I have an a470 and loaded the Accurate Intervalometer with power-saving and pre-focus script on it. It takes the pictures just fine but I am using this script because it has an option to turn the screen off after a set number of shots. I need this so I can conserve battery. I have tested this script on other cameras and the screen turns off just as it should but on the a470 the screen won't turn off. The problem is the a470 has no way to turn the screen off manually as the print button (which can be assigned to this function) is overridden by chdk so it seems this, or a similar script will be my only solution. This is an lua script and the contents are pasted below. Does anyone have any ideas of how to run an intervalometer with the lcd off?
--[[
Author: Fraser McCrossan
Tested on G9, should work on most cameras.
An accurate intervalometer script, with pre-focus and screen power off options.
Features:
- input is frame interval plus total desired run-time (or "endless")
- displays frame count, frame total and remaining time after each frame
(in endless mode, displays frame count and elapsed time)
- honours the "Display" button during frame delays (so you can
get it running then turn off the display to save power)
- can turn off the display a given number of frames after starting
(might take a couple of frames longer to cycle to correct mode)
- can pre-focus before starting then go to manual focus mode
- use SET button to exit
See bottom of script for main loop.
]]
--[[
@title Time-lapse
@param s Secs/frame
@default s 5
@param h Sequence hours
@default h 0
@param m Sequence minutes
@default m 5
@param e Endless? 0=No 1=Yes
@default e 0
@param f Focus: 0=Every 1=Start
@default f 0
@param d Display off frame 0=never
@default d 0
--]]
-- convert parameters into readable variable names
secs_frame, hours, minutes, endless, focus_at_start, display_off_frame = s, h, m, (e > 0), (f > 0), d
props = require "propcase"
-- derive actual running parameters from the more human-friendly input
-- parameters
function calculate_parameters (seconds_per_frame, hours, minutes, start_ticks)
local ticks_per_frame = 1000 * secs_frame -- ticks per frame
local total_frames = (hours * 3600 + minutes * 60) / secs_frame -- total frames
local end_ticks = start_ticks + total_frames * ticks_per_frame -- ticks at end of sequence
return ticks_per_frame, total_frames, end_ticks
end
function print_status (frame, total_frames, ticks_per_frame, end_ticks, endless)
local free = get_jpg_count()
if endless then
local h, m, s = ticks_to_hms(frame * ticks_per_frame)
print("#" .. frame .. ", " .. h .. "h " .. m .. "m " .. s .. "s")
else
local h, m, s = ticks_to_hms(end_ticks - get_tick_count())
print(frame .. "/" .. total_frames .. ", " .. h .. "h" .. m .. "m" .. s .. "s/" .. free .. " left")
end
end
function ticks_to_hms (ticks)
local secs = (ticks + 500) / 1000 -- round to nearest seconds
local s = secs % 60
secs = secs / 60
local m = secs % 60
local h = secs / 60
return h, m, s
end
-- sleep, but using wait_click(); return true if a key was pressed, else false
function next_frame_sleep (frame, start_ticks, ticks_per_frame)
-- this calculates the number of ticks between now and the time of
-- the next frame
local sleep_time = (start_ticks + frame * ticks_per_frame) - get_tick_count()
if sleep_time < 1 then
sleep_time = 1
end
wait_click(sleep_time)
return not is_key("no_key")
end
-- delay for the appropriate amount of time, but respond to
-- the display key (allows turning off display to save power)
-- return true if we should exit, else false
function frame_delay (frame, start_ticks, ticks_per_frame)
-- this returns true while a key has been pressed, and false if
-- none
while next_frame_sleep (frame, start_ticks, ticks_per_frame) do
-- honour the display button
if is_key("display") then
click("display")
end
-- if set key is pressed, indicate that we should stop
if is_key("set") then
return true
end
end
return false
end
-- if the display mode is not the passed mode, click display and return true
-- otherwise return false
function seek_display_mode(mode)
if get_prop(props.DISPLAY_MODE) == mode then
return false
else
click "display"
return true
end
end
-- switch to autofocus mode, pre-focus, then go to manual focus mode
function pre_focus()
local focused = false
local try = 1
while not focused and try <= 5 do
print("Pre-focus attempt " .. try)
press("shoot_half")
sleep(2000)
if get_prop(18) > 0 then
focused = true
set_aflock(1)
end
release("shoot_half")
sleep(500)
try = try + 1
end
return focused
end
if focus_at_start then
if not pre_focus() then
print "Unable to reach pre-focus"
end
end
start_ticks = get_tick_count()
ticks_per_frame, total_frames, end_ticks = calculate_parameters(secs_frame, hours, minutes, start_ticks)
frame = 1
original_display_mode = get_prop(props.DISPLAY_MODE)
target_display_mode = 2 -- off
print "Press SET to exit"
while endless or frame <= total_frames do
print_status(frame, total_frames, ticks_per_frame, end_ticks, endless)
if display_off_frame > 0 and frame >= display_off_frame then
seek_display_mode(target_display_mode)
end
shoot()
if frame_delay(frame, start_ticks, ticks_per_frame) then
print "User quit"
break
end
frame = frame + 1
end
-- restore display mode
if display_off_frame > 0 then
while seek_display_mode(original_display_mode) do
sleep(1000)
end
end
-- restore focus mode
set_aflock(0)
