KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

M141

12

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #610 on: 05 / September / 2015, 06:15:59 »

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Quote from: waterwingz on 04 / September / 2015, 20:32:01

To help find the problem, would you use the Load default param values menu option in the Script menu to reset all your parameters, change only the Total Shot (0=infinite) setting to [ 3 ] , and then run the script and report what happens?

No difference. Camera takes 3 shots and hangs.

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blueSTAR

4

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #611 on: 05 / September / 2015, 08:33:28 »

On the wiki page you say:

Quote

7. IS Mode Off (may not be necessary for KAP but should be off for UAV)

Why would you disable IS (that is image stabilisation, right?) for use on a UAV. I would think the contrary would result in better images. Is a camera without IS better for UAV? or is it only for optical vs. for digital?

What camera model would you recommend?

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waterwingz

12139

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #612 on: 05 / September / 2015, 08:57:19 »

Quote from: blueSTAR on 05 / September / 2015, 08:33:28

On the wiki page you say:
Quote
7. IS Mode Off (may not be necessary for KAP but should be off for UAV)
Why would you disable IS (that is image stabilisation, right?) for use on a UAV. I would think the contrary would result in better images. Is a camera without IS better for UAV? or is it only for optical vs. for digital?

That advice comes from several places on the various UAV forums (that I can't find a link to right now of course). I believe the theory is that image stabilization is designed for the kind of motion you get from shaky hands. You'll note that the Canon camera manuals usually recommend turning it off if you are using a tripod as apparently the IS system gets confused if there is no motion at all. For a UAV, I think its the same issue - the types of vibration (high frequency) and movement are not what the IS system expects to see.

Quote

What camera model would you recommend?

The ixus220 , sx260 , s100 and s110 are all CHDK enabled cameras that seem popular for that application. YMMV.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

azery

4

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #613 on: 05 / September / 2015, 09:16:04 »

I very briefly tested the new beta with braceting function. In summary: it works on my camera (powershot A2500)

The longer story:

test 1
First attempt failed with the error:
started
:158 attempt to call global 'get_sd_over_modes' (
a nil value)
terminated
kap uav 3.6b15

As I was running an older chdk version (chdk 1.3.0-3416), I upgraded to the latest version (4228) and tested again.

test2 (now on chdk build 4228)
with default parameters (no bracketing): script works

test3 (now on chdk build 4228)

exposure bracketing +/-1.00
shot interval set to 5 seconds instead of 15s
Focus @ Infinity : checked
allow us of ND filter? No

script runs without problems
pictures are taken (in the order +0, -1, +1)
the camera takes almost continously pictures: taking an writing the pictures to memory card is indeed not very fast on my little camera

I'll take it out on my kite if the weather gets nicer (which will not be in the comming days according to the forecasts), to test it on my kap rig with my most often used parameters (as above, but with screen off, triggered by usb). As one burst of shots now almost takes 5s, I'll also have to check how to set the timing of the usb-trigger to avoid taking pictures while the rig is moving.

Thank you very much for implementing the feature...

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waterwingz

12139

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #614 on: 05 / September / 2015, 09:25:21 »

Quote from: M141 on 05 / September / 2015, 06:15:59

Quote from: waterwingz on 04 / September / 2015, 20:32:01
To help find the problem, would you use the Load default param values menu option in the Script menu to reset all your parameters, change only the Total Shot (0=infinite) setting to [ 3 ] , and then run the script and report what happens?
No difference. Camera takes 3 shots and hangs.

I just tested with four different cameras (A1200, G10, S100, Powershot N) using the configuration I described and I still can't reproduce your issue.

To make it more "interesting", the code that runs after the last message you show in your log :

Code: [Select]

2015Sep05 01:55:18 Logger : log file updated.is identical to the code in v3.5 (that you report as working).

One thing that has changed between v3.5 and v3.6 is that the script has become a little larger. I did a quick scan of the porting thread for the ixus220_elph300hs and it does not seem to have a lot of memory compared to some other cameras. Let's try a "loader" script - a small script that loads a larger script such that it takes up a lot less memory. This will no longer be needed in CHDK 1.4.0 (when it finally gets released) but will work for 1.3.0. Simply install the loader script like you would any other script on your SD card (in the same folder as the kap_uav.lua script) and run it.

kloader.lua (3.07 kB - downloaded 19 times.)

