TOC

User guide (subversion)

This documentation try to follow the developement version of Papywizard. It may or may not be up-to-date.

For installation instructions, see here.

Usage overview

Papywizard is very easy to use, and I hope the GUI is intuitive enough.

The first thing to do is to edit the configuration, to reflect you camera/lens/head config. Basic settings are the delay to wait after moving (to let the head stop shaking), the delay to wait while shooting (camera Tv value), and the number of pictures to take at each position (bracketing). See below for specific mode settings.

Second, you need to select the plugins matching your hardware (menu Hardware > Plugins); you can then connect to the hardware (menu Hardware > Connect). If you use the bluetooth driver (default config), you need to enter the correct address of your adapter. Alternatively, you can get a list of all available bluetooth devices arround, and select the correct one.

Then, just move the head with the GUI arrows, and set the corners position.

Once it is done, just open the shooting dialog and launch the entire process. That's it!

Advanced usage

Papywizard has 2 shooting modes: Mosaic mode, and Preset mode. The first one is mainly used for partial panos, and is especially designed for hi-res panos, using a large tele-lens. The second one is designed for full-spherical panos, using a wide-lens or a fisheye.

Mosaic mode

The mosaic mode computations are based on the following parameters:

• minimum overlap
• camera orientation
• sensor coef. and ratio
• focal lens

So, these settings must exactly reflect your configuration.

This mode also needs to know two opposite corners of the pano you want to shoot. There are 3 ways to proceed:

• set the corners coordinates from the current position
• give the total field of view for both directions; corners coordinates will be automatically computed arround the Home position (yaw=0, pitch=0)
• give the number of pictures to take for both directions; corners coordinates will also be automatically computed arround the Home position (yaw=0, pitch=0)

Whatever corners you choose to define the pano, you will be able to choose from which corner the head will start shooting.

It is also possible to choose the initial shooting direction. Using yaw will shoot row by row; using pitch will shoot column by column. Same, the head can go back to the begining of the row/column before shooting the next one (see Tips and tricks).

Preset mode

This mode is very simple, and does not use any particular settings; it just shoots at all positions defined in the selected template. The only thing to do is to define the home position of the head (origin), which will be the reference for the template positions. In case the camera/lens can't be moved in all positions, it is possible to set some limits, to avoid potential colisions (limits are not saved in the current release, so they must be set each time the head is turned on).

Custom presets

Some default presets are provided with the software, but it is possible to add your own. For that, you need to create a xml file which describes them. The file must be named presets.xml and must be in the config directory: ~/.config/papywizard2/ on linux, /home/user/.config/papywizard2/ on maemo, and C:\Documents and settings\<user>\Application Data\papywizard2\¹ on Windows.

¹: you have to configure the Windows Explorater so it shows you system files and directories.

Here is the file structure:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<papywizard>
    <preset name="My custom preset">
        <tooltip>
            20D + 50mm
            12 picts @ +55°
            20 picts @ +40°
            50 picts @  10°/-10°
            20 picts @ -40°
            55 picts @ -70°
        </tooltip>
        <shoot>
            <pict yaw="0." pitch="55." />
            <pict yaw="30." pitch="55." />
            <pict yaw="60." pitch="55." />
            <pict yaw="90." pitch="55." />
            ...
        </shoot>
    </preset>
    <preset name="Another custom preset">
    ....
     </preset>
</papywizard>

Where:

• <preset> name attribute: name used to present the preset in the GUI
• <tooltip>: information for that preset (shown in the information presets template window)
• <shoot>: list of all positions to shoot, described in yaw/pitch attributes of the <pict> tag (one tag per position)

Note: it is possible to define several presets in the same file.

To save time during shoot, take care of the order of positions. For example, don't ask the head to go back to the begining of the new row, it will take too long; instead, reverse the direction and go back for the next row.

You can also import a custom preset file from the File menu. Note that this file won't be automatically loaded at next startup; this is mainly to test your presets before putting them in your user config. dir.

