Roundshot VR Drive User manual

Roundshot VR Drive
Instruction Manual
Firmware version 2.023
23/05/2019Roundshot VR Drive Instruction Manual –Firmware Version 2.023 0

23/05/2019Roundshot VR Drive Instruction Manual –Firmware Version 2.023 1

CONTENTS
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Page
1. System Overview
1.1 Hardware components + accessories 4
1.2 Software components 13
2. First Steps With Your VR Drive
2.1 Setting up the VR Drive hardware 16
2.1.1 Roundshot VR Drive “full” 17
2.1.2 Attaching y-motor on bottom plate 24
2.1.3 Roundshot VR Drive “turntable” 26
2.1.4 External light meter 28
2.1.5 Radio control unit 30
2.1.6 Wifi router for remote control 33
2.2 Setting up the digital camera 35
2.3 Setting up the VR Drive software 36
2.4 Navigation 38
2.5 Starting/stopping the VR Drive 46
3. Program Management
3.1 Overview 47
3.2 Program Wizard 49
3.2.1 Wizard workflow for quality, speed and HDR modes 50
3.2.2 Wizard workflow for turntable mode 53
3.2.3 Wizard workflow for timelapse and video modes 53
4. Program Editing
4.1 Editing in quality, speed and turntable modes 55
4.2 Editing in timelapse and video modes 68
4.3 Editing in HDR mode 71
4.4 USB Settings 76
4.5 Auto exposure settings 79
4.6 Settings 80
4.6.1 Settings/general 80
4.6.2 Settings/database 91
4.6.3 Settings/service menu 100

CONTENTS
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Page
5. Workflow
5.1 Nodal point adjustment procedure 101
5.2 VR Drive image capture –speed vs. quality mode 106
5.3 Creating HDRs –quality vs. HDR mode 107
5.4 Roundshot Image Bundler 109
5.5 Extracting xml files manually 112
5.6 Stitching 113
5.7 Masking the nadir 118
5.8 Conversion to web formats 119
6. Tips and Tricks
6.1 Hardware realignment of nodal rail with y-motor 120
6.2 Reducing vibrations: mirror prerelease + Liveview mirror lock-up 121
6.3 Gigapixel photography 122
6.4 Selective image release + program resume: x/y repeat or x/y resume 123
6.4 Creation of object movies 124
6.5 Using long exposure times 126
6.6 Using the VR Drive light meter 127
6.7 Video vs. timelapse mode 131
6.8 Working with presets 135
6.9 Frequently asked questions 136
7. Maintenance & Warranty
7.1 Recharging the VR Drive 139
7.2 Transport & storage 139
7.3 Touch screen calibration 140
7.4 International Warranty 141
7.5 Software update: “Club VR Drive” 142
7.6 Upgrades: Adding new software modes 146
7.7 Return of equipment / recycling 147
8. Technical Data 148

1. System Overview
The Roundshot VR Drive is delivered in a carton box with foam protection or in an
optional explorer case and contains the following items:
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VR Drive x-
motor
Universal
charger
(110-220V)
VR L-bracket
with VR Drive
y-motor (with
nodal rail
clamp) and
nodal rail
VR Drive
release cable
VR Drive
accessories
(connection
cables, tools,
spirit level)
1.1 Hardware components + accessories

Correctly assembled VR Drive
with L-bracket:
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1.1 Hardware components + accessories (continued)
•Camera points in opposite direction of
touch screen
•y-motor on the right-hand side
•After turning the VR Drive off, the camera
points into the sky at +90° (zenith)
If the camera points to the ground after turning the VR Drive off, the nodal rail with
the camera was attached from the wrong side. This will invert the image capturing
sequence with the effect that the xml file for stitching will not be valid.

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1.1 Hardware components + accessories (continued)
Roundshot VR Drive “full”
VR Drive x-motor
touch screen
on/off button
VR Drive y-motor
quick adaptor
quick adaptor release
VR bracket lock
VR bracket
nodal rail
nodal rail clamp
x-motor cable
charging unit
release cable
USB cable
Ethernet (to
connect wifi
module)
VR Drive components
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
1
2
3
4
58
9
13
19
20
21
22
23
17
15
release cable (optional)
USB cable for camera
control (optional)
motor cable x-y
spirit level
tripod mount (3/8’’)
VR Drive y-motor
cable clips
socket for radio control
unit (receiver)+ for light
meter
14
15
cables/plugs
6
16
10
11
18
12
17
18
7
11
12 13
14
16
17
17
17

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1.1 Hardware components + accessories (continued)
Roundshot VR Drive “full” – with bottom plate for fixed centre point (adjustable)
25
24 Side cover to protect cables
VR bottom plate –adjustable 32-70mm –for fixed centre point
Allen key 4mm for attaching/removing camera to nodal rail,
attaching/removing y-motor to VR bracket, locking/releasing VR
Drive x-motor on tripod
Allen key 3/16’’ for removing/attaching or fine-tuning y-motor
26
25
26
27
24
27
In this set-up with special bottom plate, the y-motor is inverted (at the Seitz factory)
so that it can be attached on the left-hand side rather than on the right. This has the
advantage that all cables can be secured under the side cover and do not pass over
the motor. This is a practical set-up for single camera situations where the center
point will always be identical.
VR Drive with bottom plate, inverted y-
motor (on left) and with slide cover to
protect cables
VR Drive with bottom plate, standard
VR holder and with standard y-motor
(on right)

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1.1 Hardware components + accessories (continued)
Roundshot VR Drive “semi” – with x-motor only and manual tilting
28
28 y-clamp for manual tilting

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1.1 Hardware components + accessories (continued)
Overview of accessories
Short nodal rail (for fisheye lenses)
Additional VR bracket –for example for
video mode to attach the camera in
landscape orientation
Long nodal rail –220mm (for long +
heavy lenses)
VR bottom plate
adjustable 32-70mm to fix center point
cable clips
to attach cables on VR bracket