No compass-direction for DJI Mini Pro 5, Mini PRO 3 - even in older versions of PTGUI: what ist going on?

[CW E]

Hi all!

I have a huge riddle since months: 

In short: 

There is no compass directions in my panoramas made from DJI-MINI 5 PRO. But it worked in the past with the MINI 3 PRO. 

Up until today I thought, it is an unresolved problem with the DJI-MINI-5-PRO. 

But I KNOW, it has worked somehow at least for the DJI Mini 3 PRO in the past with version 13.??? (I cannot remember the release-version). 

When I open one of this older panos where the compass-direction had been recognized (ALL from DJI MINI 3 PRO) - every version of PTGUI mentioned says clearly: 

"No orientation was found in the EXIF-data"

So far as I can remember, this was not the case in the past. At least, the compass-direction of the panoramas where more or less OK. Which is not the case now (with Mini 5 PRO). 

What I cannot remember is, wether there was the same message "No orientation was found in the EXIF-data" there or not. Because it simple worked. 

After several tests today I can say: there is no compass direction at all now (at least "No orientation was found in the EXIF-data":

- Not for Mini 3 PRO

- Not for MINI 5 PRO

- NOT in PTGUI 13.9 for both drones

- NOT in PTGUI 13.5 for both drones

- NOT in PTGUI 13.0 for both drones

- NOT in PTGUI 12.27 for both drones

Is this a specific problem with the MINI 5 PRO? Should there be something other than "No orientation was found in the EXIF-data"?

Further informations: 

- MAC Mini M1, 16 GB

- RAW-files from the drones, mostly corrected in DXO and exported as corrected RAW-files. 

Since I work with the MINI 5 PRO, I have to invest hours to correct the compass direction in my panos which I use then in PANO2VR. Sometimes it is not even possible to correct them by hand due to lack of visual orientation points. 

I have to say this cost me lots of hours until now. Which was, as mentioned, not the case with the MINI 3 PRO in the past. I had to correct some of the PANOS in a 10°-range. But now pano-driections are completely random. 

Any kind of help is very welcome!

[PTGui Support]

Hi,

It's true, DJI does not embed a GPS compass direction in the metadata.

It only embeds a 'flight yaw degree' proprietary field. This somewhat
corresponds to the compass direction but it can deviate quite a bit from
true north, so PTGui does not treat it as a compass angle.

Kind regards,

Joost Nieuwenhuijse
www.ptgui.com

On 7/12/26 10:25, CW E wrote:
> Hi all!
>
> I have a huge riddle since months:
>
> In short:

> *There is no compass directions in my panoramas made from DJI-MINI 5
> PRO.* But it worked in the past with the *MINI 3 PRO.*

>
> Up until today I thought, it is an unresolved problem with the DJI-
> MINI-5-PRO.
>
> But I KNOW, it has worked somehow at least for the DJI Mini 3 PRO in the
> past with version 13.??? (I cannot remember the release-version).
> When I open one of this older panos where the compass-direction had been
> recognized (ALL from DJI MINI 3 PRO) - every version of PTGUI mentioned
> says clearly:
>

> *"No orientation was found in the EXIF-data"*
> *
> *

> So far as I can remember, this was not the case in the past. At least,
> the compass-direction of the panoramas where more or less OK. Which is
> not the case now (with Mini 5 PRO).

> *What I cannot remember* is, wether there was the same message *"No
> orientation was found in the EXIF-data" *there or not. Because it simple

> worked.
>
> After several tests today I can say: there is no compass direction at
> all now (at least "No orientation was found in the EXIF-data":
> - Not for Mini 3 PRO
> - Not for MINI 5 PRO
> - NOT in PTGUI 13.9 for both drones
> - NOT in PTGUI 13.5 for both drones
> - NOT in PTGUI 13.0 for both drones
> - NOT in PTGUI 12.27 for both drones
>
>
> Is this a specific problem with the MINI 5 PRO? Should there be

> something other than *"No orientation was found in the EXIF-data"**?*

>
> Further informations:
> - MAC Mini M1, 16 GB
> - RAW-files from the drones, mostly corrected in DXO and exported as
> corrected RAW-files.
>
> Since I work with the MINI 5 PRO, I have to invest hours to correct the
> compass direction in my panos which I use then in PANO2VR. Sometimes it
> is not even possible to correct them by hand due to lack of visual
> orientation points.
> I have to say this cost me lots of hours until now. Which was, as
> mentioned, not the case with the MINI 3 PRO in the past. I had to
> correct some of the PANOS in a 10°-range. But now pano-driections are
> completely random.
>
> Any kind of help is very welcome!
>
>
>
>
>

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[CW E]

So - would it be possible to force PTGUI to use this rough direction as compass direction? 
In my optinion that would be far better than nothing. Far far better...

For example a checkbox which gives the freedom to use ist or not. 

To correct the slightly false direction is most of the time no big deal. But when the numbers are all over the place takes a long time. 

[PTGui Support]

Yes I agree with you, I'll add this to the wish list.

Kind regards,

Joost Nieuwenhuijse
www.ptgui.com

On 7/16/26 15:01, CW E wrote:
> So - would it be possible to force PTGUI to use this rough direction as
> compass direction?
> In my optinion that would be far better than nothing. Far far better...
>
> For example a checkbox which gives the freedom to use ist or not.
>
> To correct the slightly false direction is most of the time no big deal.
> But when the numbers are all over the place takes a long time.
>
> PTGui Support schrieb am Sonntag, 12. Juli 2026 um 10:50:31 UTC+2:
>
> Hi,
>
> It's true, DJI does not embed a GPS compass direction in the metadata.
>
> It only embeds a 'flight yaw degree' proprietary field. This somewhat
> corresponds to the compass direction but it can deviate quite a bit
> from
> true north, so PTGui does not treat it as a compass angle.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Joost Nieuwenhuijse

> www.ptgui.com <http://www.ptgui.com>

> ptgui/ <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/>
> > d12040fe-a9b7-4445-b0b1-31647b0368fbn%40googlegroups.com
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> utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer <http://40googlegroups.com?
> utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>>.

>
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[CW E]

Thank you - that would be very kind!

[CW E]

I made a lot of test with the meta-data-fields. It seems to be the case for the DJI MINI 5 Pro this field ist the best for image-compass-direction, at least in my case: 

XMP:FlightYawDegree 

The field XMP:GimbalYawDegree is not very suitable in case of Mini 5 Pro. So far as I can remember, this field fits good for the DJI Mini 3 Pro. 

I read it out with MetaImage on a MAC.