Mission Type
Last updated
Last updated
Find your area of interest using the search bar, typing in coordinates, or manually, then click the map to outline it. You can also upload a KMZ file for the area.
There are two modes of selection depending on the mission type, which are detailed further below.
Ensure you are viewing the maps feature from nadir when selecting your area of interest by clicking the "R" Reset View button.
Note that Flight Planner will set the mission type to Corridor Mode if uploading a polyline KMZ and will default to Mapping Mode if uploading a polygon KMZ.
Mapping Mode allows you to select your area of interest in a polygon shape. Adjust the edges of the polygon by dragging the white vertices to the desired location. To delete vertices, hover over one and right click.
There are three options within Mapping Mode which are described and pictured below:
Mapping - Lines | Parallel line pattern covering the desired area |
Mapping - Lines - Perpendicular | Same as the Mapping - Lines pattern but with an additional perpendicular pass, ideal for lidar acquisition |
Mapping - Grid | Grid pattern is used to add additional lidar and imagery coverage on the ground and ensure adequate data coverage on vertical infrastructure |
Corridor mode allows you to plan a flight for a long and narrow area of interest, such as a highway, railroad, or powerline. It differs from the original Mapping Mode as you do not outline a polygon when using the planner. Instead, you select points along the corridor in a line and then adjust the corridor width accordingly to cover the desired area of interest.
There are two options within Corridor Mode which are described and pictured below:
Single-pass | Single flightline directly over the middle of the flight line |
Multi-pass | Multiple flightlines seperated by FOV of the sensor and Ovelap percentage |
Flight type is a new addition added in 9.0. Flight Type allows the user to create a Kinematic flightline and Figure-8 maneuver at the beginning and end of a mission. The Flight type menu looks like this:
There are three options within Flight Type which are described and pictured below:
No Figure Eights/ Alignment waypoints | does not add figure-8s and kinematic alignment |
Figure Eights and Alignment waypoints before and after every flight | adds figure-8s and kinematic alignments before and after every flight created in the mission. If the flight time of your aircraft is less than the total time it takes to fly the mission this will split the mission and add figure-8s and kinematic flightlines before and after each mission it automatically builds. |
Figure Eights and Alignment waypoints before the first and after the last flight | Only adds figure-8s and kinematic alignments before the first flight and after the last flight in the mission. |
There are two options for your Flight Height Preference. If you are flying over an area that is flat, you can select Fixed Altitude. However, if you are flying over an area where the elevation is changing significantly, then you should select Terrain Following, to ensure that the UAV is maintaining a constant AGL throughout the acquisition.
Line Segment Spacing refers to the distance between each waypoint. For Terrain Following, this is also how often we are adjusting the elevation in the trajectory. If you are using Litchi and the M600, then there is a limit of 100 waypoints in the Flight Controller, so you will want to adjust accordingly for a large project.
