Last Day Video

I use the wdwebcamcapture for a new webcam image every minute. Nice and simple and no large file sizes.

I like the animated all day videos that I have seen on many sites but I am not really wantring to have large file sizes… plus it sounds a bit niggly in getting it to run properly for people like me who get easily confused with these issues :o

Will a time stamped image be overwritten the following day? I would guess yes and this is what I want as it would prevent my wd folder gaining in size each day.

Is it therefore possible just to create a last day video to be uploaded to my site at the end of each night? This would be overwritten the following day which would suit my needs.

Would I still need to download Windows encoder? Any pointers would be much appreciated.

Looking at my allday video folder I can see that for each day a wmvfile is being created of about 2.5mb each…ie the folder does get progressively larger, unless intervention is taken to remove files redundant alldayvideo files for record purposes etc. My wmv files are built using 320 x 240 image size for each minute… I did download the Windows encoder.

As you have said, there are some who have had odd niggles in their setups to get it all working. However, these problems have been generally sorted. There is a very good FAQ and there are some recent examples of settings that work, being posted by various individuals (myself included).

Have a read, have a go…and any problems,…I’m sure that the forum will assist…

yes the time stamped image gets overwritten as its only time stamped and not date stamped

Hello Nordicsnowman,

I Just wanted to comment on your site and your video’s…Everything looks Very Nice!!

also curious why you have a “last 10 minutes” video, and why not just use the “last hour video” in it’s place?

If you want to check out my all day and yesterday video’s, located in Massachusetts USA (Near Cape Cod Canal) have a look here, and I also have the Live Webcam on same page.in the fore front of view is a shepherds hook holding a humming bird feeder (Red) and also a hot air ballon wind spinner, and also a larger wind spinner on stake in grass to right of an american patriotic eagle…the page is here:

http://www.gateway2capecod.com/wx14.html

Chris

Thanks for the replies.

I don’t understand why the wmv file would grow each day. Why wouldn’t it be overwritten in the same way as the time stamped images?

Chris - you couldn’t have seen my site because I don’t have videos on it. (http://www.nordgudbrandsdalweather.com)

But I do like the way you have your cams done - nice and simple. You have your static and you have a movie of both the day’s and yesterday’s time lapse.
Out of interest, what file sizes (wmv etc) do you have? I thought by stating on your website “yesterday and today” would remove the need for date stamped images and thus overwrite and maintain the file sizes…?

Any pointers in setting up the way you have yours would be appreciated!!
Cheers.

The files uploaded to the website (as required), do indeed have the same name for overwriting purposes and link access…ie yesterday.wmv tensecondvideo.wmv videolasthour.wmv videolastday.wmv However, your user level PC keeps a record of (year, month,day format)dayvideo.wmv for record purposes ie. 2007814dayvideo.wmv …It is these which progressively add to the hard drive at about 2.88mb per day (in my case). The size of my video file being as it is, is because at the moment it is being made on a full 24hr basis. Obviously, if I chose to make files based on a smaller hours coverage, (say 0500 to 1900) then the file size would be considerably smaller.

Hope this helps

although thats optional to have those date stamped .wmv files being created

Thanks for the info.

Brian - so by not choosing the date stamp .wmv option, my pc wouldn’t get bogged down further with growing file sizes. This isn’t needed for making the videos at all I trust?

One more silly question! Would I still need to download Windows Encoder if I want to create a flash file? Or must you have a .wmv file as well? :oops:

If anyone out there is simply using time stamped images and a video of the current and previous day (not date stamped and therefore without growing file sizes), then please post some screenshots on here or in a new thread under FAQs I get confused with all these files etc and I’m pretty sure there are many more ‘silent’ readers out there who would equally be as confused as me! :lol:

no you dont need windows media encoder if you are creating the flash .wmv files as they are just created from the .mpg file

note that when its date stamped, the file size is not growing
but you do get date stamped files, which will slowly take up more room on your HD
what size is your HD?

It’s only 80GB but I am getting 2 new computers next spring when I move house which will allow me to use this one for running just the weather on.

But until then I want to avoid large file sizes on my H.D as I have to use this computer for business.

I need the easiest solution which would overwrite and prevent the HD being absorbed over time. Being easy to enable is ideal for me as I am still confused to which particular bits I have to tick. I am just using the wdwebcamcapture atm.

what do you mean only 80GB
thats ALOT of storage space

Hello Nordicsnownman,…yes I goofed…I thought it was your site, But after double checking, it was monrobaggins site that I viewed that had the videos …it is very nice!

nordicsnowman, I just checked out your site now and it is also very nice…and WOW alot of snow in the pictures there!

chris in USA

Thanks Chris.

Maybe 80GB is okay I suppose but I would like to keep the drive clean without unnecessary stuff on tyhere. I don’t feel it necessary to have old files for record purposes. Most of my visitors like to see the forecasts and photos… and of course, the webcam image for the present. But the live stream is very popular during the winter when it snows But a movie would add that little bit more but I still don’t know where to tick for just a simple set up :lol: I only have the .gif and .jpg files being created every minute (and being overwritten) for the latest one minute image.

Can anyone post a screenshot of where needs to be ticked to create a last day video which will be overwritten each night?

hello nordic snowman,

I can help you set yours up, so you can provide a link on your page for your “All day” & 'Yesterday’s" Time Lapse Video’s, but first have to ask exactly what you want to appear on your website.

do you just want to have the 2 links on your website for these?, or do you also want to have the live streaming video, along with the still image, as I have on my site?

as far as setting it up…I can show you a screen shot of my setup screen and the boxes I have ticked inside the WD/CONTROL PANELS/WEBCAM/ALL DAY VIDEO TAB

as you know I have the “All day video” link, which my all day video starts at 5am and ends at 8pm EST (Boston Time Zone)…But even though the “ALL DAY video” is done being created at 8pm, it can be viewed throughout the day and will play from 5am start time, to whatever the current time is…so if you viewed my site at 12 noon, and clicked on the all day video link, you would see from 5am up until 11:23am. it is updated every hour at 23 minutes past the hour

as far as you a lot of hard drive space, all the files are over written, except for the ones inside the all day video folder that are the record of each day movie files, but those could be deleted manually by you if the start accumulating too much space. I can provide you a picture of these also, so you know exactly which ones I am talking about.

