UFOCaptureV2 users manual

1.Function outline

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UFOCaptureV2 is a time-shift-motion-detect-video-recording-software. UFOCaptureV2 runs on Windows PC, inputs video signal from general video capture devices, records movies directly to hard disk. Recording begins at a few seconds before the change on video images, and ends a few seconds after the change ends.

UFOCaptureV2 has features below.

• Input device selection
  • UFOCaptureV2 is compatible with many kinds of capture devices which use DirectX video capture interface.
    

    UFOCaptureV2 uses general software encode interface which is used by Windows Movie Maker / Windows Media encoder.
    You can test compatibility of your hardware by those programs. Hardware which use software encoder mostly have compatibilities, but which use hardware encoder often does not have compatibilities. Well known hardware are listed in F.A.Q..
    

• Time shift parameter setting
  • UFOCaptureV2 uses internal memory buffer which always contains the past video frames. When a trigger event occurs, UFOCaptureV2 begins recording from head frames before the trigger timing, and last to tail frame after the event was ended.
  • 
  • head = tail = 30 (approx. 1sec) may fit for general purpose.
  • Maximum head frame depends on the size of available memory and the format of video . You can extend it to even a few minutes if it is required and memory is available.

• Video format setting
  • UFOCaptureV2 supports input video formats below. You can use some of which that the driver program of your capture hardware supports.
    • resolution: 320x240 to 1920x1280
    • frame rate: 10.0 fps to 60.0 fps
    • internal input video encoding: UYUV, YUY2, I420, IYUV, YV12, DVSD
  • UFOCaptureV2 can resize video images so that the pixel to be square.
    • ex. input 720x480, 4:3 not true square pixel -> 640x480 4:3 true square pixel.
    • This function requires high CPU performance, it is not recommended when CPU does not have enough power.
  • Codecs
    • non-compressed AVI (recommend for scientific observation )
    • highly-compressed WMV
    • other AVI codecs which are install to your PC. ( no assurance )
  • Audio
    • on/off (AVI), on (WMV)
• Trigger option
  • Free hand area mask
    • Eliminate unstable area such as tree or ground light from detection.
    • Builtin editor supports overlay editing of detect area on inputted image pixel by pixel.
  • Brightness and size, 2 level triggering
    • Brightness threshold level (detect level) and area size threshold (detect size) enable you many purpose detection.
    • UFOCaptureV2 counts the number of pixel that have changed its brightness more than assigned detect level at every frame, and begins recording when the number exceeds assigned detect size.
  • Noise level auto tracking
    • Automatic control of brightness threshold level enables long time stable detection.
  • Duration time thresholds
    • Minimum frames setting eliminates very short time event such as noises caused by cosmic rays.
    • Maximum seconds setting enables automatic deleting of the long clip such as airplanes�B
    • Extra size setting enables the capture of very short but very big event such as lightnings or sprites.
  • Scintillation mask
    • Automatically find star like long term bright object and mask it with a few pixel around it.
    • Scintillation mask eliminate unstable brightness change caused by scintillation on night sky observation. This enables high sensitivity detection.
    • Scintillation mask pattern usually corresponds to fixed stars, even invisible star can be detected. This pattern can be used for precise determination direction and distortion of FOV.
  • Dark object mask
    • Eliminates movement of dark objects (birds insects..) from detection.
  • Slow object mask
    • Track objects and measure its speed and mask square area around it when it speed is low.
    • Most airplanes or satellites could be ignored.
    • Slow object mask measure its speed for 3 seconds, shorter event such as stopping meteors or burst of satellites are not treated as slow object.
  • Audio trigger
    • Audio signal trigger can be added. When audio signal level exceeds assigned threshold level, time shift recording will begin.
    • When using appropriate external equipment, any electronic signal which is connected to audio input can be used as triggers.
  • Time interval trigger
    • Fixed time interval (1min to 24 hours) trigger can be supplied.
  • Manual trigger
    • Manual trigger can be supplied at any time by pushing Rec button at any time.
    • Time shift is also effective on manual trigger. You can record from a few seconds before the trigger.
  • Clip name option
    • File name will have a little difference according to trigger type.
• Super impose
