Canon Plugin beta 0.99

[TVPaint]

Hi all,
Please find below the 0.99 version of the Ixus and Powershot Canon plugin for Windows.
This plugin allows you to grab Hi-Res pictures from your Canon digital camera.
Since we couldn't test it with all the digital camera available on the market, thank you for reporting in the replies the camera product ID and if it worked (or not).

As far as we know, it works fine on the Ixus 1, Ixus 2, Ixus 3, Powershot A95.

[ZigOtto]

here's briefly the way to use the Canon Plugin with TVPA :

* previously required :

- the canon driver of your camera correctly installed in your system, (Windows only at this time),
- a compatible canon camera (see the list zipped in the file) powered and plugged to your computer (usb connected)
- set your camera in "playback" mode, (not in "shooting" mode, to be able to drive it via the computer)

how to use it :

- launch TVPA, open the Video Grab panel (menu Windows/Video Grabber),
- in the device list, choose your Canon camera (if other devices are listed),
- hit "settings" to access the second panel, in which you have to adjust your grab settings
- choose "apply in current Layer", so it will append the new image just after the current one,
- when it looks fine in the little preview, hit "Grab input", a sound ring out when it's done.
(see pict.1)

tips :

a) to preview the next-to-shoot image (low-res. finder preview) over your last grabbed frame,
enable the [V] button, and tweak the mix (video/current-frame) value, (see pict.2)

b) to preview your begining animation using the LightTable, set the Layer opacity to half (or a bit less),
set the previous frame color to "none", and tweak the level sliders of the 1, 2, 3, ...5, 6 previous frames
to make them visible, (see pict.3)

of course, you can use a) = display with video, and b) = LighTable enable simultaneously.

c)recommended: always close your Video Grabber panels before to quit TVPA.
hope it will help someones around here.

in French :

en bref ci-dessous la marche à suivre pour démarrer avec le Canon-Plugin et TVPA :

* conditions préalablement requises :

- le pilote canon de votre appareil numérique duement installé dans votre système (Windows uniquement à ce jour)
- un appareil canon compatible (voir liste jointe dans le fichier zippé) alimenté et connecté au port usb de votre ordi,
- mettez l'appareil en mode "lecture", (pas en mode "prise de vue", pour pouvoir le piloter depuis l'ordi),

comment ça marche (spécial dédicace to M. Chevalet):

- Lancer TVPA, ouvrir l'interface "Aquisition Vidéo", (menu Fenêtres/Aquisition Vidéo),
- dans la liste "périphériques", s'assurer que l'on a bien l'APN canon sélectionné (si d'autres périph. présents)
- cliquer "Réglages" pour ouvrir la seconde fenêtre dans laquelle vous allez pouvoir modifier vos réglages,
- sélectionner "Destination/calque courant" ainsi l'image acquise sera ajoutée à la suite de l'image courante,
dans le même calque d'animation,
- quand limage dans votre mini-preview vous semble satisfaisante, cliquer "Acquérir l'Image"
(ou "Entrée de l'Aquisition" pfff...), un son retentira dés que l'image a été prise et transmise. (voir pict.1)

conseils pratiques :

a) pour afficher l'image à prendre (le retour de l'écran de controle de l'appareil) en surimpression
par dessus la dernière image prise, activer le bouton [V], et ajuster la valeur % "Mixage" (video entrante/image courante)
(voir pict.2)

b) pour voir le début de l'anim en utilisant la table lumineuse, régler l'opacité du calque à 50% (ou moins),
sélectionner dans la fenêtre Table lumineuse l'option "colorisation avant" = Image, et ajuster les curseurs
de niveau de transparence des 1, 2, 3, ... images précédentes que vous souhaitez rendre apparentes.
(see pict.3)

bien sûr, vous pouvez cumuler a) = la vidéo mixée à l'image courante et b) = l'aperçu via la Table lumineuse des images précédentes,

c) il est recommendé, une fois la session d'aquisition terminée, de fermer les 2 fenêtres d'aquisition vidéo
avant de quitter le programme TVPA.

voilà, les Trnka, Aardmam et autre Tim Burton en herbe, à vos souris ...
et n'oubliez pas de poster vos oeuvres dans la users Gallery!

ps : ceci n'est pas un tutorial, loin s'en faut, juste un mini coup-de-pouce pour ceux
et celles qui pourraient en avoir besoin pour se mettre le pied à l'étrier.

[fabrice_]

Hi all,
Please find below the 0.99 version of the Ixus and Powershot Canon plugin for Windows.
This plugin allows you to grab Hi-Res pictures from your Canon digital camera.
Since we couldn't test it with all the digital camera available on the market, thank you for reporting in the replies the camera product ID and if it worked (or not).

As far as we know, it works fine on the Ixus 1, Ixus 2, Ixus 3, Powershot A95.

A friend of me has just bought an EOS canon digital camera.
I should be able to make quick tests in the future.

