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SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Hardware/software/hints and tips/discussion/webcam links etc
sebectec
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by sebectec »

That would be at http://sebectec.com/ipcam First uninstall your current version then download and install build 9005. Settings will be carried over to the new version.

-Mike
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beteljuice
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by beteljuice »

For those equally out of touch (like the beteljuice) and without easy access to teenagers ...

It seems that the only recent 'standard' .mp4 is not enough !

For your website to have robust video information it needs 3 different formats ....
  • .mp4
    .ogv
    .webm (vp8)
... then of course you need a player that can handle all three and choose the right one (video.js can do that)

There are several free PC / web based converters, or you could use a php class to create the other versions once you have uploaded .mp4 to the web.

@SebecTec
... It seems to the beteljuice to make more sense to use whatever library it is you have to be able to create optional additional format files at the same time as you are stitching the .mp4.
Last edited by beteljuice on Sun 16 Mar 2014 11:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by MackerelSky »

sebectec wrote:That would be at http://sebectec.com/ipcam First uninstall your current version then download and install build 9005. Settings will be carried over to the new version.
Thanks for that Mike, will give it a whirl in the morning.

If you need a tester for that new project coming down the pike with the canon cameras, I have one sitting here on the shelf and a housing to put it in...

Brad
Davis VP2/FARS
Cumulus 1.9.4(1092)

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MackerelSky
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by MackerelSky »

@beteljuice

Like you mentioned, there aren't many web players that handle Mp4 for all of the devices that are coming along today. Last year when I was doing my 'download-try-trash' with anything I could find for Mp4, they'd work with FF, IE but not Iphone or opera, etc, on and on.

Out of my own ignorance of 'js' vs 'Java', I didn't try anything with js until I exhausted just about everything else. video-js has handled everything I've thrown at it, browser or device wise.

As far as .ogg(.ogv is actually the video file) to me it has a long way to go to get recognized(let alone supported) by the major browsers for video.

Now webm, that could be a different story with it being a google product for android, but I'd still bet that Iphone will never support it.

My point is if Mike and other video producers feel like it's necessary to try and produce the other extensions, they will do so, most likely at an additional cost to all of us. But the main thing is, you still have to have a player to handle them...

For the most part, if you give just a text link to the video, as in http://mckeanweather.com/cam/Mon1.mp4 what ever you are trying to view it in will open it and play it somehow.

Brad
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beteljuice
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by beteljuice »

@MackerelSky
My point is if Mike and other video producers feel like it's necessary to try and produce the other extensions, they will do so, most likely at an additional cost to all of us. But the main thing is, you still have to have a player to handle them...
... but the beteljuice already said
... then of course you need a player that can handle all three and choose the right one (video.js can do that)
In the demo you will see:

Code: Select all

    <source src="http://video-js.zencoder.com/oceans-clip.mp4" type='video/mp4' />
    <source src="http://video-js.zencoder.com/oceans-clip.webm" type='video/webm' />
    <source src="http://video-js.zencoder.com/oceans-clip.ogv" type='video/ogg' />
... and it will render which one is most apt
.... and ...
... use whatever library it is you have to be able to create optional additional format files at the same time ...
Most likely the 'library' SebecTec is using is along the lines of FFmpeg and to produce the additional file(s) on demand would be a few short lines of code (and make him a big hero ;) )
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by MackerelSky »

@beteljuice, you make it all sound so easy and it probably is. Like you, I don't have the teenagers around to keep me current on the ever changing web but for now I'm comfortable with what is working. My threshold for pain is growing smaller by the day.

@Mike, installed 9005 this morning and, as you said all the settings were saved correctly and have it set to begin with the new sunrise/sunset addition to the software. A great addition. Unfortunately, it's still 3hrs until 'sunrise'. :( Will let you know if there's any problems.

Brad
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Paul C
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by Paul C »

Hi

I have been trying this software for the last 24hrs with little success

I cant find any "help" info and I think it needs a "wizard" for those like me that struggle with all those settings

I have manage it to record a photo every minute, but if I move away from the software it stops. I thought I had left the programme running all night but this morning I had no photos and it only started taking them again when I was looking at the software.

