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Beginners: Basic hacks questions
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  • I need a little hint please:

    Up till now I have always named my firmware patches sequentially, upwards from GH2__V10.bin to GH2__V11.bin and so forth. Is this really necessary? Or can I just name it any number as long as it's not V10.bin?

    I guess what I mean is: must patches be applied in sequence (firmware file name) order?

    Also if this is not possible, can I then reset to original firmware and start over?

    Thinking about jumping between patches on set.

    Thanks!
  • @kanintesova

    I've been wondering the same thing. I've changed my version increment to 10 when I did my first patch to GH2__v11.bin. Do I need to leave it at 10 or change it 1 to revert back to the stock firmware? I didn't want to try it yet, I didn't know if it mess up my GH2 or not. Any help would be awesome.

    Thanks!
  • @smoke23

    I was also confused by this at first. But if you mean in Ptools software, "version increment", it can always be set to a value of 1, just make sure it is ticked. :)

    I'm not sure about the firmware file name thing though... cuz:

    At the 1st page in this thread someone states;

    "4.SAVE firmware. use same file name as original except change the last digit to anything else."

    and this made me wonder (if this has to be sequential? and if it doesn't, well I guess we can just load different patches easily, otherwise we have to revert to base/original firmware if we need to switch patches back and forth a few times - unless we have a few cards with sequential firmware, he he).
  • @kanintesova You can use the filename 'GH2__v11.bin' forever if you like - everytime you load up a new patched firmware into the camera. You don't have to increment at all - though it sometimes helps to add each time you test so you know which bin file did what! Geddit? ;-)
    All you have to remember is NOT to save it as the original firmware version which is GH2__V10.bin.
    Therefore you can save the patched firmware from 'GH2__V11.bin' all the way upto GH2__V99.bin. Comprend?
  • For people who can't get their heads around patches and patched firmwares ;-
    1. Copy the hacked firmware GH2__V10.bin plus any of the patches (such as Driftwood's,s cbrandins, etc...) you downloaded from personal-view (here) into your ptools folder.
    When you make a patch, you have to save it to one of the designated A to J buttons using shift + click on any of these A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I, J buttons - hence why files for patches are called setA.ini, setB.ini, etc... to setJ.ini when you download them from Driftwood, cbrandin etc...! yeah?!
    2. Now run ptools, and you are asked to load the firmware GH2__V10.bin. Do it - load it!
    3. There along the bottom - from A to J - are buttons where the patches are stored. e.g. setc.ini is stored to button C. Geddit?
    4. Now click any of the patches (hover over each button and info as regards to the patch setting will be displayed) on the A to J buttons. Notice the settings inside ptools change?!
    5. When you have the chosen patch loaded into ptools and are happy, click SAVE FIRMWARE button to save it and give it the name GH2__V11.bin (for arguments sake). Save this newly patched firmware to your SDCARD.
    6. After making sure your camera's battery is fully charged, insert SD card into camera, switch on, and hit the triangular Playback button. There it asks you if you would like to update the firmware, use up menu button and select YES.
    7. Allow a few minutes for the firmware to be patched with the new settings which you chose in ptools.
    8. Once patched, nothing will look any different in the camera (apart from the new ISO high settings are now selectable) so don't expect lots of new exciting menus etc... as all newly applied ptools settings such as INTRA are now set as part of the internal camera's encoder settings.
    9. Record away. After recording, bring in footage to computer and notice the differences from stock settings with your new settings! Use Streamparser to confirm you are getting INTRA, filesizes, etc...
    10. Chill out and have a beer.

  • Thank you @driftwood! Always nice to get feedback from you! You're the man!!!! This really straightens some doubts for me! :) Thanks for taking your time.

    Now it is clear again, wiped my groggy glasses, haha. Comprende! He he! I know lots of South American ppl, but I live in Sweden - that's why my english is slightly off! ;)

    But yet again, thanks for the pointers in above!!!

    LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! Nerds for the win! Thanks Vitaliy!

    p.s. I'll have a beer now, Sofiero 5,2 from the Swedish wine-monopoly (such a scandinavian vodka-belt thing).... Cheers!
  • So to revert to stock firmware, back to original GH2 specs, just load up GH2__V10.bin in ptools. Click version increment (1 or 10 will be fine) and just save it out as GH2_V11 without selecting anything in ptools? Correct?

    Thanks for all your help so far everyone!
  • @smoke23

    I think (pretty darn sure) you only load the original firmware into the camera; NO adjustments, NO Ptools.

    Then you are back to original. But if you want to load a patch it doesn't matter what number the .bin file has.

    Just go with any number that is not original firmware name i.e.: "GH2__V10.bin"...

    Numbers up to_99 seem to be ok, but why you need that?

