HOW TO: Fly automated missions with Waypoints 2.0 in DJI GO (The Complete Guide)

Overview

Use Waypoints 2.0 to create and automatically fly highly customizable waypoint missions in DJI GO with your Mavic 2 Pro or Mavic 2 Zoom. This intelligent flight mode allows you to:

Here's a list of topics covered in this guide:


Waypoints 2.0 Prerequisites

You'll need to do the following before you'll be able to use Waypoints 2.0 in DJI GO:


Create a New Waypoint Mission

Follow these steps to create a new mission in DJI GO:

1) Move the switch to the P position on the right side of the Mavic 2 remote controller.

2) Start DJI GO, connect your mobile device to the remote controller, and power on both the remote controller and the drone.

3) Tap the intelligent flight modes icon on left side of DJI GO.

4) Tap the Waypoints icon.

Note: At this point, you are now ready to begin creating your new mission. If you're using an Apple device, you can turn off the remote controller and drone in order to conserve the battery power while you work on your mission.

5) Scroll the map to the location where you'd like to fly your mission.

6) Follow these instructions to add waypoints to the map:

7) Points of interest (POIs) can be added to the map to make the camera point toward a specific location while it's flying the mission. This would be useful if you were (for example) flying around a house and wanted the camera to automatically point at the house at any point during the mission.

Follow these instructions to add POIs to the map:

8) Tap a blue waypoint icon on the map to customize the settings for that specific waypoint. From the bottom menu, you can change the following:

Use the arrows to view the settings for the next/previous waypoint.

9) Tap a pink POI icon on the map to customize the settings for a specific POI. From the bottom menu, you can change the following:

If you have additional POIs to edit, use the arrows to view the settings for the next/previous POI.

10) Open the Route Settings from the top menu.

11) The following settings can be applied in the Route Settings:

12) Tap the save icon in top menu.

The mission will be saved with a name containing the current date and time. You can change the name in the Task Library. If you're planning on running this mission again at a later time, changing the name to something memorable will make it easier to find later.

To rename the mission:


Start Flying a Waypoint Mission

Follow these steps to start flying a mission in DJI GO:

1) Load the mission from the Task Library. See the Load an Existing Waypoint Mission instructions below.

2) Tap the green GO button on left side of DJI GO.

3) Review the settings in the Task Check list to ensure everything it set to your liking.

4) Scroll down to the bottom of the Task Check screen and tap Start to begin the mission.

Note: If your drone is in air when you start the mission, it'll immediately fly to the first waypoint. If it's sitting on the ground, DJI GO will prompt you to drag the auto takeoff slider to the right to auto takeoff and fly to the first waypoint.

As the drone is flying the mission, you can:


Load an Existing Waypoint Mission

Follow these steps to load an existing mission:

1) Move the switch to the P position on the right side of the remote controller.

2) Start DJI GO, connect your mobile device to the remote controller, and power on both the remote controller and the drone.

3) Tap the intelligent flight modes icon on left side of DJI GO.

4) Tap the Waypoints icon.

5) Open the Task Library from the top menu.

6) Tap the Load button beside the mission you'd like to open.


Delete an Existing Waypoint Mission

Follow these steps to delete an existing mission:

1) Move the switch to the P position on the right side of the remote controller.

2) Start DJI GO, connect your mobile device to the remote controller, and power on both the remote controller and the aircraft.

3) Tap the intelligent flight modes icon on left side of DJI GO.

4) Tap the Waypoints icon.

5) Open the Task Library from the top menu.

6) Tap the edit icon at the top, left corner of the Task Library.

7) Tap the checkbox beside the missions you'd like to delete.

8) Tap Delete at the top, left of the Task Library.

9) Tap OK to confirm that you'd like to permanently delete the selected missions.


Important Tips

Here are some important tips to keep in mind as you're setting up a mission:

1) If the drone is set to return home after the mission is complete or mid-mission if the remote controller disconnects, then you should check that the RTH altitude is set high enough to clear any obstacles in the flying area.

2) All altitudes shown in the mission planner are the altitude above the takeoff point (not the altitude above the ground below the waypoint/POI). If you're flying in a location where the terrain is not flat, you'll need to adjust the altitude at each waypoint accordingly to account for any altitude changes. You can use Google Earth to get an idea of how flat the terrain is in your flying location.

3) When the mission is started, the drone will ascend straight up to the altitude of the first waypoint before it starts flying to that waypoint.

4) If setting a different altitude between two waypoints, the drone will gradually ascend (if the next waypoint is higher) or descend (if the next waypoint is lower) while it's flying to the next waypoint. The drone will reach the altitude set for the next waypoint when it arrives at the next waypoint.

5) Make sure the path is completely clear between waypoints so the drone does not crash into an obstacle as it's flying from waypoint to waypoint.

6) The drone will use data from its onboard GPS receiver to locate each waypoint. Since GPS is not 100% accurate, it would be safest to make sure all waypoints are at least 50 feet away from any nearby obstacles.

7) Saved missions are stored in a file named waypoints.db in the location where DJI GO is installed on your mobile device. You can manually back up that file if you have important missions that you don't want to risk losing.

8) If you have trouble adding the waypoints/POIs in the desired location on the map when tapping the mobile device screen with your finger or aren't able to easily tap the waypoint/POI icons to edit them, you can use a stylus (like this one) for more precise tapping.

9) You'll be able to set the waypoints more precisely if you add the waypoints while the drone is in the air (as shown in this video).