[jdl]

I need some help / guidance with "Magic Waypoint" functionality in the GCS. Still cannot make it work for me, I'm surely doing something wrong.

CGS (16.09 RC1) is running on Windows PC (laptop) and is connected to the FC via OpLink. FC firmware is the same version, of course.

I suppose that the vehicle should be in some of the autonomous modes - most probably "Position Hold", but also tested "Velocity Roam" with no input (sticks centered) and "Path Plan" (without waypoints uploaded). I'm taking off in Attitude, then with vehicle flying and holding position autonomously on safe height above ground (in any of the above mentioned modes), I do the following sequence:

1. Click on the "Magic Waypoint" tab in the Flight Data page (i.e. switching to "Magic Waypoint Map Mode").

2. Then move green pointer using mouse to another position, maybe 50-100 meters away.

3. And finally click on the dedicated button in the upper right corner of the map to "move the UAV to the magic waypoint position".

And nothing happens... ?!

I searched here and also googled for "Magic Waypoint" explained but found nothing useful. May I ask for info from more experienced users or devs? 10x! 

Edit: Please, ignore that in the screenshot I attached the Flight Mode is currently "RTB", it was not realtime capture. I just used the screenshot to number my actions (1, 2, 3) and show what buttons I press.

[f5soh]

Magic waypoint is a pretty old stuff i don't know what should do or planned exactly.
Currently do nothing.

[jdl]

Thanks for this explanation!

Is there any other way to issue programatically (via UAVTalk, in real time - I mean during flight) sequence of coordinates to FC and make the FC point to them autonomously? Something like dynamic Flight Plan?

Or: something like FC constantly being in ReturnToBase mode but with HomePosition varying? This is more inacceptable, because in RTB the UAV maintains fixed altitude during flight.

I have a funny idea to build an antenna tracker with a spare Revo board I have (+GPS module, connected to it, and a simple Arduino to master telemetry streams), that will steer the on-the-ground control and videolink directional antennas towards the coordinates of the current position of the UAV, coming from the OpLink telemetry. Trying to point if this is possible with current standard LibrePilot release...

[f5soh]

I doubt you can achieve what you want without code changes.

There is a antenna tracker plugin in GCS code base, not enabled and pretty old code.
Can be a start.

[jdl]

I'll look for it.

But I don't intend to use GCS at all. I'll try to fool the FC it's a fixed wing, for instance, and although being on the ground, I'll command it to fly to the specified waypoint (where the UAV currently is). The antenna tracker FC will then point itself (FC will be mounted on the antennas carrier, obviously) using two (the one for yaw - modified for no endpoints - 360deg rotation) servos for yaw and pitch into that direction. Sadly, it'll never reach it, but no one wants that , all I need is FC just to point itself (and antennas) in the right direction Don't know will it work but I suppose so. I'll give it a try. What do you think about the idea? If successful, this is just another type of "vehicle" that Revo can be used for.

[f5soh]

That not just a vehicle to add but also a new module that compute the received data to point the antennas where the flying vehicle is.
I mean not a one line code to be done.
Similar setup was done years ago using arduino: https://github.com/KipK/Ghettostation

[jdl]

Nice project, 10x for pointing it to me! Btw, first I thought to build almost similar tracker with Arduino and sensors, but just now I have no free time to devote to such a lengthy project.

The idea I'm playing with now, is to cheat the existing Revo controller with its current LibrePilot  code to do all the job, instead that Arduino board. No additional modules needed.

I'm not a native english speaker and don't use this language often, and maybe, I did not explain my idea very well. I'll try again:

Imagine we have two UAVs, both with Revo FC, GPS, MAG, and at least UAV#2 is running EKF13. Both use OpLinks for control and telemetry. During flight, a pilot controls manually the UAV#1. Its current position is being sent to the ground station via telemetry downlink. Then the ground station (simple Arduino controller or additional windows or smartphone application) sends (uploads) Waypoint with these coordinates (incl. altitude)) to UAV#2 via its OpLink control and UAV#2, flying in autonomous mode, flies to that waypoint.

If waypoints can be uploaded to UAV#2's PathPlan during flight, than UAV#2 will effectively chase UAV#1.

Now let's assume that UAV#2 is "locked" on the ground. We will name UAV#2: "Tracker Platform". If it is a fixedwing, its Revo will use the rudder and elevator servos, trying to point the nose of the fixedwing into the direction of next waypoint in its PathPlan. Then, let's replace the fixedwing with a 360deg. rotating platform, controlled by modified for endless rotation rudder servo. The elevator servo will control an arm with directional antennas AND REVO FC attached to it. That's all.

I have not played so far with Revo and fixedwings, only multirotors. Plan my next UAV to be a plane. But no real expirience yet. So I cannot judge the meaningfulness of this design

[TheOtherCliff]

I have a similar idea, but mine is to constantly update the Home location from the GPS attached to a second Revo.

With that one change, the vehicle will do everything relative to the moving Home location.  Home location could be on a moving boat (so for instance PositionHold would then be a fixed distance from the boat in a fixed compass direction), in another airplane for a chase plane, carried by a person for video selfie.  All GPS flight modes would be available.  A few camera pointing options would make it more useful.

Another set of options would make it (e.g. PositionHold, better yet, VelocityRoam) do things like "always follow behind whether the Home location was moving north or south, or always fly to the right and point camera left (maybe useful for flying beside a car).

[jdl]

That sounds promissing! 

I also thought about it but didn't find it suitable for an antena tracker because the "slave" Revo can yaw itself towards "Home" but it'll not control its pitch accordingly as RTB has only an option for a constant altitude...

[DocHardinger]

That sounds really nice. Are there any news? Maybe for just changing homepos over telemetry? I thought about sending gps data from smartphone over librepilot for android and overwrite homepos periodically...so copter could always point towards smartphone...And copter can follow smarthones position...

Maybe you could implement this into your Android software ? :-)
Then you also could use your smartphone GPS position to set homeposition.
I think there are many other possibilities if the android software can access GPS coords from smartphone :-)