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TABLE OF CONTENTS Features, Specs & Accessories ........................................................... 3 Connecting the Oracle™ .................................................................... 4 Oracle™ Overview ........................................................................... 5-9 Camera ......................................................................................... 10-11 Motion Control 1.) Live Recording A.) Slider ...............................................................
FEATURES, SPECS & ACCESSORIES 3 Included Items: • ORACLE™ Controller • 100v-240v input (50-60Hz, 1.4A) AC Power Supply w/ North America Wall Plug. • 25ft CAT5 Cable The ORACLE™ controller can only control either the Revolution Head or an elektraDRIVE motor at one time. To perform 3-axis movements with both the Revolution Head and a elektraDRIVE motor for a slider at the same time, you will need two controllers.
CONNECTING THE ORACLE™ Powering up and connecting your ORACLE to an elektraDRIVE motor or Revolution pan/tilt head. The ORACLE does not have an on/off switch. To power the unit on, simply connect it to the provided power source. Connect either an elektraDRIVE motor or Revolution head using the included CAT5 network cable. If you need a longer or shorter cable, any standard CAT5 network cable can be used in place of the provided one.
ORACLE™ OVERVIEW This section will cover the basic functions of the ORACLE and what each button and dial controls in the system. 5 A. Backlit LCD Screen The LCD screen displays menu options and current status of the ORACLE. Below is a sample of the home screen and values. 1 2 3 510 1.25S - 0 - 0 99 5 6 4 LIN 1. MAX SPEED value (28 - 1000) see G. 2. DAMPING in seconds (.05s - 2.55s) see H. 3. DEADBAND mode (LIN or LOG) see I. 4. Current Joystick Y speed value (+/-) 5.
ORACLE OVERVIEW 6 CONTINUED This section will cover the basic functions of the ORACLE and what each button and dial controls in the system. For more information on recording and playing back camera moves, reference that section in this quick start guide or in the ORACLE manual. G. MAX SPEED control dial This dial is used to control the maximum speed of the elektraDRIVE motors.
ORACLE OVERVIEW 7 CONTINUED This section will cover the basic functions of the ORACLE and what each button and dial controls in the system. A higher value will slowly ramp the motor up to speed and then back down when the joystick is released. This is useful when wanting to create very smooth moves with gradual start and stop motions. Select the time frame you want in seconds to determine how much damping is applied to the motor start up and shut down. I.
ORACLE OVERVIEW CONTINUED This section will cover the basic functions of the ORACLE and what each button and dial controls in the system. 8 In LIN (linear) mode, 50% travel of the joystick equates to a 50% increase in speed. By adjusting the LIN value, you can increase and decrease the sensitivity of the joystick. Higher numbers will make the joystick less sensitive toward the middle. Any remaining travel of the joystick will be in linear values.
ORACLE OVERVIEW 9 CONTINUED This section will cover the basic functions of the ORACLE and what each button and dial controls in the system. Logarithmic mode is useful if fully zoomed in with your camera. It allows very precise, slow control at the center of the joystick with the ability to perform quick moves as the joystick is moved to the outer limits. J. Joystick Button The JOYSTICK BUTTON is used for making selections in the menu system of the ORACLE. It functions the same as the ENTER button (C.
CAMERA 10 This function allows you to control your camera through the Oracle controller. You must have the Kessler Crane Camera Control Module for this to function. 5. Pictures: The number of pictures that will be taken over the specified Time Lapse period Shutter Delay 0.50 S Exposure Time: The time that the shutter is open for each photo Shutter Delay: The time that the shutter is closed between each photo that is taken 1.
CAMERA 8. 11 CONTINUED Select 1:Start or Enter:Test by pressing the corresponding button Press ENTER or the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON to confirm 1:Start ENTER:Test Note: 1:Start will cause your camera to start taking photos, but will not start any movement. Enter:Test will cause you camera to take 1 picture. This is helpful if you need to take a test picture or this can be used as a manual shutter button. 9. The next screen will show: Pictures Remaining Pictures 938 2.
MOTION CONTROL - LIVE RECORDING 12 SLIDER/DOLLY RECORD & PLAYBACK This section will cover recording and playing back real-time camera moves on a Kessler Crane slider/dolly unit. 1: Once in Slider/TT mode press the MENU button until you get to the main menu 2. Use the joystick to move the camera carriage to your desired start position. Note this position. For convenience you can use a piece of tape, wax pencil, or optional measuring strip. 3.
