X8-M

Operation Manual

V.1 2014

©3D Robotics

DCT006

Thank you for purchasing an X8-M! This manual contains important information about your aerial 

mapping platform. Please read these instructions before your first flight. 

1 Plan 1

2 Fly 19

3 Process 30

Appendix 34

Online information portal: 3DR.com/X8-M

3DR support: help@3DR.com

Terms and conditions: 3DR.com/terms

Pix4D instructions: support.Pix4D.com
1

1 Plan

Parts 2

Flight Battery 3

Charging 3

Safety 3

Powering the X8 4

Camera Setup 5

3DR EAI 5

Charging 5

Starting a Mission 5

Mounting 6

Ground Station Setup 7

Download Software 7

Connect to Radio 7

Mission Planning 8

Operating Parameters 8

Load Maps 9

Draw Polygon 10

Configure Survey 11

Save and Write Mission 18
2

Parts

RC controller and 

accessories

batteries (2)

hex keys

propeller wrench

spare UV filter

spare mounting nut

Android adapter cable

SF propellers 

SFP propellers 

charger and 

accessories

micro-USB cable

battery guard bag

Pixhawk micro-SD 

card adapter

X8

ground station radio

FPV/OSD System 

If you selected to receive a FPV/OSD system, those components 

will be included with the X8’s accessories. See page 27 for parts 

and instructions.

registration card and 

Pix4D license key
3

1 

Connect the charger to the power adapter cable 

and a wall outlet. Connect the red cable to the + 

port and the black cable to the - port.

+

–

2 

Set the charger to LiPo and 3A.

LiPo 3A

3 

Connect the white connector to the 4S port, and 

join the two yellow connectors together. 

4S

4 

Secure the battery inside the guard bag, 

and charge until the status indicator 

displays green.

Charging

Complete

The X8 is powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer (LiPo) battery. 

Charge the battery before your first flight.

!

Flying with a low battery is a safety risk and can render the 

battery permanently unusable. Always fly with a fully charged 

battery. 

Charge the battery using a designated LiPo balance charger 

only. Always monitor the battery while charging. Protect the 

battery from extreme heat, extreme cold, puncturing, and 

flammable surfaces. Always transport, charge, and store the 

battery in the guard bag.

Inspect the battery for damage before and after flying. If you 

observe any swelling of the package or the battery ceases 

to function, do not use the battery; locate your local battery 

recycling center, and dispose of the battery. In the US and 

Canada, visit call2recycle.org to find a location. Do not 

dispose of the battery in the trash.

Flight Battery

Charging Safety

Charger with power cable and 

split-wire charging cable

Charger settings

Flight battery charging wiring Charging in process
4

2

Attach the battery to the underside of the 

copter using the velcro straps, and join the 

yellow connectors.

Powering the X8

!

It is important to establish communication 

before powering on the X8. Always turn 

on the controller before connecting the 

battery. When powering off the X8, 

disconnect the battery before turning off 

the controller.

1

Turn on the controller. To avoid triggering 

the controller’s startup alarm, ensure that 

all switches are set back (away from you) 

and the throttle stick is set fully down.

RC controller

Throttle stick

Switches
5

Camera Setup

The X8 includes a Canon PowerShot SX260 HS running the 3DR EAI script.

SD card locked

Load 3DR EAI

» Fly a mapping mission

SD card unlocked

Load default Canon software

» View images on camera

» Save images to ground station

» Update script

3DR EAI (Exposure-Aperture-ISO)

3DR EAI runs on the Canon Hacker Development Kit (CHDK), a powerful opensource tool that expands the functionality of Canon point-and-shoot cameras. 3DR 

EAI optimizes image exposure and integrates with the Pixhawk autopilot to enable 

distance-based imaging.

This software is designed to load off the camera’s SD card, leaving the original Canon 

programming intact. The yellow switch on the side of the SD card allows you to lock 

or unlock the card. Lock the SD card to run 3DR EAI; unlock the SD card to save 

images to your ground station or to boot the camera with its original programming.

For more information about 3DR EAI, see page 36.

Charging

Charge the camera battery before your first flight. Once 

fully charged, insert the battery into the camera.

status indicator

Starting a Mission

To prepare the camera to fly a mapping mission, ensure 

that the mode dial is set to P (program) mode. Power on the 

camera using the silver button on the top. 3DR EAI will start 

automatically, and you will see the script messages on the 

camera display. Check to see that the last line of the script 

reads waiting on USB signal. The camera is now ready to map!

power button

Camera ready to map: waiting on USB signal

Canon battery charger

Power off the camera before removing the SD card. !

Camera running 3DR EAI Camera running Canon software

mode dial
6

mounting plate

latch

When the camera is ready to start the mission, open the latch, and insert the 

camera into the mount. Close the latch, and rotate the mount so the camera 

faces down. Connect the mini-USB cable to the camera.