Need to know if its safe to exit and if its still running in the background

What I would like from the software is to save a photo every minute and at the end of the day to produce a time lapse video. This video to then be posted automatically onto my website in some of diary/calendar which them builds up in time, so far I dont think it does this.

I wont be buying the full licence, sorry
Paul C
Brampton, Cumbria, UK
117m ASL
http://www.bramptonweather.co.uk
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sebectec
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by sebectec »

Paul,

I'm in the process of writing a user manual for the software. If you have got it to take pictures from your camera then you are 90% done. If the application is closed it will stop taking pictures but you can minimize it to the taskbar and it will keep running.

Under the Setup menu item there is an Images Destination Folder textbox. That's where your images will be saved. Also set the checkbox nearby to keep N days of images so that you don't fill the hard drive eventually. Set your FTP using the nearby pair of FTP setting buttons. Then go to the Video tab page and set the source folder for making timelapse images. There is a checkbox for making a video "at the end of the day". End of day is defined at the Stop time for image capture. There is also a checkbox for the Video upload which will use the same FTP settings entered previously.

I hope this can get you started.

-Mike
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Paul C
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by Paul C »

Thanks for the reply

Will have another go :D

Ok here is my first effort - http://www.bramptonweather.co.uk/timelapse/23032014.mp4

I have changed manually the file name it was given. If I was to upload the generated file, it would be the same file name everyday ? and I would loose my timelapse. Is there a way of getting it to change the file name everyday ? or to overun itself after a week or a month ? Whats the best way to store timelapse online ?

Sorryt for the questions - really fascinated by time lapse and I think I may have found something that works for me
Paul C
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Paul C
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by Paul C »

Another question, possibley for Steve - is space.

If I keep uploading timelapse videos my webspace will fill up quickly - and bandwidth or isnt that an issues these days
Paul C
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by steve »

Space isn't an issue. Bandwidth might become an issue if you were to start using a lot more than you currently do. You're currently using 4GB/month.
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by MackerelSky »

Paul C wrote:Thanks for the reply
I have changed manually the file name it was given. If I was to upload the generated file, it would be the same file name everyday ? and I would loose my timelapse. Is there a way of getting it to change the file name everyday ? or to overun itself after a week or a month ? Whats the best way to store timelapse online ?
Hey Paul, glad to see you were able to get things working.

Here's the way I handle the 'storage' thingy.

If you go to http://www.mckeanweather.com/mwwebcam.php you will see my current pic uploaded by the software. Right below it are links to the past 1 week of videos and then below that is the current time lapse for the day.

How this works is that I use two php scripts run by cron on my webserver. The first one runs around noon each day of the week and renames the current 'image.jpg' to a name for the current day of the week, say 'Wed.jpg' That image will be saved for a week and will be used if anyone clicks on on the link for Wednesday on my page.

The second script runs before midnight each day and renames the 'movie.mp4' for that day to, again the current day of the week, 'Wed.mp4

Again, if someone clicks on the Wednesday link on my site, a page will come up with the midday Wed.jpg showing and clicking on the movie will display the Wed.mp4

These will then be 'over written' by the scripts as another week passes and I'm only storing one week of images and videos. But in that week, if I have a video that has some unusual weather or other things that make it worth saving, then I just manually rename it and save it on the server for an 'archive' that I'll put together later this year.

It might sound complicated but it's really not and if you, or anyone for that matter would like this type of setup feel free to let me know.

Also, Mike has made it real easy to get your current weather 'timestamped' on your photos and videos, especially if you send to cwop or weather underground.

All the best.
Brad
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Cumulus 1.9.4(1092)

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Paul C
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by Paul C »

This sounds like what I need

BUT not so sure about Cron - sounds serious. I dont mind dabbling at tech stuff but I have my limitations

What does it entail and how easy would it be to send me the php scripts

cheers

Paul
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by MackerelSky »

Paul C wrote:This sounds like what I need

BUT not so sure about Cron - sounds serious. I dont mind dabbling at tech stuff but I have my limitations

What does it entail and how easy would it be to send me the php scripts

cheers

Paul
Hey Paul, let's see if we can get you moving in the right direction.

