The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Category: Photography & Images

Taking & making images.

  • Copying Action Camera Video Files: Now With Arrays

    Copying Action Camera Video Files: Now With Arrays

    Using Bash arrays is an exercise in masochism, but I got to recycle most of the oddities from the previous script, so it wasn’t a dead loss.

    The cameras use individually unique / screwy / different filesystem layouts, so the script must have individual code to both copy the file and decapitalize the file extensions. This prevents using a single tidy function, although laying out the code in case statements keyed by the camera name helps identify what’s going on.

    My previous approach identified the MicroSD cards by their UUIDs, which worked perfectly right up until the camera reformats the card while recovering from a filesystem crash and installs a randomly generated UUID. Because there’s no practical way to modify an existing UUID on a VFAT drive, I’m switching to the volume label as needed:

    #-- action cameras and USB video storage
    UUID=B40C6DD40C6D9262	/mnt/video	ntfs	user,noauto,uid=ed	0	0
    UUID=B257-AE02		/mnt/Fly6	vfat	user,noauto,uid=ed	0	0
    #UUID=0000-0001		/mnt/M20	vfat	user,noauto,uid=ed	0	0
    UUID=3339-3338		/mnt/M20	vfat	user,noauto,uid=ed	0	0
    LABEL=AS30V		/mnt/AS30V	exfat	user,noauto,uid=ed	0	0
    LABEL=C100-0001		/mnt/C100_1	vfat	user,noauto,uid=ed	0	0
    LABEL=C100-0002		/mnt/C100_2	vfat	user,noauto,uid=ed	0	0
    UUID=0050-0001		/mnt/M50	vfat	user,noauto,uid=ed	0	0
    

    In particular, note the two UUIDs for the M20 camera: there’s a crash and reformat in between those two lines. The two C100 cameras started out with labels because the M20 taught me the error of my ways.

    The script simply iterates through a list array of the cameras and tries to mount the corresponding MicroSD card for each one: the mount points are cleverly chosen to match the camera names in the array. Should the mount succeeds, an asynchronous rsync then slurps the files onto the bulk video drive.

    With all the rsync operations running, the script waits for all of them to complete before continuing. I don’t see much point in trying to identify which rsync just finished and fix up its files while the others continue to run, so the script simply stalls in a loop until everything is finished.

    All in all, the script scratches my itch and, if naught else, can serve as a Bad Example™ of how to get the job done.

    A picture to keep WordPress from reminding me that readers respond positively to illustrated posts:

    A pleasant day for a ride - 2023-06-01
    A pleasant day for a ride – 2023-06-01

    Ride on!

    The Bash script as a GitHub Gist:

