What is the latest on DJI M210/M210(RTK) support for data acquisition? Also, do (will?) you support a dual gimbal configuration with a X4S/X5S and XTR for thermal mapping?
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Hi Mike,
We are in the process of testing the app for DJI M200 series. Main post here.
We are already considering to have the option to trigger two cameras at the same time but are not able to guarantee when/if this feature will be implemented. What we know for sure is that this option will not be available with the first release that will support M200 series.
Best,
Hello,
I am working for the Royal Air Force and have been flying with the M100 for some time. We always fly within an ctr. and have an unlock code from DJI. we want to purchase the dji m210 to be able to fly grid missions with pix4d within the ctr. when will the M210 be included in the pix4d capture app?
Greetings Martin
@Martin, the M200, and M210 (RTK) are now officially supported by the Pix4Dcapture. More here: Which drones are supported by Pix4Dcapture.
@Mike, the dual gimbal is not officially supported and we can not guarantee when/if this feature will be added to the app.
To better understand the need, could you give more insight on how would you use the dual gimbal configuration, e.g. for what kind of industry applications would it be beneficial, for you, to use both cameras at once?
Best,
Hello,
I have the same problem using M210 dual gimbal with DJI Zenmuse X4S (1st slot) and Zenmuse XT (2nd slot). Pix4D installed on iPad or Crystal Sky makes no difference. Both apps only recognize the 1st camera X4S. Mounting XT on the 1st slot does not work ether.
It is an ugent case because we have to deliver several missions (orders).
Some good examples of where the dual gimbal configuration is used.
- Search & Rescue – Visual (rgb) & Thermal (xtr).
- Inspection - Visual (rgb) & Thermal (xtr).
- Thermal Mapping – For example, mapping a large area such as an oil & gas steam flood front. You want both visual (rgb) map and thermal (xtr) map over the same area.
- Precision Agriculture – Same as #2. You want to have two different sensors (rgb and thermal) capturing data synchronously.
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Hello,
We also are looking forward to the dual gimbal solution, either with the iPad or DJI CrystalSky. We are looking to operate a X5S (1st slot) and the ZenmuseXT (2nd slot). I am using it for agricultural research to integrated field scale data with satellite remote sensing, potentially monitoring and modeling evapotranspiration and crop production. The addition of a thermal band adds unprecedented field scale data that are significant for extrapolating spatially explicit effects of drought/precipitation and disease across counties and states.
For our research, this dual-gimbal capability is high priority, as we would like to start data collection this field season. We have numerous missions planned throughout the growing season.
Incidentally, we also run a dual-gimbal solution on our Matrice100. The first camera is a X3, the second camera is a custom gimbal solution with a Micasense RedEdge, that operates on its own software platform with a separate GPS and stand alone image storage system. That solution worked well for us all last season, where we were able to fly dozens of missions capturing RGB and multi-spectral imagery. Is the jump to having a dual-gimbal solution within Pix4D such a stretch from there? Or should we be looking for a solution where we run two independent systems simultaneously?
Please keep me posted. I have all of the Zenmuse cameras including the X4S, X5S, Z30 and XTR. Have you done any work with Sentera? I am ordering their Double 4K Gimbal setup that will run on my Inspire 2. This will give me enhanced NDVI capability and round out the sensors I need to perform just about any type of work.
Your research sounds very interesting!
Mike
Hi all,
I am sorry to report that Pix4Dcapture does not officially support DJI’s dual downward-facing gimbal at this time. To ensure that your images are captured consistently with your DJI M200 series, please fly with DJI’s single downward-facing gimbal until further notice.
You would think that the dual downward-facing gimbal would behave in the same way as the single downward facing gimbal. Unfortunately, even though you can see your XTR’s live video feed and capture images with DJI GO 4, Pix4Dcapture relies on DJI’s SDK to communicate with the gimbal payloads and our understanding is that DJI’s SDK does not support payload differentiation or selection at this time.
If you do not have access to a single downward-facing gimbal, please consider that DJI’s official documentation states, “…the left gimbal has precedence over the right one. The cameras OSDK support at the left gimbal slot are X4 and X5 while the ones supported at the right gimbal slot are XT and Z30.” Unfortunately, I do not know from which perspective this statement is made, i.e. when looking at the front of the drone or when looking at the back of the drone.
Please let us know if you have reason to believe that DJI’s SDK supports payload differentiation or selection, or if you find that you have successfully flown a Pix4Dcapture mission with your dual downward-facing gimbal.
If you would like a future version of Pix4Dcapture to support the M200 series, please add your voice to the conversation by commenting on this post. If you have already commented on this post, please stay tuned. I cannot guarantee that a future version of Pix4Dcapture will support DJI’s dual downward-facing gimbal but can assure you that it will be considered as part of the ongoing development of Pix4Dcapture.
