BackyardNIKON v1 BETA 01c is ready for download.

[admin]

YEAH... a step closer

 

*** DOWNLOAD BackyardNIKON v1 BETA 01c ***

http://www.binaryrivers.com/download/setup-BackyardNIKON-v100-BETA01c.exe

 

Please report your findings using this thread. 

 

You can refer to this grid for a quick overview.

http://forum.otelescope.com/post/backyardnikon-v1-beta-progress-grid-6857530?pid=1282424740

 

 

As with other beta releases, the setup.exe is pre-packaged with its own tester license.

 

BETA 01c will install side-by-side to other betas, it will not overwrite BETA 01b.

Thank you for all your support in getting this to a production quality.

 

Guylain & Chris.

 

[fmhill]

Guylain,

 

Nikon D300s appears to connect okay in beta .01C... Computer is HP DV6T laptop with i3 2.6 GHz CPU, 6 GB RAM, USB_2.0,  Windows 7 Pro 64 bit operating system...

 

A quick daytime test shows live view in frame and focus is working great. Later this afternoon if the weather stays clear I will get out the CG-5 mount and hook up the DSUSB unit and see if I can get any images with it. Being on Cape Cod, the weather is extremely variable this time of year, while we've got a clear sky and sunshine at the moment, the forecast is for clouds so we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

However that the Nikon D300s connects and displays a live view image is very exciting definitely good progress.

 

 

 

[admin]

Guylain,

 

Nikon D300s appears to connect okay in beta .01C... Computer is HP DV6T laptop with i3 2.6 GHz CPU, 6 GB RAM, USB_2.0,  Windows 7 Pro 64 bit operating system...

 

A quick daytime test shows live view in frame and focus is working great. Later this afternoon if the weather stays clear I will get out the CG-5 mount and hook up the DSUSB unit and see if I can get any images with it. Being on Cape Cod, the weather is extremely variable this time of year, while we've got a clear sky and sunshine at the moment, the forecast is for clouds so we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

However that the Nikon D300s connects and displays a live view image is very exciting definitely good progress.

 

 

 

Let me know when you test taking pictures, bulb and no bulb; I'll update the progress grid here.

http://forum.otelescope.com/post/backyardnikon-v1-beta-progress-grid-6857530?pid=1282424740

 

Thanks

 

Guylain

 

[admin]

Sorry... we must have posted at same time.... Is the attachment ok?

 

Kev

 

Yes, got it.  Thank you.

 

Guylain

[dsidote]

No joy with the D610. BN just says connecting and then times out. I don't understand what it is about the D610 because Sequence Generator Pro can't connect either. 

 

My computer is an Apple MBA running Windows 7 ultimate via Parallels. I can connect the camera as Windows recognizes and I can connect to digiCamControl.

 

Dave

 

 

[myrialejean]

 

Nikon cameras do not work like Canon.  These settings are not live... Nikon only read these values and applies them when you START live view, not during <_<

 

The workaround is:

 

1) Pause live view (button in the lower right corner)

2) Change aperture and ISO.

3) Resume live view (same button as step #1)

 

That should work.

 

There is no cropping done in these release so far.  This is actually tricky with Nikon so I have not tackled that to date.

 

Where did it show suspended?  It should not.

 

Thank you, I like getting feedback

 

Guylain

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

At first I thought it wasn't creating the avi's then noticed a number in the bottom right 'camera information center' frame which has 'Suspended: Image(s) in queue waiting for processin' tooltip (most text in textblocks seems truncated on my machine - suspect it's a font issue).  Seems to dequeue them every five mins when left alone.

 

Another nice feature would be to save the camera settings and restore them on disconnect - for lazy people like me

[astroman133]

It is possible that one of those directories contained a corrupted configuration file that was causing the issue.  The next time you ran BYN it recreated a good version of that file.

 

Just a thought.

[admin]

No joy with the D610. BN just says connecting and then times out. I don't understand what it is about the D610 because Sequence Generator Pro can't connect either. 

 

My computer is an Apple MBA running Windows 7 ultimate via Parallels. I can connect the camera as Windows recognizes and I can connect to digiCamControl.

 

Dave

 

 

Send my the full log file, I want to see if at least the SDK sees it.  If it does I will see evidence of that in the log files.

 

It could also be that the D610 has a in-camera setting to set to "PC Control" from the default "Image Download" when connected to a PC.

 

I will let the BETA 01 continue in it's current state... at the end if I see I can not get it to connect I will rent one for a weekend and try to get it working. 

 

The D610 uses the Nikon driver Type0008.  It is possible that there is a issue with it.  Please run the following test.

 

1) Go into the BYN install folder, then into Nikon\ folder.  Delete all folders except Type0008.

