All day video from netcam - how to configure

[dknia]

Hi All.

Thank’s for all of your efforts.

Sorry - but this will be a long one.

I have not been near the PC since late this night, and returned now to find your tips, and also to go in and get some screenshots. However - after fiddleing around i struck the Last-hour-button, and much to my surprise there was a video playing… 8O Stunning, as NOTHING seemed to work last night.

I went to the alldayvideo folder, and it had created jpg’s from 12:00 called 1200jpgwebcam.jpg 1201jp… and so on. There were none there tonight (but it strikes me that it it may have to do with the fact that it was nighttime, and so outside the time there are any movie to make).

The files in alldayvideo are no doubt based on my source files in my ‘downloads’ folder called 1200netcam.jpg. To my surprise, the downloads-folder now suddenly also has a duplicate of my netcamfiles called 1200jpgwebcam.jpg etc. Probably the way WD sources the files for the animation - so not an issue.

However, the video creation seems less than stable still. I’m not really confident that I’m there yet.

Pressing the create last hour button copies the files from the last hour to the alldayvideo folder, and build a file videolasthour.jpg that is 1.82MB, and unplayable by any player I have. This is weird, as I started out with having a video (but probably generated automatically at 13:00) that was working. I’ll check out if a proper file is created at 14:00 and report back.

My current config is posted in the attached file (screenshot). Only thing I’m actually a little in doubt of, is if I had the main button low-right corner at the Off position after I gave up last night. (But why then would it create the files…)

:roll: Hope this adds a little more clarity. I’ll try a bit more and get back here.

BTW I’m running 10.35w, so I’ll probably also try to do the last upgrade just in case…

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[dknia]

@gcams post:7

Ahh yes, good point, although unless Niels has customised his date-stamping, I’m wondering if that is date-stamping direct from the webcam? Anyway, I guess all we can do is wait to see what Niels says about his setup. Either way, hopefully we can help him with his problem. It sounds a bit like the moviemaker bit isn’t even kicking off correctly which would make me suspect there could be something wrong with the timestamped files setup (taking a huge guess!).

Getting the webcam files with overlay to work was another project of this summer, actually resulting in the variable JPG-quality option (much appreciated).

The file is natively stamped from the webcam white on black in the top-left corner like this with the current time (note that this will be black in nighttime):
http://vejr.axelsson.dk/netcam.jpg

This is then overlaid with data and sent to the National Weather Service every 10 minutes along with the weather data. The image looks like this:
http://vejr.axelsson.dk/netcam-enriched.jpg
in this context
http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/index/danmark/borgervejr.htm?map=map11&param=undefined

The image is acquired as 640*480 and left like that.

Everything is handled by WD. Download of webcam, text overlay and upload and email of data and image. 8)

[brucekruck]

One thing, I think you need to select the ‘use jpg file name stamped files’.

What files are in your Aldayvideo folder? It should be similar to this, (the bat.1 and bat.2 files are not normally there)

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[gcams]

LOL, was just typing a reply and Krucky beat me to it!

One other thing, I’m not sure if this helps, but it might be worth while clicking on the “File Save” tab in the webcamcapture program and making sure that the source directory in there is set the same as your webcam source directory. I’m not sure if that is necessary, but it seemed to help me at one stage. Although if it is copying the XXXXjpgnetcam.jpg files to your alldayvideo folder, that side of things is probably working OK.

You don’t need the “on/off” switch on in the webcamcapture program for the alldayvideo side of things to work… all my switches in the webcamcapture program are off and it still works fine (I think this only needs to be turned on if you’re using webcamcapture to source the images directly from a USB webcam).

Other than that, I think Krucky is on the right track above too!

[brucekruck]

Dknia,
Do you use the 3rd party webcam setup to overlay your webcam image? If so could you grab a screenshot, I am interested in the settings you are using.

[dknia]

@Krucky post:10

One thing, I think you need to select the ‘use jpg file name stamped files’.

What files are in your Aldayvideo folder? It should be similar to this, (the bat.1 and bat.2 files are not normally there)

I tried selecting this just now prior to 15:00 - seems like nothing is being created though.

Files are there as by you.

