FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Hi everyone,

I'm one of the developers of the FCam camera API, which we just published for the N900. The API is a joint project between Stanford University and Nokia Research Center Palo Alto. It gives you precise low-level control over the N900's camera subsystem, including RAW capture, full control over all camera parameters, and so on.

We've released a demo app called FCamera that shows off a few of these things, including an HDR viewfinder mode, auto-HDR burst capture, and lucky imaging. And it saves RAW images in the DNG format. It's up in extras-testing.

FCam is a C++ API, and works pretty well with QT (although it has no dependencies on Qt - it works just fine standalone). It depends on fcam-drivers, which are updated camera kernel modules. The development package, fcam-dev, is also available, although you might just want to download that from the project page below.

The FCam webpage
FCam garage project page
Stanford PR

If you give it a try, please submit bugs to our project bug tracker at the Maemo garage page!

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Now this sounds awesome, I really waited for a application to tweak the camera of the N900. Especially a possibility to save RAW images is a useful option to get the best quality of the mobile phone pictures and edit them lossless afterwards.

I will try it once a quite stable version released.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

I have a small request:

Is it possible to merge all the current FCam demonstrations (i.e. HDR and LowLight) under the same FCamera app? This way, one will not have to close/open different apps, and they can share all the controls.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

How can i use Rephotgraphy thing?
details about it posted here:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...480#post760480

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

I don't think that's been implemented in any of the programs they've released so far. I suspect there's quite a few things still being worked on, so I'd expect more apps to come out before too long.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

brilliant!
keep on going!
thank you!

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

What is the license of the project? I saw both of BSD and GPL in the garage page?

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

FCamera is a demo app?

It's one of the most awesome apps I've seen in a while :)

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Well it is open-source so it might happen. Though i think those programs are "just" showcase demos and will probably stay standalone. To show what it can do.

Edit: By the way.. Titans seams to have found a way to get fcam and the enhanced kernel to coexist.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

This version is compatible with Titans Power kernel

http://n900.tannerlab.com/kernel/fca....5-1_armel.deb

Thanks to titan.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Fcamera is useless. Raw pictures converted to JPG doesn't look good. Hell, i don't even know why we need fcamera when you have HDR Capture. HDR Capture is the shyt!! And lowlight doesn't look good also. Fcamera is more useful if they integrate HDR Capture and every other features in there.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

I am sure they will start working on this immediately after they read your encouraging opinion about their application. Way to go!

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

I found the FCam Getting Started page very helpful. For months, I've had the tools to develop for the N900 but I didn't set them up. The Getting Started instructions are clear and by following them, it did not take long to install Nokia's Qt developer tools and MADDE, build the Animated Tiles demo app and the FCam example1 image capture app, and run them on my N900.

Well done, FCam team! Well done!

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

FCamera is nice, Good work guys. Your getting started page explains everything, very nice. Please make sure you improve the app by adding more features.

See some samples here. http://www.nokiatimes.com/2010/07/hd...-settings.html

I noticed that every time you use the built in Camera app I had to restart the phone to use FCamera. Also if the fcamera is running I am not able to take screen shots and screen casts. I guess that can not be changed anyway.

Idea: Multifocus Composite Image and/or Dynamic Focus Image
 

Hello world!

I had an idea concerning Fcam or more accurately an idea for an application that would take advantage of the API and some parts of the code of the HDR and/or panorama applications.

The idea is multifocus composite image to take multiple pictures of the same target and match them on top of each other. The point is that each shot would be taken with different focus level. The user could define the number and interval / min-max values of the steps.

Then there would be al least two options of what to do with these photos.

http://schwehr.org/blog/attachments/...multifocus.png

* Option one would be to form a one composite sharp picture like above.

* Option two would be to for a some kind of dynamic focus image (just made that "term" up). I dont know the technical solution or package format for this but the idea is that you would have an image that you could dynamically change the focus level while watching it. The UI for this focus changing could be e.g. a slider bar, mouse wheel or just sliding your finger on the touch screen... or whatever.

So what do you think folks?
Is it an idea worth exploring further?

EDIT1: Link added
http://www.graficaobscura.com/depth/index.html

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

I've successfully created a working package of

fcamera_0.1.3-1_armel.deb

on the n900 itself.