    #!/bin/bash
    # This uses too many bashisms for dash
    source /etc/os-release
    echo 'Running on' $PRETTY_NAME
    if [[ "$PRETTY_NAME" == *Manjaro* ]] ; then
    ren='perl-rename'
    dm='sudo dmesg'
    elif [[ "$PRETTY_NAME" == *Ubuntu* ]] ; then
    ren='rename'
    dm='dmesg'
    else
    echo 'New distro to me:' $PRETTY_NAME
    echo ' … which rename command is valid?'
    exit
    fi
    echo Check for good SD card spin-up
    $dm | tail -50
    echo … Ctrl-C to bail out and fix / Enter to proceed
    read junk
    thisdate=$(date –rfc-3339=date)
    echo Date: $thisdate
    # MicroSD / readers / USB drive defined in fstab
    # … with UUID or PARTID as appropriate
    echo Mounting bulk video drive
    sudo mount /mnt/video
    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    echo '** Cannot mount video storage drive'
    exit
    fi
    # Show starting space available
    df -h /mnt/video
    # list the cameras
    declare -a cams=( AS30V Fly6 M20 M50 C100_1 C100_2 )
    declare -A targets=( \
    [AS30V]=/mnt/video/AS30V/$thisdate \
    [Fly6]=/mnt/video/Fly6/DCIM \
    [M20]=/mnt/video/M20/$thisdate \
    [M50]=/mnt/video/M50/$thisdate \
    [C100_1]=/mnt/video/C100_1/$thisdate \
    [C100_2]=/mnt/video/C100_2/$thisdate \
    )
    declare -A PIDs
    declare -A Copied
    echo Iterating through cameras: ${cams[*]}
    Running=0
    for cam in ${cams[*]} ; do
    printf "\nProcessing: $cam\n"
    mpt="/mnt/$cam"
    target=${targets[$cam]}
    sudo mount $mpt
    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
    echo " Start $cam transfer from $mpt"
    echo " Make target directory: $target"
    mkdir $target
    case $cam in
    ( AS30V )
    rsync -ahu –progress –exclude "*THM" $mpt/MP_ROOT/100ANV01/ $target &
    ;;
    ( Fly6 )
    rsync -ahu –progress $mpt /mnt/video &
    ;;
    ( M20 )
    n=$( ls $mpt/DCIM/Photo/* 2> /dev/null | wc -l )
    if [ $n -gt 0 ] ; then
    echo " copy M20 photos first"
    rsync -ahu –progress $mpt/DCIM/Photo/ $target
    fi
    echo " cmd: rsync -ahu –progress $mpt/DCIM/Movie/ $target"
    rsync -ahu –progress $mpt/DCIM/Movie/ $target &
    ;;
    ( M50 )
    n=$( ls $mpt/DCIM/PHOTO/* 2> /dev/null | wc -l )
    if [ $n -gt 0 ] ; then
    echo " copy M50 photos first"
    rsync -ahu –progress $mpt/DCIM/PHOTO/ $target
    fi
    rsync -ahu –progress $mpt/DCIM/MOVIE/ $target &
    ;;
    ( C100_1 | C100_2 )
    n=$( ls $mpt/DCIM/Photo/* 2> /dev/null | wc -l )
    if [ $n -gt 0 ] ; then
    echo " copy $cam photos first"
    rsync -ahu –progress $mpt/DCIM/Photo/ $target
    fi
    rsync -ahu –progress $mpt/DCIM/Movie/ $target &
    ;;
    ( * )
    printf "\n**** Did not find $cam in list!\n"
    ;;
    esac
    PIDs[$cam]=$!
    echo " PID for $cam: " "${PIDs[$cam]}"
    Copied[$cam]=1
    (( Running++ ))
    else
    echo " skipping $cam"
    Copied[$cam]=0
    fi
    done
    printf "\n—– Waiting for all rsync terminations\n"
    echo PIDs: "${PIDs[*]}"
    if [ $Running -eq 0 ] ; then
    echo No rsyncs started, force error
    rcsum=9999
    else
    rcsum=0
    while [ $Running -gt 0 ] ; do
    echo " waiting: $Running"
    wait -n -p PID
    rc=$?
    rcsum=$(( rcsum+$rc ))
    echo RC for $PID: $rc
    (( Running– ))
    done
    echo All rsyncs finished
    fi
    if [ $rcsum -eq 0 ] ; then
    echo '—– Final cleanups'
    for cam in ${cams[*]} ; do
    if [ "${Copied[$cam]}" -eq 1 ] ; then
    echo Cleanup for: $cam
    mpt=/mnt/$cam
    target=${targets[$cam]}
    echo Target dir: $target
    case $cam in
    ( Fly6 )
    find $target -name \*AVI -print0 | xargs -0 $ren -v -f 's/AVI/avi/'
    rm -rf $mpt/DCIM/*
    ;;
    ( AS30V )
    find $target -name \*MP4 -print0 | xargs -0 $ren -v -f 's/MP4/mp4/'
    rm $mpt/MP_ROOT/100ANV01/*
    ;;
    ( M50 )
    find $target -name \*MP4 -print0 | xargs -0 $ren -v -f 's/MP4/mp4/'
    rm $mpt/DCIM/MOVIE/*
    n=$( ls $mpt/DCIM/PHOTO/* 2> /dev/null | wc -l )
    if [ $n -gt 0 ] ; then
    echo placeholder $cam
    rm $mpt/DCIM/PHOTO/*
    fi
    ;;
    ( * )
    find $target -name \*MP4 -print0 | xargs -0 $ren -v -f 's/MP4/mp4/'
    find $target -name \*JPG -print0 | xargs -0 $ren -v -f 's/JPG/jpg/'
    rm $mpt/DCIM/Movie/*
    n=$( ls $mpt/DCIM/Photo/* 2> /dev/null | wc -l )
    if [ $n -gt 0 ] ; then
    echo placeholder $cam
    rm $mpt/DCIM/Photo/*
    fi
    ;;
    esac
    sudo umount $mpt
    else
    echo No cleanup for: $cam
    fi
    done
    echo '—– Space remaining on video drive'
    df -h /mnt/video
    sudo umount /mnt/video
    date
    echo Done!
    else
    echo Whoopsie! Total RC: $rcsum
    fi

