Planning a mapping mission in DJI Pilot for an M300RTK generates, as near as I can tell, a random start point, with no ability to specify a pre-flight home point estimate.

This means that about half the time you fly a mission, the UAV takes off on a very long wasted leg to the far side of the area. This watsed leg is not included in the total flight time estimate.

A similar situation occurs at the end of the mission, again  wasted and again not included in the flight time estimate.

If the mission is a long rectangle and the coin flip goes against you at both ends, this can be a substantial error in the total flight time.

Most mapping packages have a way to speficy a presumed, approximate takeoff point before you go out to the field, then take into account initial and final leg flight times in the total.

Even the ability to reverse the order of the mapping waypoints would be a big help.

Anyone have any suggestions other than using something like UgCS?

If you go into advanced settings when planning your mission flight and adjust your course angle that will change the start point. So in the rectangle example I can get the drone to start at any of the four corners.

Software calculates how many passes it needs based off of overlap ratios so could slightly increase or decrease side overlap if you need it to end on a certain side.

Makes sense

I'll try it.

Thanks

Any suggestions about curved turns like in DJI GO instead of the stop and jerk default turns?

For mapping or waypoints?

If mapping no option to change how drone goes onto next pass.
For waypoints can do curved turns and/or fly through, settings option when you plan...

Thanks for another response, Hoss_, but when I define the waypoints in a grid system, I get these loopy turns...



Is there any way to set the turn radius to something like 1 meter, like on a Phantom?

DJI hasn't responded to my support request

Not to my knowledge...

Can I ask what is the issue with the default grid/mapping mission turns when it goes to the next pass?

We're using the M300RTK/P1 combination for mapping missions for bird population surveys.

The lower we can fly, the better the images, as long as we don't disturb the birds.

For several years we've used a Phantom 3 Pro at 30 to 35 meters, and it doesn't seem to bother anybody.

The Phantom 3, however, has the option for an "arched turn" from one grid path to the next. This flies in very quiet, smooth motion, cutting the corner in about 1 or 2 meters, never losing any speed.

The default turn for an M300RTK though is a sudden full stop, a jerk to the new heading, then another jerk to mission speed for the new leg. All of these motions also make a new, sudden sound.

All this erratic motion disturbs the birds, which means we have to fly higher and slower than we normally would.

I haven't been able to figure out how to make smooth turns yet, but I'm pretty sure all that stopping, starting, and jerking is also wasting battery capacity because it is a serious loss of energy and momentum.

I've worked out a system to fly mapping missions as a series of carefully spaced waypoints in "Mission Detailed KML" format that includes a planned home point to better estimate total flight time. It works well, but I sure would like to be able to smooth out those turns.

I tried multiple waypoint around each corner, but that doesn't work. The poor things just shudders around the corner.

In the mission KML file that you can export, it gives a "turn radius" with the default being something like "0.2", but selecting curved turns and changing that value doesn't seem to help.

Any suggestions appreciated