Plan File Format
Plan files are stored in JSON file format and contain mission, geofence, and rally point objects. The geofence and rally point objects are required, but their lists can be empty. Below you can see the top level format of a Plan file
TIP
This is "near-minimal" - a plan must contain at least one mission item. The plan fence and rally points are also used in modes when no mission is running.
{
"fileType": "Plan",
"geoFence": {
"circles": [],
"polygons": [],
"version": 2
},
"groundStation": "QGroundControl",
"mission": {},
"rallyPoints": {
"points": [],
"version": 2
},
"version": 1
}The main fields are:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version for this file. Current version is 1. |
fileType | Must be "Plan". |
groundStation | The name of the ground station which created this file (here QGroundControl) |
mission | The mission associated with this flight plan. |
geoFence | Required geofence object. Its circles and polygons lists may be empty. |
rallyPoints | Required rally point object. Its points list may be empty. |
Mission Object
The structure of the mission object is shown below. The items field contains a comma-separated list of mission items (it must contain at least one mission item, as shown below). The list may be a mix of both SimpleItem and ComplexItem objects.
"mission": {
"cruiseSpeed": 15,
"firmwareType": 12,
"globalPlanAltitudeMode": 1,
"hoverSpeed": 5,
"items": [
{
"AMSLAltAboveTerrain": null,
"Altitude": 50,
"AltitudeMode": 0,
"autoContinue": true,
"command": 22,
"doJumpId": 1,
"frame": 3,
"params": [
15,
0,
0,
null,
47.3985099,
8.5451002,
50
],
"type": "SimpleItem"
}
],
"plannedHomePosition": [
47.3977419,
8.545594,
487.989
],
"vehicleType": 2,
"version": 2
},The following values are required:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version for the mission object. Current version is 2. |
firmwareType | The firmware type for which this mission was created. This is one of the MAV_AUTOPILOT enum values. |
globalPlanAltitudeMode | The global plan-wide altitude mode setting. This is used by plan items that don't specify an "AltitudeMode". |
vehicleType | The vehicle type for which this mission was created. This is one of the MAV_TYPE enum values. |
cruiseSpeed | The default forward speed for Fixed wing or VTOL vehicles (i.e. when moving between waypoints). |
hoverSpeed | The default forward speed for multi-rotor vehicles. |
items | The list of mission item objects associated with the mission . The list may contain either/both SimpleItem and ComplexItem objects. |
plannedHomePosition | The planned home position is shown on the map and used for mission planning when no vehicle is connected. The array values shown above are (from top): latitude, longitude and AMSL altitude. |
The format of the simple and complex items is given below.
SimpleItem - Simple Mission Item
A simple item represents a single MAVLink MISSION_ITEM command.
{
"AMSLAltAboveTerrain": null,
"Altitude": 50,
"AltitudeMode": 0,
"autoContinue": true,
"command": 22,
"doJumpId": 1,
"frame": 3,
"params": [
15,
0,
0,
null,
47.3985099,
8.5451002,
50
],
"type": "SimpleItem"
}The field mapping is shown below.
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
type | SimpleItem for a simple item |
AMSLAltAboveTerrain | Altitude value shown to the user. |
Altitude | |
AltitudeMode | |
autoContinue | MISSION_ITEM.autoContinue |
command | The command (MAV_CMD) for this mission item - see MISSION_ITEM.command. |
doJumpId | The target id for the current mission item in DO_JUMP commands. These are auto-numbered from 1. |
frame | MAV_FRAME (see MISSION_ITEM.frame) |
params | MISSION_ITEM.param1,2,3,4,x,y,z (values depends on the particular MAV_CMD). |
Complex Mission Item
A complex item is a higher level encapsulation of multiple MISSION_ITEM objects treated as a single entity.
There are currently three types of complex mission items:
Survey - Complex Mission Item
The object definition for a Survey complex mission item is given below.
{
"TransectStyleComplexItem": {
...
},
"angle": 0,
"complexItemType": "survey",
"entryLocation": 0,
"flyAlternateTransects": false,
"polygon": [
[
-37.75170619863631,
144.98414811224316
],
...
