CHDK Config File Editor: Create and Share Configs Step-by-Step

Quick Setup: CHDK Config File Editor for Scripted Camera Automation

What it is

CHDK Config File Editor is a tool for creating and editing CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit) configuration files that define scripts, macros, key mappings, and camera settings automation for compatible Canon cameras.

Before you start

• Assumption: you have CHDK installed on your Canon camera and can run CHDK scripts.
• Files: config files are plain text (.cfg) following CHDK structure.

Quick setup steps

1. Locate or create a config file
   • On your computer, create a new plain-text file named with .cfg extension (e.g., myscript.cfg).
2. Open in the editor
   • Load the .cfg into CHDK Config File Editor (or a plain-text editor if not using a GUI editor).
3. Define header
   • Add a simple header with a name and description, for example:

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     name=My Script desc=Automates interval shots 

4. Add profiles or macros
   • Add macros using CHDK config syntax. Example interval shooting macro:

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     macro=Interval interval=5# seconds between shots shots=10 endmacro 

5. Map to keys (optional)
   • Assign the macro to a physical button:

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     key1=play        # maps macro to PLAY button 

6. Validate syntax
   • Save and check for correct key/value pairs and indentation per CHDK config rules.
7. Transfer to camera
   • Copy the .cfg file to the CHDK/scripts or CHDK/config folder on your SD card.
8. Load and test on camera
   • Boot CHDK, open the config manager, load your config, and run the macro. Test with safety settings (few shots) before full run.

Troubleshooting quick issues

• Script not listed: ensure file extension is .cfg and placed in correct folder.
• Macro doesn’t run: check spelling of keywords (macro, interval, shots), and that your CHDK build supports the features used.
• Camera freezes: remove problematic commands, test incrementally.

Example minimal config

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name=Interval Test desc=Take 5 shots every 3s macro=IntervalTest interval=3 shots=5 endmacro key1=fun 

Safety tips

• Use a tripod for scripted shooting.
• Test with fewer shots and longer intervals first.
• Monitor battery and storage capacity.

If you want, I can generate a full ready-to-copy .cfg for a specific automation (interval, timelapse, bracketed HDR).