WAYPOINTS ARE SICK ON THE DJI MINI 4 PRO!!! | Bringing a new level of utility to this mini drone...

One of the newest features brought to DJI's latest Mini drone comes in the form of waypoints. Automated flight has been something DJI has strived to improve with every new drone and the DJI Mini 4 Pro is no exception.
With the implementation of waypoint missions for the Mini 4 Pro, a whole world of new possibilities presents itself for this consumer drone geared towards hobbyists and beginners. The question is, is this new autonomous flight feature practically functional or added fluff?
Let's find out, Let's Talk Drones!
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[@troublemaker1829]

The problem in the image transmission screen is mainly because you have turned on the peaking focus prompt and the overexposure prompt.

[@whatgoesbumpinthenight]

It’s actually incredible how well the battery performed in this video and how intelligent the drone is completing the mission. Can’t wait for mine to get here

[@dgibbsfl]

I have watched a handful of waypoint videos so far and am sure I will eventually find a couple where the tutor has some experience in creating appealing cinematics. Your efforts on this one are appreciated and it surely demonstrates there is many ways around the bush with waypoint programming. Thanks.

[@MikeC19100]

Very nice overview of the DJI Mini 4 Pro. I just got it yesterday and haven’t been able to fly it yet. Your review and examples gave me an idea. If someone was interested in a piece of property, but couldn’t go see It in person for some time, this would be a great way for the realtor to capture overhead footage to pair with on-the-ground photos of the property. With a decent flight time of the Mini 4 Pro that could encompass a good overview that most people rarely see of a site or an area for sale.

[@Ewolk89]

With the mini 2 and Maven you can view a satellite map and touch your screen for the waypoints. You can enter the information at each waypoint like the mini 4. You also have the option to fly and enter waypoints if you like. It's a great program. Also another great video too! Thank you.

[@XploreAz]

No external app needed for waypoints now.

[@ClarenceSteward-x7f]

I like the fact that the wrong suspend the mission, because that's the drone giving authorization back to you to make that decision.

[@CharlesThompson-w9d]

Another impressive teaching and demonstrating video. Kudos. Plus a bonus for me. I grew up in Hughesville, had relatives who lived in Williamsport and drive through Jersey Shore many times to my Alma Mater, PSU. Looking forward to learning from all of your videos. Thanks!

[@marcopolozx11]

I just started flying. As a brand new pilot, that is so much better than the Mini 3 I'm learning on.

[@TheDroneGeek]

The Mini 3 Pro is still a rock-solid drone, though! Don't get unnecessary GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)! You have a great little bird to learn on. The Mini 4 Pro is absolutely a great drone, but if you're just starting to fly, stick with the Mini 3 Pro. You'll be happy you did!

[@marcopolozx11]

@@TheDroneGeek Not a Mini 3 Pro, just the Mini 3. I didn't want to pony up that much cash for my 1st drone, but now wish I would of held off and got the Mini 4 Pro.

[@AugenblickAerial]

Very informative and interesting !

[@lookwhatisaw]

Did I miss the POI part you said you were going to talk about with way points?

[@parkermiller1552]

I’m from Jersey Shore. Crazy to see you filming Williamsport

[@TheDroneGeek]

Small world - I’m actually from Jersey Shore too 😂

[@AtTheZebo]

I noticed what appeared to be "edge detection" (all the little red dots and lines overlaying the image) .... Could you explain what that's all about?

[@TheDroneGeek]

That is the focus peaking detection. It's showing me what is in-focus and what is not. Anything outlined in red is "in-focus."

[@iPhoneSpy]

Great video. You should do another video on the other functions with waypoints like POI. Why do they include POI with the waypoints function and how do you use it. Thanks

[@igorgoga7985]

if you are video recording and the next waypoint is take a picture, will recording resume after the picture is taken, pls?

[@cnote6010]

Great video. Does it record audio as well?

[@odinata]

Hey, I've heard you before! You're Jay Bee from "Jay Bee and the Buzz on the Morning Zoo".... WDDB 105.9! Funny stuff man!

[@mikeanderson9266]

Question: How do you record your video control to make this video? What software...pretty cool.

[@TheDroneGeek]

The DJI RC 2 works the same way as an Android mobile device in that if you swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen you can open up an auxiliary menu for the OS that allows you to record your screen. You then can retrieve the recording from the controller by plugging it into your computer and searching through the file directory for it.

