Small-gauge film optical printer platform
Go to file
Matt McWilliams 66096fa2ea Add the designs and sketches for the ACME Trebes. 2024-04-19 18:09:44 -06:00
app Add a bellows adapter for Canon RF cameras and an ACME bellows 2024-04-14 13:34:41 -06:00
data Add a bellows adapter for Canon RF cameras and an ACME bellows 2024-04-14 13:34:41 -06:00
docs Upload screenshots of app 2018-10-05 18:05:16 -04:00
hardware Add takeup signal terminals to the mcopy projector board. 2023-11-28 23:09:09 -05:00
ino Add the designs and sketches for the ACME Trebes. 2024-04-19 18:09:44 -06:00
notes Add second dataset for testing findPeak method 2023-10-10 21:20:51 -04:00
processing Add a bellows adapter for Canon RF cameras and an ACME bellows 2024-04-14 13:34:41 -06:00
scad Add the designs and sketches for the ACME Trebes. 2024-04-19 18:09:44 -06:00
scripts Add the designs and sketches for the ACME Trebes. 2024-04-19 18:09:44 -06:00
src Resolve startup order issues and explanation for all the delays that were meager attempts to solve a race condition. By moving more IPC connectionts to handles, which can be awaited, there are no more attempts to send message to light object that fails because it has not yet been instantiated. 2024-04-06 23:37:30 -04:00
stl Add a bellows adapter for Canon RF cameras and an ACME bellows 2024-04-14 13:34:41 -06:00
.gitignore Make a sample script for analyzing the array during homing step. 2023-10-09 20:52:18 -04:00
.gitmodules Add OpenSCAD/MCAD to the project to prevent double work. Including as a submodule appears to satisfy the requirement of the LGPL and allows mcopy to remain MIT licensed. 2023-09-25 12:25:56 -04:00
LICENSE Update license as work has been ongoing since 2018 2021-02-22 13:26:21 -05:00
Readme.md Fix for the canonical URL caught by Tom Murphy 2024-01-24 05:19:07 +00:00
package-lock.json Add a bellows adapter for Canon RF cameras and an ACME bellows 2024-04-14 13:34:41 -06:00
package.json Add a bellows adapter for Canon RF cameras and an ACME bellows 2024-04-14 13:34:41 -06:00
tsconfig.json Refactor mscript GUI code into Typescript 2022-08-07 22:10:53 -04:00

Readme.md

mcopy

An open platform for controlling small-gauge film optical printers (16mm, Super8, 8mm).

Project Home - git.sixteenmillimeter.com/16mm/mcopy


  1. Introduction
  2. Downloads
  3. Usage
  4. Software
  5. Firmware
  6. Hardware
  7. Why?

Introduction

The mcopy project is comprised of software and hardware for optical printers, built with re-purposed broken projectors.

Components

  • Sequencer desktop app
  • Scripting language, called mscript, for orchestrating complex sequences
  • Arduino firmware for projectors, cameras, lights and existing printers
  • 3D models of parts used for modifying projectors and printers
  • Schematics for simple Arduino-based electronics
  • Filmout feature for digitally transferring video and images to analog film
  • Interoperability with the intval3 intervalometer

Downloads

Latest Installers

  • 1.6.9 for macOS, Linux (.deb) and Windows (.msi)

Older Versions

  • 1.6.7 for macOS and Linux (.deb)
  • 1.6.4 for macOS, Linux (.deb) and Windows (.msi)
  • 1.6.2 for macOS
  • 1.6.1 for macOS
  • 1.5.2 for macOS
  • 1.4.9 for macOS and Linux (.deb)
  • 1.2.0 for macOS and Linux (.deb)
  • 1.0.3 for macOS and Linux (.deb)

For Windows, you can install from source for now.

Usage

The software requires your hardware to be in place before the mcopy control app is useful.

mcopy app

Software

The mcopy desktop app is an Electron-based project which can be built for Linux, Windows and macOS. Pre-built packages will be made available for macOS, initially, with the other two target platforms to follow. To build the desktop app from source, see the installation and running instructions. The desktop software also interoperates with two related projects; the Bluetooth + Wifi capable, Raspberry Pi-based INTVAL3 and the Arduino-based intval2.

Firmware

This project contains Arduino formware for controlling:

  • a projector
  • a camera (see intval2 for more info)
  • a light
  • a projector + a camera
  • a projector + a light
  • a camera + a light
  • a camera + a projector + a light

Using a simple serial interface, this modular platform can be used to control DIY components, modified existing optical printers or a mixture of components. The desktop app can connect to multiple serial devices, so your mcopy optical printer can be built from various designs that suit your hardware tastes/needs/available parts.

Hardware

All non-electronic hardware for this project is available as plaintext OpenSCAD files and 3D print-able .STL files. The hardware component of this project is aimed at modifying broken Bell & Howell projectors into USB serial-controlled projectors to be used in optical printing.

As a secondary capability, this desktop software and firmware package can be used to replace the sequencers for early-model JK optical printers, with some modification.

Why?

I'm interested in expanding the viability and access of the 16mm film format and to repurpose thre rising tide of discarded film technology.