Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

jonathan.holvey

7

« on: 27 / September / 2013, 18:36:10 »

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Hi,

I have a Canon IXUS 127 HS that I have mounted to a quadcopter as an aerial photography platform. I am controlling the shutter using the USB pulse feature of CHDK, and I intend to use the video output through an 11-pin mini USB connector to transmit the screen image to the ground to allow accurate image composition.

I'm trying to find out whether it's possible to remove the <ALT> mode indicator and the current script name from the bottom of the screen. All other CHDK UI elements can be disabled, but not these two. Google hasn't managed to help me so far either.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks,
Jon

« Last Edit: 27 / September / 2013, 18:57:50 by jonathan.holvey »

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waterwingz

12138

Re: Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

« Reply #1 on: 27 / September / 2013, 21:46:16 »

Quote from: jonathan.holvey on 27 / September / 2013, 18:36:10

I'm trying to find out whether it's possible to remove the <ALT> mode indicator and the current script name from the bottom of the screen. All other CHDK UI elements can be disabled, but not these two. Google hasn't managed to help me so far either.

There is currently no way to hide the <ALT> message or script title. You would have to hack the existing code and compile your own custom version to do that.

There have been a few requests for this "feature" so it might be something that gets added to the 1.3.0 dev release of CHDK. There is likely to be some concern about confusing the users if the <ALT> message is supressed.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

lapser

1093

Re: Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

« Reply #2 on: 27 / September / 2013, 23:32:46 »

Quote from: waterwingz on 27 / September / 2013, 21:46:16

There is currently no way to hide the <ALT> message or script title. You would have to hack the existing code and compile your own custom version to do that.

There have been a few requests for this "feature" so it might be something that gets added to the 1.3.0 dev release of CHDK. There is likely to be some concern about confusing the users if the <ALT> message is supressed.

I've added this Lua function to my custom builds:

hide_osd(-1|0|1)
-1 toggle
0 show OSD and Console
1 hide OSD and Console

It hides all of CHDK by clearing the screen and then disabling the refresh. I haven't had much luck with getting things like this in the trunk, but if you'd like to see how I did it, I can strip it out and post a patch.

Why do you need to trigger the camera with USB? Could the pictures be triggered with a script?

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outslider

762

Re: Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

« Reply #3 on: 28 / September / 2013, 06:22:13 »

You can use drawing functions and draw transparent rectangle (which will erase display) over the whole display. At least some walk around:)

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if (2*b || !2*b) {
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}

Compile error: poor Yorick

jonathan.holvey

7

Re: Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

« Reply #4 on: 28 / September / 2013, 07:39:35 »

Quote from: lapser on 27 / September / 2013, 23:32:46

I've added this Lua function to my custom builds:

hide_osd(-1|0|1)
-1 toggle
0 show OSD and Console
1 hide OSD and Console

It hides all of CHDK by clearing the screen and then disabling the refresh. I haven't had much luck with getting things like this in the trunk, but if you'd like to see how I did it, I can strip it out and post a patch.

Why do you need to trigger the camera with USB? Could the pictures be triggered with a script?

Thanks for your reply. It's interesting that you can use a script to clear the display. I am already using a script to detect USB pulses so it could easily be added in at the beginning. The reason I'm using the USB method is that I want to be able to take my shots exactly when I choose. At the moment I have a short press of a button on my RC transmitter for a photo, and press and hold to start a video. I'm considering adding more functionality in the future to allow more precise control over the camera while it is in the air.

Edit: Would it be possible to define the hide_osd() function within a Lua script, so as to avoid making changes to the CHDK core files?

Cheers,
Jon

« Last Edit: 28 / September / 2013, 07:42:25 by jonathan.holvey »

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waterwingz

12138

Re: Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

« Reply #5 on: 28 / September / 2013, 09:25:23 »

Quote from: lapser on 27 / September / 2013, 23:32:46

I haven't had much luck with getting things like this in the trunk, but if you'd like to see how I did it, I can strip it out and post a patch.

Actually, that's not strictly true. At the risk of starting an off-topic flame war, you've made this statement a few times so I thought I would make one (and one only) attempt to answer it.

First of all, this thread : http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php?topic=10584.0 came directly from your code, as mentioned in the first post. The key point here was a fairly complex single functional addition (involving a fair amount of actual code) was discussed at length until agreement was made on the best way to do it. Your original patch file with several other functional change all rolled together did not meet this requirement - I had to isolate the functions of interest so they could be discussed.

Here's another example of a single functional change that was discussed and accepted : http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php?topic=10580.0 . You also participated in that discussion.

