[FEATURE] Camera Service

[oliverrahner]

Based on #15, try to think of a generic way to add camera functionality to this project.

Todos would be:

• add a new node type, because Cameras can't (or shouldn't) be hosted behind bridged accessories
• find out which abstract functionality has to be provided by the node

[Shaquu]

If anyone wonder about it.
I am planning to add Camera support in release 0.6

There will be a new node but I am not sure yet if this should be attachable to existing Services/Accesoriess or we should really create a new Accessory for Camera only.

[RaymondMouthaan]

@Shaquu, very nice to see some activity again on this repo 👍🏽

[TristanMW]

This addition would be great! - Thanks for the update!

[Shaquu]

Camera support will not come to 0.6.0
But 0.6.0 adds a lot required stuff for Camera implementation. I think that Camera will appear in 0.7.0.

[radokristof]

I'm also considering adding some cameras to my home setup.
What is missing right now to implement Camera Service? As I know, it only supports RTSP streams?

[Shaquu]

Time :)
And I assume yes. Only RTSP is supported directly.

[RaymondMouthaan]

@Shaquu, you probably have seen this https://github.com/KhaosT/homebridge-camera-ffmpeg project, but in case you haven't, it might be useful to you.

[crxporter]

The functional but not full featured one I’m using on a pi zero is https://github.com/moritzmhmk/homebridge-camera-rpi

[RaymondMouthaan]

@crxporter, I am not (yet) a camera user and I am very curious about how it looks on the Home App and or Eve App. Could you share some screenshots? 😃

[crxporter]

This is how it looks right now - but the fun part is in the smart notifications. For example if I turn on homekit notifications for my motion detector when there is a camera and a door lock in the room then my "motion detected" alert is a view of the room with 2 buttons: one to turn on the room lights and one to unlock the door.

The 3rd screenshot is not from me but looks the same if I turn on the feature - however my buttons are "turn on lights" and "unlock door"

[RaymondMouthaan]

@crxporter, awesome! thanks for the screenshots and use-case 👍 , any recommendations for a good quality camera? I might consider buying one to play around :-)

[crxporter]

I’m running on a pi zero w with the official pi camera! Works great I just stuck it on the wall with two sided tape.

[matthub]

IIRC VLC should be able to stream a file, see https://support.spinetix.com/wiki/Tutorial:Streaming_using_VLC HTH

[TristanMW]

I have managed to find a way to get snapshots of my camera and display them on the node-red Dashboard (Made for Android Users haha)
Here is the flow:

(Snapshot is saved into the tmp folder which gets overwritten every 2 minutes)

I use the saved snapshots to send them to telegram when motion is detected while homekit alarm is active

I was wondering if maybe you can integrate the camera service to display the snapshots instead of trying to stream the camera feed on the favourites page in the homekit app?

[crxporter]

The HomeKit protocol supports both snapshots and streamed video. There are homebridge programs out there that are capable of using this. The iPhone/iPad/etc will show the most recent snapshot in while connecting to the stream.

Yours is the first example I’ve seen using pictures files in node red.

Hopefully the devs find a winning setup! (though my wallet has other opinions, I don’t really have the spare cash to outfit my house with cameras!)

[Shaquu]

Prototype: https://i.imgur.com/rtDI1qF.mp4 (swipe to the bottom if video is outside of screen bounds).
@crxporter you said that you are using api currently? Can you share your configuration? (those for stream for example -re etc. my current is -rtsp_transport tcp -i rtsp://192.168.0.227:8554/unicast)

[crxporter]

I'm running this

[RaymondMouthaan]

@crxporter, no issues like this?

[crxporter]

@RaymondMouthaan :

Just tested with varying results:
Works on iPhone XS with newest release software (12.2)
Works on MacBook running newest release (10.14.4)
Does not work (I have the snapshot-only issue) on iPad running iOS beta 12.2

I'm updating the beta to the release version now, I don't use the iPad much... I'll update here in a few minutes.

Update complete - iPad still won't pull up live video.

[radokristof]

@Shaquu could this feature be merged to master soon?

