Litchi recording file size limits?

First query is to do with recording waypoint missions…

The first time this happened I thought it was something I did, but my mission ‘interrupted’ recording (see my Nash Point Lighthouse post at the 1m40s mark where I have had to stitch two sessions together. Essentially the recording stopped and then re-started almost immediately. However, last night my recording stopped again but because I was discussing the fun and merits of drones with interested passerby’s I didn’t notice it had stopped altogether. Essentially I am missing the end of my recording. What did jump out at me is the size of the file… in both cases the main body of the recording is 3.5Gb in size.

So my query - is there a size limit? The two original sessions were 5m and 8m duration so I don’t think it’s a time issue and both had less than 30 waypoints and a handful of POI’s. I’ve now changed the recording format in Litchi to .mp4 as it was .mov to see if that helps.

Second query is I used Litchi to shoot a pano last night and according to the Litchi manual there should be a “Panorama Database” icon appear - I don’t have that and believe this is where my pano should ‘save’ itself. I’m comfortable with re-creating one myself but interested in seeing what the software thinks and to be able to access that pano from my phone to show folks a low res version. So I guess my question is - what am I doing wrong / missing or where has Litchi ‘hidden’ my pano?

I’m not sufficiently familiar the Air to know its file size limits. Any that there are is nothing to do with Litchi. Litchi only gives it the information, via DJI’s api, as to where to fly. Recording is all down to DJI.

If it has a 4GB file limit - then changing to a lower res will have far more impact on file size than .mov/.mpg.
I tend to shoot 2720*1536 - and that’s under 4GB for 12 minutes.

If there is a file limit - then it will record a second file without a frame drop. Again - if it doesn’t continue into a second file, then this is an issue with the Air - nothing to do with Litchi - since the Air won’t know what’s sent it the mission data via DJI’s api.

The number of WPs is immaterial, too. There is a 100WP limit that is Litchi’s limit and within what the Air (and DJI api) can actually handle.
And the Air has no knowledge of POIs - these are purely a Litchi constructs to create the data to send to the DJI api. The DJI api has no knowledge of POIs.

Litchi doesn’t stitch the panos … just takes the images that you will have to stitch yourself.
Remember - Litchi is designed to fly autonomously without needing RC/app connection … so it doesn’t try to do what may be impossible because of connectivity issues - which might cause issues were it to try without that connection.

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As ever - my thanks @OzoneVibe and I had a feeling you’d say something along those lines and as to the pano stitching I should have read further as it does do it but currently only for iOS and is beta. :slight_smile:

In terms of reducing resolution I couldn’t find how to do that and then realised I have to actually be connected to my drone. I’ve now dropped the resolution to the same as yourself. Basic error on my part that one! I’ll check next time I fly that the settings have been maintained but if not, will add this to a mental checklist to run through.

I have flown several longer Litchi missions on the Mavic Air at 4K 25fps, and consistently found:

  • separate, consecutive files up to 3.7G - for example, a 12 min recording has three files (3.7G + 3.7G + 1.5G)
  • these files are less than or equal to exactly 5:00:00 minutes - for example, 5m + 5m + 2m
  • no frames skipped between files - they go together seamlessly

Hoping these observations are helpful, the only advice I have is to:

  • make sure that you do not have the DJI Go 4 app running in the background - this could conflict
  • check that you have not entered a Stop Recording command in one of the waypoints.
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Useful info on Air file sizes. :+1:

They will have been - and will have been changed next time you use Go4, too.
That info is held in the MA and read by the app when they connect.

Good to know.

Thank you @facherty all good to know and I don’t think I’ve even opened the Go app since I got Litchi, but will double check it each time as well as other checks.

Gonna need some laminated pre-flight checks soon at this rate :slight_smile:

The 4GB file size is a limitation of the FAT32 file system and is the same on all devices which use FAT32.

ExFAT does not have such a limitation but I’m sure I read the file size is limited in that as well on DJI drones.

I’m guessing they create a new file before the 4GB limit regardless of the file system. Would explain why its 3.7GB instead of 4.

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Well call me stupid.

Thanks @callum - because my focus of thoughts was elsewhere - is it the bird, is it the software I didn’t even stop to consider the limitations of the file system. I really should have though and what you say makes sense and I guess 3.5xGb is as good a place as any to start the next file.

So, coming full circle then I didn’t do anything wrong the first time but I must have hit stop the second time as I definitely don’t have the end of my recording.