libcamera-tray

A libcamera-apps wrapper written in go that provides a convenient system tray icon ui for running the preview and taking a shot.

Features

• Run the preview
• Take a shot
• See the active libcamera-apps parameters
• Set custom parameters from a json file
• Editing the parameters dyrectly from the ui and beying able to save on a new or existing config file
• Focus ui mode in order to focus more precisely during the preview phase

HW setup

Actual setup

• Rpi 4 4gb
• CPU-RAM-USB chip heatsinks
• Camera HQ module
• Telephoto lens: 25mm F1.4 CCTV Lens
• Wide lens: 6mm lens
• Pi zero mounting plate for camera HQ
• Waveshare 4.3inch Capacitive DSI display with case
• Power bank
• Optional mini wireless keyboard + touchpad

Future ideas

• Phisical shutter button because a camera without it not really comfortable
• 3D printed custom enclousure based on Kevin McAleer PIKON project
• Installing a PWM fan because it is annoying to have it always on

Screenshots

Other images

Why?

Because I wanted to learn how to build more complex programs in go and also how to write gui programs with it. Also I had a Pi4 with a Camera HQ laying around taking dust, so why not.

Limitations

SW

• Compared to calssic python (or c++) camera implementations, golang has not a native way to interface itself to the camera stack, Therefore the various libcamera-apps must be runned using the exec command.
• Gio is a great golang gui library, but still fairly new. Because of that for example after the window has been created, it must be moved to the correct position using xdotool
• The ui is strictly dependent on the screen size, therefore it must manually be adapted for different screens

HW

• The screen is not small but the ui is all about compromises between beying able to see the preview and being able to actually click the buttons
• Focus and focal aperture must be manually corrected from the lens and this makes it pretty difficult to make it precisely on the small res preview
• At the moment a power bank must be carryed around in order to make the camera work
• Having to mount and unmount the lenses each time makes it difficult to use it ad a point and shot camera