2) REBOOT your computer the start BYN

3) Does it connect?  If yes it will confirm that there is an issue will all drivers are also loaded... and that I can fix relatively easily.  Let's hope it does

 

Guylain

 

 

 

 

[admin]

No joy with the D610. BN just says connecting and then times out. I don't understand what it is about the D610 because Sequence Generator Pro can't connect either. 

 

My computer is an Apple MBA running Windows 7 ultimate via Parallels. I can connect the camera as Windows recognizes and I can connect to digiCamControl.

 

Dave

 

 

digiCamControl is not using the Nikon SDK, I believe he uses the PTP protocol.  I wouldn't know where to start to use the PTP protocol to communicate with the camera.  I'm not familiar with it at all.

 

Guylain

[mistuk]

No joy with the D610. BN just says connecting and then times out. I don't understand what it is about the D610 because Sequence Generator Pro can't connect either. 

 

My computer is an Apple MBA running Windows 7 ultimate via Parallels. I can connect the camera as Windows recognizes and I can connect to digiCamControl.

 

Dave

 

Just a thought as I have a D600 - are you waiting for the memory card access light to stop illuminating / flickering? This can take over a minute (on mine) - once this has finished mine connects fine. Just check if this is happening on yours. It happens every time I connect the camera to the computer and then load backyard nikon. If I try and connect before this process has finished it won't connect on mine. Kev

[admin]

No joy with the D610. BN just says connecting and then times out. I don't understand what it is about the D610 because Sequence Generator Pro can't connect either. 

 

My computer is an Apple MBA running Windows 7 ultimate via Parallels. I can connect the camera as Windows recognizes and I can connect to digiCamControl.

 

Dave

 

Just a thought as I have a D600 - are you waiting for the memory card access light to stop illuminating / flickering? This can take over a minute (on mine) - once this has finished mine connects fine. Just check if this is happening on yours. It happens every time I connect the camera to the computer and then load backyard nikon. If I try and connect before this process has finished it won't connect on mine. Kev

 

This looks to me like a bug in the Nikon Windows driver.  The default initial initialization of the camera when connecting to a PC is "Image Download" mode.  It is possible that the initializing that mode tries to read the card.  Once that is done it switches to "PC Operated" mode and this is the mode required for software to control the camera.

 

On most model this takes just a second or 2.

 

What it you remove the card and set the camera to take images without a card.  Does it still take that long?

 

Guylain

[mistuk]

No joy with the D610. BN just says connecting and then times out. I don't understand what it is about the D610 because Sequence Generator Pro can't connect either. 

 

My computer is an Apple MBA running Windows 7 ultimate via Parallels. I can connect the camera as Windows recognizes and I can connect to digiCamControl.

 

Dave

 

Just a thought as I have a D600 - are you waiting for the memory card access light to stop illuminating / flickering? This can take over a minute (on mine) - once this has finished mine connects fine. Just check if this is happening on yours. It happens every time I connect the camera to the computer and then load backyard nikon. If I try and connect before this process has finished it won't connect on mine. Kev

 

This looks to me like a bug in the Nikon Windows driver.  The default initial initialization of the camera when connecting to a PC is "Image Download" mode.  It is possible that the initializing that mode tries to read the card.  Once that is done it switches to "PC Operated" mode and this is the mode required for software to control the camera.

 

On most model this takes just a second or 2.

 

What it you remove the card and set the camera to take images without a card.  Does it still take that long?

 

Guylain

 

 

Without any cards installed it is ready to connect immediately - no waiting

[admin]

Without any cards installed it is ready to connect immediately - no waiting

 

There you go.  That confirms what I thought.  The Nikon Windows driver goes into a spin trying to read the card assuming the user will want to download images <_>

 

What happens if you have no images on the card?  Does the time increase with the number of images on the card or is the 1 minute wait static?

 

Guylain

[dsidote]

Success! Removing the memory cards did the trick. It looks like everything works too!

 

Dave

[admin]

Success! Removing the memory cards did the trick. It looks like everything works too!

 

Dave

 

So the D610 connects without a card.

 

What about live view, taking non-bulb pictures, bulb pictures, and do the image download and display on screen?

 

Guylain

[dsidote]

Sorry, I'm new to the interface so I am learning by trial and error.

 

Live view works and I can take images, and they are displayed, but only in Av mode. Nothing happens when I try to take an image in bulb mode (camera is set to M).

 

I'll report back when I have more time to try everything out. 

 

Dave

[astroman133]

Dave,

 

How do you have the camera connected to the PC?

[admin]

Sorry, I'm new to the interface so I am learning by trial and error.