MOTION CONTROL - LIVE RECORDING CONTINUED 13 SLIDER/DOLLY RECORD & PLAYBACK 10. To stop recording press the same memory bank BUTTON (1, 2, OR 3) you chose earlier or press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON. 11. To play back your recorded movement, press the BUTTON (1, 2, OR 3) for the memory bank you recorded under. 12. The screen will prompt you to return the carriage to the start position. Please Return to Start Position 13. Use the joystick to move the carriage to your marked start position. 14.
MOTION CONTROL - LIVE RECORDING 14 REVOLUTION HEAD RECORD & PLAYBACK This section will cover recording and playing back real-time camera moves on a Kessler Crane Revolution pan/tilt head. 9. Move the joystick LEFT/RIGHT to begin recording your camera movement. Press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON to begin recording with a pause before the beginning your movement. 1: Once in Head Unit mode press the MENU button until you get to the main menu 10. 1.
MOTION CONTROL - LIVE RECORDING REVOLUTION HEAD RECORD & PLAYBACK Play Back 1 3.13 M Memory Bank 18. Time Remaining To cancel the playback, move the joystick on the ORACLE™ and you will be returned to the home screen. Quick Tip: The Joystick can be moved during a recorded playback to stop all playback moves immediately. It acts as an “emergency brake” during live playback to prevent accidental damage.
MOTION CONTROL USING FLASH MARK COMPOSITING The screen will display flash mark at the beginning of playbacks and can be used as a digital clapboard for syncing layered footage. When Playing back a live camera move, you will notice the screen briefly displays this: Flash Mark You can use the “Flash Mark” screen as a visual clapper board when you need to sync footage. This is useful if you are layering several recordings on top of one another for compositing work.
MOTION CONTROL - OVERVIEW OF THE MODES 17 TIME LAPSE & STOP MOTION WITH ORACLE™ Live record Use this mode to record your motion then play it back in real time. You can record 25+ minutes of movement in each memory bank. Smart Lapse™ SmartLapse™ is a remarkable method of recording a non-linear path in real time. You then play the path in any time span from the time you it took you to make the recording up to 29.5 days. Smartlapse™ works by pulsing the power out in .
MOTION CONTROL - SMARTLAPSE™ 18 SMARTLAPSE™ TIME LAPSE The SmartLapse™ mode can be used on either a slider, dolly or Revolution head. With SmartLapse™, you can record a real-time camera move to one of the memory banks and then play that move back over a longer length of time (up to 29.5 days). 1: 5. Once in Head Unit or Slider/TT mode press the MENU button until you get to the main menu 1. Turn the DAMPENING dial all the way down to 0.05 S 2. Adjust DEADBAND dial to a value of 10 on the LIN side.
MOTION CONTROL - SMARTLAPSE™ CONTINUED SMARTLAPSE™ TIME LAPSE 8. Move the joystick up or down to select one of the following: ShootMoveShoot, Continuous, Stop Motion, or No Intervlmtr(Intervalometer) Press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER to confirm ShootMoveShoot Continuous Stop Motion v ^ No Intervlmtr Note: (Only in Shoot - Move - Shoot) Make sure to have “Synced” shown if you want your camera time to auto sync with the SmartLapse™ play back.
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED 20 SLIDER/DOLLY In Advanced mode, you can program complex motor movements on a slider/dolly/shuttle pod. If you need to create a complex time lapse move, we recommend using the optional SmartLapse™ mode as it is easier to program. 1: Once in Slider/TT mode press the MENU button until you get to the main menu 2. Select Motion Control Press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER to confirm. Advanced < ^ 3.
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED 21 CONTINUED SLIDER/DOLLY Again, the default is 0.05 s (seconds). This is the amount of time the motor remains off before running again. Leave this at the default for now by pressing the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER. SLIDER Power 40 Note: (Only in Shoot - Move - Shoot) Make sure to have “Synced” shown if you want your camera time to auto sync with the SmartLapse™ play back.