Thank you for your understanding.
Hi, just adding my name to the list of interested clients requesting dual gimbal support. Given the recent DJI Payload SDK announcement, surely this will be increasingly beneficial to users over time, with more payloads being added.
For the dual gimbal setup, is it possible to initiate image capture manually, such that both cameras are capturing (just put them both on 2s interval)? Pix4D capture would handle the flight path?
Hi Ross,
Pix4Dcapture requires that your drone does not connect to any other application, including DJI GO 4, during your Pix4Dcapture mission. Therefore, I do not anticipate that you will be able to consistently capture images with both of your cameras simultaneously if you trigger your camera manually via DJI GO 4’s camera trigger modes, or any other third party app that can trigger your camera, during your Pix4Dcapture mission.
A workaround that you can consider is manually triggering the camera with your controller’s Camera Shutter button. Unfortunately, I do not know how your dual downward-facing gimbal will behave. Furthermore, manually triggering your camera with the shutter button:
- Too quickly increases the chances that your images are corrupted if your camera’s processing speed can’t keep up with the number of images that you are capturing.
- Is a tedious process and you run the risk of capturing too much or too little image overlap for your needs. Consider that we recommend capturing no less than 75% front and 60% side image overlap for RGB cameras and no less than 90% front and side image overlap for thermal cameras. By triggering your thermal and RGB cameras simultaneously, you may either have too much overlap for your RGB images or too little image overlap for your thermal images.
If you have an opportunity to test triggering your dual downward-facing gimbal manually or with a third party application, please consider sharing what you learned by commenting here.
@Andrew, thanks for the clear answer. If Pix4D Capture would be affected by an “Assistant” controller operating different software, that would certainly rule that out.
@Ross, if you have an opportunity to test your X4S-X5S dual gimbal mission with another third party mission planning app, please consider letting us know what you did to fly the mission, how the mission went and, most importantly, if you saw any improvement or degradation in the quality of your final results.
Hi Andrew, I’d love to be able to. Unfortunately, I’ve hit a road-block with the fact that the M200s apparently can’t run those cameras side-by-side at all. Both cameras rely on the M200’s internal image processor, and I’m being told it will only accept data from one camera (port 1). Any camera in port 2 needs to have its own internal processor, and the only cameras supported there are the Z30 and XT. There doesn’t even appear to be any way to attach an older camera (like an X5, which has its own internal processor) to port 2.
In other words, it would appear DJI has built a “dual-gimbal” system which is SEVERELY limited. Why you would build a dual-gimbal system but not support feeds from 2 cameras, is a bit beyond me. A real lack of imagination and foresight from DJI.
Hi,
I recently ordered an M210 and have now seen this post. Indeed, the dual cameras (XT and X4) capturing an orthomosaic was exactly what I was hoping to do. Now I am worried that I have invested into a system that won’t work the way it was explained to me.
Definitely would like to capture more than one camera at a time.
Hi Peter,
I’m not in a position to tell you definitively either way, but to hopefully make you feel a bit better; from what I’ve learned, I think your setup will probably work, although it’s not yet implemented in any of the mission planning apps (like Pix4D capture). My problem is that port 2 will not accept either of the cameras I was hoping to use, but yours (the XT) should be OK if I understand correctly.
As mentioned above, Pix4D won’t directly support what you’re trying to do, but I’ve heard from people who are doing just that, and apparently they’ve made it work. I can’t tell you exactly how, but I believe it’s possible.
@Ross, thank you for sharing detailed information. I was not aware that DJI’s M200 does not support a dual downward-facing gimbal configuration with your X5S and X4S.
@Peter, Ross’s latest comment is correct. Pix4Dcapture does not currently support DJI’s dual downward-facing gimbal. If you find a third party mission planning application that supports flying a single mission with your DJI XT and X4 simultaneously, please let us know.
Consider that, regardless of the mission planning application that you use, you should be able to process your images with Pix4D’s image processing engine.
Dear all,
My colleague and me found a workaround to take pictures with both cameras (XT & radiometric) at the same time. Before starting a mission, open the DJI Pilot app and let it take dual pictures on a 3 second interval. Close the app and fly the mission, the drone will keep taking pictures with the radiometric camera.
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Hi Guys,
I also ordered a M210 in order to collect data simultaneously. What about mounting the X4S and the Micasense Red-Egde-M on the dual gimbal?
Has anyone experienced the Slantrange 3PX oder the Sentera AGX710 with the M210?
@Steinar: Does it also work with X4S and XT?