[ZigOtto]

A friend of me has just bought an EOS canon digital camera.
I should be able to make quick tests in the future.

afaik, EOS serie are not yet supported, sorry for your friend.

The Stop Motions Plugin supports the Canon cameras shown below.

PowerShot A10, PowerShot A20, PowerShot A30, PowerShot A40,
PowerShot A60, PowerShot A70, PowerShot A75, PowerShot A80,
PowerShot A85, PowerShot A95
PowerShot A100, PowerShot A200, PowerShot A300, PowerShot A310,
PowerShot A400
PowerShot S10, PowerShot S20, PowerShot S30, PowerShot S40,
PowerShot S45, PowerShot S50, PowerShot S60, PowerShot S70
PowerShot S100, IXY DIGITAL, DIGITAL IXUS,
PowerShot S110, IXY DIGITAL 200, DIGITAL IXUS v,
PowerShot S200, IXY DIGITAL 200a, DIGITAL IXUS v2,
PowerShot S230, IXY DIGITAL 320, DIGITAL IXUS v3,
PowerShot S300, IXY DIGITAL 300, DIGITAL IXUS 300,
PowerShot S330, IXY DIGITAL 300a, DIGITAL IXUS 330,
PowerShot S400, IXY DIGITAL 400, DIGITAL IXUS 400,
PowerShot SD100, IXY DIGITAL 30, DIGITAL IXUS II,
PowerShot SD10, IXY DIGITAL L, DIGITAL IXUS i,
PowerShot SD110, IXY DIGITAL 30a, DIGITAL IXUS IIs,
PowerShot S410, IXY DIGITAL 450, DIGITAL IXUS 430,
PowerShot S500, IXY DIGITAL 500, DIGITAL IXUS 500,
PowerShot SD20, IXY DIGITAL L2, DIGITAL IXUS I5,
PowerShot SD200, IXY DIGITAL 40, DIGITAL IXUS 30,
PowerShot SD300, IXY DIGITAL 50, DIGITAL IXUS 40,
PowerShot G1, PowerShot G2, PowerShot G3, PowerShot G5,
PowerShot G6,
PowerShot Pro90 IS,
PowerShot S1 IS, PowerShot Pro1

The EOS class of digital cameras are not supported.

[malcooning]

nowadays I'm doing some rostrum work, and I have to find ways of animating hi-res. I'm finding that, as it sands, there are no simple solutions to the issue of camera previews as of yet, apart from the one here. Even in aardman, I believe they are using SLR camera with a little camera installed in the viewfinder to provide them with the live preview.
If you develop this plugin to work with most Canon SLR cameras (which is, I think, the most popular brand for use because of it's good-lens-cheap-price) you'll have the most powerful tool for stop-frame animation (and rostrum work. but who does rostrum nowadays?) in the market.

I actaully don't know if a live preview is possible with SLR cameras, but if it is, it's not much to add to the list, the few pro-sumer cameras available.

Fabrice - do you have any EOS cameras added to the plugin since November by any chance?

[fabrice_]

Fabrice - do you have any EOS cameras added to the plugin since November by any chance?

sorry no
if I remember well what Patrice explained me, EOS cameras and Mac support were not introduced in the Canon SDK that TVPaint received.

[malcooning]

I'm trying the plugin with a powershot G6, and I find:

1. it is not working in Windows Vista, alhough the camera is installed correctly. I've tried both TVPaint, and Pro.

2. when I used it (in XP) I found that the lack of manual focus via the interface resulted in many of the pictures blurry (the AF of this camera is quite bad so when there was no obvious object in the center of the image it couldn't focus right).

3. The zoom slider is a good thing, but it needs more subtle changes, maybe a numerical input.

[ZigOtto]

... when I used it (in XP) I found that the lack of manual focus via the interface resulted in many of the pictures blurry
(the AF of this camera is quite bad so when there was no obvious object in the center of the image it couldn't focus right).

thanks for coming here and supporting my old request posted on the "kitchen" side, few months ago

...
- a Lock/Unlock AF button, the AutoFocus should be lockable to stay "disable" during all a session,
- mode Macro On/Off button (usefull f.i. when you have to shoot small drawings)
...

and yes, it's painfull to loose the focus as soon as the drawing is located more in the edges area than in the center.
to get rid of that, the only way I've found actually is, when nothing drawn in the middle,
to put a wire paper clip near the center of the paper sheet (see pict.), but require an extra step
to remove it after (freehand-fill in panto mode). tedious, I must confess...
that said, I won't blame TVP developpers so much, because it seems the Canon driver is not complete,
neither perfect itself ... as exemple, I can't use "AF memorisation" in "Macro = On" mode ... (see gif) .

[bayaka]

hi, Why the zip files is empty?


" Windows alert" le dossier n'est pas valide.
(windows vista)

thanks

[malcooning]

The zip is corrupt.
But there's no need for it as a newer version of this plugin have been embedded into TVP