[@Inspirewithdrones3342]

Waypoints are a game changer. Great video bro!👍🏾

[@SolidAnt164]

Great stuff Chris. Very cool

[@travelcollage4010]

Great explanations. I do have an important question which I have not seen discussed as what best setting (Brake or By Pass) to use in Obstacle Avoidance Action when you lose connection & the drone is return home automatically . For example, if my RTH height is set to 200ft, then i lose connection behind a 250ft high building, and my setting is Brake in Obstacle Avoidance Action, my assumption is that my drone will just hover at 200ft behind the bldg and the drone will never return back home. If my setting is set to By Pass in Obstacle Avoidance Action instead, will my drone fly around the bldg at 200ft until it sees or makes connection with my RC? Can you please comment on this so I know what setting to use in Obstacle Avoidance Action when I lose connection. Not sure if someone has already tested this but i appreciate your comment on my question. Thanks so much.

[@rbdrones6198]

I like this video , helped me out a lot Thanks

[@zcap1956]

I saw a video where the mini 4 went around trees and it dodged them flawlessly in waypoint mode

[@TheDroneGeek]

Link it. Maybe I’m doing something different than them. The drone quite literally will not allow me to navigate around trees because the moment the obstacle avoidance picks them up it shuts the mission down.

[@TisMeDA]

I am unsure which video the other user is referring to, but this video demonstrates a setting that allows for it to avoid stuff. I am also unsure if this works with waypoints and other automated path modes, but I imagine it does, as this mode would be more technically challenging when doing it during user input controlling. If the time does not link correctly, it should be at 14:45. Would be great if you could give it a test with waypoints kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXe7XoOHf6eDiKM&si=bZTyy9TFNGXk-SdV@@TheDroneGeek

[@diverbrent]

@DroneGeek I guess we have to restart the Recording after taking a picture?

[@TheDroneGeek]

That appears to be the case. Which is mildly disappointing.

[@SheDrones]

I would fly mission 1 record video only , save mission rename ‘photos ‘ and change to photos at waypoints . 2 missions . One video one photos

[@johnk7649]

Nice job, Chris.

[@kennethstanton9532]

Hey good video. Can you do a video and explain the best settings for the drone. Thanks

[@chinalamb2605]

Okay, stupid question I am sure, but what are the red markings on the buildings, etc?

[@TheDroneGeek]

Focus peaking. Anything outlined in red tells me the object(s) outlined are in focus. You can turn this setting on in the camera menu of the DJI Fly app. Not a stupid question at all! Thanks for asking! ☺️

[@jeromesettles]

How about using the mini4 pro waypoints in the dark?

[@TheDroneGeek]

I like the way you think 🤔

[@DennisBryant-gt6jj]

Not a comment, lengthy question. I am considering buying the DJI Mini 4 pro, but have no experience with drones at all. I am not at all interested in photos . What I would like to do is use this as a pace rabbit for track and field athletes. Fly at a specific altitude, at a specific given speed, and follow waypoints around the track. For distance guys I’d like to fly the route multiple times. I suppose an experienced pilot could accomplish this, but for me maybe not. Thank you for your time and any advice would be appreciated.

[@jurnet9]

I am only a mini 4 beginner but your rabbit idea sounds fine. To set the waypoints you could walk the route alongside the drone and click set new waypoint when there is a turn. Setting waypoints and routes is very easy and once the route is saved you just need to press "go" each time and then no further input from you is required - vs flying the route manually would be very difficult for a beginner to control the turns and of course you would need to spend the whole time every race looking at the drone / remote control.

[@J.Lavigne]

Can I make a way point mission beyond range and set the parameters to continue flight upon signal loss?

[@jimgiraffe5253]

how accurate are the way points ? like fly the same course 10 times and see how well the footage lines up then score it on accuracy

[@4K_Vegas_Drive]

Thank you for this. My question is a little off-topic, but you seem well-versed on the mini four pro. I can’t for the life of me find out how to use an external device for viewing while flying the mini 4 pro. I miss not being able to have the option of using my iPad to fly with versus the screen on the controller. I’ve searched everywhere and can’t find an answer other than no. If you could solve this issue, I would be eternally grateful.

[@TheDroneGeek]

Which RC are you using?

[@kalcommodore7010]

Hi Can you set the action track in Mini 4 using goggles 2 and Motion Controller 2?. Also, could you rotate the camera gimbal while flying with Motion Controller? I use only the Motion Controller to fly my Avata

[@Holdfast]

Im not clear how you determine how far away the waypoint is. For example for waypoint 2 you selected a building downtown but it did not fly there, it just stopped when it could see it far in the distance (almost where you actuallly set the point from?)

