[How-to] Use WebCamXP with Homeseer's Webserver

[jrfuda]

Just an update. I've been happily using WebCamXP for several weeks now and it's been running very stable. Thanks to the gang in the chat room, I was able to figure out why I couldn't get the java client to work and can now successfully use either the java applet, java script or flash client to stream video! I actually posted the solution over at the WebCamXP message board and solved a lot of peoples' problems!

When I get a mobo with another PCI slot (as all mine or currently filled) I'm going to try a PCI solution to get video onto my PC, or at least get some USB 2.0 stuff so I won't have the USB bandwidth issues that I currently have. Then I'll be able to use the full potential - 5 cameras - of the program. The developer is also working on a 10 cam version, but no release date has been mentioned.

 

[Squintz]

the sample webcameras.html posted in this howto included flash or something... This shows up as a white box for me. Somewhere in the how to i read that the how-to example was for the java option. So why did the webcameras.html example include this.

What do i need to do in order to get the white block to be flash video or whatever it is supposed to be

Thanx in advance

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

As I'm trying to remeber why I did this, I think the Flash player was an option on one of the newer versions that came out, so I went with this option.

I would use the flash option. Can you post your code and I'm sure we can get this working for you?

Regards,

BSR

 

[jrfuda]

Squintz, if you're using a router, webcamXP may be falsely detecting your IP address. I was intermittently having this problem when I first set it up. What I did to overcome this was uncheck all the auto detect WAN boxes in the various options and then manually entered my domain names : www.fudaserve.com in place of the ip address. Since then I've been having flawless operation.

I can use all three clients - flash, java and java script, successfully.

Once I learned how to edit the templates for the auto-generated web pages, I used them instead of inserting the code into my pages and it works very well. To do this, just put in http://yourIPordomainort/ and you'll be able to access it fine. Remember, if you're going to use the built-in pages, make sure you use the port that you selected for webcamxp, which is different than the port you use for HomeSeer. Also, if you insert code into your own pages, that code MUST have the webcamxp port in it, or you'll just get the blank boxes you speak of. I had this problem at first, until I realized I had entered the wrong port numbers.

 

[Squintz]

Im not home now so i cant try the Flash stuff you explained above but i will let you all know how it goes.

My next question is how do i get video from my front door and other rooms in my house without spending too much money. I already have 2 cheap logitech quick cams which work off of usb 1.1 and i have a cam corder which uses s-video and composite.

Can i extend USB that far? I dont think i can so does this mean i will have to get some other type of cam. If so what features should i look for when buying one?

 

[jrfuda]

Squntz I've successfully extended USB cables 30 feet (total of about 35 feet if you include the 5' of cable on the device) without any problems. I've seen "amplified" USB extensions that are supposed to let you go further, but have never tried them, nor have I ever tried (or had a reason to try) over 30 feet. You could buy a couple of 10M/30' cables, hook them together and see what happens. If they don't work, you can always return them.

To get the camcorder hooked-in, you need one of these: http://www.automatedoutlet.com/customer/pr...5&cat=24&page=1

Are you having any USB Bandwidth problems? The PC I have WebCamXP on only has a single root USB 1.1 hub, and therefore I can't run the cams over 160x120 or I run out of bandwidth... of course, If your PC has more than one root hub (hubs on the mobo or in PCI cards, not an external hub) or is USB 2.0, then you won't have to worry about this unless you're trying to stream a HDTV signal through USB....

If you have an available PCI slot, and plan on eventually getting some good cameras, you should consider a PCI solution that can directly accept composite video signals, like these: http://www.automatedoutlet.com/customer/home.php?cat=24 I think this is the solution I'm going to go with eventually... There aren't any low-light USB cams (they're all made for video chatting), so if you by lowlight cams with RCA out, you'll either need to buy a USB adapter for each one, or you can just buy the PCI board (after buying just two adapters, you could have bought a 4-port board). I'll probably end-up using a combination in the end... can't have perfectly good gadgets lying around not earning their keep!

