Capture Basics

Workspace setup happens once. Capture happens hundreds of times a day. This is where Operator competence translates to business throughput — how many SKUs per hour with what consistency. The capture interface is dense; understanding it is half operator mastery.

1. From workspace to capture

After your workspace (m05) is configured, the Capture interface is where you spend your day. Workspace = “what hardware do I have.” Capture = “what am I shooting and how.”

The Capture interface has 4 main areas, each occupying a portion of the screen:

You’ll cycle between these four constantly during a shoot. Spatial memory of where things sit on the screen = speed.

2. Projects and Items — the data hierarchy

PhotoRobot organizes work in three nested levels (m01 also introduced this):

• Project = top-level grouping (e.g., a campaign or shoot week)
• Item = a single object being photographed
• Folder (inside an item) = images grouped by output type (Spin / Stills / Video)

Before you can capture, you need:

1. A project (create new or use existing)
2. At least one item in that project
3. At least one folder (Spin / Stills / Video) on the item

3. Creating items — three paths

3.1. Manually (one item at a time)

For one-off shoots or first-time setup:

1. Open the project
2. Click Add item
3. Fill in the mandatory Name field
4. Optional: codes, links, notes, macros, barcode
5. Cloud-based license only: scroll down to Manage dimensions to add width / height / length / weight
6. Click Add

If the item has a barcode input or scanned, the barcode button appears in the Item information area for quick access during capture.

3.2. Batch import via CSV (many items at once)

For production volume:

1. Open the project
2. Click Import
3. Drag-and-drop your CSV file, OR click Browse files
4. (Optional) Click Sample file at top-right to download the canonical sample CSV with the expected column structure

CSV import includes item dimensions without license limits (on an active subscription). Configure your Excel / spreadsheet to match the sample CSV format. This is THE workflow for warehouse-style production where 200+ SKUs per day get processed.

3.3. Auto-create via barcode scanner (point-of-capture identification)

For continuous production where items come down a conveyor or shelf-by-shelf:

• Enabled in: Settings → General Settings → Barcode Scanner → toggle Automatically create a new item in the system when an unknown barcode is scanned
• Behavior: operator scans a barcode → CAPP auto-creates an item named after the scanned string (in the identifier field) → operator shoots → repeats
• Minimum barcode length: configurable (since CAPP 2.13.beta58). Previously fixed at 6 characters (to avoid dual interpretations). Now adjustable, e.g. 4-character identifiers work without further adjustment.

This is the canonical workflow for “I have 500 boxes of inventory, I want to photograph them as they come” scenarios.

4. Item information area — status and navigation

The Item information area has three components:

1. Capture status toggle — switch the item between: Captured, Edited, Recapture, Fix Editing
2. Comments — open all item-level comments (review notes, retouch requests, QA flags)
3. Next / Previous — navigate between items, filtered by selected item status

Item status filter

A studio operates with multiple items at different stages. The Item Status Filter limits results so you only see items in a specific state. Options: Captured, Edited, Verified, Approved, Rejected.

Example workflow:

• A photographer captures items → marks them Captured
• A QA reviewer filters to Edited → reviews post-processing → sets Verified or Fix Editing based on outcome
• A publisher filters to Verified → exports the approved images to client systems

The status field is your internal kanban — every team member knows what to work on by filter.

5. Folders, frames, and images

All captured assets live in Folders inside the item. Three folder types:

Each folder contains frames. A frame holds:

• Angle configuration — which turn / swing / lift angle the robot used
• Original — the unedited file from the camera
• Edited — the post-processed version (if Edit Automatically is on, or if you ran edit afterward)

Folder menu (5 options)

Click the folder operations menu (⋮) for:

• Add / Delete / Edit folder
• Copy / Move frames between folders
• Delete frames — completely remove all frames + images + angle configs
• Send for retouch — mark item for external retouching
• Activity — view item activity log
• Import images — upload your own images (handheld shots, custom angles)
• Create 3D model — generate 3D mesh from images (macOS only; multi-row spin required; see 3D model formats)

