Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

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Mike Scott
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:47 pm

Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by Mike Scott »

I bought a EasyCap video to USB adaptor but whilst yawcam sees it as 'SMI Grabber device' I get a black picture. I installed the drivers from the cd that came with the USB adaptor. But, if I run the Ulead video editor that came with the USB adaptor and select capture, the video appears in the Ulead editor program, AND in yawcam. I can then close the Ulead editor and the picture remains in yawcam, I can close and restart yawcam and the video ok, and will remain so until the PC rebooted. After a reboot I am back to square 1.

Not sure this is really a yawcam question, but you might have come across the problem? It looks like Ulead editor installs something, that stays in the system until power off. But no idea what.
malun
Site Admin
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Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2004 1:29 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by malun »

Never seen this before.
If you select the device by clicking:
"Settings -> Device (x) -> Change to device..."

Is it possible to select different output pins on this device?
Does another output pin give you different behavior?

Another thing to check...
If you select the device and the image is black, can you access the settings dialog that is supplied by the driver?
If you click:
"Settings -> Device (x)"
Can you then see any option like:
"Device properties" or "Format control"
?

If you can, please use the Device properties and play around with the settings. You might be able to bring the image visible...

/malun
Mike Scott
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:47 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by Mike Scott »

Ah! Getting somewhere. :-)

Using-
Yawcam Settings, Device (SMI grammer device), Properties,

I find the Video standard selection is blank. I select PAL_I and up comes the video.

But! the setting is not saved and is lost after a pc reboot.

Obviously the Ulead app did not load something, it set the Video standard in the driver which is retained until power down. Any solution in yawcam? (ie a way of getting yawcam to set the video standard in the EasyCap driver when yawcam starts up ?

Else, know of any compatible drivers that are pre-settable

Thanks
Mike
malun
Site Admin
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Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by malun »

Ah, that's good.
Problem here is that these settings are different for different devices and drivers.
I have no good way of accessing these settings from java today.

The solution would be to change the settings in the dialog provided by the driver. Just like your are doing now.
The problem with that is that some drivers saves the settings and some don't.
Some drivers have an option like a checkbox saying "Save settings". See if you can find that somewhere in the dialog.

/malun
Mike Scott
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:47 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by Mike Scott »

Adjusting the settings? Only way I have found to adjust the driver's settings is via Ulead editor or yawcam. The driver file looks to be VideoCap.ocx

I have VB6 running and could get it to set the video parameter when the PC starts up, if I knew how to access it.

How does yawcam access it ?

Looking at the site of Viscom software, who it looks like the creator of that driver, I find no info other than download expensive video control software (like editors), which is not what I require. I don't want an editor, I just want the video signal to get to yawcam, and to do that I must set the driver to PAL, without opening some other app ?
Mike Scott
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:47 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by Mike Scott »

Advancing slowing on this problem. Observation-

I boot up the PC. Open Yawcam and look at Settings, Device (SMI Grabber device), Device properties.
The setting Video standard is blank.
I close Yawcam

Open Ulead video editor, select Video wizard (wizards, just what we don't need :-), and I see the video. I close Ulead

I reOpen Yawcam, and look at Settings, Device (SMI Grabber device), Device properties.
The setting Video standard is now set to PAL_I (on its own, I did not set it!).


Conclusion: Yawcam is accessing some stored parameter that Ulead editor set. Can you tell me what that parameter is and where it is? so I can create a short VB app to set it when the PC boots.

Thanks
Mike
ps: I noticed a bug? The Flip vertically setting. Whilst yawcam remembers the setting (the box is ticked after a reboot), when exiting the aforementioned, the Flip vertical is ignored and the pic is upside down (my cam is upsidedown, hence the reason Flip was set). To correct the error I had to deselect Flip vertical, save, then re-tick it and save. Did not try Flip horizontal so do not know if same there.
UPS! whilst writing this the Flip vertical has just flipped, on its own (the Settings panel was open at the time, and had been for several minutes). Not seen this bug in normal use (ie: the settings panel closed)
malun
Site Admin
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Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by malun »

I guess the parameter is stored somewhere in Window's registry.
You can try to use regedit to search and see if you find anything stored by your driver.

I also guess that the driver stores the parameter completely by itself.
That's why the parameter already is changed when Yawcam opens the settings dialog after the Ulead software.