[@jurnet9]

Isn't he using the current physical position of the drone when setting the waypoints?

[@alexis.x]

Do Waypoints missions work inside for a real estate video shooting?

[@DirtyBird]

Here is what happened with your "slow roll" near the end - The drone smoothly transitions from the heading, gimbal tilt, zoom, & speed setting differences between one point to the next. i.e. You have two points half a mile apart. At point 1 the drone is facing 0°. At point 2 the drone is facing 180°. Over that half mile, the drone will smoothly interpolate so it finishes the yaw just as it arrives at point 2. The closer the points & faster the drone speed, the more quickly & abrupt the transition. If you want to force the drone to face a specific heading/target, you must set a Waypoint to have it correctly pointed at the time you desire it to focus on the target. Not to toot my horn, but I am fairly accomplished at creating waypoint missions. You have to plan ahead, or keep track in your head, of what you are trying to achieve & how the camera will transition between scenes. It is generally required to tweak & re-fly a mission to get it just the way you want & iron out any sporadic or unwanted moves. I have always created my missions manually on the map in the Litchi app using advance RECON flights to ascertain object altitude data. This is not achievable for close urban flight with Fly as you cannot zoom in enough on the map for precise waypoint placement. You can use it for suburban flying where extreme precision is not as important. Fly Waypoints has incredible potential if DJI addresses some of it's shortcomings. Below is my first test mission created with Fly & flown by a Mini 4 Pro. Note I set this up immediately before running the mission. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZ2nanaVicqfjNUsi=RvBM89x9GYpioz8v Below is what you can achieve with careful planning. Mission created with Litchi & executed by a Phantom 3 Standard. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnfPYZhvZs10n5Ysi=EdUaVNIFYgw5Snfl

[@andywhiteing]

would have helped your demo of waypoints with some narration.

[@DirtyBird]

@@andywhiteing - Sorry the video was only a quick test of the Waypoint feature. Plotted the points & flew it immediately afterwards. I may do a tutorial video at some point.

[@chinalamb2605]

Litchi is where dji should be moving, its so much better to do offline waypoint missions and then tweak them on site

[@leebull3855]

Thanks for the video. Can you use night mode in way points? Thanks

[@bobpolaski1974]

What are the red outline lines and how do you set those, I know the lines are over exposure lines, but don’t know what the red lines are?

[@TheDroneGeek]

It’s showing me focus peaking in my shot. Anything outlined in red is in focus. You can turn this on and off and set how prominently you’d like the lines to show in your camera menu in the settings.

[@michaelkosinski5671]

Hello thanks for the video. Question about the DJI RC2. How many minutes or hours are you getting out of your DJI RC2? DJI claims up to 3 hours. Are you getting anywhere near that time in your experience?

[@TheDroneGeek]

Funny you left this comment now because I just spoke on this in a subreddit last night. The RC 2 does okay on battery life, but I usually get about four to five flights out of it before I need to charge it again. Bear in-mind, I don’t normally run my batteries on either the drone or the controller all the way down to 0%, so I’m not pushing these to reach their maximum usefulness (unless for a video review). So, four flights at ~30 minutes per flight is around 2 hours. So, it’s close, but I never quite get 3 hours of operation time out of it. I LOVE the screen on the RC 2 and that I don’t have to run my phone battery down to fly my drone anymore, but there are times where I REALLY miss the RC-N1/N2 because the battery life on those was PHENOMENAL.

[@michaelkosinski5671]

@@TheDroneGeek Thank you very very much for your reply and help. My RC2 is under that a little from full charge to 77% within one 32 minute flight. It doesn't seem right but just wanted to ask others before sending it to DJI to be replaced only if needed.

[@TheDroneGeek]

@michaelkosinski5671 keep in mind that settings within your controller may drain battery. Watch your screen brightness snd be mindful of how often you use menus in the UI - i.e. keep unnecessary interface to a minimum if you can help it. Still seems they overpromised on the battery life in general though!

[@Townshed55]

Nice video. I'd love to be able to program waypoints on my PC or on the controller without actually flying to the locations

[@TheDroneGeek]

Agreed. I suppose they can’t give us everything ☹️

[@olabergvall3154]

You can. Not on a PC, but on the map on the controller you can.

[@XploreAz]

You can. The drone doesn’t even need to be turned on. Create waypoints at home, travel to location, fly. Done.