The two scripts I use are as follows and have the comments also as to what the script does

The first one is for copying and re-naming the image in the middle of the day, Day.jpg
I call this one 'picrename.php'

Code: Select all

<?php
if($_GET['password']!="password")//change this "password" to something else like H2O+Dirt=Mud
{
die("I'd like to really chew your ass out for running this script, but we'll just end it here");
}
else
{
$file = '/site/public_html/cam/image.jpg'; //file script is looking for
$day = date('D');//declaring $day as the new name for the image by using date function and short three letter name for that day. ex Wed, Thu, Mon etc.
copy($file, '/site/public_html/cam/'.$day.'.jpg');//make a copy and rename the copy to the day of the week
//used for testing, comment out when you are happy //
echo " image.jpg was succesfully renamed to $day.jpg "; 
}
?>
Copy/paste that code into a text editor and name it what you want, like I said mine is 'picrename.php'

The second is to copy the Video.mp4 and change it to Day.mp4
I call this one 'vidrename.php'

Code: Select all

<?php
if($_GET['password']!="password")//change this "password" to something else like H2O+Dirt=Mud
{
die("I'd like to really chew your ass out for running this script, but we'll just end it here");
}
else
{
$file = '/site/public_html/cam/Video.mp4';//file script is looking for
$vid = date('D');//declaring $vid as the new name for the video by using date function and short three letter name for that day. ex Wed, Thu, Mon etc.
copy($file, '/site/public_html/cam/'.$vid.'.mp4');//make a copy and rename the copy to the day of the week
//used for testing, comment out when you are happy //
echo " Video.mp4 was succesfully renamed to $vid.mp4 ";  
}
?>
Copy/paste that code into a text editor and name it what you want, like I said mine is 'vidrename.php'

All of my images and videos are loaded and stored in the directory 'cam'. I'm not sure where you are storing them, but you will need the full path to the image and mp4.
You can leave the "password" the way it is while you are testing or change it now if you like. After you have changed the paths in the scripts and loaded them into the same directory as the image and the videos, then you can test them and see if they work

Use

Code: Select all

http://www.bramptonweather.co.uk/directory/picrename.php?password=yourchosenpassword
If it was successful you should be returned -image.jpg was succesfully renamed to Thu.jpg- if you run the script on a Thursday
Do the same for the vidrename.php and if it is successful, we can move on to the cron part. Don't worry, you are not destroying the image and the movie. You are just copying them first and then renaming the copy to the same directory. Then ftp into your account or otherwise verify that the script indeed made the change. You could also use

Code: Select all

http://www.bramptonweather.co.uk/directory/Thu.jpg
if you run the script on a Thursday to see if the newly named image is there

From what I can see, your host does not use cPanel for their hosting control panel but they do seem to let you have access to cron/crontab thru their panel. There are a few different ways to access cron and I have always used the 'wget' method. It's the easiest for me because there are no paths to figure out, you just use the URL to access the script thru cron.

This is exactly how my vidrename is setup in my control panel except for a different password

Code: Select all

04	21	*	*	*	wget http://mckeanweather.com/cam/vidrename.php?password=password -O /dev/null
This part is your time settings, how often you want the script to run. My vidrename runs on the 4th minute of the 21st hour every day, month and weekday.

Code: Select all

vidrename
Minute  Hour   Day  Month  Weekday
  04	  21      *     *     *

picrename
Minute  Hour   Day  Month  Weekday
  03	  12      *     *     *
And the picrename runs on the 3rd minute of the 12th hour, every day, month and weekday

Don't concentrate on making cron run until we have the scripts doing their jobs

See what you can figure out with what I've given ya and we'll work out the little tweeks that are probably going to be necessary.

Brad
Davis VP2/FARS
Cumulus 1.9.4(1092)

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Paul C
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Re: SebecTec webcam with time-lapse software

Post by Paul C »

Thanks for reply. Got a few tough days of work ahead. It will be Monday before I have time to have go.

Cheers
Paul C
Brampton, Cumbria, UK
117m ASL
http://www.bramptonweather.co.uk
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