Help: Gawker, HandyAVI

[Tintin Wulia]

Hiho everyone,

I need urgent help. Basically I have 10 days to build a time-lapse recording system. This system has to also show what's been recorded so far, and I haven't had luck with finding an existing time-lapse software that does it. (Attached is a rough diagram of what I want the system to be, including the hardware. But this email is only about the software for now. The diagram is just to give you a bigger picture of what the system is expected to do.)

The software has to:
1. Record time-lapse images (through either a webcam or surveillance camera, HD resolution 1280 x 1024 pixels) with set-able intervals.
2. Show what's captured by the camera right now (like a mirror - or a viewfinder) in Monitor 1.
3. Show what has been captured so far as a movie file (time-lapse images in a sequence, looping, and progressive as the recording goes on) through Monitor 2.

So far, I've narrowed down my search to Gawker (Mac-based, free, open source) and HandyAVI (PC-based, 10 days trial, $40), but still they're not doing exactly what I want.
http://gawker.sourceforge.net/Information.html
http://www.azcendant.com/Time-lapse.htm

What Gawker does (and doesn't) do:
1. Record time-lapse images (through either a webcam or surveillance camera, BUT highest resolution is 640 x 480 pixels) with set-able intervals.
2. Does NOT show what's captured by the camera right now - but I think I can work this out with a splitter.
3. Show what has been captured so far as a movie file (time-lapse images in a sequence, progressive) - BUT the window that shows this has a control bar, (so there is a risk that a user would stop the recording by accident) and it doesn't loop (it has to be controlled manually).

What HandyAVI does (and doesn't) do:
1. Record time-lapse images (through either a webcam or surveillance camera, can record 1280 x 1024 pixels) with set-able intervals. Perfect.
2. Show what's captured by the camera right now (like a mirror - or a viewfinder) in Monitor 1. Perfect.
3. Does NOT show what's been captured so far as a movie file. It only shows the latest time-lapse frame (still image).

My questions:
1. Is it possible to modify Gawker (it being open-source) to capture 1280 x 1024?
2. Is it possible to modify Gawker (it being open-source) so that the control bar in the movie (preview) window is not visible, and so that the movie loops?
3. Is it possible to modify HandyAVI (not open-source) so that it shows what has been captured so far as a movie file that loops and is progressive?
4. If there's any positive answer to the above questions, can anyone in this mailing list do it for me (forgive me as I'm no programmer)? And how long would it take to do the modification?

Any suggestions would be greatly, wonderfully, highly appreciated.

Thank you and looking forward to your responses.
Tintin

[AJ]

android app: Tina Time-lapse.
does 1,2.
stores images in a folder.
so 3 might be doable with another app just monitoring last written files
on the same snap period.



otherwise.
writing an app to do part 3, (for Windows/Linux) would be fairly
trivial. (but a little time consuming).

[ttamarillos]

Thanks very much for your response, aj. How time-consuming would that be (writing an app to do part 3)? 

I've also just heard from the creator of HandyAVI that since the header data of AVI files don't get to be written until the recording is finished, it's impossible to have the AVI file plays while the recording is still going. And since HandyAVI only outputs AVI files, modifying it will be quite a major work. 

So now I guess I'm left with either Tina Timelapse with your help, aj, or Gawker. 

Looking forward to hearing from you again, 

Tintin

[Tim Krins]

This sounds like a relatively easy (but yes, time consuming) programming project.

Libraries such as OpenCV should be able to handle the capture of the images, the display of the current image, and also be able to produce a time-lapse video as an AVI or just as a display on another monitor.

I think it unlikely that you will find third party software that exactly fits your requirements.

Tim K.

Tintin

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[ttamarillos]

Thanks for your response Tim. I'm still wondering how time-consuming it would be ... and why?

Also, just to clarify, for part 3 I need the whole movie (all images that have been captured, plus the most recent one) to play (and loop). I was informed that this can't be done with AVI files. 

I'm aware now that it's unlikely that I'll find a third party software that exactly fits my requirements. I'm hoping someone can help to either modify Gawker or Tina Timelapse (HandyAVI is already out of question). 

My budget is tiny but if anyone can help please feel free to discuss with me in private. 

Thank you, 

Tintin

On Tuesday, August 14, 2012 3:00:26 PM UTC+9, Tim Krins wrote:

This sounds like a relatively easy (but yes, time consuming) programming project.

Libraries such as OpenCV should be able to handle the capture of the images, the display of the current image, and also be able to produce a time-lapse video as an AVI or just as a display on another monitor.

I think it unlikely that you will find third party software that exactly fits your requirements.

Tim K.

[Jacob Gillies]

IM with Tim on this one. 

Look into openCV, i have used it heaps and it will do what your looking for. 

a basic workflow would be

Open camera

create window 1

create window 2

create video stream

Loop: (at say 30 times a second to give your "mirror window a 30FPS stream)

   capture input frame

   display input frame in window 1

   display next video frame in window 2

   if no more frames restart video

   every x number of frames, append frame to video (the x number of frames would control the interval ie capturing every 30th frame @30FPS would give you a time lapse interval of 1 second)

   

There is plenty of opencv example code to get you moving in this prety quickly (depending on your c experience)

Quick question. How long is this program expected to run continuously

Assuming saving 1 frame every second and playback at 10 frames per second after 5 hours of operation it will take 30min to display all the time lapse images

Regards,

Jake

[ttamarillos]

Thanks Jake. I think I have approximately 3 weeks of C experience added up. With the pressure I'm in at the moment I think I'd be better off outsourcing.

Re: how long this program is expected to run continuously:

- On 24 Aug I'll have this program run about 3-4 days continuously (although there's a possibility to have the setup turned off when it's dark ... so timed/automated on/off in the program would be great).

- Starting 7 Sep, though, I might have the program run for a bit more than 9 weeks continuously (or timed/automated on/off too) - 7 Sep to 11 Nov. 

- I will likely do 1 image every 60 seconds, or even longer interval. 

Are you thinking of teaming up with Tim on this? Please feel free to contact me in private to discuss further. 

Thanks, 

Tintin

[ttamarillos]

Let me correct myself: no, not 3 weeks, but 10 days of C experience all in all. Plus approximately 730 hours of typing in codes copied from game books to play after-school ZX81 games if that counts.

But just to update and share my findings, in the meanwhile someone offered me a very simple solution. There's this elegant and incredibly flexible Mac-based software called BTV Pro for capturing images (still or video). It saves all its still files in a folder. Monitor 1 is built in - so no problem with this part. And I can setup a time-lapse with an external camera, then have a slideshow software with set-able play-interval run/loop all those images in the folder, for Monitor 2.

Also, about a month ago Elias actually googled iCatcher Sentry which looked like it's suitable - but I didn't have the chance to install it until yesterday (no access to PC previously). Thanks Elias! The only catch with iCatcher Sentry is that it only plays a maximum of the latest 30 frames (I want at least 3000 frames if it's impossible to loop from the very beginning).

Hope this contributes to knowledge base.

73,

Tintin