 

Live view works and I can take images, and they are displayed, but only in Av mode. Nothing happens when I try to take an image in bulb mode (camera is set to M).

 

I'll report back when I have more time to try everything out. 

 

Dave

 

Dave, you need a serial cable (or a DSUSB cable) to do bulb images with the 600D.  Do you have one?

 

You should be able to take TV images with the dial set to M.  Just select a value other than bulb form the pull down in the capture plan.  Let my know if that works.  If AV images are working so should TV images up to 30 seconds.

 

Guylain

[dsidote]

Rick,

 

Its connected via USB with the Nikon supplied USB cable.

 

Dave

[dsidote]

I didn't have the camera on manual focus. It looks like everything is working correctly, although the downloads seem rather slow.

 

Dave

[admin]

Rick,

 

Its connected via USB with the Nikon supplied USB cable.

 

Dave

 

Dave, if you set the camera dial to M, and then try to take a BULB picture in BackyardNIKON with only the USB cable, does it work?  If not it means the D600 requires a serial cable for BULB pictures. 

 

Try it and let me know please.  At worse you may the to purchase a serial cable (or DSUSB cable).

 

Guylain

[dsidote]

Guylain,

 

It works fine over USB. I am getting an error in the log file but the program appears to be functioning correctly.

 

Dave

 

 

 

[admin]

I didn't have the camera on manual focus. It looks like everything is working correctly, although the downloads seem rather slow.

 

Dave

 

Dave,

 

It is not the download that is slow, that usually takes less than 2 to 3 seconds.

 

Loading the raw image will take about 5 seconds.  Reading the exif data and writing your target data to the exif data will take an additional 2 to 3 seconds.  Creating the histogram 1 second.  It add up to 10 to 12 seconds on average... on older computer this may take up to 20 seconds.

 

This is not an issue usually because 80% is done in the background and will not stop the next picture to be taken.

 

Hope this makes sense.

 

Guylain

[admin]

Guylain,

 

It works fine over USB. I am getting an error in the log file but the program appears to be functioning correctly.

 

Dave

 

 

 

Yes, I know about the error being displayed on screen, I'll address that separatly... but the good thing is that BULB over USB is working for the D610.  YAHOO

 

Guylain

[dsidote]

I couldn't agree more. Finally, astro control for my Nikon! Tuesday is forecast to be clear so I hope to give it a good workout then.

 

Dave

[Pchas01]

Apr 20, 2014.  Nikon D5100, Beta 1c, Win7/32bit, DSUSB cable and camera cable.  Working very well this evening.  The only area I get an error message is when I test the dither in PHD, it fails.   Don't know if this is supposed to be working in the beta or not?

 

Paul C

[admin]

Apr 20, 2014.  Nikon D5100, Beta 1c, Win7/32bit, DSUSB cable and camera cable.  Working very well this evening.  The only area I get an error message is when I test the dither in PHD, it fails.   Don't know if this is supposed to be working in the beta or not?

 

Paul C

 

Yes it should work, it is the same as in BackyardEOS. 

 

Are you sure your followed these instructions, especially the enable server in PHD and accepting all indows firewall warnings?.

http://forum.otelescope.com/post/setting-up-bye-and-phd-for-dithering-6796145?pid=1282413951

 

Guylain

[stewart]

Nikon D200

 

I downloaded 01C and connected my D200 up over the weekend. Happy to report that under XP, the D200 was recognised and i could take a series of exposures in BYN. I am conncted with a DUSB cable and a USB cable.

 

The only issue i saw was that on the 4th and 5th exposures of a test run, the download to the laptop became very lengthy. I dont know if this is my ancient XP laptop or an issue in BYN. I only had time to try 5 exposures, not very long runs.

 

Hope this helps and thanks for your great work developing this software.

 

Stewart

[Pchas01]

I followed those instructions.  The only thing I did not see was a Windows firewall warning.  I will check it the next time I set up for imaging.

 

BackyardNIKON is really a pleasure to use.  It can only get better, thanks Guy.

 

Paul C

[stewart]

Nikon D200

 

sorry, meant to add that I could take bulb exposures with the DUSB connected. I tried 1 minute and 3 minutes and both fine.

 

Stewart

[admin]

I followed those instructions.  The only thing I did not see was a Windows firewall warning.  I will check it the next time I set up for imaging.

 

BackyardNIKON is really a pleasure to use.  It can only get better, thanks Guy.

 

Paul C

 

If you did not see the firewall warnings it means 1 of 2 things.

 

1) You accepted them in the past

2) You declined them in the past.

 

If it is #1 you should be fine.

 

If it is the #2 you need to go into windows firewall settings and add PHD manually as a rule.

 

Hope this makes sense.

 

Guylain