[@olabergvall3154]

@@XploreAz Even back on the Mavic 2 with Waypoints 2.0 you could. I think the drone had to be turned on and connected though. Strange that the Drone Geek doesn't know... 🌷

[@XploreAz]

@@olabergvall3154 yeah the feature has been available on the higher end drones like the Mavic series. This is the first time it’s available on the Air and Mini.

[@OzMadMan82]

I wish the drone laws were as relaxed here in Australia. We can't even fly over houses or roads without incurring a massive fine.

[@TheDroneGeek]

That’s wild to me. The FAA controls airspace. If we’re hovering over somebody’s house with the intention of conducting illegal surveillance of them, then there could be problems for us, but as long as we aren’t being creeps, we can pass over homes and property as much as we like.

[@chinalamb2605]

Well, there went my desire to live in Australia! You all need to take your lives back from that government.

[@OzMadMan82]

We can't even fly at night without a full blown Remote pilots licence which costs about $3500 to complete.

[@Talon17]

US drone laws change over time, and can be quite complex. You are actually not supposed to fly directly over people or moving vehicles without a category 1, 2, or 3 drone and a part 107 license. Which very few drones qualify. The DJI Mini drones don't even qualify without third party parts. Many States also have privacy laws that forbid flying over private property that is not accessible to the public. So it is very important to know the local laws.

[@AjaySingh-228]

Nice bro

[@bendabutcha]

Why is everything outlined in red on yours?

[@TheDroneGeek]

I had focus peaking turned on during the video. Force of habit. Left it on. Everything outlined in red is "in-focus" so when I'm filming or shooting photos I don't need to guess on the small screen.

[@bendabutcha]

@@TheDroneGeek didn't realize it had that feature. Mind if I ask where it's located? Thanks

[@ngaicheong9227]

why the video looks not really clear?

[@the-dronepilot]

Not bad. Not bad at all.

[@pfideonow]

As far as I'm concerned waypoints are kind of useless unless you can set them up in advance on a map. It requires you to fly the mission twice. So where is the win in having waypoint set?

[@TheDroneGeek]

After playing with it more, I tend to lean this way. There are probably some useful ways to apply them, but honestly...no real practical applications. It's just a new feature that they were hoping would elevate the drone. Funny thing is, the drone elevated itself. Didn't need waypoints to do it. Still, this is maybe the foundation to a more useful application of Mini drone series in the future.

[@jurnet9]

I guess one win would be that it allows you to set drone / gimbal positions perfectly and all changes should look smooth vs if you are flying manually then, unless you are very good / experienced pilot, you might get the yaw / heading etc wrong or changes might look jerky?

[@rkdbaj]

Dronelink has them 4 mini 3

[@diggiediggz]

suggestion; mask the good quality video over the displays you want to show. Otherwise, it makes it a pain to watch. Great video otherwise.

[@robj144]

I've been using waypoints using Lichti for like 8 years.

[@joshua1223ag]

Nice. Does it work on your drone and what kind of drone do you have?

[@robj144]

@@joshua1223ag Phantom 3 and first Air.

[@richardmaki4236]

What is the red line overlay?

[@TheDroneGeek]

That’s focus peaking. Anything in-focus is outlined in red. Ensures that my eyes and the screen aren’t leading me astray and that all my photos and videos are in-focus

[@richardmaki4236]

@@TheDroneGeek very cool thanks for that!!

[@UKBUBBLERS]

Would have been better with all that crap on the screen, lol, but never the less great tutorial chris, 😁👍👌🇬🇧

[@TheDroneGeek]

Maybe one of my least favorite things about DJI is that their UI is becoming farrrrrr too busy. I suppose I could have “swiped up” for full-screen mode…but you live and you learn 😂

[@blueline308]

You turned it on...just turn if off...histogram and lines and overexposure is not on by default. @@TheDroneGeek

[@bidenisasnake9932]

I've found wasting a charge cycle to set things up is Not very efficient. It's slightly handy, but more of a novelty toy feature for most users.

[@XploreAz]

That’s why you create the waypoints beforehand. You don’t even need the drone to be turned on. You can create waypoints sitting at your kitchen table if you want. Then travel to wherever your mission is and fly it. No wasted battery.

[@renegade37918]

Excellent 5 days until my M4P arrives

[@MrEye4get]

Another WP video that misses the [very powerful] POI feature! Litchi users have considerably more experience planning and flying WP missions. One aspect of any mission is for the pilot to avoid obstacles and not assume the drone will do that! Obstacle avoidance is like self-drive on a Tesla. You use it at your own risk!