Mounting

The camera mount includes a cap to protect the UV filter during travel. Before you 

fly, remove the cap, and check that the filter contains no dirt particles or scratches 

that could affect image quality. If you notice any damage to the filter that could affect 

image quality, screw off the filter and replace with the extra filter provided with the X8.

Connect mini-USB cable 

here.

Camera (side)

UV filter

Camera enclosure with cap Camera enclosure with cap removed

mini-USB cable
7

Mission Planner

Your license key for Pix4Dmapper can be found on the registration card 

inside the documents package. 

Visit mapper.pix4d.com/license-redeem to create an account and redeem 

your license key; then visit pix4d.com/download to download Pix4Dmapper 

Discovery. Pix4D will automatically upgrade from the Discovery edition to 

the LT 3DR Edition (or Pro Edition if you selected to upgrade) when you 

log in to the program with your Pix4D account information.

Mission Planner is a full-featured ground station application for planning 

missions and monitoring the X8 in flight. Download Mission Planner 

from 3DR.com/download_software.

If you already have Mission Planner installed, make sure you’re running 

the most recent version: Select the Help tab and Check for Updates.

Mission Planner: Help tab

Ground Station Setup

Pix4Dmapper LT 3DR Edition

To connect the X8 to Mission Planner, connect the ground station radio to 

the laptop, and power the X8.

1 

Connect the ground station radio to your 

laptop using the micro-USB cable. Open 

Mission Planner.

3 

Select Flight Data to view live data from the X8.

2 

Select 57600 and AUTO, then select CONNECT. 

(When connecting directly to Pixhawk’s 

micro-USB port, set the rate to 115200.)

Download Software Connect to Radio

Mission Planner allows you to turn a Windows laptop into a full-featured 

ground station for configuring and monitoring autonomous missions. You will 

need to take this laptop into the field when you fly the mission. As part of the 

mission procedure, you will use the Pix4D Rapid Check to verify the quality of 

the image set before leaving the field.

Ground station laptop with radio connected

Mission Planner Connect tool (top-right corner))

Mission Planner Flight Data tab: connected to aircraft
8

Operating Parameters

Camera Canon SX260

Camera Orientation Landscape (top facing forward)

Operating Altitude 50-120 m

Default Altitude 60 m

Low-Wind Conditions 0-6 m/s

High-Wind Conditions 7-10 m/s 

Maximum Wind Conditions 10 m/s

Operating Speed 1-17 m/s

Default Speed 5 m/s

Estimated Maximum Flight Time 14 min

Estimated Ground Resolution 2 cm/pixel

Estimated Maximum Survey Area .1 km2

Minimum Photo Interval 2 seconds

The X8 is a complete solution for creating high-resolution 

visual-spectrum aerial maps. 

Pixhawk 

autopilot 

system

Pix4Dmapper 

LT 3DR Edition

Canon SX260

3DR EAI

To create a map, the X8 flies an autonomous mission over 

the survey site, using the integration between the Pixhawk 

autopilot and custom-programmed camera to capture 

images at a consistent distance interval. Pix4Dmapper 

then stitches these images together into a georeferenced, 

orthorectified mosaic.

The accuracy of the map depends on the configuration of 

the mission. Planning a mission that captures high-quality 

images requires balancing the X8’s operating parameters 

with the environmental factors at the survey site.

Mission Planning

Operating Parameters
9

1

Open Mission Planner, select Flight Plan, and 

zoom to your flying location. 

2

Right-click on the map, select Map Tool and 

Prefetch, and accept the defaults prompts. 

Mission Planner will download the maps 

for the selected location to your computer. 

3

Mission Planner will attempt to load the map data from the current level of zoom down to the 

closest level of zoom available. However, it can take hours to pre-fetch every level of zoom, 

and it is unlikely that the closer levels will be useful in planning the mission. To shortcut this 

process, check the slider on the right side of the map. The levels of zoom are represented by 

this slider from 0 (bottom) to 25 (top). Press the ESC key to skip levels of zoom at a greater 

detail than you need for mission planning.

Load Maps

Mission Planner allows you to plan the mission away from the mapping location; 

however, it is important to assess the environmental conditions on site at the time 

of the mission and adjust the flight plan if necessary. Alternatively, you can plan 

the entire mission at the mapping location. To create or alter the mission, Mission 

Planner requires an Internet connection to access the maps. If you’re unable to 

access the Internet on site, follow the instructions below to pre-fetch the maps 

within Mission Planner while you have Internet access.

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: zoom to mapping location Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: Select Prefetch
10

2

Right click on the map. Select Draw Polygon and 

Add Polygon Point. Click and drag to add points 

around the area you want to map. 

3

Right click on the polygon. Select Auto WP and 

Survey (Grid) to open the Survey Tool.

Units

The Survey Tool uses metric units. If your Mission Planner is 

set to imperial units, please change the settings to use metric 

to plan the mission. Support for imperial units in Mission 

Planner is coming soon; check 3DR.com/X8-M for updates.

