First Impressions (not a review) > DJI GROUND STATION PRO app

[dronie]

First Impressions (not a review) > DJI GROUND STATION PRO app

So DJI released and updated GS Pro app which enables you to create WayPoint Routes (without flying them first), Virtual Fence and 3D Map Area.

I have no practical use for "Virtual Fence" where you can setup an area in which the drone can not fly out off. 3D Map Area can be done better with other 3rd party apps for now, so I tested out the "WayPoint Route" today.

Here's my initial thoughts - Positive and Negative:

NEGATIVE:
1) UI: Very DJI'ish interface, meaning you don’t always know what a button will do, weird navigation system, small buttons in the advanced section, takes some trial and error to figure out. Some icons do nothing although they look like buttons,
2) Manual is presented on screen in a very small window that can not be made full screen?!?! Why, DJI. This is one of those DJI things where it's hard to believe they had anyone testing the app before release.
3) Video “Tutorials” are very simple with no extra explanation, tips or guidelines. Looks like they where made in a rush.
4) If you think you can plan a route away from your current location and find the flight area on map, and then select "New Mission” (both for Waypoint Route and 3D Map Area) - the app will move the map back to your current location, and you have to start over and find the flight area on the map again.
5) You can not sit at home and create a WayPoint Route/3D Map Area on the map - it always starts with current position as first WayPoint, so you’ll HAVE TO BE on the actual flight location to create a WayPoint Route. Once on location you can fly the Aircraft to a specific point and use that as first WayPoint, but it HAS to be there physically - No option to create the flight route at home beforehand. DJI Support claimed to have forwarded my request to be able to pre-plan a flight route, so let’s see if it’s implemented in a future version.
6) In "Virtual Fence" and "3D Map Area” mode - The Delete button for your waypoints only removes a SELECTED point. But in WayPoint Route, you can delete points one by one by repeatedly pressing the Delete button. Of course this is not be a big issue, but it shows the UI of the app is not well tested and lacking a uniform workflow - which is to be expected of any DJI product in general.
7) 3D Map: You can select Course Angle. You won’t know what it is until you find it in the manual, and after reading “The angle of the main path” you still might not be 100% sure what it does? At least I didn’t. Then you select the angle - and for some very odd reason 0% starts at EAST going round 360°. Where’s the logic in that, when the rest of the world uses NORTH for 0°? Maybe there’s a perfectly good reason for this that I'm not smart enough to figure out. But if you do, please let us know in the comments.
8) If Signal it lost, RTH can not be performed. Aircraft will finish mission and then RTH.
9) To adjust camera settings, you need to EXIT the GS PRO app, go into the GO app and adjust your camera settings, then go back into the GS PRO app. Also, it has to be in Manual mode (not Auto). Forcing users to leave the app controlling a drone in the air is just weird - especially when it's your own product - and potentially a risk.
10) GS PRO app had trouble recognizing my X5R with 12mm - I could not get it to accept "12mm" or "12" as input for the lens type.
11) If you have to fly in the cold battery temperature is very important - GS PRO does not provide batt. temp. info. Again, you'll have to exit the app, go into the GO app, and then back.

POSITIVE:
1) You can find settings for Metric/Imperial + Calibrate Compass (Not IMU), choose stick mode.
2) At the End of a mission you can choose between RTH/Hover/Land. Hover is set as default.
3) For Each (Way)Point you can: set the aircraft Heading + Rotation + Gimbal Pitch Angle (set with 1° interval)
- For Each Point you can "Create WayPoint Actions": Gimbal Pitch Rotation/Hover/Photo Capture/Start Recording/End Recording/Aircraft Rotation/Gimbal Pitch Rotation
3) You can save a WayPoint Action and "Copy to All WayPoints", "Copy to Preceding" or "Copy to Succeeding Points".
4) LAT/LONG easily selectable with high precision.
5) Speed/Altitude can be selected with high precision - it's not obvious, but press and hold M/S or Meters and you can select with +/- in 0.1 intervals for both.
6) Rename and Save Missions.
7) 3D Map: you can select Overlap percentage for Front/Side
8) If a mission is too long to be done on one battery, it can be resumed after a battery change - Again, DJI gives you absolutely no instructions on how to do this in the Manual. Come on DJI, you can do better.
9) Option to Pause/Resume a mission.
10) It's easy to select and change a WayPoint Route and change a flight route and you're not limited to flying in a square area.

Impressions:
Bit of a mess UI wise and instructions and ease of use could be much improved. Feels and acts like a v. 1.0 so there's hope it will improve. For setting up a simple WayPoint Route the app is great as you don't need to fly the route first. Just remember to set your camera settings first and hope they don't reset if you change batteries.