Remarably I have been able to now manually create a working videolasthour in .wmv (217kB) and .mpg (58,1MB)! Progress…

Thanks once again - I’ll be keeping an eye out for it to start creating houly files.

One of the things I’m not really comfortable about is the fact that I can only enter the <Setup/view direct live web cam capture> button ONCE! Then I have to exit WD and reenter to get in there again :? I’ll see if that is still the case when I upgrade a little later today.

[dknia]

@gcams post:11

One other thing, I’m not sure if this helps, but it might be worth while clicking on the “File Save” tab in the webcamcapture program and making sure that the source directory in there is set the same as your webcam source directory. I’m not sure if that is necessary, but it seemed to help me at one stage. Although if it is copying the XXXXjpgnetcam.jpg files to your alldayvideo folder, that side of things is probably working OK.

Hee hee - I actually did that at some point to rule that variable out. Maybe that is still necessary, at least I don’t want to remove it just yet

Changed to Off and added a couple of selections ad seen below. Converging slowly, but still not here.

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[dknia]

@Krucky post:12

Dknia,
Do you use the 3rd party webcam setup to overlay your webcam image? If so could you grab a screenshot, I am interested in the settings you are using.

Yes I am - please find my settings below

Did quite a few iterations to get there, so if I can help please get back. 640*480 was a big problem in the start.

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[brucekruck]

@dknia post:13

One of the things I’m not really comfortable about is the fact that I can only enter the <Setup/view direct live web cam capture> button ONCE! Then I have to exit WD and reenter to get in there again :? I’ll see if that is still the case when I upgrade a little later today.

Ahh, when you start up WD do you get “Webcam Capture (camera on tripod)” in the taskbar?
When you click on the ‘view direct live web cam capture’ that starts webcam capture, after that you need to access it from the taskbar, but it should be starting automatically.

This was a problem I had a while ago, to fix it I had to have both the main switch & the file save switch ON in webcam capture.

[dknia]

@Krucky post:16

Ahh, when you start up WD do you get “Webcam Capture (camera on tripod)” in the taskbar?
When you click on the ‘view direct live web cam capture’ that starts webcam capture, after that you need to access it from the taskbar, but it should be starting automatically.

Thank you.

I have now set this up also. Never thought that ought to be necessary as I use none of the direct web cam capture. But it already seems to have an effect. As I type right now(!) 8O the alldayvideo directory behind this browser window is filling with all of todays jpg’s and MovieMaker has just kicked in

Just holding for the result… [anxiously watching file grow] … [doubleclicking] … YES! :cheers:

And we’re there. First milestone reached !!!

See for yourself : http://vejr.axelsson.dk/videolastday-firsttime.wmv

Next thing will probably be to optimise size and have the actual weather data superimposed. Well - at least there is something to work from now.

Thank you all for chipping in on this. :thumbleft:

[dknia]

@windy post:2

what i will do though is add to the all day video setup a setting to allow it to be used without a connection to a web cam…

Hi all.

Depending how this pans out, we maybe collectively can cook up a Netcam FAQ?!?

I think Netcams are becoming more and more widely used, and there are af few shortcuts to ponit out I believe

[gcams]

@dknia post:17

Just holding for the result… [anxiously watching file grow] … [doubleclicking] … YES! :cheers:

Woohoooo… great news Niels, glad to hear you managed to get it going! Thanks for posting that screenshot in response to Krucky’s question too… I too was wondering how you acheived all that great information on your Webcam image. Now I have something to go and work on!

[gcams]

@dknia post:17

See for yourself : http://vejr.axelsson.dk/videolastday-firsttime.wmv

I meant to say, I love the spider in the top right hand corner of your all-day video… it’s a nice touch… you might get some nice time-lapse of the spider spinning his web at some point! A weather video AND a wildlife video all in one package!

@dknia post:17

Next thing will probably be to optimise size and have the actual weather data superimposed. Well - at least there is something to work from now.

Getting your weather data super-imposed on your all-day video should just be a matter of you pointing the time-stamp webcam pic setup to the webcam pic generated by WD (the netcam-enriched.jpg image), rather than the original raw image from the webcam (netcam.jpg).

