how to make a webcam to take photos automatically using the .net C# program

Question

Hi i want to write a c# program with that a webcam connected to my pc shold take photos in given intervals of time (ex:-for every 10 minutes ) how to do this please tell me first is it possible or not i heard that this can be done if the webcam contains the api exposure with the webcam cd i have the lots of dll files how to use them in the .net program

Roei Bar · Answer

here is the code : using System; using System.Collections; using System.ComponentModel; using System.Drawing; using System.Data; using System.Windows.Forms; using System.Runtime.InteropServices; namespace WebCam_Capture { /// /// Summary description for UserControl1. /// [System.Drawing.ToolboxBitmap(typeof(WebCamCapture) CAMERA.ICO)] // toolbox bitmap [Designer(Sytem.Windows.Forms.Design.ParentControlDesignerSystem.Design typeof(System.ComponentModel.Design.IDesigner))] // make composite public class WebCamCapture : System.Windows.Forms.UserControl { private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components; private System.Windows.Forms.Timer timer1; // property variables private int m_TimeToCapture_milliseconds = 100; private int m_Width = 320; private int m_Height = 240; private int mCapHwnd; private ulong m_FrameNumber = 0; // global variables to make the video capture go faster private WebCam_Capture.WebcamEventArgs x = new WebCam_Capture.WebcamEventArgs(); private IDataObject tempObj; private System.Drawing.Image tempImg; private bool bStopped = true; // event delegate public delegate void WebCamEventHandler (object source WebCam_Capture.WebcamEventArgs e); // fired when a new image is captured public event WebCamEventHandler ImageCaptured; #region API Declarations [DllImport(user32 EntryPoint=SendMessage)] public static extern int SendMessage(int hWnd uint Msg int wParam int lParam); [DllImport(avicap32.dll EntryPoint=capCreateCaptureWindowA)] public static extern int capCreateCaptureWindowA(string lpszWindowName int dwStyle int X int Y int nWidth int nHeight int hwndParent int nID); [DllImport(user32 EntryPoint=OpenClipboard)] public static extern int OpenClipboard(int hWnd); [DllImport(user32 EntryPoint=EmptyClipboard)] public static extern int EmptyClipboard(); [DllImport(user32 EntryPoint=CloseClipboard)] public static extern int CloseClipboard(); #endregion #region API Constants public const int WM_USER = 1024; public const int WM_CAP_CONNECT = 1034; public const int WM_CAP_DISCONNECT = 1035; public const int WM_CAP_GET_FRAME = 1084; public const int WM_CAP_COPY = 1054; public const int WM_CAP_START = WM_USER; public const int WM_CAP_DLG_VIDEOFORMAT = WM_CAP_START + 41; public const int WM_CAP_DLG_VIDEOSOURCE = WM_CAP_START + 42; public const int WM_CAP_DLG_VIDEODISPLAY = WM_CAP_START + 43; public const int WM_CAP_GET_VIDEOFORMAT = WM_CAP_START + 44; public const int WM_CAP_SET_VIDEOFORMAT = WM_CAP_START + 45; public const int WM_CAP_DLG_VIDEOCOMPRESSION = WM_CAP_START + 46; public const int WM_CAP_SET_PREVIEW = WM_CAP_START + 50; #endregion #region NOTES /* * If you want to allow the user to change the display size and * color format of the video capture call: * SendMessage (mCapHwnd WM_CAP_DLG_VIDEOFORMAT 0 0); * You will need to requery the capture device to get the new settings */ #endregion public WebCamCapture() { // This call is required by the Windows.Forms Form Designer. InitializeComponent(); } /// /// Override the class's finalize method so we can stop /// the video capture on exit /// ~WebCamCapture() { this.Stop(); } /// /// Clean up any resources being used. /// protected override void Dispose( bool disposing ) { if( disposing ) { if( components != null ) components.Dispose(); } base.Dispose( disposing ); } #region Component Designer generated code /// /// Required method for Designer support - do not modify /// the contents of this method with the code editor. /// private void InitializeComponent() { this.components = new System.ComponentModel.Container(); this.timer1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Timer(this.components); // // timer1 // this.timer1.Tick += new System.EventHandler(this.timer1_Tick); // // WebCamCapture // this.Name = WebCamCapture; this.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(342 252); this.Load += new System.EventHandler(this.WebCamCapture_Load); } #endregion #region Control Properties /// /// The time intervale between frame captures /// public int TimeToCapture_milliseconds { get { return m_TimeToCapture_milliseconds; } set { m_TimeToCapture_milliseconds = value; } } /// /// The height of the video capture image /// public int CaptureHeight { get { return m_Height; } set { m_Height = value; } } /// /// The width of the video capture image /// public int CaptureWidth { get { return m_Width; } set { m_Width = value; } } /// /// The sequence number to start at for the frame number. OPTIONAL /// public ulong FrameNumber { get { return m_FrameNumber; } set { m_FrameNumber = value; } } #endregion #region Start and Stop Capture Functions /// /// Starts the video capture /// /// the frame number to start at. /// Set to 0 to let the control allocate the frame number public void Start(ulong FrameNum) { try { // for safety call stop just in case we are already running this.Stop(); // setup a capture window mCapHwnd = capCreateCaptureWindowA(WebCap 0 0 0 m_Width m_Height this.Handle.ToInt32() 0); // connect to the capture device Application.DoEvents(); SendMessage(mCapHwnd WM_CAP_CONNECT 0 0); SendMessage(mCapHwnd WM_CAP_SET_PREVIEW 0 0); // set the frame number m_FrameNumber = FrameNum; // set the timer information this.timer1.Interval = m_TimeToCapture_milliseconds; bStopped = false; this.timer1.Start(); } catch (Exception excep) { MessageBox.Show(An error ocurred while starting the video capture. Check that your webcamera is connected properly and turned on.

+ excep.Message); this.Stop(); } } /// /// Stops the video capture /// public void Stop() { try { // stop the timer bStopped = true; this.timer1.Stop(); // disconnect from the video source Application.DoEvents(); SendMessage(mCapHwnd WM_CAP_DISCONNECT 0 0); } catch (Exception excep) { // don't raise an error here. } } #endregion #region Video Capture Code /// /// Capture the next frame from the video feed /// private void timer1_Tick(object sender System.EventArgs e) { try { // pause the timer this.timer1.Stop(); // get the next frame; SendMessage(mCapHwnd WM_CAP_GET_FRAME 0 0); // copy the frame to the clipboard SendMessage(mCapHwnd WM_CAP_COPY 0 0); // paste the frame into the event args image if (ImageCaptured != null) { // get from the clipboard tempObj = Clipboard.GetDataObject(); tempImg = (System.Drawing.Bitmap) tempObj.GetData(System.Windows.Forms.DataFormats.Bitmap); /* * For some reason the API is not resizing the video * feed to the width and height provided when the video * feed was started so we must resize the image here */ x.WebCamImage = tempImg.GetThumbnailImage(m_Width m_Height null System.IntPtr.Zero); // raise the event this.ImageCaptured(this x); } // restart the timer Application.DoEvents(); if (! bStopped) this.timer1.Start(); } catch (Exception excep) { MessageBox.Show(An error ocurred while capturing the video image. The video capture will now be terminated.

+ excep.Message); this.Stop(); // stop the process } } #endregion private void WebCamCapture_Load(object sender System.EventArgs e) { } } } dont forget to mark this as Accepted Answer you can also use this http://www.planet-source-code.com/vb/scripts/ShowCode.asp?txtCodeId=1339&lngWId=10 it has a built in option to capture based on time periods :-)