[
-37.75170619863631,
144.99457681259048
]
],
"splitConcavePolygons": false,
"type": "ComplexItem",
"version": 5
},Complex items have these values associated with them:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version number for this survey definition. Current version is 5. |
type | ComplexItem (this is a complex item). |
complexItemType | survey |
TransectStyleComplexItem | The common base definition for Survey and CorridorScan complex items. |
angle | The angle for the transect paths (degrees). |
entryLocation | ? |
flyAlternateTransects | If true, the vehicle will skip every other transect and then come back at the end and fly these alternates. This can be used for fixed wing aircraft when the turnaround would be too acute for the vehicle to make the turn. |
polygon | The polygon array which represents the polygonal survey area. Each point is a latitude, longitude pair for a polygon vertex. |
splitConcavePolygons | If true, transects are split where they cross a concave part of the polygon so that each transect stays inside the survey area (version 5). |
Corridor Scan
The object definition for a CorridorScan complex mission item is given below.
{
"CorridorWidth": 50,
"EntryPoint": 0,
"TransectStyleComplexItem": {
...
},
},
"complexItemType": "CorridorScan",
"polyline": [
[
-37.75234887156983,
144.9893624624168
],
...
[
-37.75491914850321,
144.9893624624168
]
],
"type": "ComplexItem",
"version": 2
},| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version for this CorridorScan definition. Current version is 2. |
type | ComplexItem (this is a complex item). |
complexItemType | CorridorScan |
CorridorWidth | ? |
EntryPoint | ? |
TransectStyleComplexItem | The common base definition for Survey and CorridorScan complex items. |
polyline | ? |
Structure Scan
The object definition for a StructureScan complex mission item is given below.
{
"Altitude": 50,
"CameraCalc": {
"AdjustedFootprintFrontal": 25,
"AdjustedFootprintSide": 25,
"CameraName": "Manual (no camera specs)",
"DistanceToSurface": 10,
"DistanceToSurfaceRelative": true,
"version": 1
},
"Layers": 1,
"StructureHeight": 25,
"altitudeRelative": true,
"complexItemType": "StructureScan",
"polygon": [
[
-37.753184359536355,
144.98879374063998
],
...
[
-37.75408368012594,
144.98879374063998
]
],
"type": "ComplexItem",
"version": 2
}| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version for this StructureScan definition. Current version is 2. |
type | ComplexItem (this is a complex item). |
complexItemType | StructureScan |
Altitude | ? |
CameraCalc | ? |
Layers | ? |
StructureHeight | ? |
altitudeRelative | true: altitude is relative to home, false: altitude is AMSL. |
polygon | ? |
TransectStyleComplexItem
TransectStyleComplexItem contains the common base definition for survey and CorridorScan complex items.
"TransectStyleComplexItem": {
"CameraCalc": {
...
},
"CameraTriggerInTurnAround": true,
"FollowTerrain": false,
"HoverAndCapture": false,
"Items": [
...
],
"Refly90Degrees": false,
"TurnAroundDistance": 10,
"VisualTransectPoints": [
[
-37.75161626657736,
144.98414811224316
],
...
[
-37.75565155437309,
144.99438539496475
]
],
"version": 1
},| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version for this TransectStyleComplexItem definition. Current version is 1. |
CameraCalc | ? |
CameraTriggerInTurnAround | ? (boolean) |
FollowTerrain | ? (boolean) |
HoverAndCapture | ? (boolean) |
Items | ? |
Refly90Degrees | ? (boolean) |
TurnAroundDistance | The distance to fly past the polygon edge prior to turning for the next transect. |
VisualTransectPoints | ? |
CameraCalc
The CameraCalc contains camera information used for a survey, corridor or structure scan.
