Orbit Center Point

[Eric Sheehan]

I've figured out how to set radius, how exactly do you set center point for Orbit?

Fly round, pan camera (Solo), stare at satellite feed, still not getting it if it's supposed to be easier than that...

Thanks

 

[rrmccabe]

I have just been flying about what I want the center point to be and set it. Then backup and set the radius.

 

[Eric Sheehan]

When you say "set" the center point, what do you do to set? Press A.
The manual refers to "moving the center point on the map". Do you move the white dot with your finger on the device display? I tried flying around, then push 'A' when it looks like the white dot is in the right place. Seems like there should be a less arbitrary work flow to execute an orbit.
I expended my only two batteries again today trying to get it right so I can hit on the first pitch when I really need to run an orbit, still not satisfied.

Thanks for help sir, Go Hawkeyes.

 

[DodgeP]

Are either of you using/opening the map before you enter Orbit or after? I'm just curious.

 

[rrmccabe]

When you say "set" the center point, what do you do to set? Press A.
The manual refers to "moving the center point on the map". Do you move the white dot with your finger on the device display? I tried flying around, then push 'A' when it looks like the white dot is in the right place. Seems like there should be a less arbitrary work flow to execute an orbit.
I expended my only two batteries again today trying to get it right so I can hit on the first pitch when I really need to run an orbit, still not satisfied.

Thanks for help sir, Go Hawkeyes.

Haha, Yea Hawkeye country here.

I have not used the map as mine does not work well. Hard time getting Satellite view.

So I never used the map. I just flew to the center and I think just clicked A and then flew out to where I wanted to start the orbit (which also sets the radius) and hit B. Then just hit the little directional arrow and its started to fly. This might to be exact as I have only did the orbit a couple times.

The speed is set by clicking the bottom right menu.

One thing I wanted to try was setting B and then rotating the bird away from center to see if it would make the orbit in whatever direction it was pointing.

 

[rrmccabe]

Update. I went back and looked. There is NO B on orbit. Just fly to the radius and that is your set point.

I also noticed you can rotate the craft 180 degrees from one direction on path to other direction on path but not pointing out. However it rotates back to center on its own when you let off and continues to travel path !

Going to take some playing.

 

[DodgeP]

@Eric Sheehan

What I'm learning is, Solo is a smart drone however; you're hardly ever going to just pull up to a location and just run the shot. I'm learning that every smart shot takes a little prep work.

Here's what I did TODAY and I think it's the best example of how to frame your orbit shot and set the radius before actually FLYING the orbit. I say "flying" the orbit and not "beginning" the orbit because you have to begin your orbit shot before you can set the radius and you can set your radius before you actually start flying the orbit.

1. ID the object you want to orbit.
2. Fly as close as you can to the target. Solo and camera facing your target and center of its width.
3. Take note of your distance from the controller to where Solo is closest to your target.
4. Fly Solo straight back 65' from closest point to target.
5. When you're back the 65', go ahead and enter Orbit mode
6. Hit A to start. (Note: Hitting the A button DOES NOT force Solo to begin flying.)
7. Reduce/Increase your radius with the Right Stick. Radius is shown on the controller screen.
8. When your desired radius is reached hit FLY on the remote or choose the Fly Direction by click the arrow on the App on the left or right of where your radius distance is shown.
9. You can adjust altitude and radius during the flight.
10. Hit Fly to leave Orbit Mode.

 

[rrmccabe]

What ended up being easiest for me is looking at the satellite or map view. You can fly the aircraft orbit center point (dark circle with white center) to where you want to center to be. This will be the default 65' away. Hit your A and then back up.

You are all set to go from there.

The only place this wouldn't work is in places you cant get withing 65' of your object.

Hopeing they change it where you can click a centerpoint on the map.

 

[DodgeP]

Good Idea.. I didn't think to manipulate it that way because without a "street view" the map is almost useless to me for orbit shots that I would want to do; right now.

 

[Eric Sheehan]

Thanks for the additional research gents, I'm back on it tomorrow.

 

[rrmccabe]

For what its worth my circle is about impossible to see on the map except when it crosses a street. It looks great on Satellite view but I am having a hard time caching my satellite maps. Have a support request in to 3DR but have not heard back.

My Phantom 3 works off the google offline/cached maps perfectly. So either 3DR has an issue with this or I am not holding my mouth right when I do it.

 

[DodgeP]

Right now the maps are pretty useless for me.

