HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

Started Apr 19, 2007 | Discussions
harvester Contributing Member • Posts: 693
HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

This is a sequel to the old threads discussing the HDK firmware.

The HDK fw is a hacked firmware for DIGIC II cameras. Currently supported cams are A610, A620, A630, A640, A710IS, S3IS and maybe more (see the FAQ for a complete list).

The HDK fw implements new features like RAW, battery indicator, live histogram (RGB/luminance), blinking highlights, DOF calculator, scripts (intervalometer, exposure/focus/... bracketing etc.), text reader, file browser, calendar, games and much more. New features get implemented frequently, so check the timeline for the latest changes, or the FAQ for a complete list.

The HDK firmware does not touch the original firmware of your camera. It is an additional program which gets loaded into the memory of the cam. If you have a problem, just turn your cam off or remove the batteries, and the HDK fw is gone.

For further information, a guide, download links and FAQ see the english WIKI:
http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

Timeline:
http://tools.assembla.com/chdk/timeline

Dear Vitalyb, GrAnd and all the others: Thank you so much for creating this wonderful piece of software!
Some screenshots:

The old discussion threads:
1. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1010&thread=21263144
2. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1010&thread=21995907
3. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1010&thread=22706343

OP harvester Contributing Member • Posts: 693
suggestion

Dear GrAnd, would it be possible in the text reader to implement automatic word wrapping, so that words are written completely into the next line, when they are too long for the actual line?

Right now, it is like this:

This is an examp
le.

It would be nice if it could be like this:

This is an
example.

OP harvester Contributing Member • Posts: 693
Re: read PropCases in SCRIPT

imatom wrote:

GrAnd wrote:

As I understand he asked a command to have an access to these
values from script.

YES. If we can see the valeues in script then we can contol using current values.
example function:
readprop "99"

The function reads the valur of PropCases address 99 then it sets the value into c variable.

Oh right, I misunderstood. That could be useful indeed.

GrAnd Regular Member • Posts: 325
Re: suggestion

harvester wrote:

Dear GrAnd, would it be possible in the text reader to implement
automatic word wrapping, so that words are written completely into
the next line, when they are too long for the actual line?

I already have this action item in my ToDo list.

Regards,
GrAnd.

ursamajorRO
ursamajorRO Regular Member • Posts: 472
Re: explainations

Tell me please, what are for the text reader, Flash light and the Draw palette? I anticipate the use of the text reader, but the other things? Some explainations will be very usefull. Thank you.

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OP harvester Contributing Member • Posts: 693
Re: explainations

ursamajorRO wrote:

Tell me please, what are for the text reader, Flash light and the
Draw palette? I anticipate the use of the text reader, but the
other things? Some explainations will be very usefull. Thank you.

I see it like this:

  • text reader: self explanatory. Use it for reading ebooks, or put a help file there which explains the functions of the fw hack, or whatever information you might want to have in your cam

  • flashlight: if you want to shoot a video in total darkness. It's range is severely limited (a few cm), and I think it's only useful for cams with a flip&twist screen.

  • draw palette: I don't know. Perhaps if you want to choose a particular color for text, histo background etc., and you want to see how the color/transparency will look on the whole screen. I think it makes it a little bit easier to pick a color you like.

ATony Forum Member • Posts: 53
Re: explainations

GrAnd has been working on a WIKI of the CHDK

It can be found here

http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK/FAQ

Good job GrAnd !!!

Ben Roubin Regular Member • Posts: 186
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)
-- hide signature --

mbr

Looks like a lot of work has been done to make these cams more functional. Thanks to all for their efforts.

My question: Will these hacks enable the remote shooting function on the A630 that Canon so inexplicably left off?

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OP harvester Contributing Member • Posts: 693
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

Ben Roubin wrote:

My question: Will these hacks enable the remote shooting function
on the A630 that Canon so inexplicably left off?

Regarding the A610, I've read once that this is not a limitation of the camera firmware, but a limitation of the Canon software on your computer. Someone said that he could use an old version of the Canon remote shooting software (I think it was for an S series cam) just fine with the A610. It may be the same for the A630.

GrAnd Regular Member • Posts: 325
Re: explainations

ATony wrote:

GrAnd has been working on a WIKI of the CHDK It can be found here
http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK/FAQ
Good job GrAnd !!!

Not only I am working on it. At least one guy from an another forum is helping me.

