FireCapture Configuration
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Since FireCapture v2.2 there is no Windows installation anymore. Unpack the self-extracting folder from the download site is all you need to do. You don't need Java installed anymore because it's bundled with FireCapture.
Upgrade
To restore all of your settings after upgrading just
copy the FireCapture.ini and the \profiles subfolder from your
old installation into the new folder.
Start
To start FireCapture use the related shortcut for your camera in
the FireCapture folder. There is a shortcut available for every
supported camera interface e.g. use "FireCapture_TIS" for a TIS camera,
use "FireCapture_ASI" for a ZWO ASI camera etc...
Important: When copying the shortcut to the desktop you need to adjust the correct path in the shortcut properties !
Uninstall
For removing FireCapture simply delete the related folder.
By default FireCapture starts using a max heap size of
1GB. This can be changed in the shortcut properties using the -XmsXXXm
and -XmXXXm parameter switch. You may try to increase this but it depends on your system how much memory the Java VM will be
able to allocate so you need to setup this by try and error. I
consider anything above 1.5GB as poor luck ;-) To setup a heap size of 1.5GB change the shortcut parameters to: "... -Xms1536m -Xmx1536m ..."
Hidden and secret switches
The main setup and configuration of FireCapture will be controlled by its configuration file FireCapture.ini and most of the entries there are configured using the Settings
dialog. The following entries are the list of hidden switches and may be configured manual if needed:
useFlea3SickMode
default: true
Some
of the very first Flea3 models had some firmeware bugs preventing to
start the camera properly. With the help by Anthony Wesley I added
some patches into the FlyCam.dll to overcome this. With setting this entry to false you can skip these and try if your Flea3 is still working.
useExtendedGain
default: false
Some Point Grey camera using an extended gain range (see Control for
details). To enable this you need to set "useExtendedGain=true"
filterWheelScript
default: not set
If
you have a motorized filter wheel you can specify a script file which
will be called after every filter change. The parameters for handed
over to the script will be filter index and filter name, e.g. if you
have set "filterWheelScript=myFilterScript.bat" and you switch to the
first filter entry (e.g. UV) FireCapture will call "myFilterWheelScript.bat
0 UV". You should place the script file into the main directory of
FireCapture. See also the Obsolete FilterWheel interface.
directShowUseMono=true
default: false
If
you're using the DirectShow interface in FireCapture the resulting data
will be stored as color video by default. In case you have a modified
monochrome WebCam (or any other monochrome camera) you can set
"directShowUseMono=true" and FireCapture will store Y800 format with
1/3 of the size.
directShowMaxWidth
default: 640
If
you're using the DirectShow interface in FireCapture and you're running
a camera supporting a max width other than 640 you can set the max
width here.
directShowMaxHeight
default: 480
If
you're using the DirectShow interface in FireCapture and you're running
a camera supporting a max height other than 480 you can set the max height here.
syncFPS
default:
true
For TIS DMK/DBK cameras only: If enabled the frame rate will be synchronized with the shutter speed. See Control for details.
customROI
default: none
Here
you can insert your favouorite ROI sizes which will be available
as popup menu if you right-click over the width/height fields
in the Image panel. Avoid blanks and use the following sytax. e.g. "customROI=300x300,380x380,400x400"