If you add usefull templates, feel free to send them so they could be added as default ones.

Shooting sequence

It is possible to suspend/resume the shooting sequence using the Suspend/Resume button. Once suspended, the shooting sequence can be modified; clicking on any position on the GUI will set the next position to shoot to that new position.

Note: if you are shooting a high-resolution pano, there may be too much preview positions on the GUI to easily select one. In this case, just use the 2 button on both sides of the shooting area to rewind/forward the next shooting position. Arrow keys are also binded to these buttons.

If the Step-by-step box is checked, the shooting sequence will automatically go to suspend mode after each move (before running the camera shutter sequence), and after each camera shutter sequence (before moving to the next position). During the camera shutter sequence, the shutter will be triggered one or more times, depending of the bracketing parameter in the config; no pause will be done inside this sequence.

Cutomization

Style sheet

Since release 1.9.1, Papywizard can load a user style sheet. This file must be name papywizard.css, and must be located in the config directory.

Here is a sample file:

QPushButton {
    color: red;
}

Note: a dedicated page for nice style sheets will soon be created. Feel free to send yours.

Tethered shooting

Tethered shooting is now done through plugins.

Reference manual

Main window

menus

• File > Quit: exit from Papywizard
• File > Import Preset File...: Import presets from file
• File > Load Style Sheet...: load style sheet
• Hardware > Connect: connect to the head hardware
• Hardware > Set limit...: set the selected limit to curent position
• Hardware > Clear limits: reset all limits
• Hardware > Set Reference: set the current position as reference (yaw=0.0°, pitch=0.0°)
• Hardware > Goto...: open the goto dialog
• Hardware > Trigger Shutter: trigger the shutter (using the selected plugin)
• Hardware > Plugins...: open the plugins selection dialog
• Help > Manual: open this documentation (network connection needed)
• Help > View Log...: open log dialog
• Help > About Papywizard: open the Papywizard about dialog
• Help > About Qt: open the Qt about dialog

displays

Mosaic tab:

• Corner 0: first shooting corner
• Corner 1: second shooting corner
• Total Fov: total shooting field of view
• Nb picts: shooting number of pictures
• Real overlap: real shooting overlap
• Resolution: resolution of the pano

Preset tab:

• Name: name of the preset

Common:

• Move: current position of the head

buttons

• Mosaic/Preset: switch between mosaic and preset mode

Mosaic tab:

• Corner 0/Yaw/Pitch: set the first corner of the shooting position from current position (for both, yaw or pitch)
• Corner 1/Yaw/Pitch: set the second corner of the shooting position from current position (for both, yaw or pitch)
• Total fov: open a dialog to specify the wanted yaw/pitch fov
• Nb picts: open a dialog to specify the wanted yaw/pitch nb picts

Preset tab:

• Name: template defining all positions

Common:

• Left/Right yaw arrows: move head on yaw axis
• Up/Down pitch arrows: move head on pitch axis
• Configuration...: open the config. dialog
• Shoot...: open the shooting dialog

Status bar

• Messages
• Manual speed
• Connection status

Goto dialog

• Reference: select the goto reference position
• Initial: select the goto initial position
• Free: select the goto free position
  • Yaw/Pitch: yaw/pitch values for the goto free position
• Go: validate goto button
• Close: close goto dialog

Plugins dialog

Plugins tab

• Yaw: plugin to use for yaw axis / driver for this plugin
• Pitch: plugin to use for pitch axis / driver for this plugin
• Shutter: plugin to use for shutter / driver for this plugin

Driver tab

• BT device address: bluetooth device address
• Choose...: open the bluetooth chooser dialog
• Serial port: serial device port. Either a int (0=first port, 1=second port...) or a string (COM1, /dev/ttyS0...)
• Ethernet host/port: ethernet hostname (or IP) / port number

