KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

davefolts

OK gents - I appreciate this insight...so I tested today by backtracking the Canon standard camera presets...the KAP website says use "P" mode...but when I switched back to "Auto", the camera accepted each and every USB trigger event I manually injected thru the Pixhawk. Go figure. Now I got these results using ver 3.5.
I also just loaded the ver 3.6 script, and it also ran without issue in the camera's "Auto" mode.

reyalp

davefolts
OK gents - I appreciate this insight...so I tested today by backtracking the Canon standard camera presets...the KAP website says use "P" mode...but when I switched back to "Auto", the camera accepted each and every USB trigger event I manually injected thru the Pixhawk. Go figure. Now I got these results using ver 3.5.
I also just loaded the ver 3.6 script, and it also ran without issue in the camera's "Auto" mode.

This is a bit odd, generally I'd expect Auto to be more likely to refuse to shoot than P.

One thing that might be worth checking is the flash setting in the Canon firmware for each of these modes. If it isn't already off for P mode, I'd suggest trying with it off.

davefolts

For what its worth...just tested ver 3.6 after shutting off auto flash .. which covered Auto and P modes. Placed camera in P mode and it fired without incident. nice pics too at ISO 800 etc.
Attached the KAP log file.
Seems like progress has been made.
This is a great capability. Will let y'all know how the pics look after I fly and capture some property survey shots tomorrow.

Dave

KAP-yeah.log

115.64KB

waterwingz

reyalp
One thing that might be worth checking is the flash setting in the Canon firmware for each of these modes. If it isn't already off for P mode, I'd suggest trying with it off.

The script attempts to disable the built-in flash by setting a propcase

  set_prop(props.FLASH_MODE, 2)   -- disable built-in flash

AFAIK, the main difference between P and AUTO modes is that P mode allows the user to set things like ISO, Whit e balance, Coloration schemes, and some features of the built-in flash. I guess it's possible on some cameras, in P mode and in low light situations, that setting the FLASH_MODE prop blocks taking an actual shot?

reyalp

waterwingz
The script attempts to disable the built-in flash by setting a propcase

[code] set_prop(props.FLASH_MODE, 2) -- disable built-in flash[/code]

AFAIK, the main difference between P and AUTO modes is that P mode allows the user to set things like ISO, White balance, Coloration schemes, and some features of the built-in flash. I guess it's possible on some cameras, in P mode and in low light situations, that setting the FLASH_MODE prop blocks taking an actual shot?

Other possibilities: Flash mode propcase is wrong on that camera, or uses a different value for disable.

waterwingz

davefolts
For what its worth...just tested ver 3.6 after shutting off auto flash .. which covered Auto and P modes. Placed camera in P mode and it fired without incident. nice pics too at ISO 800 etc.
Attached the KAP log file.
Seems like progress has been made.
This is a great capability. Will let y'all know how the pics look after I fly and capture some property survey shots tomorrow.

@davefolts : There are a few things that could be tested if you have the time.

Using the configuration from a couple of days ago (camera in P mode, flash in AUTO) try running the script with the camera pointed at a normal daylight illumination scene (i.e. not your desk in a room at night). Does it still refuse to shoot?
Delete the line in the script that I posted above and retest in dim light, P mode, flash in AUTO (line 590 in v3.5, line 727 in v3.6)

If this turns out to be just an issue with indoor testing and not the intended usage of the script, I'll post a warning of some sort on the wiki page for the script.

waterwingz

reyalp
Other possibilities: Flash mode propcase is wrong on that camera, or uses a different value for disable.

Or setting that propcase sets the flash mode in a way that the camera does not respect during shooting (i.e. flash disabled but the exposure firmware still waits for the flash to be ready prior to releasing the actual shot).

davefolts

Guys-
took me a while to get back in the air - bad weather and other things to do. I did not attempt to get into the LUA code after spending some time on the LUA site...so I just went outside and flew and tested.
The ver 3.6 script is running quite nicely, as can be seen with this composite I made of the 56 shots taken over the span of 4 minutes or so by my Iris+' scan flight over my house.

One thing I noted is that on a sunny day the pictures (both jpg & .DNG) need to be color-corrected in Photoshop as they appear somewhat over exposed. I will try and get out at noon and see if sun angle makes a difference. (I suspect it does ease the shadow issues somewhat.)

I also note that the script will allow the pixhawk to signal a shutter release about every three seconds...not bad for speed. I did have focus set at infinity and zoom is @ 20%

waterwingz

davefolts
One thing I noted is that on a sunny day the pictures (both jpg & .DNG) need to be color-corrected in Photoshop as they appear somewhat over exposed. I will try and get out at noon and see if sun angle makes a difference. (I suspect it does ease the shadow issues somewhat.)

I can take a look at this and comment if you post your log file as an attachment here. Look in the top folder of your SD card for a file called kap.log

I also note that the script will allow the pixhawk to signal a shutter release about every three seconds...not bad for speed. I did have focus set at infinity and zoom is @ 20%

FWIW - the latest script version lets you shoot in continuous mode (sync'd to the pixhawk position over the ground) at rates approaching 2 fps on most cameras.

davefolts

Thanks WW....I attached the KAP log labelled - 23 December

KAP-23December.log

148.21KB

waterwingz

davefolts
Thanks WW....I attached the KAP log labelled - 23 December

I had a quick look at that and didn't see anything obvious. I was looking for shots where the exposure setting hit a hard limit and could not correctly expose an image. I did not find any.

