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Remote Control Program
Set Up and Operation
SeeMore Wildlife System Inc.
Getting Started
Seemore’s robotic camera system is so simple to
install and operate, even biologists can use it! We want your experience setting up our remote
video systems to be as enjoyable as the process of operating the system and
collecting data. As you get started, please explore and
use the system’s capabilities. Nothing
you do at the receive location can damage the remote system, so please feel
free to press all the buttons, go through the menus and explore. Also, please let us know your experience and
suggestions so that we can continue to improve our product.
This document
includes the following information:
1.
Starting
the software
2.
Overview
of camera control software
3.
Sending
the first commands
4.
Connecting
via the serial port
5.
Connecting
via the Internet
6.
Viewing
streaming video
7.
Ports
and Firewalls
8.
Turning
power on/off for the remote system
9.
Camera
control overview
10.
Learning
to move the camera
11.
Additional
Functions
a.
Wiping
the lens
b.
Squirting
the lens
c.
Preset
positions
d.
Snapping
pictures
e.
Capturing
video
12.
Automated
Tasks
a.
Time
Lapse (JPEG and Bitmap)
b.
Auto
Wiper
c.
Auto
Voltage Monitoring
d.
Auto
Moves
e.
Auto
Infrared
13.
Scheduled
camera moves
14.
Using
the JPEG stills playback feature
15.
Adding
cameras
16.
Using
the program as a server
Starting the Camera Control Software:
Turning on the remote cameras is
simple. First, look for the Puffin on
the desktop and double click.
The SeeMore Remote Control Program
will launch, and you will see the picture shown below. Note the camera select button, the
left/right/up/down buttons and the zoom buttons. There is also a tab strip near the bottom of
the screen with the labels: Preset, Pictures,
Wipers etc.
Also note the connection status display in the lower right corner.
Overview of the Camera Control Software:
Program Overview: Camera select. Camera
movement by these buttons or by clicking on screen. Zoom level select. Connection
status. Preset positions.
Sending the First Command:
Next, click on the Camera
button. If you are connecting to a
camera system via the comm. port of your computer (serial connection), then
please be sure that you see a green Serial Port Output box in the lower right
side of the screen, just above the puffin.
If you are connecting over the Internet, please be sure the box above
the puffin is green and reads, “Connection Up”.
If you are confused about which
message you should be seeing, please see the “*” below. If you know which you should be seeing, but
the wrong message is showing, please go to the “Changing Outputs: Serial or
Internet” section below.
Sending the First Command: Press the camera command
button.
* Some people have trouble understanding
whether they should be connecting to a system over the internet or through
their serial port. If your computer has
a cable plugged into its serial port, and that cable goes to a radio
transmitter which is connected to an antenna on your roof, then you are probably wanting to send commands out your serial
port. If, however, you are connecting to
a camera system in another city, state, or continent, or if you are connecting
to a SeeMore Satellite system, you will want to connect via the Internet. In this case, please go to Connecting Over the Internet.
Connecting Via the
The Serial Port Output means that
the commands you are sending are going to the radio transmitter—which is what
you want if you are not connecting to a camera system via the Internet. *
When you see this, then you are
ready to send commands to the serial port.
Note that the Red dot will remain red. This is OK.
Note: If you do not
see
* Some people have trouble
understanding whether they should be connecting to a system over the internet
or through their serial port. This can
be confusing, so please don’t feel bad if it doesn’t make clear sense to
you. Here are the questions:
If your computer has a cable
plugged into its serial port, and if that cable goes to a radio transmitter
which is connected to an antenna on your roof, then you are probably wanting to
send commands out your serial port.
If, however, you are connecting to
a camera system in another city, state, or continent, or if you are connecting
to a SeeMore Satellite system, you will want to connect via the Internet. In this case, please go to Connecting Via the Internet.