Communication tab

• Timout: driver timout
• Retry: number of retry when error occurs

Configuration dialog

Shooting tab

• Head orientation: orientation of the head
• Camera orientation: camera orientation on the head (if combobox is set to custom, real orientation can be given)
• Stabilization delay: delay to wait after the head has stopped, and before shooting, to let the head stablizing

Mosaic tab

• Overlap: minimum wanted overlap
• Start from: start position
• Initial direction: initial moving direction
• CR: if set, go back to the start of the row/columns before starting a new one

Camera/lens tab

• Sensor (coef, ratio): ratio to 24x36 size, width vs height ratio
• Sensor resolution: resolution of the sensor
• Lens (type, focal): type of the lens (rectilinear or fisheye), real focal of the lens (rectilinear only)
• Optical multiplier: optional optical multiplier coef. (rectilinear only)

Plugins tab

• Configure...: button to configure each plugin

Data tab

• Data storage dir: set the directory where data file are written
• Data file: format to use for the output data file name. The final name is papywizard_<format>.xml
  • %(date)s: expands to start shooting date
  • %(time)s: expands to start shooting time
  • %(date_time)s: same as %(date)s_%(time)s
  • %(mode)s: expands to shooting mode (mosaic or preset)
• Enable: flag to enable the data file
• Title: title of the pano
• GPS: GPS informations of the pano
• Comment: comment on the pano

Timer tab

• Start after: delay to wait before starting
• Enable: switch to enable the Start after timer
• Repeat: number of repeats
• Enable: switch to enable the Repeat feature
• Repeat every: shoot panos every given time

Misc tab

• Logger level: level of informations to log

buttons

• OK: validate settings and close dialog
• Cancel: revert to previous settings and close dialog

Bluetooth dialog

This dialog shows the list of availabe bluetooth devices.

Shoot dialog

displays

• shooting scene: display the shooting position. Clicking on this area while paused set the next position to shoot
• text shooting area: display the shooting position in text mode
• sequence: display the current shooting sequence
• repeat counter: display the current repeat value
• elapsed time: display the shooting time and total elapsed time
• progress bar: shooting process progression (for current repeat and all repeats)

buttons

• Text: toggle text/gaphical shooting areas
• Rewind: while paused, rewind the next position to shoot
• Forward: while paused, forward the next position to shoot
• Data: direct access button to the Data tab of configuration dialog
• Timer: direct access button to the Timer tab of configuration dialog
• Step-by-step: if checked, each step (moving, shooting) will need to be validated use the Pause/Resume button
• Start: start shooting process
• Pause/Resume/Step: pause/resume/step shooting process
• Stop/Finish: stop shooting process/reset GUI state
• Close: close shooting dialog

Counter dialog

displays

• counter LCD: display the current shooting counter value

buttons

• Increase: increase the current shooting counter value
• Reset: reset the shooting counter value to the current one
• Decrease: decrease the current shooting counter value
• Trigger shutter: trigger the shutter after a little delay (5s)

Log dialog

buttons

• Clear Log: clear the log window
• Save Log: save the log to file (in the data storage dir)

Plugins

Plugins architecture is the main new feature of the 2.x branch. It is now very simple to support new hardware/tethered shooting programs.

Yaw/pitch axis plugins

Common

Common params for all yaw/axis plugins.

Main tab:

• Low limit: low limit for the axis
• High limit: high limit for the axis

Clauss

Special tab:

• Slow speed: percentage of maximum speed for the manual 'slow' speed
• Normal speed: percentage of maximum speed for the manual 'normal' speed
• Fast speed: percentage of maximum speed for the manual 'fast' speed
• Park position: position where to park the axis at shutdown

GigaPanBot

No additional params

Merlin-Orion

Hard tab:

• Alternate drive: external closed loop for small moves (faster than internal one)
• Alternate drive angle: alternate drive is engaged below this angle
• Inertia angle: angle from final position where to stop the motor before launching a final positionning

PixOrb

Main tab:

• Speed index: index for maximum speed table

Hard tab:

• Axis with break: Check if the axis has breaks
• Axis accuracy: the head won't move below this value

Panoduino

This plugins uses a Pololu Micro Maestro servo controller to drive a servo-based head.

