Instructions
From CS219
Ahead of time, upload the binary files to your N95 [1][2](you can get them from here if you are not part of GroupCS219[3]), to convert your phone for Urban Tomography. As for the phones. Let us assume that the phone is on and your lens cover is open.
1. Go to VCAPS software and open it up. (It is in Applications, an
unfolding box is the icon.) The GPS will be automatically started for
you. During capture process, don't put exit button, just let it run on background(you can do that by pressing red button). If you explicitly exit VCAPS and capture videos, meta information will not be tagged properly. VCAPS should be eyes of beholder during capture process.
2. Press the shutter button (at the extreme right top, if the phone is horizontal and number keypad is on right). Press the button once more, this will invoke built-in camera application and go to Options, Settings: Set the movie quality to medium:"E-mail high quality." This ensures small-enough files. If you don't mind longer upload times, you can use higher quality. Also, set it for On for Video Stabilization and for Audio Recording. Please don't use LoRes menu on VCAPS application (because of video quality).
3. From here on in, all you need do is to use the shutter button,as you would on a movie camera. You will need to press the button more than once to start recording, since there is some cycling, but you know you are recording by the small white timeline (fills up with blue) on the bottom of the screen when held horizontally. The video clips will automatically be uploaded by GPRS or WiFi.
4. Clips might be from 15 sec to maybe 3-4 minutes each, but it is up to you.
If you go to http://catnip.usc.edu/vcaps you will see the uploaded
clips. The Temporal view is probably most useful for you. If GPS data were properly tagged, you can see them at spatial view also.
As for the video-ing.
1. You will decide among yourselves whether you want to divide up the site, by floor, by area, by subject.
2. You should try to be systematic. Video inside every room or doorway, through the glass windows is fine; video every group and subgroup of people; video all the various sorts of interactions or exchanges (as in a marketplace). Imagine having a set of videos of Bell Labs in the 50s. Or, trying to recall what it was like to be at UCLA nearby the book store, but fifty years from now.
3. Pay special attention to anything that is interesting to you. Don't worry about not being systematic.
4. Don't worry about making too many videos. This is the digital age, and "film" has no cost (although there are transmission costs for the digital files, not to speak of looking at them all).
5. If you have comments about what you are seeing, they can be made by your talking--your voice will be recorded over the ambient sound. On the other hand, try to be quiet to let the ambient sound dominate.
Have fun!
ps) If you want to read some techincal details to understand the software. Please go to http://catnip.usc.edu/vcaps/usage.html
