Litchi

[Oleksii Oleksiienko]

I tried Litchi with my Spark. I could do basic maneuvers with the sticks and pretty much nothing else worked. I couldn't get any of the advance flight modes to work plus, the video start/stop button; shutter button, C1, etc - none of the hardware controls would function.
My setup is an Ipad mini 4 connected to the RC via an OTG cable.

Have you tried to use wifi connection instead of OTG? Because there is a note that OTG is not supported for Spark yet.

 

[neilw]

I have been using Litchi, but you are right, it will not work with OTG. Also was having app crashes prior to latest FW upgrades. Now it crashes once in a while but not as often (iPad Mini 3 w/RC). Focus mode now works pretty well after the recent FW update.

A cool "feature" is that in Litchi you can palm launch, turn on focus for your shoot, then disengage focus, do the V to activate gesture mode, do it once again to have the spark return to you for a palm landing. Very handy in some situations.

Do wish that at least Orbit worked. Waypoints would also be nice. Can't understand why they can't do Orbit since it works fine in Autopilot beta.

 

[J-4ce]

I contacted Litchi today and got the following when asked if they plan to add waypoints to the Spark: "We can’t predict the future, it depends whether DJI will enable it in the Spark firmware. So far, they haven’t."

I don't see DJI being interested in changing their firmware so that a 3rd party app works with it.

Are there any other 'mission planning' apps available for Android?

I also really want the waypoint feature to capture aerial imagery and generate 3D objects. So I really hope DJI will enable it in the Spark soon. Although I'm afraid they won't do it as they are only marketing the Spark as a selfie drone. Let's wait and see.

Sent from my Galaxy A5

 

[r-ap]

eflyersteve:
I contacted Litchi today and got the following when asked if they plan to add waypoints to the Spark: "We can’t predict the future, it depends whether DJI will enable it in the Spark firmware. So far, they haven’t."

I wonder why Hangars Autopilot can do Waypoints and Orbit
with the same firmware and Litchi can't.

 

[Dronason]

eflyersteve:
I contacted Litchi today and got the following when asked if they plan to add waypoints to the Spark: "We can’t predict the future, it depends whether DJI will enable it in the Spark firmware. So far, they haven’t."

I wonder why Hangars Autopilot can do Waypoints and Orbit
with the same firmware and Litchi can't.

There are 2 ways to create waypoints. Either you load the points in the Spark as Litchi and then it fly on its own even if it lost connection but you need that the Spark allow such basic function in its firmware or you continuously drive the Spark from the app, waypoint by waypoint like Hangars but the Spark will RTH if it lost connection.
My guess.

 

[FatherXmas]

Have you tried to use wifi connection instead of OTG? Because there is a note that OTG is not supported for Spark yet.

My comment was before the update to Litchi that added Spark support. Since then, I use Litchi most of the time with wifi.

 

[neilw]

From a professional shooting perspective, just this week ran 4 batteries using DJI ActiveTrack mode comparing to Litchi Focus mode. Activetrack worked extrememly well. Very stable, reliable and well focused on subject, even with strong winds and sun glare. It lost the subject a few times when at a distance, likely due to the strong wind (the alert was on 99% of the time).

Litchi on the other hand, routinely crashes the app in Focus and doesn't seem to function correctly in its Tracking mode. The crashing has happened in numerous flights since they brought out the new Spark compatible version.

While I would prefer to focus/track on the remote/iPad, it currently is clearly a superior and more reliable result for both stills and video using DJI ActiveTrack.

While it can be said that using an iPad 3 or iPhone 6 (with RC) causes Litchi to crash/fail to operate, there are no functions within Go 4 that cause a crash. Quite frankly, I would think the tracking of a subject via video is more processor intensive than tracking the iPad itself. Could be wrong, but Go 4 works reliably (this is after all the recent FW/SW updates) and Litchi does not.

I also have the Autopilot beta and it suffers from major crashing as well. They have told me it won't work with either an iPhone 6 or iPad 3, so it's pretty much out of the question. Used to use Autopilot a lot with our Inspire, but looks like that's perhaps come to an end.

Anyway, just some insights from current state of these apps as of today. Maybe Litchi can resolve their issues with an update. I like the app and use a version routinely for Osmo shoots, and would like to use it for the Spark, but totally unreliable. Funny DJI can do the same thing with no crashes but Litchi can't.

 

[frequency9]

I use dji go 4 for most of the flying at the moment and litchi and cavu I have tried for FPVing. So far I have had better results FPVing with Litchi than I have with CAVU, though I quite like the HUD you get with CAVU. The main problem I have found with CAVU was that I was unable to start the camera, and had to do that and all adjustments in dji 4 go before loading CAVU.

 

[Hickeroar]

FYI the litchi app crashing issues are almost universally related to the DJI app running in the background. If you force-close the DJI app, litchi stops crashing.

 

[Blue Baron]

Please add:
- Hangar Autopilot
- Vagnetti VR PRO
I use both, plus Litchi and Go 4.VR PRO is a great FPV solution with the iPhone and VR viewer.