Summary of the content on the page No. 1
Indexer
Indexer
Indexer
Precision panoramic imaging system
User Guide
© As-Built Solutions Ltd
50 Sketty Road, Swansea SA2 0LH, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 870 160 0010
24-hour fax/message service: +44 (0) 870 787 5246
e-mail: support@absl.co.uk
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
Indexer System Guide October 2004 Index 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Precautions ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Power........................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Lens Cap and lens Hood .......................................................................................... 3 1.4 Lifting the unit with cover removed .....................
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
Indexer System Guide October 2004 1 Introduction The ABSL Indexer is a panoramic camera system for the capture of calibrated 360° images. It consists of a high precision rotation system that orientates a calibrated digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera in a horizontal circle. Eight high-resolution images are captured in a full 360° scan and they are saved to Compact flash. The images are combined into a Hazmap project by the DCIM2Project module. This module also monitors the quality of the im
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
Indexer System Guide October 2004 1.2 Power The unit requires a good quality alkaline PP3 battery to be fitted. Unscrewing the black thumbscrew at the base of the cover plate accesses the battery compartment. Take care to connect the battery with the correct polarity. The battery will last for a typical working day. It should be removed if the unit is not to be used for a long period of time to avoid potential damage if it should leak. If the LED on the unit or remote control flashes rapidly aft
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
Indexer System Guide October 2004 1.3 Lens Cap and lens Hood The lens cap should always be replaced then the unit is not in use. The front element of the wide angle lens protrudes significantly making it more prone to damage. All wide angle lenses are prone to lens flare when looking towards a bright light source. To minimise this the lens hood should generally be used. A very small portion of the image in the corners will appear darkened. It is necessary to avoid this or the lighting means lens
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
Indexer System Guide October 2004 1.4 Lifting the unit with cover removed When lifting the unit with the cover removed it is important to reach under the rotating plate to the fixed plate as shown below: 1.5 Scan Control 1.5.1 Using the primary control button. The Indexer will create panoramic scan with the centre aligned with the side panel with the yellow button. If this is 6 o'clock the first camera position will be at 1 o'clock. To capture a full panoramic scan first check the camera is swit
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
Indexer System Guide October 2004 Briefly press the yellow button on the Indexer side panel and release. The top plate should rotate to the first camera position and capture an image. It will then rotate to the second position and capture the second image. If a series of beeps two then three ##_###_##_### is heard at the first position then the Indexer is unable to communicate with the camera. Any other warning sequences should be reported to technical support for diagnostics to be carried out.
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
Indexer System Guide October 2004 To start an automatic sequence press the red button followed by the green button. The unit will then capture an automatic sequence but the sounder will not beep. To stop the unit at any time simply press the yellow button briefly. © As-Built Solutions Ltd Page 6
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
Indexer System Guide October 2004 2 Camera setup 2.1 Focus The Canon 10D has advanced auto focus technology to obtain sharp images when used conventionally. When used with the Hazmap photogrammetic system this must be turned off otherwise the camera calibration will be voided. The auto focus is disabled via a switch on the lens, which is not accessible in normal use. 2.2 Image Quality The camera can acquire a range of images from RAW unprocessed data through to highly compressed jpeg images. The
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
Indexer System Guide October 2004 2.6 Controlling Exposure 2.6.1 ISO This is the electronic equivalent of film speed and indicates the sensitivity to light. For normal situations a speed of ISO 100 should be used as this results in the minimum noise amplification. In darker environments ISO 100 may result in unacceptably long shutter speeds, e.g. in excess of a few seconds. In this case increase ISO can be increased to ISO 200 or 400 with minimal increases in noise on the images.
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
Indexer System Guide October 2004 2.8 Manual Exposure Where a seamless panorama is required or part of the scene is lit in such a way that the metering is likely to be compromised manual exposure (M on the mode dial) can be used. An example would be internal imaging in a room with a very bright window. The camera will reduce the exposure when the Indexer is orientated towards the window and large variations in the appearances of the internal surfaces will occur. In manual mode the
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
Indexer System Guide October 2004 2.10.3 Power The camera is powered using a Lithium Ion battery pack (or power adapter), which slots into the battery compartment which is located on the right hand (underside) of the camera. The battery takes approximately 90 minutes to charge. If possible leave the battery on charge after the charger LED remains on and has stopped flashing. This will not harm the battery. © As-Built Solutions Ltd Page 10
