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Cinematic Mode

Barboots

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Apr 20, 2021
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54
Hi Flybois and Flygals.

I set off on a mission to enable Cinematic Mode on my Spark. After studying options, I settled on Super Patcher to help get me there. I've done the patching, minus the optional components, and all reports well poking around the stock DJI GO 4 (4.3.25) drone interface. I'm on firmware N/A now.

I can't see Cinematic Mode in the DJI app, however I did believe it required DJI Assistant to enable it. After going on a hunt, I found Assistant 2 (1.1.2) on the MavicHelp site. Sweet... a relatively trustworthy source.

Still, some of the installation warnings worried me, mainly because I couldn't read them being in Chinese. Even though I declined them, the program installed and ran. I did not register or log in.

Boo. There's nowhere to enable Cinematic Mode. [emoji53]

- Do I actually need Assistant 2 to enable Cinematic Mode?
- If so, do I need to blindly accept the three pop up warnings when installing Assistant 2?
- Furthermore, do I need to register and/or log in using perhaps other credentials?
- Will I ever reach the destination of this mission? [emoji23]

I feel I've missed something in reading and am probably almost there. Any help getting me to that silky smooth Cinematic Mode would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Steve
 
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Cinematic mode is found by swiping the intelligent flight mode screens in your modded dji go app.
You may need to be airborn to activate it.

Youtube should give you some answers.
 
Cinematic mode is found by swiping the intelligent flight mode screens in your modded dji go app.
You may need to be airborn to activate it.

Youtube should give you some answers.
Thanks for your time Haggi [emoji106]

I have not modded the app, as I read that using stock apps was a benefit of using Super Patcher. Hopefully I've not taken the wrong path towards my objective.

I haven't put the Spark up yet. I'll pop outside and test that possibility.

Cheers!
 
Yeah nothing extra available while flying. There's also no swiping on the Android app as far as I can see.

God I hate YouTube...
 
I think you need a modded app to get the so-called "Mavic flight modes", which will give you the cinematic mode.
Assistant 2 will give you access to parameters, where you will be able to adjust tilt angle, ascend/descend speed and so on.

If you only need cinematic mode, there is no need of Super Patcher
 
I have got into Assistant 2 "debug mode" and can change the following values... though not really knowing to what, nor how to save them. I'm sort of getting annoyed now and probably need to walk away from it. Funnily enough, I was initially looking at a Mod App for the one feature I actually wanted, but the information stream was way too hard to follow.

I'll probably have to flash back now, as Super Patcher appears only recommended for "stock" apps.


Optionally enable slower more cinematic panning motions for more cinematic video.**
  • Enables setting yaw speed to as low as 1 degree per second in any mode using Assistant 2 1.1.2 in debug mode or directly in DJI Go 4 for P-GPS mode to get much smoother and slower cinematic pans.
    • By default yaw speeds are factory default
  • Each flight mode has its own yaw speed parameter that can be changed in Assistant 2 1.1.2 in debug mode. The value these parameters is in degrees per second
    The parameters for yaw speed for each mode are:
    • P-GPS mode with front OA sensors ON
      g_config_avoid_cfg_avoid_tors_rate_range

    • P-GPS mode with front sensors OFF
      g_config_mode_normal_cfg_tors_gyro_range

    • Sport Mode
      g_config_mode_sport_cfg_tors_gyro_range

    • Tripod mode
      g_config_mode_tripod_cfg_tors_gyro_range

    • Cinematic Mode
      CM_tors_range

    • These are optional
 
Don't give up, we've all been down the rabbit hole!
Strongly advise you to not modify something you do not understand.

There is a modified app version that should be used with Superpatcher. This is prob the issue here.
I can provide link if needed.
 
Don't give up, we've all been down the rabbit hole!
Strongly advise you to not modify something you do not understand.

There is a modified app version that should be used with Superpatcher. This is prob the issue here.
I can provide link if needed.

That would be awesome Haggi. I don't usually get the sh!ts on with tech, but attempting this single change to allow the drone to do something which should be in the standard build is definitely getting the better of me.

Cheers, Steve
 
Had to attend to mundane items like walking the dog, and it's now dark. However I did remove the stock DJI app and installed the modded app linked to above... and I now have three pages of Intelligent Flight Modes, including... CINEMATIC MODE.
[emoji847]
This is far more appealing than poking around with parameters ad-hoc. Thank you Haggi. [emoji120]

I'm going to go for a fly tomorrow to test it out. Might not be able to sleep!

