We closed this forum 18 June 2010. It has served us well since 2005 as the ALPHA forum did before it from 2002 to 2005. New discussions are ongoing at the new URL http://forum.processing.org. You'll need to sign up and get a new user account. We're sorry about that inconvenience, but we think it's better in the long run. The content on this forum will remain online.
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Macbook Pro + external web cam (Read 9177 times)
Clem
Macbook Pro + external web cam
Sep 26th, 2007, 9:01am  
Sorry, yet another of those "why won't this work?" questions.  It's probably more about Mac OS than processing, too.

I have a little video capture program (processing 0125) that works fine with the built-in camera on my Macbook Pro (10.4.10) but I need to use an external camera.  Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision is claimed to be UVC compliant and therefore supposedly needs no driver in Mac OS 10.4.10.  But when I plug it in, no response (not even the activity light).  Capture.list() doesn't change (same 3 entries, all being the built-in camera, it seems).

I've read other replies about QuickTime installation.  I only have QT 7.2.0 Player, but since my program works with the built-in camera I can't see how that could be the issue.

I'd like to use this camera for its wide-angle lens, but right now I'm willing to try anything.

Any suggestions?
Back to top
 
 
jaylfk
Re: Macbook Pro + external web cam
Reply #1 - Sep 26th, 2007, 9:55am  
Hi,

I've got a Macbook Pro and also wanted to use an external USB webcam a with processing.

Since 10.4.9, Mac OS X users can use UVC compliant camera natively.

The file responsible for this is located here

Quote:
/System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component


First to make sure you cam is compatible with Processing, you must be able to record movie with it in quicktime or being recognized in iChat.

Second, because the built-in iSight is a USB camera, processing Capture.list() will just show it up as a "USB Video Class Video" which is the same for the external USB webcam.

So if you want to use the external video camera, you must activate the built-in iSight in ichat (video preview) or Quicktime Pro (New Movie Recording) and use this in your code:

Quote:
String extcam = "USB Video Class Video";
Capture video(this,640,480,extcam,30); // Processing 125 syntax.


When the iSight is used by another application, Processing should switch to the next USB camera available.

Wink
Back to top
 
 
Clem
Re: Macbook Pro + external web cam
Reply #2 - Sep 28th, 2007, 2:13am  
Thank you so much jaylfk -- distracting the built-in camera works a treat.
Where would we be without communities like this?
Back to top
 
 
eric_p
Re: Macbook Pro + external web cam
Reply #3 - May 17th, 2008, 5:39pm  
What a neat trick!

I was getting really pissed of about the fact that my UVC webcam wouldn't work.

Just opened up Photo Booth before running my sketch and everything is fine.
Back to top
 
zzzzzz...
 
eric_p
Re: Macbook Pro + external web cam
Reply #4 - May 21st, 2008, 1:23am  
Just to let people know.
You don't have to distract your first cam to get your second webcam running in your sketch.
You can choose which camera to use if you use capturename.settings() to acces the webcam settings.

like so:

Code:

Capture video;

video = new Capture(this, width, height, 24);
video.settings();


then you can choose your camera in the SOURCE submenu.
Back to top
 
zzzzzz...
 
eddief
Re: Macbook Pro + external web cam
Reply #5 - May 23rd, 2008, 1:42pm  
HELP! I don't really know what I'm doing! Please bear w/me, I'm new at this...
I looked for the 'responsible file' as described at the beginning of the thread. However, on my mac running 10.5.2 I don't find a file there. Instead, things in my system folder look like this:

/System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component/contents

and then there's stuff to choose from under 'contents', too, including /MacOS/QuickTimeUSBVDCDigitizer

Which is the file?

It seems this involves just a little snippet of code to allow more choices that the built-in camera on the macbook.

Would one of you please be patient enough to tell me how to modify the pertinent code appropriately using Processing, step by step? I'll be eternally grateful...

BTW, I'm trying to hook up a Genius VideoCam Eye USB camera.
Back to top
 
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›