    We can stick with GH2__V11.bin, ad infinitum :D We can update patch anyhow, this does not seem to matter (this was my confusion about version increment - and we only have to tick version increment, doesn't mean we HAVE to incremet the number all the time).

    in Ptools: just leave version increment as is =1 (but ticked...) (I also did not really understand this but never really change that if you don't do real hardcore testing)


    You get it? maybe this will change when Pana release the new firmware and hack changes, we will see here. ;)

    AMI I RIGHT YOU GUYS?????
  • @kanintesova

    I just loaded the original GH2__V10.bin onto my SD card. Hit play on the GH2 to load it and nothing happens. It doesn't detect it at all. Am I doing something wrong or do we have to use ptools to go back to the original firmware?

    If anybody has exact steps or has loaded their original firmware back to the GH2 after the hack, any help would be appreciated. Thank you guys so much for all your help so far!
  • Hmm, this happened to me too! :/
  • I don't know if I want base firmware, just I can load new patches :D

    but firmware should work if it's real


  • OK, clear wind: How do we get the original firmware back? AKA RESET.

    Thank Juice
  • I didn't realize you first have to install the leaked GH2__V10.bin before trying to install the hacked file GH2__V11.bin

    Hope this helps anyone who is looking for this solution like I was.
  • Hi, I am new here and I am wondering what is the most stable GH2 hack?

    Also, is the new ISO hack stable with a higher bit rate? Which bit rate is best with the ISO hack?
    I am super eager to hack my GH2 but dont want to mess with it too much as I am not very tech savvy.

    Sorry if this has already been answered, I looked around and couldnt find any definitive answers.

    Thanks a lot!
  • @kanintesova

    Just Reset Rec. Settings and Reset Setup/Custom Paramaters and I'm back to the original GH2 bitrate settings?
  • My understanding about going back to original v1.0E firmware.

    To do this you must still load the original GH2__V10.bin into Ptools. Don't change anything except leave the version increment checked so it is at least 1 ie 10E->10F Now save the file as GH2__V1x.bin where x can be anything but 0 as to not overwrite your original file.

    This patched file now will trick the firmware loader into thinking it is a newer version and burn it. The patch in the file that Vitaly has placed will not actually allow the loader to update the firmware version number in the flash. So essentially you're at the original code version and ready to patch again or with any newer firmware greater than 10E that Panasonic decides to release.

    You can see this by checking the body version in the settings even with a file with patches. It's always at 1.0

    Please correct me if I have this all wrong.

    I haven't tried this because I'm happy with the patching so far.

    Great stuff. Thank you.
  • @iket

    Thanks!

    I just woke up now and THE FIRST thing on my mind was, "hmm what about version increment - it MUST be ticked to be able to overwrite the current setting". I had to come here and check and you confirmed my suspicion. HA HA. Thanks Mate!
  • Regarding my question some days ago, about patching the firmware to cancel the acceleration behavior on the focus ring: my goal is to try to control this ring from a motor controlled by some device (step motor on arduino most likely) and then let a PC adjust the focus to a given position (user controlled or programmed). That's a toy project. However, due to the focus ring behavior (I lack the appropriate term for that) in the standard firmware, the speed of the ring rotation does not linearly adjust the lens focus distance. A slow speed make very little move, while a moderate speed move is a lot faster in comparison. We might need to emulate the acceleration slope on the PC side to predict how to rotate the ring automatically to react a given focus distance.. which is not easy and not necessary precise enough.

    Sure, a simple solution is to use a lens with manual focus ring to avoid all theses problems, but I don't have such a lens. I would like to use the Panasonic 14-140 I already own.

    Is there a hope to find a way to hack the manual focus control in the firmware?
  • OK, it is proving stupidly difficult to find information online that will show me how to do a low level format on my SD card. I have windows, and Linux operating systems so my option are open. Can someone please tell me exactly how they do this?
  • @mee right click/format/uncheck quick format.
  • @driftwood Do you mean with windows regular format tool. IE right click drive E / Format / uncheck quick format? If this is the case the good news I have done it, the bad news is my card is not good enough for Your AQuarius version 2 hack on 80% variable. It for the most part works with everything else. I did stumble upon your new Terraquake hack today and was thinking of trying it. I have the same card as Trackzillas (sandisk extreme pro 45mbs). I am still quite the noob, but like with my computer I like to go to the edge of what they can do. If I may borrow your expertise for a moment more, what card or cards do you use? I'm contemplating taking this up with Sandisk and getting something better.
  • @mee yeah try terraquake
  • Thanks, and thanks for helping make this awesome little camera more awesome. I am in Japan so I literally have been waiting for the sun to come up so I can go do some more testing. I will install terraquake first ;)
  • I've looked around no these threads and have to ask. Has anyone had any success with an hdmi to composite cable for use as a monitor? I am starting a feature shoot in a couple weeks and need a reliable monitor. don't have much money for an expensive HDMI monitor, and I have seen lots of monitors with A/V inputs for cheap. Has anyone had any success? I know last time I saw a question like this asked, no one had any luck, but its been a while, so thought i would ask again.
  • This can be done for G1 camera ( Enable Video capability ) ?

    Remap REC button to LVF/LCD (or any other button ) and flash a video enabled firmware ( GH1 , G10 ) to G1 camera ?

    Thanks
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