Camera Paddle/Trigger/Ch7

yarrr · Nov 28, 2018

This may be an easy one- trying to get the camera paddle to trigger a 'camera' (as in this thread) but I'm missing something.

In Mission Planner CH7 can be set as camera trigger, but CH6 isn't an option in the full parameter list.

Can the paddle be re-assigned to anything other than CH6? Or can CH6 be set as camera? (Changing 'Shutter' to SERVO6 on the gimbal tab doesn't work).

Pedals2Paddles · Nov 28, 2018

Are you asking if pushing in the paddle button can trigger the shutter of a camera other than the GoPro? This is something I will add to open solo. But in the meantime, you can try this out. I believe this code will do the trick. You need to put this in GoProManager.py at this location: OpenSolo/shotmanager. Insert it as shown in the code snippet below I just wrote, between the existing logger and existing return. If you're unfamilar with handling python code, indenting, etc, I will take care of it tonight or tomorrow regardless.

Putting this code in that spot will trigger the mavlink command for shutter control when there is no GoPro connected.

Python:

logger.log("[gopro]: handleRecordCommand called but GoPro is not connected") 
## INSERT BELOW #################
shutterMsg = self.shotMgr.vehicle.message_factory.command_long_encode(
                0, 1,                                          # target system, target component
                mavutil.mavlink.MAV_CMD_DO_DIGICAM_CONTROL,    # command
                0,          # confirmation
                0,0,0,0,    # param 1-4 not used
                1,          # param 5 trigger shutter
                0,0         # param 6-7 not used
            )
self.shotMgr.vehicle.send_mavlink(shutterMsg)
## INSERT ABOVE ####################
return

yarrr · Nov 28, 2018

Yes- exactly, I'd like to use the paddle button for other cameras.

I'm not familiar with Python, so I'll look for an OpenSolo update later.

Thanks much!

yarrr · Dec 1, 2018

Tried inserting this code into the .py file at /user/bin on the vehicle as directed, but it didn't seem to change any functionality.

Admittedly I know nothing about Python syntax, but curious if others can get it to work.

just_bruce · Dec 1, 2018

You'll need to detail what you did, and how you know there was no change in functionality - i.e. what is your setup ?

yarrr · Dec 2, 2018

Setup is a QX1, triggered via mav by a Drotag (in this thread).

I downloaded GoProManager.py, edited in Idle, and uploaded back to the Solo.

The camera can still be triggered via Mission Planner (do_digicam). But, as before, it cannot be triggered by the paddle button.

fpvsteve · Dec 2, 2018

yarrr said:
Setup is a QX1, triggered via mav by a Drotag (in this thread).

I downloaded GoProManager.py, edited in Idle, and uploaded back to the Solo.

The camera can still be triggered via Mission Planner (do_digicam). But, as before, it cannot be triggered by the paddle button.

You need to reboot Solo after you made changes to any of the .py files.
Also, please check for any syntax and line indent errors.
Reboot Solo, SSH in and have a look at the shotlog file. There you should see the the logger.log status message of Matt’s code above after you pressed the trigger.

Pedals2Paddles · Dec 2, 2018

Also look in 3dr-solo.log and python-stderr.log files, where you will see any errors logged. If you can post a screenshot of the file with your changes, that would help.

yarrr · Dec 3, 2018

Ok, per the python-stderr.log, I seem to have an unexpected indent.

Any tips on where that would be?

JonB · Dec 3, 2018

@yarrr
Initial look on my file I've got the 's' in shutterMsg directly under the 'l' in logger.log and the 's' in self.shotMgr directly above 'r' in return

The middle lines with 0, mavutil, 1. I have directly under 'f' in self.shotMgr
Seems to be okay when I use the Run, check module in Idle.

However it still doesn't fire my Sony RX0 using the Gimbal button on the controller.

JonB · Dec 3, 2018

@yarrr
This is copy of mine.

I'm a bit of a rookie at this. I've recently soldered up wires for channels 6,7,8. connected a seagull rec to a Sony RX0. Initially connected channel 7 but after seeing this thread connected channel 6. I've got it all working on Solex - liveview, camera trigger and video record. It also works with Mission Planner - Actions, Trigger camera, Do Action. For Mission Planner, Camera Gimbal, shutter I have 'shutter pushed' at 1600 and 'Not pushed' at 1300
I haven't changed any of the parameters in 'Mission Planner' 'config/tuning' full parameters.
It would be really useful if the gimbal trigger on the controller would work. I'm hoping it's something simple that I've missed.

JonB · Dec 3, 2018

Success
I've found that if I hold the gimbal paddle button for the first vibration and then re-push the button it triggers the camera. Many thanks Pedals2Paddles

JonB · Dec 3, 2018

Update
Cleared the values in Mission Planner, Camera Gimbal, Shutter, Servo Limits and the camera now triggers with a single push of the gimbal paddle button.

yarrr · Dec 4, 2018

Up and running as well! For whatever reason JonB's py file didn't work right away, but recopying the code into the original gopromanager did.

Awesome, thanks for the help all!

yarrr · Apr 24, 2019

@Pedals2Paddles

Quick question- is this change to GoProManager.py now current in OpenSolo? Trying to get this set up on a different vehicle, and the paddle trigger wasn't working right away; nor after I uploaded the .py that I edited on a different Solo back in December.

Pedals2Paddles · Apr 25, 2019

I knew there was something else related to the camera I wanted to do in the code. This will be in the Open Solo 4. I was really hoping ArduCopter would get 3.7 into beta by now, and I would use that in Open Solo 4. But that seems to be taking a long time so I might just get something put together with 3.7-dev and it will be a little more beta than a normal beta

yarrr · Jan 23, 2020

Pedals2Paddles said:
I knew there was something else related to the camera I wanted to do in the code. This will be in the Open Solo 4. I was really hoping ArduCopter would get 3.7 into beta by now, and I would use that in Open Solo 4. But that seems to be taking a long time so I might just get something put together with 3.7-dev and it will be a little more beta than a normal beta

Just updated to ArduCopter 4.0-RC3 - long press on the paddle doesn't trigger camera. Confirmed that "trigger now" works great in Mission Planner for my CH7. Do I need to go back to the GoProManager.py? Thanks!

Pedals2Paddles · Jan 23, 2020

Long pressing the paddle is not supposed to trigger the camera. Why would it? The camera is triggered by just a normal single press of the button, unchanged. If a GoPro is not connected, it will trigger the ArduCopter camera trigger instead.

yarrr · Jan 23, 2020

Pedals2Paddles said:
Long pressing the paddle is not supposed to trigger the camera. Why would it? The camera is triggered by just a normal single press of the button, unchanged. If a GoPro is not connected, it will trigger the ArduCopter camera trigger instead.

Correct- what I actually want is just a normal, single press of the button. Mispoke by saying long press.

Earlier in this thread, I had to actually manually modify the python code to get that to work.

I'm hearing you say that should no longer be necessary, but now the question becomes why wouldn't the cam trigger be working from the transmitter?