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Fanotec MECHA C2, User Manual

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Fanotec MECHA C2 User Manual Download Page 10

The use of an external battery means you can carry spare batteries and

quickly refuel MECHA before or during a shooting session.
A power cable splitter (optional) is available for using 2 sets of batteries at

the same time for extended operation and/or changing batteries without a

pause.

MECHA Controller C2 Features

●

Controlling two MECHA rotators.

●

Compact with an OLED display.

●

9 buttons for controls and inputs, including a button to trigger camera

shutter release.

●

Shortcut keys to run presets stored in the memory, which can be

configured via the OLED display and web page interface.

●

Wi-Fi remote control from smartphones, tablets, PCs by using simple

web page interface.

●

Connection via a Wi-Fi access point and remote control over the internet.

●

Over-the-air firmware update.

●

Linking and controlling multiple controllers via Wi-Fi (future firmware

development).

●

External power input (DC 9-19V, 2A rated, plug 1.7x4.0x9.5mm) for use

with different battery packs, or regulated power supplies for continuous

operation.

●

CAM port to trigger camera focus and shutter release.

●

Support any camera with a wired remote release port.

●

Multipurpose AUX port for

○

Commanding MECHA Start/Stop and other functions with a wired or

wireless RF remote.

○

Commanding MECHA various functions with NN IR remote.

○

Triggering a camera with an IR remote emitter.

○

Camera shutter release confirmation.

10

MECHA C2 User’s Guide

v.02.5

© 2021 FANOTEC

Summary of Contents for MECHA C2

Page 1: ...i MECHA C2 User s Guide v 01 10 2021 FANOTEC C2 USER S GUIDE June 20 2021 ...

Page 2: ...Battery Level 16 Simple Rotations 16 Firmware Update Using a Hot spot 19 C2 s Menu Mode 21 Using C2 s Menus 21 Creating a preset in C2 s Menu Mode 23 Panorama with Automatic Shooting Pattern Using C2 s Menu 28 Panorama Using C2 s Menu 30 Set the Rotator Using C2 s Menu 30 Test Panoramas 30 Test without Camera Parked Position 31 Test without Camera Level Position 31 Test without Camera Raised Posit...

Page 3: ...lay 43 Access the User Interface UI with a Smartphone 44 Access the User Interface UI on Your Computer Connected to a Wireless Network 45 Test Using the UI 46 UI Test Parked Level Raised 46 Advanced Mode User Interface UI 49 UI Controls 49 Configuration Page 59 Default Mode 59 STA Mode 61 Fixed Settings 61 Rotator Settings 62 Buzzer PWM and Start Page 63 IR Settings and more 63 Reverse Direction o...

Page 4: ...et 83 Saving a Preset 83 Preset Power Code 84 Show your own presets in C2 s Preset Menu 85 Using a preset name as a base name 86 Directional preset name 87 MECHA s Simple Scripting MSS 88 Panorama of 3 Rows Nadir Zenith MSS 88 Shooting Panorama Made Easy for Dual Axis 90 MSS Script Explained 91 What Needs to be Changed sometimes in Real Situations 93 Using Pause in MSS Script 94 Let s Take a more ...

Page 5: ...oting Pattern Using only the MECHA s Buttons 101 MECHA s Current Codes 103 Current Codes List 103 Appendix MECHA s S Shots Language 112 Panorama of 3 Rows Nadir Zenith EXAMPLE 1 SL 114 Panorama of 3 Rows Nadir Zenith EXAMPLE 2 SL 114 Panorama Using Loop in Script EXAMPLE 3 SL 117 Panorama with Extra Shots and Pause EXAMPLE 4 SL 117 C2 C1 Differences and Similarities 119 ...

Page 6: ... you have not read yet this will clue you into what you are about to read After that go back to the beginning and read the Introduction and Before First Use chapters Please move on only after you become familiar with the basic operations we present here and leave aside the more complex chapters and deepen the part that interests you more Even if you are an experienced user please pay attention to ...

Page 7: ... with extreme caution The power button P can always be used as an emergency stop except for the speed calibration procedure If the movement is not as expected or there is any danger for the moving parts to hit something please press P the power button of MECHA to stop the movement immediately In this user guide we assume that some settings on the Configuration page such as the rotation intervals f...

Page 8: ...nu 2 or the rotators in use and the dynamic IP address Case 1 The display shows the Preset P Menu Press the button to switch to Config C Menu If the first option in this menu is SIMPLE MODE just leave it unchanged Otherwise press the Sbutton to change it to SIMPLE MODE Case 2 The display shows the rotators in use and the IP address Long press the button to enter Menu Mode Press the button to switc...

Page 9: ...where the buttons are located and that allows you to send various commands to the rotators or to update the firmware for example when you do not want to use the User Interface UI for these purposes The new controller C2 which we present in this user guide is a dedicated dual axis controller with an OLED display and external battery It is similar to C1 and can control the same rotators E1 E2 and P1...

Page 10: ...ntrol from smartphones tablets PCs by using simple web page interface Connection via a Wi Fi access point and remote control over the internet Over the air firmware update Linking and controlling multiple controllers via Wi Fi future firmware development External power input DC 9 19V 2A rated plug 1 7x4 0x9 5mm for use with different battery packs or regulated power supplies for continuous operati...

Page 11: ...er and then connect the controller to the rotators as follows the end of the cable 1 to the lower rotator the end of the cable 2 to the upper rotator 1 Controller to lower rotator built in cable 2 Controller to upper rotator built in cable 3 Aux Port 4 Camera Trigger Port 5 DC Power Input port 6 USB Port mainly for programming and troubleshooting ...