 

[David Wine]

I started this morning determined to understand saving maps, seeing the saved satellite display on my Galaxy Tab S 8.4 Android Tablet while flying, and successfully setting up an 'Orbit' shot. Thanks to reading many of the posts on here, I learned that I could save a map on the Tablet while at my home desk through the home LAN to the internet. (Alone and not connected to or even near the Drone or controller).I made sure that the Tablet 'Location' (GPS) button was on. I opened the Solo App on the Tablet & went to 'Fly Solo'. I swiped the screen and brought up the satellite view around my home, dragged & panned it to cover the area that I might fly in. There was a note on the bottom bar that said "Disconnected from Solo Wi-Fi", Tap here for connection instructions". I found that I could tap the 'down arrow on the right side of the screen, then tap the very small 'x' at the extreme right side of the lower bar and then a new message replaced the previous connection message. It read " Pan and zoom to adjust the map area you want to save." and in smaller font "Tap to save the map". I did both and got the progressive green bars indicating saving and it saved.

Then I went out into the rear fields to fly. After several attempts I got the Solo in the air with all systems 'Go'. I flew over to near a four corner fence post in the horse/cow pastures there. I swiped the screen to go from FPV to the full screen satellite view of the previously saved map and pointed the drone at the fence post at about 50' altitude and a small distance from it. (The post was say 300 feet or so from where I was controlling the flight.) While the satellite map was full screen with the small view window showing, I pushed the 'B' button that is currently pre-programmed on my controller for 'Orbit'. A circle appeared on the satellite map view with the Solo depicted on the circumference and a small point at the center of the circle. The point was showing a small distance from the fence post. I maneuvered the drone and the point & circle moved on the satellite view to match. I continued to maneuver until the center point was right on the fence post. The camera/drone was pointing at the post & I pushed the 'B' button to commence the orbit shot. I backed the drone away until I had a radius of 115 feet showing. Then I tapped a small arrow to the right of the radius display and the drone began (counter clockwise) to circle the post at 50' altitude. it completed a circle keeping the post centered in the field of view. Upon completing the circle it continued on into a second circle which I let it complete then pushed the 'Fly' button on the controller end the shot.

During the shot, I opened up the (three dot) menu at the bottom right of the screen and adjusted the orbit speed a bit. I could have also increased or decreased the radius and altitude with the sticks but didn't this time.

 

[Mullazman]

Tried twice today, set A as the orbit point, moved away, presumably setting the radius, but it definitely did not keep A in the focus, it just flew normally away from me rather than circling A. Will need to investigate this again tomorrow - tried a few times. Same with cable cam :/

 

[Joe Horn]

Tried twice today, set A as the orbit point, moved away, presumably setting the radius, but it definitely did not keep A in the focus, it just flew normally away from me rather than circling A. Will need to investigate this again tomorrow - tried a few times. Same with cable cam :/

There are many experienced Solo owners here. Tell us what your button press sequence was, and together we'll figure out what went wrong.

 

[Mullazman]

There are many experienced Solo owners here. Tell us what your button press sequence was, and together we'll figure out what went wrong.

Thanks Joe. I just pressed Orbit mode, (A, is it?) then the controller presumably waits for you to set the radius and push B then it'll rotate around it using the X axis (right stick left/right), and I'd assumed I just use the right stick's "yaw" which on drones is backwards so it's the X axis (rather than Y on a plane), which I'd assume would make it orbit around A but it simply moves horizontally along a plane irrespective of the first position I started Orbit mode from.

I'm also keenly interested in the 3D zipline mode where it can lock onto an object and follow a zipline, I also can't get zipline working at all though haha, same thing as above :/

 

[Joe Horn]

Sounds like you are not using Orbit correctly. Have you read pages 55-57 in the Solo User Manual? Here's a synopsis of the steps involved:

(1) Start the Orbit app (default button is B)
(2) Drag the map to put the dot at the desired center point.
(3) Press A to lock down the center point.
(4) Fly the Orbit in either of these two ways:
(4a) Press either of the "Play" buttons to fly the orbit automatically, or
(4b) Use the right stick (left/right) to fly manually around the orbit path.
(5) Right stick up/down changes the orbit's radius as it's flying (makes spirals possible)
(6) Left stick up/down changes the altitude and adjusts the camera automatically to stay on the center point.

See the Manual for more details (e.g. you can relocate the center point by dragging the map).