@fred

Hi Fred,

Thanks, yes, I didn't know about the Arduino shield possibility, but if you read my original post you can see that it is  also possible to control some Blackmagic Cameras over ethernet via Blackmagic's REST API.

Therefore you can have exactly the same control of your BM camera as you would with an ATEM without the need for an ATEM. Currently you can do this via a web interface and ethernet. What I wanted to know was whether it was possible to control from within Isadora using the REST API.  And apparently it is.

Advantages of connecting your camera via Ethernet means that you could, for example, record from your camera onto an SSD in full resolution and then copy that recording over the network to a local computer. Meaning you could put the camera in inaccessible places and still access your recordings. 

All the best

Mark (Not...)

@mark_m Blackmagic camera controls are sent over auxiliary information paths inside the SDI (and apparently HDMI) signal. The ATEM switchers output the camera commands on some (not all - usually not down converted) outputs. To send camera control you need to embed the control signal in the video signal- there are few options to do this:

1. Use an ATEM switcher to encode the commands into the SDI feed and control the ATEM switcher somehow (you take an SDI output from the ATEM and plug it into the SDI in of the camera - no length limitations like HDMI).

2. Use a reverse engineered protocol and some fancy hardware that lets you mess with the AUX data feeds.

3. Use Blackmagic's Arduino SDI shield that has the camera control protocol published- this was you can send and receive the camera controls with an Arduino and control that however you like without the need for an ATEM switcher. The Arduino shield is here: https://www.blackmagicdesign.c...

@armando said:

consumer standard hdmi cable

 And this is the problem: with the HDMI cable you are limited in distance from ATEM to Camera. 
I know all this, @Armando, and I have also controlled the camera with an ATEM TV Studio HD which has SDI - so you need two SDI cables but you can us long distances.
If you look on YouTube you will see that people have used the REST API to control a BMMSC4KG2 camera wirelessly, by attaching the BMMSC4KG2 camera to USB -> ethernet adapter -> ethernet cable -> portable access point which joins the network sending the REST API commands, and sent the picture wirelessly using Hollyland 4K transmitter. So that distance is no object AND you don't need an ATEM.

@gaspar said:

t also triggers having just an "user output" inside the "user actor"

 What data type do you have the output set to?

additional info. It also triggers having just an "user output" inside the "user actor". So its the "user output" who triggers everytime you enter a scene.

Hi.

Using the "well known" user actor of just one input and one output I've noticed that it sends out a trigger whenever I enter the scene.
I guess this is probably not meant to be this way.

@aikia

Sorry for the late reply. I'm quite busy these days. I'm using analogue DAHUA cameras 2MP with colour and night mode, manual or automatic setting for gain, exposure and shutter (this is an important feature, since you really don't want to have automatic exposure changes when you're trying to track something) and a zoom of 2.7 to 13mm which is great to be more flexible to place the cameras (I get as far as 25m from stage. I track using infrared (night mode) and reflective 3M wear on the dancer, and increase the shutter so I only see the reflection and anything else is black.

When I'm very far away I've used a cheap IR flood light to improve reflectance. It does not interfere with the video, nor the video with the camera.

The model of my camera is: DH-HAC-HFW2241TUP-Z-A

These are common bullet cameras, but If I was to get new ones I'd probably go for the PTZ (not sure if those have night mode). I use them in CVI mode and usually have a 25m coax running to the DVR.

The DVR model is also from DAHUA and I can connect 4 cameras to it and view them either in full res 1080 or a split screen with all cameras at the same time at 720.

Model DH-XVR4104C-X1-BL.

I had some issues with my BM-shuttle not recognising the res/freq combination output of the DVR so I had to output at 720. But still fine.

And that's it pretty much.

Cheers

We'll post a lot more details, but we were just able to drive a cave like immersive museum in Fortaleza (Brasi( also with izzycast). * Full HD projectors on a Blackmagic Decklink quad (8 configurable sdi input or ouputs in Full hd). An all on a macbook pro m1 64 GB ram 4TB HD under sequoia

More to come !!!!

@Armando This was told me to me by Sean manton who imports Blackmagic in Canada. I am sure it wirks I tested it end used itfprofessionally for a while in big 7 cameras streamings and hybrid events.

@mark_m Sure, but I can assure you that wirh a consumer standard hdmi cable I can control in the cameras drom the atem software in my mac Iris, blackpoint, primary color wheels white balance and iso at least. I an even do macros to change all of this at once (needed in some shows where we passed from vey low light to full powe lits in 2 seconds, Si I am sure the HDMI cable passes this info, plus le timecide (it is the mester and the cameras become slaves) If you purchase atem OSC you shours be able tocontrol okll of this via isadora at minimum.