Page 12: ... be mounted in several ways we recommend that you mount it on the upper rotator using its attachment strap as shown in the image below Upper Rotator Controller to Upper Rotator built in cable C2 Controller Upper Rail Controller to Lower Rotator built in cable Attachment strap External Battery Lower Rotator Nadir Adapter Lower Rail 12 MECHA C2 User s Guide v 02 5 2021 FANOTEC ...

Page 13: ...ps youtu be X3AZjPZ re4 Installation Instruction for Dual Axis MECHA C2 E2 With NN6 F9922 https youtu be iEyR3Jq9j34 Installation Instruction for Dual Axis Mecha C2 E1 With NN3 MK2 F9920 First Batch https youtu be VKEyS24MNgY Installation Instruction for Dual Axis MECHA C2 E1 With NN3 MK3 F9921 First Batch https youtu be foEr50L0dZU Power On and Test MECHA C2 ...

Page 14: ...u navigation buttons In edit mode they increase decrease 10 times the current value of some parameters in Config Menu Use them to rotate the system manually to the left and to the right respectively and also to specify the direction when launching a preset Up and down buttons menu navigation buttons control the up and down movement of the upper rotator SCenter button has a camera trigger function ...

Page 15: ...ed position Press the Sbutton to launch the test and wait until the test is performed and PANORAMA TEST PARKED is shown on the display again NOTE The Pbutton can always be used as an emergency stop If the above test is not successful and you need assistance please contact us at mecha nodalninja com Power on MECHA by pressing the P button for 3 to 5 seconds long press It may take about 35 45 second...

Page 16: ...battery Always use a 9 19V battery according to the technical specifications NOTE When the BATTERY warning is shown on C2 s display it can be canceled with the button Simple Rotations Power on MECHA as shown above In the Preset P Menu select or navigate to the first option which is SIMPLE ROTATIONS then press the Sbutton to confirm The display will show Set POSITION as in the image above If the di...

Page 17: ... the up and down buttons instead of the left and right buttons For 45 rotations Press then quickly press Press then quickly press for the opposite direction For 90 rotations Press then quickly press Press then quickly press for the opposite direction For 180 rotations Press then quickly press Press then quickly press for the opposite direction Note that the rotation angle for the above button comb...

Page 18: ...not work as expected the rotators in use may not be set correctly see Set the Rotator Using C2 s Menu or the intervals 1 2 and 3 are not the default ones in the Config Menu or on the Configuration page Adjust the position using buttons to match the preset before starting the preset The naming conventions for starting and ending positions for dual axis presets available via More from Server Level P...

Page 19: ...ting system performing all control monitoring and data manipulation functions and it is important to have the latest version installed to benefit from all the features implemented in MECHA However if you prefer not to update it at this time or you are not comfortable with the firmware update procedure you can skip it for now and read the next section Use this update method for version 1 2201 or ne...

Page 20: ...aunch the update Now MECHA starts scanning the existing networks and when it connects to the previously created hot spot two beeps are heard The UPDATE USING H SPOT option will update the firmware using the MECHA UPDATE hot spot you set Now deactivate the hot spot power MECHA off then power it on If you use the above option without creating the hot spot the firmware will be updated later when the ...

Page 21: ...ED Factory presets KIT LENS 18 29 LEVEL FE 12mm NZ Level FE 16mm NZ Level FE 20mm NZ Level FE 24mm NZ Level One of the differences between a Test and Factory preset is that the Test preset does not require position confirmations when executing it EMPTY options where you can display or create your own presets on pages 2 8 Other options SIMPLE ROTATIONS 2 Config C Menu consists of various options su...

Page 22: ... it The SHOW HINTS option in the Config Menu allows you to enable disable contextual information using the Sbutton Each menu consists of 8 pages and a page can contain 10 presets or other options Press the button to display the next option Press the button to display the previous option Press the button to go to the next page and the button to go to the previous page Blank page numbers will be dis...

Page 23: ...between the three parameters Number of camera triggers in each position T1 means one trigger action For example if you increase the value to 3 T3 using the button there will be 3 trigger actions in each position Exposure in seconds E1 2 means an exposure of half a second If you try to decrease the value below zero notice that shutter button confirmations options are displayd instead E SHT C E SHT ...

Page 24: ...ed on the second and third OLED screens and explained in the User Interface chapter For now you can simply leave them as they are in the template Modifier of exposure M Modifier of the duration of shutter button signal Auto Focus AF Duration of AF signal time Wake W Pause for camera wake up Before B Pause before each triggering sequence After A Delay after each triggering sequence or individual tr...

Page 25: ...adir shots 180 apart one zenith shot Zx2 Nx2 two zenith two nadir shots 180 apart Nx2 Zx2 two nadir two zenith shots 180 apart N PN one nadir shot a pause for preparations for the extra nadir shot Z N PN one zenith one nadir shot a pause for preparations for the extra nadir shot ZZ N PN two zenith shots one nadir shot a pause for preparations for the extra nadir shot ZZNN PN two zenith two nadir s...

Page 26: ...s by pressing the Sbutton Note the plus sign at the beginning of the preset name This preset is editable and it can be deleted with the button edited with the button Press the Pbutton to cancel and exit edit mode if necessary The most recently selected preset serves as a template for the next one Thus if it is deleted by mistake you only need to create a new preset to have the deleted one back As ...

