Thanks! I have yet to make a tutorial video on creating Waypoint missions. Probably something I should do at some point. My brief advice is devise a flight plan in your head that captures some interesting objects, use the Waypoint feature to lock on your first point, fly to the next point making sure the path between points is clear of obstacles, point the camera where you want (location, speed, heading, tilt, zoom are all stored) then capture the second point, continuing point-by-point until you reach the end. Altitude changes between points will make the video more interesting. Set global mission parameters like start/stop recording, mission speed, & what to do if signal is lost, & what to do when the mission is complete (hover, RTH, etc.). Lastly save & rename the completed mission so it is easily recognizable. Start simple. Do not try a complex mission your first time out. Leave Obstacle Avoidance on. Note if an obstacle is encountered the mission will abort & the drone will hover in place until your guide it home or trigger RTH. Below is a later version of this flight with audio: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGO0oXWDh6Z4l7ssi=ywaSCL8_ApOn1A9A

@@DirtyBird Thanks for the comprehensive and very helpful reply. Do you have an email or way to send you a pm please.?

@@MrLoughneagh - [email protected]

Thank you. The M4P is super cool for Waypoint missions. I love the way you just fly it to the points & click C1 to lock everything in. With the Plus batteries you can fly some really long missions too!

It was windy. I was holding off all day but was eager to try her out. The winds died down a bit as the sun began to set. Can't believe I forgot about those damned wires. I thought I had it corrected until she clipped the tree. LOL

Hey man, it's good to see you posting videos again. I really like Avata and I'm waiting for Avata2. Dude, it's bad luck that you hit those cables, I hope it wasn't too serious damage, were you very far from where it fell? Did someone get it for you? Changing the subject, I think we'll soon have a bird flying around the bridge that fell lol

Thanks 👍 Yes that was one continuous mission. Start to finish the bird was flying itself.

Waypoints: Continue on signal loss.

@@PlastaSin You apparently didn't read in the comments that he maintained 100% signal THROUGHOUT this manual flight while he recorded the Waypoints as he flew it.

At least the batteries and battery charging hub are fully compatible between the Mini 3 Pro and the Mini 4 Pro!

@@gadgetguy9984 This is fantastic news to learn that the Mini 3 batteries ARE in fact compatible with a Mini 4 Pro. Thanks for this timely hint, GadgetGuy. In a tossup between buying a Mavic 3 classic and a Mini 4 Pro, the scales are now tipped in favor of the Mini 4 Pro for me.

@@riverbankfisher Yes, it was the first thing I checked when considering a Mini 4 Pro for myself. Most importantly, the latest Mini 4 Pro FW update supposedly suppresses RID broadcasting when using the Standard battery, instead of always broadcasting RID regardless of which battery it used, like the Mini 3 Pro, after its FW update last fall!

25 mph. The max mission speed for a Mini 4 Waypoint mission is 26.87 mph.

thank you, I am going to the Inner H. today to test some missions on my air 3 - and thought that the speed your drone was moving at was the perfect speed. thanks for the info @@DirtyBird

@tomzphone - Hope you get some good video. Kinda damp & dreary out but at least it's fairly warm.

@tomzphone - What is the max Waypoint mission speed you can set on an Air 3?

right. Have been watching the weather for a few days. I think i will skip today an go tomorrow instead. Should be a little better.@@DirtyBird

Thanks!

I only lock exposure when capturing a Hyperlapse. I agree when recording a cityscape with constantly changing subjects & lighting, AE is the preferable choice. This is even more true when recording at night.

Thanks. Still tweaking on it...

Thank you. I never lock the exposure except when recording a hyperlapse.

I am still testing & tweaking on my ultimate plan for this mission so I haven't ran it multiple times yet. Kinda cold for doing it now. If it's anything like using Litchi it should be very repeatable. Here is the second iteration of the mission: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGO0oXWDh6Z4l7ssi=sT-Nd48rlewUqKZ5

@@DirtyBird especially if its cold i would do it, first for test reasons and second, to change during the flight from sommer/autumn to winter... thats exactly the thing that we could do with those waypoints. a single flight video with all 4 seasons in it...

Yes, that is how I accomplished the multi-bird mission. There are slight differences between birds as far as speed. You need to conduct test flights to determine how the birds fly together & if you need to adjust the speeds. If one bird is slower, you want that bird in the rear so it isn't overtaken by a faster bird.

@@DirtyBird Did I understand you correctly that even identical drone models fly at different speeds? Yes, I have carefully reviewed several of your videos. I noticed a difference in speed in certain sections of the flight. Did you set a different altitude in advance for all drones? Or is it the error of the drone itself during flight?

