VideoCapture

A Win32 Python Extension for Accessing the Video Device (e.g. a USB WebCam)

by Markus Gritsch (gritsch@iue.tuwien.ac.at)
I would like to put a list of Python-powered WebCam URLs together, so please send me an email with the URL of the image or of the HTML page if you use VideoCapture.

[ Download ] Version 0.4
binaries, sourcecode, examples, and batteries included - no warranty, no liability, provided 'as is'

What it is
VideoCapture is a Python extension for Win32 which makes it possible to access video-capture devices (e.g. a USB webcam). It consists of a low-level native module (vidcap.pyd) and a high-level module written in Python (VideoCapture.py) which should be used solely.

Also included are some tools which can be used to periodically upload a WebCam-image to a WebServer via FTP, monitor and save a picture at a given URL to the local disk, and so on. Please refer to the README.txt file in the 'Tools' folder for further details.

What you need

The low-level module uses DirectShow which is already included in DirectX 8.0. If you don't have DirectShow, download DX8 from Microsoft and install it: http://www.microsoft.com/directx/homeuser/downloads/default.asp
The high-level module needs PIL to actually produce images from the pixel-data. PIL can be downloaded from PythonWare: http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/index.htm

How you install it
To make use of VideoCapture just copy the files from the 'Python20' (or 'Python21') folder to the corresponding folders of your 'Python20' (or 'Python21') installation.

Trying it out
The 'Examples' folder contains simple examples which show how easy it is to obtain images from the video device by using VideoCapture. Taking a snapshot is as easy as

            from VideoCapture import Device

            cam = Device()
            cam.saveSnapshot('image.jpg')

Shortcomings
No shortcomings or limitations known.

Version history

Verison 0.1

Initial release.

Verison 0.2

Added extensive error checking after every system call. In case something goes wrong an exception is raised.
Some enhancements to the high level interface like selectable fontstyle, various shadow modes for better font legibility.
The video-device that should be used can be specified.

Version 0.3

Included a precompiled binary of the low level module linked against Pyhton 2.1 (in addition to the one which was already there for Python 2.0).
Added a tool to periodically upload a WebCam-image to a WebServer via FTP.
Added a tool to monitor (and save in case of a change) a Picture located at a given URL.
More than one Device instance can be held open at the same time.
The location of the timestamp in the image is selectable.

Version 0.4

Added a PyQt based program which periodically retrieves a picture from the web and displays it in a GUI window.
Several enhancements to webcam-uploader. Now also a HTML file which displays the uploaded image and periodically reloads itself is placed together with the image on the WebServer.

Have fun!

home