Page 27: ...ROT SENSE and other info as shown in the images below First optional use the buttons to set the initial view and level the upper rail if necessary as shown in Simple Rotations then press the Sbutton to confirm Use the Sbutton to skip this step if the position of the upper rail is correct level in our example and no other adjustments are needed Use the or button to execute the preset to the left or...

Page 28: ...ing the actual panorama Now in the Preset P Menu use the button to find an empty option or editable preset Press the button to enter edit mode The first parameter is already selected and flashes which means you can adjust it Use the button to find the AUTO value You can adjust the other parameters if necessary We assume that you have read the chapter on editing the preset and therefore know how to...

Page 29: ...f the camera s view as stated in the message Then MECHA goes back to the initial position and starts to slowly tilt down and you have to press again the Pbutton when the target object is out of the camera s view Then MECHA goes back to the initial position and the computed presset can be used So press the S button to launch it or use it later as you use any other preset ...

Page 30: ...o set the upper rotator First find the option you need and enter edit mode using the button Then use the and buttons to find the right type of rotator and confirm pressing the Sbutton Test Panoramas Now let s continue with some tests without mounting the camera 1 Position the upper rail in the parked level or raised position as required for each of the following tests as shown in Simple Rotations ...

Page 31: ...norama to the left or right as follows 12 shots around 3 rows at 0 and 45 plus zenith and nadir starting from parked position Test without Camera Level Position With the upper rail in the level position as shown in the image on the right select the PANORAMA TEST LEVEL option Press the Sbutton to confirm This option tells the MECHA C2 to execute a panorama to the left or right as follows 12 shots a...

Page 32: ... panorama to the left or right as follows 12 shots around 3 rows at 0 and 45 plus zenith and nadir starting from raised position Panorama with Camera Mounted If the above tests are successful repeat at least one of them with a camera mounted Mount the camera on the upper rail using the camera mounting knob shown in the image on the right Plug the right shutter cable for the camera in use into the ...

Page 33: ...in the Preset P Menu and create a new preset as we have already shown in Creating a preset in C2 s Menu Mode section Before executing any test preset with camera mounted make sure the initial view and the position of the upper rail are correctly set as test presets are executed without asking about positions Use the buttons to find the preset you want to use and press the Sbutton to confirm Some p...

Page 34: ...aunch it as shown above STEP by STEP being ON MECHA pauses before each position and waits for you to press the button to take the photo and go to the next position resulting in step by step movement Press the button to exit step by step mode and continue automatically There is no need to change STEP by STEP from ON to OFF as this change is done automatically 34 MECHA C2 User s Guide v 02 5 2021 FA...

Page 35: ...combination with one in the set for a rotation with the angle specified in Interval 1 2 or 3 or press and hold a button in the first set if you need a continuous rotation PANORAMA TEST SINGLE 6 A test preset for a single row panorama 6 shots around For dual axis applications make sure the upper rail is in the level position then press the Sbutton to launch the preset PANORAMA TEST PARKED A test pr...

Page 36: ...to launch the preset the four presets above will require confirmation of position and direction of rotation Set POSITION position the upper rail in the level position as shown in Simple Rotations Press the Sbutton to confirm ROT SENSE press either the or button to start shooting Config C Menu SIMPLE ADVANCED MODE is ON Press the Sbutton to switch between the two options The main difference between...

Page 37: ... which can be used for triggering purposes without any cable between the moving parts of the gear This particular MECHA ASSISTANT can be either C1 or C2 as long as it is in STA mode and is connected to the AP of the main C2 unit You can set a fixed IP address for the ASSISTANT unit in its Configuration page like IP 192 168 8 110 SN 255 255 255 0 GW DNS 192 168 8 1 A C2 using a ASSISTANT will be re...

Page 38: ... REAL device wherever these numeric values are used in button intervals presets or scripts To go back to values interpreted as degrees switch to DEGREES MOVE ON Do the same for the Rotator 2 or upper rotator if needed with i3 REAL MOVE 2 as final adjustment There is no need to repeat this process unless you have changed the REAL device type used When DEGREES MOVE is ON you can set the desired valu...

Page 39: ... rail should be in the parked position at powering ON Enter edit mode using the button and adjust the LEVEL AMOUNT or adjust it right after the rotation when there is the possibility to omit the confirmation of the change meaning that you can press the Pbutton instead of pressing the Sbutton as usual This means that the new value is only available during the current work session until MECHA is pow...

Page 40: ...LED TEST This option allows you to check if the OLED works ROTATOR 1 is Press either Sor button to enter edit mode and set the desired rotator as lower rotator ROTATOR 2 is Press either Sor button to enter edit mode and set the desired rotator as upper rotator ROT 2 SENSOR is ENABLED DISABLED Press the Sbutton to switch between the two options If E2 or P1 have no sensor like some prototypes or you...

Page 41: ...trolled by the Rotator 1 2 for a certain amount of rotation performed by MECHA See the REAL MOVE option for more details Press either Sor button to enter edit mode and adjust its value ZENITH NADIR POS Press either Sor button to enter edit mode if you need to change the default values which are 90 and 90 Other values may be useful for backlash reasons or to have a certain overlap MECHA will use th...

Page 42: ...Will restore your MECHA to its original factory settings Press the Sbutton to start the reset procedure and follow the intructions on the display After a few seconds you are asked to repeat the step above so press again the Sbutton when the reset option appears on the display Then the power button symbol start flashing on the display which means you have to press the Pbutton and wait until the res...

Page 43: ...ode can be set as default in MECHA s Configuration page or by a short press of a button when MECHA expects this and this is when is shown on the display during the starting sequence as in the image on the right Set MECHA in AP STA or AP STA Mode at on Display First power on MECHA pressing the Pbutton for 3 to 5 seconds When is shown on C2 s display pressing will set MECHA in AP mode pressing will ...

