Low Budget computer controlled camera motion

TXFilms · Post by **TXFilms** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:08 am

Hey, we are just starting work on our camera dolly here at TXFilms. We got the materials together, and it hit us. A couple stepper motors, a few step counters, and about 25 bucks worth of hardware, and my laptop with some serial control software (already have) and we could have a decent motion controlled camera.

What I need are ideas. Anything we should add. Anyone done this???
On the start track, we will be adding a stopper, and a step counter to detect the first position. So if the camera isnt at the first step, it will automatically search for home before it starts the shot.
Anything else?

U.S.Amateurfilmaker · Post by **U.S.Amateurfilmaker** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:59 am

OMG! Where did you learn to make all this stuff?

Epsilon · Post by **Epsilon** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 7:37 am

It's all just simple engineering. My pop builds these types of contraptions all the time for plasma cutting tables, robotic arms, and the such. You really do not stepper motors, in fact I would not use them. Extremely precise to the macromillimeter, however very slow. Plus they are quite noisy at faster speeds. I would try to find a larger, quiet motor or two from Ace Hardware or something like that. Steppers could get somewhat expensive for quiet ones.

You could create a simple program in QuickBasic or an equivilant to run the system. Stoppers won't burn out a stepper which is a definate plus. Actually, for steppers I would run a belt pulley system to move the tracks. Try not to pull an excessive amount of amperage from the motors. The simpler design, the better. And keep the system lightweight.

Why does this shot necessarily have to be computer controlled? Rather than remote control?

insert_coin · Post by **insert_coin** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 12:08 pm

Ok controlled pan and tilt motion ok easy... what would impress me is zoom controll or x y and z axis controlled movement... then your camera angles are limetless... oh and how about focus control too? then ill buy one off you

El Brenty · Post by **El Brenty** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 12:46 pm

You could do the whole thing with pneumatics, even the control unit.

Truggy · Post by **Truggy** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 5:52 pm

How bout just put rollar blades on the bottom of your tripod....roll it around that way

seantree · Post by **seantree** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 5:21 pm

this sounds great. keep us updated.

John Groshko · Post by **John Groshko** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 7:40 pm

I'm going to start building a motion control camera mount somtime next mouth using wind-sheil wipper motors. It won't be as adavanced as the one TXFilms is going to build; but it will be very simple to operate and precise. It will only be able to pan and tilt. I'll post pics when I'm done.

My advice; Keep it simple. To more complex somthing is, the more that can go wrong.

U.S.Amateurfilmaker · Post by **U.S.Amateurfilmaker** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 2:42 am

Epsilon wrote: You could create a simple program in QuickBasic or an equivilant to run the system

QB? Would that even work for something like that? Just started programming in Q and I can't even imaging programming it to do something that meticulous, especially when you factor in modern hardware and the 1990 copyright date of Q!

. Even if you did manage, that would certainly be a challenge to write.

Epsilon · Post by **Epsilon** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 7:30 am

Naw! We got a robotic arm programmed to remember and pick up objects in QB 7 years ago. Then we took it to school for demonstration for all the students. The program doesn't run in Windows so life is a lot simpler!

Actually, for the camera control, Servo motors would probably be the best, rather than steppers. I thought about it and I do not think that you can pull enough power through a stepper with out it slipping and having to constantly calibrate it.

Themovieman44 · Post by **Themovieman44** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 7:32 am

wow that is awesome someone needs to post a tutorial for this stuff, and dont tell me to search the forum lol, I looked nothing there!

TXFilms · Post by **TXFilms** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 6:11 am

Good idea. We will probably go with servos. The computer control is easy. We already have "Louie". Its a waist up robot with mouth(open/close), eyes (open/close), head (turn left, turn right, up, and down) and a single arm up and down all controlled through the printer port of the laptop with a C++ program. It can also recieve info, so if you record while you move him by hand, he will "Play back" the motions. Same thing I want to do with the camera. Be able to record a set of movements, and then play them back at any location.

Epsilon · Post by **Epsilon** » Thu Apr 01, 2004 6:40 am

Are you going to program "Louie" to hold the camera!?

dougscar56 · Post by **dougscar56** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 1:10 pm

In order for this to REALLY be of any great value, the motion control, has to be EXTREAMLY accurate. Motion control is used for filming shots over and over for compositing and such. The reason you would use motion control is so that you could film the same thing over and over again, and have the camera be in the EXACT SAME SPOT each time! If this is a workable medium, I would definetly look into it myself, I'm planning on doing some heavy compositing, modeling ect...

Epsilon · Post by **Epsilon** » Mon Apr 05, 2004 8:59 pm

I was thinking TXFilms just wanted smooth camera movement, not necessarily accuracy for repeated captures. For something of the stature, I would build a crane system designed just for that. Like if you see what they put togther for Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps, they did just that.