@m.m.misteer - Each drone can vary a little in speed & barometer accuracy. Sort of like car speedometers can vary a little. Usually not much but you want the faster drone out front. If you have RC contact you can catch up manually by applying throttle. For the multi-bird missions I raised all of the chase bird waypoints by 10-20'.

For some reason DJI added a small 450' altitude zone just NE of the Loch Raven dam. I hadn't flown the mission for 5 years & didn't expect or check for an odd alt zone. Because of the terrain the mission altitude at that point was 475'. For that entire segment of the mission the drone is also out of RC contact. When the drone reached the altitude zone it just stopped & hovered. Had I been in contact I would have simply aborted, but I was back near the Loch waiting for it to return in ~15 minutes. Alas it did not return. Crikeys! Fortunately I had my GPS tracker onboard. When I first looked at the location I thought it had gone down in the Loch. I was able to trudge through DENSE & HILLY terrain & found it buried in the leaf litter on a steep hillside. I never would have found it without the tracker. I'm not sure anyone would have ever found it! Viewing the footage it hovered for over 20 minutes before eventually attempting to land. She made a valiant effort but the forest was too dense & she fell from about 25 feet, breaking a front landing leg, a rear arm, & a couple of props. It was long out of warranty so I sent her off to DJI for repair. $1 for the landing leg, $22 for the rear arm, $88 total cost. DJI even covered the shipping both ways. I was pleasantly surprised. You actually receive a new or refurb drone. Looked like brand new with all the stickers like when you first open a new one. DJI then offered me DJI Care Refresh so I essentially replaced my 4-year old Mavic 2 Pro with a new one, plus a 2-year Care Refresh warranty.

@@DirtyBird so what happened?

I just explained what happened. When I received the replacement Mavic 2 Pro I lowered the mission altitude for the altitude zone to 440', allowing the bird to successfully complete the mission.

@@DirtyBird dude. lol. You didn’t tell me what happened to the first one. Did it fly away or crash ?

What I initially explained was what happened to the first one. Happened back in the Fall of 2022. My first reply was several paragraphs long. Did you see the entire post? Sometimes on the phone it looks like you're at the end but there is more text below. It will say "read more" at the bottom if there is more text.

This was recorded in 4K @ 30 fps.

I have both the original white DJI Goggles, along with the black Goggles RE, which I use with my Mavic Pro & Mavic 2 Pro. When the Goggles 2/Integra were made compatible with the Mini 3 Pro I decided to buy the Goggles Integra to add to my Mini 3 Pro, with the future possibility of picking up an Avata which also supports the goggles. Yes it is fun & enjoyable. There are two things I do not like. First, unlike the original DJI Goggles, you cannot pilot the aircraft with the standard RC. You must use the Motion Controller 2 for piloting if pairing the goggles with a Mavic 3, Air 3, or Mini 3 Pro. As of now the goggles do NOT work with the Mini 4 Pro, but I suspect that will change as DJI was able to add compatibility for the Air 3 (which uses O4 like the Mini 4 Pro). If you have one of these birds, make sure to buy the Goggles Combo with the Motion RC 2 as it is required to fly. The second annoyance is the need to bind the goggles to the aircraft. I think this only matters if you have DJI Care. Once the Goggles/MC2 has been linked to an aircraft, the aircraft will link automatically to them or your original RC, depending on which one you have powered on, BUT, if you have DJI Care, you have to "bind" the current RC to the aircraft for the Care warranty to be in effect for a flyaway claim. To bind the RC is just a click. For the goggles/mc2, you have to connect the goggles to Fly via USB-C to your phone to "bind". The last device will remain bound until you choose to switch to the other. I don't understand why DJI doesn't just allow it to remember it is bound to both? Not a super big deal but an annoyance. The view in the goggles is awesome. Very bright, colorful, & immersive. It's as though you are in the aircraft. Flying with the Motion RC 2 is easy & intuitive. The camera will be in "aircraft" mode so it banks & pitches with the attitude of the aircraft. As you will notice in my video, there is no smooth stabilized video while using the goggles. Also note the MC2 is not smooth & precise like a standard RC so don't expect amazing cinema quality videos. My wish is that DJI solved the annoying need to rebind when switch controllers. More importantly they should allow us to use the goggles while piloting with the standard RC. That is how the original DJI Goggles worked & how these should function as well. Hope this was helpful.

@@DirtyBird Great thank you very much for the time you have dedicated to my need. the quality of the mini 3 pro signal connected to the viewers how do you see it?

@@mariodellacorte - In the video I am out about a mile when the drone reaches the big blue water tank. This is in a moderate urban environment with an obstructed view between the RC & drone. At my over water range testing site I have been out about 3 miles when using the goggles & MC2. The signal was still good. The stock RC gets better range than the goggles/MC2, but 3 miles with the goggles I consider good. I am in the USA in FCC mode so take that into consideration.

