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How to disable video, but keep PTZ control on Logitech Orbit AF?
By: MartinBo Rank: Newbie Topics: 0 From: n/a	Added: 07/23/2010 - 12:59 AM Hi, I'm using AbelCam 3.2.3 with a Logitech Orbit AF on Windows XP Pro, SP3. Is there a way to configure AbelCam to only control the PTZ without accessing the video? I'm setting up a videoconference system with Skype and a Logitech Orbit AF. I want remote users to be able to control the PTZ on the camera, but I want the video to go through Skype. I don't want the video to go through the web server (I don't even want the web server to acquire video). I can remote control the camera, and sometimes I can get the video through Skype, but sometimes Skype cannot access the video (in the video settings, Skype displays "Cannot capture video. The camera may already be in use."). If, in the AbelCam camera configuration, I uncheck "Use Cam", then Skype can access the camera and I can make a video call, while still remotely controlling the PTZ through the web server. However, if I redisplay the web page, the remote control selection disappears from the web page, but I can continue controlling the PTZ in the Java applet. It seems that if I initiate the Skype video call before I start AbelCam, then everything works fine, but that seems cumbersome and error-prone for the users. Thanks, Martin
By: MelvinG Rank: Magna Cum Laude Topics: 661 From: Los Angeles, USA	Added: 07/23/2010 - 11:15 AM I don't think you're going to be able to do what you want without modifying the Web pages that come with AbelCam (they're just examples, after all) or making your own page. Those included pages seem to include an assumption that if Use Cam if off you don't want anything to do with that cam appearing on the pages. Reasonable assumption for most users' needs, but... You should probably turn on your cam (for now) and look at the source of the working Java page. Easier to use browser's View Source than to try to figure it out initially by looking at the files themselves because there's a lot of confusing SSI stuff that you don't really need to get distracted by. Anyway, once you're looking at the source it's pretty obvious where the Java applet embeds are. "Abelcamstreaming" is the video, "Abelabs" is the PTZ controller. Make a new page that basically just embeds "Abelabs" and you're all set.
By: MartinBo Rank: Newbie Topics: 0 From: n/a	Added: 07/23/2010 - 12:35 PM MelvinG, Thanks for the tip! So, if I understand correctly, turning off "Use Cam" will reliably let AbelCam control the PTZ, but prevent it from acquiring video. I'll just edit the web page and report back here. Martin
By: MelvinG Rank: Magna Cum Laude Topics: 661 From: Los Angeles, USA	Added: 07/23/2010 - 01:47 PM "So, if I understand correctly, turning off "Use Cam" will reliably let AbelCam control the PTZ, but prevent it from acquiring video." Correct. That is probably the simplest way to do it. A more "correct" method would be to Remove your cam from AbelCam's device list, then do Add Cam but don't add your cam - add a "P-T Only" instead and then config the P-T Only device to use your Orbit's PTZ. But yeah... turning off the cam and just leaving PTZ on is perfectly legitimate as far as AbelCam is concerned. Once you do a File->Save with it set that way, it should stay set correctly on subsequent program start-ups. The only reason you ran into trouble doing it like this is because of how the sample web pages work (using scripts and SSIs that look to see which cams are fully on).
By: MartinBo Rank: Newbie Topics: 0 From: n/a	Added: 07/24/2010 - 12:53 AM From MelvinG: do Add Cam but don't add your cam - add a "P-T Only" How do I do that? I see the "Add Cam" button in the "Cameras" screen. When I click that, the only device listed is my cam, and the only Capture Interface option is TyCapture. In my camera configuration, I can uncheck "Use Cam", but I see no option to add a "P-T Only". Martin
By: MelvinG Rank: Magna Cum Laude Topics: 661 From: Los Angeles, USA	Added: 07/24/2010 - 04:34 AM Hmmm. What I'd expect to see listed in the Add Cam dialog is your cam plus 2 "generic devices": P-T Only, and Web Video. If you haven't already tried this, turn on Expert Mode (goto Configuration->Options, check the "I am AbelCam Expert" box, then File->Save, then restart AbelCam). If that doesn't make P-T Only and Web Video devices sppear then I guess the next question would be whether your license is Free or Pro. I don't actually know if license type has anything to do with this or not and I can't really try it out here. Having said all that... there's nothing wrong with your original idea to just turn off the cam and leave PTZ turned on. That will work - when you uncheck Use Cam the cam's video stream is totally released and Skype or whatever should be able to use it just fine. I only brought up P-T Only as a slightly cleaner way to accomplish the same thing...