 

[Squintz]

You can also create a link to this file in your main Homeseer web page by editing the "links.htm" file (in C:\Program Files\homeseer\html directory).

Open this file using Notepad and add the following to the current links:

CODE

| <a href="webcameras.html">My Web Camera</a>
| <a href="gallery/index.html">Camera Motion Captures</a>


This will create links to the live image stream and the thumbnail image directory.

I dont have links.htm I am running homeseer 1.6.200
i am looking in C:\Program Files\homeseer\html with windows explorer and i dont see links.htm

 

[electron]

If you create links.html, HS will allow you to configure the bar with links on top of your page, if the file isn't there, then it will just use the default links.

 

[Squintz]

Ok i have created links.html

<html>
   <head>
   </head>
         <body>
             <a href="webcameras.html">My Web Camera</a>
             <a href="gallery/index.html">Camera Motion Captures</a>
         </body>
</html>

How do i activate it so that it will show up on my webpage.

 

[Czechmarty]

Guys,
I tried the WebcamXP and it works great. BUT - my CPU usage is going up tu the roof. See attached images.
The first image left side - No monitor, Nobody is watching
The first image right side - Monitoring ON, Nobody is watching
The second image - Monitoring ON, 1 computer watching on my LAN

Consider the WebcamXP is running at the same machine as Homeseer, I can't effort to give the WebcamXP so much CPU time.

Anyone has an idea what to do??

Marty

Here is my configuration (pulled out with Bellarc Advisor):
Windows XP Professional (build 2600)
Board: ASUSTeK Computer INC. A7N266VM REV 1.xx
Bus Clock: 133 megahertz
BIOS: Award Software, Inc. ASUS A7N266-VM ACPI BIOS
1.80 gigahertz AMD Athlon XP
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
256 kilobyte secondary memory cache
480 Megabytes Installed Memory
NVIDIA GeForce2 Integrated GPU [Display adapter]
Hauppauge WinTV 878/9 WDM
Satellite USB Modem

I can't figure how to attach image so I'm linking them. I hope it will work.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I would be willing to bet your refresh rate is to fast. Go to options (top title bar), then to configurations and you will get the menu shown below.

I would try to change the refresh rate and other settings to what I have. I peak occasionaly to 36% CPU useage, but usually stay around 25% and that is also on my Homeseer machine. I also have one other machine looking at the image via the webserver interface.

My machine is similar to yours in specifications.

Let us know it this helps.

BSR

 

[Czechmarty]

Thanks for the super fast answer BSR, that did it!
Now I have ~ 45% when somebody is watching and monitor is ON and around 30% when monitor is OFF.

Now I have to find out what is "system" process in WinXP. That's doing that "heart beat signal" every ~40sec.

BTW how can I post image/file in this forum without linking them?

Thanks again

Marty

 

[jrfuda]

Wow!

I just updated one of my machines to the latest WebCamXP Beta. It now supports 10 cameras! I can't imagine using 10 cameras on a non-dedicated machine, but that's pretty nice.

If I had the right kind of captuire cards, I could take an old PIII 800 I have sitting on a shelf and make a dedicated 10-camera server.

Right now I'm using it with 2 USB cameras and 1 wireless X-10 type camera which feeds in via a grandtec card.

Y'all should give this a try. I installed the beta over a licensed version (a license I bought over a year ago) and it took the license (alhtough I lost my configuration) without any problem, so it looks like the upgrade duration issue discussed previously may now be a non-issue.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Y'all should give this a try. I installed the beta over a licensed version (a license I bought over a year ago) and it took the license (alhtough I lost my configuration) without any problem, so it looks like the upgrade duration issue discussed previously may now be a non-issue.

Woa! Will give this a try. Hey John, where have you been buddy? Good to see you posting again.

 

[jrfuda]

Woa! Will give this a try. Hey John, where have you been buddy? Good to see you posting again.

I've been doing lots of lurking lately.

Everything's working, so I'm posting few questions.

The rest of y'all beat me to the punch most of the time with answers.

So I'm just lurking away....