Page 44: ... 192 168 1 100 The particular network can be managed by the smartphone itself if on smartphone a hot spot is enabled and MECHA can connect to it Access the User Interface UI with a Smartphone Press the power button P for about 3 to 5 seconds to power on MECHA and wait until is shown on the display To be able to connect your smartphone to MECHA s network MECHA must be in AP mode So press either to ...

Page 45: ...tep you can proceed to the last step If for some reasons the set mode is AP power off MECHA then power it on pressing the P button for about 3 to 5 seconds and wait until is shown on the display Now press either to set MECHA in STA mode or to set MECHA in AP STA mode You can also make this setting on the Configuration page Now you can access the MECHA s UI on your computer s browser by entering th...

Page 46: ... the controls To see them all select A3 from the select list next to the info button which is the highest level of complexity for the interface The other options are S1 S2 S3 A1 and A2 where S means Simple and A Advanced Although C2 is designed to work for dual axis applications you may use it for single axis applications as well so with C2 you can use both dual axis DAC and single axis presets UI...

Page 47: ... some buttons and options are not visible and the selected preset is already loaded That means you can go to the next step Tap the LEFT button to execute the preset to the left or RIGHT button to execute the preset to the right Do the same with the presets TEST 1313 Level and TEST 1321 Raised Use the buttons to position the upper rail in the level or raised position ...

Page 48: ...48 MECHA C2 User s Guide v 02 5 2021 FANOTEC Advanced Mode ...

Page 49: ...word Mecha What s new The page where you can find information about the current firmware version and the versions published so far Level of complexity Next to the info button there is a list of options to set the level of complexity for the User Interface from the simplest S1 to the most complex A3 Select A3 to show all the controls Firmware version Under the Row label note the current firmware ve...

Page 50: ...s are the current preset sa_7shots in our example LEFT button Shoots a 360 panorama counter clockwise In our example the panorama consists of 7 photos and the first photo is taken in the current position followed by the second 51 43 apart and so on Shots Number of shots around for a 360 row Select the number of shots from the list or select Custom and enter the desired number of shots or the focal...

Page 51: ... map png zip Template button Downloads a PTGui file that can be applied to a real set of images This template also contains the focal length Probe button Downloads a probe a PTGui file from shooting pattern to study refine the overlap goVM button Downloads a script a goVM py file for the upcoming Virtual MECHA Until Virtual MECHA will be available this file can be also used for support and demo pu...

Page 52: ...d of Live NPP procedure Repeat the process to confirm alignment if needed TRG Number of camera triggers for each position Select zero if no trigger is needed When using automatic exposure bracketing in continuous shooting or self timer mode MECHA treats it as 1 trigger In our example 1 trigger no bracketing AF Auto Focus Duration of AF signal time for example 0 05 If the value is negative the AF s...

Page 53: ...ormal over or 0 7EV for normal under over in which case it will automatically extend to the number of TRG If the modifier starts with B like B 2EV or B1 or 1 0 5 2 the Bulb mode will be assumed E Exposure Duration of shutter button signal for example 3 or 0 5 3 for progressive half Exposure or 2 3 for progressive double Exposure in a set These can be entered as custom values The values can be ente...

Page 54: ...ched or for partial panorama and time lapse Repeat Delay in seconds until the shooting sequence will be repeated automatically for example 300 for 5 minutes or 4 300 to repeat 4 times 5 minutes apart or 0 or no repeat for no repeat Single Dual Scripted Select Single for single axis applications However you can select Dual even if there are no instructions for the second axis Scripted is valid for ...

Page 55: ... a certain position without any rotation N x RIGHT button The same as N x LEFT but the shooting and rotation are done clockwise Cancel button Executes a smooth stop and a rewind to the initial position where the preset has started PAUSE button Pauses the current running preset Click tap again this button to continue The 21 code switches MECHA to or off pause mode the same as clicking the Pause but...

Page 56: ...ause pressing Son IR Remote or SHOOT on UI MECHA will trigger the number of shots specified by TRG in presets This can be used for extra shots for a particular position STOP Emergency stop Presets list This list contains all the presets both those created and those downloaded from the server The names of the presets downloaded from the server start with s which means they are not saved yet You can...

Page 57: ...ing the Save 1 button Load 2 button Loads the preset assigned to the button using the Save 2 button Load 3 button Loads the preset assigned to the button using the Save 3 button Save 0 button Saves the current preset as default preset that can be loaded with the Load 0 button Save 1 button Saves the current preset and assigns it to the button and can also be loaded with the Load 1 button on the Us...

Page 58: ... background Go to Ring button Accesses the Ring page and alternates with Go to Row Shut Down button Shuts down MECHA in 20 seconds Press Cancel or Stop to cancel Connect to Wi Fi button Initiates the process of connecting to a Wi Fi network to use MECHA in STA Station mode or for firmware update Available networks are displayed as in the image shown on the right If you have successfully connected ...

Page 59: ...ely in this user guide And for single axis applications you can access either the Ring or Row page Default Mode Default Mode The possible values for Default Mode are AP STA AP STA No Wi Fi The Default Mode set here will be the current mode for MECHA after powering on However the Default Mode can be changed by pressing one of the MECHA s buttons at the begining of the starting sequence when is show...