/T
www.dronie.dk

 

[Jimmykjimmy]

I concur with your opinions. I found the appt to be overly complicated, compared to others.
First version, though, so let's hope it gets better.

 

[The Editor]

First Impressions (not a review) > DJI GROUND STATION PRO app

So DJI released and updated GS Pro app which enables you to create WayPoint Routes (without flying them first), Virtual Fence and 3D Map Area.

I have no practical use for "Virtual Fence" where you can setup an area in which the drone can not fly out off. 3D Map Area can be done better with other 3rd party apps for now, so I tested out the "WayPoint Route" today.

Here's my initial thoughts - Positive and Negative:

NEGATIVE:
1) UI: Very DJI'ish interface, meaning you don’t always know what a button will do, weird navigation system, small buttons in the advanced section, takes some trial and error to figure out. Some icons do nothing although they look like buttons,
2) Manual is presented on screen in a very small window that can not be made full screen?!?! Why, DJI. This is one of those DJI things where it's hard to believe they had anyone testing the app before release.
3) Video “Tutorials” are very simple with no extra explanation, tips or guidelines. Looks like they where made in a rush.
4) If you think you can plan a route away from your current location and find the flight area on map, and then select "New Mission” (both for Waypoint Route and 3D Map Area) - the app will move the map back to your current location, and you have to start over and find the flight area on the map again.
5) You can not sit at home and create a WayPoint Route/3D Map Area on the map - it always starts with current position as first WayPoint, so you’ll HAVE TO BE on the actual flight location to create a WayPoint Route. Once on location you can fly the Aircraft to a specific point and use that as first WayPoint, but it HAS to be there physically - No option to create the flight route at home beforehand. DJI Support claimed to have forwarded my request to be able to pre-plan a flight route, so let’s see if it’s implemented in a future version.
6) In "Virtual Fence" and "3D Map Area” mode - The Delete button for your waypoints only removes a SELECTED point. But in WayPoint Route, you can delete points one by one by repeatedly pressing the Delete button. Of course this is not be a big issue, but it shows the UI of the app is not well tested and lacking a uniform workflow - which is to be expected of any DJI product in general.
7) 3D Map: You can select Course Angle. You won’t know what it is until you find it in the manual, and after reading “The angle of the main path” you still might not be 100% sure what it does? At least I didn’t. Then you select the angle - and for some very odd reason 0% starts at EAST going round 360°. Where’s the logic in that, when the rest of the world uses NORTH for 0°? Maybe there’s a perfectly good reason for this that I'm not smart enough to figure out. But if you do, please let us know in the comments.
8) If Signal it lost, RTH can not be performed. Aircraft will finish mission and then RTH.
9) To adjust camera settings, you need to EXIT the GS PRO app, go into the GO app and adjust your camera settings, then go back into the GS PRO app. Also, it has to be in Manual mode (not Auto). Forcing users to leave the app controlling a drone in the air is just weird - especially when it's your own product - and potentially a risk.
10) GS PRO app had trouble recognizing my X5R with 12mm - I could not get it to accept "12mm" or "12" as input for the lens type.
11) If you have to fly in the cold battery temperature is very important - GS PRO does not provide batt. temp. info. Again, you'll have to exit the app, go into the GO app, and then back.

POSITIVE:
1) You can find settings for Metric/Imperial + Calibrate Compass (Not IMU), choose stick mode.
2) At the End of a mission you can choose between RTH/Hover/Land. Hover is set as default.
3) For Each (Way)Point you can: set the aircraft Heading + Rotation + Gimbal Pitch Angle (set with 1° interval)
- For Each Point you can "Create WayPoint Actions": Gimbal Pitch Rotation/Hover/Photo Capture/Start Recording/End Recording/Aircraft Rotation/Gimbal Pitch Rotation
3) You can save a WayPoint Action and "Copy to All WayPoints", "Copy to Preceding" or "Copy to Succeeding Points".
4) LAT/LONG easily selectable with high precision.
5) Speed/Altitude can be selected with high precision - it's not obvious, but press and hold M/S or Meters and you can select with +/- in 0.1 intervals for both.
6) Rename and Save Missions.
7) 3D Map: you can select Overlap percentage for Front/Side
8) If a mission is too long to be done on one battery, it can be resumed after a battery change - Again, DJI gives you absolutely no instructions on how to do this in the Manual. Come on DJI, you can do better.
9) Option to Pause/Resume a mission.
10) It's easy to select and change a WayPoint Route and change a flight route and you're not limited to flying in a square area.

