Frequently asked questions

Do you have a question about RCPano? Perhaps it's already answered in our list of frequently asked questions.

Which models are supported? The supported models are listet on the main page of this site.

When will model XYZ be supported? RCPano uses the DJI SDK (Software Development Kit) to establish the connection to the various devices. Normally DJI updates the SDK shortly after new models are released. However, in some cases this may take a little longer. As soon as a new SDK with support for new models is available, it will be integrated into RCPano.

Which firmware has to be installed? Since September 2017 there are new firmware versions available for the Mavic Pro (1.3.1000) and the Spark (1.0.600). RCPano will not work correctly if an older firmware version is installed on these devices.

Which mobile devices are supported? Only iOS devices running iOS 9.0 and above. We have no plans to support Android devices or the CrystalSky monitor.

Register App with DJI failed. Any program controlling a DJI drone must register with DJI to get the permission to control your copter. To get the permission, internet access is required. The registration has to be performed after the first installation or an update of RCPano. The DJI server might be overloaded. Retry the registration until it succeeds.

What information is transmitted during Registration? According to DJI the following data is transmitted:

  • App Key: This is the ID that identifies the app at DJI.
  • Bundle-ID: The App ID of RCPano in the AppStore..
  • Device UUID: An ID generated by the DJI SDK for the current iOS device.
  • Plattform, Version and Name: For example iOS 11.3
  • Plattform UUID: An ID generated by the iOS device.
  • Device model: Which device (iPhone, iPad) and the version number.
No conclusions about the user or personal data can be drawn from the data.

The app does not connect to the drone! To get the app to work, your Apple device has to be connected to the remote control of your drone. Drone and remote have to be turned on and operational. An OSMO or Spark has to have a WiFi connection to your iPhone or iPad. If you can still get no connection, please read the next paragraph.

The app does not connect to the drone! This problem occurs when you are using an iOS version less than 11.3. DJI GO and apps of other software vendors do not (re-) connect to the drone when they are activated after being in the background. The connection can only be re-established by disconnecting and reconnecting the iOS device to the remote. This behavior can be reproduced without RCPano: When the DJI GO app is repeatedly sent to the background and reactivated again, it will not connect to the drone after some attempts. The error is reported to DJI and will hopefully be solved in the near future.
Update: Beginning with iOS 11.3 switching between apps works reliably again, if you do NOT use the fast switching between apps. If you always start the apps from the home screen, the connection to the drone will be established properly.

No connection to the Spark when using a cable! The connection between the iOS device and the Spark remote controller using a so called OTG cable is theoretically possible, but currently not officially supported by DJI. In case the remote controller and iOS device are connected using a cable, RCPano will show an error message and will refuse to work. This problem occurs with all third party apps using the DJI SDK. DJI is aware of the problem and it might be fixed in a future version.

The Return To Home Button was pressed After starting the recording, RCPano reports that the RTH button has been pressed and cancels the recording. This behavior occurs if the RTH button was pressed before starting RCPano and the RTH procedure was used for landing. The error also occurs if RTH was terminated. The error can only be solved by restarting the drone and the app. The bug is reported to DJI and will be fixed in a future version of the firmware or SDK. Until then, we recommend using RTH only in an emergency and landing the copter manually if RCPano is to be used without rebooting the drone and app.

 

How can I move the camera of the OSMO? Tap and hold your finger on the screen. After the device vibrates, keep the finger pressed on the screen and move it around to position the camera of the OSMO.

How many pictures does RCPano take? You can configure RCPano to take pictures in 1, 3 or 4 rows of 5 to 10 columns. Additionally, one nadir picture is taken if more than one row is shot. Depending on your settings you will shoot from 5 to 41 pictures. When shooting in AEB mode, the number must be multiplied times 3, 5 or 7.

What are possible camera angles? The Spark does not support tilting the camera upwards. For all other drones the gimbal start position is 15° by default (slightly tilted up). You can configure RCPano to start at 30° up, but keep in mind that in this case your images will probably show the arms of the drone and definitely show the propellers. Please note that you have to enable upwards pitch of the gimbal in the DJI GO app. If you do not enable this setting, shooting will always start at horizontal camera level.

How does the autofocus of the Mavic Pro, Phantom 4 Advanced / Pro or OSMO+ work? Focussing in RCPano only works if autofocus is enabled in the DJI GO app. If autofocus is turned off in DJI GO, RCPano cannot focus. As long as no panorama images are taken, you can tap on the screen to focus a certain point. During the creation of the panorama RCPano takes care of the focussing, if autofocus has been enabled in the DJI GO app and the option Re-focus every image when auto focus is on has been activated in the program settings If autofocus is turned on the center of the image is focused as long as the camera is pointing forward or downwards. If the camera is tilted up, the focus point will be set to 5º below the horizon.

Why do I have to turn off the C-AF autofocus mode? In certain situations with C-AF mode turned on the camera reports shooting, but does not deliver any images to the SD card. To avoid this problem, RCPano refuses to work with C-AF mode turned on.

