hi all
i've run into big troubles trying to use an usb cam with either gridflow or pdp, but it doesn't want to work in both. i wonder if i am doing big mistakes or what combination of drivers and cams work with gridflow.
history: # i tried two different models yet: -philips spc900nc -logitech quickcam pro 4000 both are supported by pwc-driver from http://saillard.org/linux/pwc/ . # together with that driver, there is also a usefull tool available 'setpwc', that is used to set some camera-specific settings, that are noth supported by 'dov4l', to commandline tool used to set general web-cam and tv-card settings. # both tools work fine here and i can test the various settings with the program 'camorama'. with camorama i have no troubles to display the picture from the cam and different options work fine (e.g. 320x240/30fps or 640x480/15ps). # but with neither pdp nor gridflow i had luck. for me it is more important that it works with gridflow, also because it is still maintained. that's why i post here only what i tried with gridflow # note: it seems that the according objects in gridflow and pdp [#in] and [pdp_v4l] overwrite some settings in the cam when instantiated. that makes it even more difficult to find a set of settings that just works. #
my steps to get a picture with the logitech quickcam pro 4000 and pd/gridflow:
-i plug the cam into the usb-plug
-'setpwc -d /dev/video1 -p' tells me all actual settings of the cam: <- setpwc v1.1, (C) 2003-2005 by folkert@vanheusden.com Current device: Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 VIDIOCPWCPROBE returns: Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 - 740 Serial number: Resolution (x, y): 320, 240 Offset: 0, 0 Framerate: 10 Brightness: 32256 Hue: 65535 Colour: 32768 Contrast: 0 Whiteness: 0 Palette: YUV 4:2:0 Planar Compression preference: 1 Automatic gain control: -1275 Whitebalance mode: auto Blinking of LED is not supported by the combination of your webcam and the driver. Sharpness: -1 Backlight compensation mode: off Anti-flicker mode: off Noise reduction mode: 1 Pan/tilt range is not supported by the combination of your webcam and the driver. Get pan/tilt position is not supported by the combination of your webcam and the driver. ->
-i test with 'camorama -d /dev/video1', if these settings work and they work-> i get a picture
-i send a message [open videodev /dev/video1, get( to [#in] <- [gf] [:VideoCapability, "Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000", 1, 1, 1, 480, 640, 120, 160] [gf] [:VideoWindow, 0, 0, 240, 320, 0, 655360, -1072189566] [gf] [:VideoWindow, 0, 0, 480, 640, 0, 0, 0] [gf] [:VideoWindow, 0, 0, 480, 640, 0, 655360, 0] [gf] [:VideoPicture, 32256, 0, 32768, 65535, 0, 24, 15] [gf] This card supports palettes: 12, 15 [gf] ioctl VIDIOCSPICT: Invalid argument [gf] [:VideoChannel, 0, "Webcam", 0, 0, 2, 16384] [gf] getting colour=32768 [gf] getting contrast=64512 [gf] ioctl VIDIOCGFREQ: Invalid argument [gf] getting hue=65535 [gf] getting brightness=32256 [gf] getting whiteness=65535 -> suddenly i don't know what VIDIOCSPICT and VIDIOCGFREQ mean, but it seems that gridflow tries some invalid settings here.
-i send [bang( to [#in] and i get: <- [gf] ioctl VIDIOCMCAPTURE: Invalid argument error: ArgumentError: ioctl error format/videodev.c.fcs:358:in `void FormatVideoDev::frame_ask(int, Ruby*)' [#in] ... you might be able to track this down from the Find menu. -> obviously gridflow still tries to send invalid settings to the cam and i get no picture.
- i try various colorspaces. when i send [colorspace YUV420P( to [#in],
i get: <- error: ArgumentError: can't handle palette 15 format/videodev.c.fcs:536:in `void FormatVideoDev::_0_colorspace(int, Ruby*, Symbol)' [#io:videodev in ] ->
-when i send [colorspace RGB24( to [#in], i get: <- [gf] ioctl VIDIOCSPICT: Invalid argument ->
-when i try any other colorspace, i get: <- error: ArgumentError: supported: RGB24, YUV420P format/videodev.c.fcs:523:in `void FormatVideoDev::_0_colorspace(int, Ruby*, Symbol)' [#io:videodev in ] -> which is at least a clear humanunderstandable message.
-when i send a [bang( again now, i get a different error: <- [gf] ioctl VIDIOCSYNC: Invalid argument error: ArgumentError: ioctl error format/videodev.c.fcs:423:in `void FormatVideoDev::frame(int, Ruby*)' [#in] ->
anyway, i'd really like to know what these codes like VIDIOCSYNC and such stand for. and why it is so easy to use a webcam with 'camorama' but so hard with pdp or gridflow. what models of cams do other people use?
any hints appreciated.
cheers roman
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