Impressions:
Bit of a mess UI wise and instructions and ease of use could be much improved. Feels and acts like a v. 1.0 so there's hope it will improve. For setting up a simple WayPoint Route the app is great as you don't need to fly the route first. Just remember to set your camera settings first and hope they don't reset if you change batteries.

/T
www.dronie.dk

Yup - agree with the observations.

The DJI coding chimps have been let loose again.
Then no quality control (and probably no testing).
Still, let's get it out the door as quickly as possible in true DJI fashion ........

 

[The Editor]

First Impressions (not a review) > DJI GROUND STATION PRO app

So DJI released and updated GS Pro app which enables you to create WayPoint Routes (without flying them first), Virtual Fence and 3D Map Area.

I have no practical use for "Virtual Fence" where you can setup an area in which the drone can not fly out off. 3D Map Area can be done better with other 3rd party apps for now, so I tested out the "WayPoint Route" today.

Here's my initial thoughts - Positive and Negative:

NEGATIVE:
1) UI: Very DJI'ish interface, meaning you don’t always know what a button will do, weird navigation system, small buttons in the advanced section, takes some trial and error to figure out. Some icons do nothing although they look like buttons,
2) Manual is presented on screen in a very small window that can not be made full screen?!?! Why, DJI. This is one of those DJI things where it's hard to believe they had anyone testing the app before release.
3) Video “Tutorials” are very simple with no extra explanation, tips or guidelines. Looks like they where made in a rush.
4) If you think you can plan a route away from your current location and find the flight area on map, and then select "New Mission” (both for Waypoint Route and 3D Map Area) - the app will move the map back to your current location, and you have to start over and find the flight area on the map again.
5) You can not sit at home and create a WayPoint Route/3D Map Area on the map - it always starts with current position as first WayPoint, so you’ll HAVE TO BE on the actual flight location to create a WayPoint Route. Once on location you can fly the Aircraft to a specific point and use that as first WayPoint, but it HAS to be there physically - No option to create the flight route at home beforehand. DJI Support claimed to have forwarded my request to be able to pre-plan a flight route, so let’s see if it’s implemented in a future version.
6) In "Virtual Fence" and "3D Map Area” mode - The Delete button for your waypoints only removes a SELECTED point. But in WayPoint Route, you can delete points one by one by repeatedly pressing the Delete button. Of course this is not be a big issue, but it shows the UI of the app is not well tested and lacking a uniform workflow - which is to be expected of any DJI product in general.
7) 3D Map: You can select Course Angle. You won’t know what it is until you find it in the manual, and after reading “The angle of the main path” you still might not be 100% sure what it does? At least I didn’t. Then you select the angle - and for some very odd reason 0% starts at EAST going round 360°. Where’s the logic in that, when the rest of the world uses NORTH for 0°? Maybe there’s a perfectly good reason for this that I'm not smart enough to figure out. But if you do, please let us know in the comments.
8) If Signal it lost, RTH can not be performed. Aircraft will finish mission and then RTH.
9) To adjust camera settings, you need to EXIT the GS PRO app, go into the GO app and adjust your camera settings, then go back into the GS PRO app. Also, it has to be in Manual mode (not Auto). Forcing users to leave the app controlling a drone in the air is just weird - especially when it's your own product - and potentially a risk.
10) GS PRO app had trouble recognizing my X5R with 12mm - I could not get it to accept "12mm" or "12" as input for the lens type.
11) If you have to fly in the cold battery temperature is very important - GS PRO does not provide batt. temp. info. Again, you'll have to exit the app, go into the GO app, and then back.

POSITIVE:
1) You can find settings for Metric/Imperial + Calibrate Compass (Not IMU), choose stick mode.
2) At the End of a mission you can choose between RTH/Hover/Land. Hover is set as default.
3) For Each (Way)Point you can: set the aircraft Heading + Rotation + Gimbal Pitch Angle (set with 1° interval)
- For Each Point you can "Create WayPoint Actions": Gimbal Pitch Rotation/Hover/Photo Capture/Start Recording/End Recording/Aircraft Rotation/Gimbal Pitch Rotation
3) You can save a WayPoint Action and "Copy to All WayPoints", "Copy to Preceding" or "Copy to Succeeding Points".
4) LAT/LONG easily selectable with high precision.
5) Speed/Altitude can be selected with high precision - it's not obvious, but press and hold M/S or Meters and you can select with +/- in 0.1 intervals for both.
6) Rename and Save Missions.
7) 3D Map: you can select Overlap percentage for Front/Side
8) If a mission is too long to be done on one battery, it can be resumed after a battery change - Again, DJI gives you absolutely no instructions on how to do this in the Manual. Come on DJI, you can do better.
9) Option to Pause/Resume a mission.
10) It's easy to select and change a WayPoint Route and change a flight route and you're not limited to flying in a square area.

