Tutorials

In today's video, we will use the MECHA's User Interface to create a preset, and we will talk about the MECHA's script types, TxN and py.

As you know, our motorized rotators together with MECHA Controllers can be used to automate the panning and tilt axes of Nodal Ninja panoramic heads. The whole process of taking photos can be reduced to pressing a few buttons to launch a preset. If you only have a MECHA Controller, and not the whole equipment, that's fine, as the controller is the piece that allows you to create presets.

Although the MECHA Controller comes preprogrammed with different types of factory presets, it also offers many and simple ways to create your own presets.
A preset is nothing more than a set of settings that can be saved and used at any time.
You don't need to know much about those settings, but you still need to know how to connect to MECHA's Wi-Fi network.

One way to create a preset for a spherical panorama is by providing a focal length using the Custom option in the Shots list. For example, 12mm. Then click OK.
MECHA has already created a TxN script, which stands for Tilt and Number of positions for each tilt.

When launching a preset, the script has priority over the other settings, regardless of the script type.
As long as you don't modify the script, you don't have to think about the script priority, as the script is synchronized with the other settings by default.

If the first term in a preset script stands that the position of the upper rail is Level, make sure the upper rail is indeed positioned as required, before launching that preset. It can be changed by selecting another option from this list, or by editing the script manually. Let's change it back to Level.
The next term in our script stands that, at 0° tilt, there are 5 shots around. Then the zenith and nadir shots, which can also be changed by selecting another option from this list. But we will also let this setting as it is, to avoid complicating this video too much.
The script type can be changed now to py by selecting that option from this list. "p" stands for pitch, and "y", for yaw, so this script uses the pitch and yaw conventions.

Let's copy the TxN script here, to be able to compare them easier.
The pitch can take values from -90° (downward) to 90° (upward), while the yaw can take values from 0° to 360°.
The starting position is the same in both scripts.

And this part in the TxN script is equivalent to this in the py script.
From the level starting position (SL), at 0° pitch (p0), we have positions at 0° yaw (y0), then at 72° yaw, and the last position at 0° pitch is at 288° yaw. MECHA will replace the two dots (..) with computed values, which are 144 and 216 in our example. Then one position at 90° pitch and 0° yaw (zenith position), then one position at -90° pitch and 0° yaw (nadir position).
In the py version, we also have the RT setting, which means "return to the starting position on the shortest path".

If we need to add a pause in a TxN script, we will use the P letter, while in a py script we have to use a colon (:) instead, as P has a different meaning here. A pause length (in seconds) can be specified before the pause symbol, if you want the preset execution to continue automatically. Otherwise, MECHA will stop the preset execution at that position and wait for you to press the right button on the controller, for example, to continue.
In our example, we have a pause right before the zenith position.

Please note that a py script can be written in many other different ways and they are explained in both C1 and C2 user's guides under the title "Absolute Positions in Pitch and Yaw Conventions".

Also, very important, the py and TxN versions are equivalent as long as they are not modified.
If you write complex scripts, make sure you save the preset. By switching between py and TxN, MECHA will not translate one version into another. Better write your scripts in a text editor and save the file.

Let's delete the TxN script from this field and save the preset.
One thing to keep in mind is that the py option is available only to some presets:
1. As we have seen in this video, when creating a preset by specifying the focal length (if the focal length is up to 100mm), TxN can be changed to py.
2. The script type is automatically changed to py when specifying corners for a partial panorama using the two-axis slider.
3. A preset script can be entered manually in the py format, if necessary. Then save the preset.

The above rules apply to presets created with both C1 and C2 Controllers.

4. When using the C2's OLED menu to create presets, the script type is py for any preset for focal lengths up to 100mm, for any old preset with corners, and for any preset created using the sh setting.

Although py and TxN scripts look a bit different, they are equivalent, and MECHA will execute this preset the same way, regardless of the script type.
Then why bother with the script type?
Indeed, you don't have to bother with the script nor script type, except the case when you want to modify the script.
Some users may find the py format more easy to edit than the TxN format, as py is much more versatile.
A preset with a py script has even greater benefits when using a C2 Controller. A pause in the preset execution can be used to go to any position in the preset, as well as to pan to any arbitrary pitch and yaw for taking extra shots, then the preset execution can be resumed. We recommend that you watch our video about Panorama Extra Photos with MECHA, for more details.

Also, the py format allows you to be as creative as you wish, as you can specify pauses and positions at any pitch and yaw from -90° to 90° and from 0° to 360°, respectively.