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Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!

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Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #20 on: 29 / August / 2017, 18:53:20 »
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Thank you!

"Re-Update/Install CHDK on Camera from SD memory card"
I simply mean that after hooking the camera to the computer, installing libusb, and unplugging the camera, I then turn off the camera, turn it on again, and update the firmware from the sd card to reinstall chdk.

I reinstalled libusb on both cameras, skipped the step above about restarting/installing, and BAM! It works!! :-D

I tried all the codes in reply #6 and they all worked perfectly!!!! I can't tell you how excited I am!!! Whoo hoo!

The images were just a hair apart on timing. Using a Calpboard program, One of the cameras was at 15:46:06:22, and the other at 15:46:06:24.  (hour:minute:second:MS)

Here is the code, in case you'd like to see it.

C:\Users\EZBooth>cd Desktop\chdkptp-r735-win32\chdkptp-r735
C:\Users\EZBooth\Desktop\chdkptp-r735-win32\chdkptp-r735>chdkptp -i
___> !mc=require'multicam'
___> !mc:connect()
+ 1:Canon PowerShot A480 b=\\.\libusb0-0001--0x04a9-0x31bf d=bus-0 s=637DAB179D1940F3A2E1D69E7EDB7127
+ 2:Canon PowerShot A480 b=\\.\libusb0-0003--0x04a9-0x31bf d=bus-0 s=C3EFEE65CE074078AFBCF8024FC4237B
___> !mc:start()
___> !return mc:cmdwait('rec')
rec
=true,{
 [1]={
  status={
   status=true,
   cmd="rec",
  },
  done=true,
  failed=false,
 },
 [2]={
  status={
   status=true,
   cmd="rec",
  },
  done=true,
  failed=false,
 },
}
___> mc:init_sync()
ERROR: unknown command 'mc'
___> !mc:init_sync()
1: send 0 diff 37 pred=356877 r=356880 delta=-2
1: send 0 diff 68 pred=356908 r=356910 delta=-1
1: send 15 diff 84 pred=356924 r=356930 delta=-5
1: send 16 diff 99 pred=356939 r=356950 delta=-10
1: send 0 diff 137 pred=356977 r=356980 delta=-2
1: send 15 diff 153 pred=356993 r=357010 delta=-16
1: send 0 diff 184 pred=357024 r=357030 delta=-5
1: send 0 diff 221 pred=357061 r=357070 delta=-8
1: send 15 diff 237 pred=357077 r=357090 delta=-12
1: send 0 diff 299 pred=357139 r=357140 delta=0
1: ticks=10 min=-16 max=0 mean=-6.438300 sd=5.071077
1: sends=10 min=0 max=16 mean=6.291800 sd=7.707360
2: send 0 diff 31 pred=314451 r=314440 delta=11
2: send 0 diff 46 pred=314466 r=314460 delta=6
2: send 0 diff 62 pred=314482 r=314480 delta=2
2: send 15 diff 99 pred=314519 r=314520 delta=0
2: send 0 diff 130 pred=314550 r=314540 delta=10
2: send 0 diff 146 pred=314566 r=314560 delta=6
2: send 15 diff 162 pred=314582 r=314580 delta=2
2: send 0 diff 199 pred=314619 r=314610 delta=9
2: send 15 diff 230 pred=314650 r=314650 delta=0
2: send 15 diff 261 pred=314681 r=314680 delta=1
2: ticks=10 min=0 max=11 mean=5.133600 sd=4.138389
2: sends=10 min=0 max=15 mean=6.262100 sd=7.669545
minimum sync delay 27
___> !mc:shoot()
preshoot
ok
shoot_burst [sync +77] {
}
ok
call release"shoot_half"
ok
___> !mc:download_images()

Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #21 on: 29 / August / 2017, 19:27:28 »
I simply mean that after hooking the camera to the computer, installing libusb, and unplugging the camera, I then turn off the camera, turn it on again, and update the firmware from the sd card to reinstall chdk.
Glad to hear you are making progress but "firmware update" booting?

Really? 

I don't think anyone that uses CHDK more than very casually boots via the "Firmware Update" method. Please invest the time to make your SD card "card lock switch" bootable and use it that way.  Just trying to think about what you are doing is painful  :haha
Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16

Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #22 on: 29 / August / 2017, 22:19:28 »
As painful as it must be to think about, its even more painful to be doing all the time :-)

I did the research and method #2 worked for me. Yahoo!! Much Better!

So at this point, I can start upscaling to 4 cameras, test everything again, and upscale more if it all works.