Per-frame menu

Within each frame you can:

• Set label — descriptive name (e.g., “hero shot - front”, “3/4”, “back”, or GS1 image naming)
• Change angle — adjust angle for one specific frame
• Pause sequence here — sequence pauses at this frame, waiting for operator (useful for inserting a manual close-up mid-spin)
• Mark for retouch — flag for external 3rd-party retouching

6. Sequence Control — Play, Stop, Snapshot

Bottom of the screen:

• Play (1) — start the sequence (rotation + capture + lights)
• Emergency Stop (2) — interrupt the sequence immediately
• Take Snapshot (3) — (Stills folder only) take a single photo without defining a frame first; the snapshot becomes a new frame

You’ll trigger Play hundreds of times a day. Emergency Stop should be rare but the muscle memory matters — when something goes wrong (object slides, lens hits something), hit it without thinking.

7. Sequence Options — the right-side panel

Along the right side of the Capture interface:

These toggles are your “shoot configuration.” Most operators set them once for a session and leave them.

Normal vs Fast-shot

Fast-shot requires shutter cable + slot config (m05 Section 5). When enabled, the camera triggers during continuous rotation. Result: a 36-frame spin in ~10 seconds instead of ~30. For production volume, this is the difference between “let’s break for lunch after this batch” and “let’s start another batch.”

When NOT to use Fast-shot:

• Camera has long exposure (slow shutter speeds)
• Object moves with rotation (heavy or unbalanced — needs stop-and-shoot)
• Lighting setup struggles to recover between rapid triggers

8. Spin folder — 360° / 3D rotation

Inside a Spin folder, the key configurations:

• Frames (1) — number of frames per rotation. Common values: 24, 36, 72. More frames = smoother rotation in the final viewer, longer sequence, more storage. 36 is the canonical default for e-commerce 360s.
• Add row (2) — capture additional rows from a different swing angle. The swing angle = vertical angle of camera relative to turntable. Examples:
  • Row 1 at 0° swing = camera level with turntable (side view of object)
  • Row 2 at 45° swing = slightly elevated (3/4 view from above)
  • Row 3 at 90° swing = top-down (bird’s eye)
  • Multi-row spins enable 3D models via photogrammetry (m19 covers details)

A single-row 36-frame spin = standard 360° product viewer. Multi-row = 3D capability.

9. Stills folder — individual shots

Stills folders don’t have a predefined rotation pattern. Two ways to populate:

• Add frame (top-right) — define each frame explicitly (angle, position) before capture
• Take snapshot — capture immediately, snapshot becomes the new frame

For handheld still shots (close-ups, detail shots, packaging), connect a camera over Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi cameras let you take photos by hand and auto-add as new frames to the stills folder. This is common for jewelry / fashion accessories where macro detail shots augment the spin.

10. Freemask background removal

For transparent-background final images, Freemask is PhotoRobot’s two-image approach:

1. Main image — standard photo of the object on background
2. Mask image — photo of the object lit from behind (silhouette)

These two are composited → result is a clean transparent-background product photo. No manual masking in Photoshop required.

To enable Freemask: check the Mask checkbox on the right-side panel.

Freemask works best when:

• Lighting can switch between front (main) and back (mask) cleanly — front lights off + back lights on for mask
• Object has clear silhouette (some translucent / very small objects challenge the algorithm)
• Background is fully controllable (white background commonly)

For high-volume e-commerce work (apparel, packshots), Freemask is dramatic time-saver vs. manual masking.

11. Hardware configuration — Robots (Turn / Swing / Lift)

Per robot in your workspace, there are up to 3 motion controls:

For each movement:

• Set Position (1) — manually move the robot to a position
• Speed (2) — configure movement speed (per shot or per session)
• Calibration (3) — set the robot to its starting / home position

First-time setup rule: always run Calibration before configuring movement. This sets the robot’s internal zero / reference. Without calibration, angle inputs are relative to whatever current position is, leading to misaligned spins.