Page 60: ...for Wi Fi power is 100 In our example see the image below it is 100 AP Mode SSID The name of MECHA s nettwork This is how it is displayed in the list of available networks on your device SSID password The default SSID password is 12345678 MECHA UPDATE Hot Spot Password By default it is 87654321 admin Password The default password for Configuration page is Mecha UI Password Allows you to prevent so...

Page 61: ...mic Therefore it changes from time to time Enter a dynamic available IP address in the Static IP field to make it static You can ignore the Subnet Gateway and DNS fields if you do not know what information to provide Fixed Settings Fixed Settings Settings that overwrite the corresponding settings on the Row Ring Turn page For example if the fixed Motor Speed is 7 the one provided via the preset wi...

Page 62: ... rotator 2 with the data for rotator 1 Rotator 1 Set the lower rotator in use by selecting an option from the list or using the following codes 13131 for E1 13132 for E2 and 13121 for P1 The AUTO option enables the automatic detection of the rotator type for the lower rotator Inverted Check this checkbox if for a particular reason the rotator needs to have all its movements in the opposite sense o...

Page 63: ...Range from 1 to 255 and do not necessarily refer to the sound loudness We recommend that you try a few values to find your preferred value Start Page Can be New Row or Ring and can also be set on these pages IR Settings and more Enable i2c on Aux Port Upcoming feature Enable Fast Shutter Confirmation If enabled MECHA will wait indefinitely for each trigger until the shutter confirmation comes thro...

Page 64: ...iliary port for equipment that uses a specific protocol With common remotes a half press is detected as 1A a full press is detected as 1A1S These are the possibilities for a half press 045 1A executes a preset whose name starts with 045 blank 045 1A executes a preset whose name starts with 045 blank but in the opposite sense of rotation HS 1A Home Set A Home Set can also be done by pressing the po...

Page 65: ...ode Camera Settings Camera is in Portrait Orientation This checkbox is checked by default You can uncheck it if you want to specify that the camera is in landscape orientation For example if the number of shots around is 35mm or 35mm2 via custom the shooting pattern will be computed considering the camera orientation Preferred MSS pattern This is how you want the MSS scripts to be produced automat...

Page 66: ... 00 used unless otherwise specified MECHA supports a focal length from 10 to 1500mm FF equiv with camera in Portrait or Landscape orientation Fisheye FOV 0 00 Fisheye MAX Width 0 Fisheye Crop L R T B Fisheye Parameters a b c Sensor Height portrait 36 00 Sensor Width portrait 24 00 Overlap on Height 0 25 Overlap on Width 0 25 Arrow Buttons Arrow buttons Speed RPM Rotational speed when a button is h...

Page 67: ...onding to Interval 1 Arrow buttons Interval 2 deg Rotation angle for Arrow buttons Interval 2 Speed RPM Rotational speed corresponding to Interval 2 Arrow buttons Interval 3 deg Rotation angle for Arrow buttons Interval 3 Speed RPM Rotational speed corresponding to Interval 3 Interval 3 REAL Move ROT 1 The equivalent of i3 REAL MOVE 1 option in the Config Menu Interval 3 REAL Move ROT 2 The equiva...

Page 68: ...alue is only available during the current work session until MECHA is powered off Zenith Nadir Position deg The default values are 90 and 90 Other values may be useful for backlash reasons or to have a certain overlap MECHA will use these values in scripts that contain Z and N Favorite Codes The above settings allow you to assign two of your favorite codes to the and buttons respectively as follow...

Page 69: ...s C Config Menu as well In this case it is recommended to fully charge the battery before powering on MECHA then access this menu and adjust the value using the and buttons Hold down the desired button to speed up the adjustment Why fully charge the battery before this adjustment In Pause mode you can use the button to go to the parked position and button to go back to the previous position In C2 ...

Page 70: ...ox MECHA will beep loudly when the battery percentage drops below the value you provide in this field Battery Extra Warning if Under Percent When the BATTERY warning is shown on C2 s display the warning can be canceled with the button Another warning will be shown when the battery reaches 0 4 Cell Li ion 2500 mAh 4 Cell Li ion 2000 mAh Depending on the batteries used click one of these buttons for...

Page 71: ...eck the battery level on C2 s display or find and select the BATTERY PERCENTAGE option in C Config Menu page 1 Then enter any value greater then this in the field below Scroll to the bottom of the Configuration page and click the Apply button to save the new settings Now the warning should be shown on C2 s display Note that the warning will be displayed again when you click the Apply button as lon...

Page 72: ...reset can be selected instead by pressing the arrow buttons on C2 controller Or one can exit from C2 s P Menu with the Pbutton or switch to C Menu with the button If not enabled it is possible to go directly to the latest preset used by pressing the Sbutton at on display Likewise pressing one of the buttons or will go to the regular start instead of the quicker to the latest preset used See Show y...

Page 73: ...d mode in working with the C2 Controller Show Hints on OLED If enabled the display will show contextual information to help you use C2 s Menus as in the second image above Technical Details IP Addresses FW Finally several technical details are displayed including the firmware version and the IP addresses at which the User Interface can be accessed the first is the static address for access from sm...

Page 74: ... Restore Data button Uploads the archive downloaded with the Backup Data button Connect to Wi Fi button Initiates the process of connecting to a Wi Fi network to use MECHA in STA Station mode or for firmware update Please see User Interface Connect to Wi Fi for more details Reboot button Restarts MECHA similar to restarting a computer Apply button Applies saves the current settings ...

Page 75: ...ngs icon on your device Under Wireless and Networks make sure Wi Fi is turned on then tap Wi Fi Tap the nettwork name that contains MECHA in its name to connect the smartphone to MECHA The default password for MECHA s network is 12345678 Now MECHA s User Interface UI can be accessed on the smartphone s browser at 192 168 8 1 which is a static IP address This is the New page At the top of the page ...