Draw Polygon

To begin planning the mapping mission, select the area you want to map using 

the Polygon tool. You’ll be able to adjust the size and shape of the polygon later in 

the mission configuration process.

1

Select Flight Plan, and zoom to your 

mapping location.

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: zoom to mapping location

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: draw polygon Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: open Survey tool

!
11

Configure Survey: Set Default Parameters 

Set Camera

Canon SX260-SX280

Set Camera Orientation

Check the option for Camera top 

facing forward.

Set Default Speed

5 m/s 

Apply Survey Speed

Check the option for Use speed for this mission. 

If unchecked, the mission will use the X8’s 

default speed of 5 m/s regardless of the speed 

selected in the Survey Tool.

Mission Planner: Survey Tool

Mission Planner: Survey Tool
12

Set Angle

Wind Direction

In environments with winds of less than 6 m/s, set the angle so 

that the X8 flies into the wind. In winds from 7-10 m/s, configure 

the flight path to travel perpendicular to the wind so the X8 flies 

cross-wind.

No. of Strips 

Adjust the angle so that the X8 makes as few turns as possible to 

complete its course. The No. of Strips parameter shows how many 

passes the X8 will make as you adjust the angle. 

Review Wind Conditions On-Site

Always assess the wind conditions at your survey site at the time 

of the mission and adjust the mission accordingly.

Adjust Polygon

Click and drag the red polygon points to adjust the size and 

shape of the polygon from the Survey Tool. 

Configure Survey: Set Angle 

wind

Angle in high winds (7-10 m/s)

Angle in low winds (1-6 m/s)

!

Use caution when flying in winds over 10m/s. Mapping results 

may degrade as a result of inability to make headway or maintain 

appropriate groundspeed.

wind

wind

Mission Planner: Survey Tool
13

Set Altitude

Recommended altitude: 60 m

Operating altitude: 50-100 m

Increasing altitude decreases flight time, allowing you to 

cover more area per minute. Decreasing altitude improves 

ground resolution. Set the altitude to get the best ground 

resolution while keeping the flight time under 14 min and 

the altitude under 120 m.

Keep altitude below 120 m, and ensure that the altitude is 

appropriate for your flying area and local regulations.

!

Check Flight Time

Flight Time estimates the duration of the mission. The total 

estimated flight time must be under 14 min for a fully 

charged X8 battery. To decrease flight time, increase 

altitude or speed.

High winds, humidity, high altitude, and extreme heat can 

affect power consumption and reduce flight time. Consider 

the environmental factors at your site when configuring 

flight time.

In this example, we increased speed to 8 m/s to keep 

flight time below 14 min while allowing for moderate wind 

conditions. When increasing speed, keep in mind that the 

increased power required to travel faster will impact flight 

time.

Check Ground Resolution

Ground Resolution is the centimeters per pixel that 

you will have in the map and corresponds to the 

amount of detail that you will see.

To improve ground resolution by decreasing the 

number of centimeters per pixel, decrease altitude.

Configure Survey: Set Altitude 

Mission Planner: Survey Tool
14

Check Photo Interval

Photo Every must be longer than 2 seconds for the SX260 

camera.

Altitude

Increasing altitude increases photo interval.

Keep altitude below 120 m, and ensure that the altitude is 

appropriate for your flying area and local regulations.

!

Speed

Decreasing speed increases photo interval. 

Ensure that the Use speed for this mission option is checked.

!

Configure Survey: Check Photo Interval 

Mission Planner: Survey Tool
15

Takeoff and Land WP’s

For automatic takeoff and landing (recommended)

Check the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s option.

Check the Use RTL option. 

After initiating the mission, the X8 will automatically take off, climb to 

the survey altitude, and begin the mission. At the end of the mission, 

the X8 will automatically return to the launch point and land.

For manual takeoff and automatic landing

Uncheck the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s option.

Check the Use RTL option. 

Take off manually, and initiate the mission in flight. To end the 

mission, the X8 will land automatically at the launch point.

Configure Survey: Set Takeoff and Landing 

Mission Planner: Survey Tool
16

Check Advanced Options

to view the Survey Tool’s advanced configuration options.

Adjust Overlap and Sidelap

Overlap and sidelap are set to 50% and 60%, respectively, 

by default. See page 35 for an in-depth discussion of these 

parameters.

Adjust StartFrom

During the mission, you will maintain contact with the X8 through 

the RC controller and ground station signals. If these signals are 

lost during flight, the X8 will respond with the assigned failsafe 

behaviors. See page 29. If your mission is likely to experience a 

loss of signal, it is best practice to start from the corner of the 

mission farthest from the launch point.

Configure Survey: Advanced Options 

Camera Config

The options under the Camera Config tab 

allow you to configure a camera other than 

the SX260 and won’t be used for operating 

the X8.

