Cardinal Directions Photo Mission Creator Instructions

Instructions

Create the input file using one of the following methods
1. In Google Earth Pro:
  1. Use Google Earth Pro to navigate to the mission area.
  2. From the ribbon select the "Ruler" tool.
  3. In the Ruler tool, select the "Circle" tab.
  4. Click once on the map at the desired point of interest (POI).
  5. Drag to (and click) where the first waypoint is to be located.
  6. In the Ruler tool click on "Save".
  7. The New Path window will open. Click OK.
  8. In the "Places" window pane, right-click on "Circle Measure" and "Save Place As" a kml or kmz file.
2. In Litchi's legacy Mission Hub
  1. Create a two-point waypoint mission.
  2. The first waypoint should be placed at the center of interest.
  3. The second waypoint should be placed at the desired location of the first photo.
  4. Export the mission as a CSV file.
3. In Litchi's new Mission Hub
  1. Create a two-point waypoint mission.
  2. The first waypoint should be placed at the center of interest.
  3. The second waypoint should be placed at the desired location of the first photo.
  4. Export the mission as a CSV file.
In page one of Cardinal Directions Photo Mission for Litchi:
1. Select the desired units and direction of travel.
2. Select the number of photos desired (four or eight).
3. Lock the photos to cardinal directions if it is desired to take photos at exactly North, East, South, and West.
4. Select the mission and POI height
5. Use the file chooser to upload your kml or kmz file.
6. Generate the mission and review the resulting parameters.
In page two of Cardinal Directions Photo Mission for Litchi:
1. Review the parameters and calculations.
2. Download the csv file.
In the Litchi Mission Hub:
1. Use the Missions menu to import the csv file created by Cardinal Directions Photo Mission for Litchi.
2. In "Settings" make sure that the following are set:".
  - Set "Heading Mode" to "Custom (WD)".
  - Set "Path Mode" to "Straight lines".
3. Adjust the Litchi mission parameters (such as speed) as desired
4. Use the "Rotate" tool if desired to align the photo waypoints with the faces of the property.
5. Go fly!

A Google Earth Pro snapshot showing a cardinal waypoint mission — Cardinal Direction Photos at The White House (don't actually try this)

A type of mission that can be useful for real estate photography is one that automatically captures a set of photos from the cardinal directions around a property. For example, you may want to capture photos of a property from the north, east, south, and west.

Although these photos can be captured manually, this application makes the process quick and easy to automate. The application allows you to specify parameters such as the point of interest, distance from the property, flight height, and direction of travel, and then creates a waypoint mission that captures photos at the four (or eight) cardinal directions.

Input to this application can be provided in one of three ways:

Google Earth Pro KML/KMZ file: Google Earth Pro can be used to create a circular path around a property. The center of the circle is used as the point of interest, while the radius of the circle determines the distance from the property at which the photos will be captured.
Litchi CSV file: Litchi's Legacy Mission Hub can be used to create a two-waypoint mission. The first waypoint defines the point of interest at the center of the mission, while the second waypoint defines the distance from the center (the radius) at which the photos will be captured.
DJI KMZ file: A two-waypoint waypoint mission can be provided as a DJI KMZ file. The first waypoint defines the point of interest at the center of the mission, while the second waypoint defines the distance from the center (the radius) at which the photos will be captured.