Scripting fails due to "Please set data/time" screen

[nerdfever]

I use a Labs script to have my GoPro 12 automatically start video recording when USB-C power is applied.

(It's mounted on the wing of my airplane...power comes on when the aircraft starts. I can't use a battery because flights are often longer than one battery will power.)

It was a bit unstable until (per some advice here) I removed the battery from it - then it worked great.

Until yesterday. I powered it up and found no recording afterward. When I tried it at home, I saw that the script was blocked from running by the "Please set date/time" screen. Once I set the clock it worked fine.

I assume the clock battery ran down. Does it not charge while recording? Does it not charge without a battery installed?

My script waits 45 seconds after USB connection before it starts recording; I had hoped that would be enough to keep things charged. I guess not.

Is there a workaround?

Here's my script, with some notes about what it does (from my QR-printing Python script):

Wakes on power. Trusts USB. Boots to script "bt".

Script "bt" saved on reading QR code:

If on battery at boot:

Exits script.

Sets Standard video mode, 5k exteme 8:7, 30 fps, Wide lens, HyperSmooth ON, high bitrate, 10 bits/pixel.

Prints message about mode and charging time..

Waits 45 seconds (charges battery that long). [note maximum wait time is 9 seconds per command]

Starts recording, then:

Waits 3 seconds

If not on USB power:

Print "Shtting down"

Close video.

Wait 2 seconds.

Turn off camera.

If not recording (because user pressed button):

Print "Exiting script"

Wait 1 second.

Exit script.

Loop back to waiting 3 seconds above.

data = R'*WAKE=2 *TUSB=1 *BOOT="!Lbt" mS r5X p30 fW e1 b1 d10!SAVEbt= <u0 "On battery" + !X mS r5X p30 fW e1 b1 d10 "5.3k 8:7 std video\nCharging 45s..."!9N !9N !9N !9N !9N !S !3N <u0 "Shutting down" + !E + !2O <r0"Exiting script"+ !1N + !X !R85'

[dnewman-gpsw]

Please share the script exactly as you're running it, or even as a QR code, because the script you shared is not fully valid, so I assume that it was just presented incorrectly. Script should never have spaces. It's normally not a good idea to set everything within a repeating script. Your camera does remember the last settings for video moded, so you should set that separately. It helps keep the scripts simple for debugging.

There should be no reason you can't leave the battery in, we should determine why that is not working for you. This is the best way to ensure the real-time clock doesn't lose its time. Waiting 45 seconds to charge the battery that's not there, is not going to really help.

If you must run with the battery out, try scanning *BYPS=1 it removes many of the nagging pop-ups. However, I'm not sure on HERO12 whether it removes the time and date pop-up, it does on 13.

[nerdfever]

Here's the actual QR code as a PDF. Also the Python code that produces it (it does remove spaces; the spaces are just to make it more readable for me).

I forget exactly what the problem was running it with the battery installed. I think much of the time the script just didn't work, and when I checked the Hero 12 after a failure the battery was dead. Also maybe (maybe!) there as an issue with the camera overheating on the ground (once in the air there's plenty of airflow and it doesn't overheat). I think somebody online suggested removing the battery; that 100% fixed it until the recent problem with the Date/Time pop-up blocking the script from running on USB-C power-up.

qr_standard.pdf

# !/usr/bin/python3
# QR codes for GoPro Hero12
# (c) 2024 nerdfever.com

import re, qrcode
from reportlab.pdfgen import canvas # pip install qrcode reportlab
from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import letter
from reportlab.lib.units import inch
from PIL import Image # pip install pillow matplotlib
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import nerdlib as nl

# All units are pixels unless marked otherwise. Origin is bottom left (both pages and images).

INCH = 72/0.8 # DPI, reportlab default (measured)
MARGIN = 0 #int(0.25 * INCH)
QR_SIZE = int((8.5/2)*INCH - 2*MARGIN) # Half of letter height less margins
REDUNDANCY = qrcode.constants.ERROR_CORRECT_M

def show_image(img, title=None):
    # Display image
    plt.imshow(img)
    plt.axis('off')  # Turn off axis numbers and ticks
    if title:
        plt.title(title)
    plt.show()

def remove_spaces_outside_quotes(input_string):
    # Function to remove spaces from a given segment
    def replace_spaces(segment):
        return segment.replace(" ", "")
    
    # Split the string into segments inside and outside of double quotes
    segments = re.split(r'("[^"]*")', input_string)

    # Remove spaces from segments outside of double quotes
    segments = [replace_spaces(segment) if not segment.startswith('"') else segment for segment in segments]

    # Join the segments back together
    return ''.join(segments)

def generate_qr(data):
    data = remove_spaces_outside_quotes(data)
    qr = qrcode.QRCode(error_correction=REDUNDANCY)
    qr.add_data(data)
    qr.make()
    return qr.make_image().resize((QR_SIZE, QR_SIZE))

def make_qr_pdf(data, comment, base_filename):
    img = generate_qr(data)

    png_filename = base_filename+".png"
    
    img.save(png_filename, format='PNG')

    # show_image(img, title=data)
    
    # Create PDF
    c = canvas.Canvas(filename + ".pdf", pagesize=letter)
    page_width, page_height = letter
    img_width, img_height = img.size

    # Calculate positions (origin of both page and image is bottom left corner)
    img_x = page_width/2 - img_width/2 # center it
    img_y = page_height - img_height - MARGIN
    
    text_x = img_x
    text_y = img_y

    c.drawImage(png_filename, img_x, img_y) #, width=img.size, height=img.size)
    c.setFont("Helvetica", 12)  # Set the font and size
    c.drawString(text_x, text_y, comment)
    c.showPage()
    c.save()