I also have the option checked to create the videolast hour/previous hours video, but I do not add a link to that on my website, because if anyone clicks on my all day video, the last hour is already included in it, and to me having the last hour video will confuze viewer’s, so I just stick with the all day & yesterday video’s.

let me know if you need some help, and I can post some screen shots for you to follow, along with some simple directions.

have a good evening…Chris@ www.gateway2capecod.com

HELLO NORDICSNOWMAN,

Click on this link to view screenshot of the setting’s I have for the all day & yesterday Video’s to be created

this is from my WD/CONTROL PANEL/WEBCAM/ALL DAY VIDEO Tab Set up screen

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2824/sshot6kv6.jpg

this will create my all day, yesterday and Last hour Video’s, although I dont use or provide a link for my last hour video on my webpage.

if above image is hard to read…try this link instead:

http://img520.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sshot6dq9.jpg

Hi Chris - thanks for your help mate!

I think your webcam set up is great. But I will stick to not having the live stream made available at all times and instead will choose to switch it on only at times of snowfall or any other interesting weather (I have the link/caption all ready so to speak as per my webcams page on my site).

So yes, the 2 links for the time lapse video for the current day and yesterday’s would be great and would suit my needs. I don’t mind deleting the files within the all day video folder as I do from time to time go through my other folders and delete other stuff which I don’t want (including graphs etc which are older than 3 months - I am pretty ruthless in deleting things :lol:)

Do you have the option for the last hour video checked in that the videos won’t work if you don’t check that option? I only asko because you said you don’t wish to use that particular one on your site.

But I will be very happy just to have the 2 links as per your site. Nice and simple on the eye and a good set up IMO.

Cheers Chris. I await your screenshots.

PS: Would I need the Windows Media Encoder ? I can download that if it’s essential to make the videos.
And if I followed your instructions, when will the 1st video be created?

Thanks for that Chris (your post on the previous page - our posts crossed!).

I will give it a go soon.

Is it necessary to tick the 2nd box ‘automatically create date stamped files…’ ?

Hello snowman,

here is the files inside th all day folder that get overwritten and dont need to be deleted:

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/9824/sshot7tt2.jpg

and here is a screenshot of the progressive all day videos, after a week or so they will start adding up, but you could probabbly delet the old ones once every 2 weeks or month, and with 80gb hard drive not have to worry about filling the hard drive to quickly. JUST MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU DELET ANY OF THE ALL DAY VIDEO’S, THAT YOU DONT DELETE THE MOST RECENT ONES!.. Like the one for today,yesterday and the day before that, should be a save bet. they are dated if you hold mouse ursor over each icon it will display date for that all day video they look like this in my folder:

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/5347/sshot8hj4.jpg

as far as having to download windows media encoder, I did Download it, as I think it is needed. even if you downloaded it and dont need it, it wont hurt anything and is a small file to download, but I am pretty sure it is needed and must be downloaded before setting all day videos up.

I have the otion checked for creating the last hour video, because I was not sure if I needed it or not, but since everything is working I have left it ticked and it shouldnt hurt anything or waste any hard drive space. perhaps brian or someone else can verfy a few of my setting’s also as to what exactly needs to be ticked and why or what it does. My setting to me are working and as the old saying goes…“If it aint broke, dont fix it”…LOL…So I have left it alone and my all day and yesterday video’s, along with my live streaming webcam…has been working fine for past week or so, when I first set it up.

as far as how long it will take to create the first all day video, or at least part of the all day video…it will take at least one-two hours from your starting time. my start time is 5am, so around7;30 am I can start seeing it being created by just clicking on my all day video link on webpage. one of the options in setup specifies it to do this. it is a good option, so if visitor’s to your site come there before your stop creating time, they can at least see the current all day video up until the current time they came to your site, and if they want to see the entire day can always come back later, or viewe yesterdays video

once the video starts creating the two actual links that need to be on the page for my site are this:

http://www.gateway2capecod.com/videolastday.wmv
http://www.gateway2capecod.com/yesterday.wmv

your links/paths to your video’s should be same, except using your website address in replace of my ‘gateway2capecod.com’

if you need further help, just reply back with anymore questions.

Chris

Hello nordic,

I wasnt sure so I ticked it anyways…wont hurt anything so just tick it. all the old “all day video’s” can easily be deleted as time passes by…and with 80 gb hard drive you wont be running out of space too soon.

try my setting’s out and start it up for early morning your time, and see how everything goes…we can always help you more if for whatever reason something is not working.

to check yourself during day tommorrow, just go to “your web site+ videolastday.wmv”" link

Hi Chris,

Tusen takk as we say up here! I’m English but here in Norway that means ’ a thousand thanks’!

I have now downloaded the encoder. My WD version is some 6 months old and there are one or two extra boxes which showed in your screenshots - though I do have the boxes which you actually ticked. I do have an additional box which says ‘let WD control moviemaker’ or something but I think that won’t affect anything. I could upgrade etc but I normally end up with one or two more problems and I don’t fancy doing that just now if I can help it!

It’s 2am here and I have a busy day ahead and so I will tick the boxes and see what happens later in the day.

Cheers .