Connecting Via the Internet:
If you are connecting to a camera via
the Internet then the box above the puffin should read either, “Camera Control
Link OK” or “Camera
Control Link Down”. This means that your
computer is set up to connect over the Internet. If you know that you should be connecting via
the Internet, and you see the
Connection over Internet or
LAN: This label message must
appear. If the label is red, you
will not be connected and you will not have control.
If you are trying to connect to a
remote camera system via the Internet, then you should understand that when you
first click one of the camera buttons, your computer attempts to contact the
computer at the IP address specified in the Remote Camera Address form (For
more information on this, please see “Adding Cameras” below). If after you press the camera button the
button turns green, then you are connected.
If the button stays red and says “Connection Dn”
then there is either a problem with your internet connection or with the remote
server machine. Please see
troubleshooting for more on this.
Once you are connected to the
remote machine, you can begin controlling the cameras.
Getting
Video Over the Internet:
Once your Remote Control is ready
to send commands, it is almost ready to receive video. There are only two additional things you need
to do. You probably already did the
first task—which is setting up the IP address for the ViewPort. You probably did this when you set up the
address for the control address. To
check or change this, press
Ctrl + A. You can also see
the section Adding a Camera for more on this.
The second thing you will need to
do is install a CODEC to match the CODEC used at the server location. A CODEC is a software program that can
compress data and then decompress it. At
the server location, a CODEC is used to compress the video data. At the client location (your location), the
SAME CODEC receives data arriving over the Internet. The CODEC decodes the data and produces the
images you see. Here’s what you need to
do:
On your installation CD or at the
SeeMore Wildlife Systems Inc. web site, get the most current CODEC. For example, this might be a file called Xvid. Launch the
program and install it onto your computer.
Once it is installed, you will see nothing different, and you don’t need
to do anything else. The Remote Control
program will simply find the CODEC when it needs it, and video will then be
delivered.
Connecting and viewing video:
When you press a camera button,
you are instructing the Remote Control to establish a camera control connection
and a video streaming connection. You
will see a progress bar above the camera control status display. You will also see a small red circle. The red circle is the Streaming
Indicator. This indicator will flash
green each time a new video frame arrives.
Connecting to Video Stream: Video arriving circle (turns
green when each new video frame arrives). Progress bar
when connecting to new stream.
Ports and Firewalls:
The Remote Control program
connects over ports 9001-9010. If you
have a firewall in your facility, you will need open up these ports. Additionally, these ports will need to be
open at the server location.
If your machine is being used as a
server to stream to the Internet, you will need to open up other ports. These will be specific to the streaming
program you are using (Real, Windows Media, etc.)
Turning On the Remote Camera System (Turning power ON):
Turning the system on is
simple. You only need to turn the system
on if you do not have a picture on the computer or on the TV. There are three things that need to happen to
turn the system on: 1. Turn on the transmitter.
2. Turn on the camera. 3. Select a camera for viewing. All of these can be done with one button,
which is shown below. To get to this
button, click on the Power Management tab.
Power Management Select the Power Management.
Once you click on Power
Management, the form below will be displayed.
To turn the system On, press the System ON button.
To turn on the system On, press
Turning On the System: Press Note that the text box on the
left must read 20.
Turning Off the System: Press System OFF. Note that the text box on the
left must read 20.
To turn off the system, press the
System OFF button.
Controlling the Cameras:
To control Camera 1, press the
Camera 1 button.
To control the camera: Press the Camera 1 button.
.
Moving the Cameras:
At this point, you should have a
picture on your computer screen and/or television monitor (if not connected
over the Internet). If you do not have a
picture, then please proceed to the troubleshooting section. If you have a picture, then it’s time to
begin controlling the camera.
You can move the camera two ways:
Basic Movements:
You can press the
Right/Left/Up/Down buttons to move the camera.
You can then press the zoom position you want.
Moving the camera: Click on the Up/Down/Left/ Right button
with the left mouse button. Left click on the Zoom level
button to zoom in.
