I would like to hear opinions about the AUTOPILOT application, developed by AutoFlight.  https://autoflightlogic.com/autopilot/                                Someone who is using Autopilot could tell us something about this application?.                                                                                                                                              Thank you.

Have you gone on their Facebook page?  Have you viewed their tutorials on their site?  Have you looked at the Youtube videos posted?  Have you read their flight school (manual)?  Those should provide a bunch of information.

It may be one of the most sophisticated GSs out there, but it does have some limitations that reviewing all that information will  bring to light.

parkgt Posted at 2016-4-12 07:42
Have you gone on their Facebook page?  Have you viewed their tutorials on their site?  Have you look ...

I have seen the youtube videos and tutorials on their site, but I would like to hear something from someone that already is using it . As we use to say here," there is always someone who wants to sell the donkey" .  And what do you mean  when you refer to limitations ?

Bullflyer Posted at 2016-4-12 03:23
I have seen the youtube videos and tutorials on their site, but I would like to hear something fro ...

The RTH issue and the consequence of losing connection.

parkgt Posted at 2016-4-12 20:33
The RTH issue and the consequence of losing connection.

Now they have a Beta test version for the Phantom 4, if RTH issue exists, I hope this version fix it.

Seems Phantom 4 itself already got most of the function.

Bullflyer Posted at 2016-4-12 16:23
I have seen the youtube videos and tutorials on their site, but I would like to hear something fro ...

What's there to say about it? If you want cinematic camera movements there's nothing that even comes close. It's worth it alone for the GPS location tracking and altitude control, but that's like 10% of what it does; its Airspace mesh/network functionality is incredible, the waypoints are incredibly flexible (for camera movements and replicability), and the cruise modes are unbelievable.

There's a learning curve, but once you learn the basics they apply to every single flight mode, and you'll never want to fly manually again. I'm not sure what you want to know about? You'll have to be more specific.

bigmouth.kwok@g Posted at 2016-4-12 22:17
Seems Phantom 4 itself already got most of the function.

Not even close.

lido_bmt Posted at 2016-4-12 23:12
What's there to say about it? If you want cinematic camera movements there's nothing that even com ...

It looks sophisticated at first sight, and the only thing I want to know is whether this application really does everything that can be read on its website. For example someone has responded that there is a RTH issue and the consequence of losing connection.
I'm waiting for a new Phantom 4, and I would like to use this application, if it really is functional and easy to handle.
Just trying to figure out how many people use it and if they are happy with it.

Bullflyer Posted at 2016-4-12 10:32
It looks sophisticated at first sight, and the only thing I want to know is whether this applicatio ...

Many fly it and are happy.  Just be aware of the two issues mentioned.  Litchi is one of its main competitors and does not have those two issues but does not offer some of the more complex control options.

parkgt Posted at 2016-4-12 08:33
The RTH issue and the consequence of losing connection.

I cant speak for the P4 but I use Autopilot and havent experienced any of the issues you stated.  I have a P3A and P3S seem to respond to it rather well.
Edit:  I cant say I even have tried to see if it works with the Standard, I will check and see if it does.

dacofty Posted at 2016-4-12 13:36
I cant speak for the P4 but I use Autopilot and havent experienced any of the issues you stated.  I ...

That is strange, Autopilot on there website lists both issues.  One may be solved in the future and one is just the way it is.  

As long as one is aware of them, they may not cause a problem; but they are things that one needs to cognizant of.

I recently started using Autopilot (P3A). I am very happy with the software. Post #7 in this thread from lido_bmt sums it up.


If you are looking at Autopilot, you must be using an iOS device. While Litchi is a great app, most of its functionality is only available on Android devices. Autopilot _currently_ offers the iOS use much more in features.

Yes, AP currently has an issue with loss of signal an RTH. Upon loss of signal the aircraft is supposed to RTH. Due to some issue with DJI firmware, it will simply hover. When critical battery level is reached it will RTH.

Litchi will continue the mission on loss of signal. This is an advantage if you plan on setting up autonomous flights that go beyond signal range. I recently flew several AP missions at up to 3500 ft away and only once dropped to 98% signal strength. For _me_ it is not an issue.

Autopilot is not able to continue a mission on signal loss. This is because they use their own flight controller and the "mission" runs on your iOS device. Litchi uses the DJI flight controller and the "mission" resides on the Phantom. The Autopilot folks tout this custom flight control software as an advantage. They claim this allows them features not possible by using the DJI system. You should read their documentation and decide for yourself if these features matter to you.

As to the different modes, features and "Airspace" capabilities... they all work as advertised. I didn't find the documentation or tutorial videos to be marketing-speak. They accurately describe the available features.

AP has a ton of features and can seem intimidating at first. It is actually very simple to use. I highly recommend it.

However, if your goal is to fly automated missions which exceed the signal range, AP is not the right choice. Aside from that, it is a much more feature rich choice for people with iOS devices.

Bullflyer Posted at 2016-4-12 23:32
It looks sophisticated at first sight, and the only thing I want to know is whether this applicatio ...

To be honest, I can't say enough good things about it. Once you get the hang of it the camera moves in your videos will stop looking like someone futzing around with the remote controller (abrupt movements, amateurish yaw motions, etc) and will instead look like crane and helicopter rig shots. The difference is quite dramatic, but at this level you have to allocate time for planning ahead of time. At the minimum I will allocate an entire battery just to making sure my flight plan will go smoothly (I have four). I'll usually plan ahead of time as well and map out movements even before I take the P3 out.

lido_bmt Posted at 2016-4-12 16:27
To be honest, I can't say enough good things about it. Once you get the hang of it the camera move ...

