BY8 not working

[JStack]

Hello all,
After working for a long time with DV camcorders, I have now started trying out alternative cameras.
For this purpose I have bought a DFK 21AF04.
Basically, things are working well, but I am experiencing a few problems.
I just can't get anything to work with BY8 mode.
I have tried
-My own code (running a Direct/X graph)
-Graphedit
-IC Capure 2.0
-Several of the VB6 samples

None of these manages to get started with BY8, regardless of frame rate.

Any hints on how to do it?

/Johan Stäck
Skellefteå
Sweden

[Stefan Geissler]

Hi Johan,

This sounds to like you did not install the driver of the camera. The driver is stored on the CD ROM that came with your camera. If you do not install this driver, Windows tries to use the standard DCam driver. But this driver is not able to handle the BY8 and Y800 video formats.

[JStack]

Stefan,

Thank you for your prompt answer.
I *think* that I had the correct driver installed, but just to make sure I re-installed it from the CD.
(How can I verify that the correct driver is installed?)

Using Graphedit, I can get UYVY and Y800 to work fine.
If I set the pin properties of the Capture filter to BY8, and the perform "render pin", Graphedit will succeed in building a (rather elaborate) graph, but can't start it.

I am interested in BY8 since I want to try the highest possible frame rate.
Ideally I want both color and 60 fps, but with this camera you evidently can't get both...

/Johan

[Stefan Geissler]

Johan,

You can verify the installed driver using the Device Manager. In there you can have a look on the properties. If BY8 dies not work, the debayertransform.dll may is not registered correctly. This DLL resides in the Windows/System32 directory. You can register it by a call to
"regsvr32 debayertransform.dll".
Then you can try again with graphedit.

[JStack]

Examining properties in Device manager I get the following data on the driver:


date: 2006-10-09
version: 4.0.0.77

Debayertransform.dll is registred, but still no luck!

However, I will leave this for now and move on to other tasks.
UYVY 30 Fps will have to do fine for the time being...

/Johan

[Stefan Geissler]

Johan,

just one question: Whats the camera model and its serial number?
(We can discuss this in a live **** on our new beta website at http://beta.imagingcontrol.com/ if you want. There is no special software needed, only the link "live ****" in the upper right corner must be clicked.)

[JStack]

The camera model is DFK21AF04
Serial: 49600157

/Johan

[Stefan Geissler]

Hello Johan,

I would like to know, whether the "DeBayer Transform" filter is listed in Graphedit in the section "DirectShow Filters". If so, you may insert it manually into the filter graph and see, whether you can get the BY8 video format to work.

[JStack]

Hello Johan,

I would like to know, whether the "DeBayer Transform" filter is listed in Graphedit in the section "DirectShow Filters". If so, you may insert it manually into the filter graph and see, whether you can get the BY8 video format to work.

OK, Iv'e been doing some tests with Graphedit:
1. Insert DFx21AF04, set pin properties to BY8, "Render pin"
This will give a graph like this: DFx AF2104, AVI Decompressor,Color Space Converter,Video Renderer. This graph will not run.

2. Insert DFx21AF04, set pin properties to BY8,
Insert Debayer Transform, Render pin on its output pin will add Video Renderer
This graph runs, and the visible output is in color! (I thouht BY8 was monochrome..)

/Johan S

[Stefan Geissler]

Hello Johan,

The BY8 format is raw color data format. It looks monochrome, but it can be converted to color data. It contains the data CCD "sees". In front of each pixel on the CCD is an own color filter. Thus a minimum of three pixels are needed to calculate the RGB values of one pixel. This is done by the DeBayer Transform filter.

[JStack]

Hello Johan,

The BY8 format is raw color data format. It looks monochrome, but it can be converted to color data. It contains the data CCD "sees". In front of each pixel on the CCD is an own color filter. Thus a minimum of three pixels are needed to calculate the RGB values of one pixel. This is done by the DeBayer Transform filter.

That is good news!

So now, the remaining challenge is to get the ICImagingControl to build a graph that contains the Debayer Transform filter and will run correctly...
Is there anything I can do about this in my own code? (I assume not...)

/Johan

[Stefan Geissler]

Johan,

DirectShow should insert this filter automatically. If it does not insert this filter, then there may is a problem with the DirectShow installation. Usually you do not have bother about this filter. It is the first time DirectShow does not insert the DeBayer Transform filter automatically. I am a little bit puzzled about this.

[JStack]

Johan,

DirectShow should insert this filter automatically. If it does not insert this filter, then there may is a problem with the DirectShow installation. Usually you do not have bother about this filter. It is the first time DirectShow does not insert the DeBayer Transform filter automatically. I am a little bit puzzled about this.

I am by no means a DS expert, but I have learned (the hard way) that you should avoid trusting DS to attach filters automatically.
Depending on which filters that exist on a certain PC (and what merits they have) DS will eventually build different graphs.
If (as I understand is the case) using BY8 mode needs the Bayer Transform filter, it should be attached "manually" to the capture filter by the ImagingControl.

/Johan

[JStack]

Johan,

DirectShow should insert this filter automatically. If it does not insert this filter, then there may is a problem with the DirectShow installation. Usually you do not have bother about this filter. It is the first time DirectShow does not insert the DeBayer Transform filter automatically. I am a little bit puzzled about this.

Stefan,
I have now solved (or rather: circumvented) the problem.
The quick fix is simply to raise the merit of the DeBayer filter.
It seems to do the trick (at least for now)

However, I stand by my view that you should attach this filter manually in your code (when it is needed...)

/Johan

[dentsu]

johann,

i'm thinking of buying a similar camera to yours and would need some infos;
we're planning to shoot sports bike on racetracks for commercial purposes and need a high quality "on board" camera which we can mount onto the bike, the pilot having the recording device in a backpack on his back while driving.
Do you think this camera would do the job?
Is there a battery pack available for this kind of camera?
Would it be possible for you to send me some high resolution footage or stills you've shoot with this camera?
Will all of this work with Macintosh computers?

thanks for your help, kind regards

oliver