Time-lapse with LCD Off - Script Writing - CHDK Forum
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Time-lapse with LCD Off

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Time-lapse with LCD Off
« on: 11 / June / 2010, 00:55:48 »
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I'm a long-time Canon user and professional photographer/videographer, but newbie to CHDK.  I've been searching this forum and Google for an answer, but haven't found one yet.  My apologies for asking this question if it's already been answered.

I've got a SD780IS, a "cheapo" that will be going to Mexico and Africa with me for time-lapse only.  One that won't cause me to cry too much if it's stolen or busted.

I want to maximize the battery for time-lapse shooting lasting over 12 hours, if possible.  I've gotten scripts to run perfectly and took a 90-minute time-lapse today with no problems.  However, I noticed the LCD stayed on the entire time.  The interval was 6 seconds between shots, Review was turned "off" in the menu, and frame size was on the M2 setting to help processing time.  By the end of the 90 minutes, the battery was at 47%.

Does anyone know of a way to shut the LCD off entirely while a script is running?

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Offline fe50

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Re: Time-lapse with LCD Off
« Reply #1 on: 11 / June / 2010, 01:50:52 »
Hello & welcome, hdbacks !

Does anyone know of a way to shut the LCD off entirely while a script is running?
- you can plug in something (cable or dummy) to the AV plug
- you can use the set_backlight command in your script to disable the backlight
- you can disable the LCD, including sensor & most electronics, with pressing the DISP button, also emulated from your script

The last option saves most battery time, but does not work with MD (motion detection) since MD uses the live view...

Will the display be disabled when you press the DISP button on your SD780 ?
* yes - just emulate a button press to the DISP key in your script
* no - register the "LCD off" ("ZZzz"") function to the PRINT/SHORTCUT button in the Canon menu, then in your script press (virtually) PRINT after capturing the image...

Read more here:
* http://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php/topic,1768.msg17890.html#msg17890
* http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK_for_Dummies#SD870IS_.2F_IXUS_860

Re: Time-lapse with LCD Off
« Reply #2 on: 12 / June / 2010, 18:46:09 »
Hi!
 I use the following code to turn off Display for very similar usage on my IXUS 50. Works good. But it's a bit tricky to get the display on again after terminating the script the hard way. I have to press "alt" and then "disp".

Code: [Select]
do
  click "display"
  get_prop 181 s
 until (s=2)

Maybe with newer cameras it's prop 105, not 181

Hopefully I could help you

Schmidti

Re: Time-lapse with LCD Off
« Reply #3 on: 06 / July / 2010, 11:54:57 »
I also have a SD780. Can you give me the finish script file (.lua?). I don't know how to write script for CHDK. Thank you!


Re: Time-lapse with LCD Off
« Reply #4 on: 26 / July / 2010, 06:43:46 »
Hi!
 I use the following code to turn off Display for very similar usage on my IXUS 50. Works good. But it's a bit tricky to get the display on again after terminating the script the hard way. I have to press "alt" and then "disp".

Code: [Select]
do
  click "display"
  get_prop 181 s
 until (s=2)

Maybe with newer cameras it's prop 105, not 181

Hopefully I could help you

Schmidti


Hi,

If I add that lines to any script in my SD1100/IXUS80IS the LCD will turn off?

Thanks!

Re: Time-lapse with LCD Off
« Reply #5 on: 26 / July / 2010, 13:32:05 »
Hi hdbacks and all,

I'm a newb to CHDK but funnily enough did my first time lapse today, and worked out a way to turn off the LCD completely without a script.

Ive got the A720 IS so I cant vouch for other camera's but am assuming that most have a similar layout.

First press menu and turn REVIEW to off (think this has been said), then in shoot mode turn off the display (press DISP. twice), then press print/CHDK alt button to activate CDHK then just press your shutter and your away.

The obvious disadvantage is that you have to activate the script with a blank screen  but its just two button clicks and I didnt need to see it whilst it was going on, I just shot it in auto, I had checked the exposure b4 hand and was just a test really.

Funnily enough I made a mistake when I did this first time round this morning, I forgot to set review off and ran the timelapse for around 3hrs 40 mins on a fully charge set, Uniross AA Ni-MH 2700mAh, and I still had 55% left and thats with review on,so who knows, you could maybe get to 8-10 hrs?




 

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Offline CIM

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Re: Time-lapse with LCD Off
« Reply #6 on: 16 / August / 2010, 11:02:10 »
Hi all,


Funnily enough I made a mistake when I did this first time round this morning, I forgot to set review off and ran the timelapse for around 3hrs 40 mins on a fully charge set, Uniross AA Ni-MH 2700mAh, and I still had 55% left and thats with review on,so who knows, you could maybe get to 8-10 hrs?
 

I also just tried a first timelapse on my A720IS with screen on, everything manual (after being caught out very first attempt by Safety MF being ON which defocussed the shots) - anyway I got just under 1.5 hours and around 550 shots before battery crapped out. The batteries used are 2000mAh and were correctly charged before each run but far from new so maybe a bit past their best.

I am intrigued by the idea of 10 hours on a full charge - I wonder what the equation would be for duration vs number of shots and shot interval vs battery capacity?

I have set my battery meter to show volts instead of percentage, not sure how linear the discharge from 2.6 to 2.3 volts is, but it certainly collapses

BTW I am also new to CHDK and wish I had tried it years ago. Amazed by how much it has transformed what my A720IS can do.

Re: Time-lapse with LCD Off
« Reply #7 on: 19 / August / 2010, 01:37:05 »
Why don't you try to check that with the professionals. My uncle knows how to check and repair LCD. Maybe he can help you but before that see what you can do and read the user manual first.
« Last Edit: 27 / August / 2010, 01:41:35 by candyjob34 »


 

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