[@TheDroneGeek]

Didn’t miss it, homie. Didn’t include it. Big difference.

[@hooleespirit]

Hey buddy how did it go 😂

[@paulneedham9885]

Would look better without the zebras and focus peaking.

[@TheDroneGeek]

Not about how it looks. It’s about how waypoints work.

[@bubba6richards729]

I can’t believe DJI doesn’t have this option on the mini 3 😡🤦🏻‍♂️

[@gtaylor1564]

What's up with that thing on your head ?

[@TheDroneGeek]

It’s your mother’s g-string.

[@raymondnonya3588]

Litchi has the best waypoints software

[@SteveMartinUSA]

I still can't find a good tutorial for Waypoints on the Mini 4, including this video. You're all trying to crank out videos instead of learning to use the feature first, and then we’re left trying to find someone credible. I have all kinds of issues getting the Mini 4 to repeat a waypoint flight, even when I take off from the exact same spot on the driveway, or even when I manually fly the Mini 4 to within a foot of Waypoint #1, and even without landing in between. The issues are the Mini 4 starts descending from the 8 foot Waypoint #1 to the ground, and then fails with "obstacle detected", even with the drone in Sport mode and sensors turned off. My missions are more intricate than this trivial example and my path isn't completely unobstructed like yours is. From everything I can see DJI is nowhere close to Skydio Keyframe: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKq9lKCIbdmma7M

[@TheDroneGeek]

Have you considered maybe trying to figure it out on your own? Ya know, like all of the KZbinrs you’re bitching about who aren’t “credible?” Could it be possible that we’re all trying to test the limits of this flight mode and haven’t quite gotten to the full potential yet? Could it also be possible that we all have lives outside of the videos we make, so creating a perfect deep-dive for Steve Martin isn’t on the top of our list of priorities? Give it time. Somebody will figure it out and then you will have what you need. Maybe get out of the comments section and put in some work yourself, dude.

[@SteveMartinUSA]

​@@TheDroneGeekYes, I'm trying to figure it out on my own, and I think I expected too much based off the Skydio capability. I think it's still useful and your video illustrates this very basic functionality well, though I was hoping for a lot more based on the hype.

[@uptowndisco2]

I have the same issue , flying from a low hight waypoint 1 to a higher waypoint 2 , the Mini 4 takes a downwards curve from 1 to 2 , same as it takes an outwards curve when doing corners , that could easy lead to a loss of the drone i,e taking it too low crossing over a road or a river with trees on the bank , I just want it to able to take and upwards slope when low to high , oh and maybe a new option for straight line changes where it pauses then turns towards the next point , same as the choice Litchi gives you.

[@SpaceDad42]

Music is really annoying.

[@TheDroneGeek]

Much like this dogshit comment.

[@robocopleextraordinaire4148]

yeah and I don't like his bandana and the color of his hair...lol He is doing a great job for us, don't like it don't watch

[@driewiel]

Absolutely unbelievable that a $1000 DJI now has waypoints, just like all $50 drones already had for years!

[@XploreAz]

What $50 drone has that feature? And what $50 drone allows you to create waypoints without the drone even being turned on? You can create waypoints in another state if you want, and then travel there and fly the mission.

[@driewiel]

@@XploreAz All $50 GPS drones have waypoints. Not saying it's as advanced as DJI's. But you don't have to spend $700. Same for tracking. They all have follow-me. DJI doesn't even offer follow-me. Only active-track and only on the more expensive models. That's one of my problems with DJI. They make the best drones. But you feel like they are your mom. Can't do his, can't do that.

[@XploreAz]

@@driewiel what do you mean DJI doesn’t have follow me? Of course they do. They’ve had it forever. And it’s not just on the high end drones. The Mini 4Pro has it. 🤣😂

[@driewiel]

@@XploreAz No that is active-track. Not follow-me.

[@XploreAz]

@@driewiel it’s the same thing. What do you think tracking is? The drone “follows” you. 🤣😂

[@gumonthepants]

Thank you, thank you, this is all well & good but do you have any advice on getting permissions granted for restricted airspace? I met another pilot yesterday (we are on Oahu, Hawaii where a good 50% of the island is restricted!) that was granted permission for the ENTIRE island by uploading his old military ID. I was denied permission a pretty good distance away from the main airport after polygon'ing a small swatch, claiming it was for Wedding Photography and uploading my LLC for a hair styling business.