  • Super impose date, time(local time or UT or elapsed time), milliseconds, frame number, or any alpha numeric string on to the video, with selectable date format yyyy/mm/dd or dd/month/yyyy, selectable character size from 3 size, changable vertical position.
  • Area mask and scintillation mask can be overlayed for previewing its effect.
• Still image capturing
  • Automatic still image capture
    • bmp or jpeg
    • Snap shot at the trigger for daytime detection
    • Peak hold composite image for night sky observation
  • Detail condition map (*M.bmp) recording
    • B channel contains area mask and scintillation mask pattern.
    • G channel contains long term averaged brightness of each pixel.
    • R channel contains detected changed pixels.
    • *M ,bmp is necessary for post processing by UFOAnalyzer. UFOAnalyzer determine the direction , size, distortion of FOV, and measure the moving speed and the linearity of its path.
  • Resized small jpeg capture for thumbnail display. which can contain detected pixel marks.
• FTP transfer
  • Transfer jpeg, wmv of each clip to assigned servers by FTP protocol.
  • Cyclic fixed file names are used in transfer, so that a fixed web page can show them.
• Mail transfer
  • Transfer jpeg, wmv of each clip by E-mail as soon as they are captured.
• Capture alarm
  • Beep or play sound at the timing of trigger.
  • Execute a external program or command when a capture was done.
• HDD free space watch
  • Watch the free space of the target HDD volume and stop detection or delete oldest clip when free space is too little.
• Operation modes
  • Multi file mode (recommended for general observation)
    • Create a new movie file and still images at every event.
    • Detection stops for a short time (approx. 1 sec) to change the movie file after every end of event.
  • Single file mode
    • All events are stored to one movie file. Still images cannot be saved.
    • Detection continues all the time.
    • When setting auto restart interval , movie file can be divided by hours.
  • Start detect at activation
    • When this option is set ON, program will enter detection state at the beginning of execution.
• Save/Read settings
  • Setting are automatically saved as "Settings.ufi" to execution directory at every end of program.
  • "Save Settings" save all setting to a named file at any time.
  • "Read Settings" read saved settings.
  • Saved settings can be used in time scheduled operation.
  • Saved settings can be used as command parameter of activation.
  • You can distribute your settings using one saved file.
    • When "Save as template" option is ON, important information like serial ID or FTP information will not be saved.
    • Important information is saved in unreadable format, and when using under different serial ID, they will be erased.
• Operation schedule setting
  • 2 pair of begin-end fixed time schedule can be set.
  • Automated schedule adjustment to sun raise and sun set.
    • Calculate sun rise and sun set time from longitude and latitude, add assigned offset and automatically adjust the schedules.
  • Parameter settings can be read at the beginning of each schedule.
• Profile Setting
  • Location ID, Camera ID can be set to make clip name unique.
  • Observation location( longitude and latitude), observer name can be set. Those are stored to logging file.
• Logging
  • Capture conditions such as threshold levels or head frame number are stored to a xml logging file for each event, so that post processing can re-process of the capturing. This logging file is necessary for post processing of UFOAnalyzer.
• Clip file management
  • Automatic Y/M/D directory creation
    • When "+Y/M/D directory" is ON, 3 layer directory which corresponds to year, month, day will be created automatically, and clips will be stored proper directory.
  • pm-am/day mode
    • When "pm-am/day" is ON , all clips that are captured in 0:00 to 12:00(LT) will be stored to the directory of the previous day.
  • Clip browsing
    • Day range list up
      • List up all clips which was captured at assigned day range in directory.
  • Delete
    • Delete a selected clip /Delete all clips in the list.
    • Movies, still images, and xml are deleted simultaneously.
• Replay
  • Movies
    • Play back with audio (avi,wmv)
    • Seek , Frame stepping, De-interlaced field stepping.
    • Save snap shot still image at any frame or field.
  • Still images
    • Area mask, scintillation mask, and detect pixels can be overlayed.
• Maintenance
  • Read settings
    • Read all settings at once by reading pre-set or saved settings file.
  • Save settings
    • Save all settings to named file.
    • Save all settings except personal information to a named file as a template.
  • Re-install modules
    • Install execution directory and its modules to system again.
  • Registration
    • Register serial ID and license key.

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