Page 76: ... is complete a few beeps are heard and the new firmware version is displayed at the top of the page If it is not displayed in 1 2 minutes refresh the page or reconnect the smartphone to MECHA if necessary Please do not turn off MECHA while updating the firmware ...

Page 77: ...at the position for the upper rail is level or as specified on the Configuration page If you press the or buttons MECHA will take 12 shots around s 12 if you enter 192 168 8 1 preset b 1 s 12 f 30 p 2 or it will start to shoot a full 360 panorama for a 30 mm lens FF equiv f 30 if you enter 192 168 8 1 preset b 1 f 30 p 2 Creating a preset using parameters always overwrites one of the following pre...

Page 78: ... parameter is the focal length f and it is optional If you provide this parameter the panorama will be spherical otherwise it will be cylindrical The fourth parameter p is the pause after each shot and it is optional The default value is 1 second Starting with firmware version 1 2134 you can use h and v parameters to specify in degrees the area of a partial panorama For example 192 168 8 1 preset ...

Page 79: ...e lenses 6 shots around plus nadir and zenith starting from level position FE 20mm ZN Level for 20mm fisheye lenses 6 shots around 2 rows at 30 and 30 plus zenith and nadir starting from level position FE 24mm ZN Level for 24mm fisheye lenses 8 shots around 2 rows at 30 and 30 plus zenith and nadir starting from level position TEST 1312 Parked 12 shots around 3 rows at 0 and 45 plus zenith and nad...

Page 80: ...AP mode and More from Server is not available MECHA controllers work in two network modes Access Point AP and Station STA AP mode allows the controller to create its own network and have up to 5 devices to connect to it STA mode allows it to connect to a Wi Fi network for example one created by your wireless router acting as a client Out of the box MECHA works in AP mode Since it does not have a w...

Page 81: ...ription of the selected preset and in addition clicking tapping the info button will toggle descriptions for all the controls 12 Shots 12 shots around for a full 360 panorama Notice how the rotation angle changes according to the number of photos so that if we multiply them the result is 360 On the other hand if we change the rotation angle the number of images does not change We will get a simila...

Page 82: ... can be entered as 0 7EV for under normal over or 0 7EV for normal under over in which case it will automatically extend to the number of TRG If the modifier starts with B like B 2EV or B1 or 1 0 5 2 the Bulb mode will be assumed E 0 25 sec Exposure 0 25 sec Duration of shutter button signal for example 3 or 0 5 3 for progressive half Exposure or 2 3 for progressive double Exposure in a set These ...

Page 83: ...ing Modifying a Preset To get a preset with 6 Shots and just 1 horizontal row 1 Instead of 12 Shots select 6 Shots 2 Remove the second row 45x12 and third row 45x12 from the MSS script as follows SP 0x12 Z N 3 Follow the instructions below to save the preset Saving a Preset To save a preset do one of the following Most input lists in both Ring and Row pages can receive custom values There is no er...

Page 84: ... Save 1 button to overwrite the preset with the name Button 1 assigned to the button 3 Tap click the Save 2 button to overwrite the preset with the name Button 2 assigned to the button 4 Tap click the Save 3 button to overwrite the preset with the name Button 3 assigned to the button Now the new preset is saved and displayed in the Presets list and ready to be used in the future Create a preset po...

Page 85: ...ion For example the first option on page 2 might look like this The next options on this page might be 021 EMPTY 022 EMPTY 029 EMPTY 10 in total To be able to see a preset in exactly the above position 020 you have to rename that preset adding the code 020 to the beginning of the preset name So access the User Interface using your smartphone or computer select the preset from the Presets list and ...

Page 86: ...e displayed in the menu but can be executed using the menu as we will see below Using a preset name as a base name Suppose we have a preset to shoot a common spherical panorama and its name is 020 kit lens pano Since 020 is in the range 020 089 we can use 020 kit lens pano as a base name We also know how to execute this type of preset as we have shown this before If we create another preset and gi...

Page 87: ... of the number 3 used in our example you can use a combination of digits as shown in the chapter on presets see Preset Power Code Directional preset name If a preset name ends with one of the or signs then the preset will be executed automatically when you press the S button as the direction of rotation is specified in the preset name and there is no need to use the or buttons to do that For examp...

Page 88: ...tarting from parked position made of 12 shots around zenith nadir one row at 0 one row at 45 and finally one at 45 The MSS script in this case can be SP Z N 0x12 45x12 45x12 In the parked position the camera mounted on the upper rail is facing up If we want the starting and ending positions to be level the script will be SL Z N 0x12 45x12 45x12 And if we want the starting and ending positions to b...

Page 89: ...f MECHA or the equivalent UI button RIGHT Now let s have a closer look at scripting using the MSS Language For dual axis applications MECHA needs to know its starting position This can be parked level or raised These conventions are also used in naming the presets available from Server Adjust the position using buttons to match the preset before starting the preset The naming conventions for start...

Page 90: ...tion the upper rail according to your setting 2 Connect to the MECHA s User Interface see the chapter How to Access the UI 3 On the Row page select the A1 or A2 A3 level of complexity for the User Interface In A1 A3 Advanced modes you will see more controls than in S1 S3 Simple modes 4 We recommend that you load any simple preset for example the default Button 2 preset To load this preset use the ...

