Register
Search

Forum

Forums Community Support How To
Tips on how to move a camera via DMX and setting min/max values
You are not authorized to post a reply.

FaustoB
New Member
Posts:8 New Member

--
2020-05-07 06:58

    Hi all,

    I would like to know if anyone has some tips to share on how to control Capture cameras via DMX.

    In particular I would like also to know if there's a way to limit to camera range of movement. What I mean is, talking for example about the Z axis, a coarse dmx value of 0 correspond to a Z camera position of about -325m, and a coarse dmx value of 255 correspond to a Z position of about +325m. The same applies to X and Y.

    I might be missing something, but I found these value range in some circumstances to be a bit unworkable, especially in small projects (small clubs, small venues, art galleries and alike..).

    In those projects, the camera often needs to move only  3 or 4 meters (= 6 to 8 meters), or less, making the +/- 325m range (= 650m) a bit eccessive.

    I was wondering if anybody has any good tip on moving camera via dmx in small / medium size projects and if there's a way to limit the camera movement to let's say within -10m and + 10m, while having the DMX values 0-255 mapped to that, to make that range much more workable.

    Thanks in advance!!

    Vasilis Ziogas
    Staff Member
    Posts:647 Staff Member

    --
    2020-05-12 23:06

    Your suggestion has been noted and added to the pool of ideas for new feature planning. Unfortunately, apart from the fine coarse movements already available, I can not think of any workaround.

    Product Specialist
    Capture Visualisation AB

    rsmentele
    Basic Member
    Posts:16 Basic Member

    --
    2020-05-21 17:25

    Some consoles with allow for you to change the fixture profile of the camera to allow the functionality that you are requesting.

    Ringen
    Basic Member
    Posts:14 Basic Member

    --
    2020-07-15 14:48

    I could not agree more with FaustoB here!

    I've been thinking exactly the same. And to add to the weirdness it is an option for "Patch precision" and you can change it from centimeteres to decimeters. Then you have a range of 6,5 kilometers and a course step size of 25 meter.

    By all means, keep that for massive outdoor projects but please add Patch precision "Millimeter" (65m range) and maybe even "1/10 millimeter" for 6,5m range.

    Luckily this should be a very easy fix for the developers as the system for scaling the input is already there. I'm looking forward to see this in v2020.0.46 or .47  :-)

    This is not what FaustoB asked for but if we could specify the patch precision with a number we could calculate the range we needed!

    @rsmentele: Limiting the range on the controller would avoid sending the camera way off but would not reduce the course steps.

    Vasilis Ziogas
    Staff Member
    Posts:647 Staff Member

    --
    2020-07-15 18:33

    Thank you Ringen for your feedback. We have noted your suggestion as well but we can not promise you with any dates for this.

    Product Specialist
    Capture Visualisation AB

    Lars Wernlund
    Staff Member
    Posts:2016 Staff Member

    --
    2020-08-11 14:40

    Seeing that camera control is 16-bit I don't really see the problem. With cm patch precision the smallest camera movement is 1cm per fine DMX step. With a correct 16-bit profile set up in the console that homes to 50% on the position parameters you should be perfectly good?

    Technical Director
    Capture Visualisation AB

    Ringen
    Basic Member
    Posts:14 Basic Member

    --
    2020-08-12 23:46

    Hi Lars

    I'll be happy to explain the problem as the most important point for me is not discussed yet.

    We are not looking for more positions to place a still camera, I agree there is plenty with 100 positions pr meter for that.
    However, when we animate the camera the 1cm is not enough!.
    Imagine a real camera operator with a dolly moving somehow in 1cm steps. It's not possible to start and stop nicely.

    Here is a link to a video showing this.

    First the camera moves 1m in 10 seconds with acceleration and decelaration.
    Then it moves 1m in 10 seconds with an even softer start.
    Even with linear movement it will result in similar to 10fps.

    The topic starter had a different but important point that I talk of in my other post.
    Working with a range of 650m when you need 10m is just not a good idea.
    Even with correct 16-bit control a lightdesk would not (as default) give you all steps in the fine-channel because that is normally not wanted. On my MA3-desk one step on the fine-encoder is 7 steps/cm. (Course encoder 6,5m when in %-mode)

    So please consider adding at least 1mm as option for patch precision.

    PS. My desk now has support for 24bit control so that's another option but I don't think it's widely available yet.
    You are not authorized to post a reply.