Photo Station Automation Program

Description

This project intergrates photo taking, photo uploading and database synchronization functions for finds recording process in APSAP photo station. The program aims to provide a easy-to-use and a user-friendly platform for user to record finds efficiently while reducing the requirement for the operator.  

• Main Intergrated functions
  • Photo taking and video preview (previous done by Canon EOS)
  • Photo preview (new)
  • Weight measuring (previous done by Bonita Software)
  • Photo uploading to local shared drive (new) (auto)
  • Create find object on server after recording the find (new)  

Table of Contents

• 1.Installation
• 2.Configuration
• 3.Usage
• 4.Credits
• 5.Reference  

1.Installation

The program can be installed by both flash disk and onedrive download.

1.1 Installation from FLASH DISK/Onedrive

Install by copy and paste the whole project folder from Flash Disk/Onedrive, then it is good to go. All dependencies should be included. If you are downloading from onedrive, extract the folder to target destination.

1.2 Installation from Biginning

Install MSYS2

Follow the msys2 official site: https://www.msys2.org/wiki/MSYS2-installation/

Install dependencies

# gphoto2 and python
pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-gphoto2
pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-python3.10
# PIL for image processing
pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-python-pillow
# serial for reading scale
pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-python-pyserial
# pyxl for writing weight to excel
pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-python-openpyxl
# requests for connecting to server
pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-python-requests

Obtain .pyc executable from Internet

to be done

 

2.Configuration

This section is for both hardware and software)

2.1 Hardware Configuration

• Canon Camera
  • Connect charging cable to camera and usb-micro_usb cable to computer.
  • Make sure SD card is in the camera.
  • Make sure Camera is horizontal (as well as plate)
• Electronic Scale
  • Connect cable with computer and scale
  • Continuous signal setting: press "ON/OFF" -> when starting (loading 999999 to 111111)(see reference 5.3) -> press "TARE" "TARE" "TARE" and "UNIT" -> it should be showing "01-Diu" -> press "Zero" until it shows "09-Ode" -> Press "CAL/PRT" to confirm-> Press "ZERO" until it shows "3" -> Press "CAL/PRT" to confirm -> Turn off the scale and open it, it should be set.
• LED light
  • Follow the instruction of your supervisor.

2.2 Software Configuration

• Check if the lab NAS drive is connected and mapped to local machine.  

3.Usage

Demo video  

4.Credits

• LI Haochen, Harry - Software, photo uploading function and server API
• JIN Yushang, Eric - Hardware, Photo taking function, livestream and preview function, weight measurement function
• FAN Zheyu, Uky - Software, GUI backend design, GUI frontend design, logic optimization
• SONG Yichuan, Tiger - Software, GUI design
• Special thanks to Gabriel Paul Getzie for helping on test server related issue.  

5.Reference

5.1 From Test Server Builder

Python code: testing backend

Restricted material and category combinations for uploading

5.2 Test Server Related

Test server

API.cs

Test server login: username:autophoto;password:Armenia1

5.3 Hardware Related

Electronic Scale Continuous Streaming Setting