Major differences
We're happy to present a fresh new version of our app, Xangle Camera Server. From now on, we'll refer to the older app as XCS16 (2016 is the year we started coding the previous version). Important to know:
- If you need to shoot in RAW, select RAW+JPG. We no longer extract JPGs from RAW files because those JPGs do not carry the EXIF data required for proper camera alignment. You can still use RAW only if you want to go fast and only need the files themselves.
- Assets / Collections is now simply Outputs. You can add as many outputs as you want from a single result. For example, you can export a 16:9 video with an overlay as well as a 9:16 poster.
- You no longer need to configure any SMTP or cloud service. We handle everything for you, so the app is ready to use right away.
- Camera calibration now lives in Registration & Alignment (from the Library) and no longer requires a calibration bar or calibration panel. Create one clean reference dataset for the rig, analyze it in Library, and promote it as the active reference. Future captures can reuse that reference until a camera is bumped, re-aimed, or moved, then you capture a fresh reference and set it as the new active one.
- Mirror lockup is now part of warmup. Hold the trigger button and the app will handle both MLU and half-press for more accurate triggering.
- Sacrifice mode has improved significantly. We have seen slightly better results by shifting the flash signal down by 1 or 2 ms, so it is worth trying the slider.
Highlights of the new version
The biggest reasons to move to the new version:
- Markerless camera alignment, with no calibration bar required.
- Automated Gaussian-splat processing.
- Offline QR code sharing.
- App customization: your logo, your colors.
- New modern Android implementation, now with WiFi support.
- Backstage camera that captures the behind-the-scenes, from the start of the countdown to after the files are ready.
- Multiple outputs from a single capture, for example a 16:9 video with an overlay and a 9:16 poster at the same time.
- No email or cloud setup. Sharing and delivery work out of the box, with no SMTP or cloud service to configure.
- Modular dashboard you compose from movable modules.
- Smarter triggering, with mirror lockup folded into warmup plus half-press for more accurate sync.
- Much faster overall.
What's missing?
These features from XCS16 are not implemented:
- Picam & Arducam support
- Older Sony cameras support (Sony doesn't support older models in their current official SDK)