Ramp Menu
All ramps stored in the currently open Ramp Archive are listed in this menu. Use this menu to select a Ramp for viewing, editing and previewing. The ramp name can be changed by selecting it and typing a new name.
New Button
Click the “New” button to create a new Ramp. This ramp will be stored with the already existing ramps in the currently open Ramp Archive.
Delete Button
Click the “Delete” button to delete the ramp that is currently visible. This will erase the ramp from the currently open ramp archive.
Ramp Mode (Internal/External)
Choose here the mode for the currently visible ramp.
An internal ramp is a speed change that is stored in the camera’s internal memory. Internal ramps are possible with the 535, 535B, 435 and 435ES, but not with the 16SR3. An external Controller, like the Ramp Preview Controller (RPC), the Laptop Camera Controller (LCC) or the Camera Control Unit (CCU) is necessary to create an internal ramp and to send it to the camera. The RCU and WRC cannot change the internal ramp in a camera. Once an internal ramp is stored in the camera, it can be activated and executed without an external controllers. Internal ramps are limited to a first and second speed, and to a 100 second shoot time duration. .
An external ramp is a speed change that is stored in the memory of an external controller like the Ramp Preview Controller. To activate and execute an external ramp, the controller has to be connected to the camera. Since external controllers can have more memory and processing capacity than the camera has, external ramps can be more sophisticated, including special features such as multiple step ramps or exponential ramps.
Ramp Type (Linear/Exponential)
Only external ramps provide the choice of two different methods of speed change: linear and exponential. This choice will not be visible when an internal ramp mode is chosen.
Until the Ramp Preview Controller, all ramps were linear. A linear ramp has a constant rate of change. On a graph, a linear ramp is represented by a straight line. Linear ramps should be used when the fastest ramp duration is desired.
Even though linear ramps can have the shortest duration, they have one disadvantage. Assuming a ramp going from a slow to a fast speed, the perceived effect (change in the speed of motion) will be very pronounced in the beginning of the ramp, with very little effect visible in the remainder. This is due to the fact that as the shooting fps increases, playback takes exponentially longer. This disadvantage becomes more apparent the longer the ramp duration and the higher the top fps is.To counter this effect, the ramp itself needs to be exponential. By their very nature, exponential ramps take longer than linear ramps. During playback, though, an exponential ramp will show the effect of changing the speed of motion smoothly over the whole duration of the ramp.
RPC Operations Guide, Page 23
