this is probly a basic question, but i'll post since i've been searching and can't seem to find the answer. Does MoviPro have a "no gimbal mode" where the motors and such are all fixed? thus the whole rig essentially acts as a fig rig at that point, turning wherever i point it, without any compensation? Do i just set it to 0% or is there a "lock" mode or something that will do this?
Darion: This was covered here: http://forum.freeflysystems.com/index.php?threads/movi-pro-airborne-bug.8750/ (see message #6). The summary is: Switch to Airborne Mode. Select what is otherwise the Majestic switch (center position on the MoVI Controller). (Edit: Sorry. Initially, I erroneously wrote Kill switch! Duh. It's Majestic switch position) That should lock the motors for "take-off" and "landing." EDIT: This is described in the MoVI Pro Manual on page 92: 1. Gimbal Application Icon Select whether the MōVI Pro will be used in “Handheld” or “Airborne” mode. This selection will affect the center position of the Mode switch in [sic] while in Dual-Op by enabling Majestic Pan in “Handheld” mode or locking each axis for take-off and landing in “Airborne” mode. That said, I'm trying this on the MoVI Pro under firmware GSU version 1.2.1 and TSU 1.3.1 and even in Airborne Mode (after having pressed the Menu Set button on Save Settings), I'm still not seeing the motors in "locked mode." EDIT: Pan remains stabilized, but tilt and roll appear to be in Majestic Mode. I'll open up a support ticket with FF and see if this locked mode should be working (I need to use it in a few days too). Cheers Andy Forensic Software & sUAV / Drone Analyst : Photographer : Videographer : Pilot (Portland, Oregon, USA): Trees=2, Ground=1, Props=11. The Ground Is The Limit™ ---------- Forensic Drone Analyst : Forensic sUAV Analyst : Forensic Unmanned Aircraft Analyst : Forensic Drone Expert
We don't have currently have such feature exposed. Can you write some more details and a use case so I can add it to feature request list..
The use case that came to mind for me, Deniz, was to have the payload camera behave like it was FPV (imagine an air to ground shot from a fighter plane....), so all the aircraft motion is visible. Yeah, slightly odd to pay for a super stabilized gimbal and then want it not to behave like a stabilized gimbal, isn't it? But I can see a use case for it. (I felt the same way about shakey cam too, but then what do I know? ) Andy Forensic Software & sUAV / Drone Analyst : Photographer : Videographer : Pilot (Portland, Oregon, USA): Trees=2, Ground=1, Props=11. The Ground Is The Limit™ ---------- Forensic Drone Analyst : Forensic sUAV Analyst : Forensic Unmanned Aircraft Analyst : Forensic Drone Expert
Hmmm... I was thinking he meant 'motor axis locks', like on the upcoming Ronin 2 or on the Movi XL. The motors can be locked off with physical latches. The use case for that is on a Steadicam post, where the gimbal maintains horizon but the operator has direct control over Pan instead of it having Smoothness and Window. Also, it could be used for whip pans, or if the director wants a Handheld feel. I can see a use for it, but there's always going to be a trade off between weight and additional features. If you think about the Ronin 2's 12 lb. physical weight verses the Movi Pro's 6 lb's, it starts to not be friendly to us Handheld users, not to mention the Aerial guys. Things you can try in the settings: Turn the Stiffness and Pan Hold Strengths way up (before you get vibrations), and turn your Pan Window and Smoothness to zero. This can make a huge difference in the responsiveness of the gimbal.
This is how I would do it right now! And with v1.4 you'll be able to have roll majestic as well. I can add a feature request for "direct modes" for different axis, which would feel similar to MIMIC's direct mode. How I imagine is, setting the majestic smoothing to 0, would give you the direct mode from UI point of view. *We chose not to include axis locks for weight requirements. Mechanical team considers grams, if not half of a gram everyday.
I could think of a good use case: running through the compass calibration procedure-my goodness! How do that without risking the darn thing slamming into my fingers with all of that inertial mass? ...but there are other possible solutions: If developers had just a little more rotation in their roll axis with lightly less mechanical stops, you could just about automate the whole thing driven by motors. Step 1: Whip out an old school compass. Step 2: Point camera at North Step 3: followed by code that does this: (drive motor) rotate 180 in pitch, (drive motor) rotate -180 in pitch, (drive motor) rotate east 90 degrees in yaw, (drive motor) 180 in roll (drive motor) -180 in roll
Actually was wondering if it was assembled wrong. The mechanical stop only allows me to rotate it so far in the clockwise direction, but quite a bit more in the other direction. If it allowed me to rotate equally in both directions, I could probably go through compass calibration on a tripod without having to do lift it over my head and spin the frame. I could fix the frame and spin the interior components to mirror the graphic shown on the phone app.