  • Going About Their Daily Affairs

    Going About Their Daily Affairs

    The fox caught what looks like a small groundhog for supper:

    IM_00307 - Fox with supper - 2023-05-25
    IM_00307 – Fox with supper – 2023-05-25

    The tom turkeys have been forming and re-forming their groups:

    IM_00178 - Turkey parade - 2023-05-24
    IM_00178 – Turkey parade – 2023-05-24

    The gray cat may have spotted breakfast out there in the yard:

    IM_00112 - Gray Cat - 2023-05-23
    IM_00112 – Gray Cat – 2023-05-23

    We haven’t seen a raccoon stand up like this before, so something must be very interesting out there:

    IM_00089 - Standing raccoon - 2023-05-27
    IM_00089 – Standing raccoon – 2023-05-27

    Off to its far right, Mary had fertilized a new pepper planting, which evidently smelled good enough to motivate vigorous digging. None of the plants sustained damage, despite being tossed around, but dexterous paws were surely involved!

  • Chipmunk Sprint Speed

    Chipmunk Sprint Speed

    The trail camera caught a chipmunk with cheek pouches stuffed full of maple seeds:

    Chipmunk Run - 0042
    Chipmunk Run – 0042

    The critter evidently heard something, as it froze in position for some seconds, then launched toward its burrow somewhere on the left:

    Chipmunk Run - 0047
    Chipmunk Run – 0047

    Whatever it heard must have been terrifying:

    Chipmunk Run - 0053
    Chipmunk Run – 0053

    It covered 2 m across the camera field in 1/2 s (15 frames at 30 f/s) for an average speed of 4 m/s = 9 mph from launch.

    A slide show for your edification:

    • Chipmunk Run - 0042
    • Chipmunk Run - 0045
    • Chipmunk Run - 0047
    • Chipmunk Run - 0053
    • Chipmunk Run - 0058
    • Chipmunk Run - 0059
    • Chipmunk Run - 0060
    • Chipmunk Run - 0061
    • Chipmunk Run - 0062

    We know this chipmunk as “Stumpy”, because of its half-length tail, and think it has considerable motivation for outstanding speed.

    Tail high, little one!

  • Tour Easy: Another SJCAM C100+ Mount

    Tour Easy: Another SJCAM C100+ Mount

    Eight years of progress in the action camera world gets you from a rather expensive Cycliq Fly6:

    Tour Easy - Fly6 image
    Tour Easy – Fly6 image

    To an SJCAM C100+ camera costing the better part of fifty bucks on closeout:

    Tour Easy - C100 image
    Tour Easy – C100 image

    The camera is mounted on the side of the seat frame on Mary’s Tour Easy:

    Tour Easy C100 mount - side rail
    Tour Easy C100 mount – side rail

    The slightly tilted picture comes from the frame rail’s incline. My C100+ camera mounts on the horizontal part of the rail:

    Tour Easy C100 mount - rear rail
    Tour Easy C100 mount – rear rail

    As expected, the internal battery does not last for our usual hour-long rides, so the cameras now operate in “car mode”: recording starts when we plug in the USB battery pack and stops shortly after unplugging.

