Ellipse Mission Maker for Litchi Instructions BETA!!!

Instructions

This application will convert a Google Earth kml or kmz file to a Litchi csv file.

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 "Line" tab (normally selected by default).
4. Click once on the map at the desired point for one of the two foci/POIs.
5. Move to (and click) at the desired point for the other foci/POI.
  - NOTE: If the two foci are positioned at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock, the first (and last) waypoint of the mission will be in the 12 o'clock position. See the figure to the right.
6. In the Ruler tool click on "Save".
7. The New Path window will open. Click OK.
8. In the "Places" window pane (on the left), right-click on "Line Measure" and "Save Place As" a kmz (or kml) file.
In page one of Ellipse Mission Maker for Litchi:
1. Select the desired units.
2. Select whether the flight path should be clockwise or counterclockwise.
3. Optionally choose to include an extra "approach" waypoint at the beginning of the mission.
4. Select the starting height.
5. Select the ending height.
6. Select the eccentricity. Small values will cause the ellipse to be fat and round. Large values will cause the ellipse to be long and narrow. The default is a good starting point.
7. Use the file chooser to upload your kmz/kml file.
8. Select "Generate Ellipse Mission for Litchi".
In page two of Ellipse Mission Maker for Litchi:
1. Review (and understand) the parameters and calculations shown.
2. Download the csv file to your computer.
In the Litchi Mission Hub or Virtual Litchi Mission (VLM is recommended to preview the flight path):
1. Use the Missions menu to import the csv file created by this web application.
2. In "Settings"
  - Make sure that the "Heading Mode" is set to "Custom(WD)".
  - Make sure that the "Path Mode" is set to "Curved Turns".
  - Set the cruising speed to something comfortable like 8 mph (13 km/h).
3. Adjust Litchi mission parameters as desired (although no adjustments should be necessary).
4. Save the mission.
Preview the flight in Google Earth Pro using VLM (optional, but always recommended)
Fly the mission

This web application may be used to create a Litchi mission in the shape of an ellipse with two POIs. One may choose to use the POIs in the final mission as they are, move them, or delete one or both of them.

The input to this web application is a one-segment line whose endpoints define the two POIs. Those line endpoints (or POIs) are used as the ellipse foci in the standard equation for an ellipse. An eccentricity value is also required to define the shape of the ellipse. An eccentricity value around 0.5 will cause the ellipse to be fat and almost circular. An eccentricity value near 1.0 will cause the ellipse to be long and narrow. The default value of 0.7 will produce a well-shaped ellipse.

Google Earth Pro is used to create the line segment. Once saved as either a KMZ or KML file, that line segment may be read into this application.

From those two line endpoints and the eccentricity value, this web application will create a Litchi mission CSV file containing a series of waypoints along the perimeter of the ellipse using the two foci as POIs. Note that at the midway waypoints (halfway through the mission), the POI of interest changes from one to the other. Since these two waypoints are relatively close together and the POIs are relatively far apart, any video captured at this portion of the mission may not be as smooth as the rest of the mission.

The starting and ending waypoint heights can be specified but the POI/foci heights are fixed to three units (3 feet or 3 meters). However, those heights can be easily changed once the mission is imported into Litchi's Mission Hub.