An option to turn off the <ALT> and script name has been mentioned in passing several times, including here : http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php?topic=10695.msg105321#msg105321 but a single patch file and a discussion thread on its implementation still need to be started. Patch files that are not bug fixes or new ports almost never make it into the code by being picked out of random threads.

So, my suggestion is that you present each of your proposed changes in separate thread dedicated to that change. As I've suggested to you in the past, please keep all related posts only in that thread. Spreading discussion about the patch across several threads is unlikely to help it get adopted. And it's also not helpful to the discussion if you keep repeating "let's do it my way" postings without any new thoughts or data to support the repeat post.

I'm done here.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

lapser

1093

Re: Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

« Reply #6 on: 28 / September / 2013, 15:32:01 »

Quote from: waterwingz on 28 / September / 2013, 09:25:23

So, my suggestion is that you present each of your proposed changes in separate thread dedicated to that change.

Thanks, I'll do that. My frustration hasn't been with getting code I write into the trunk. My frustration is getting my ideas into the trunk. Phil is the greatest coder who ever lived (my real opinion), so I'd much rather he write the final implementation. I'd just like it to at least do what my original implementation does.

Before getting into the implementation details, it might be useful for us to define the purpose of the new function. Back on topic,

Purpose: To allow scripts to draw on a totally blank screen, without interference from the CHDK OSD or script Console.

I've implemented this as the "hide_osd" function, and debugged it so it works. I'll post a patch and description in a new thread soon.

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waterwingz

12138

Re: Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

« Reply #7 on: 28 / September / 2013, 15:38:35 »

Quote from: lapser on 28 / September / 2013, 15:32:01

Purpose: To allow scripts to draw on a totally blank screen, without interference from the CHDK OSD or script console.

Technically, I think you want the <ALT> icon and script title removed too? Those are different from the two items you mentioned.

Something like this has my support too - especially for my current project : http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php?topic=10506
It would be nice to be able to put my "manual control / Tv priority / Av priority" screen widget right down at the bottom of the screen (where the <ALT> icon and script text currently reside).

« Last Edit: 28 / September / 2013, 15:41:40 by waterwingz »

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

lapser

1093

Re: Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

« Reply #8 on: 28 / September / 2013, 15:58:32 »

Quote from: jonathan.holvey on 28 / September / 2013, 07:39:35

The reason I'm using the USB method is that I want to be able to take my shots exactly when I choose. At the moment I have a short press of a button on my RC transmitter for a photo, and press and hold to start a video. I'm considering adding more functionality in the future to allow more precise control over the camera while it is in the air.

Sounds great! Maybe you could do a series of short presses and releases and count them, kind of like a double click, triple click, etc.

Quote

Edit: Would it be possible to define the hide_osd() function within a Lua script, so as to avoid making changes to the CHDK core files?

Unfortunately, no. CHDK updates the screen independently of the script. But I'll see if I can get the functionality of hide_osd() into CHDK soon.

For your application, you might want to consider just taking pictures as fast as you can for the entire flight, using continuous mode. When you do that, the pictures appear on the screen display, without any of the camera overlays. Combined with hide_osd(), you get a totally clean picture that you could transmit as video from the camera video out (I think). You could still switch to video mode and back. There's a lot of room on a 64GB SD card, so you might as well take all the pictures you can.

Here's an example of taking pictures in continuous mode from a moving vehicle that might give you the idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_nVZbV-MR4#ws

You might also be interested in some of the other, high speed time lapses I've been doing, including exposure metering between shots in continuous mode:
http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php?topic=8997.new;topicseen#new

Quote from: waterwingz on 28 / September / 2013, 15:38:35

Technically, I think you want the <ALT> icon and script title removed too? Those are different from the two items you mentioned.

Yes, my function removes that too. I'll post the patch in a new thread soon.

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https://www.youtube.com/user/DrLapser/videos

waterwingz

12138

Re: Hiding <ALT> mode and script messages

« Reply #9 on: 28 / September / 2013, 16:01:58 »

Quote from: lapser on 28 / September / 2013, 15:58:32

Quote from: jonathan.holvey on 28 / September / 2013, 07:39:35
The reason I'm using the USB method is that I want to be able to take my shots exactly when I choose. At the moment I have a short press of a button on my RC transmitter for a photo, and press and hold to start a video. I'm considering adding more functionality in the future to allow more precise control over the camera while it is in the air.
Sounds great! Maybe you could do a series of short presses and releases and count them, kind of like a double click, triple click, etc.

Its easy to measure pulse width in a script and probably more reliable than counting pulses.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16