Quick-angle presets (CAPP 2.13.3+)

For Turn and Swing on the Capture interface:

1. Click the three vertical dots next to the field
2. Click Configure angle presets
3. Input desired angles separated by commas (max 4), e.g. 0, 90, 180, 270
4. Save

Useful for common angle sets that you reach for repeatedly during stills work.

12. Hardware configuration — Cameras

In the Cameras interface:

• Live View icon (1) — enable live view from the camera; clicking in the live view picture sets the focus point
• Exclude camera icon (2) — exclude this camera from the sequence (camera won’t trigger). Common when one camera is in use for handheld shots while the spin captures with another.

For deeper camera-specific configuration (focus modes, exposure simulation, ISO, JPEG format, sleep timer), see m08 Camera Configuration.

13. Hardware configuration — Lights

Per light in your workspace:

• Light position (1) — assign a position from a dropdown:
  • Product left / Product right — front illumination from sides
  • Background top / Background bottom — background illumination (white background, Freemask mask image lighting)
  • Custom position — define your own
• Power button (2) — switch light on / off (used in Freemask: front off, back on for mask)
• Light intensity slider (3) — brightness 0-100%; some DMX lights also control color temperature

Position assignments matter for automated workflows — CAPP knows “background top is the one that fires for mask,” etc. Don’t randomize positions during a session.

14. Scopes & Presets

By default: hardware configuration is the same across all folders within an item.

To customize per folder or per row — use Add scope. Example: a Spin folder uses Broncolor strobe lights at full power; a Stills folder in the same item uses DMX LED at 40% for close-ups.

Presets (save and reload configurations)

For repeatable production setups:

• Click the file icon (upper-right) to save all capture settings as a preset
• Load saved presets via the drop-down menu in the upper-right

Three ways to assign presets to items

1. Select item → load preset via drop-down menu (or hotkey P)
2. When creating an item — select preset in the Add item dialog → Preset field
3. Bulk assign — from Items menu, select multiple items, click Assign preset, choose preset, confirm

For CSV import (Section 3.2), the preset can be defined per row in the CSV — enables creating items in Excel with their configurations and importing as a batch.

Production workflow pattern: create preset → assign to all items of one product category → operator just hits Play. Repeatability scales linearly with how well your presets are designed.

15. Service GUI — for diagnostic / first-use

For first-use / activation / motion testing OUTSIDE CAPP, PhotoRobot Control Units expose a Service GUI in browser:

1. Get the Control Unit’s IP via Locator (m04)
2. Open in browser: http://<unit-ip>
3. The Service GUI shows:
   • System status — functional + connectivity status, workstation / activity / operations
   • Move Module status — motion controls for basic testing; hardware status (calibration, movement, steps)

This is primarily a service technician tool — first-use commissioning, service diagnostics, firmware-level checks. Operators don’t normally need it. Mention it here so you recognize when PhotoRobot Support points you to it.

16. For full reference

This module is the operational workflow summary. The canonical references on photorobot.com:

• Capturing Images with PhotoRobot — full Capture interface reference: 4 areas, items/folders/frames, sequence control, scopes & presets, hardware configuration per-component
• First Use & Basic Testing of PhotoRobot Systems — initial activation, network prerequisites for capture, Service GUI for motion testing
• Getting Started — User Support Manual — capture stage in 4-stage workflow context

When in doubt during a session, open the canonical manual on a second monitor. Screenshots there show the exact UI you’ll see in current CAPP.

Module check

When you’re ready, take the module knowledge check for this module. It’s not graded for certification — it’s for you and your instructor to identify any gaps before moving on.

→ Take the module check  ·  5 questions, immediate feedback