Release Notes

This topic contains the cumulative release notes for QGroundControl.

INFO

Stable build major/minor numbers are listed below. Patch release numbers are not listed, but can be found on the Github release page.

Stable Version 4.0 (current)

INFO

The format for Settings in QGC had to change in this release. Which means all QGC settings will be reset to defaults.

• Settings
  • Language: Allow selection of language
  • Optional CSV Logging of telemetry data for improved accessibility.
  • ArduPilot
    • Mavlink: Configurable stream rate settings
• Setup
  • Joystick
    • New joystick setup ui
    • Ability to configure held button to single or repeated action
  • ArduPilot
    • Motor Test
    • ArduSub
      • Automatic motor direction detection
• Plan
  • Create Plan from template with wizard like progression for completing full Plan.
  • Survey: Save commonly used settings as a Preset
  • Polygon editing
    • New editing tools ui
    • Support for tracing a polygon from map locations
  • ArduPilot
    • Support for GeoFence and Rally Points using latest firmwares and mavlink v2
• Fly
  • Click to ROI support
  • Added support for connecting to ADSB SBS server. Adds support for ADSB data from USB SDR Dongle running 'dump1090 --net' for example.
  • Ability to turn on Heading to home, COG and Next Waypoint heading indicators in Compass.
  • Video
    • Add support for h.265 video streams
    • Automatically add a Video Overlay with flight data as a subtitle for locally-recorded videos
  • Vehicle type specific pre-flight checklists. Turn on from Settings.
• Analyze
  • New Mavlink Inspector which includes charting support. Supported on all builds including Android and iOS.
• General
  • Released Windows build are now 64 bit only
  • Log Replay: Ability to specify replay speed
  • ArduPilot
    • Improved support for chibios firmwares and ArduPilot bootloader with respect to flashing and auto-connect.

Additional notes for some features can be found here: v4.0 (Additional Notes).

Stable Version 3.5

This section contains a high level and non-exhaustive list of new features added to QGroundControl in version 3.5.

• Overall
  • Added Airmap integration to QGC. OSX build only.
  • Bumped settings version (now 8). This will cause all settings to be reset to defaults.
  • Added Chinese and Turkish localization and partial German localization.
  • Added support for the Taisync 2.4GHz ViUlinx digital HD wireless link.
  • Fix loading of parameters from multiple components. This especially affected WiFi connections.
  • ArduPilot Support for ChibiOS firmware connect and flash.
• Settings
  • RTK Add support for specifying fixed RTK based station location in Settings/General.
  • GCS Location
    • Added UDP Port option for NMEA GPS Device.
    • GCS heading shown if available
• Plan
  • Polygons Support loading polygons from SHP files.
  • Fixed Wing Landing Pattern Add stop photo/video support. Defaults to on such that doing an RTL will stop camera.
  • Edit Position dialog Available on polygon vertices.
• Fly
  • Camera Page Updated support for new MAVLInk camera messages. Camera select, camera mode, start/stop photo/video, storage mangement...
  • Orbit Support for changing rotation direction.
  • Instrument Panel
    • Added ESTIMATOR_STATUS values to new estimatorStatus Vehicle FactGroup. These are now available to display in instrument panel.
    • Make Distance to GCS available for display from instrument panel.
    • Make Heading to Home available for display from instrument panel.

Stable Version 3.4

This section contains a high level and non-exhaustive list of new features added to QGroundControl in version 3.4. Not to mention the large number of bug fixes in each stable release.

• Settings

  • Offline Maps
    • Center Tool allows you to specify a map location in lat/lon or UTM coordinates. Making it easier to get to the location you want to create an offline map for.
    • Ability to pre-download terrain heights for offline use.
  • Help Provides links to QGC user guide and forums.

• Setup

  • Firmware Ability to flash either PX4 or ArduPilot Flow firmware.
  • PX4 Pro Firmware
    • Flight Modes Specify channels for all available transmitter switches.
    • Tuning: Advanced Initial implementation of vehicle PID tuning support. Note that this is a work in progress that will improve in 3.5 daily builds.
  • ArduPilot Firmware
    • Power/Safety Support for new multi-battery setup.
    • Trad Heli New setup page.

• Plan

  • File Load/Save New model for Plan file loading which matches a standard File Load/Save/Save As user model.

  • Load KML Ability to load a KML file directly from the Sync menu. You will be prompted for what type of Pattern you want to create from the KML if needed.

  • Survey Better support for irregular shaped polygons.

  • Corridor Scan - Create a flight pattern which follows a poly-line. For example can be used to survey a road.

  • Fixed Wing Landing Pattern

    • Landing area visually represented in Plan.
    • Landing position/heading can be copied from Vehicle position/heading.

  • Terrain

    • Height of mission items can be specified as height above terrain.

    • Survey and Corridor Scan can generate flight plans which follow terrain.

      INFO

      This feature does not support ArduPilot terrain following.

  • Edit Position Set item position from vehicle position.

