Image Array - what is it used for?

[nh_handyman]

I've configured the software to save 50 images, 10 seconds apart... Now, what use is that?

I have apache running on my system and I have told yawcam to put the 50 images in a directory which I can get at through the apache server, but I was wondering if there was some other hidden use for the image array that is built into yawcam.

If not, I'll craft a php script to display the 50 or so images somehow.

Thanks,

Brian

[malun]

No, that's just about it. You can save a number of images to have a "history".

In the new beta version you can also save images with date and a time stamp in the file name with the variables {date} and {tstamp}.
In that version it is also possible to merge sveral images together into a movie. It is nice to take images with an interval during a day and than put together a movie for that day.

/malun

[nh_handyman]

Thanks.

I was wondering if there was more to the built-in web server (like the update.html page).

I'll play aorund with some php scripts to display list. I know there are several php libraries for images which may help me.

Keep up the good work!

[jimbone]

This is a great piece of software!

I had a question about the image array also... when I use the {tstamp} variable, it looks like it only saves one image per minute and keeps using the same filename until the next minute arrives. Is there anyway to have the timestamp filename utilize seconds as well as minutes? Otherwise if you have a interval less than 60 seconds, the file will be overwritten each time.

[malun]

Wow, you are right. Didn't think of that

I have now changed so that the {tstamp} variable generate the string HH_MM_SS, but also added the new variables:
{tstampH} for Hour
{tstampM} for Minute
{tstampS} for Second
so that it's possible to build the time stamp string to get it as you want.

Get the update here:
http://www.tmp.yawcam.com/yawcam_tstamp_fix.zip

/malun

[jimbone]

Works like a charm! Thanks for the update - it's nice to know that in some small way I helped make a great little application just a little better.

It's probably no big deal, but when I use the {date} variable it is naming the files like this: image2006_31_03.jpg

But today is the 04/03/2006 - and my system time and date are set correctly. Maybe a small bug?

Also, when attempting to use the array wizard to save the last x pictures I discovered that variable can't be used with any other. What I was trying to do was this:

c:\temp\image{tstampH}{tstampM}{tstampS}_{date}{120}.jpg so that it would save a set number of images and then start saving over them - but I guess because the stamping makes the files unique it would be impossible. My thought was let's say I wanted to take an image every five seconds for a day. {17280} would be the number of images limit... if I wanted to view what happened I could go back and review any point in the last 24 hours. Otherwise it would keep rolling forward and saving the most current {17280} images with a date/h/m/s stamp.

[malun]

It's probably no big deal, but when I use the {date} variable it is naming the files like this: image2006_31_03.jpg

But today is the 04/03/2006 - and my system time and date are set correctly. Maybe a small bug?

It sure is, but now it's fixed to the next version.

Also, when attempting to use the array wizard to save the last x pictures I discovered that variable can't be used with any other. What I was trying to do was this:

c:\temp\image{tstampH}{tstampM}{tstampS}_{date}{120}.jpg so that it would save a set number of images and then start saving over them - but I guess because the stamping makes the files unique it would be impossible. My thought was let's say I wanted to take an image every five seconds for a day. {17280} would be the number of images limit... if I wanted to view what happened I could go back and review any point in the last 24 hours. Otherwise it would keep rolling forward and saving the most current {17280} images with a date/h/m/s stamp.

I deliberatly didn't allow the {X} variable together with the timestamps. I'm not sure I understand what you want to achive here...

If you want save an image every five seconds during a complete day, just set the file name like image_{date}_{tstamp}.jpg and set the interval to 5 seconds. Then you will save an image every fifth second with a unique file name during that day. When a new day begins the date will change and you will _not_ overwrite the old files. So you will have an image saved every fifth second for the new day also.

/malun

[jimbone]

I deliberatly didn't allow the {X} variable together with the timestamps. I'm not sure I understand what you want to achive here...

If you want save an image every five seconds during a complete day, just set the file name like image_{date}_{tstamp}.jpg and set the interval to 5 seconds. Then you will save an image every fifth second with a unique file name during that day. When a new day begins the date will change and you will _not_ overwrite the old files. So you will have an image saved every fifth second for the new day also.

/malun

You understood correctly - I was talking about overwriting the old day files with the new day ones. You know to conserve disk space or whatnot... so files you saved for 24 hours would always be the most recent 24 hours. I know the unique date filenames make this impossible though.

The practical application I was trying to achieve was this: I wanted to set my cam up to take an image every 5 seconds out my window and into the backyard. But I don't want images to just stack up and take file space, so I wanted to keep only the most recent images from the last 24 hours.

Now the {X} variable does that very well because I can use the wizard to only keep the last {X} images - but using that variable makes it difficult to arrange them into a movie. When importing the images the numbering system gets jumbled when importing, so files get brought in like this:

img19.jpg
img2.jpg
img20.jpg

So when the movie file is created, frames get put in the incorrect number sequence...

Does that make better sense about what I was trying to do? Maybe the answer is more in the numbering system in using the {X} variable? 000002.jpg wouldn't be able to get imported between 000019.jpg and 000020.jpg - so all the files would stay in order when imported. Perhaps numbering with a system like that might be easier.

Bah, the {tstamp} fix is a pretty good work around for now

[malun]

Ah, I see what you mean.

I have now fixed so that out{5}.jpg will result in [out0.jpg, out1.jpg, out2.jpg, ... ,out5.jpg]
and out{15}.jpg will result in [out00.jpg, out01.jpg, out02.jpg ... ,out15.jpg]

There is also an option to use the variable {numX}. It works like the {num} variable but the X specifies how many digits you want to be printed.
For example out{num3}.jpg will result in [out000.jpg, out001.jpg, out002.jpg, ... ]
When you reach a number with more digits than X, Yawcam will continue to increase the number as if the ordinary {num} was used. In the example above with X=3, Yawcam will continue the numbering with 1000 after 999 without any zeroes in the beginning.

Since I'm also fixing some other things this latest variable fixes are not available for download yet.

/malun

[nh_handyman]

One thing I noticed, when you fire up the Array Wizard, its default location is not the currently set one but its back to the default of c:\temp (I think).

[malun]

One thing I noticed, when you fire up the Array Wizard, its default location is not the currently set one but its back to the default of c:\temp (I think).

Yes, you are right. It is fixed in the new beta:
http://www.yawcam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=488

/malun