Impressions:
Bit of a mess UI wise and instructions and ease of use could be much improved. Feels and acts like a v. 1.0 so there's hope it will improve. For setting up a simple WayPoint Route the app is great as you don't need to fly the route first. Just remember to set your camera settings first and hope they don't reset if you change batteries.

/T
www.dronie.dk

I have deleted your other thread - please do not double post.

 

[dronie]

I have deleted your other thread - please do not double post.

Sorry about that.

 

[Cornscot]

Just flown a full 10 minute 3D mission and it seemed to work brilliantly, including the RTH at the end of the mission. Now to work out what to do with so many photos to make a 3D model!

Do you know how to upload the flight data to say Healthy Drones? I cannot find any way of finding the 'logbook' details...

 

[Ralph thompson]

You have to first sync your flights in the Go App (press the airplane top LHS on the opening page where all your logs are, then click the Cloud symbol (top RHS). That done, you have to use the HD App and sync your flights with HD.
The DJI GND Station Pro seems like Autoflight Autopilot lite? Except for the 3D mapping.
Can you focus the camera? (Apparently a SDK limitation, my biggest beef with Autopilot)

 

[Cornscot]

Cornscot, ré. HD u have to first sync yr flts in the Go App (press the airplane top LHS on the opening page where all yr logs are, then click the Cloud symbol (top RHS). That done, you have to use the HD App and sync yr flts with HD.
The DJI GND Station Pro seems like Autoflight Autopilot lite? Except for the 3D mapping.
Can you focus the camera? (Apparently a SDK limitation, my biggest beef with Autopilot)

Thanks Ralph; happy with doing it from DJI Go but how about from GS Pro? I didn't even have DJI Go open.

 

[Ralph thompson]

Sorry Corscot, misunderstood. I can only guess the process must be similar since HD just grabs the data from DJI server but haven't tried the GS PRO yet, I find Autopilot does a great job and really well supported.

 

[DdN]

Where can get the settings for the Z5 camera with standard lens. I entered the 15mm and 35 mm equivalent and it would not let me take off

 

[Droneyboy]

First Impressions (not a review) > DJI GROUND STATION PRO app

So DJI released and updated GS Pro app which enables you to create WayPoint Routes (without flying them first), Virtual Fence and 3D Map Area.

I have no practical use for "Virtual Fence" where you can setup an area in which the drone can not fly out off. 3D Map Area can be done better with other 3rd party apps for now, so I tested out the "WayPoint Route" today.

Here's my initial thoughts - Positive and Negative:

NEGATIVE:
1) UI: Very DJI'ish interface, meaning you don’t always know what a button will do, weird navigation system, small buttons in the advanced section, takes some trial and error to figure out. Some icons do nothing although they look like buttons,
2) Manual is presented on screen in a very small window that can not be made full screen?!?! Why, DJI. This is one of those DJI things where it's hard to believe they had anyone testing the app before release.
3) Video “Tutorials” are very simple with no extra explanation, tips or guidelines. Looks like they where made in a rush.
4) If you think you can plan a route away from your current location and find the flight area on map, and then select "New Mission” (both for Waypoint Route and 3D Map Area) - the app will move the map back to your current location, and you have to start over and find the flight area on the map again.
5) You can not sit at home and create a WayPoint Route/3D Map Area on the map - it always starts with current position as first WayPoint, so you’ll HAVE TO BE on the actual flight location to create a WayPoint Route. Once on location you can fly the Aircraft to a specific point and use that as first WayPoint, but it HAS to be there physically - No option to create the flight route at home beforehand. DJI Support claimed to have forwarded my request to be able to pre-plan a flight route, so let’s see if it’s implemented in a future version.
6) In "Virtual Fence" and "3D Map Area” mode - The Delete button for your waypoints only removes a SELECTED point. But in WayPoint Route, you can delete points one by one by repeatedly pressing the Delete button. Of course this is not be a big issue, but it shows the UI of the app is not well tested and lacking a uniform workflow - which is to be expected of any DJI product in general.
7) 3D Map: You can select Course Angle. You won’t know what it is until you find it in the manual, and after reading “The angle of the main path” you still might not be 100% sure what it does? At least I didn’t. Then you select the angle - and for some very odd reason 0% starts at EAST going round 360°. Where’s the logic in that, when the rest of the world uses NORTH for 0°? Maybe there’s a perfectly good reason for this that I'm not smart enough to figure out. But if you do, please let us know in the comments.
8) If Signal it lost, RTH can not be performed. Aircraft will finish mission and then RTH.
9) To adjust camera settings, you need to EXIT the GS PRO app, go into the GO app and adjust your camera settings, then go back into the GS PRO app. Also, it has to be in Manual mode (not Auto). Forcing users to leave the app controlling a drone in the air is just weird - especially when it's your own product - and potentially a risk.
10) GS PRO app had trouble recognizing my X5R with 12mm - I could not get it to accept "12mm" or "12" as input for the lens type.
11) If you have to fly in the cold battery temperature is very important - GS PRO does not provide batt. temp. info. Again, you'll have to exit the app, go into the GO app, and then back.

