Best way to capture from a webcam in c#

//This what my test looks like

public void TakeAPictureTest()

{

short nQuality = 45;

CAMSERVERLib.Camera cam = new CAMSERVERLib.CameraClass();

MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream( picture );
Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap( ms );

    Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage( bmp );
string strDate = DateTime.Now.ToLongDateString() + " - " +
                                       DateTime.Now.ToLongTimeString();
StringFormat drawFormat = new StringFormat();
    drawFormat.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center;

    g.DrawString(   strDate,
                    new Font( FontFamily.GenericSansSerif, 12 ),
                    new SolidBrush( Color.Black ),
                    new RectangleF( 1,1,320,240 ),
                    drawFormat
                );

    g.DrawString(   strDate,
                    new Font( FontFamily.GenericSansSerif, 12 ),
                    new SolidBrush( Color.White ),
                    new RectangleF( 0,0,320,240 ),
                    drawFormat
                );

    EncoderParameters encps = new EncoderParameters( 1 );
    EncoderParameter encp = new EncoderParameter( System.Drawing.Imaging.Encoder.Quality,
                                                  (long) nQuality );
@"C:\\MyDocuments\\Test.jpg", icf[1], encps);

bmp.Save(

g.Dispose();

bmp.Dispose();

}

criollo said:

//This what my test looks like

public void TakeAPictureTest()

{

short nQuality = 45;

   CAMSERVERLib.Camera cam = new CAMSERVERLib.CameraClass();

   MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream( picture );
    Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap( ms );

    Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage( bmp );
string strDate = DateTime.Now.ToLongDateString() + " - " +
                                       DateTime.Now.ToLongTimeString();
StringFormat drawFormat = new StringFormat();
    drawFormat.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center;

    g.DrawString(   strDate,
                    new Font( FontFamily.GenericSansSerif, 12 ),
                    new SolidBrush( Color.Black ),
                    new RectangleF( 1,1,320,240 ),
                    drawFormat
                );

    g.DrawString(   strDate,
                    new Font( FontFamily.GenericSansSerif, 12 ),
                    new SolidBrush( Color.White ),
                    new RectangleF( 0,0,320,240 ),
                    drawFormat
                );

    EncoderParameters encps = new EncoderParameters( 1 );
    EncoderParameter encp = new EncoderParameter( System.Drawing.Imaging.Encoder.Quality,
                                                  (long) nQuality );
@"C:\\MyDocuments\\Test.jpg", icf[1], encps);

bmp.Save(

g.Dispose();

bmp.Dispose();

}

This code worked well with Microsoft VX-3000 Webcam but failed when I switched cameras to VX-5000. As a cut and paste programmer I couldn't find a way to get CAMERASERVERLib to work with this camera. Managed to get DirectShow to capture avi videos but not still frames. So I kept looking for webcam picture taker C# code. I found this gem at:

http://www.planet-source-code.com/vb/scripts/showcode.asp?lngWId=10&txtCodeId=1339
Original Code by Phillip Pierce
----------------
(modified to take out all the clicks)

---

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Net;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.IO;
using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;

namespace ClaretBasicModule
{

class MyProgram : System.Windows.Forms.Form
{

        private System.ComponentModel.IContainer components;
        private System.Windows.Forms.Timer timer1;
         //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;
        public bool PictureTaken = false;
        public bool PictureDone = false;
        public bool SecondPicture = false;
        private bool bStopped = true;
        private System.Windows.Forms.NumericUpDown numCaptureTime;
        private System.Windows.Forms.PictureBox pictureBox1;

private ulong m_FrameNumber = 0;

[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]

public static extern IntPtr FindWindow(

[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] string lpClassName,

[MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)] string lpWindowName

        );
        private WebCam_Capture.WebCamCapture WebCamCapture;
        private WebCam_Capture.WebcamEventArgs x = new WebCam_Capture.WebcamEventArgs();
        private int m_Width = 320;
        private int m_Height = 240;
        private int mCapHwnd;
        public Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(320, 240, PixelFormat.Format32bppRgb);
        public Bitmap bmp2 = new Bitmap(320, 240, PixelFormat.Format32bppRgb);
        private IDataObject tempObj;

        // event delegate
        public delegate void WebCamEventHandler(object source, WebCam_Capture.WebcamEventArgs e);
        // fired when a new image is captured
        public event WebCamEventHandler ImageCaptured;

[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();

        //CONSTRUCTOR
        public MyProgram()
        {

            InitializeComponent();
            this.WebCamCapture.CaptureHeight = this.pictureBox1.Height;
            this.WebCamCapture.CaptureWidth = this.pictureBox1.Width;
            FormReplacer();
        }

        protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
        {
            if (disposing && (components != null))
            {
                components.Dispose();
            }
            base.Dispose(disposing);
        }

