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Author Topic: [SOLVED] Webcam image with no cloud formations  (Read 2503 times)

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Offline John P

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[SOLVED] Webcam image with no cloud formations
« on: May 28, 2010, 01:51:13 PM »
I am using a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 with the latest drivers and I use Dorgem to capture the image. I have tried the WD software but even with it set to low priority, it eats the CPU.

My problem is that very often, with a blue sky and 'fluffy' clouds in it, the image shows a dull and grey sky. Then, all of a sudden the blue sky + clouds appear again........ then disappear after a few minutes.

Whenever I try to use the Dorgem settings, on clicking apply I get a 'Sorry, Dorgem has to close error', and cannot set the preferences in there. Instead I use the Logitech settings which are set to default.

http://daventryweather.co.uk/cam.htm

Everything else in the image is perfect, it is just the sky. Has anyone any suggestions how to overcome this annoyance?

Thanks

John P
« Last Edit: May 30, 2010, 02:37:25 PM by John P »
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Online Bashy

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2010, 04:04:35 PM »
Thats the same issue i have, its due to images still in the folder from previous days, you need to remove any image thats older than today :)
Kind regards

Simon

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Offline John P

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2010, 04:42:54 PM »
Thats the same issue i have, its due to images still in the folder from previous days, you need to remove any image thats older than today :)

Bashy,

I only have the one image in the webfiles folder (webcamimage.jpg) which is overwritten every minute and then uploaded. I have Dorgem set to capture every 30 seconds, but I don't know if that is an issue. I stopped the creation of webcamimage.gif because it was uploading the two at the same time, and my page only uses the jpg format one.

On the webcam page I have HTML code to automatically refresh it every 60 seconds, and again, I don't know if that is an issue. This problem only began recently and has been running spot on for months. I know that Dorgem is old and without support now, but I cannot find another suitable webcam capture program to match it.

John P :?
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Online Bashy

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2010, 05:37:20 PM »
Thing is, if you see clear skies then all of a sudden you seen clouds in the image then theres a previous image
being pulled from somewhere, I only use webcamcapture and i get this issue myself but i can resolve it by
removing all the old images.
Kind regards

Simon

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Online Axelvold

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2010, 06:07:54 PM »
If you use a proxy that could be the issue.



Offline John P

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2010, 06:55:39 PM »
Bashy,

There is only ever one instance of webcamimage.jpg in the webfiles folder at one time.

Axelvold,

I only use the WD software to upload the image.

JP

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,  but the one who needs the least"

Online Axelvold

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2010, 06:58:34 PM »
Axelvold,

I only use the WD software to upload the image.

JP

So it's not when you view the page with your browser?



Offline John P

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2010, 07:04:58 PM »
So it's not when you view the page with your browser?

Yes, it is when I view the image in my browser and it is the same in the image preview in Dorgem.
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Offline CNYWeather

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2010, 07:46:27 PM »
Have you tried running the Quick Cam software in the background to adjust your pict?
Tony

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Offline John P

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2010, 08:00:05 PM »
Have you tried running the Quick Cam software in the background to adjust your pict?

Yes, and it does affect the image quality if I adjust the brightness, etc, but for clarity it is best set to default settings. Even using the QC software, I cannot get it to show blue sky and clouds. When it does decide to show them it is a random thing without me doing anything.

If it hadn't only recently started I might have considered it to be a conflict between Dorgem and Logitech, but it was fine up until a week ago.

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Online Axelvold

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2010, 08:18:50 PM »
I do also use a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000.

And i have trouble to get clouds to show up.

http://www.axelvold.net/time_lapse_movie/Cam_4/Day/2010-05-27.swf

Here is my settings.





« Last Edit: May 28, 2010, 08:22:52 PM by Axelvold »



Online Bashy

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2010, 08:39:41 PM »
My apologies, i was assuming you was talking about a video and not specific images...
Have you enabled the Rightlight technology in the Logitech software? Also you need to set
white balance to auto, downside with the white balance, each time you reboot the computer
you and to set the white balance back to auto..

So, to sum up, in the logitech software make sure Rightlight is enabled and white balance is set to auto,
You also may want to adjust the colour (or color depending on where you live but as your not far from me
then its colour lol) intensity

As a side note, Make sure Auto focus is set to manual and same with Follow Me, turn it off.....

I use the exact same camera and it looks like Lars is using the same settings as me :D

Lars, I notice you have the Antiflicker enabled, I dont think this is needed for external shots (outside view)
cause from what i gather its basically for the type of lighting in side the house, i.e. if your using Fluorescent
lights and using the webcam to show ya face on the net then you would use the anti flicker, if your using
normal light bulbs then its not needed, if your using candles then turn ya webcam off :lol: if your pointing it
outside then then its not needed, just a heads up for you, heres a little explaination, i did a quick search lol

Quote
Flicker is caused by florescent lights. These lights do not put out a constant level of illumination, but rather vary with the amount of current flowing through them. 50Hz AC changes direction 100 times per second (first current flows in one direction, then the other for one cycle or Hz). 60Hz does so at 120 times per second. The intensity of the light is relative to teh level of current flow, not the direction, so on European power, they flicker at 100 times per second adn in the US they flicker at 120/sec. Setting the exposure time to match the flicker rate lets the camera gather light over the duration of one flicker period. This in effect averages the varying light level over one flicker period into one image, and since the exposure rate is sync'd with the flicker rate, each frame has the same apparent light level. When outdoors however, light levels are very much brighter, so 1/100 or 1/120 of a second lets a huge amount of light into the aperture, making the picture appear to be too bright. much lower exposure times outside are sufficient to gather plenty of light to produce a normal image. Exposure times lower than 100/120 would not be effective in reducing flicker, because each exposure time would be only a partial flicker, and there is no guarantee that successive frames would be in the same part of the flicker. This is why anti-flicker locks the exposure time to a minimum of 100/120
Kind regards

Simon

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Online Axelvold

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2010, 08:52:18 PM »
I use the exact same camera and it looks like Lars is using the same settings as me :D

Lars, I notice you have the Antiflicker enabled, I dont think this is needed for external shots (outside view)
cause from what i gather its basically for the type of lighting in side the house, i.e. if your using Fluorescent
lights and using the webcam to show ya face on the net then you would use the anti flicker, if your using
normal light bulbs then its not needed, if your using candles then turn ya webcam off :lol: if your pointing it
outside then then its not needed, just a heads up for you, heres a little explaination, i did a quick search lol


It's needed, trust me.

With Antiflicker:

Without Antiflicker:



Online Weather Display

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2010, 01:55:01 AM »
I have a quick time pro 9000
and use wdwebcamcapture.exe
only 4% CPU use here

i also use the moviemaker.exe

and have no problems with that either

Offline John P

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Re: Webcam image with no cloud formations
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2010, 07:26:27 AM »


Lars,

I can no longer use the Dorgem settings as you have shown. I used to be able to, but now if I try to change anything, every time I click on 'Apply' I get an error message that says Dorgem needs to close. I have reinstalled Dorgem to no avail.

Bashy,

RightLight is ticked in QC Pro settings and the white balance is set to auto, manual focus is in use and Follow Me is turned off. I think the problem has to be in Dorgem somewhere, especially as I cannot utilise the settings in there.

Brian,

I wish I could use the wdwebcamcapture.exe, but when it is running and set to low priority it uses 85 - 90% of the CPU. With my current setup the CPU usage hovers netween 8 - 12% constantly.


"The richest person is not the one who has the most,  but the one who needs the least"