Capture Pictures from a Camera
Does anyone know of a way to capture photos from a tablet PC camera or similar device and have that picture be automatically stored in the Alpha database. Preferably store the image name, not the actual photo. I am trying to build an inspection program and I need the field techs to take photos of an item and have it linked to that inspection point. Our current method is cumbersome and problematic. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Right now you can have a photo in a folder and 'upload' that photo to a field in the database with the feature pack. But that means they have to take the pictures then go back and manually upload them to the appropriate inspection point(s). I'd prefer the inspection point be visible and the tech click on a photo button on the application, the camera app come up and take the photo, then the photo be automatically linked to that point right there.
-
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
This was a challenge for me last spring. I work at a photo studio and needed a alpha5 record created (and image imported) from a shutter click.
Ended up creating a watchfolder:
file.watch_create("WatchFolder","FolderName", "F","script_play(\"Import Image script")")
A tethered camera would dump the image into the watchfolder. Alpha would see this, import the image with another called script, and then transfer the image into an outgoing folder.
Worked quite well actually. At least my boss was happy. -
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
Do a search on this topic in V9 and V10, I recall there was some discussion and someone had a twain compliant solution-----------------------------------------------
Regards
Mark Pearson
[email protected]
Youtube channel
WebsiteComment
-
Bill Griffin
Parkell, IncComment
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
There is (was?) a product called easytwain which allowed use of activex to do this with twain-compliant cameras. There was an article by Dr Peter Wayne showing how this could be done. Unfortunately virtually no cameras on the market today are twain-compliant, and I suspect there is no way you can do this with tablets.
We have a need to do this with our inventory management application but have had to make do with capturing the images in a separate file using "tethering" software (for a Nikon DSLR) and then linking them to alphaComment
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
For "industrial" type applications you might be able to use an Axis Security-type camera which could be positioned over a station for the purposes of taking a picture. The cameras are connected to the network via a static IP address and Axis have an SDK that allows such pictures to be taken.
As Nick said, it's impossible to find a "regular" digital camera that is Twain compliant. However it's not impossible. Do a Google search on "ID Camera Twain" and you'll find alternatives. Few of them are cheap but if it's important to have the functionality, they seem reasonable.
Also, remember that, since EZTwain has been absorbed into another company and is no longer being developed/supported, you may not be able to use the sample code IF it doesn't work out of the box.Finian
Comment
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
Eztwain is still available (I believe) from atalasoft. You have to buy the SDK now which (I believe) is about a grand.
If your looking for an activex to access the twain interface you can try several sources. Chestysoft makes csxImage which
works great. Viscomsoft ($80.00) makes one that I could get to access the the scanner but always locks A5 up after the scan.
Gdtwain works really well but they discontinued the ocx version on Feb2 of this year and you now have to buy the .net version (which contains the ocx -called gdpicture.net or something...just search on gdtwain...) which I think is around $400.00 Ciansoft makes one that did the same for me as csxImage but you may have other results. There is another one I think is called twainscannerx. Not sure. (Though it is only sligthly more that $100.) (I believe) If you pm Bob Whittaker he would be glad to fill you in on the details. He uses it rather well though it always locks A5 up for me. The prices I listed are from memory so take it for what it's worth.Comment
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
I appreciate everyone's input !!! Very helpful and has me doing some research with a bit more focus now. An update to my dilemma. We are going with an iPhone for the application and will rely on the smartphone's camera for the pictures. Our techs have to climb long runs of ladders and the only reasonable solution is something small like the iPhone. The GPS stamp on the photos will be utilized as well. So now I have to figure out how to call the camera app from the Alpha mobile platform. Please keep the ideas coming...everything is helpful.Comment
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
The problem is that virtually no cameras are twain-compatible....Comment
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
As several have mentioned, most webcams do not support twain protocol. So as per customers' requests, the company I am with, Dynamsoft, is working on a .NET component (currently named as Dynamic Webcam) which acquires images from webcams, edit and then upload. It runs on all operating systems which support UVC. Coming out in April. Thanks.Comment
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
I'm new to alpha5 so i need a lot of help. I'm buiding a table, then a form based off of the fields. On of the fields is the format of a jpeg. when i created the form i have to switch programs take a snapshot using a logitech web cam, switch back to my form (add a record) click on the bitmap to get the picture, find the picture, insert it into the field. There has to be a better way. thanks.Comment
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
I caution against storing a picture in a record in a jpg field. Rather use an image reference field. Otherwise you may quickly run into the 2 gigabyte limit of a dbf table.Cole Custom Programming - Terrell, Texas
972 524 8714
[email protected]
____________________
"A young man who is not liberal has no heart, but an old man who is not conservative has no mind." GB ShawComment
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
good idea. One thing I forgot to meation. (really two things)
1. when i take the picture, it stores the name of the file as "picture#.jpg". I forgot to say I rename the file to the persons name like this, ( i select the file after i change the default to list the files as jpeg to jpg, then right click and paste the name of the person after i copied it to the clip board) then insert it into alphafive.
2. I have to print out two copies of the record (form with the picture) to give to records.
I might have a max of 200 entries with each snapshot less the 600k.
I have made up the tables with 18 fields, most of them with char. type, one with time, 2 with date, 3 with logical. one table, one form. nothing else, but would like some code to help with getting the picture and renaming it.
hope this helpsComment
-
-
Re: Capture Pictures from a Camera
We found EZTwain to be a bit of a hurdle, so we are using CIANSoft.com's "Twain ControlX". We use an old Kodac USB camera, and take employee and client photos with it, then reference the .jpg image in our table. we keep all the photos in a separate folder from the tables.
TomComment
Comment