I'm not sure I follow you on the flipping-settings there...
But one thing I can say is that when the driver's property dialog is open anything can happen ;)
The behavior depends on the driver. Some drivers freeze the preview window when the property dialog is open. Some drivers let the preview window run as usual. It's possible that the flipping settings won't work when the driver's property dialog is open.

/malun
Mike Scott
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:47 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by Mike Scott »

Flip vertical: Yes that makes sense. It's not big deal as one would not normally run with the setting box open. I only left it open for reference whilst I wrote the last entry above.

The driver settings: That problem is a big one as it stops the use of yawcam without first going in (to yawcam or ulead editor) and setting the driver to the required video standard. I did a text search on the registry, and on the whole HDD incl system and hidden files, looking for anything that would ID where this setting is saved. I got an email back from the company that wrote the driver, but it wasn't much help. They just state they 'Think' a setting needs changing, 'Might be in the Registry, 'Might be in 'a' .ini file, but they don't know what or where.

A problem in finding it via the text search is I believe (based on a note I found on the www) that the parameter is stored as just a number. The note stated PAL_B was 4. But no other clues. So it's possibly stored as just a number with not much to identify what its for.

Do you know where the yawcam, settings, device(xxx), Device properties, Video decoder, Video standards selection list looks to find the possible settings, or in the case of what I observed, the option set by another program (ulead in this event). Note in ulead there is no options list, ulead video editor just sets the driver to PAL_I when it starts up.

I find it difficult to believe I am the first and only to try use yawcam with EasyCap video to USB adaptors, but after days of searching I find little to no info on this problem.

Mike
z3r0c00l12
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Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by z3r0c00l12 »

What I used to do to find settings like this is to go in regedit, export the entire registry to a file, which normally turned out to be around 90MB for me. Then make the change, and save the entire registry second time. I then used notepad++ with the compare feature and compared both files. You can then just check which keys were changed and if any seem like they are the right key, you can change it again and see if that registry key changed.

If it's a file, then your best bet is probably process monitor, which will generate lots of logs really fast but will log both registry and file changes, so your more likely to find where the setting is saved.
Mike Scott
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:47 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by Mike Scott »

Thanks for the suggestions. I installed both as you suggested but with zero result. In both apps the amount of data collected in less than a minute is overwhelming, and even with the Notepad++ compare plug in, I cannot find where the video standard setting is. I think after 5 (long) days of trial and error I am about to give up on using the yawcam / easyCap combination, especially after reading this - https://helpdesk.panopto.com/entries/20 ... o-date-pal who has tread the same frustrating path as I, searching for solution to exactly the same problem.

I am surprised you cannot state where yawcam goes to get the Video standard setting, as it is obvious it goes somewhere and gets it. (Start yawcam, make the setting, close yawcam. Reopen yawcam, and the setting is still there. But it is lost when the PC is rebooted). Without knowing where the Video standard setting is saved I see yawcam / easyCap combination as a no go.

I have also searched the www for alternative drivers in the hope I would find one that has the option to save the desired Video standard setting, but to no avail without jumping into the con sites that offer all drivers but download tons of stuff you don't want (some of it very suspicious).
malun
Site Admin
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Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by malun »

A pity that z3r0c00l12's tip didn't lead anywhere. Sounds like the driver don't save the property in the register then...
I's possible that the driver doesn't persist the setting, but keeps it in memory (until reboot).

The reason I can't state where the standard setting is located is because Yawcam will not access it. Yawcam only access the driver and then the driver is already setup with the standard setting.
When you click "Settings -> Device (x) -> properties" a settings dialog opens. This dialog is not part of Yawcam. This dialog is part of the driver. So even if you are changing the setting via Yawcam, Yawcam isn't saving or accessing the setting in any way. This is done completely by the driver.

I actually looked for a EasyCap adapter in my local computer store on my way home from work today. But they where out of stock...

/malun
Mike Scott
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:47 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by Mike Scott »

Looks like we were thinking in parallel :-) Closed down and gone to bed when the thought occurred to me that as the setting is lost after reboot, it probably was not saved in the registry of any file, but in memory or in the running driver itself. (as per your conclusion). So there is nothing I can set that would be saved. In that event my only option would be some way of programmatically setting it when the PC boots, ie: simulating the steps done in yawcam or uLead.

