Authydra

VFX automatic HDR capture plugin

Note: This plug-in has been superceded by HDR2EXR. Please use that plug-in as it has been updated more recently than this one.

A plugin for the RICOH THETA V and Z1 to make one HDR exr file. Main use would be for on set VFX HDR capture. With a simple web interface one can set the capture settings and download the EXR file (and original pictures if desired)

One can choose the number of pictures taken, the number of pictures taken on each exposure to reduce noise and the exposure difference between each bracket (stop jumps, this can also be set to auto).

There are enough HDR apps. What makes this one different?

It measures the on set lighting and bases it bracketing on that lighting situation. It takes 1 auto exposed picture to determine basic exposure settings. Based on that it set the lowest iso and then starts taking pictures. Unfortunately very bright lights (like the sun) are still visible with lowest shutter times and iso. This maybe can be fixed on the Z1 with higher aperture.

It automatically merges these pictures into one EXR file ready to be used in NUKE, MAYA etc. (this is done through OpenCV hdr libraries.)

How to use?

On the THETA V, make sure to set the plugin as the default plugin to use.

Start the plugin by holding down the mode button for 2 seconds. The little led will turn white. And the wifi logo will turn Magenta.

Put the camera on chosen location (use a tripod, shooting handheld will lead to crappy pictures) Now either push the photo button. You have 5 seconds to run away and hide, else you are in the picture. Or connect you phone/laptop/tablet/... to the wifi of the ricoh theta and goto http://192.168.1.1:8888 and choose your setting and press the take picture button.

The Wifi logo turns greens and the theta makes pictures and optionally makes sounds. When using the webinterface you are taken to a page that shows the progress of the process, also there is a low res version of the pictures you are taking.

After the picture taking the wifi logo will blink red and blue. You can now move or pick up the camera. It is busy merging the pictures. This takes about one or two minutes. When it is done it makes a sound and the wifi logo turn magenta again. The webinterface will return to the settings page.

Use the web interface to download (and or delete) the pictures. You can view the jpg of picture in 360 by pressing the filename in the file manage menu.

Good to know It tries to keep the iso as low as possible but also the the exposure time, when exposure gets above 1 sec, it increases iso (until it runs out of iso and then increases exposure time again ;-) .) This version works with OpenCV 3.4.4 I ran into to some problems with 4.0 which I couldn't fix right away. It also generates a tonemapped jpg, just for fun. Haven't been able to get this jpg to show up in the theta ios app. Don't know why maybe someone can help? If you want to build it for yourself make sure to change the file paths in the Android.mk file (in the app folder).