OpenDroneKitGeometry, from the planner
Planned by OpenDroneKit with these inputs: 40 x 20 m building, 30 m. The drawing is the planner’s actual output for that test site in Aukerman Park, Ohio, not an illustration.
How is the closed loop mission laid out?
The loop is centred on the footprint's area centroid (not the vertex mean, which on an L-shaped building is the inside corner). The default is 24 capture points per loop, with the camera at -20 deg.
Because the aircraft never stops at a corner, the capture cadence stays even and stop-start motion blur in wind is avoided.
Also accepted by the planner as: closed_loop_facade.
Inputs
| Parameter | Meaning | Default |
|---|---|---|
altitude_m | Flight altitude in metres, relative to the take-off point unless an AMSL terrain model is loaded | 60 |
front_overlap_pct | Forward overlap between consecutive photos; with the camera footprint it sets the capture spacing | 80 |
side_overlap_pct | Overlap between neighbouring lines or rows; with the camera footprint it sets the line spacing | 70 |
speed_m_s | Planned cruise speed, written to every export | 5 |
camera | Camera profile used for footprint and ground-sample-distance estimates | mavic2pro |
gimbal_tilt_deg | Camera pitch; left blank, the template's own default is used | -20 |
closed_loop_radii_m | Loop radii; empty means one loop sized from the footprint | — |
closed_loop_points | Capture points per loop | 24 |
closed_loop_clockwise | Loop direction | true |
Footprint, line spacing and GSD come from the camera profile; the GSD calculator uses the same formulas.
What survives each export?
- QGroundControl .plan and .waypoints: every point carries a DO_MOUNT_CONTROL gimbal command; 72 of 72 points are NAV_LOITER_TIME holds; 72 of 72 have a CONDITION_YAW heading lock; 72 DO_DIGICAM_CONTROL captures.
- DJI WPML .kmz: gimbalRotate on every waypoint; hover action and toPointAndStopWithDiscontinuityCurvature turns at hold points; heading-locked points use smoothTransition; takePhoto at capture points; speed limited to 1-15 m/s.
- Litchi CSV: 72 waypoints fit in one file (the exporter splits at 99).
Each format has known issues, listed on its page: QGC .plan · .waypoints · DJI WPML · Litchi CSV.
Limits
- Planned without a terrain model the plan assumes flat ground at the launch elevation, and it says so in a warning.
- In this example 18 of 72 points fell outside the geofence (the drawn area) and were projected back inside it; the plan reports that count.
- Not flight-tested on an aircraft as part of these pages; the numbers above are the planner’s estimates.
Source and tests
Compiled by _compile_closed_loop_primitive in mission/planner.py. The function is on public main (1ef6351); this drawing was planned with the development branch (0ae10e4), whose planner is ahead of main.
Tests in the development branch that exercise it:
tests/test_exported_headings_face_the_subject.pytests/test_mission_exports_carry_the_plan.pytests/test_mission_types.pytests/test_standoff.pytests/test_structure_missions_keep_clear.pytests/test_template_inventory_is_derived.py
Related templates
Paths around or along something, single-point captures, and joined missions.
- Orbit: Circles around a point of interest at one or more heights, camera aimed at the subject.
- Linear: Captures along a drawn route line, heading locked along it, for pipelines, rail, power lines and rivers.
- Lateral: Side-on photos of a linear asset from a parallel line at stand-off.
- Waypoints: A route through drawn waypoints, with a choice of heading behaviour.
- Panorama: A hover at one point, rotating to photograph the horizon for a stitched panorama.
- 360 bubble: A hover at one point covering the whole sphere below the horizon, for a 360 photo sphere.
- Linked mission: Two or more saved missions joined into one sortie, with planned transitions between them.
All 22 templates: mission templates · mission planning.