Working my way through the reg I did come across pages that brought up small video settings boxes, things like FPS, Brightness, etc, but none had a setting for Video standard. Though I did find the options list strings.

If you want to play with EasyCap video to USB, try eBay. Lots on there from about £6. I can get one and send it if you have problem getting one there.
Mike Scott
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:47 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by Mike Scott »

Progress, but not good progress :-(

Looking at other suitable hardware for getting the PAL video signal into the PC via USB, I looked at a top of the range unit (210 euro, vs the £6 easyCap), but after the last h/w try, I sent their tech support the questions. This is what came back: 'The DFG/USB2pro and its driver do not save the last used configuration completely. At least, the video format is not saved. The driver saves last used Brightness, Contrast, Hue, Saturation, Sharpness, Inputchannel and Video Norm in the registry.'

So it appears that the usb video driver industry all believe that whilst things like brightness will not change after a PC reboot, you will have changed your camera and therefore the user (or some app) will need to change the setting !!! Cannot get my head around that concept at all. But this does confirm I must write an app that will set the video standard setting when the PC boots. To do this I need to create a app (in VB6) that does the same as yawcam when it brings up the little camera settings panel (that is stored in the registry) and see if I can somehow set the video standard setting in that panel, and get it to save. It is possible to transfer data from one windows panel to another via windows APIs, but it is limited in what it can do. But that is the direction I am going to go and see if it is possible. If successful I will make it available to the yawcam forum.

I do not know what programming language you used for yawcam, but it would be a great start if you could copy me on the part of the yawcam code that pulls up the video settings panel from the registry ? That will give me some understanding of what I have to accomplish.
Mike Scott
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:47 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by Mike Scott »

More progress. Help from any forum member would be great :-)

Using 'Resource hacker' (app for reading and editing DLL files), I have found the dialog box that opens when in yawcam, I follow- Settings, Device(SMI Grabber Device), Device properties. It is located in .../System32/kswdmcap.ax which is one of the many files listed when I go into Control panel, System, Hardware, Device manager, Sound video and game controlers, SMI Grabber Device. Which according the driver details comes from Microsoft.

kswdmcap.ax, Dialog, 103 contains-
----------------------------------
103 DIALOGEX 0, 0, 240, 130
STYLE WS_CHILD
CAPTION ""
LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US
FONT 8, "MS Shell Dlg"
{
CONTROL "&VCR Input", 1053, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 108, 80, 102, 16
CONTROL "Video &Standard:", -1, STATIC, SS_RIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 56, 10, 52, 8 , 0x00002000
CONTROL "Lines detected:", -1, STATIC, SS_RIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 12, 58, 90, 14
CONTROL "&Output Enable", 1055, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 108, 96, 102, 16
CONTROL "LinesDetected", 1056, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 110, 58, 52, 14
CONTROL "", 1060, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWN | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 110, 6, 104, 50
CONTROL "Signal Detected:", -1, STATIC, SS_RIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 12, 38, 90, 14
CONTROL "SignalDetected", 1057, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 110, 38, 52, 14
}
------------------------------

This is the content of the dialog box that is used to select the Video standard. The line 'CONTROL "", 1060, COMBOBOX, ....' is the combobox where the the selection is made. (the combobox is populated from one of the other listed DLLs, but cannot find again at this moment)

When bringing this dialogbox up via yawcam, it is superimposed on another diagog box with the 'OK, Cancel Apply' buttons (which I must assume as that outer dialogbox is not found in the driver files for this device, is a generic dialog box from elsewhere).

Now I am stuck, and would appreciate help form any forum member with knowledge of driver files. After setting the Video format (via yawcam bringing up the dialogbox), the change is not saved in the file kswdmcap.ax (but already knew that as the setting is lost when the pc reboots).

Anybody got any ideas?

Importance? Using yawcam is for the purpose of looking at cam/s from another location. But if the cam (in this case, PAL RCA video coming in via the £6 EasyCap USB adaptor) cannot be accessed without someone being present to re set the video format setting, it defeates the object
malun
Site Admin
Posts: 1589
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2004 1:29 pm

Re: Yawcam and EasyCap video to USB adaptor

Post by malun »

I just sent a reply to your email.
Lets just state that if we find a solution I'll post the info here. If other are interested :)

/malun
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