        /// <param name="e">WebCamEventArgs</param>
        private void WebCamCapture_ImageCaptured(object source, WebCam_Capture.WebcamEventArgs e)
        {
            // set the picturebox picture
            //            this.pictureBox1.Image = e.WebCamImage;
            if (!SecondPicture)
            {
                SecondPicture = true;
                bmp = (Bitmap)e.WebCamImage;
            }
            else
            {
                bmp2 = (Bitmap)e.WebCamImage;
                PictureDone = true;
            }
            PictureTaken = true;

timer1.Start();
}

        private void InitializeComponent()
        {
            this.components = new System.ComponentModel.Container();
            this.WebCamCapture = new WebCam_Capture.WebCamCapture();
            this.WebCamCapture.ImageCaptured += new WebCam_Capture.WebCamCapture.WebCamEventHandler(this.WebCamCapture_ImageCaptured);
            this.pictureBox1 = new System.Windows.Forms.PictureBox();

this.numCaptureTime = new System.Windows.Forms.NumericUpDown();
((System.ComponentModel.ISupportInitialize)(this.numCaptureTime)).BeginInit();

this.SuspendLayout();

            // WebCamCapture
            //
            this.WebCamCapture.CaptureHeight = 240;
            this.WebCamCapture.CaptureWidth = 320;
            // TODO: Code generation for 'this.WebCamCapture.FrameNumber' failed because of Exception 'Invalid Primitive Type: System.UInt64. Only CLS compliant primitive types can be used. Consider using CodeObjectCreateExpression.'.
            this.WebCamCapture.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(17, 17);
            this.WebCamCapture.Name = "WebCamCapture";
            this.WebCamCapture.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(342, 252);
            this.WebCamCapture.TabIndex = 0;
            this.WebCamCapture.TimeToCapture_milliseconds = 100;
            this.WebCamCapture.ImageCaptured += new WebCam_Capture.WebCamCapture.WebCamEventHandler(this.WebCamCapture_ImageCaptured);
            //

            // pictureBox1
            //
            this.pictureBox1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(6, 6);
            this.pictureBox1.Name = "pictureBox1";
            this.pictureBox1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(320, 240);
            this.pictureBox1.TabIndex = 0;
            this.pictureBox1.TabStop = false;
            //

            this.AutoScaleBaseSize = new System.Drawing.Size(5, 13);
            this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(358, 357);
            this.Name = "ClaretBasicForm";
            this.Text = "WebCam Capture";
//TWO EVENT HANDLERS ONE FOR LOADING THE FORM THE OTHER ONE FOR CLOSING
            this.Closing += new System.ComponentModel.CancelEventHandler(this.ClaretBasicForm_Closing);
            this.Load += new System.EventHandler(this.ClaretBasicForm_Load);
            this.ResumeLayout(false);
            this.SuspendLayout();
            //
            //
            this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
            this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
            this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(597, 453);
            this.Name = "MyProgram";
            this.Text = "ClaretBasicForm";
            this.ResumeLayout(false);
            this.numCaptureTime.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(162, 306);
            this.numCaptureTime.Maximum = new System.Decimal(new int[] {
                     32000,
                     0,
                     0,
                     0});
            this.numCaptureTime.Minimum = new System.Decimal(new int[] {
                     1,
                     0,
                     0,
                     0});

            this.numCaptureTime.Name = "numCaptureTime";
            this.numCaptureTime.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(66, 20);
            this.numCaptureTime.TabIndex = 4;
            this.numCaptureTime.Value = new System.Decimal(new int[] {
                   20,
                   0,
                   0,
                   0});

            this.timer1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Timer(this.components);
            this.timer1.Tick += new System.EventHandler(this.timer1_Tick);
            this.Name = "WebCamCapture";
            this.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(342, 252);
        }

        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 = 500;
                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.\r\n\n" + excep.Message);
                this.Stop();
            }
        }

        /// </summary>
        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.
            }

}

        public void FormReplacer()
        {
            this.WebCamCapture.TimeToCapture_milliseconds = (int)this.numCaptureTime.Value;

            // start the video capture. let the control handle the
            // frame numbers.
            //     Start(0);
            this.WebCamCapture.Start(0);

}

        private void ClaretBasicForm_Closing(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
        {
            this.WebCamCapture.Stop();

}

        public ulong FrameNumber
        {
            get
            { return m_FrameNumber; }

            set
            { m_FrameNumber = value; }
        }

public void WinampTest(){}

        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 (PictureTaken = true)
                {
                    // get from the clipboard
                    PictureTaken = false;
                    if (PictureDone) WinampTest();
                    tempObj = Clipboard.GetDataObject();
                    //                  tempImg = (System.Drawing.Bitmap)tempObj.GetData(System.Windows.Forms.DataFormats.Bitmap);
                    //                   Bitmap bmp = (Bitmap)tempObj.GetData(System.Windows.Forms.DataFormats.Bitmap);
                    if (File.Exists(@"C:\\MyDocuments\\Test7.bmp"))
                    {
                        File.Delete(@"C:\\MyDocuments\\Test7.bmp");
                    }
                    bmp.Save(@"C:\\MyDocuments\\Test7.bmp");
                }

                // 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.\r\n\n" + excep.Message);
                this.Stop(); // stop the process
            }
        }

        private void ClaretBasicForm_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
        {
            timer1.Interval = 500;
        }

}

    static class Program
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// The main entry point for the application.
        /// </summary>
        [STAThread]
        static void Main()
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
            Application.Run(new MyProgram());
        }
    }
}

Thread Closed