Cheers, Steve
 
Had to attend to mundane items like walking the dog, and it's now dark. However I did remove the stock DJI app and installed the modded app linked to above... and I now have three pages of Intelligent Flight Modes, including... CINEMATIC MODE.
[emoji847]
This is far more appealing than poking around with parameters ad-hoc. Thank you Haggi. [emoji120]

I'm going to go for a fly tomorrow to test it out. Might not be able to sleep!

Cheers, Steve
Practice practice practice, and then practice again.
Water can be friend or foo..
Maybe have a spotter while your eyes are glued to the screen action.

Good luck with your project.

Just some dirty moves
 
Had to attend to mundane items like walking the dog, and it's now dark. However I did remove the stock DJI app and installed the modded app linked to above... and I now have three pages of Intelligent Flight Modes, including... CINEMATIC MODE.
[emoji847]
This is far more appealing than poking around with parameters ad-hoc. Thank you Haggi. [emoji120]

I'm going to go for a fly tomorrow to test it out. Might not be able to sleep!

Cheers, Steve

Glad you finally managed to get the modified app. Be wary of the sweeping motion of the drone while in Cinematic mode though. Braking distances are increased too. Will take a few flights to get used to it but once you master it, you can get awesome cinematic shots with it. Keep us posted.
 
@Barboots
Did you get your footage with cinematic mode?
Well... yes. Was it "cinematic"??? Hell no ?

Jokes at my expense aside, I was really just tooling about getting a feel for the overrun and overall handling. So I was swinging it around a bit. I also didn't stray far from where I was, as flyaway with an untested config was in the back of my mind.

I did get a bit of video pitching even on fairly gentle stick input, but I still have work to do on my involvement in that.

So having covered my @rse with these excuses, I will get off the couch and post the vid. Hang on a sec...

Here, unedited, uncompressed: DJI_0069.MP4
 
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Well... yes. Was it "cinematic"??? Hell no ?
Hang on a sec...
This is a Cinematic mode example I did a while ago (2X speed):


Cinematic mode is hacked from the older Mavic family of drones, will give you smoother start/stop and slower yaw speed while maintaining higher speed.
I'm not sure this mode is great for high speed action.

If you wanna fly a track with action sports, I would settle for zip-line/cable cam.
Litchi app will easily do this.
You set up a mission, 2-waypoint (straight), curved or a combo.
If you set it correct, and youtube videos descibe it very well, you will be able to adjust speed, heading of camera and camera tilt without thinking of drone path.
Battery life is a concern regardless, of course. At least you will quickly be in position for shooting after battery change by repeating the mission.
Post any questions here and good luck, mate!

Check it out here:

 
Cinematic mode is hacked from the older Mavic family of drones, will give you smoother start/stop and slower yaw speed while maintaining higher speed.
I'm not sure this mode is great for high speed action.
That kind of surprises me. If I can stay at full speed and make gentle turns without getting tilt in the footage, I thought it would be appropriate. I'm still getting tilt, but I might not have been steady enough on the stick. There was a lot of lighting posts in my flightpath... I kind of missed them on the aerial imagery when researching a place to play.

Nice vid by the way. [emoji106] Lake looks short of a ski-boat though [emoji23]

Cinematic Mode has made a huge positive difference to the behaviour of the Spark towards and up to its limits. However I'd still really like to retard the stick sensitivity for turns in this mode. With the exception of that one aspect, i doubt there's more I could hope to squeeze out of the little fella... appreciating it's simply not able to keep up with the boat at slalom speed. I could do some great single passes and be really happy with that.

Regarding Litchi and waypoints... I'm too scared to get into those shenanigans. [emoji23]

Putting fear of fly-away aside, I also think I'd need another 10-15km/h for it to be practical.

Thanks again for your help.
 
Not much of a help here, but I do not get the gimbal tilt when in Cinematic Mode.
Went outside yesterday and made a raw test.
All flight is full pull forward.

You can check it out here:

You can also check out flight-data from this flight-->Airdata link

Remember that the Spark has only 2-axis gimbal, cinematic mode will look much better with the Mavic models... I guess.
Also, Cinematic is a "lazy" mode regarding power. Spark will not reach full speed with head wind.
 
Not much of a help here, but I do not get the gimbal tilt when in Cinematic Mode.
Went outside yesterday and made a raw test.
All flight is full pull forward.

You can check it out here:

You can also check out flight-data from this flight-->Airdata link

Remember that the Spark has only 2-axis gimbal, cinematic mode will look much better with the Mavic models... I guess.
Also, Cinematic is a "lazy" mode regarding power. Spark will not reach full speed with head wind.
Let me test some of that out Haggi. [emoji106]
 
Do we have this mod for ios? if not can someone post the latest mod for Android? would like to try the cinematic shot
 

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