There seems to be an issue with the Pix4D Capture and DJI GO 4 application. The DJI GO 4 app disconnects from the drone when Pix4D is running as the main app on my iPad. The disconnection leads to failsafe and return to home. I also experienced that my Phantom 4 Standard was flying without connection to the DJI-app but it seems like the Pix4D app could not track the drone because of this. Do anyone else have similar experiences with the new DJI GO 4 and Pix4D Capture apps?
On Android, from what I know only one app at a time can control the drone; no pix4d capture and dj-go running together.
Sorry for my english…
1 Like
Hi,
It is important that the DJI GO (4) does not run at the same time as Pix4Dcapture. The SDK (what allows the communication between the drone’s firmware and an app) cannot interact with both at the same time. Therefore it is essential to make sure DJI GO (4) is not running in the background especially after connecting the device to the drone. On Android, you should check that this app is not selected as the default app when connecting. If needed, force the app to stop.
How to force quit an app:Â https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/209626486
On Android, it can also be needed to change the default app for flying since it should not be DJI GO (4) when running Pix4Dcapture: https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/212300043
Cheers,
Hi !
Thanks Eirik for highlighting this problem.
So, if DJI GO does not run, how can we configure the camera as there is nothing in Pix4D capture (I mean ISO, focus,…)
Such parameters are important for photogrammetry surveys
Hi Yoann,
Even if you close DJI GO, the settings that you define will still apply. A good example is the fail-safe.
When flying with Pix4Dcapture, it is recommended to apply the default settings that are automatically set by the app. For more information: https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/articles/203204339
As for other settings like the aperture, we apply the automatic DJI settings. This is not fixed over a flight as it vary with the light conditions. However, this is not the main option impacting the sharpness of images. Same applies to the exposure time, automatically set by DJI and varying during the flight. This one has more impact on blur that can appear in some cases.
1 Like
Hi !
Thanks for your answer.
Indeed we could expect that isn’t changing when switching to Pix4D app. But nothing is guaranteed.
As a photogrammetric software developer you should know better accuracy is achieved when settings are not in automatic mode.
Low ISO, fixed white balance, small aperture and so on are needed.
1 Like
Pix4Dcapture was first meant to help pilots to acquire images with an optimal flight plan. Then as you said, the direction to develop the app is now towards more professional applications including the possibility to precisely adjust the camera settings. We have reported this need to the product manager who will consider it for future improvement of the app.
Thank you for sharing your feedback!
1 Like
Julie,
How do you take off from the ground if you can’t use the dji app?
I too want to use the manual flight in capture app, but there is no where to take off  from that app.
Â
Hi Rick,Â
Pix4Dcapture can fly your craft for you or you can do it manually. Here is a link to a support article for how the manual mode works (with iOS). There is also an article on how to troubleshoot if the drone is not starting the mission. I believe that in Manual mode, the Pilot starts the motor with the sticks down and center and then provide throttle stick up to take off. The Pix4Dcapture app then triggers photos as specified (time or distance).
You can also check out our Pix4Dcapture online manual for: Android
Best wishes and Safe Flying,
Aaron.
1 Like
My dji phantom 3 standard has been behaving erratically since installing pix4dcapture on android. I can have all apps closed then open dji go. It takes longer now to aquire gps and only connects to 6 or 7 and takes an unusually long time. And the drone will drift instead of staying stationary like its supposed to and it keep telling me that there is weak connection to the drone. Sometimes it will not even take off. Its movement in the air has also become unstable since i have installed pix4dcapture it no longer ascends and decends gracefully and it speeds up and slows down while heading in any direction also it will no longer fly in a straight line its swerves around a bit like a drunk driver. Anyone else had this problem? I might add that pix4dcapture does work but it failed to upload my mission and subsequently i lost the saved mission also so all the photos on the drones memory was useless and had to be erased. I will attempt another flight in a few days and see if the 3d grid pictures will upload to my device successfully this time 
The app has been useless with my Phantom 4 Pro as well. Every time the drone just went to the starting point of the mission and stayed hovering there. I connected the controller to an iPhone 7 Plus. I’ve closed all the apps in the background and try to restart the drones and app many times as well but the problem persisted. The drone works normally with DJI GS pro and the Dronedeploy and I, therefore, use them much more often. I do like the interface and design of the PIX4Dcapture which is simple, intuitive and clear. However, as the key function of conducting flight doesn’t work, I was forced to turn to other software. I do hope PIX4D can test and build the app seriously for it customers as I’ve been having very good experience with the PIX4D mapper which has added great value to my data and I do expect the Capture can provide a comparable experience to its clients.
@Bruce, thank you for the detailed description. Under normal circumstances Pix4Dcapture has no effect on the flight characteristics of your DJI Phantom 3 Standard when the drone is flown manually or operated using a different flight app, including DJI GO. Please ensure that the battery, drone, camera, controller, etc. firmware are up to date, verify that your flight settings in DJI GO are correct, and consider recalibrating the drone’s compass along with anything else you know of that can be calibrated.
More importantly, the key thing you need to get started processing a project are the original images. If any part of the image syncing process failed, you’re still in business. Simply retrieve the images directly from the drone’s SD card and then either create a project with Pix4D Desktop or upload the imagery to Pix4D Cloud.
@University of Adelaide, thank you for letting us know about the drone stalling at the beginning of the first flight line. Naturally, this is not a normal or expected behavior. If you are satisfied with another third party app, please feel free to continue flying with it as long as you capture crisp images with sufficient image overlap.
A new version of Pix4Dcapture for iOS will be released shortly, with an update to Pix4Dcapture for Android close on its heals. If you have an opportunity to take the latest versions of Pix4Dcapture for a spin and experience a similar stalling behavior, please let us know.