Cinematic Mode | Unleash the hidden potential of the Spark

[I B Spectre]

All this is very intriguing, but I'm still such a newb at this that I feel the need to focus on my flying skills and basic ops. Stock Go 4 operation is enough for right now, but expanding the capabilities of the Spark through software is very alluring. I wanted a drone for aerial photography/videography and nilanjan118 has opened my eyes to untapped capabilities without having to buy another drone at this time. Increased flight time and speed are definitely big selling points. Flight planning via Litchi, Drone Harmony, Red Waypoint or Dronelink is yet another aspect I'd like to employ. Now, if cinematic mode and flight waypoint planning could be merged into one app, that would be fantastic.

 

[nilanjan118]

All this is very intriguing, but I'm still such a newb at this that I feel the need to focus on my flying skills and basic ops. Stock Go 4 operation is enough for right now, but expanding the capabilities of the Spark through software is very alluring. I wanted a drone for aerial photography/videography and nilanjan118 has opened my eyes to untapped capabilities without having to buy another drone at this time. Increased flight time and speed are definitely big selling points. Flight planning via Litchi, Drone Harmony, Red Waypoint or Dronelink is yet another aspect I'd like to employ. Now, if cinematic mode and flight waypoint planning could be merged into one app, that would be fantastic.

Very well said. It doesn't matter whether you buy a high end drone or make software/hardware mods on your current drone. The final output totally depends on the skill of the pilot. "It's not what you have but what you do with it that matters."

 

[I B Spectre]

nilanjan118, you've got me thinking about this app. So much so that I'm about half way through reading the 66 pages of the thread. Unfortunately, there's little real "meat" to most of the posts that give useful information about the expanded capabilities and how to use them. Since it appears the mod "unlocks' features designed for the upper end Mavics, would a tutorial for, say, mission planning the Mavic 2 would be the same procedure for the Spark? The video you linked in the first post shows the flight path, but it doesn't indicate if it was flown freehand or pre-planned (autonomous). The more I read, the more questions I have because this app is genuinely intriguing for what it does for the Spark.

 

[SoccerRef12]

nilanjan118, you've got me thinking about this app. So much so that I'm about half way through reading the 66 pages of the thread. Unfortunately, there's little real "meat" to most of the posts that give useful information about the expanded capabilities and how to use them. Since it appears the mod "unlocks' features designed for the upper end Mavics, would a tutorial for, say, mission planning the Mavic 2 would be the same procedure for the Spark? The video you linked in the first post shows the flight path, but it doesn't indicate if it was flown freehand or pre-planned (autonomous). The more I read, the more questions I have because this app is genuinely intriguing for what it does for the Spark.

I've installed the mod 2 app, but haven't had the opportunity to try it yet. I think most of the info is in the first one or two posts. It's just a matter of trying it out.

 

[I B Spectre]

Absent any tutorial or instructions, there's nothing left but trial and error. I've watched some of the modes for Mavic on YT, so I guess that's a starting point. Let us know how it works for you.

 

[nilanjan118]

nilanjan118, you've got me thinking about this app. So much so that I'm about half way through reading the 66 pages of the thread. Unfortunately, there's little real "meat" to most of the posts that give useful information about the expanded capabilities and how to use them. Since it appears the mod "unlocks' features designed for the upper end Mavics, would a tutorial for, say, mission planning the Mavic 2 would be the same procedure for the Spark? The video you linked in the first post shows the flight path, but it doesn't indicate if it was flown freehand or pre-planned (autonomous). The more I read, the more questions I have because this app is genuinely intriguing for what it does for the Spark.

Guess I have to plead guilty for getting so many people curious about the app. The video I posted was complete manual flying in "Cinematic mode". What I was trying to show there is that unlike Sports mode, the cinematic mode gives you high speed combined with smooth turns. Now about your question about tutorials, I think your assumption is correct. A tutorial available on YouTube for Mavic should work for the Spark too. There may be slight variations in user interface as the app is based on an old version, but the basics should be same. So far I have tried the POI, Waypoints, Course lock and home lock features apart from the cinematic mode and they all work fine. I must admit though that the waypoints experience is much better in Litchi because it gives you the ability to plan the mission on your computer and then import it into the app. I started using mod 2.0 mainly because of the cinematic mode but I am happy that POI, course lock and home lock work fine on it too. Guess I will be using Litchi only for waypoints from now.
Hope I was able to answer your question.

 

[nilanjan118]

Absent any tutorial or instructions, there's nothing left but trial and error. I've watched some of the modes for Mavic on YT, so I guess that's a starting point. Let us know how it works for you.

I have to disagree with you here. The starting point is your experience with the Spark. Once you know how to fly the Spark, using Mod 2.0 should be easy.

I've installed the mod 2 app, but haven't had the opportunity to try it yet. I think most of the info is in the first one or two posts. It's just a matter of trying it out.