I know some people mention needing to run programs that will align images, create GIFs, etc. But (and correct me if I'm wrong) I think that if I properly align the cameras to a central point (such as a ping ping ball on a pole) I wont need a program to align the images. Then I can take the images, drop them in a folder, and run a photoshop batch operation to create an animated GIF. Sound about right?

*

Offline reyalp

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Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #23 on: 29 / August / 2017, 23:20:26 »
Good progress :D
The images were just a hair apart on timing. Using a Calpboard program, One of the cameras was at 15:46:06:22, and the other at 15:46:06:24.  (hour:minute:second:MS)
Assuming this is displayed on a regular monitor, the refresh rate will limit how well you can measure the precision, e.g. at 60hz the display only updates every ~16ms at best.
Don't forget what the H stands for.


Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #24 on: 30 / August / 2017, 10:35:59 »
It was an iPhone 7 Plus screen. So yeah, I think 60hz. Should be close enough for my purposes.

Quick question: If I have 16 cameras hooked up, will they all be within the same time difference? or is it sequential, and the time difference will add up across how many cameras I have (meaning a much larger difference from camera 1 to camera 16)?

*Hopefully that question makes sense, I haven't had my coffee yet.  :blink:

*

Offline reyalp

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Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #25 on: 30 / August / 2017, 13:44:14 »
Quick question: If I have 16 cameras hooked up, will they all be within the same time difference? or is it sequential, and the time difference will add up across how many cameras I have (meaning a much larger difference from camera 1 to camera 16)?
Assuming you use sufficient sync delay, adding more cameras should not make sync worse. The difference is effectively random scatter due to the limited precision available in various parts of the process. This is probably to several tens of milliseconds, but I've never measured it rigorously.  Think about it as each cameras shot time having a random offset from 0 to 40 ms.

With more cameras, there's a greater chance that a given shot will have a camera at the extremes.
Don't forget what the H stands for.

Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #26 on: 30 / August / 2017, 14:48:21 »
Ah ok, that's what I thought. That should be perfectly fine for my purposes. I'm going to get some more cameras and do more tests. I'll post more when I know more :-)

I also have to say a very serious Thank You to everyone helping. I've gotten farther in this process in 24 hours with your help, than I did in 2 weeks of reading threads on my own. THANK YOU for helping this newb :-)

Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #27 on: 30 / August / 2017, 20:43:32 »
So at this point, I can start upscaling to 4 cameras, test everything again, and upscale more if it all works.

I know some people mention needing to run programs that will align images, create GIFs, etc. But (and correct me if I'm wrong) I think that if I properly align the cameras to a central point (such as a ping ping ball on a pole) I wont need a program to align the images. Then I can take the images, drop them in a folder, and run a photoshop batch operation to create an animated GIF.
Sound about right?
The main issue is that the more cameras you have in the multi cam array the harder it will be to achieve and maintain good camera alignment's.
Another problem is even one degree of rotation miss-alignment with 16 cameras will become noticeable and annoying over a period of time.

This effect is similar to why cameras on tripods are preferred to hand-held cameras.
An example (#1) is the TV News Broadcasts, use only a relative small amount of  hand-held content.

A ping pong ball on a pole will only give you x-y alignment's. Three ping pong ball's, or similar, will make rotate alignment's much easier in post-processing.

Example #2:-  '"Time-Slice" Motion-Picture Array Cameras' which were developed in the early 1990's when still cameras for the array capable of high image quality for broadcast and movie applications. The camera misalignment (i.e. image jitter) was a major problem at that time.

You can also use Hugin's "Align_Image_Stack" for image Post-processing.

Edit #1 "Luminance HDR" also uses "Align_Image_Stack" for image Post-processing

Do you plan to have a linear multi-cam array or a semi-circular multi-cam array.

H-H
« Last Edit: 11 / September / 2017, 05:33:49 by Hardware_Hacker »


Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #28 on: 30 / August / 2017, 22:00:55 »
Good points :-)

Can you explain the comment "Three ping pong ball's, or similar, will make rotate alignment's much easier in post-processing." in more detail please? Sounds useful.

I will be making a semi circle of cameras. About a 100 degree arc. They will be placed on a single flat rigid frame, aligned, and set in place. The unit will be light and small enough to carry without disassembling/reassembling every time. The background will be entirely black, only the subject will be lit.

Thank you for the reference to Hugin, looks great.

Re: Multicam Rig for Events - Step By Step Help Please!!
« Reply #29 on: 30 / August / 2017, 22:03:13 »
I noticed that the images from both cameras I am using are downloading into the same folder. Is there any way I can specify that each camera's images should download into an individual folder?

 

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