OpenDroneKitGeometry, from the planner
Planned by OpenDroneKit with these inputs: 200 m target line, 25 m, target on the right. The drawing is the planner’s actual output for that test site in Aukerman Park, Ohio, not an illustration.
How is the lateral mission laid out?
The aircraft flies parallel to the target line, offset to its left or right by the stand-off (10 m by default), with the heading locked to face the target at each point.
Useful where the side of an asset, not its top, is what needs to be seen.
Also accepted by the planner as: lateral, lateral capture, lateral profile, profile_capture, side_profile, sideways.
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 | 0 |
lateral_target_path_lonlat | The line of the asset being photographed from the side | — |
lateral_standoff_m | Distance flown from the target line | 10 |
lateral_target_side | Which side of the line to fly: left or right | right |
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; all points are NAV_WAYPOINT; 15 of 15 have a CONDITION_YAW heading lock; 15 DO_DIGICAM_CONTROL captures.
- DJI WPML .kmz: gimbalRotate on every waypoint; heading-locked points use smoothTransition; takePhoto at capture points; speed limited to 1-15 m/s.
- Litchi CSV: 15 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
- Without a drawn target line the plan follows the area's outline or long axis and warns that it did.
- Planned without a terrain model the plan assumes flat ground at the launch elevation, and it says so in a warning.
- 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_lateral_capture_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_constraints.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.
- Closed loop: Continuous loops around a structure at one or more radii, without stopping at corners.
- Linear: Captures along a drawn route line, heading locked along it, for pipelines, rail, power lines and rivers.
- 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.