Webcam Timelapse... How? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Sp0rAdiC · 06-25-2006, 09:57 AM

I'm going to be growing some plants, and I'd like to keep a record of their growth. I was wondering if I could mount a webcam and have it record a shot every X minutes and save it onto a computer, and then at the end I could compile all these shots and make it into a video. Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this? I looked aroudn and couldn't find too much. Thanks

AquaFox · 06-25-2006, 10:57 AM

microsoft powertoys has a free camera thing that will save a picture every X minutel, i downloaded it awhile ago and used it like that. this should work perfectly for you.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx

it's a microsoft product from there website, soo the download is no more dangerous than your current windows version.

download link is at the bottom, "Webcam Timershot"

Gatorade Frost · 06-25-2006, 01:47 PM

What kind of plants are you growing...?

Sp0rAdiC · 06-25-2006, 06:13 PM

Ya know, just some plants, use your imagination

. Thanks for that link Aquafox, now the next question, any tips on a decent not-too-expensive webcam?

Also, the plants will need to be in the dark for about 12 hours a day, I can use green lights to keep it illuminated without disturbing them, but I'd need a camera that could see with the green lights on. This will all be in an area of about... 20"x31" and about 4' tall.

Gatorade Frost · 06-25-2006, 06:55 PM

Heheh...

Yeah... I wonder what kind of produce you're cultivating...

AquaFox · 06-25-2006, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sp0rAdiC

Ya know, just some plants, use your imagination

. Thanks for that link Aquafox, now the next question, any tips on a decent not-too-expensive webcam?

Also, the plants will need to be in the dark for about 12 hours a day, I can use green lights to keep it illuminated without disturbing them, but I'd need a camera that could see with the green lights on. This will all be in an area of about... 20"x31" and about 4' tall.

here's my two main sites i buy from when shopping for electronics:

www.tigerdirect.com <--good computer stuff

www.ebay.com <--- what isn't on ebay?

...or just go to bestbuy and pick one up off the shelf!

but you do get what you pay for, check for the quailty of the photos and such... the ones with built in mics can be a pain in the ass if the quailty isn't good.

when i got my webcam, it had webcam games that let you do virtual baseball and bubble popping and stuff, great exercise for a computer game!! but sadly it isn't compatable with winXP

.. it was for 98

also, check into nightvision... i think all you really could need is a decent infared light... cause most consumer cameras can see infared light... if you don't believe me, aim your camera at the tip of your remote control and press a button

3Z3VH · 06-27-2006, 06:30 PM

I am not sure how much luck you will have timelapsing it if you keep switching from bright natural light to dark artificial light. When you sequence those pictures to, say, 16 or so frames per second, the dark scenes will do more to throw the viewer off, than anything. You will get an almost strobe effect to the video.

If you plan to do this 24/7, I would suggest artificially lighting the plants for the full duration of their growth so there is more continuity from one frame to the next, or to just take pictures during the day, and omit the dark pictures all together.

To get a camera that will work well with the lights, you will find in the camera specifications it's "Lux" value. Which is the minimum amount of light that it can still take a quality picture. Something as low as 1 Lux will do amazingly well with very little light, but something with a 3 or higher Lux value may not work as well.

Sp0rAdiC · 06-28-2006, 04:55 PM

The plants will need 12 hours of darkness no matter what. I could just record during the "day" but I'm afraid that any night growth will just be skipped and the plants will jump. I was thinking about taking a shot every 15 minutes, so that'd be 96 shots in a 24 hour period.

3Z3VH · 06-30-2006, 05:40 PM

If they require darkness, then yeah, just don't take pictures during that time. Honestly, plants don't grow all that much when they don't have light. I honestly doubt you will lose all that much growth time by not taking the darkness shots. The important part, is just making sure you have steady lighting for the duration that you are taking pictures. For this, natural light isn't all that great since anything can happen, such as a cloudy day, or the difference in tone from sunrise, to noon, to sunset. Artificial lighting for the duration of the photograhy will give you the best final results, with the least 'cleanup' needed while sequencing the frames into a movie.

06-25-2006, 09:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
Sp0rAdiC Insane Location: VT	Webcam Timelapse... How? I'm going to be growing some plants, and I'd like to keep a record of their growth. I was wondering if I could mount a webcam and have it record a shot every X minutes and save it onto a computer, and then at the end I could compile all these shots and make it into a video. Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this? I looked aroudn and couldn't find too much. Thanks

06-25-2006, 10:57 AM	#2 (permalink)
AquaFox WaterDog	microsoft powertoys has a free camera thing that will save a picture every X minutel, i downloaded it awhile ago and used it like that. this should work perfectly for you. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/d...powertoys.mspx it's a microsoft product from there website, soo the download is no more dangerous than your current windows version. download link is at the bottom, "Webcam Timershot" __________________ ...AquaFox...

06-25-2006, 01:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
Gatorade Frost Rookie	What kind of plants are you growing...? __________________ I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face." I said, "You'll be sorry." He said, "Oh, yeah? Why?" I said, "Well, you won't be able to get into the corners very well." Emo Philips

06-25-2006, 06:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
Sp0rAdiC Insane Location: VT	Ya know, just some plants, use your imagination . Thanks for that link Aquafox, now the next question, any tips on a decent not-too-expensive webcam? Also, the plants will need to be in the dark for about 12 hours a day, I can use green lights to keep it illuminated without disturbing them, but I'd need a camera that could see with the green lights on. This will all be in an area of about... 20"x31" and about 4' tall. Last edited by Sp0rAdiC; 06-25-2006 at 06:32 PM..

06-25-2006, 06:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
Gatorade Frost Rookie	Heheh... Yeah... I wonder what kind of produce you're cultivating... __________________ I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face." I said, "You'll be sorry." He said, "Oh, yeah? Why?" I said, "Well, you won't be able to get into the corners very well." Emo Philips

06-27-2006, 06:30 PM	#7 (permalink)
3Z3VH Tilted	I am not sure how much luck you will have timelapsing it if you keep switching from bright natural light to dark artificial light. When you sequence those pictures to, say, 16 or so frames per second, the dark scenes will do more to throw the viewer off, than anything. You will get an almost strobe effect to the video. If you plan to do this 24/7, I would suggest artificially lighting the plants for the full duration of their growth so there is more continuity from one frame to the next, or to just take pictures during the day, and omit the dark pictures all together. To get a camera that will work well with the lights, you will find in the camera specifications it's "Lux" value. Which is the minimum amount of light that it can still take a quality picture. Something as low as 1 Lux will do amazingly well with very little light, but something with a 3 or higher Lux value may not work as well. Last edited by 3Z3VH; 06-27-2006 at 06:34 PM..

06-28-2006, 04:55 PM	#8 (permalink)
Sp0rAdiC Insane Location: VT	The plants will need 12 hours of darkness no matter what. I could just record during the "day" but I'm afraid that any night growth will just be skipped and the plants will jump. I was thinking about taking a shot every 15 minutes, so that'd be 96 shots in a 24 hour period.

06-30-2006, 05:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
3Z3VH Tilted	If they require darkness, then yeah, just don't take pictures during that time. Honestly, plants don't grow all that much when they don't have light. I honestly doubt you will lose all that much growth time by not taking the darkness shots. The important part, is just making sure you have steady lighting for the duration that you are taking pictures. For this, natural light isn't all that great since anything can happen, such as a cloudy day, or the difference in tone from sunrise, to noon, to sunset. Artificial lighting for the duration of the photograhy will give you the best final results, with the least 'cleanup' needed while sequencing the frames into a movie.