Win32 app for controlling PTZ cameras via a flight controller joystick

I originally wrote this many years ago as a way to control several mounted Sony EVI-D30 cameras in fixed positions in a studio. These cameras perform quite well, are cheap and extremely easy to come by (since they are not digital/HD). All you need is a decent capture interface and a video switcher/mixer if desired.

VISCA is a standard RS232 based protocol for moving, panning, tilting and zooming various cameras.
DirectInput is a DirectX component that gets input from, among other things, flight-controller-style joysticks.

Requirements

• Windows with DirectX support

• A FC-style joystick (tested with Logitech Wingman Attack)

• 1-8 VISCA compatible PTZ camera(s), (tested with the Sony EVI-D30)

• Serial port or USB serial port adapter

• RS-232 Serial cable

Building

Originally built using Watcom C Compiler

Dependencies

• DirectInput library files (DirectX, Windows SDK) I believe these can be obtained from the Microsoft Windows SDK, "Headers and Libraries.zip". In particular, you need DXLib\dinput8.lib and DXLib\dxguid.lib

• Damien Douxchamps' libVISCA library (libvisca_win32.c, libvisca.c)

Customizations You Might Need

• Set Com Port: Edit Joystick1.c and Change the #define COM_PORT to the port your camera is on. Currently set to COM1
• Tweak joystick response: Also in Joystick1.c, If the joystick operation in relation to the camera movement is not to your liking, you may mess with various #defined *FACTORs

Operation

You must have your camera(s) and joystick plugged in before launching the program.

Program window: Info Display The program UI is dreadfully basic. It displays various data about:

• The currently selected camera
• The position of the joystick
• The current speed of tilting, panning, zooming
• Autofocus status

Program window: Recenter You can press spacebar to re-center to the joystick current position.

Program window: Reset Pressing the "0" key will send the currently selected camera to the "home" position, AKA 0,0

Program window: Store Preset Holding SHIFT while pressing any of keys 1-9 will record the currently selected camera's position in that preset

Program window: Recall Preset Pressing any of keys 1-9 will send the currently selected camera to the saved position for that preset

Joystick control: Change Camera The directional clicker on the top of the stick changes which camera you are addressing. It starts at 0 and increments in a clockwise direction up to 7.

Joystick control: Pan, Tilt (Hopefully) as logic would dictate, moving the stick in the X and Y directions changes the panning and tilting of the camera accordingly. Leaning the stick forward causes the camera to move up (much to the dismay of aviators), and vice-versa for down.

Joystick control: Zoom Twisting the joystick clockwise will cause the currently selected camera to start zooming in. Twisting the joystick counter-clockwise will cause the currently selected camera to start zooming out.

Joystick control: Autofocus engage There is a button/control on the joystick that is assigned to this. Unfortunately I can't remember which one.

Joystick control: Backlight - There is a button/control on the joystick that is assigned to this. Unfortunately I can't remember which one.

Joystick control: Backlight + There is a button/control on the joystick that is assigned to this. Unfortunately I can't remember which one.