Survey Tool: Grid Options (Advanced) Select Grid Options

Mission Planner: Survey Tool
17

Before accepting the survey, check that the mission complies with the X8’s operating parameters. Once you 

accept the survey, you will not be able to edit it directly by re-opening the Survey Tool. If you need to adjust the 

survey, clear the mission (right click, select Clear Mission), and repeat the survey configuration process.

Camera

Canon SX260-SX280

Altitude

50-100 m

Camera top facing forward

checked

Flying speed

1-17 m/s

Use speed for this mission

checked (optional if speed set to default speed of 5 m/s)

Photo Every

greater than 2 s

Flight time

under 14 min depending on environmental conditions

! Do not accept the mission if any of the parameters 

exceed the X8’s operating limits.

Operating Parameters

Configure Survey: Accept Survey 

Accept

Select Accept to save the mission.

If Mission Planner prompts you for a home altitude, enter the 

altitude that you specified in the Survey Tool.
18

Select Write WPs

to save the mission to the X8.

Select Save WP File

to save the mission file to your computer. To 

repeat this mapping mission, load the saved 

WP file from your computer.

On the Flight Plan screen, save the waypoint file to your computer and write the mission to the X8.

Save and Write Mission
19

2 Fly

Safety 20

Aircraft Operation 21

Components 21

Assembly 22

Controls 23

Modes 24

Preflight Checks 25

LED Indicators and Tones 25

GPS Lock 25

Arming and Disarming 26

FPV System Operation 27

Flying Mapping Missions 28

Takeoff Checklist 28

Initiating 28

Monitoring 28

Failsafes 29
20

To ensure safe and successful flying, familiarize yourself with the safety information 

on this page. Always fly in accordance with your location regulations and these 

best operating practices.

visual line 

of sight 400 ft

(120 m)

100 ft (30 m) 5 miles (8 km)

Always fly at least 100 feet (30 m) away from 

people, vehicles, and buildings. Make the 

safety of people and property your first priority!

Always fly below 400 ft (120 m) and within your 

visual line of sight. Don’t let the X8 get too far 

away from you; make sure you can always see 

its orientation. Don’t fly in low light, heavy wind, 

rain, or other conditions that might impede 

visibility.

Always fly at least 5 miles (8 km) away from 

airports and other areas where pilots operate 

manned aircraft.

5 miles (8 km)

visual line 

of sight 400 ft

(120 m)

100 ft (30 m) 5 miles (8 km)

Before you fly, determine the boundaries of your safe flying area. If the X8 moves 

outside the designated area or exhibits instability in flight, switch to altitude hold 

mode and land the copter manually.

The X8 will not avoid obstacles on its own, including during missions. As the 

operator, it’s your job to recognize and avoid obstructions while flying. Always be 

ready to regain manual control of the copter in the event of an unsafe situation. 

Spinning propellers can cause serious injury. The 

safety button indicates the status of the motors to 

help you prevent hazardous contact with the X8’s 

high-speed propellers.

• When the X8 is powered on, the safety 

 button will blink red, indicating that the 

 motors are inactive and the propellers are 

 safe to handle.

• When you’re ready to fly, press and hold the 

safety button until it shows solid red. This 

 indicates that the motors are active and the 

 propellers can spin if armed. To make the 

 propellers safe to handle again, press and 

 hold the safety button until it blinks red.

! You can find more safety tips throughout these 

instructions where you see this yellow box.

visual line 

of sight 400 ft

(120 m)

100 ft (30 m) 5 miles (8 km)

visual line 

of sight 400 ft

(120 m)

100 ft (30 m) 5 miles (8 km)

Location

Propeller

Safety 
21

Aircraft Operation

Components

safety button

camera integration 

cable

status LED

Pixhawk autopilot

front arms

rear arms

camera mount
22

Propellers

Remove the nuts and washers from the motors. Add SFP propellers and SF 

propellers as marked below with the writing on the propellers facing towards 

the sky. This will be a tight fit; apply pressure and twist the propeller onto the 

shaft.

Place the washer over the propeller, and secure the 

nut tightly on top using the propeller wrench.

Arms

Remove the bolt and nut outside each arm. Rotate the arm into position, insert the 

bolt through the plates and the arm, and secure the arm in place with the nut.

The X8 arrives in travel configuration. Complete these steps to prepare the copter for flight.

travel position

remove

secure with 

bolt

flight position

slide each arm 

into position

Ensure writing on all propellers faces the sky. !

Assembly

Top motor: SF

Bottom motor: SFP

Bottom motor: SF

Top motor: SF Top motor: SFP

Bottom motor: SFP

Bottom motor: SF

Top motor: SFP
23

throttle up

Increase speed and 

altitude.

throttle down

Decrease speed and 

altitude.

throttle fully down

Land.

yaw left

yaw right

Rotate 

counterclockwise.

Rotate 

clockwise.

Fly the X8 manually using the RC controller.

yaw

throttle

Throttle: Move the left stick forward and backward to control altitude and 

 acceleration.