Main tab:

• Speed: speed of the servo pulse change. Unit is µs/period (period default is 20ms)
• Acceleration: acceleration of the servo pulse change. Unit is µs/period² (period default is 20ms)

Servo tab:

• Channel: channel of the controller
• Direction: set the direction of the servo
• Angle for 1ms: angle the axis will move when the pulse changes 1ms
• Neutral position: used to set up the neutral position of the servo. Unit is µs
• Additional delay: delay to ensure the deceleration of the servo

Simulation

Main tab:

• Speed: speed of the axis

Shutter plugins

Clauss

Main tab:

• Time value: time to wait during shutter release
• Bulb: toggle shutter to Bulb mode (B)
• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting (do a first shutter release before real one)
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Trigger only once: trigger the shutter only once, but all bracketing picts are recorded in the xml data file

Hard tab:

• Pulse width high: time during the shutter contact is closed
• Pulse width low: time during the shutter contact remains low before next pulse high

Special tab:

• Auto focus: activate focus contact
• Focus time: time to maintain the focus contact
• Dual cameras: activate the dual camera mode
• Time between shots: delay to wait before triggering second camera

DSLR Remote Pro

Main tab:

• Program path: path to DSLRRemoteTest.exe program
• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting (NOT YET USED!!!)
• User exposure compensation list: list of exposure compensation values to used for bracketing (coma separated list; use as many values as you need)
• Dry run: if checked, don't actually execute the command

Camera tab:

• Output directory: directory where to put downloaded images
• File name prefix: images prefix
• Camera exposure compensation list: camera bracketing setting

Note: the DSLR Remote Pro GUI must be launched before using the plugin.

EOS Utility

Main tab:

• Program path: path to EOSBracket.exe program
• EOS Utility version: version of the EOS Utility program
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Bracketing step: exposure compensation value to use between 2 picts
• Bracketing type: order of compensation values
• Dry run: if checked, don't actually execute the command

Bulb tab:

• Enable: enable bulb mode
• Base exposure: exposure time

Focus tab:

• Enable: enable focus stacking mode
• Direction: focus stacking direction
• Step: focus stacking step
• Step count: ???
• Nb picts: number of times to release the shutter in focus stacking mode

Note: this plugin needs additional utility. See: ​forum discussion

Generic Tethered

Main tab:

• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting
• Mirror lockup command: command to use to lockup the mirror
• Shoot command: command to use to trigger the shutter
• Time value: total time to wait during shoot command

Params tab:

• Parameter 0: Additionnal param given to shoot command
• Parameter 1: Additionnal param given to shoot command
• Parameter 2: Additionnal param given to shoot command
• Parameter 3: Additionnal param given to shoot command
• Parameter 4: Additionnal param given to shoot command

GigaPanBot

Main tab:

• Time value: time to wait during shutter release
• Bulb: toggle shutter to Bulb mode (B)
• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting (do a first shutter release before real one)
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Trigger only once: trigger the shutter only once, but all bracketing picts are recorded in the xml data file

Hard tab:

• Pulse width high: time during the shutter contact is closed
• Pulse width low: time during the shutter contact remains low before next pulse high

Gphoto Bracket

Main tab:

• Program path: path to gphoto2 utility
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Bracketing step: exposure step to use between 2 picts
• Exposure bias: global exposure compensation to apply
• Resulting Ev list: list of Ev used (read only)
• Adanced: toggle the Advanced tab

Advanced tab:

• Bracketing nb picts (+): number of times to release the shutter for + exposures
• Bracketing step (+): exposure compensation value to use between 2 picts for + exposures
• Bracketing nb picts (-): number of times to release the shutter for - exposures
• Bracketing step (-): exposure compensation value to use between 2 picts for - exposures
• Exposure bias: global exposure compensation to apply
• Resulting Ev list: list of Ev used (read only)