That's right. And I think it's worth adding again that the tutorials for say POI, Course lock or waypoints which are available on YouTube for Mavic will work for the Spark too. Only thing is that there may be slight variations in UI, which the user has to figure out on his own.

 

[I B Spectre]

Hope I was able to answer your question.

Yes it does. From the tutorial I saw on YT for Mavic waypoints, having the limitations inherent in setting mission parameters on your phone or tablet seems less than satisfactory when compared with being able to do it on a PC. As to whether one uses Litchi, DH, Red Waypoint or Dronelink is a personal decision, but they all seem to have the advantage of developing a mission on PC with finer control points than the DJI mod. I appreciate your feedback. In the meantime, I'll start looking for tutorials on POI, Course Lock and Home Lock. Cinematic mode is reason enough to use it. Don't be surprised if I pick your brain for more info.

 

[NJSpark]

does litchi have this mode? I am on ios so the mod app will not work.

 

[nilanjan118]

does litchi have this mode? I am on ios so the mod app will not work.

No. Litchi doesn't have the cinematic mode.

 

[SoccerRef12]

I haven't tried cinematic mode, but from what I've read & watched it seems to be a super smooth tripod mode. Am I incorrect?

 

[ilanlichten]

Where i can download the mod2? Its not on play store

 

[Spark 317]

Where i can download the mod2? Its not on play store

It's a modified Go4 app available off site.

Here is big thread about the modification.

Looks like post #1282 may have the link.

Read the posts after that one, it might be an older version?

I don't have it myself.

Good luck.

 

[Chuck Halfacre]

I would

Hello Spark pilots,

Do you feel that the P-mode for DJI Spark is too sluggish for a cinematic effect?
Do you like to fly in Sports mode but hate the fact that even a little push on the yaw stick makes the video go awry?

Well if you are being bugged by these issues, then you should definitely try the Cinematic mode. Although not available for the Spark on the official release of DJI Go4, this feature can be accessed through the DJI GO 4 MOD 2.0 version. The cinematic mode gives you sports mode like speed without affecting the gimbal when turning sharply even at speeds in excess of 50kmph. The video below is a demonstration of this feature and has telemetry data overlayed on it so that the viewer can have a fair idea about the capabilities of this mode. You can see the map overlayed on the video and skip to the curve portions only if the whole video seems too long for you.

I think it is also worth adding that apart from Sports mode like speed and smooth turns, there are some additional benefits which I have got by using the Cinematic mode.

1. Longer battery life.
I have had 6 flights in this mode so far and 3 of those have been 13mins+ compared to 11~12mins I used to get previously.

2. Battery temperature data getting logged in Airdata
This is a known issue with the "official" Go4 version on Android. The battery temperature is always shown as 0 when we sync the log with Airdata.
With the mod version of Go4, this bug is eliminated.

3. Smooth cache video
This may be just a limitation of the phone I am using (Moto E4 plus), but the cache video was never recorded in normal speed before. It was either sped up or skipped a lot of frames.

I would be happer then a Rabbit that just got some rabbit poontang if I could just go out an fly my spark with out some kind of a software issue popping up! Or it just trying to fly away and it consistently saying ADI mode a d mode? I'm sure there is maybe 5 or 10% of you that can say they have never had an issue with there spark drone but that would leave 90 to 95% of us that have issues with the software that keeps the drone flying the right way. I do love the way pictures look and I've been taken a lot of sunset pictures over the last year or so an the spark drone takes the best ones I can't even get my Olympus camera to take pictures like the spark drone does. But once again I have to watch and be very cautious when I'm flying the spark and the software issues that pop up really can ruin a day. I haven't said anything in this 4 mm in a while so I just thought I'd throw my $0.03 worth. Peace out and fly safe

 

[NJSpark]

I wonder if I can you use and tune the cinematic sport config in the parameters in the DJI assistant app to get the same affect

 

[nilanjan118]

I haven't tried cinematic mode, but from what I've read & watched it seems to be a super smooth tripod mode. Am I incorrect?

No. Tripod mode only slows down the speed. It doesn't dampen the acceleration and braking. Cinematic mode dampens acceleration and braking, gives Sports mode like top speed and at the same time doesn't lock the gimbal.

 

[Northwood Mediaworks]

I gave this a try today, and was quite pleased with the output, I have a video almost ready, will post when i get to some faster internet, where I am currently it is only satellite, and the up-link is too slow.

 

[I B Spectre]

I gave this a try today, and was quite pleased with the output, I have a video almost ready, will post when i get to some faster internet, where I am currently it is only satellite, and the up-link is too slow.

Looking forward to it ?

 

[NJSpark]

litchi needs to put this in their app and i would buy it. i am jealous of android users because they can get this using the mod Go app. too bad ios doesn't have a way to get this from the app store.

 

[ilanlichten]

Can someone give a tutorial how make the app??