Yaw: Move the left stick horizontally to rotate and control orientation. 

 Navigate by orienting the X8 with the blue arms facing forward.

Pitch: Move the right stick vertically to fly forward and backward.

Roll: Move the right stick horizontally to fly to the left and to the right.

Controls 

roll

pitch

roll and pitch center Automatically level.

roll left

roll right

Fly to the left.

Fly to the right.

pitch up

pitch down

Fly forward.

Fly backward.
24

Auto - fly a mission

Fly an autonomous mission. This is the mode that the X8 will use to create the map.

Altitude hold - assisted manual control

Altitude hold mode provides manual control of roll, pitch, and yaw, while allowing the 

autopilot to maintain the current altitude automatically. Set the left stick to center, 

and the copter will automatically maintain the current altitude. Raise the throttle stick 

above center to increase altitude (and to take off), and lower the throttle stick below 

center to decrease altitude. Adjust altitude and orientation with the left stick, and 

navigate with the right stick. 

Loiter - hover

With automatic autopilot control of altitude, position, and orientation, loiter is the 

easiest way to fly. Just release the sticks and the copter will hover in place.

Return to launch (RTL) - recall and land

Activate RTL during the mission to end your flight automatically. RTL commands 

the X8 to achieve a minimum altitude of 15 meters, return to the launch point, hover 

for five seconds, and land. Use the right stick to adjust the position of the X8 during 

landing,

Stabilize - full manual control

Stabilize allows full manual control of altitude, position, and orientation without

autopilot assistance. 

GEAR/MIX selects the set of modes.

 FLAP/GYRO selects the specific mode, 

either 0, 1, or 2.

To select a flight mode:

First, set the GEAR/MIX switch to select a set of modes. Then use the 

FLAP/GYRO switch to 0, 1, or 2 to select a specific mode. 

With GEAR/MIX set to GEAR,

set FLAP/GYRO to: 0 for Stabilize 

 1 for Loiter

 2 for Auto

With GEAR/MIX set to MIX,

set FLAP/GYRO to: 0 for Stabilize

 1 for Altitude hold 

 2 for RTL

Modes 

RC controller (top)
25

Pre-flight Checks

Visual Check

Before flying, examine the X8 to verify the following:

» All propellers are tightly attached in the correct order with the writing 

on each propeller facing the sky.

» All propellers can spin without obstruction.

» The antenna is oriented vertically.

Test Flight

Before flying the mission, fly a brief test flight to verify that the X8:

» Responds to controls correctly in stabilize mode.

» Holds position in loiter mode.

» Correctly executes a return-to-launch command.

LED Indicators

Low battery, automatic landing

Loss of RC signal, automatic landing

System error, see troubleshooting guide

Loss of GPS signal, automatic landing

Initializing, please wait

Acquiring GPS, please wait

Armed

Tones

Visit 3DR.com/X8-M to listen to Pixhawk’s status tones.

GPS Lock

Auto, RTL, and loiter modes requires GPS lock. When powered, 

the autopilot will automatically search for GPS lock. If you plan to 

use auto, RTL, or loiter modes during your flight, ensure that the 

autopilot acquires GPS lock before takeoff, indicated by a blinking 

green status LED. Autopilot ready, GPS locked
26

Arming and disarming are important steps that must be completed before takeoff and after 

landing. There are two steps to arming the X8: the safety button and the throttle stick. !

The arming and disarming procedures ensure that you 

can safety start and stop motors without risk of injury.

The X8’s motors will spin when armed! Make sure the 

propellers are clear of any obstructions, including your 

hands, before arming. 

Do not handle the propellers or pick up the copter while 

the safety button is 

active (solid red).

Arming

1

When you’re ready to fly, place the copter at 

a clear launch point, with the blue arms facing 

away from you.

2

Press and hold the safety button until it displays solid red. 

This indicates that the X8 is now active. Stand back!

Motors inactive, safe to handle

Motors active, deactivate before handling

3

To arm the motors, hold the left stick 

down/right until the motors spin.

Disarming

1

To disarm the motors, hold the left stick 

down/left until the motors stop.

2

Press and hold the safety button until it blinks red. 

The motors are now inactive, and the X8 is safe to 

handle.

Arming and Disarming

Before arming, check the status LED. Before you fly, wait for the autopilot to acquire GPS 

lock. The LED will flash blue while the X8 acquires GPS; this can take a few minutes. Once 

you see the flashing green LED, the autopilot has acquired GPS lock. 

Autopilot ready, GPS locked

Autopilot ready, no GPS

Initializing, please wait. 

Pre-arm check failure, see page 39.
27

FPV System Operation

If you selected to receive an optional FPV/OSD system, the components are pre-installed 

into the X8 to transmit on-board video.