Download tab:

• Enable: enable download operations
• Download directory: directory where to put downloaded picts
• Download after: choose when to download pictures (Each shot or Bracketing sequence)
• Delete camera picts: delete picts on the camera after download

Merlin-Orion

Main tab:

• Time value: time to wait during shutter release
• Bulb: toggle shutter to Bulb mode (B)
• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting (do a first shutter release before real one)
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Trigger only once: trigger the shutter only once, but all bracketing picts are recorded in the xml data file

Hard tab:

• Pulse width high: time during the shutter contact is closed
• Pulse width low: time during the shutter contact remains low before next pulse high

NK Remote

Same as DSLR Remote Pro plugin, but for Nikon cameras.

Panoduino

Main tab:

• Time value: time to wait during shutter release
• Bulb: toggle shutter to Bulb mode (B)
• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting (do a first shutter release before real one)
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Trigger only once: trigger the shutter only once, but all bracketing picts are recorded in the xml data file

Hard tab:

• Pulse width high: time during the shutter contact is closed
• Pulse width low: time during the shutter contact remains low before next pulse high

Servo tab:

• Channel: channel of the controller
• Shutter on: value to send to the pseudo-servo to close the contact. Unit is µs
• Shutter off: value to send to the pseudo-servo to open the contact. Unit is µs

PixOrb

Main tab:

• Time value: time to wait during shutter release
• Bulb: toggle shutter to Bulb mode (B)
• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting (do a first shutter release before real one)
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Trigger only once: trigger the shutter only once, but all bracketing picts are recorded in the xml data file

Hard tab:

• Pulse width high: time during the shutter contact is closed
• Pulse width low: time during the shutter contact remains low before next pulse high

Simulation

Main tab:

• Time value: time to wait during shutter release
• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting (do a first shutter release before real one)
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Trigger only once: trigger the shutter only once, but all bracketing picts are recorded in the xml data file

Timelord

Main tab:

• Program path: path to Timelord.exe program
• LRD file: path to .lrd config file

Ursa Minor BT2

Main tab:

• Time value: time to wait during shutter release
• Bulb: toggle shutter to Bulb mode (B)
• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting (do a first shutter release before real one)
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Trigger only once: trigger the shutter only once, but all bracketing picts are recorded in the xml data file

Hard tab:

• Pulse width high: time during the shutter contact is closed
• Pulse width low: time during the shutter contact remains low before next pulse high

Focus tab:

• Enable: enable the focus contact
• Pulse width: time during the focus contact remains high
• Maintain with shutter: The focus contact is maintained during the shutter pulse

Ursa Minor USB

Main tab:

• Time value: time to wait during shutter release
• Bulb: toggle shutter to Bulb mode (B)
• Mirror lockup: lockup the mirror before shooting (do a first shutter release before real one)
• Bracketing nb picts: number of times to release the shutter
• Trigger only once: trigger the shutter only once, but all bracketing picts are recorded in the xml data file

Hard tab:

• Pulse width high: time during the shutter contact is closed
• Pulse width low: time during the shutter contact remains low before next pulse high
• Trigger line: seria line to use to trigger the shutter
• Line inverted: invert trigger line active signal

Keyboard shortcuts

Papywizard main target is Nokia Internet Tablets, so keyboard shortcuts are dedicated for that plateform (but works fine with normal PC). Here are defined shortcuts:

• In main window:

Nokia	PC	Function
	End	Increase the manual speed
	Home	Decrease the manual speed
	Escape	Quit the application
Ctrl-q		Quit the application
Alt-F4		Quit the application
	F11	Toggle fullscreen mode

• In shooting dialog:

Nokia	PC	Function
	Escape	Stop/finish shooting - Return to main window

• In all dialogs:

Nokia	PC	Function
	F10	Show menu
	-	Standard maemo behaviour