    I started with the waterproof case on my bike:

    Tour Easy - SJCAM C100 mount - installed
    Tour Easy – SJCAM C100 mount – installed

    Which (obviously) does not allow for an external battery, so they’re now in the “frame” mount. The hatch covering the MicroSD card and USB Micro-B connector (and a Reset button!) is on the bottom of the camera, but (fortunately) the whole affair mounts up-side-down and the settings include an image flip mode.

    Putting the camera on the side required changing the mount angle from -20° to +35°:

    SJCAM C100 Mount - 35 degree solid model
    SJCAM C100 Mount – 35 degree solid model

    The ergonomics / user interface of this whole setup is terrible:

    • The camera’s flexible hatch is recessed inside the frame far enough that it cannot be opened without using a small & sharp screwdriver
    • The USB jack is slightly off-center, so lining the plug up with the camera body doesn’t align it with the jack
    • The MicroSD card is in a push-to-release socket, but its raised ridge faces the hatch flap and cannot be reached by a fingernail. I added a small tab that helps, but it’s difficult to grasp.

    Extracting the video files from the camera through the app is an exercise in frustration. Having already figured out how to do this for the other cameras in the fleet, it’s easier to fumble with the MicroSD card.

    I devoutly hope we never really need any of the videos.

  • HW Bucked Lithium AA Cells

    HW Bucked Lithium AA Cells

    The trail camera uses two parallel banks of four series AA cells to get enough oomph for its IR floodlight. I’m not convinced using bucked lithium AA cells in that configuration is a Good Idea, but it’s worth investigating.

    These are labeled HW, rather than Fuvaly, because it seems one cannot swim twice in the same river:

    HW bucked Li AA cells
    HW bucked Li AA cells

    In any event, they come close to their claimed 2.8 W·hr capacity:

    HW bucked Li AA - 2023-05
    HW bucked Li AA – 2023-05

    The lower pair of traces (red & black) are single cells at 2.7-ish W·hr, the blue trace is a pair at 5.4 W·hr, and the green trace is a quartet at 9.8 W·hr. Surprisingly close, given some previous results in this field.

    Recharging the cells after those tests shows they all take 3 hours ± a few minutes to soak up 730 mA·hr ± a few mA·hr, so they’re decently matched.

    Measuring the terminal voltage with a 10 mA load after that charge lets me match a pair of quartets to 1 mV, which is obviously absurd:

    HW bucked Li cells - initial charge 2023-05-05
    HW bucked Li cells – initial charge 2023-05-05

    The numbers in the upper left corner show the initial charge of four cells at a time required the same time within a minute and the same energy within 4%.

    Sticking them in the trail camera must await using up the current set of alkaline AA cells.

    Bonus: a lithium fire in a trail camera won’t burn down the house.

    After all, pictures like this are definitely worth the hassle:

    Young Buck in velvet - 2023-05-03
    Young Buck in velvet – 2023-05-03

    Looks like a pair of WiFi antennas …

  • Trail Camera: Skunk

    Trail Camera: Skunk

    We’ve never seen a skunk by day, so this was a bit of a surprise:

    Skunk by night
    Skunk by night

    We occasionally smell a skunk by night, but this critter seems peaceable enough:

    Skunk by night - detail
    Skunk by night – detail

    Skunks usually have a striped back, so this one’s pure white fur will be easy to identify should we meet again, ideally at a mutually respectful distance.

  • SJCAM M50 Trail Camera: Dead Remote

    SJCAM M50 Trail Camera: Dead Remote

    The remote control included with the SJCAM M50 trail camera did absolutely nothing. Not only did it not turn on the camera’s WiFi, the two indicator LEDs between the buttons didn’t blink:

    SJCAM M50 remote - front view
    SJCAM M50 remote – front view

    With not much to lose, I removed those four screws and popped the back cover:

    SJCAM M50 remote - interior
    SJCAM M50 remote – interior

    Yup, the OEM no-name CR2032 lithium cell was dead flat discharged. A new one perked it right up, with blinky LEDs and all.

    Now I can check the camera for interesting pix without hauling it into the house:

    The Early Raccoon
    The Early Raccoon

    Plenty of critters making the rounds out there …