• Fly

  • Pre-Flight Checklist You can turn this on from Settings. It provides a generic checklist to follow prior to flight. Expect more feature to appear for this in 3.5 daily builds.
  • Instrument Panel
    • Many new values available for display.
    • New Camera page which provides full camera control. Requires a camera which support new MavLink camera specification.
  • ArduPlane Much better support for guided commands including QuadPlane support.
  • High Latency Links Support for high latency links such as satellite connections. Limits the traffic from QGC up to Vehicle on these links to reduce cost. Supports HIGH_LATENCY MavLink message. Supports failover back/forth from high latency to normal link with dual link setup.

Stable Version 3.3

TIP

More detailed release notes for version 3.3 can be found here.

This section contains a high level and non-exhaustive list of new features added to QGroundControl in version 3.3. Not to mention the large number of bug fixes of this release.

• Settings
  • Local NMEA GPS device support.
  • Video Recording save settings.
• Setup
  • Parameter Editor - Searching updates as you type characters for near immediate response to searches.
  • Joystick - Android joystick support.
• Plan
  • NEW - Structure Scan Pattern - Create a multi-layered flight pattern that captures images over vertical surfaces (polygonal or circular). Used for 3d model generation or vertical surface inspection.
  • Fixed Wing Landing Pattern - You can now adjust the distance from the loiter to land point by either distance or glide slope fall rate.
  • PX4 GeoFence and Rally Point support.
  • Terrain height display in lower Mission Item altitude display
• Fly
  • Start/Stop video recording.
  • Better display of vehicle icons when connected to multiple vehicles.
  • Multi-Vehicle View supports commands which apply to all vehicles.
  • Displays vehicles reported from ADS-B sensor.
• Analyze
  • Mavlink console - New support for communicating with Mavlink console.
  • Log Download - Moved from Menu to Analyze view.

Stable Version 3.2

TIP

More detailed release notes for version 3.2 can be found here.

This section contains a high level and non-exhaustive list of new features added to QGroundControl in version 3.2.

• Settings

  • File Save path - Specify a save path for all files used by QGC.
  • Telemetry log auto-save - Telemetry logs are now automatically saved without prompting.
  • AutoLoad Plans - Used to automatically load a Plan onto a vehicle when it first connects.
  • RTK GPS - Specify the Survey in accuracy and Minimum observation duration.

• Setup

  • ArduPilot only
    • Pre-Flight Barometer and Airspeed calibration - Now supported
    • Copy RC Trims - Now supported

• Plan View

  • Plan files - Missions are now saved as .plan files which include the mission, geo-fence and rally points.
  • Plan Toolbar - New toolbar which shows you mission statistics and Upload button.
  • Mission Start - Allows you to specify values such as flight speed and camera settings to start the mission with.
  • New Waypoint features - Adjust heading and flight speed for each waypoint as well as camera settings.
  • Visual Gimbal direction - Gimbal direction is shown on waypoint indicators.
  • Pattern tool - Allows you to add complex patterns to a mission.
    • Fixed Wing Landing (new)
    • Survey (many new features)
  • Fixed Wing Landing Pattern - Adds a landing pattern for fixed wings to your mission.
  • Survey - New features
    • Take Images in Turnarounds - Specify whether to take images through entire survey or just within each transect segment.
    • Hover and Capture - Stop vehicle at each image location and take photo.
    • Refly at 90 degree offset - Add additional pattern at 90 degree offset to original so get better image coverage.
    • Entry location - Specify entry point for survey.
    • Polygon editing - Simple on screen mechanism to drag, resize, add/remove points. Much better touch support.

• Fly View

  • Arm/Disarm - Available from toolbar.
  • Guided Actions - New action toolbar on the left. Supports:
    • Takeoff
    • Land
    • RTL
    • Pause
    • Start Mission
    • Resume Mission - after battery change
    • Change Altitude
    • Land Abort
    • Set Waypoint
    • Goto Location
  • Remove mission after vehicle lands - Prompt to remove mission from vehicle after landing.
  • Flight Time - Flight time is shown in instrument panel.
  • Multi-Vehicle View - Better control of multiple vehicles.

• Analyze View - New

  • Log Download - Moved to Analyze view from menu
  • Mavlink Console - NSH shell access

• Support for third-party customized QGroundControl

  • Standard QGC supports multiple firmware types and multiple vehicle types. There is now support in QGC which allows a third-party to create their own custom version of QGC which is targeted specifically to their custom vehicle. They can then release their own version of QGC with their vehicle.

Stable Version 3.1

New Features

• Survey mission support
• GeoFence support in Plan View
• Rally Point support in Plan View (ArduPilot only)
• ArduPilot onboard compass calibration
• Parameter editor search will now search as you type for quicker access
• Parameter display now supports unit conversion
• GeoTag images from log files (PX4 only)
• System health in instrument panel
• MAVLink 2.0 support (no signing yet)

Major Bug Fixes

• Fixed crash after disconnect from Vehicle
• Fixed android crash when using SiK Radios
• Many multi-vehicle fixes
• Bluetooth fixes