strange question about using other pc(win)+usbcam as source

sugacapra · Post by **sugacapra** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:55 am

hi there,
i have set up a zm-slackware and it work well, but now i've a pair of
spared usb webcam and my crazyness told me :"why dont try to use them
as another pair of eye ?" so, having a pc on the frontside seat of my local and having usb connection free here is the question:
- can i use a some sort of software to have my zm-linux take as source this 2 webcam (or at least one?) considering that the win-pc is in LAN with the zm-linux or is not possible?

thanks
Alessio

Flash_ · Post by **Flash_** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 7:13 am

Yes, I've done it.

1. Setup camera on remote PC.

2. Use something like DCAM running on the Webcam PC that takes regular jpgs from the camera and save them on a shared drive. DCAM can timestamp and manipulate.

3. Mount that shared drive on the linux pc - I use samba.

4. Use a new version of ZM that has the "source" option of "File". Then simply point it at the file which is your refreshing jpg amd set the x&y correctly.

Should work fine. Obviously the framerate's not going to be great, but it works!

sugacapra · Post by **sugacapra** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:01 am

thanks,
i've downloaded the DCAM software, tomorrow i'll try and let you know...

candlerb · Post by **candlerb** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:10 pm

The thread at http://www.zoneminder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5549 may be of interest too.

You can install ZoneMinder on the second machine, and use it as a remote camera using HTTP and a motion JPEG stream to retrieve the images. This saves messing about with shared directories and probably can stream a lot faster. On the other hand, setting up ZoneMinder a second time may be more work than setting up something more lightweight.

Regards, Brian.

candlerb · Post by **candlerb** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:14 pm

... errm, I didn't notice that the second PC is running Windoze, sorry. I guess porting ZM to Windows would be hard work, as it's tied to the /dev/video architecture.

But you could always upgrade your Win-PC to Linux

jameswilson · Post by **jameswilson** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:38 pm

i think 1.22 can use additional sources such as ftp and things but ive never looked at this, I dont think its a great idea to do what your doing as its dependant upon your windows machine being reliable and always available. Good luck on that one!

James

sugacapra · Post by **sugacapra** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:36 pm

@candlerb: the 2nd pc is a client used primarly for doing "LOTTO system and other absurd thing,also have some proprietary program connected to proprietary machine and are all UNTOUCHABLE(r)

" related to the fact that the shop is a "italian Bar", on the pc the win98 is running well (lol , well for a windoze machine, it crashed only about 3-4 times a week..

)

returning on topic:
today i've installed the DCAM program and the image appear in good shape, nothing so bad, now the question that is rolling on my head is:
- is better to install samba on the ZM linux and mount the remote dir on ZM linux machine (so having one smbmount command to connect the dir that is phisically on the window pc)

or

- mount samba and open a dir on ZM linux and connect the window pc mounting a networked dir.

or

- install a ftp server on ZM linux and let the DCAM deploy the image grabbed on ZM linux automatically?

or

- using rsync (don't know if this can be used fast... i normally use this solution to keep eventual SMB(PDC) and SMB(BDC) synchronized...

damn question...

to be or not to be?