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED SLIDER/DOLLY 12. Press the 1 BUTTON to select the 1:Run option and begin running the move. Menu:Exit 1:Run ENTER:Edit 13. The screen will now display a countdown of cycles for the move you setup. Slider On 1966 Axis 2 On 1674 Note: To cancel the playback and return to the menu, press ANY BUTTON on the ORACLE.
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED 23 HEAD UNIT Using Advanced Mode in the ORACLE to create custom time lapse moves. If you have the optional SmartLapse™ feature, we recommend using it instead as it is easier to accomplish complex moves very simply. Note: When setting up a time lapse on the Revolution head, both Pan and Tilt need to be programmed. Press the 1 BUTTON to enter 1:Pan setup or the 2 Button to select 2:Tilt 1: Once in Head Unit mode press the MENU button until you get to the main menu 5. 2.
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED 24 CONTINUED HEAD UNIT PAN Motor OFF 0.05 S Again, the default is 0.05 s (seconds). This is the amount of time the motor remains off before running again. Leave this at the default for now by pressing the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER. PAN Power 40 The default power is 40 and is a good starting point for time lapse work. The power setting tells the ORACLE how much power to send to the motor when it is on. Press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER to continue.
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED HEAD UNIT 7. Your advanced settings are now complete and you are returned to the main menu screen for the advanced setup. You can now press the 1 BUTTON to edit the Slider settings, the 2 BUTTON to edit the TILT settings or ENTER to run. Press ENTER to continue. 1:Slider 2:TILT ENTER:Run 8. Press the 1 BUTTON to select the 1:Run option and begin running the move. Menu:Exit 1:Run ENTER:Edit 9.
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED LEVERAGING THE POWER OF ADVANCED MODE Advanced mode can be used for much more than just time lapse work. Experiment with different motor on / off values and slide power settings to create any move you need. For example, you could attach a rotating plate to the elektraDrive motor and set the ORACLE to rotate the plate 20 degrees every 3 seconds for taking virtual reality (QTVR) product photos.
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED 27 STEPPER MOTORS DEMYSTIFIED Understanding how a stepper motor works can aid greatly when doing advanced configurations with the ORACLE. This section will briefly cover the basics of a stepper motor and how it interacts with an ORACLE. The stepper motors, used in the Kessler Crane systems, have only 4 variables with which we are concerned. ON, OFF, CYCLES, and POWER. ON and OFF are just that. The motor is either on or it is off.
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED STEPPER MOTORS DEMYSTIFIED You are not just limited to linear moves like this. Another real-world example would be setting up a turn table on an elektraDRIVE motor where you just want the motor to turn on and stay on for a certain period of time. If you wanted your turn table to spin for 10 minutes, you could define a motor ON time of 10 minutes at POWER 40 and 1 CYCLE. This would spin the table for 10 minutes and then stop (1 cycle).
MOTION CONTROL - ADVANCED 29 REVOLUTION TIME LAPSE TIPS FOR ADVANCED MODE Here are some approximate figures to use as a starting point. These figures where populated with a Canon 7D equipped with an extended battery grip and a 15mm lens. Using these figures should get you close to the reported results but you may need to adjust the MOTOR OFF time to tweak the movement over time to perfect your results. TILT: Keep MOTOR ON to .
MOTION CONTROL - SIMPLE 30 SLIDER/DOLLY TIME LAPSE CALIBRATION Note: Simple mode is a feature from the older versions of the Oracle. The new SmartLapse™ mode superceeds it in everyway and is the preferred method. Although if you are used to using Simple mode you can still activate it by following these instructions. 1: Once in Slider/TT mode press the MENU button until you get to the main menu 2.
MOTION CONTROL - SIMPLE 31 CONTINUED SLIDER/DOLLY TIME LAPSE CALIBRATION 12. Once your start point has been set, press the the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER to begin the calibration Adj Dist Moved 2.75IN Set Start Point ENTER: Begin 13. The screen will display Slider On with a countdown. Slider On 14. 1505 Let the calibration complete. If you need to cut the calibration short you can hit the MENU Button at any time. NOTE: The shorter the calibration time, the less accurate the calibration.