@@DirtyBird In fact in my case this is what I get scared since I am in Italy. I keep my dji avata unlocked but the mini 3 pro I don't think can be unlocked unfortunately

If you read the video description it was a signal range test. If the goal was to video the retired Fort Howard Veteran's Hospital facility I would have launched from Fort Howard. The bird made it back with only 11% battery remaining. Not much time left for sightseeing. The total flight was nearly 10 miles, which is close to the limit for a Mavic 2. Newer models have more battery stamina.

​@@DirtyBirdDid you used the regular battery or extended one for that flight?

@@tronziebit - This was a Mavic 2. I am only aware of the regular battery for this particular aircraft. The Mini 3 & 4 have the Plus battery option.

Thank you. This is my go-to spot for range testing.

@@DirtyBird That is a great spot! Glad you get great miles per gallon (mpg) on your birds! LOL!

Thank you!

Hey I'm trying. Gonna have to put a bug in your ladie's ear about that Mini 4 Pro Plus FlyMore for Christmas. :)

I'm not sure why the FAA would be concerned about this flight? It never exceeded the altitude limit, & the entire flight was over water & largely uninhabited areas.

VLOS?@@DirtyBird

lol. I guess the drone police guy hasn’t seen any of your other videos 😂. He might burst a blood vessel if he saw Stadium Shot 🤣

@@Hawkeye-AS24 LOL, I am not the drone police. Only asking because I am sure I have broken a few rules and wondered if people ever get contacted by the FAA.

Thanks Eddie. Someday I'll have to post the video & tell the tale of how my Mavic 2 Pro wound up damaged.

I often fly low over the water. A lot of people mistakenly believe this is cause for concern for the drone but it is a myth.

I intend to but I first need to get the mission to my liking. There is much work to go before I will be satisfied with the results. Then there will be day, night, & multi-bird flights. Always a work in progress! :)

Yes, your night flight are awesome eye candy on a 4k tv. May I make a request for a HDR video at night when you get it how you like?

Oh I guess the answer was in another reply. You flew ut once, created waypoints, then let the drone do it again, but with all the smoothness automation provides... correct?

When you record the waypoint by pressing C1 it stores position, altitude, heading, zoom, & camera tilt. As the drone flies the route it will smoothly transition the changes from the settings at one point to the next. Suppose you want to focus on a building as you orbit. You could drop a single POI on the building & have the surrounding waypoints focus on it automatically. Alternatively you could record points around the building with the camera framing it at each point. Say on the 4 corners which is what I usually do. The drone will rotate smoothly as it flies the mission, keeping the building fairly well centered. Two methods to achieve the same result.

Most of my prior missions were flown with Phantom 3 Standards. I liked the Standards because they were only $500, making a pair of them affordable for the multi-bird missions. The range of the standards was a meager 1200 meters as I recall. In comparison the Mini 4 Pro is miles. It would have been impossible to live capture missions with the Staandards without constantly relocating to maintain contact. With the Mini 4 I was able to capture this entire mission while sitting on a bench atop Federal Hill.

What is more impressive, is how you have took you time to reply to all the comments in detail. You are much appreciated Mr. Bird 👍

Thanks! When I was watching the mission run live I thought, "Did I really just see a guy hanging from the side of the building?" That job is not for me! LOL

This was plotted flying to the points. Waypoints is available for the Mavic 3 series, Air 3, & Mini 4 Pro. They are fully autonomous Waypoints. You can set the mission to Continue on signal loss. In Waypoint mode you get lined up where you want a point, then press C1 on the RC2 to record the point. On the RC-N2 I assume you click the Fn button, or the onscreen + button to add the point. When you capture a point it records location, altitude, heading, camera tilt angle, & zoom. The drone will smoothly transition changes between that point & the next. You can also drop POIs & link specific waypoints to specific POIs. Note that you can do this with Litchi too. Just program C1 or C2 to capture waypoints, fly manually in Waypoint mode, save your points, then save the mission. This system is easier than manually plotting. You save all relevant details at once & accurately frame up your shots. The drawback is you have to maintain your overall mission plan in your head as you create it. It isn't as precise like plotting on a map. Also you have to watch carefully the created flight route. Fly uses a different curve algorithm from Litchi. It wants to make the route "flow", which produces sweeping curves, especially when exiting turns. It is spot on at the actual points. Once lined up & flying straight it will continue straight. Just be sure to set control points along critical junctures to keep the drone lined up. Watch the sweeping wide turn after passing the crain (11:15). It wanted it fly directly down the street.

