Arduino - timelapse-slider

by Jannik Beyerstedt from Hamburg, Germany
jannikbeyerstedt.de | Github
license: GNU GPL v3

Software Documentation

This readme contains the introduction of the project, changelog and the user manual for the code/ software. Check also the "hardware_readme.md" and "electronics_readme.md".

Introduction

I'm beginning shooting time lapses with my DSLR camera and wanted to have a slider for more interesting camera movements in my time lapses. So I began to write some code for the Arduino UNO board to control a stepper motor and the trigger of my camera. To control this little thing I will use three buttons and two 7 digit displays.

You can find photos I made and in the future also videos on my website jannikbeyerstedt.de.

User Manual

general information

1. the total slide time influences the sliding speed!

step by step guide

1. switch on power
2. The software initializes
   1. give it the starting point (left or right)
3. choose mode: interval trigger (interval), timelapse slide (slide), movie (continuous)
4. manual control (all modes the same)
   1. move carriage with plus and minus buttons
5. at interval trigger mode (it´s an interval trigger only)
   1. set trigger interval
   2. set direction
   3. push enter to begin
   4. end with enter -> back to step 4
6. at timelapse slide mode (interval trigger and carriage movement)
   1. set total slide time
   2. set direction
   3. set trigger interval
   4. push enter to begin
   5. it´ll end if time is elapsed or endstop hit -> back to step 4
   6. or abort by clicking enter -> back to step 4
7. at movie mode (no trigger, only carriage movement)
   1. set total movement time
   2. set direction
   3. push enter to begin
   4. it´ll end if time is elapsed or endstop hit -> back to step 4
   5. or abort by clicking enter -> back to step 4
8. change mode by reconnecting power or resetting the arduino

Symbols:

• In -> interval mode
• SL -> slider mode
• co -> movie mode (continuous)
• dr -> set total time (drive)
• In -> set trigger interval
• ┌ ┐ -> moving carriage
• -> triggering camera
• – – -> waiting for next triggering (interval trigger mode only)
• . -> idle/ manual drive possible

Setup Manual

This will explain the options that can be set in the config.h file. But it´s quite well commented in the file itself as well.
more follows soon / mehr folgt bald

what should the software do?

in general

• input values: time to slide the whole slider, slide direction, trigger interval
• have a stop button to escape the slide
• trigger the camera
• stop the slide at triggering the camera
• tree buttons as inputs (plus, minus, enter)
• drive two 8-bit shift registers for the displays
• drive a stepper motor (via stepper motor driver IC)

additional in version 1.0

• movie mode with constant velocity
• (more or less) smart symbols on the display indicating the direction, current mode and errors

additional in version 2.0

• INFO: movie and interval mode are disabeled until ready in v2.1
• coded as finite state machine
• 3 modes for timelapse, timelapse with slider, movie
• virtual endstops
• steps are done in the background
  • faster stepping possible
  • more responsive exit from slide
• set initial carriage position
• remember last settings (start at last entered number for slideTime, etc.)
• better virtual endstop methods
• some extensive serial prints can be disabled
• functionality for pure interval triggering added

additional in version 2.1

• functionality for movie mode

Changelog

• 1.0.1:

  • setSlideTime=0 will get an division through 0 in the calculation which causes malfunction (because stepsPerInterval will be 0)
  • corrected the calculation of the stepsPerInterval at high speed / setSlideTime < 3 / calculated stepsPerSecond < than the highest possible speed

• 1.0.2:

  • little modification at big slide times

• 2.0 beta1 :

  • INFO: movie and interval mode are disabeled until ready in v2.1
  • all new rewritten version. New software concept and it´s C++ now.
  • 3 modes for timelapse, timelapse with slider, movie
  • classes for:
    • the slider (carriage)
    • the stepper motort
    • the buttons
  • display.h restructured and enhanced:
    • "dynamic" calcualtion of the symbols
    • new function for symbols only
    • number function does ONLY numbers now
    • number function can do negative numbers up to -9
  • enter start position (for virtual endstops)
  • move carriage with plus and minus buttons (for position counting)

• 2.0.1:

  • remember last settings (start at last entered number for slideTime, etc.)
  • better virtual endstop methods
  • some extensive serial prints can be disabled
  • functionality for pure interval triggering added
  • several bugfixes

• 2.1.0:

  • movie mode added

• TODO:

  • add a state machine documentation