State of pyKake

Haven't write here lately (infact, it is more than a month), but so much to do in not so much of time... Anyway, since last post pyKake has evolved from the version 0.3 to the new level, in version 0.5.0. There is new UI and it (should) support remotes from Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax. And according that little feedback I already have got, there is successes and failures, but still, it is going on. Now it is also available from Maemo-org Extras-testing repository. Of course, this means it is not for everyone yet, but we are going in right way.

The basic functionally of program is now ready and same thing with the Graphical layout. There is still some small bugs need to fix and feedback system to add. But mainly it is ready, Hooray for that. After the break there is a small description about new pyKake (whit screenshots).

Main window

So the pyKake DSLR remote controls new UI is build from four windows, the main window, basic mode, bulb mode and viewer mode. Main window is the basic view of program, here you can select between different modes. This is as simple as it can be.

Basic mode

In the Basic mode, you just take one click photos. All except Canon, there is only one button, Shutter, to do so. In Canon remote, there is also button to enable 2 seconds mode, when this is enabled, photos will be taken in 2 second delay (in other manufacturers cameras, you had to add this delay manually in to the camera).

Bulb mode

Then there is Bulb mode. This is basically the reason why I made this program. Idea is, to open and close the shutter in camera remote and take photos with any exposure time I want (or at least under 30 minutes  which is the maximum amount of Bulb time allowed in Olympus e-420). This means, I can take photos about movement of starts, traffic, night photos, photos includes movement etc. 

First I was only thinking that this mode only includes "bulb on/off" button, but after the first release I got some feedback about timer and that was pretty good idea, so I added it too. Timer can count up or down (up if there is no added time and down if time is added). Timer also plays beeb sound in selected interval when it is counting up, and if it counting down, it will play alarm sound when time is up. Like in Basic mode, here is also a 2 seconds mode button for Canon.

Viewer mode

Last mode is Viewer mode, which is only available for Olympus. This mode includes buttons Zoom in, Zoom out, Previous and Next. In this mode, you can  remotely zoom and browse photos in cameras view mode. This is handy when you have connected your camera in TV (or other display device) and presenting photos to audience (or just watching those by yourself in bigger screen). There is probably also better use for these buttons, but I haven't find it from my camera (e-420), so if there is, feel free to tell about it.

Settings dialog

If you need to change camera, or beeb time interval, you can simply do it trough settings dialog (it is in main menu, just click the title). There is just few options in it and all you need to do is select what you want and click Save, the program do the rest of magic.

And that is pretty much all needed to told about application. It is still written in Python and it still uses GTK2.0+ to create graphics (and some Hildon included) and infrared is handled with Lirc. License of program is GPL. More about application can be readed from this thread and state of current packages (in Extras-devel) can be seen from here.