python and webcam??

[Mirco]

Hi,
I'd like to know if is it possible to make python communicate with a
webcam. Of course, I think it is possible... but I don't know if there
is a specific module for this kind of work. Can anyone give me a council?

Thanks

 

[Peter Hansen]

Hi,
I'd like to know if is it possible to make python communicate with a
webcam. Of course, I think it is possible... but I don't know if there
is a specific module for this kind of work. Can anyone give me a council?

Depends a lot on the type of webcam, but in any case it's a pretty
safe bet that (a) it's possible, and (b) there is no *specific* module
for the task.

That said, there are things like PIL which could be of use in this area,
and at least one specific webcam package (probably using calldll to get
to the library for the device) that has been posted in the past.

-Peter

 

[Mirco]

Try this...
http://videocapture.sourceforge.net/

Thanks all, I think this is enought for now

 

[Michael Peuser]

Ah, that's the one. Uses it's own .pyd actually, not calldll as I
thought.

Doesn't work with my webcam though. Might help if the OP could specify
what he has.

Works fine with my lowcost cam (AIPTEK 3M). USB Driver from AIPTEK
installed - no problems with VideoCapture. Have you tried the AMCAP.EXE in
folder AMCAP? This is not Pytthon but checks the same interface...

Kindly
Michael

 

[Michael Peuser]

No point trying. My webcam is an Axis Communications networked camera
which hooks up to Ethernet and responds via HTTP requests.

I *think*, though I'm not certain, that the term "webcam" is still
generic enough that it doesn't automatically mean a particular
kind of camera that is always hooked up through USB and available
via the VideoCapture driver...

As far as I understand it he uses a standard DirectX (8.0) interface
"Device". It is only necessary to provide a proprietary driver which
supports this. Probably no chance for *very* legacy hardware....

 

[Peter Hansen]

As far as I understand it he uses a standard DirectX (8.0) interface
"Device". It is only necessary to provide a proprietary driver which
supports this. Probably no chance for *very* legacy hardware....

Cool... so it works well with perhaps "most" common webcams under
Windows (only). Not bad for a start. We can assume the OP is using
Windows then, unless he comes back with a big stick. <grin>

-Peter