POSITIVE:
1) You can find settings for Metric/Imperial + Calibrate Compass (Not IMU), choose stick mode.
2) At the End of a mission you can choose between RTH/Hover/Land. Hover is set as default.
3) For Each (Way)Point you can: set the aircraft Heading + Rotation + Gimbal Pitch Angle (set with 1° interval)
- For Each Point you can "Create WayPoint Actions": Gimbal Pitch Rotation/Hover/Photo Capture/Start Recording/End Recording/Aircraft Rotation/Gimbal Pitch Rotation
3) You can save a WayPoint Action and "Copy to All WayPoints", "Copy to Preceding" or "Copy to Succeeding Points".
4) LAT/LONG easily selectable with high precision.
5) Speed/Altitude can be selected with high precision - it's not obvious, but press and hold M/S or Meters and you can select with +/- in 0.1 intervals for both.
6) Rename and Save Missions.
7) 3D Map: you can select Overlap percentage for Front/Side
8) If a mission is too long to be done on one battery, it can be resumed after a battery change - Again, DJI gives you absolutely no instructions on how to do this in the Manual. Come on DJI, you can do better.
9) Option to Pause/Resume a mission.
10) It's easy to select and change a WayPoint Route and change a flight route and you're not limited to flying in a square area.

Impressions:
Bit of a mess UI wise and instructions and ease of use could be much improved. Feels and acts like a v. 1.0 so there's hope it will improve. For setting up a simple WayPoint Route the app is great as you don't need to fly the route first. Just remember to set your camera settings first and hope they don't reset if you change batteries.

/T
www.dronie.dk

Hey Dronie.....Droneyboy here.......
I found a way to plan a mission at home.......when you tap the screen and the box shows upon your map, zoom the map wayyyyy out then drag the box(now a white dot) to the location you want..........then plan your mission........I'm testing this out tomorrow. I have 2 planned in 2 different locations. If you can't drag the box on one screen you can scoot it along to the edge of your pad and keep moving the map until your at your location you want to fly in.

 

[licensed pilot]

Hey Dronie.....Droneyboy here.......
I found a way to plan a mission at home.......when you tap the screen and the box shows upon your map, zoom the map wayyyyy out then drag the box(now a white dot) to the location you want..........then plan your mission........I'm testing this out tomorrow. I have 2 planned in 2 different locations. If you can't drag the box on one screen you can scoot it along to the edge of your pad and keep moving the map until your at your location you want to fly in.

Is there any way to control the gimbal, or switch from stills to video?

 

[Droneyboy]

Unfortunately during a planned video mission I moved the gimbal and it cut off or stopped the video recording. The entire mission was flown and the only video I had was at the very beginning prior to my adjusting the gimbal. This was not apparent on my tablet during the mission so didn't know until checking afterwards. I haven't flown a video mission with DJIGSPro since that time. I do mapping for a small engineering firm and while processing I remove the buildings, trees, electric lines and all poles and signs to get ground topography with contour lines(excluding non ground subjects). The CAD operators need to annotate locations of these features while creating the maps and a video with oblique angles is the best for the CAD people to identify the signs etc. They use Google Earth but is not always up to date or you cant make out text on all signs all the time. I thought I would fly the exact same mission as the Mapping Mission but with video running. As long as I don't adjust the gimbal I guess this will work. I hope I'm doing something wrong and there is a simple fix. Google Earth won't always work everywhere for annotating vertical objects.
I haven't tried adjusting the gimbal lately but I'd like to try it again otherwise whats the sense of flying a pre-planned video route if you can't take a look around w the camera? All other missions were Nadir for mapping with no problems other than slow flights.

 

[joeeagle]

can someone post how to get flight logs out of GS Pro?
i am 1500 miles away from any sUAS so if i have to connects to the actual sUAS i will have to wait.

Also, how to get the actual flight records directly from the Inspire 1? Assistant 2 doesnt seem to work or i just dont know how?

thanks