If you're an advanced developer and this interests you, keep reading.

If you're not new to developing on the n900, go directly to the bottom link.

If you are new to developing on the n900, read from here first.

Then go to:

here

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

This is very exciting - an open source camera on the N900. I've downloaded and installed the software and will try it out over the next couple of days. Thanks!

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Could someone just tell me the simple way to install this...

I have the app installed but I just have a grey screen with the settings running down the right hand side; no actual viewfinder... Yes I've opened the lens cover, and yes I've rebooted it. I must be missing something. Please fill me in, as I really would like to try this out.

Thanks in advance.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

I don't think you've installed the fcam drivers (from the extras-testing repo..typical warnings apply). You've just installed the program FCamera.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Yes, I've installed the drivers... Other suggestions anyone...?

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Open the default camera app and change from night mode to something else :)
Auto maybe. This is a bug in Fcamera.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

If you are running with titan's kernel (installable from app manager, "Kernel-Power" and "Kernel Power Settings") then the fcam drivers cause a conflict with the kernel. Titan has fixed this issue with a workaround that you can find RIGHT HERE.

Download the deb to MyDocs and install using xterminal as root;

Reboot....
This should fix the issue with the grey viewfinder for you.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

link above is dead :(

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

I have uploaded a new version 38 of kernel-power with the missing headers included.
Users don't need to upgrade. This version is only interesting for developers
and make it possible to build the independent driver modules for kernel-power.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Will you promote fcam-drivers and FCamera from Extras-testing repository to Extras?

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

I believe the concern is with the next iteration packaging, so the currently promoted packages don't cause upgrade problems if the next one supports the titan kernel.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

fcamera vs. blessN900 ....
were is the difference?

pro/non-pro?

thanks :)

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

What extra works needed to handle titan kernel? For me , I am quite concerned about when will fcam-driver available in extras , as I am going to develop the next version of FrontView. I need to determine should I use fcam.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Okay, i tested the Fcam...
so my question is answered

Great app, respect :)

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Not extra work, just package directive testing so that the app manager pulls in the adequate modules (without installing kernel-power unless you already have it).

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

We're also trying to fix up a few bugs relating to DNG saving (dcraw support, improved DNG output) and a few interaction issues with the built-in camera app we missed the first time around. And packaging-wise, we're still trying to sort out a clean solution for kernel-power.

We'll get that out this week, and assuming there aren't any showstoppers, promote to extras once we have the upvotes.

Thanks to everyone for all the great feedback so far!

-Eddy
One of the FCam developers.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

speed speed speed. decrease the actual time i takes to take a pic and then there would be something to rave about. i love my 900 but a 5mp sony i bought 6 years ago takes a faster shot. my dad took 5 pics with his iPhone 4 in the time it took me to take one and the quality was not much different.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

That mostly depends on the Tracker's Thumbnailer hogging all your disk and CPU bandwidth. FCam guys are not to blame for this, Nokia is.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

cesarcesar,
Hmm you can take burst shots with fcam :| I doubt that any other is faster. Please define what you are really meaning.

.edit
Just tested. 4 shots in about 2-3 seconds.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

My post about speed was not to do with anything fCam has done so far, but more was about if they (or anyone) is gonna make an improvement on the N900 camera, IMO speed is where the improvement needs to be. Quality of the picture is not a big issue as they most of the time quality looks good.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Well then I guess I will have to check this out. If its good then i will shove a sock in my mouth.

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Had to test Nokias own Camera application with preview turned off (tap screen, tap top of window and turn it off). I could take pictures constantly quite fast. How fast cesarcesar you would like to take pictures?

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

I'm feeling like an idiot... how do i save these pictures or where do they save to?

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

in /MyDocs/FCamera ...

Re: FCam - a new camera API for the N900
 

Ugh this is kind of bad. I just got my nokia n900 today and fully intended to use the raw data for testing with a calibration field...I'm going to calibrate the optical parameters, including principle point, principal distance, axis of symmetry and radial distortion parameters. I ran into the garbage DNG issue and found this fun post.

Please get this fixed soon?

What software *can* read these files?