Page 91: ...ch is assigned to the button by default see Saving a Preset for more details Next time you need to shoot this type of panorama either load the preset using the Load 2 button and execute it with the LEFT or RIGHT button or execute the preset directly using the or button combinations Next we present an example of a MSS script similar to the one above but with a larger image overlap resulting in 12 p...

Page 92: ...go from level to raised in one go use then use to go back to level position NOTE On the Configuration page there is also a checkbox that establishes if the left is left or the left is right regarding the movements when the buttons are pressed You might want to change its status if you prefer a particular behavior over the other There are also two codes 2313 and 2323 for changing the direction of r...

Page 93: ...0 apart SL 0x12 45x12 45x12 N Zx2 120 Now for Zeniths at a tilt of 80 instead of 90 which might help in automatic control points because the Zenith is just like any row but at a tilt of 90 90x1 will do the same as Z thus 80x1 is what you need for a Zenith at a tilt of 80 instead For 2 Zeniths at a tilt of 80 and 180 apart 80x2 and for 2 Zeniths 90 apart we can use 80x2 90 thus we will end with thi...

Page 94: ...t a pause before each row for focus for example then SL P0x12 P45x10 P 45x10 N ZZ or even before Nadir and Zenith SL P0x12 P45x10 P 45x10 PN PZZ To customize it even more let s say we want an extra image at the beginning a kind of clapboard you may want to use for WB or even for focus it will be a kind of image you need to take again without the extra elements in it and the second one to be used i...

Page 95: ...ne row at a tilt of 30 of 28 positions 45x24 one row at a tilt of 45 of 24 positions 60x20 one row at a tilt of 60 of 20 positions The same for the negative tilts 15x32 one row at a tilt of 15 of 32 positions 30x28 one row at a tilt of 30 of 28 positions 45x24 one row at a tilt of 45 of 24 positions 60x20 one row at a tilt of 60 of 20 positions Because there are many shots to be taken it will take...

Page 96: ...slice looks good we can remove the 45 and make some changes regarding the number of shots per positions HDR ending up with the full 360 around and 150 tall panorama SL 0x36 15x32 30x28 45x24 60x20 15x32 30x28 45x24 60x20 PN Z Rewind after each ROW The RW term in the MSS script indicates rewind after each ROW useful in gigapixel sessions when cables to a power bank are used For example for 50mm FF ...

Page 97: ...orama using 50 mm and 24 mm lenses or focal lengths SL 12x19 12x19 P 50x10 50x10 ZZ NN Select the Scripted option from the Mode list on the Row page and enter the above script in the displayed text box For example use Save 1 button to assign the preset to the button Since the preset is assigned to the button you can start shooting using the buttons During Pause P change the lens or focal length th...

Page 98: ... select the option More from server from the Presets list Provide a keyword if you want to get only certain presets and click tap the OK button The names of the presets found on the server are added to the Presets list The preset name describes what the preset does and over time you will know which keywords to use For example the sequence _P_ in a preset name means that the preset includes a pause...

Page 99: ...up a hot spot on your device in 2 4 GHz band and name it MECHA PHONE Please refer to your device documentation about how to set up a hot spot Suppose the hot spot is disabled for the moment That hot spot gives 192 168 43 xxx address to its clients 1 Power on MECHA 2 Connect to MECHA config with your device then set it in STA mode choosing the STA option from the Default Mode select list Scroll to ...

Page 100: ...ECHA PHONE after a little while As a result We have MECHA connected to a SSID with Internet access provided 3G 4G so on is available This enables downloads of presets from server updates and the use of your phone for Internet browsing as usual MECHA will be accessible always at 192 168 43 101 All you have to do is turn MECHA PHONE hot spot on when powering on MECHA and to maintain it on while usin...

Page 101: ... of MECHA in such way to fill the frame The frame can be viewed through viewfinder or through the live view Instead of the sheet of paper any well defined feature or image on a screen or other means can be used A gray sheet of paper will work best for exposure purposes as well The camera and lens must be set the same as for shooting the actual panorama Enter the 31 code After entering the code MEC...

Page 102: ...e of the or buttons to be pressed to assign the computed preset to that particular button To cancel the assignment the power button P can be pressed instead If MECHA is unable to compute a pattern using the feedback received from pressing the power button mostly caused by too small intervals on the display will be shown which indicates that nothing has changed To execute the panorama computed by M...

Page 103: ...code executes the preset 1 to the left All codes end with either the or sign which usually tells MECHA to execute the preset to the right or to the left See all standard current codes below Current Codes List 1 or 1 Executes the Preset 1 to the left or to the right By default the Preset 1 consists of 4 shots around or it is the preset saved with the Save1 UI button P 1 2 3 0 Please note that the p...

Page 104: ...he left or to the right 1312 or 1312 Executes a panorama of 12 shots around 3 rows at 0 and at 45 plus zenith and nadir to the left or to the right The lower rotator must be parked i e oriented upward as for the zenith photo 1313 or 1313 The same as 1312 but with the upper rotator in the level position First time please test the codes without camera mounted on the panohead 1321 or 1321 The same as...

Page 105: ...i or change the AP STA mode without disengaging the motors Thus the camera will not move due to gravity or other causes 21 TOGGLE PAUSE MODE Switches MECHA to or off pause mode the same as clicking the PAUSE button on UI or on IR Remote 23 DISable Enable MOTOR 1 Disables Enables the motor 1 2313 DISable Enable MOTOR 2 Disables Enables the motor 2 2312 DISable Enable MOTOR 1 2 Disables Enables both...