Do you fly first and frame shots for each POI or do you use a map and set POIs and their altitudes before you hit the field?  Have you found a way to have a slow in and out on yaw and pitch changes rather than just a constant speed change while using interpolate?

parkgt Posted at 2016-4-12 17:54
Do you fly first and frame shots for each POI or do you use a map and set POIs and their altitudes ...

For pretty much any of the modes I'll make a rough estimate ahead of time by drawing it out on the map and setting estimated parameters. When I get to where I'm going to film I'll then run the flight plan in Joystick mode, meaning that I can completely control the speed the P3 flies on a path: no input on the left stick will have it hover, pushing up on the stick will move it forward on the path until it reaches max speed when fully engaged. Pulling back on the stick will reverse direction and increase the reverse speed the further back you pull on it. This way I can see both the point of view of the camera as well as make adjustments to the flight plan – altitude, direction, speeds, focus points, etc. You can both move points directly on your tablet (I don't recommend using this on a smaller iPhone) or use remote control overrides to move the P3 where you want it and set things that way. Doing this also guarantees you'll never fly into anything since you're basically doing a test run at a completely controllable rate.

As for adjusting yaw rates and interpolation, that's fairly easy once you understand how the focus points work. There are basic interpolation methods that dictate how fast you switch focus points (these are called focus triggers), but if you want to really fine grain how fast or slow you interpolate between triggers it's simple – you just add intermediate points. You can also set it to not interpolate at all when you don't want it to and it will snap focus as fast as possible, which can make for some interesting effects like snap pans.

It sounds more complex than it actually is once you start using it.

I found this information in the  Autoflightlogic web site:

2.5 Return-to-Home Failsafe

DJI provides fly-home and auto-land behavior (Return-to-Home or RTH) on all aircraft types by default. RTH is activated automatically on low battery or signal loss, and it can be activated manually via the hardware button on the Remote Control. In either case, Autopilot can not control the aircraft when it enters this mode, so you will need to be prepared to disengage and/or override Autopilot before the battery reaches 20 percent power remaining or the signal between the RC and aircraft is lost.

Critical There is currently an issue with the latest firmware that prevents the aircraft from executing RTH after signal loss when using Autopilot (or any SDK app). DJI has confirmed that this issue will be corrected in the next firmware release.

jrm11 Posted at 2016-4-12 15:54
I recently started using Autopilot (P3A). I am very happy with the software. Post #7 in this thread  ...

So the signal loss is when you hit the RTH?  Or signal loss when using generally, i have never had a signal loss while using AP.   

lido_bmt Posted at 2016-4-12 23:15
For pretty much any of the modes I'll make a rough estimate ahead of time by drawing it out on the  ...

Thanks for the detailed reply on your methods.

dacofty Posted at 2016-4-13 07:22
So the signal loss is when you hit the RTH?  Or signal loss when using generally, i have never had ...

I may not have been clear. See post #17, directly above yours for the official explanation of the situation.

Any potential signal loss has nothing to do with AP. It is simply the Phantom behavior if signal loss does occur. If you do not lose signal, you will not be affected by the issue.

lido_bmt Posted at 2016-4-12 23:15
For pretty much any of the modes I'll make a rough estimate ahead of time by drawing it out on the  ...

Lido,

Have you posted any videos showing the smooth interpolation of both yaw and pitch?  

Solo enthusiasts like to point out that MPCC eases in and out of transitions and that all of the apps for DJI use only linear interpolation resulting in a less cinematic movement between POIs.  

jrm11 Posted at 2016-4-13 08:32
I may not have been clear. See post #17, directly above yours for the official explanation of the  ...

thank you, i understand now

parkgt Posted at 2016-4-13 23:05
Lido,

Have you posted any videos showing the smooth interpolation of both yaw and pitch?  

Unfortunately I don't have any public videos.

I'm not sure what MPCC is? From what I understand Autopilot doesn't use linear interpolation, as it appears to have an acceleration and deceleration curve as it moves from focus point to focus point.

Can I use Autopilot with my wifi iPad Air using my iPhone 6 as my hot spot?  Will Aotopilot work in this configuration?  Autopilot looks very interesting but I don't want to buy another device and I want a larger screen for the app than what I have with the iPhone 6.  Thanks for the help.

Don Loftus Posted at 2016-4-29 14:29
Can I use Autopilot with my wifi iPad Air using my iPhone 6 as my hot spot?  Will Aotopilot work in  ...

Well, I purchased the program and have done a few test flights, I'm still learning and building trust.  So far so good!  I like that I can make flight plans ahead of time, that I can save and fly anytime.  The flight plan is also easy to edit.  I can even compose on my iPad Air and send to my iPhone 6 for flight by syncing through iCloud.  So far I like it and I'm still using 1.3.20.

Following

08ninja250r Posted at 2016-5-17 13:49
Following

I uploaded a video to YouTube to show the flight plan I made and had the quad fly, From takeoff to final hover.  The flight plan actually starts once the whole vineyard is in view and you can see that the copter flew straight up to the height of the first waypoint and then to that point, but it didn't stop it just flew through the point and kept going.  I also tried taking the quad off the ground myself and flying near waypoint 1 but it seems the program thought that was the takeoff point the the quad went higher, but that could still have been a setting that I don't know about.  Like I said in my previous post, I just got the program, read through the manual and watched the videos and I'm still in learning mode.  The program does have a bit of a learning curve.  Hope this helps.  By the way, there is no sound track, this is just a test.