Not sure if this is "normal". Upgraded to the new 2.1.44. Using an iPad Mini 3 on iOS 8.3. If I directly switch from Go v2.2 to AP, AP crashes 100% of the time.

We haven't experienced a crash before, but we have seen other conflicts such as Autopilot can't pick up the video feed after running GO. We are looking into it and have an email into DJI asking them what was changed on their end.

 

[Nick Komic]

Anyone using the iPad Mini4 instead of the Air2?