getting access to video signals

[EL34]

Anyone ever tap into the camera signals in one of your home brew programs?

I saw some MS video software, can't remember what it is called right now.
Looks like a pretty steep learning curve to start from scratch with that MS sdk program

I also saw a few pieces of commercial software that make it very easy for you to access video in just about every programming language.

[Tuicemen]

Anyone ever tap into the camera signals in one of your home brew programs?

Yes!
PC Companion can do it!

[EL34]

Thanks Tuice, I'll check into that

[EL34]

Tuice, I looked at your link.
Not really looking to install another piece of software.
I am more interested in adding the code to my program to access my camera's

I am not even running AHP any more since I wrote my own control software.
I have it all integrated with my Dallas one wire weather sensors and X10 combined.
Just want to add a camera function.

Is that your program in the link?

[Tuicemen]

Yes that is my program (AHP doesn't need be running to use it but it was made more as an addon)
Since your using VB expess edition to program use the how do it option and search for "capture video"
that will supply you with one or two example to pull some code from!
Once you have that, cam control is a snap!

[EL34]

I have done that search.
I get pages and pages of capturing mouse and nothing that shows me exactly how to capture video.

I must say that I like the ability to program in windows but it takes me ten times longer to figure things out in VB than perl.
The documentation is not very good and it is spread all over the place.
Then sometimes something is in the .net docs or it is in vb docs or I get error screens saying can't find the info.

I have the complete big docs installed and there are still broken links in the docs.

Can you shoot me working example?
appreciate the help.

[Tuicemen]

Actually I've found lots of web cam capture code!
this this one
or check this one out also!

[EL34]

Thanks Tuice,
Those links didn't work out, but a link off of one of those page did.

http://www.devx.com/dotnet/Article/30375?type=kbArticle&trk=MSCP

The page above has 2005 express code that actually works.   
The program will find all your video devices and you can choose which one you want as your source.
It will then record live video or do snap shots.

I had to Disable/comment/delete the northwind lines at lines 56 and 58 to get the code to work.
Hope this helps someone else out.

[Tuicemen]

Sounds like the same example I got to work! A lot of the stuff listed is set for Vista so if your not running it you have to dig a little deeper! If I remember there also is a dll file and or class included in that example which isn't needed!

[EL34]

I removed all the database stuff, extra buttons, textboxes, etc  and refined it down to just a video and snapshot record program.

I then added the code to my X10, Dallas one wire program.
Now the program controls my  X10 stuff, monitors motion sensors, etc
monitors humidity and temp sensors in my green house,
turns on fans and pumps in the green house,
and can now display and record video and snapshots.

I have a multiplexer attached the the parallel port on my PC that is able to switch all the different cameras via software.
My video surveilance software scans all the camaera's via that mux

I want to be able to switch the mux via my program so I can take snapshots when a certain motion sensor is triggered.
Got to email the company I got the mux from and ask if I can get access to the switching.

Thanks again Tuice for the help.