v2.0 Architecture & Strategy Whitepaper 📄⚙️
Version: 1.0.17 (Build 18) | Last Updated: September 2026 | Audience: Product Strategy & Core Engineering Team
[!IMPORTANT] Product Scope & Priority Strategy:
v2.0 Primary Goal (P0 / Mandatory): Analogue Film Cameras (35mm, 120 Medium Format, Half-Frame, Large Format, TLRs, and Instant Film / Polaroids) paired with the Fotologue Trigger (Hotshoe & PC-Sync BLE Flash Hardware).
v2.0 Secondary / v3.0 Scope: Digital Camera Cataloguing & Burst Auto-Batching. Included in v2.0 as a secondary module if lightweight; otherwise deferred to v3.0.
Centralized Taxonomy Principle: A single, centralized 3-Axis Tag Taxonomy (Subject • Content • Intent) serves all film stocks, instant films, and cameras in one unified database.
Executive Summary
Fotologue v2.0 introduces hardware-triggered automated logging via the Fotologue Trigger (Bluetooth Low Energy hotshoe/PC-sync flash hardware) for analogue film cameras, instant film packs (Polaroid / Instax), and custom camera backs.
1. Analogue & Instant Film Priority (v2.0 Primary Scope)
A. Supported Analogue Formats & Film Packs
35mm Standard & Half-Frame: 36 / 72 exposures per roll.
120 Medium Format: 12 / 16 exposures per roll depending on frame geometry (6x6, 6x4.5, 6x7, 6x9).
Large Format / Sheet Film: Individual sheet holders (4x5, 8x10).
Instant Film / Polaroids:
Polaroid i-Type / 600 / SX-70: 8 exposures per film pack.
Fujifilm Instax (Mini / Square / Wide): 10 exposures per film pack.
Modular Instant Backs: Hasselblad, Mamiya, and 4x5 Polaroid/Instax film backs.
2. Hardware Specification: Fotologue Trigger
The Fotologue Trigger is a custom hardware device mounted on the camera hotshoe or connected via PC-sync flash cable.
┌────────────────────────┐ Bluetooth LE ┌────────────────────────┐ │ CAMERA (HOTSHOE / │ ───────────────────► │ FOTOLOGUE APP │ │ PC-SYNC FLASH PORT) │ │ • GPS Millisecond Fix │ │ • Pulse Signal │ Broadcasting BLE │ • Auto-Route Timeline │ │ • Hardware ID: Cam02 │ Device ID: Cam02 │ • Auto-Increment Frame│ └────────────────────────┘ └────────────────────────┘
Key Technical Capabilities:
1-to-1 Trigger-to-Camera Pairing:
Each physical trigger broadcasts a unique BLE Device ID (triggerDeviceId).
Assigning Trigger_01 to a Leica M6 and Trigger_02 to a Polaroid SX-70 automatically routes incoming trigger signals to their respective camera timelines in real-time.
Millisecond GPS Location Acquisition:
On flash trigger (or PC-sync flash fire), Fotologue captures exact GPS coordinates at the precise millisecond of exposure.
Onboard Hardware EEPROM Event Buffer (Offline Queue):
Buffers up to 100 flash event timestamps onboard if Bluetooth connection drops or phone screen is locked.
Pulse Debouncing & Strobe Filtering:
Configurable 100ms–500ms software debounce window filters out strobe chatter or electrical bounce pulses.
3. Digital Camera Scope & Strategy (v2.0 Secondary / v3.0)
Digital cameras (DSLRs & Mirrorless) record EXIF exposure settings automatically, but lack Fotologue's 3-Axis Tag Taxonomy (Subject • Content • Intent) and field notes.
Digital Integration Scope:
v2.0 Inclusion: Added as a lightweight optional module if digital file sequence matching is low-friction.
v3.0 Deferred Scope: Advanced high-speed burst auto-batching (1.5s time-window grouping for 10–30 fps bursts) and automated RAW timestamp matching.
4. Phased Implementation Roadmap
Phase 1: Hardware Driver & BLE Connectivity (v2.0 Primary)
Integrate BLE scanner and GATT notifications in BleManager.kt.
Support 1-to-1 mapping between triggerDeviceId and Analogue/Instant Camera entities.
Phase 2: Instant Film & Analogue Roll Enhancements (v2.0 Primary)
Add 8-exposure (Polaroid) and 10-exposure (Instax) pack defaults in Film.kt.
Support PC-sync flash triggering for vintage Polaroids and modular instant backs.
Phase 3: Digital Camera Module (v2.0 Secondary / v3.0)
Evaluate lightweight digital card file counter (_DSF1024) vs. full v3.0 digital burst batcher.