"CameraCalc": {
"AdjustedFootprintFrontal": 272.4,
"AdjustedFootprintSide": 409.2,
"CameraName": "Sony ILCE-QX1",
"DistanceToSurface": 940.6896551724138,
"DistanceToSurfaceRelative": true,
"FixedOrientation": false,
"FocalLength": 16,
"FrontalOverlap": 70,
"ImageDensity": 25,
"ImageHeight": 3632,
"ImageWidth": 5456,
"Landscape": true,
"MinTriggerInterval": 0,
"SensorHeight": 15.4,
"SensorWidth": 23.2,
"SideOverlap": 70,
"ValueSetIsDistance": false,
"version": 1
},| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version for this CameraCalc definition. Current version is 1. |
AdjustedFootprintFrontal | ? |
AdjustedFootprintSide | ? |
DistanceToSurface | ? Units? |
DistanceToSurfaceRelative | ? |
CameraName | Name of camera being used (must correspond to one of the cameras known to QGroundControl or: Manual (no camera specs) for manual setup, Custom Camera for a custom setup. The keys listed after this point are not specified for a "Manual" camera definition. |
FixedOrientation | ? (boolean) |
FocalLength | Focal length of camera lens in millimeters. |
FrontalOverlap | Percentage of frontal image overlap. |
ImageDensity | ? |
ImageHeight | Image height in px |
ImageWidth | Image width in px |
Landscape | true: Camera installed in landscape orientation on vehicle, false: Camera installed in portrait orientation on vehicle. |
MinTriggerInterval | ? |
SensorHeight | Sensor height in millimeters. |
SensorWidth | Sensor width in millimeters. |
SideOverlap | Percentage of side image overlap. |
ValueSetIsDistance | ? (boolean) |
GeoFence
The geoFence object is required, but its circles and polygons lists may be empty. The plan can contain an arbitrary number of geofences defined in terms of polygons and circles.
The minimal definition is shown below.
"geoFence": {
"circles": [
],
"polygons": [
],
"version": 2
},The fields are:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version number for the geofence plan format. The documented version is 2. |
circles | List containing circle geofence definitions (comma separated). |
polygons | List containing polygon geofence definitions (comma separated). |
Circle Geofence
Each circular geofence is defined in a separate item, as shown below (multiple comma-separated items can be defined). The items define the centre and radius of the circle, and whether it is an inclusion or exclusion fence.
{
"circle": {
"center": [47.39756763610029, 8.544649762407738],
"radius": 319.85
},
"inclusion": true,
"version": 1
}The fields are:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version number for the geofence "circle" plan format. The documented version is 1. |
circle | The definition of the circle. Includes centre (latitude, longitude) and radisu as shown above. |
inclusion | true: inclusion fence; false: exclusion fence. |
Polygon Geofence
Each polygon geofence is defined in a separate item, as shown below (multiple comma-separated items can be defined). The geofence includes a set of points defined with a clockwise winding (i.e. they must enclose an area).
{
"inclusion": true,
"polygon": [
[
47.39807773798406,
8.543834631785785
],
[
47.39983519888905,
8.550024648373267
],
[
47.39641100087146,
8.54499282423751
],
[
47.395590322265186,
8.539435808992085
]
],
"version": 1
}
],
"version": 2
}The fields are:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version number for the geofence "polygon" plan format. The documented version is 2. |
polygon | A list of points for the polygon. Each point contains a latitude and longitude. The points are ordered in a clockwise winding. |
inclusion | true: inclusion fence; false: exclusion fence. |
Rally Points
The rallyPoints object is required, but its points list may be empty. The plan can contain an arbitrary number of rally points, each of which has a latitude, longitude, altitude and altitude frame. What the altitude means to the vehicle depends on the firmware: PX4 uses it as the ground altitude at the rally point, ArduPilot uses it as a flight altitude.
A definition with two points is shown below.
"rallyPoints": {
"points": [
{
"coordinate": [
47.39760401,
8.5509154,
50
],
"frame": 3
},
{
"coordinate": [
47.39902017,
8.54263274,
510.5
],
"frame": 0
}
],
"version": 3
}The fields are:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
version | The version number for the rally point plan format. The documented version is 3. Version 2 files, where each point is a [latitude, longitude, altitude] array, are still loaded and are relative to home. |
points | A list of rally point objects. |
Each rally point object has these fields:
| Key | Description |
|---|---|
coordinate | [latitude, longitude, altitude]. The altitude is in meters in the frame given by frame. |
frame | The MAV_FRAME of the altitude: 3 (MAV_FRAME_GLOBAL_RELATIVE_ALT) relative to home, 0 (MAV_FRAME_GLOBAL) above mean sea level, 10 (MAV_FRAME_GLOBAL_TERRAIN_ALT) above terrain. |