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Enginerig – Camera Rig Weight & Load Calculator (Balance, Mount Stress, Node Analysis)

Enginerig is a desktop application for engineering analysis of camera rigs.

It helps filmmakers, photographers, and rig builders calculate:

  • total rig weight
  • center of mass
  • perceived operator load
  • rig imbalance
  • load on mounting points and joints

The program allows you to visually build a rig scheme and instantly see how weight distribution affects the operator and equipment.

This tool is useful for anyone asking questions like:

  • How to calculate load on a camera rig?
  • How to calculate center of mass of a camera setup?
  • How to balance a handheld camera rig?
  • How to estimate operator fatigue from a camera rig?
  • How much weight can a quick-release or joint handle?

Enginerig provides a visual engineering model to answer these questions.


What Enginerig Does

Enginerig analyzes filming rigs such as:

  • camera + lens setups
  • monopod rigs
  • handheld rigs
  • documentary shooting rigs
  • custom camera mounting systems

The program calculates:

  • Total rig mass
  • Center of mass
  • Rig imbalance
  • Operator perceived weight
  • Load on nodes (mounts, joints, quick releases)
  • Estimated operator working time

The rig is built interactively on a canvas using points, connectors and nodes.


Key Features

Visual rig builder

Create a rig structure by placing:

  • Points — cameras, handles, accessories
  • Connectors — rods, arms, monopods
  • Nodes — joints, quick releases, mounts

You can drag elements and instantly see how the rig balance changes.


Center of mass calculation

The software calculates the center of mass relative to the support point.

This helps determine:

  • whether the rig will tip forward
  • how much torque acts on the operator
  • how balanced the setup is

Perceived weight calculation

Enginerig estimates the perceived weight experienced by the operator, not just the physical mass.

The model combines:

  • physical mass
  • center of mass displacement
  • biomechanical tendon model

This allows estimating operator fatigue during long shooting sessions.


Rig imbalance estimation

The program calculates rig imbalance as a percentage:

Imbalance Meaning
0–20% Excellent balance
20–50% Slight imbalance
50–100% Noticeable tilt
100–200% Heavy front/back pull
200%+ Shoulder strap or support recommended

Load calculation on mounts and joints

Enginerig calculates load applied to nodes such as:

  • quick release plates
  • joints
  • pivot points
  • mounting adapters

This helps answer questions like:

  • Will my quick release break?
  • Is my mount overloaded?
  • How much force acts on the joint during movement?

The software also includes dynamic load simulation (+40%) to approximate forces during walking.


Real-time simulation

All calculations update instantly when you:

  • move points
  • change weights
  • modify connectors
  • change the support point

This allows quick experimentation with rig designs.


Export

Enginerig can export:

  • Rig diagram → JPG / PDF
  • Rig composition → PDF
  • Rig data → copy to clipboard

The exported composition includes:

  • all rig elements
  • weights
  • connector lengths
  • comments
  • construction relationships

Internationalization

Enginerig supports 11 languages:

  • English
  • Russian
  • German
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Portuguese
  • Italian
  • Polish
  • Ukrainian
  • Chinese
  • Japanese

Technology

Enginerig is built with:

  • Electron
  • HTML5 Canvas
  • JavaScript
  • KaTeX (math formulas)
  • jsPDF
  • html2canvas

File Format

The file contains:

  • points
  • connectors
  • nodes
  • weights
  • support point
  • canvas position
  • project name

The format is JSON-based.


Typical Use Cases

Enginerig can be used for:

Camera rig design

Design a rig before physically assembling it.

Load calculation

Estimate load on mounts, adapters, and joints.

Balance optimization

Find the best position for accessories and handles.

Operator ergonomics

Estimate how tiring the rig will be during shooting.

Educational purposes

Understand physics concepts like:

  • center of mass
  • torque
  • load distribution

Controls

Action Method
Create point Left click on canvas
Create connector Click point → click another point
Create node Click connector
Move element Drag
Delete element Right click
Undo Ctrl+Z
Hide labels Ctrl+R

Why Enginerig Exists

Camera rigs are often built by intuition.

But heavy lenses, monopods, and accessories create complex torque systems.

Enginerig provides a simple engineering tool to analyze these systems visually.

Instead of guessing, you can calculate rig balance and load before shooting.


License

Open source project.


Keywords (for search)

camera rig calculator
rig balance calculator
camera rig weight distribution
center of mass calculator
camera mount load calculator
rig torque calculation
handheld camera ergonomics
monopod rig analysis

License & credits


Version

1.5.0

camera-rig rig-calculator rig-balance camera-rig-design center-of-mass weight-distribution camera-engineering filmmaking-tools camera-rig-analysis ergonomics physics-simulation camera-rig-calculator camera-mount-load