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Fixed Camera Angle

Discussion in 'Mods and Upgrades' started by WheresWaldo, Nov 27, 2017.

  1. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    If you are like me and tired of time lapse video being tilted 10° even though the Robo Themed OctoPrint shows the image correctly, this small print/mod is for you. It consists of two small print, a knife (or some other way of cutting plastic) and some glue.

    The small print is 8 mmm tall if you count the small printed pins on the top. The model can be found here: http://a360.co/2Agd5No
    R2_C2 10° Tilt Fix v2.png

    To install you need to remove the camera cover and disconnect the camera's flat cable. Remove the camera from the cover and set aside the screw. You need to cut down the four posts that hold the camera in its current position. Cut off the four posts even with the cone that extends from the camera lens, approximately 4 mm. Screw the two prints on the left and right sides of the front of the camera board. Put a bit of glue on the four pins and insert then into the remaining sections of the four posts.

    This modification leaves the camera lens in exactly the same position with regard to the hole in the cover but now it is moved 10° toward horizontal.
    20171127_103422.jpg

    20171127_103403.png

    Once you connect the camera's flat cable and insert it back into the R2 pillar go to the web interface and start the camera. If you are using the Robo Theme the picture will appear 10° tilted to the right. In actuality it is level and the resulting time lapses will now appear level. Here is a capture of the output from the R2 camera after the mod has been installed.

    There is some vignetting in the upper left corner and a small amount in the upper right. This is the fault of the molded shape of the cover. It was designed for a tilted camera and not a flat camera. To minimize this effect make sure you do not cut the bottom posts any shorter than the top posts on the camera cover.
    Tilt_Fixed.png

    Download the model or just STL files from the link above. Just click the Download button and select the file format you want to use.
     
  2. Kilrah

    Kilrah Well-Known Member

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    Nice, if I ever have to take this section of the printer apart I'll do the mod. Seems way too much of a pain to do only for that though :D
     
  3. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    Man @Kilrah it took less than 10 minutes total (not including the time to model the parts and print them). I already did the model, so your time is downloading it, printing and installing.
     
  4. Kilrah

    Kilrah Well-Known Member

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    Really? Thought taking the printer apart to reach the camera was a half hour job from what I read.

    Could group it with replacing the LED strips with warm white ones like I have added on top.
     
  5. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    One screw on the pillar holding the cover and four screws hold the camera in the cover. Nothing could be simpler.
     
  6. Kilrah

    Kilrah Well-Known Member

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    Oh yeah, didn't notice the camera had its own cover, thought you had to remove the entire front panel.
     
  7. Kilrah

    Kilrah Well-Known Member

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    In /home/pi/oprint/lib/python2.7/site-packages/octoprint_robotheme/static/css/main.css

    remove
    Code:
        -ms-transform: rotate(-10deg);
        -webkit-transform: rotate(-10deg);
        transform: rotate(-10deg);
    
     
  8. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    I wasn't going to look for the code, I knew it was there, but I don't use Robo Theme. Thanks for posting it for those that still use the theme.
     
  9. Kilrah

    Kilrah Well-Known Member

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    Done. Bit of vignetting indeed, could probably be improved slightly by trimming the posts even more and making sure the cam is as close as it can to the hole, maybe also to design the holders to shift the whole board a little to the right... but that will do for now. Sleep time...

    Clipboard01.jpg

    192.168.0.jpg
     
    supercazzola and WheresWaldo like this.
  10. nytcrawlr

    nytcrawlr New Member

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    I'd be interested in knowing what the purpose of the factory installing it with the tilt was in the first place if everything fits back in place snug.
     
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  11. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    I believe it was just a design oversight.
     
  12. MWDK

    MWDK New Member

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    Anyone upgraded the cam to a better one?
     
  13. drbanks

    drbanks Active Member

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    What sort of camera is in there now? I'm assuming a bog standard Raspberry Pi v2, but that's just me extracting notions from my hinder.
     
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  14. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    It is the standard rPi camera, not sure it is even the newest version of that camera.
     
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  15. MWDK

    MWDK New Member

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    yeah same question - anyone upgraded the cam? is it possible to buy a new RPI cam and use that? im thinking an 8mp cam would make much better pictures :)
     
  16. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    It is a standard rPi so if there are no significant changes for the Raspbian distro used then it should be trivial to replace the cam with a better newer one.
     
  17. MWDK

    MWDK New Member

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    I will order a new cam today and see if it will turn on and show an image before mounting it :)
     
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  18. Jerome Helbert

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    I actually bought a v2 NoIR (No IR filter so it should have better dark/night sensitivity) last night, should be here tomorrow. I fully expect it to be a drop in replacement.

    I'm then thinking about designing a mount to shift the camera a little bit. It has a horrible location now that cant ever seem to see half the prints.
     
  19. Jerome Helbert

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    Got the camera in today, dropped right in and worked without any fuss.

    The only tricky part is that the camera comes out of the box focused much further away than the print bed. It comes with a little tool to spin the lens, but there is no way to use it while the camera is installed in the mount from the printer
     
  20. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    I just drilled the little hole bigger on my printer, it was easier that way.
     

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