Here's a typical example of a shot. The first line show what the camera wanted to do. The second line show what the script changed it to.

2015Dec23 15:03:57.580 10) IMG_0400.JPG
2015Dec23 15:03:59     meter : Tv:1/80 Av:3.2 Sv:80 535:535
2015Dec23 15:03:59     actual: Tv:1/800 Av:- Sv:800

This should work unless the camera was trying to also insert the ND filter. With a report Av:3.2 that should not be the case and the script holds it out. But if it actually was to be inserted, that would cause a three stop exposure error in the final image.

Meanwhile, there is also this thread to consider :
Problems using CHDK with Canon S110 .

I may very well be facing a new bug. Can you post one of the affected jpeg's that's found in the log (IMG_0359.JPG thru IMG_0446.JPG) ?

netptl39

Hi WWZ,

Thanks for the POLOLU idea! Works nice with RC controller directly. I will hook it up to the Pixhawk on Tuesday or Wednesday.

May I ask you for one line of code?
The "update_zoom(xx)" seem to set the zoom at a certain value.
I would like to have the camera zoom in and out step-by-step (let's say by +-10) at each pwm5/pwm7 received

function pwm5(pwidth)
       		update_zoom(50)
end

Many thanks in advance!
Tom

waterwingz

netptl39
Thanks for the POLOLU idea! Works nice with RC controller directly. I will hook it up to the Pixhawk on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thanks! Naturally I can't remember what idea that was and a quick search of this thread does not shed any light. Refresh my memory?

May I ask you for one line of code? The "update_zoom(xx)" seem to set the zoom at a certain value.
I would like to have the camera zoom in and out step-by-step (let's say by +-10) at each pwm5/pwm7 received

Lacking any better idea about what to do with that signal, I'll make an addition (or at least post how to do that here). It's going to be a little more than one line - naturally.

Do you plan to use this "blind" while flying? Or do you have some sort of real time video streaming from your UAV? Also adding a PWM signal to reset to the zoom = 0 position might make some sense.

netptl39

WWZ,
the idea came thru e-mail last July while we were beta testing the 3.6. 😉
You are absolutely right: zooming blind would not do too much good.
I have a 3 channel video source switcher with a video transmitter (not tested yet but it should work.). One of these sources is planned to be the Canon.
zoom=0 is already in. 😀

Looking forward for the zooming code.

jacques.eloff

Hi

I am posting on this forum for the first time and still fairly new to CHDK. A big thank-you to all the developers and everyone else who has helped bring these features out. I am using a Canon Ixus 140 (Elph 130) on a fixed wing mapping drone. The KAP script is running very well in tests I have done so far, however I cannot seem to get the interval down below 3 sec. Even when it is set to 2 sec it is still giving me 3 sec. This will require me to fly higher and at 100m I will only get around 50% in track overlap which is a bit low for an unstabilized camera.

Any thoughts? Is this perhaps a limit on the camera?

Finally, does anyone have any opinons on using this camera for mapping vs some of the other Canons (100,120, 260, etc.)? I bought it mainly because it is one of the lightest of all the CHDK-capable cameras.

Thanks,
Jacques

netptl39

Bonjour Jacques,

Welcome!
To have a better understanding can you please specify the Airframe/stall speed, the Autopilot, the triggering cable?
Thansk!
Tom

waterwingz

jacques.eloff
Any thoughts? Is this perhaps a limit on the camera?

Most of the Canon Powershots take a little over two seconds to focus, set exposure, shoot, and save the resulting image to their SD card. A fast SD card helps a bit here but not much. Keeping the ISO setting below 800 also helps. Finally, you also don't want to be saving as RAW/DNG - that really slows things down.

To go faster, run the script in continuous mode by selecting Pixhawk for the USB Shot Control? setting. In that mode, the camera takes an initial exposure for the first shot and uses that setting for all subsequent shots. It will shoot each time the USB signal from your flight controller toggles - people have reported getting two shots per second this way ! The process resets each time the script stops seeing pulses from the flight controller.

jacques.eloff

netptl39
Bonjour Jacques,

Welcome!
To have a better understanding can you please specify the Airframe/stall speed, the Autopilot, the triggering cable?
Thansk!
Tom

Hi Tom - I am flying a Skywalker X-5 with a Pixhawk. Stall speed is around 11m/s, so I have set ARSPD_FBW_MIN to 12.5m/s. For the moment I am running the KAP script with intervalometer but I do have a trigger cable which I will try.

Thanks,
Jacques

jacques.eloff

waterwingz

jacques.eloff
Any thoughts? Is this perhaps a limit on the camera?

Most of the Canon Powershots take a little over two seconds to focus, set exposure, shoot, and save the resulting image to their SD card. A fast SD card helps a bit here but not much. Keeping the ISO setting below 800 also helps. Finally, you also don't want to be saving as RAW/DNG - that really slows things down.

To go faster, run the script in continuous mode by selecting Pixhawk for the USB Shot Control? setting. In that mode, the camera takes an initial exposure for the first shot and uses that setting for all subsequent shots. It will shoot each time the USB signal from your flight controller toggles - people have reported getting two shots per second this way ! The process resets each time the script stops seeing pulses from the flight controller.

Hi waterwingz - I am using a Samsung 8Mb Evo card. At the moment I am using the intervalometer option but I'll give the cable a try with USB shot control as you say.

Cheers,
Jacques

davefolts

WW_ quick reply to #690...the files are 4MB and it doesn't seem like the forum will allow a file attach of that size...or?

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