MOTION CONTROL - SIMPLE 32 SLIDER/DOLLY TIME LAPSE Before running your first time lapse on a slider or dolly, perform the calibration procedure to insure proper function. 1: Once in Slider/TT mode press the MENU button until you get to the main menu 2. Select Motion Control by moving the joystick up or down Press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER to confirm. 6. Y:Distance 2.8IN 7.1CM 7. Camera Motion Control 3.
MOTION CONTROL - SIMPLE SLIDER/DOLLY TIME LAPSE CALIBRATION 11. Press the 1 BUTTON to Run. Menu: Exit 3:Tst 12. 1:Run ENTER:Edit The screen will display Slider On with a timer countdown. Slider On 1954 Note: If you selected a very long time period, movement of the carriage may not be evident. If the ORACLE is counting down, the slider is moving.
CONFIGURING JOYSTICK The ORACLE joystick can be adjusted to suit your preference or particular setup. If you find that the joystick moves your Slider/Dolly/Head in the opposite direction of what you would like, you can reverse the direction the joystick moves the motor(s). The joystick can be set to move in clockwise (CW) or counter clockwise (CCW) on both the X and Y axis independently. 1. 2. From the home screen, press the MENU button 510 1.
UTILITY - HEAD/SLIDER/TT TOGGLING There are 2 ways to toggle which mode you want (Head/Slider/TT). 3. If power is OFF: 1. Connect the ORACLE to the elektraDRIVE motor with a standard CAT5 cable. 2. Connect the power to the ORACLE 3. Move the joystick down once to select Head Unit or Slider/TT Press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER to confirm. Head Unit < If power is already ON: Press the MENU button until you see Camera and Motion Control Camera Motion Control 2.
UTILITY - BATTERY 1. Press the MENU button until you see Camera and Motion Control Camera Motion Control 2. v Move the Joystick down to select Utility. Press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER to confirm Joystick ^ Utility < 3. Move the Joystick down to select Battery Press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER to confirm Head/Slider/TT Battery < 4. v The screen will display the following: E 12.
UTILITY - SIMPLE MODE POWER Note: You may not see this in the Utility menu unless you have enabled Simple Mode. (See Simple mode page 30) 9. ^ Utility < 7. Move the joystick DOWN until SimpleMode PWR is selected Press the MIDDLE JOYSTICK BUTTON or ENTER to confirm. SimpleMode PWR < ^ Current Sense Note: If you need to re-set the power to the default level, press the 1 Button to select 1:Default Power and then Enter to Save 8.
UTILITY - CURRENT SENSE Current Sense is a feature that will sense a high current from an impact. This mainly pertains to the REVOLUTION Pan & Tilt Head, as the sliders have a clutch system that would take care of most situations when there is an impact. Example: If you have a REVOLUTION Pant & Tilt Head mounted to a wall and it swings and hits the wall, Current Sense would act as a circuit breaker and stop the motion of the head. Movement can then be started again by moving the joystick.
TIME LAPSE HELP GUIDE Basic guidelines to follow for a quick how-to on time lapse.
3 AXIS TIME LAPSE With two ORACLE controllers, it is possible to setup a 3 axis time lapse by mounting a Revolution head to a slider or dolly. This section will cover a few tips for 3 axis work.• When doing a 3 axis time lapse, it is much easier to record your slider/ dolly move independently of your pan/tilt Revolution head move. For example, let’s say you want to do a 4 hour time lapse.
FAQ Q. Is there a Simple mode for the Head Unit? A. No. Simple mode for a Head Unit would require calibration which would, in most cases, be too difficult. Q. Where is Simple mode and how do I access it? A. Simple mode is a hidden menu item. Refer to page 31 - step 3 for detailed instructions. Q. Why does the ORACLE turn off when I move the motor? A. The Battery is low or the Power Supply is rated below 4.16 Amps. Either charge the battery or use a proper power supply. Q.
FLOW CHART 42 FROM POWER OFF Camera Setup < Intervmtr Start < Head Unit < Slider/TT < 500 1.25S - - 0 LIN 0 0 Camera < Joystick < ^ Motion Control < v Utility < Head Unit < Slider/TT < E Head/Slider/TT < SimpleMode PWR < Battery < Current Sense < 12.0 Volts Current Sense F Off Run Time Pictures 1:Default Power 1.75 H 1000 Exposure Time 1.
NOTES 43