MG66 New Member • Posts: 9
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

Hello,

here an other suggestion: is it possible to implement a sharpness-setting (+3/-3) like in A630/A640?

Thanks

Mane

OP harvester Contributing Member • Posts: 693
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

MG66 wrote:

here an other suggestion: is it possible to implement a
sharpness-setting (+3/-3) like in A630/A640?

Someone may correct me, but I think this is not possible, because you would have to redo parts of the original firmware and change the way of the RAW-> Jpeg conversion. Right now, only parts of the original firmware have been deciphered, so your suggestion is not possible right now.

If you want to reduce sharpness, you can shoot in "low sharpening" mode, or in RAW.

Björn Holmstedt Regular Member • Posts: 260
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

Is iy possible to get it running on a IXUS 800IS?
I'm looking for some more control like Tv and Av.
Björn H

Wintermist Contributing Member • Posts: 783
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

Now we just need a RAW hack for the G7

-- hide signature --
OP harvester Contributing Member • Posts: 693
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

Wintermist wrote:

Now we just need a RAW hack for the G7

Not likely. As GrAnd explained before, reverse engineering of the firmware takes a lot of time, and nobody seems to work on it right now. Maybe we could bribe Vitaly or somebody else with donations so that they could afford to buy a G7... but even then it's unclear how long it would take.

Björn Holmstedt wrote:

Is iy possible to get it running on a IXUS 800IS?
I'm looking for some more control like Tv and Av.

In theory it should be possible, provided that somebody could make a firmware dump of this cam. But I fear it is not possible right now to give more manual controls (M, Tv, Av), since it would require to change the process of how the cam takes pictures, and large parts of the firmware are not decrypted yet.

OP harvester Contributing Member • Posts: 693
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

Btw, GrAnd, do you and Vitaly have Paypal- or ClicknBuy-accounts or something like that? I'm so much more happy now with my cam, and I would like to thank you for your great work.

Skeris Junior Member • Posts: 25
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

I'm thrilled with the new HDK firmware hack- yes I would like to contribute if that's possible.

I can't wait to get started, but am having learning curve issues:

I loaded the firmware into my S3 this morning, made several 7.5MB shots (e.g.CRW_0005.CRW), but now I can't seem to work with those shots in Zoom Browser or in InfranView3.99 or AutoPano. Infranview gives me this error message "Can't Read File Header!"

I'm sure I am doing something wrong-- any suggestions?

Next, I am VERY anxious to get my head around the Scripting mode, to see what's possible in terms of continuous RAW shooting.

Thanks fot this great effort!

Concept Forum Member • Posts: 77
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

Wow, this is amazing -- it had never even occurred to me that camera firmwares could be "augmented" in this fashion (though now that I think about it, I don't see why not)! As for improvements on the G7, I'm planning on buying one soon (ie. today or tomorrow), so please let me know how I can give you a firmware dump of the G7 or otherwise help out ... without donating my G7, of course! Thanks very much!

aHerbert New Member • Posts: 24
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

Well hopefully someone will be able to help me with this little problem I am having. I have moved the scripts to a script folder no problem they still load. My problem is that even with just turning on the camera with the autoload of the hack it starts with default.bas scripting or whatever script you were using when you shut the camera off.

And I know you can get around the scripts running by getting out of {Alt} mode, but I enjoy the histograms and Zebra additions from the hack so I really dont want to lose those. And even with just making a script file that is completly empty of any code it still runs a script where it will take multiple shots.

So really what I'm asking is if anyone knows of a way to allow just basic shooting while in the {Alt} mode or is there a way that in future versions that scripts will be toggable?
thankx

Ben Roubin Regular Member • Posts: 186
Re: HDK firmware hack discussion (4)

harvester wrote:

Ben Roubin wrote:

My question: Will these hacks enable the remote shooting function
on the A630 that Canon so inexplicably left off?

Regarding the A610, I've read once that this is not a limitation of
the camera firmware, but a limitation of the Canon software on your
computer. Someone said that he could use an old version of the
Canon remote shooting software (I think it was for an S series cam)
just fine with the A610. It may be the same for the A630.

-- hide signature --

mbr

I reloaded the software from my A80 and tried the remote shooting function with the A630 and it didn't work. The message said "this camera does not support this function". It must be firmware.
I can't understand why Canon would go out of their way to disable it.

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