Can I take indoor shots with RCPano? Probably not. RCPano needs a GPS signal to position the drone with adjustment of the nodal point.

How long does it take to shoot an aerial panorama? This depends on the number of pictures to take and the wind conditions. With no wind, a 20 picture panorama will take about 4 minutes to complete with DNG images and a fast SD card. Depending on the wind strength this time can increase to 10 minutes ore more.

What tools do you recommend to create the panorama images? We use Aurora HDR for the creation of HDR images, Piccure+ for sharpening, PTGUI Pro for stitching and krpano tools for creating the zenith and websites. We strongly recommend to take pictures in RAW mode (DNG images).

How can I post an interactive panorama to Facebook? We have a detailed article on this topic in the Tips and Tricks section of this site.

 

Why does RCPano completely control the position of the aircraft? During several tests in windy conditions we discovered serious drifting that made it impossible to stitch the final images. After we took control of positioning, these errors were minimized. Another reason is the rotation of the aircraft around the nodal point of the camera, which is not in the yaw axis of the drone.

Is it possible to control the aircraft during panorama shooting? Yes, at a reduced maximum speed. When you stop controlling the aircraft, it will return to its last position and continue to take photos. If you fly to a location more than 10 meters horizontally or 2 meters vertically away from the initial starting point, the creation of the panorama will be aborted.

Can I use the Mavic Pro or Spark in Wi-Fi mode? No. To shoot images with the Mavic Pro or Spark the drone has to be connected to the remote controller.

What do I do in case of a failure of the app or mobile device? As long as RCPano is creating panoramic images, it takes control of your remote to position the aircraft. In case of a crash of the app it will release the remote, the drone will hover in place and you can decide to re-shoot the panorama or fly the drone home. In case of a crash of the mobile device or a failure of its connection to the remote controller, press the home button on the remote to bring your drone home. Turning off the remote will not initiate the RTH procedure while RCPano is shooting panorama images. Please read the next section on this.

What do I do in case of a crash or shutdown of the remote controller or the loss of the RC signal? Please read the section regarding communication or remote controller errors.

Why does the homepoint have to be near me? Safety first. If you are not able to control the aircraft because of a failure of your mobile device, just press the home button of your remote controller and the drone will return home to a place near you. This does not mean that you cannot fly any further. Only the home point has to be near you.

RCPano says that my homepoint is too far away and refuses to operate. What can I do? If you are sure that the homepoint of your aircraft is within 100 meters from you, wait some time until your mobile device has acquired a solid GPS signal. Then try again. If you still get the error message, switch to the DJI GO App and re- record the homepoint near you. Check in the system settings of your mobile device if RCPano has access to your location information.
Important: Some users think that RCPano will not allow you to fly more than 100 meters away from the pilot. This is not true. The truth is that the homepoint (the location, the copter returns to in case of an error) has to be in a 100 meter range around the pilot to prevent the so called "flyawys". You can fly as far as you want to. Respect the laws, please.

Can I manually set the home point? No you can't. To do this, switch to the DJI GO App, set the homepoint and switch back to RCPano.

Why does RCPano want access to my location? It's for determining how far the homepoint is away from you. We will never record or share your position.

My iOS device has no GPS. In this case RCPano will warn you to check that the home point is set correctly before you take off.

 

I cannot set some options for creating the image. To set options not available in RCPano, switch to the DJI GO App, adjust the settings and switch back to RCPano.

Where do I find the Papywizard XML files created by the app? This document describes how to access the Papywizard XML files.

How can I view the log file written by RCPano? RCPano saves log files to your device which can be accessed using iTunes or the iOS 11 Files App. Logs older than 30 days are discarded automatically to save space on your device. The names of the logfiles all have the same pattern: RCPano yyyy-mm-dd hhmmss.log. The access to the logfiles written by RCPano is much more comfortable via the Files App.

  1. Files App: Launch the Files app and select Browse. Choose On My iPhone or On My iPad, respectively. You will find a folder for RCPano. When you open this folder, you will find three directories:

    1. SDK_Logs: This directory contains log files created by the DJI software. These files are only of interest for DJI.
    2. RCPano_Logs: Log files created by RCPano are stored here. They are deleted after 30 days. We need the log files in case of an error.
    3. XML: This directory contains the Papywizard XML files created for each captured panorama. They are never deleted.
    From the Files App you can send the files by email, save them in notes or send them to your Mac e.g. by using Airdrop. Click here to view a screenshot of the Files App with the RCPano directory, here to view a screenshot of the Files App with the contents of the RCPano directory.
  2. iTunes: Connect your device to your computer and start iTunes. Select your device in iTunes and choose the option Apps. On the right side of the screen you will find RCPano in the app list. To download log files, you have to transfer the complete folder RCPano_Logs to your system. Individual log files can only be transferred using the Files app. Click here to view a screenshot of iTunes where you can see the files.

 

Does a version history exist? Yes, take a look here.