[ANSWERED] Possibility to remotely photograph and send photos to projector?
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Hi there!
Fairly new to Isadora but very much enjoying playing around with it. For an upcoming exhibition however, I would like to remotely take photos using a camera (and flash) with a set frequency (pulse actor) that is being sent straight to mapped projection. E.g. let's say a still camera takes a photo of a performer every 30 seconds that is immediately projected.
I was wondering if this is a possibility in Isadora, or possible at all. If so, which actors or potential hardware would I need for this? Do let me know if my brief description is not clear enough. If the problem would lie in sending a pulse to a camera to take the photo, I could potentially do this manually, as long as the image appears through projection.
Thanks a lot in advance!
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The simplest way to do this is to feed the camera's output into Isadora via the video in watcher actor.
Stream video from your camera to the computer using an HDMI capture device*
Configure your capture device in the input-> live capture window.Use the freeze actor between the video in watcher and the projector, and attach a pulse generator actor to the grab input of the video in watcher, and set the pulse to every 30 seconds.
* eg BlackMagic MiniRecorder (thunderbolt) or an Atomos Connect (USB), or if you're using a Canon camera, Canon's own EOS Webcam Utility (USB )
HTH
Mark (not that Mark)
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Hi,
A little more detail may assist with answering your query. Particularly what camera you are proposing to use and how the camera is positioned/handled while the photographs are being taken? If it is within an exhibition is the requirement to meet a specific duration i.e. hours or days or longer?
As you may already know there are options for tethering DSLR's to computer workstations. There are also options for some DSLR cameras to be recognised as 'webcams' and this method would be the simplest for getting your images into Isadora. In regard to the need for flash, I would be looking at triggering a flash using a serial interface - like a microcontroller/ arduino. I would then look for the spike in brightness caused by the flash to capture the camera image from the webcam stream as a still that can be loaded into the captured media folder and media bin ready for projection.
I would say that what you have described is going to be possible to some extent dependent on the functionality of the camera equipment you intend to use and if you are willing to experiment and look for a solution that might be a little different from your initial expectations. Some of the development will depend on how long you want to keep the captured images i.e. if they are to become some kind of archive to play back through projection or if they are fleeting and only required for a few seconds.
Could be an interesting project to pursue!
Best Wishes
Russell
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Hi Mark,
Thank you for your help, your screenshot actually looks a lot like what I initially set up for some try-outs, using the Video In Watcher. Because of the need for use of flash and the representation of a camera on a tripod, I didn't think this would useful for what I hoped the result would be, but then I hadn't thought of HDMI capture devices. So thanks a lot for pointing that out and adding those references, that will most likely be the way to go. -
Hey Russell,
Thank you so much for your elaborate suggestion. Ideally, I would use my own FujiFilm XT-3, however, as Fuji can be quite niche when compared with hardware, I possibly have access to a Canon or Nikon. The camera will be on a tripod and photographs will be taken during the exhibition. It will be a combination of exhibited work, and about 20 minutes of performance, twice a day; only then I shall use the camera.
Using an arduino for the flash could be a great idea, I am always a bit hesitant towards sensors for their reliability but it is worth experimenting with. I will look into that. I do not mind the solution to differ from my initial expectations, this exhibition is as much about learning myself as it is about showcasing. The images will be fleeting so I think using the Freeze actor as @mark_m proposed should work.
It definitely will be interesting, I am enjoying the process--thank you for being part of that.
Christophe
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This may not suite your needs, but I know that Canon has a c++ sdk, and there is an addon for openframeworks which I have used before to take photos which I then passed to Isadroa via Spout.
https://github.com/elliotwoods...In my case, I created a small Openframeworks project that I controlled from Isadora by OSC, and received images via Spout.
The upside was I had access to the camera flash as well as the exposure etc..