AV receiver

Antenna

Batteries (1 plus 1 spare)

Receiver cables

Parts 2 Wire and power receiver

Attach an antenna to the receiver. Connect the AV output cable to either receiver AV OUT 

port. Connect the RC power cable to the receiver DC IN port, and attach a battery to the red 

connector.

1 Charge battery

Charge both batteries before your first flight. Set the charger to LiPo and 1A. Connect the 

white battery connector to the 3S port, and connect the XT60-JST charger adapter to the 

red battery connector and yellow 

charger connector.

3S port

Transmitter

Camera

Remove lens cap!

3 Remove lens cap

The video transmitter is powered by the main flight battery and will automatically 

turn on when the X8 is powered. To turn off the transmitter, disconnect the red 

JST connector. Remove the lens cap from the camera before takeoff.

LiPo 1A

4 Viewing video

When using a 3DR Black Pearl Monitor to view your video, set the mode to DIV (M button 

changes modes), the channel to 8 (+ and - buttons), and the band to E (press the power 

button to access the menu).

For more information about configuring the FPV/OSD system, visit 3DR.com/X8-M.
28

Flying Mapping Missions

Takeoff Checklist

Before flying the mission, check the following:

» Camera is on with mission script ready and is secured into the 

mount with the mini-USB cable connected and the cap removed. 

» X8 is powered and connected to the ground station with all pre-flight 

checks passed.

» The survey mission has been adjusted to account for present 

environmental conditions and saved to the X8.

Initiating 

For automatic takeoff, arm the X8 in stabilize mode. Switch to auto mode, and 

raise the throttle to initiate the mission.

For manual takeoff, initiate the mission in flight by switching to auto mode.

Monitoring

Mission Planner Flight Data: Attitude

1 Heading direction

2 Bank angle

3 Altitude* (black) and rate of climb (blue bar)

4 Ground speed

Status

4 Distance to current waypoint > 

 current waypoint number

5 GPS status*

6 Battery status*

1 Ground station signal*

2 GPS time

3 Currently 

 enabled mode

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

5

6

Monitor the X8 closely during the mission using your line of sight and the 

Mission Planner Flight Data screen.

Actions

1 Change waypoints or restart a mission

2 Change modes

3 Change altitude

Flight Map

1 Current heading

2 Direct path to current waypoint

3 GPS-reported direction of travel

4 Actual flight path

5 Latitude, longitude

6 Altitude

1

2

3

1

2

3

4

5

6 Full battery: 16.8 V

Low battery failsafe: 14 V

 End your flight at 14.1 V! !

*Failsafe behavior enabled
29

400 ft

(120 m)

Failsafes

400 ft

(120 m)

visual line 

of sight 400 ft

(120 m)

100 ft (30 m) 5 miles (8 km)

400 ft

(120 m)

Low Battery Failsafe

Environmental conditions can affect power consumption. Use the Mission Planner Flight Data 

display to monitor the voltage of the battery during flight.

If the battery reaches 14 V, the X8 will land automatically at the current position, indicated by a 

blinking yellow status LED and a quick repeating tone.

The X8 is programmed with a set of failsafe behaviors to prevent a crash in the event of a loss 

of one of the data or communication channels required for autonomous flight. Although certain 

failsafes have assigned LED indicators and tones, it is unlikely that you will be able to see these at a 

distance. Monitor the Flight Data screen for failsafe indications. If a failsafe is triggered, the assigned 

behavior will activate. To override the failsafe behavior (RTL in most cases), use the controller to 

regain manual control. 

Regaining Manual Control

To regain manual control during the mission, switch to altitude hold mode using the controller. If 

you’re a confident operator, switch to stabilize mode for full manual control. If you observe instability 

in the X8’s flight behavior or it the aircraft moves outside your designated safe flying area, switch to 

RTL. Turning off the controller will automatically trigger an RTL and can be used in an emergency 

situation as a hard recall command.

Ground Station Signal Failsfe

Physical obstructions and interference from nearby wireless signals can affect the X8’s connection 

with the ground station. Use the Mission Planner Flight Data display to monitor the ground station 

connection strength during flight.

If the X8 loses contact with the ground station for over five seconds, it will automatically return to 

the launch point and land. 

RC Controller Signal Failsafe

Physical obstructions and interference from nearby wireless signals can affect the X8’s connection with the RC controller. 

If the X8 loses contact with the RC controller, it will return to the launch point automatically and 

land, indicated by a blinking yellow status LED.

GPS Failsafe

Enclosed areas, physical obstructions, and lack of available satellites can affect GPS strength. 

Use the Mission Planner Flight Data display to monitor the GPS during flight.