[Shaquu]

@radokristof if you test current dev state then I can merge :)
Calling @NRCHKB/test @crxporter

[radokristof]

@Shaquu it works the same for me :)

[Shaquu]

Have a look at changelog and last commits.
I have removed some boundaries.
I am scared if I didn't brake something with it.

[radokristof]

@Shaquu I saw it and tried it now with the updated branch :) I just only did a quick test but I was able to add new bridge, devices appered in that bridge and was able to interact with them...

[Shaquu]

Thanks for tests. As usual I need somebody more to confirm :)

…

On 8 Oct 2019, 21:57 +0200, Kristof Rado ***@***.***>, wrote: @Shaquu I saw it and tried it now with the updated branch :) I just only did a quick test but I was able to add new bridge, devices appered in that bridge and was able to interact with them... — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or mute the thread.

[radokristof]

For sure!

[crxporter]

I haven't touched my dev branch camera pi in months. Also haven't had camera issues.

Running dev branch with a built-in camera on a pi zero w.

I had big dreams to test more cameras but they are instead all in a kitchen cabinet. Comments here

Edit: are there recent changes to dev? If so I will update eventually but don't have time this weekend.

[Shaquu]

@crxporter they are changes on the dev but no new features.
I have removed write/read boundaries from characteristics.

[ptath]

I have 8 cameras (NVR), all works fine about a month or so, no problems at all. It's time of 0.7 =)

[Shaquu]

@ptath but current dev 0.6.2 changed a little :) I found one bug myself yesterday.
So it would be good if you download a new code and play a little with it.

[Shaquu]

For example #129 is working now with Remote Key

[Shaquu]

Merged to master as version 0.7.0
Enjoy! I am closing this issue.
If you have further questions then please comment or open new one.

• I am looking for someone to help with writing wiki page for Camera Service and updating README regarding Camera, I will be very grateful

[radokristof]

I'm having the same issue: FFmpeg exited with code 1. Previously I have tested it on an x86 PC, now on my RPi, it doesn't work. I have read somewhere that this is might be related to some RPi (kernel) issue...

[Shaquu]

It's definitely about RPi as code base didn't change. Try to run ffmpeg in comandline outside of nrchkb/node-red and see if it's true or it works good and nrchkb is bad here.

[radokristof]

Did you have an RPi to test it?

If I run from the command line it seems to work properly. This problem pops up in homebridge forums as well.

[radokristof]

@crxporter are you running Node-Red on an RPi? Could you give me some example how it works for you? FFmpeg version, etc...

[Shaquu]

I connected camera to rpi0 and was running node-red on it. It worked.
Somewhere there are comments with my config.

[radokristof]

Ok got it working, there were 2 things which were wrong for me:

• I havent passed the switches (-re -i) for the source, noob mistake
• RPi 3B+ seems to be not enough to handle 2 cameras + openHAB + all my other things smoothly, so I had to wait around 20 secs for the first frames to appear.

[Shaquu]

So it works :)

[ptath]

• RPi 3B+ seems to be not enough to handle 2 cameras + openHAB + all my other things smoothly, so I had to wait around 20 secs for the first frames to appear.

First of all u should understand your camera output. I have really old semi-analog NVR which perfectly send h.264 stream at 720p so vcodec copy works brilliant, 3-5% cpu usage

[Shaquu]

@ptath you are right, people would like to have a config wizard and everything made automatically but we have a field where you have to type your command which can be difficult for some people to find out what is right.

[crxporter]

@crxporter are you running Node-Red on an RPi? Could you give me some example how it works for you? FFmpeg version, etc...

Looks like I am too slow - did you get things figured out @radokristof ? Let me know if you want more details of my setup. Pi zero w running built in camera.

[radokristof]

@crxporter Thanks, yes I was able to set it up :) My actual indoor cameras haven't arrived yet, so I just tested with an rtsp stream from my PC, but it worked. When my actual cameras arrive, I will share more on this.

[Shaquu]

There are improvements in dev branch (acquired from homebridge-camera-ffmpeg)
Added validation for videoFilter (check if it is not none).
Added interface name field for better compatibility.

[Shaquu]

As feature landed on master a while ago I am closing this Issue.
If you have a problem then file a bug please.