[windy2]

hey, a FAQ on this is a good idea, if anyone has some spare time?
(and then post here and I can move to the FAQ section

[snowman]

@windy post:21

hey, a FAQ on this is a good idea, if anyone has some spare time?
(and then post here and I can move to the FAQ section

Niko has already done a FAQ on this - possibly just needs an update and/or edit?

http://discourse.weather-watch.com/t/12282
http://discourse.weather-watch.com/t/12283

[dknia]

@snowman post:22

Niko has already done a FAQ on this - possibly just needs an update and/or edit?

Nikos FAQs are very well written, and was invaluable help to me in settng my netcam up in the first place. O:)

It might be it’s just an addition to the existing, but nevertheless I think it will be useful for future users to have it one place or the other :happy8:

[dknia]

@gcams post:20

I meant to say, I love the spider in the top right hand corner of your all-day video… it’s a nice touch… you might get some nice time-lapse of the spider spinning his web at some point! A weather video AND a wildlife video all in one package!

Glad You noticed - it took me two years to teach it to build it’s web right there! Otherwise, it wouldn’t really be a webcam - would it … :lol:

@gcams post:20

Getting your weather data super-imposed on your all-day video should just be a matter of you pointing the time-stamp webcam pic setup to the webcam pic generated by WD (the netcam-enriched.jpg image), rather than the original raw image from the webcam (netcam.jpg).

That was what I thought. There is one complication to that, as the enriched is significantly larger to accomodate the text and make it readable. I’m worried about the final video-size, but hey - new challenges …

Glad you got inspired by the info-layout on the enriched one. I worked a while with it, but am quite happy with where it is now. How do you find the idea with different colors for Temp/wind/rain data?

[dknia]

Auugghhh… #-o

My Weather server is also my PVR Recorder/server (Using 2 Hauppauge PVR-350 cards and GBPVR software - check it out, it’s unrivalled the best PVR software out there, and also from NZ of course ). Sadly, as long as the ‘Web cam capture vers 3.5’ is running, it somehow interferes with my TV Capture cards so they create unplayable mpg-files. This has been cross-checked, and it is WCC 3.5 doing it.

The capture cards are actually selectable in the “Current video capture device and its proberties” but not selected (see attachment). So something fishy is going on behind the scenes none the less.

Worst of all - after finally getting the alldayvideo to run, I have to turn it off again until this has been fixed :sad1: :sad2:

I’ll post this issue in the bug-forum.

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[gcams]

@dknia post:24

Glad You noticed - it took me two years to teach it to build it’s web right there! Otherwise, it wouldn’t really be a webcam - would it … :lol:

LOL!! Boom, Boom!! :lol: :lol:

@dknia post:24

Glad you got inspired by the info-layout on the enriched one. I worked a while with it, but am quite happy with where it is now. How do you find the idea with different colors for Temp/wind/rain data?

I think the different colours works quite well. I’ve had a real battle trying to choose a colour for my data tags, as if I make them too light and the sky is overcast, you can’t read them, but if I make them dark, you can’t read them just before sunrise/after sunset. DOH! #-o At least with your multi-colour setup you will always be able to read some of the data all of the time! I’ve got my network camera set for 320x240 (to keep the file sizes/video sizes down) so I’ve got less space to play with too. Ahh well, as you say… more challenges!

Sorry to hear about your problems with your PVR card. I seem to remember reading about others having problems with the webcamcapture grabbing capture devices it’s not supposed to as well but I’m not sure there was a fix for it. Anyway, maybe Brian or somebody else can shed some light on that one. I don’t have any capture hardware at all in my weather PC, so WCC doesn’t seem to bother anything.

[dknia]

@gcams post:26

I’ve had a real battle trying to choose a colour for my data tags, as if I make them too light and the sky is overcast, you can’t read them, but if I make them dark, you can’t read them just before sunrise/after sunset.

I did a lot of experimenting as well on that same challenge. Apart from very dark background, these three colors seem to work OK in almost all relevant weather-situations.

@gcams post:26

maybe Brian or somebody else can shed some light on that one.

As always, he already is (in the bug forum), even send a first cut at a new solution while I was sleeping, just not quite there yet.