How to set Waypoint Flights on DJI Mini Pro 4

Waypoint Flight allows you to set stops for different shooting locations in advance and generate a flight route based on those stops. 

After the waypoints have been set the aircraft will fly automatically along the route and help you complicate complicated shoots with ease, i.e., shots with Dolly Zoom or POI drift. 

Flight routes can be saved and repeated at different times to capture the changes over seasons and day-to-night effect.

How to set Obstacle Avoidance Action

Before enabling the Waypoint Flight mode enter the system settings of DJI Fly and check the Obstacle Avoidance in the Safety tab.

After setting the Obstacle Avoidance Action to Bypass or Brake the aircraft will brake if it detects obstacles during the waypoint flight.If set to Off the aircraft cannot sense obstacles.

How to enable Waypoint flight 

Tap the Waypoint Flight icon on the left side of the camera view to enable Waypoint Flight.

How to add Waypoints

There are three ways to add waypoints.

  1. Using the operation panel tap the plus icon on the operation panel to add a waypoint.

  2. Using the remote controller, press the Fn button on the DJI RC-N2 remote controller or the C1 button on the DJI RC 2 remote controller to add a waypoint.

  3. Using the map enter the map view and tap on the map to add a waypoint.

Tips 

  • Before take-off you can only use the map to add waypoints.

  • It is recommended to add waypoints during the flight by using the remote controller or the operation panel, its convenient for framing the shots and helps eliminate the risk of flying into the potential obstacles along the route.

  • If you have a specific subject you can add one or more points of interest to make the aircraft keep facing toward the subject while automatically flying.

How to use POI

  1. Tap POI to enter the POI operation panel. Or you can use the remote control operation panel or the map to add POI.

  1. If you need to adjust the waypoints or POI locations, enter the map view, press and hold the waypoint icon or the POI icon and drag it to your preferred location.

Setting the Waypoints and POI Parameters

After finishing adding the points the aircraft automatically records the related parameters for these points.

To adjust the parameters tap the waypoint number on the waypoint operation panel to set parameters like:

  • Camera Action

  • Altitude

  • Speed

  • Heading

  • Gimbal Tilt

  • Zoom

  • Hovering Time.

 

Shooting different locations 

  1. Set the start waypoint’s Camera Action to Start Recording. If a POI is set you can set the Heading and Gimbal Tilt to toward the POI.

  1. After finishing setting parameters for all the waypoints switch to the POI operation panel. 

  1. Adjust the altitude to the relative altitude between the subject and the take-off point and link the POI to waypoints.

  1. Link the POI to Waypoints, one POI can be linked to multiple Waypoints. 

  1. To automatically stop recording once the flight completes you need to select the final waypoint and set the Camera Action to Stop Recording. Tap the delete icon on the upper left corner of the panel to delete the currently selected waypoint.

Tips 

  • If Camera Action is set to None, the aircraft will only automatically fly. You need to manually control the camera to shoot during the flight.

  • If you have already set the Heading and Gimbal Tilt of the waypoints toward the POI, then the POI will automatically be linked to these waypoints.

Setting flight route parameters

  1. Tap Next to set Parameters for the flight route such as Global Speed, the behaviour for End of Flight on Signal Lost and Start Point. The settings apply to all waypoints.

  1. The behaviour for End of Flight refers to the behaviour of the aircraft after the flight task ends and the behaviour for On Signal Lost refers to the behaviour of the aircraft when the remote controller signal is lost during flight.

  2. The behaviour for End of Flight can be set to Hover, RTH, Land or Back to Start. Hover is recommended.

  1. The behaviour for On Signal can be set to RTH, Hover, Land or Continue. RTH is recommended.

The settings for flight route apply to all waypoints.

Performing Waypoint Flight 

Before take-off check the surrounding environment and make sure there is no obstacle along the route.

  1. Tap GO to upload the waypoint flight task. The aircraft will automatically perform the task when the upload is complete.

  1. The flight duration waypoints and distance will be displayed on the camera view.

  1. After the waypoint flight task begins you can tap the pause icon to pause the task. Tap the stop icon to end the task or tap the Continue icon to continue the task.

Saving the Waypoint Flight Task in the Library

When planning a Waypoint Flight the task will be generated automatically and saved the task will be generated automatically and saved.

  1. Tap the list icon on the upper left corner of the waypoint operation panel to enter the Library and save the task manually.

  1. You can check the saved tasks in the Library and tap to open and edit the task. Tap the pencil to edit the task name and slide left to delete the selected task.

  1. Tap the icon on the upper right corner to change the order tasks are displayed.

Tip

Make sure to take off from the original take-off altitude when repeating a saved task.

Exiting Waypoint Flight

  1. Tap the Waypoint Flight icon on the left side of the camera view.

  1. Tap Save and Exit to save the task in the library and exit.

POI Drift

  1. After take-off find your subject and adjust the aircraft to an appropriate distance and height from the subject.

  1. Tap the Waypoint Flight icon on the left side of the camera view to enable Waypoint Flight, and the first Waypoint.

  1. Fly the aircraft over the subject and add a POI.

  1. Take the POI as the centre and fly the aircraft to the opposite direction of the first waypoint to add the second waypoint.

  1. Tap the first waypoint, set the Camera Action to Start Recording.

  1. Set the Heading and Gimbal Tilt toward POI and then tap Apply to All to set both waypoints’ Adjust the rest of the parameters as needed.

  1. Tap the second waypoint and set the camera Action to Stop Recording.

  1. Switch to the POI operation panel, and adjust the altitude to the relative altitude between the subject and the take-off point.

  2. Tap next to enter the flight route setting panel. The speed should not be too fast. The recommended speed should not exceed 2 m/s. 

  1. Tap End of Flight and set it to Hover and tap GO to upload and perform the task. When the task is finished view the footage in Playback.

Tip

  • If the flight is too fast, when the aircraft flies over the subject, the aircraft may not be fast enough to change its orientation, and the resulting footage will be compromised.