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

waterwingz

12139

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #615 on: 05 / September / 2015, 09:32:18 »

Quote from: azery on 05 / September / 2015, 09:16:04

As I was running an older chdk version (chdk 1.3.0-3416), I upgraded to the latest version (4228) and tested again.

Thanks for that note. The script tries to check that the CHDK version used is new enough but I must have missed updating that check when I added the get_sd_over_modes( ) call. I'll fix that in the official release.

Quote

the camera takes almost continously pictures: taking an writing the pictures to memory card is indeed not very fast on my little camera

The best most Powershots will do taking normal picture (i.e. not in continuous or Canon burst modes) is about 2 seconds per shot. Cheap ones are a little slower than expensive models but not by much (a few 1/10s of a second maybe). The script tried to take all three bracketing shots as quickly as possible by holding the "half press" down and using the initial exposure and focus info to set exposure for all three shots. But it really can't make the camera work any faster than that.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

azery

4

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #616 on: 05 / September / 2015, 11:13:36 »

I do not think the speed (or lack thereof) will be an issue.

On the other hand, I could try to use it as an excuse to get a better camera :-)

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M141

12

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #617 on: 06 / September / 2015, 17:07:25 »

Quote from: waterwingz on 05 / September / 2015, 09:25:21

One thing that has changed between v3.5 and v3.6 is that the script has become a little larger. I did a quick scan of the porting thread for the ixus220_elph300hs and it does not seem to have a lot of memory compared to some other cameras. Let's try a "loader" script - a small script that loads a larger script such that it takes up a lot less memory. This will no longer be needed in CHDK 1.4.0 (when it finally gets released) but will work for 1.3.0. Simply install the loader script like you would any other script on your SD card (in the same folder as the kap_uav.lua script) and run it.

That's it! Now it works

Thanks waterwingz! I tried multiple times with different settings and no more freezing. Script seems to work very well and can't wait to try it in air soon. Today couldn't because of bad weather and raining.

Btw. is there any drawbacks using this loader?

ps. Extra thx for pm reminding

Regards Jani

« Last Edit: 06 / September / 2015, 17:09:30 by M141 »

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waterwingz

12139

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #618 on: 06 / September / 2015, 17:22:49 »

Quote from: M141 on 06 / September / 2015, 17:07:25

Btw. is there any drawbacks using this loader?

None beyond the complication of needing two files for one program. And that's why the loader functionality is now built into the Lua script engine by default in CHDK 1.4.0.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

dowallin

5

Re: KAP & UAV Exposure Control Intervalometer Script

« Reply #619 on: 14 / September / 2015, 17:10:17 »

Greetings. I'm using an S100 for UAV work. I just loaded the KAP_UAV.lua (version 3.6) Exposure control script and also the kloader.lua script. I'm using CHDK 1.3.0.4245.

I can get it to run (with or without using kloader) but I have two problems:

1.Focus: with the Focus@Infinity set to either [ ] or

distant images are quite blurry, yet close up images (things within ~12 inches) are quite sharp. After stopping the script, I get a brief confirmation onscreen of key parameters and regardless of whether the Focus @ Infinity option is set to [ ] or
, it always tells me that focus is set to infinity. But the images are NOT consistent with this. Again, photos of distant landscapes are blurry and photo consisting only of things close in are quite sharp. I have all of the AF settings set to off (using the Canon menu) and I've also shut off the Image stabilization feature.

2. Shot Interval: I can't seem to take photos any faster than once every 4 seconds or so. I've tried setting the shot interval to 2 and I've also tried setting it to "Fast". Either way, the best I can get is an interval of about 4 seconds. This simple isn't fast enough to get overlapping photos with the fixed-wing UAV that I'm using. Note that I've also tried the basic Interval.lua script but this also gives me a shot interval of about 4 seconds.

My guess is that these two issues may be related in that refocusing every shot takes time and may result in the longer shot interval? I'm flying at 400 feet above ground level so locking the focus at infinity would be fine I'd think.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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