If the X8 loses GPS lock for over five seconds, it will land automatically at the current position.

visual line 

of sight 400 ft

(120 m)

100 ft (30 m) 5 miles (8 km)

Altitude Failsafe

The X8 has a 120 m altitude geofence enabled by default. If the geofence is breached, the X8 

will automatically RTL.

l line 

ht 400 ft

(120 m)

0 ft (30 m) 5 miles (8 km)

400 ft

(120 m)
30

3 Process

On-Site Quality Check 31

Spot Check 31

Download Images 31

Download Log File 32

Pix4D Rapid Check 33

Full Processing 33
31

On-Site Quality Check 

Before leaving the survey site, check the images using Pix4D to ensure 

sufficient quality for mapping by downloading the images from the SD 

card, downloading the log file from the X8, and completing Rapid Check 

Initial Processing in Pix4D.

If you observe poor image quality or the quality report returns errors, see 

the Image Quality Troubleshooting section on page 38 and repeat the 

mission. 

playback button

SD card file structure: Download images

Spot Check (Optional)

The quickest way to see the images after a flight is to unlock the SD 

card and restart the camera. The camera will load the default Canon 

programming and you can select the playback bottom to review the 

images.

Download Images

Unlock the SD card and load into your ground station. Select the DCIM 

folder and locate the folder for your flight. Copy the files into a project 

folder on the ground station and delete them from the SD card.
32

Pix4D uses the GPS data from the X8’s log file to georeference the images. To 

download the X8’s dataflash log, power the X8 and connect to Mission Planner. 

The download process will be faster if you connect the micro-USB cable directly 

to Pixhawk’s micro-USB port instead of connecting using the ground station 

radio. (When connecting directly to the X8, set the rate to 115200.)

On the Flight Plan screen, select the DataFlash Logs tab under the heads-up 

display, and select Download DataFlash Log over Mavlink.

The Log window shows the X8’s recent flights. Select the flight for your mission, 

and select Download These Logs. This will save the log file to your computer in the 

location displayed under the list of flights.

To retrieve the log file, access your computer’s file structure under Program Files/

Mission Planner/logs/OCTOROTOR, and select the .log file for the date of your flight.

Mission Planner: Flight Data heads-up display

Mission Planner: Download Logs Program Files: Retrieve log file

Download Log File
33

1

Open Pix4D Mapper, and create a new 

project.

2

Select Aerial Nadir as the 

project type.

After creating the project, select the Local Processing screen (Process 

menu). Check the option for Initial Processing and Rapid Check. Uncheck 

all other local processing options, and select Start.

Pix4Dmapper Rapid Check: Create Project

3

After adding the images, select From File to add the geolocation data from the 

X8’s log file. In the pop-up window, select 3D Robotics Flight Log as the file 

format, and upload the dataflash log file downloaded from Mission Planner.

Pix4Dmapper Rapid Check: Initial Processing

Pix4D will generate a Quality Report that will indicate if the images are of 

sufficient quality to create a map. 

To complete full processing for the map, visit support.pix4d.com for instructions.

Full Processing
34

Appendix

Aerial Imaging Concepts 35

3DR EAI 36

Image Quality Troubleshooting 38

Operational Troubleshooting 39
35

Aerial Imaging Concepts

Understanding key concepts in aerial images can help you understand the mission planning process and create 

better maps.

Distance-Based Imaging

By default, the X8 captures only the images required to create the map. The autopilot monitors the distance 

traveled by the X8 and sends a command to the camera to capture an image at the distance interval specified 

by the camera trigger distance parameter (CAM_TRIGG_DIST). This parameter is set by the Mission Planner 

Survey Tool during survey configuration by calculating the minimum distance between images based on the 

parameters specified for the survey (altitude, overlap, sidelap). This distance-based imaging allows for more 

precise data collection, resulting in less images and data storage cost.

Once configured, the Survey Tool creates an event at the start of the mission script (after takeoff) to set the 

camera trigger distance to the specified interval and an event at the end of the mission (before landing) to reset 

the camera trigger distance to 0. Therefore, while on the ground and during landing, the camera captures no 

images because the camera trigger distance is set to 0 m.

Time-Based Imaging

The X8 is also equipped to capture images at a consistent time interval instead of using distance. This function 

can be useful if you want to capture images over an area without planning a mission. This time-based imaging 

results in more images per area, and therefore more processing time and storage cost. See the intervalometer 

option on page 36 to enable time-based imaging.

Overlap and Sidelap

To capture images for the map, the X8 flies a lawnmower-like pattern in strips across the survey site. The frontto-back overlap between sequential images is called overlap; the side overlaps of adjacent pictures in different 

strips is called sidelap. The overlap and sidelap parameters in the Survey Tool (see Advanced Options page 

16) determine the distance between images and the number of images to be captured based on the projected 

ground area that each image will cover, called a footprint. The Survey Tool uses a default overlap of 50% and a 

default sidelap of 60%. Increasing overlap and sidelap improves the accuracy of the map while increasing flight 

time and processing time.

In the Survey Tool, Distance between Images shows 

the specified camera trigger distance that will 

be assigned to the mission. You can also see 

the projected image footprint size and the total 

number of images to be captured.