Faster image select:
You can also click on the picture
and the camera will center on the place you select. If you click on the picture and then hold the
left mouse button down and drag the mouse, you can draw a square around the
area you want to view. The camera will
move to this position. If you “Right
Click” once, the camera will zoom out one level. If you “Double Right
Click”, the camera will zoom out all the way.
Click and Drag: Left-Click on the screen and
drag a square around the area you want to view. Let up on the mouse and the camera will
move. Right-click
to zoom out to the next wider level. Double-right click to zoom out
all the way.
Getting Familiar:
Now that you have control of the
camera, begin exploring the camera’s world.
Within a few hours, you will completely master the operation of the
system. Please feel free to write to us
with any questions or suggestions about this document or our system.
Additional Functions:
Cleaning the Lens:
If rain or sea-spray dots the
lens, you can easily clean it by sending a Wipe Lens command. Simply click on the Wiper tab, and then
select Full Lens Wipe.
Click on the Wiper and Squirt
tab: This will open the wiper and
squirt menu.
Wiper Menu Options: Full Lens Wipe Half Lens Wipe Squirt
Full Lens Wipe: Press this button and the wiper will cycle
right-left-right and then it will park on the right side.
Half Lens Wipe: Press this button and the wiper will cycle
right to left only. It will then park on
the left side. This can be a useful
function if the Full Lens Wipe function leaves a streak across the lens.
Squirt: If the spots on your lens are from rain, you
probably will not ever need the squirt button.
If, however, your spots are from salt spray, then use the squirt button. Press it once and water will begin running
down the lens. Follow this with a Full
Lens Wipe to clean the lens.
Two notes on the squirt: 1. You must add water to the camera for the squirt to function.
2. If the squirt reservoir is
over-filled then water will drip out the squirt tube and onto the lens until
the water level is lowered.
Setting Presets: You
can store up to 40 preset positions. Storing and then retrieving the positions is
just about the simplest thing you can imagine.
Simply move the camera to an interesting position (pan/tilt/zoom to a desired
location), and then Right-Click on any of the preset buttons. A dialog box will ask if you want to store
the current position. Select “Yes”, and you are finished.
To go to a position, simply Left-Click on any of the
preset buttons.
Presets: Right Click to save. Left Click to go to.
To access positions 21-40, simply
press on the 21-40 button. Getting back
to the originals is the same process… simply press the button again.
You may also vary the speed at
which the camera will go to the next preset position. The default is high speed, but you can also
click the “Slow Moves” button to greatly slow things down.
Presets: Slow/Fast moves. Select Position 21-40.
Snapping
pictures:
To snap a
picture simply left click the Snap Picture button.
Snapping Pictures: Left click the Snap Picture Button.
All pictures are placed in the C:/SWS/Still_Pictures/Today’s date
folder. Each day a new folder is
automatically created. The still
pictures will be assigned a file name similar to:
Round_Island_1_15_03@ 11_42_18
AM_0_.jpg
Location Name Date Time Zoom/Preset level
Note: The final number will be either the zoom
level or Preset position. If the system
is snapping pictures during an Auto Cycle, then the file name includes the
position number to help researchers review multiple locations. If the camera was positioned by the user,
then this number reflects the current zoom position.
Image Capture Options:
You can select JPEG or
Bitmap. You can also select Noise-Free
image capture.
Selecting JPEG or Bitmap:
To select
JPEG or Bitmap, select Interface Options/Interface Set Up/Program Set Up. You can also select Ctrl + P.
Select
Image Capture:
Select Image Capture: Left click the Image Capture
Tab
Select JPEG
or Bitmap option.
Image Capture Select: Left click JPEG or Bitmap Noise Free Still
Selecting Noise Free Image Capture:
Noise
Free Image Capture provides a method by which still images can be captured with
transmission-related noise reduced or eliminated. If this is selected, the camera will freeze
for up to 10 seconds when a still image is snapped, and the computer will
create a still image file during this time.
