Analog_capture_card has no device data in it ?

[archived]

Hi,

I'm still trying motion to get working. I have specified analog_capture_card and add 3 child devices (all based on analog_camera template).

I have few problems/questions:
1. is motion rerun after modificiations over web interface ? As it appears no... Does changes happen only on reboot ?

2. "Generic Analog Capture Card" template includes some parameters, but in my system if I click on that device, I get empty Device Data frame (and I guess those parameters should apper there - they do with child camera devices). What is causing this ?

3. upper problem is probable cause, that no matter how many child cameras I add, there is still only one default motion.conf written and startup log says:

 

Code: [Select]

10 03/21/05 10:45:45.097 Device: 6648 starting.  Connecting to: localhost
10 03/21/05 10:45:45.199 Using Generic Analog Capture Card with parameters: VideoStandard=0 Number_of_Ports=0 Video_Input_Type=0
10 03/21/05 10:45:45.199 Writing configuration to motion.conf
10 03/21/05 10:45:45.199 Checking Config File
10 03/21/05 10:45:45.297 Config file found. Deleting
10 03/21/05 10:45:45.299 Creting new config file
10 03/21/05 10:45:45.300 Wrote typical config
10 03/21/05 10:45:45.339 Starting motion server


So I guess it looks like no child devices-cameras are present.

4. Enhancement propositions :
a. I've studied sources and came to conclusion, that USB cameras or other video capture cards (like wintv) would be easy supported with addition of some parameters to analog camera template (input, ...). I'd like to get some opinions from Pluto stuff on this one. Also, is there any shorter way instead of changing template, generation of project, merging previous source code implementation and rebuild ?

b. since I know motion, there are a lot of nice features that would be pitty to miss also in Pluto. I've read guide and selected features that would be in my opinion interesting also for Pluto system:
 b.1. making motion videos - motion can generate smooth motion videos that could be watched from video repository, media cirectors, mobile orbiters, etc... There is also timelapse movie feature.
 b.2 filters - I'm getting quite some false alarms. AFAIK, motion has best motion detection engine with quite some options to decrease false alarms (particularyl for outside cameras - like trees moving in wind):
    despeckle, lightswtich, minimum_motion_frames, smart mask
 b.3 text customizations - user can specify on screen texts for each camera (left, right) - this helps a lot when viewing cameras with their names and locations ...

All those features could be quite easily added in several ways:
- easiest: we write default values to main motion.conf and leave them
- less easy: we add parameters to generic_analog_capture_card template allowing user to change them
- more complex: we add parameters to each camera device, so settings can be camera specific.

About video movies:
- I'd like to get advice where to store motion videos, so they can be easily viewed. On my system I prefer looking at movies rather than separate pictures for alarms. There is also easy way to concatenate all videos to one movie on time basis. There is also timelapse motion feature.

HTH,

regards,

Rob.

[archived]

1) The motion server is not rerun after web modification, it is only runnend on reboot. So if you add any devices using motion, you will need to reboot

2) & 3) I have tested myself creating a new capture card device. When created it comes with the default parameters(Number of Ports = Number of maximum child suported cameras = 4), (Video Standard = The video norm from the motion.conf file = 0 (PAL)), (Video Input type = The type of camera inputs = 8 (the value is if you have a capture card) for TV/capture it would be used 1). So it comes with default values. When adding a camera (must be as child device) it adds this one too with the default parameters, when created you must modify the Port Number option this represents the number of thread that will be added to motion server.

4) a) For suporting USB cameras and/or IP cameras and other kind of inputs it would be require to modify the Generic_Analog_Capture_Card into a Generic_Motion_Wrapper, doing this will solve this problem and those concerning the features of motion. For now it is no other way for implementing USB cammeras beside building a template, genereting source and building it. I will try to find a fast and easy way, to do this.

The motion output it is stored into a directory structure that is like this:
%Y/%m/%d/%H/%M_%S (Year/Month/Day/Hour/Minute_Second)

[archived]

1) The motion server is not rerun after web modification, it is only runnend on reboot. So if you add any devices using motion, you will need to reboot

2) & 3) I have tested myself creating a new capture card device. When created it comes with the default parameters(Number of Ports = Number of maximum child suported cameras = 4), (Video Standard = The video norm from the motion.conf file = 0 (PAL)), (Video Input type = The type of camera inputs = 8 (the value is if you have a capture card) for TV/capture it would be used 1). So it comes with default values. When adding a camera (must be as child device) it adds this one too with the default parameters, when created you must modify the Port Number option this represents the number of thread that will be added to motion server.

I guess something went wrong when I first installed Pluto. Should I now delete that device and start from scratch? I get warning that this "may break my installation" - can I safely continue, remove device and add it back ?

4) a) For suporting USB cameras and/or IP cameras and other kind of inputs it would be require to modify the Generic_Analog_Capture_Card into a Generic_Motion_Wrapper, doing this will solve this problem and those concerning the features of motion. For now it is no other way for implementing USB cammeras beside building a template, genereting source and building it. I will try to find a fast and easy way, to do this.

For a start it's not so hard to add support for other cameras as I thought. There are two ways - with one general template with two more parameters or do separate templates, that will be more or less equal, cause devices are really similar from motion standpoint. For a start I'd prefer single template....

 USB camera is just like any other analog camera. If you ask me I'd just add parameter to specify which video/device goes with camera (in this way we could support also capture cards, that have one bt878 chip and 4 inputs). For supporting capture cards like wintv we would need to have parameter to setup input (for usb and analog it can be - I think 1 for generic wintv cards that means composite video input. That's all it needs for now. And if we go that route I suggest renaming to motion_wrapper as you suggest.

On next step I'd suggest adding some parameters to motion_wrapper for optional feastures like filters, etc...

Adding text parameters for each device, so user can  set its own texts on screens, or can be added also autmatically (name of rooms where cameras are)..

I could help on this one, but as newbie I guess it's better if someone from Pluto leads the task...

The motion output it is stored into a directory structure that is like this:
%Y/%m/%d/%H/%M_%S (Year/Month/Day/Hour/Minute_Second)  

Well I'd like to add motion videos to Pluto as well (once you look at the movies you forget about pictures - at least on media directors or web). Also movies could be transcoded to 3gp for Mobile orbiter...

Are pictures needed for other features of Pluto (for sending pictures to orbiters) or is this handled beside saving pictures to cameras directories?

Let's suppose we're saving movies  also. Where would you put them on orbiters and other user interfaces ?

Regards,

Rob.