Tutorials

Let's take a tour of MECHA's Simplified User Interface.

MECHA's User Interface may seem too feature-rich at the A3 complexity level, and sometimes you may prefer to display as few controls as possible.
If that is the case, select S1 instead of A3 from this list at the top of the User Interface.
S stands for Simple, and A stands for Advanced.
Use the Info button to display information about the current controls in the User Interface.
You can even edit and save every text separately, if you want.
The same button hides this information.
We are now on the Row page, and the current firmware version is 02427.

To load a preset, simply select it from the Presets list. The Load button is not visible, so we know the preset loads automatically once selected.
The F letter at the beginning of the preset name tells us that it is a factory preset, a preset that cannot be overwritten.

We see that 'TEST 131' is a preset consisting of 6 shots around for single-axis applications.

Remember that a camera can be triggered by MECHA only if it is connected to MECHA with a shutter release cable. Plug the right shutter cable for the camera in use into the Camera Port. This allows the triggering of the shutter automatically.

Also, switch to A3 and check the preset settings, at least the E and A. The exposure set on your camera should be no greater than 'E+A', where E is the duration of the shutter button signal, and A is the delay after each trigger sequence.

Our preset is loaded, but not launched yet. Use either the LEFT or RIGHT button to launch it.
LEFT for counter-clockwise rotation, and RIGHT for clockwise rotation.
Once launched, MECHA executes it.

Please test any preset without a camera mounted first.

Here we are using the MECHA C1 E1 with Nodal Ninja single-row panoramic head R1. The ring clamp on the top of R1 mounts directly onto the lens itself freeing up the camera.

Let's load 'TEST 132' (12 shots around), then launch it with the RIGHT button.

A preset execution can be paused with the PAUSE button.
In pause mode, you can take extra shots with the SHOOT button or perform some useful or necessary checks.
Then resume the preset execution by clicking the button used to pause MECHA, whose caption is now NEXT.

The Cancel button allows you to cancel the preset execution and it is an equivalent of a smooth stop. MECHA goes back to the initial position.
On the other hand, the STOP button stops the preset execution immediately and no other movement is done.

The '1xRIGHT' button is similar to SHOOT, but a rotation to the right is also performed. The rotation angle and the number of moves can be changed if necessary.
Switching to A3, we can see that the rotation angle is 30° and the number of moves is 1. That's why the captions of our buttons are '1xLEFT' and '1xRIGHT'.

The '1xLEFT' button works similarly to '1xRIGHT', but the rotation is performed in the opposite direction.

The number of shots around can be selected from the Shots list, and a focal length can also be specified using the Custom option. In that case MECHA creates a script based on the focal length and current settings, which are not visible now.

The sound volume can be changed by selecting an option from this list.

MECHA can be set to power off automatically after 1 to 30 minutes of idleness. Select 'Always On' so that it never turns off automatically.

Users of ring panoramic heads can use the Ring page instead of Row, as the Ring page is a bit simpler than Row, although Row can be used as well.

The 'Shut Down' button can be used to power off MECHA, instead of using its power button.
MECHA does not stop immediately, but you have 20 seconds to cancel this operation with the Cancel or STOP button, if necessary.

As we have said in other videos, in AP or AP+STA mode, MECHA broadcasts an SSID to which a smartphone can be connected, then the User Interface can be accessed in the browser at 192.168.8.1, which is the MECHA's static IP address.
Usually, we access MECHA's User Interface from a computer, at a dynamic IP address. The computer and MECHA must be connected to the same wireless network, and MECHA must be set in STA or AP+STA mode in that case.

C1 users can set MECHA in AP, STA, and AP+STA mode by pressing '1', '2', and '3', respectively, when the LEDs under the battery symbol blink like a light that splits when powering MECHA on.

Wi-Fi can be turned off by clicking the 'Wi-Fi Off' button. After that, MECHA can be controlled only by using its physical buttons and the remote commander.
To enable Wi-Fi, enter the code 3123, then press the left-arrow button. This code connects MECHA to the last Wi-Fi network if it is detected by MECHA.

'Connect to Wi-Fi', on the other hand, allows you to connect to a Wi-Fi network, or to change the Wi-Fi network, to use MECHA in STA mode, or for firmware update, as the update is performed via the Internet.

If you have successfully connected to one of the networks in the list, it is displayed on a gray background, and you can connect to it using the stored password instead of entering it.
MECHA will show the connection status on its LEDs when trying to connect to Wi-Fi in STA or AP+STA mode. The process can be stopped by pressing the power button if you know that the targeted Wi-Fi is not in range.

'More or Less...' shows either more or less settings and controls. The same result can be achieved by selecting other complexity levels from the list at the top of the User Interface.

A MECHA team is similar to a temporary paired MECHAs. The 12 code should be entered on the other MECHA after clicking the Team button.

Let's go back to presets and have a look at the presets assigned to MECHA's buttons: 'Button 1', 'Button 2', and 'Button 3'.
By default, they consist of 4, 6, and 8 shots, respectively (for single-axis applications), and unlike factory presets, they can be overwritten.

For example, if you want to assign 'TEST 131' to the '1' button, use the 'Save 1' button.
Similarly for buttons '2' and '3'.

The preset saved using the 'Save 1' button can be loaded with the 'Load 1' button.
Also, a preset assigned to a button can be launched by simply pressing that button and either the right or left-arrow button of MECHA. That is of great help if Wi-Fi is turned off, or you don't want to access the user interface for some reasons.
The equivalent remote commander buttons can be used as well.

MECHA's user interface can be further simplified by hiding certain controls. Click on the Info button, then uncheck the 'Show' checkbox corresponding to the controls that you use less often or don't use at all. Then click on the Info button once more.

We hope that the information in this video will be useful to both new and advanced users.