What is OPCS?
OPCS is a program that runs on an IBM PC to
control optical printers, automating the camera and projector shutters,
fader, color wheels, follow-focus zooms, etc.
Two versions of OPCS are available:
- A micro step system that uses the Kuper RTMC16
or RTMC48 motion control card to drive up to
12 separate stepper motors.
- A half step system that directly controls
half-stepping drives using the IBM PC's parallel
ports. No other motion control card is necessary.
Most people want the microstepper system, and purchase the RTMC16 or
RTMC48 Kuper
card from Kuper Controls,
and use Centent microstepper drives (The Centent Company, Santa Ana, CA).
However, people have been known to use microstepper drives from
Superior Electric,
Lynx Robotics, even custom drives; anything that use separate TTL logic
level steps and direction inputs.
We supply the customer with the software, ample documentation, and phone
support to help their onsite engineer retrofit their printers with stepper
motors and drives. (OPCS is a software company only; we do not customize
your hardware for you).
What Does It Look Like?
Here's a sample screen to give you an idea of what the
camera operator sees on the screen during typical printing operations:
What Are The Features Of OPCS?
OPCS can control up to 12 axes of motion, including camera, projector and
fader control. Here are just some of the features:
- Follow Focus
- Color wheels
- Unlimited fades and cross dissolves, step prints
- Fully customizable fades/dissolves
- Fast straight prints
- Allstop that lets you interrupt and resume complex shots
- Anti-backlash correction
- Command line interface or hot key control panel
- Logging
- Command Scripts
- Access custom DOS programs from within OPCS
- Interpolation channels
- Full customizable home sensing, rotational and linear
- Full online documentation for all commands and features
What Doesn't It Do?
- It doesn't do streaking, and it likely never will
- Although it supports motion control capabilities, there
is no curve editor. However, you can use the ascii files
generated from a
Kuper system
or from your own custom programs to generate motion control
files.
OPCS won't likely ever support streaking, because that would make the
software usable as a motion control system, a business I want to avoid.
If you want to do heavy duty motion control stuff, you may want to
purchase the Kuper software to have on the system to do that kind of
work. You can certainly have both the Kuper and OPCS software on the
same machine.
Regarding motion control files, see the manual page for the OPCS
feed
command for more info about how OPCS does motion control, and for
info about the ascii file format.
Who Uses OPCS?
OPCS is a small Los Angeles based company, and mostly serves customers
in the LA area. Here are some companies that have purchased the software,
listed without their permission:
- Cinetech, Valencia.
- YCM Labs, Burbank.
- Technicolor Labs, North Hollywood.
- Introvision, Hollywood.
- Lookout Mountain Films, Hollywood.
- Title House, Hollywood.
- Visual Concept Engineering, Sunland.
- Electric Filmworks, Glendale.
- California Institute of the Arts, Valencia.
- Peter Wolf Productions, Moorpark.
How Long Has OPCS Been Doing Business?
Since 1989. Originally OPCS was written on an Apple ][+ in BASIC
in 1985 for California Institute of the Arts, to automate their
single head JK printer. OPCS has since updated Calarts with the
latest IBM PC version of the software.
In 1989, Pat Oneil of Lookout Mountain Films expressed an interest
in this software, so it was rewritten for the IBM PC to control
his single head printer, initiating the first commercial sale of OPCS
as version 1.00.
Later it was modified to support multiple heads, Kuper RTMC16 card,
homing, follow focus, color wheels and various other features, and
most recently support for the RTMC48 card. The software has since
stabilized at version 3.5x.
Customer Feedback
Even camera operators who aren't familiar with computers maintain it's easy and
comfortable to use. That must mean something. Many operators who start out
feeling more comfortable in the hot key mode begin to warm up to the command
line interface when they realize how much the command line can automate
complicated operations easily.
With one line of commands they can do multiple cross dissolves, complex
repeating operations, etc. which can keep the machine busy shooting while the
operators are free to prepare for the next shot.
Some companies train their lineup people on the OPCS software, so that they
can line up multiple shots onto a single roll, and create complex scripts for the
camera operators to simply "load and run".
These scripts can be created using either a text editor, or can use the OPCS
software on a portable computer to let them create scripts offline, test them,
then bring them in on a floppy for shooting the next day.
Setting up scripts allows operators to run very complex, unattended or
interactive custom operations, minimizing mistakes. Scripts also makes
it easy to reshoot complex shots, even modify them.
Advanced users have complimented on the software's open design that lets them
tie in their own custom commands and/or DOS programs, making them accessible
to the camera operators by extending the OPCS command set. This allows a shop
to highly customize the software to their changing needs.
How Do I Buy The Software?