@@DirtyBird I would really like to SEE your saved flight and how you set your "control" waypoints! Thanks for the detailed reply--very clear. Did not know you could do waypoints manually with Litchi!

Thanks. Still ironing things out. I really wish the DJI RC2 used Google maps instead of whatever lo-rez maps DJI is using. That way you could capture the mission flying to the points, then tweak on it with the maps. The maps DJI uses are too low of a resolution for plotting urban flights around buildings. I need to pick up an RC-N2 & use my tablet. That was I would get Google maps. I plan to get a spare Mini 4 Pro. When I do I think I will get the base package so I have an RC-N2.

so you think it will be easier to use a RC-N2 with a phone vs the rc2? @@DirtyBird

@@tomzphoneOnly for plotting the mission from Google Maps or to modify an existing Waypoint mission. Google Maps on iOS on an iPad attached to an RC-N2 are far more accurate than the maps DJI uses on the RC2 with the built in screen.

Thank you.

how much work was it to plan the mission? @@DirtyBird

I had in my head the overall mission plan, then just flew to the points I knew were required & recorded them. I captured the first half (start to Hard Rock cafe) on the first battery run then landed, took off with a second battery, opened the mission, then continued adding the remaining points. 86 points in all I believe. The mission is set for 25.5 mph & the camera was in Auto with a Freewell ND64 filter installed. I absolutely love the Mini 4 Pro. It is absolutely perfect for my needs. I use the Plus batteries & have found no need for extra power as of yet. I still had over 30% battery remaining at the end of this mission.

@@DirtyBird I have read all your responses to the comments. Thank you for answering my questions. Share your experience as a point-by-point flight user. You have previously used Litchi. Which do you think is easier or more convenient to use, DJI Waypoint or Litchi when creating beautiful videos?

@@m.m.misteer - DJI's point-by-point capture method is easier for the novice user or for quickly creating missions. It i easy to frame up your shots & all the necessary data for each waypoint is captured at once. Note that you can create missions in the same manner with Litchi too. The shortcoming of this method is you need to keep the overall mission plan in your head. You can't see it all laid out on a map. Plotting missions on a map requires much more planning & preparation. RECON flights are required to obtain altitude data & to check for potential obstacles in the flight path. You are visualizing how shots will line up & frame, usually requiring adjustment & reshoots to get things just right. The benefit is you can see the overall mission on the map which aids in creating a smooth flow & objective. Until my recent Mini 4 tests, all of my prior missions were plotted manually on a map using a tablet.

@@DirtyBird I fully agree with you that Litchi requires several test flights for reconnaissance. I'm making a detour of his future flight. You say that Litchi can also set waypoints, did I understand you correctly as DJI? Without planning like DJI? Please clarify.

@@m.m.misteer - You can capture waypoints "live" with Litchi just like with DJI Fly. In the Litchi settings you can program functions to C1/C2 or the Fn button depending on your RC. Assuming you have an RC with C1/C2 buttons, set one of them to Record Waypoint. With Litchi set to Waypoint mode, just fly to your points & press C1 or C2, whichever you set to record a waypoint. When you have finished recording all of your points, save the mission. That's all there is to it. Like DJI Fly, when you record a point it records location, altitude, heading, & camera tilt. Not sure if zoom is recorded?

Hi while you wait on a DB reply , I can tell you the Mini 4 Pro can conintue a mission even on signal loss , you have the choice what the drone does on signal loss on the mission planner. ( Continue Mission , RTH , or Hover , dont know why you would want a hover though ?)

Thank you. I never lost signal throughout this mission but, as uptowndisco2 pointed out, the Mini 4 Pro supports autonomous waypoints. You can set the mission to continue on signal loss. I do not think you can disable Low Battery RTH but so far I've never encountered a low battery during a mission.

In the UK signal is so easy and often lost due some stupid low output power laws , I envy some other countries lol@@DirtyBird

@@DirtyBird I'm especially intrigued that you were able to maintain 100% signal strength throughout the flight, despite flying behind and around buildings and in between buildings along narrow streets, where signal would normally be completely blocked with OS3+. Is the OS4 on the Mini 4 Pro truly that much stronger to overcome those temporary obstructions, or is there some other trick to continuously maintaining signal while recording the mission? I know height is your friend for launching from a hill above, but is OS4 really that much better than OS3+?

Thanks Eddie! The Mavic 3 series, Air 3, & Mini 4 Pro all natively support Waypoints. The missions upload to the bird & may be set to Continue on signal loss.

@@DirtyBirdwe have a local indie film we would like to license one of your drone videos for our opening crawl. Would you be willing to do that? We are based in Timonium

How's it going? Appreciate your interest. If you could shoot me a link to your intro I would likely be cool with it. My email is [email protected]