# Wakes on power. Trusts USB. Boots to script "bt".
# Script "bt" saved on reading QR code:
#   If on battery at boot:
#       Exits script.
#   Sets Standard video mode, 5k exteme 8:7, 30 fps, Wide lens, HyperSmooth ON, high bitrate, 10 bits/pixel.
#   Prints message about mode and charging time..
#   Waits 45 seconds (charges battery that long). [note maximum wait time is 9 seconds per command]
#   Starts recording, then:
#     Waits 3 seconds
#     If not on USB power:
#       Print "Shtting down"
#       Close video.
#       Wait 2 seconds.
#       Turn off camera.
#     If not recording (because user pressed button):
#       Print "Exiting script"
#       Wait 1 second.
#       Exit script.
#     Loop back to waiting 3 seconds above.

data = R'*WAKE=2 *TUSB=1 *BOOT="!Lbt" mS r5X p30 fW e1 b1 d10!SAVEbt= <u0 "On battery" + !X mS r5X p30 fW e1 b1 d10 "5.3k 8:7 std video\nCharging 45s..."!9N !9N !9N !9N !9N !S !3N <u0 "Shutting down" + !E + !2O <r0"Exiting script"+ !1N + !X !R85'
#                                             01234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
#                                             0         1         2         3         4         5         6         7         8         9         0         1         2         3
filename = "qr_standard"
make_qr_pdf(data, "5.3k 8:7 std video", filename)
print(f"QR code saved as {filename}")

# same as above but with HDR video mode and 4k (Hero 12 won't do 8:7 in HDR 5.3k)
data = R'*WAKE=2 *TUSB=1 *BOOT="!Lbt" mH r4X p30 fW e1 b1 d10 !SAVEbt= <u0 "On battery" + !X  "4k 8:7 HDR video\nCharging 45s..."!9N !9N !9N !9N !9N !S !3N <u0 "Shutting down" + !E + !2O <r0"Exiting script" + !1N + !X !R80'
#                                             01234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
#                                             0         1         2         3         4         5         6         7         8         9         0         1         2         3
filename = "qr_HDR"
make_qr_pdf(data, "4k 8:7 HDR video", filename)
print(f"QR code saved as {filename}")

nl.show("QR_SIZE/INCH")

[dnewman-gpsw]

I'm closing this are not a Labs bug to fix (i.e. not an official issue.) But moving it to discussions. Your script is unnecessarily complex, so you do add failure points.

Who created this Python code?

[dnewman-gpsw]

Add a battery. Simplification Part 1

Put your setting in it own QR code: mVr5Xp30fWe1b1d10dV
Note: I added dV for default Video, so it will boot into the last video mode.

Simplified Part 2: All your extension should be in the there own code.
*WAKE=2*TUSB=1*BOOT="!Lbt"*FAST=1
Note: I added FAST as that will make the capture begin ASAP.

Simplified Part 3:
!SAVEbt=>u0!S<u0>r0"Shutting down"+!E+!2O<r0"Exiting script"+!1N+!X!N!R5

[nerdfever]

I'm still having trouble with this. All I want it to do is start recording when power comes on - that's it.

But it's not reliable. Look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HvVwSA1dCQ

At the start of that, I've just turned on power.

It starts up, and starts recording OK.

Then I turn off power (0:19, you can hear the click) and turn it back on again (0:23). It says "REPAIRING YOUR FILE" (as expected; power was cut off while recording) then "REPAIR FAILED", then starts recording again.

At 0:46 I turn off the power again, and 0:49 at turn it back on. Again, I get REPAIRING YOUR FILE" then "REPAIR FAILED", then it starts recording again.

At 1:11 I turn off the power; back on at 1:16. Again, I get REPAIRING YOUR FILE" then "REPAIR FAILED" but this time it DOES NOT START RECORDING.

I'm stumped and stuck. Help!

Here's what I'm using:

*WAKE=2*TUSB=1*BYPS=1*FAST=1*BOOT="!Lbt"!SAVEbt=<u0"On battery, exiting"+!XmSr5Xp30fWe1b1d10dV!S"5.3k 8:7 std video"!1N<u0"Shutting down"+!E+!2O<r0"Exiting script"+!1N+!X!R68

[dnewman-gpsw]

This script is designed to have the battery in. That is why <u0"Shutting down" is there. Plus you wouldn't have the file repair interfering with script start. If you must be without the battery, you have to plan around the file repair, which is depending on the length of the file being repaired (it can take a minute or two.) You will need a bunch !9N at the start of the script (maybe), I never use a camera this way.

[nerdfever]

Thanks. I can put in the battery but my experience is that it makes it overheat faster, and pretty soon the battery drains down to zero anyway because it doesn't charge while recording (with external power).

Taking time to repair the file is fine - there's always a minimum of 10 or 15 minutes between power-on and actually flying. But why do I get the "REPAIR FAILED"? And why does it usually start recording, but not always?

I was hoping to just leave the camera attached to the airplane and have it "just work"; when power comes on, record, when power goes off stop.

Somehow that doesn't seem to me a big ask, but maybe it is.

[dnewman-gpsw]

Use a battery, place it once a month, it doesn't drain fast, it uses the USB rather than the battery during capture. Repair is failing if the clip is too short, you need about 20 seconds for it to be repairable.