Default overlap: 50%

Default sidelap: 60%
36

3DR EAI

3DR EAI is based on KAP UAV Exposure Control Script v3.1: a great opensource project for kite and UAV aerial photography. 

Start and Stop Script

Ensure the camera is set to P (program) mode before powering the camera. 

Upon startup, 3DR EAI starts automatically and listens for commands from the 

autopilot, indicated by waiting for USB signal. To stop (and re-start) the script, press 

the shutter button. The script will display INTERRUPTED when stopped.

CHDK Menu

The CHDK menu contains all the standard options provided with CHDK. 

To access the CHDK menu, stop the script and select the MENU button.

Script Menu

The script menu allows you to change the parameters associated with the script 

itself, including changing the trigger mode and adjusting exposure. To open the 

script menu, stop the script and select the FUNC. SET button. These parameters 

are configured for the X8 and SX260 and do not require adjustment as part of 

standard operation. 

Trigger Type

This parameter allows you to control how the camera captures images. 

Trigger type defaults to USB for distance-based imaging during mapping 

missions. For time-based imaging, select Interval and specify the length in the 

Shot Interval parameter.

Trigger Type default: USB (mapping)

Variable intervalometer: Interval (default to 2 seconds, specified by Shot Interval)

Script start: waiting on USB signal

Script stopped: INTERRUPTED FINISHED

Script menu

CHDK menu Script menu: Trigger Type
37

Updating the Script

3DR EAI is an open-source project and continuously improving. To download the latest script, visit 3DR.com/X8-M and select 3DR EAI Source. You will 

be redirected to the GitHubt repository where you can right-click on Raw and select Save Link to download the latest script labeled 3DR_EAI_SX260.lua. 

To update the script on the SD card, unlock the SD card and open it on your computer. Navigate to CHDK/Scripts and replace the existing 3DR_EAI_

SX260.lua file with the updated script file from GitHub.

Resources

Visit 3DR.com/X8-M for links to resources.

3DR EAI GitHub Repository: github.com/diydrones/ardupilot/tree/master/Tools/CHDK-Scripts

KAP UAV Exposure Control Script v3.1: chdk.wikia.com/wiki/KAP_UAV_Exposure_Control_Script

CHDK v1.3: chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK_1.3.0_User_Manual

Download latest script from GitHub

New script file Script file on SD card

Memory Reset

If the battery is left out of the camera for too 

long, the camera will reset its memory. To 

re-configure the camera in this case, visit 

3DR.com/X8-M for instructions.
38

Image Quality Troubleshooting

If you observe poor image quality during the spot check or if you receive error 

messages during processing, use the settings below to troubleshoot the image 

quality.

Blurry Images

To correct motion blur, adjust the shutter speed using the Target Tv parameter in the 

script menu.

Target Tv (shutter speed) default: 1/1250

To correct moderate motion blur: Set to 1/1600.

To correct severe motion blur: Set to 1/2000.

Overexposure

If the images are overexposed but do not show any motion blur, it can be due to 

flying in extremely bright conditions. To correct this, set the Allow use of ND filter 

parameter to YES in the script menu.

Allow use of ND filter default: No

To correct overexposure: Set to Yes.

Processing Errors

If you receive errors from Pix4Dmapper during processing, increase the overlap and 

sidelap during survey configuration to improve the quality of the image set.

Overlap default: 50%

Sidelap default: 60%

To improve processing: Set overlap to 60% and sidelap to 70%.

Example image: motion blur Script menu: Target Tv

Example image: overexposure Script menu: ND filter
39

Operational Troubleshooting

No Images Captured

1 If the camera did not capture any images during the mission, first perform a 

 physical inspection on the X8.

Is the mini-USB cable connected to the camera’s USB port?

Are the AUX OUT 6 pins connected on Pixhawk?

 AUX OUT 6: black (-), red (+), white (s) 

Is the camera battery charged? Unlock the SD card to view the Canon’s 

 battery level indicator.

LED Error Indicator

If the status LED displays blinking yellow, the X8 is failing one the pre-arm safety checks. To determine the specific failure, check the 

heads-up display on the Mission Planner Flight Data screen. There will be an error message specifying the failed check.

Radio Calibration Failure: Perform Radio Calibration in Mission Planner or RC controller re-binding

Accelerometer Calibration Failure: Perform Accelerometer Calibration in Mission Planner

Compass Calibration Failure: Perform Compass Calibration in Mission Planner

GPS Failure: Wait for improved GPS signal or move to a more open area

2 Take a distance-triggered test image on the ground by manually setting 

 the camera trigger distance parameter to 1 m.

Power the X8 and connect to Mission Planner. Select Config/Tuning and Full 

Parameter List. Change the CAM_TRIGG_DIST parameter to 1, and select Write 

Params. Disconnect the X8 from Mission Planner, and carry for a few meters 

to see if the autopilot triggers the camera.

Mission Planner Full Parameter List: Set CAM_TRIGG_DIST to 1.