Page 106: ...r is out of the camera s frame Then MECHA will go back in the initial position and wait for one of the or buttons to be pressed to assign the computed preset to that particular button To cancel the assignment the Pbutton can be pressed instead For single axis applications after the first row MECHA will enter the pause mode and the vertical axis should be tilted manually to continue to a full spher...

Page 107: ...ll movement begins At the end on the display will be shown say 24 where 24 is the new calibration factor it should be around this value You can enter the code again if you want a better result or you have more precise ways to determine the small movement You can cancel the procedure with any other button when the power symbol P flashes on the display or press the Pbutton right after it starts to f...

Page 108: ...r the Wi Fi with Internet that MECHA was connected to before is on Both backlash compensation and speed calibration codes can be used only if they are absolutely necessary for your application Both procedures save the results automatically The speed calibration makes the RPM value set in the interface as close as possible to the same calculated RPM value Backlash compensation is to compensate the ...

Page 109: ...4321 which needs to be created and active before entering the code 312 UPDATE Re updates the current firmware 3231 Code for testing the IR Remote After the code is entered MECHA will not execute the commands received from the IR Commander s buttons Instead it will only beep and show on its display the code of the button pressed after the button is released and over the battery symbol in UI To end ...

Page 110: ...Sets E2 as upper rotator 23121 SET P1 AS ROTATOR 2 Sets P1 as upper rotator 231231231 Factory reset The code needs to be entered twice as follows enter 231231231 and wait until the display shows READY then enter 231231231 again The power symbol P flashes on the display and the Pbutton needs to be short pressed If a few exclamation marks are shown on the display it means that the factory file is no...

Page 111: ...111 MECHA C2 User s Guide v 02 5 2021 FANOTEC Appendix ...

Page 112: ...r Interface and select Scripted As a result a blank text area is displayed in which you will write the script The script starts with the initial position of MECHA as follows S position in degrees For dual axis applications we commonly have 3 possible start positions level parked and raised To go from a position to another please see the Simple Rotations and Parked Level and Raised Positions sectio...

Page 113: ...ng the preset The naming conventions for starting and ending positions for dual axis presets available via More from Server Level Parked Raised _ Underscore refers to the lower rotator Equal sign refers to the upper rotator Double colon is the equivalent of the equal sign Round brackets indicate a loop Caret means relative to the previous position and can be used for the upper rotator as the posit...

Page 114: ...a will be automatically replaced with equal sign to allow more easy input from phones This is an example similar to the previous one Suppose we want to script a panorama starting again from parked position made of 12 photos around 3 rows in total at 0 and at 45 zenith and nadir In this case we want zenith and nadir to be taken at the end This way of scripting is more complex but allows more flexib...

Page 115: ... position does not change We can write that as 1 0_30 but S language also allows this compact form instead _30 by omitting the number 1 and writing the equal sign followed by nothing meaning no changes for the upper rotator So the script becomes S 90 1 0_0 _30 The movement for the next 10 positions or photos as we have only one photo at every position will continue by changing only the rotation of...

Page 116: ...tator So we have to add 90_0 _0 is to tell that the previous position and the next position are 0 apart Now the script is S 90 1 0_0 _30 11 45 12 45 12 90 90_0 To complete the script now we can add an equal sign which in other cases can be omitted And our final script is S 90 1 0_0 _30 11 45 12 45 12 90 90_0 which you can see in the above image as well Just a side note The script allows to have so...

Page 117: ...ve loop repeats with 3 instead of 3 for the upper rotator 10 3_30 3 Panorama with Extra Shots and Pause EXAMPLE 4 SL A script for 28mm on a full frame camera 2 images 90 apart for both zenith and nadir 2 rows of 10 shots at 45 above below horizontal and 12 shots around for the horizontal 36 shots in total Start in parked position zenith and end in raised position nadir S 90 1 0_0 _30 11 45 _36 9 4...

Page 118: ...xt shot the tilt becomes 90 for nadir and _ 90 the next shot is at the same tilt but 90 apart the second nadir shot End To end in the parked position as it started in order to repeat it again and again S 90 1 0_0 _30 11 45 _36 9 45 10 90 _90 90_0 _ 90 90 When the camera is facing up and its buttons and display are not accessible you can add P to the first shot 1 P0_0 MECHA will pause before the fi...

Page 119: ...one day after a full charge and can be charged from a power bank or outlet adapter even while it is in use Both systems allow MECHA to operate non stop C2 has a 0 96 inch OLED display on which various data are shown including presets for shooting panoramas code names warnings Codes are special predefined numerical combinations that you can use to get information from MECHA or to ask MECHA to perfo...

Page 120: ...nd C2 the left and right buttons are used to rotate the system manually to the left and to the right respectively and also to specify the direction when launching a preset using the controller buttons as terminator for codes similar to the Enter key They are navigation buttons as well The up and down buttons of C2 control the up and down movement of the upper rotator when two rotators are used The...

Page 121: ... Power codes are codes that start with zero Both C1 and C2 have support for IR or wired remote control Both C1 and C2 can be controlled using the User Interface and also using their own buttons C2 uses Wi Fi for connection as does C1 so both can be accessed directly by phone or via a Wi Fi network or even via the Internet with a device connected to the Internet On both C1 and C2 for complex tasks ...

Page 122: ...anuals https www youtube com user Fanotec Fanotec Youtube Channel https www youtube com user NodalNinja Nodal Ninja Youtube Channel https forum nodalninja com Nodal Ninja s Panoramic Photography Forum https www fanotec com Fanotec International Limited official website Developed and manufactured by Fanotec International Limited Address Flat 2 4 F Kar Wah Indl Bldg 8 Leung Yip Street Yuen Long Hong...

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