Recording video:
You have two ways to record
video. You can either capture video by
pressing BackCapture or by pressing Capture
Video. Press BackCapture
to record events that happened in the previous 10 to 60 seconds. Press Capture Video to begin recording and
then press the button again to stop recording.
All video clips are placed in the C:/SWS/Video_Clips/Today’s date.
You can change the quality of the
videos recorded. The
higher the quality, the larger the files. Change the video quality by selecting: Interface
Options/Interface Set Up/Program Set Up.
You can also select Cntr + P.
Select the number of Frames Per Second (FPS), and change the number of seconds for BackCapture.
Video Capture Settings: Select the Frames Per Second for video recording Input the number of seconds for
BackCapture.
Auto Tasks:
There are several functions that
can be triggered automatically by the program.
These functions can occur during specific hours of the day to help
customize data collections.
Press Cntr
+ P to display the Program Set Up window.
Then select Auto Functions.
Auto Functions: Start time: Stop time: Time Lapse Auto Wipe Voltage Check Auto Moves Auto Picture Capture Auto Infrared
Time Lapse Enable:
Select this option and the program
will capture an image (JPEG or Bitmap) every X seconds during the Start/Stop
time.
Auto Wipe Enable:
Select this option to command the
camera to wipe the lens every X minutes.
This is useful during rainy days/weeks.
The Auto Wipe will occur during the Stop/Stop time.
Check Voltage:
This is a useful function for
monitoring power at one location. We
recommend checking the voltage every 60 minutes. The data collected is placed in the SWS
folder.
Enable Auto Moves and Auto Picture Snap:
Both of these commands can be
accessed in the Schedule form accessed on the main screen. These are described in Scheduling Auto Moves.
Auto Infrared:
The camera may be commanded to
switch from visible light to infrared at a specified hour and then be switched
back to visible light at another hour.
Note that the Enable Aux Power option will send commands to the camera
to enable a 12 vdc switch on the camera. This switch can be used to power an infrared
illuminator on a desired schedule.
Scheduling Auto Camera Moves:
You may want to program several
preset positions and then create a schedule for the camera to move through
these. To begin the process, please
become familiar with the Schedule manager below.
Enable Auto Moves: With this selected, Auto Moves will operate.
a.
Enable Auto Pictures: With this selected, a still image will be
captured with each preset camera move.
Use this feature if you want to survey a large area and then record data
of each target area. This is an ideal
function if you need to survey or cover a large are a for population
counts. When pictures are automatically
captured, their filename includes the preset position number. See Using the JPEG Stills Playback Feature
for more
information on sorting and viewing these files.
Enable Auto Resume: This function allows you to interrupt the
auto move sequence at any point. The
program will wait for the number of minutes entered in the text-box, and then
the schedule will resume from its last location. For example, if the camera is scanning an
area for a seal, and at some point a researcher sees an animal in the camera,
then the researcher may instantly interrupt the auto scan. The researcher may move the camera, zoom
in/zoom out as desired. When these moves
are completed, the auto scan will resume automatically without the researcher
doing anything.
This function can also be very
useful if the program is used in an interpretive environment. Here, a visitor may move the camera and then
walk away—leaving the camera pointed at something interesting or
not-so-interesting. Regardless, the
program will automatically reenter its auto loop and provide quality images to
a viewing audience.
Restart Every (x) Hours: This is a great
feature, but it is a little complicated.
If you do not check this box, then the auto schedule will start at the
Loop Start Hour, and it will keep recycling until the Loop Stop Hr. If this box is checked, then the auto
schedule will start at the Loop Start Hour, and it will stop after if completes
a single loop. The auto schedule will
remain idle until the number of hours have passed since the last auto
schedule. For example, if the Loop Start
Hour is
At
At
Every
2 hours the Auto Schedule will cycle again.
Setting the Auto Schedule
Function: