Hi all!

I own a Phantom 4 Pro since April, and I am still learning the basics with the app DJI Go 4.

Being an old Parrot user, I remember it was possible with their app to preload the maps of the area you were going to fly over before actually being there. This feature was very helpful for me, since my iPad doesn't have cellular and sharing my mobile phone's connection before flying is problematic most of the times because there is no good coverage and it would take ages to preload maps.

With my old BeBop 2 and its app, FreeFlight Pro, I used to preload the map of the area I was going to fly, so it was loaded in the app once I was there.

What's most, having to preload maps on location just before flying seems to me like another thing to prepare, and I would like to preload maps at home if possible.

So... is there a way to preload a certain area into DJI Go 4 for a later flight? Hope to have explained my problem and formulated my question correctly and in an understandable way.

Thanks in advance!

Are you referring to an offline map? If yes, you may see the details below.

For DJI GO for Android v 3.1.0 and later and DJI GO 4 for Android v4.0 and later, if you are using the app in Mainland China, the app uses Amap. If you are using the app outside of Mainland China, the app uses Mapbox.

For DJI GO for iOS and DJI GO 4 for iOS, if you are using the app in Mainland China, the app uses Amap. If you are using the app outside Mainland China, the app uses the map coming with the mobile device.

DJI Natalia Posted at 2018-6-12 09:30
Are you referring to an offline map? If yes, you may see the details below.

For DJI GO for Android v 3.1.0 and later and DJI GO 4 for Android v4.0 and later, if you are using the app in Mainland China, the app uses Amap. If you are using the app outside of Mainland China, the app uses Mapbox.

Hi Natalia!

I'm in Spain and I'm using an iPad Air 2 (so iOS app). I use the app offline when I fly. With Parrot's app it is possible to preload maps in order to have them available offline.

By reading your answer, it is not clear to me the procedure to load the maps you mention into the app.

Thanks!

ultrazone Posted at 2018-6-12 09:41
Hi Natalia!

I'm in Spain and I'm using an iPad Air 2 (so iOS app). I use the app offline when I fly. With Parrot's app it is possible to preload maps in order to have them available offline.

Basically, you can cache the maps before the flight, please refer to the steps below to cache the maps:
Connect your device to the Internet, open DJI GO4, go to the flying location on the map, zoom into the desired zoom level, scroll around on the map to load the map images in all areas where you want to fly. Please let us know the result. Thank you.

DJI Natalia Posted at 2018-6-12 09:52
Basically, you can cache the maps before the flight, please refer to the steps below to cache the maps:
Connect your device to the Internet, open DJI GO4, go to the flying location on the map, zoom into the desired zoom level, scroll around on the map to load the map images in all areas where you want to fly. Please let us know the result. Thank you.

Hi!

Before my last two flights I’ve followed your instructions but no dice. Once I get to the location there is no map. I know it has to be something very simple, but I can’t find the solution to this.

Any advices please? Thanks in advance!

Bump! Any ideas please?

When you load the map at your home, maybe the map loads into temporary chache on your tablet device?
You close the DJI app, turn off your  tablet device and drive to the flight location?
After arriving at  the flight location, you then restart the tablet device and the DJI app?
After restarting the tablet device, the maps chache is cleared and no more maps?
Maybe you want to load the map at home and keep the DJI app turned on and keep the tablet device turned on too?

ultrazone Posted at 2018-6-16 13:08
Hi!

Before my last two flights I’ve followed your instructions but no dice. Once I get to the location there is no map. I know it has to be something very simple, but I can’t find the solution to this.

In the App's general settings there is a slider to set "Cache Map in the Background"  Have you slid it to green? After you do that, follow Natalie's advice. Also, check that The App has been "granted permission to access your location" at least "while using". (You do this in the iPad's settings under DJI GO 4)

Air/America Posted at 2018-6-19 03:40
When you load the map at your home, maybe the map loads into temporary chache on your tablet device?
You close the DJI app, turn off your  tablet device and drive to the flight location?
After arriving at  the flight location, you then restart the tablet device and the DJI app?

Hi!

I don’t switch off the tablet completely, I just close its Smart Cover (my tablet is an iPad Air 2). Right now I don’t remember if I close the app after caching maps at home, but I will try.

Thanks,

Antonio76 Posted at 2018-6-19 04:00
In the App's general settings there is a slider to set "Cache Map in the Background"  Have you slid it to green? After you do that, follow Natalie's advice. Also, check that The App has been "granted permission to access your location" at least "while using". (You do this in the iPad's settings under DJI GO 4)

Hi there!

The “Cache maps in the background” option is on, as you suggest, as well as the option to allow the app using location data.

But still no maps...

I dont know if ios is the same as the superior android but on android on the screen the says Go Fly, we hit the menu at the top where you can see your flight logs, well, in that menu we also have Offline maps too, YMMV

ultrazone Posted at 2018-6-19 11:59
Hi there!

The “Cache maps in the background” option is on, as you suggest, as well as the option to allow the app using location data.

Hmmm... when you try to load the maps, is the aircraft on and with satellite coverage?  (it would help the App know where it is)

Bashy Posted at 2018-6-19 20:01
I dont know if ios is the same as the superior android but on android on the screen the says Go Fly, we hit the menu at the top where you can see your flight logs, well, in that menu we also have Offline maps too, YMMV

[view_image]

Hi !

The screen you mention is different in the iOS version: there is no "Offline maps" option.

Still no clues about this...

Antonio76 Posted at 2018-6-20 01:20
Hmmm... when you try to load the maps, is the aircraft on and with satellite coverage?  (it would help the App know where it is)

Hi again!

When I try to load the maps, the aircraft is off. By the way, having to turn on the aircraft just to preload a map sounds to me like an inconvenient...

Thanks for your suggestion! If nothing else works I'll try it, but it would be way easier if we didn't have to switch on the aircraft at home just for preloading maps.

Thats a shame it not being there for ios, dont make any sense...

You shoulnt have to have the ac on , just open the app, then open the map when you have internet/wifi then browse the area you want to fly in and jobs a goodun

Bashy Posted at 2018-6-20 05:23
Thats a shame it not being there for ios, dont make any sense...

You shoulnt have to have the ac on , just open the app, then open the map when you have internet/wifi then browse the area you want to fly in and jobs a goodun

Well, this is exactly what I do with my iPads... so it is not a iOS problem...

ultrazone Posted at 2018-6-20 01:41
Hi again!

When I try to load the maps, the aircraft is off. By the way, having to turn on the aircraft just to preload a map sounds to me like an inconvenient...

I agree that it shouldn't be necessary (it is not for my iPad) -was just trying to think out of the box...

Antonio76 Posted at 2018-6-20 11:14
Well, this is exactly what I do with my iPads... so it is not a iOS problem...

WOW! that really does not make any sense, there appears to be no consistency with dji, it appears that depending on what device you have theres normally something amiss (putting less power aside)  im still waiting for GS for android, not so sure that will ever come to fruition to be honest. hope you get it sorted chap,  you really need  DJI to join this thread so that they can put it to the devs

Bashy Posted at 2018-6-20 19:15
WOW! that really does not make any sense, there appears to be no consistency with dji, it appears that depending on what device you have theres normally something amiss (putting less power aside)  im still waiting for GS for android, not so sure that will ever come to fruition to be honest. hope you get it sorted chap,  you really need  DJI to join this thread so that they can put it to the devs

Maybe I wasn't clear... What I mean, I do NOT have experienced any problems with caching maps on two different iPad,  one being iPad Air 2 and one being iPad 5th gen. Also with an iPhone 5s, no problems... On the other hand, Android is an open platform, and different tablets/phone brands or models can have different, non strictly standard,  implementations of it,