Animated GIF as camera source
- Thread starter BassTeQ
- Start date
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
Use search, as someone a while back added animated radar to a BI window, and detailed how he did it.
- May 10, 2017
- 67
- 9
I found the thread here : Pull as web image as a camera?
Although its using a static image and using a refresh interval to update it, so doesn't really work with an animated GIF.
fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
- 36,892
- 21,407
An update for all those in the past that have hoped for an animated GIF to be displayed as a camera in Blue Iris. I updated BI to 4.7.6.2 as @fenderman pointed out above and now have an animated weather radar image for a camera! This process has been of interest in the past to @Weather_Junkie , @Cameraguy , @awsum140 , @Mike A.
Instructions below:
First, go ==>> here <<== and find the 3-letter code for the weather radar you'd like to display; mine is Columbus, MS which is 'GWX'.
Next, create a camera and configure as below, in image #1.
For the path, copy and paste the code below but place YOUR 3-letter weather radar code in place of my 'GWX'. It's located near the beginning, preceded by "station=".
In image #2, change the 'Video' page's 'Max rate' to 2.0 seconds.
Image #1:
Image #2:
EDIT: It's advisable to change "Max Rate" in Image # 2 to 1 minute (60 seconds).
Instructions below:
First, go ==>> here <<== and find the 3-letter code for the weather radar you'd like to display; mine is Columbus, MS which is 'GWX'.
Next, create a camera and configure as below, in image #1.
For the path, copy and paste the code below but place YOUR 3-letter weather radar code in place of my 'GWX'. It's located near the beginning, preceded by "station=".
Code:
cgi-bin/radar/WUNIDS_map?station=GWX&brand=wui&num=6&delay=15&type=N0R&frame=0&scale=1.000&noclutter=0&showstorms=0&mapx=400&mapy=240¢erx=400¢ery=240&transx=0&transy=0In image #2, change the 'Video' page's 'Max rate' to 2.0 seconds.
Image #1:
Image #2:
EDIT: It's advisable to change "Max Rate" in Image # 2 to 1 minute (60 seconds).
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VERY COOL @TonyR! have you tried this with other radar images? Even neater would be to have this GIF show up as an overlay to an existing camera... Feature creep, I know. Thanks for pointing this out. I saw the new GIF line in the 'what's new' section but hadn't researched it yet. I appreciate you taking the time to walk us through the steps.
Not yet, hopefully soon...gotta run install a new PC for a local small town's utility dept., port all the mess over from a circa '07 Windows Vista machine (yikes!).
I'll update as I explore more later.
I'll do some dabbling too. FWIW, I took the URL and path and entered into the 'image path' for the video overlay on a camera and surprisingly it got me this:
Not surprisingly, it's a static image. Still, it means the local directory path can pull something in from a website. Definitely need to play more with it.
Not surprisingly, it's a static image. Still, it means the local directory path can pull something in from a website. Definitely need to play more with it.
Putting the overlay issue aside for now, have you been able to replay recorded clips? My BI says "file not found", and the client apps don't let me play back anything either.
ETA: Never mind - the problem seems to resolve when recording using the re-encode, but not when doing direct-to-disc.
ETA: Never mind - the problem seems to resolve when recording using the re-encode, but not when doing direct-to-disc.
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- May 10, 2017
- 67
- 9
Does the frequent polling of the radblast.wunderground.com URL cause them to black out the source? I've never watched my local Nashville radar (OHX), so I have no idea how often it goes off-line, but since starting this as a camera, I've noticed it drops out "Radar down for maintenance" quite often - maybe 20% of the time...
Could be, mine was at 2.0 secs and was down for 30 secs about every 1/2 hour. I changed to 4.0 secs and it's been up for an hour without missing a beat (as far as I know). Why don't you try 4.0 secs and we'll see.
Ok, did the same. I'll report back later if it drops out.
Do you have that camera recording at all? I thought it'd be neat to have the radar record so if you wanted to go back a few weeks/months to see what the weather was like on a given day, you could replay it. However, with the 6-frame loop, any recording shy of full frame rate results in unsychronized playback that makes the radar jump forward and backward. I tried using the alt/timelapse frame rate under record, but no matter what setting i pick, it still records at the video frame rate. First world problems!
Do you have that camera recording at all? I thought it'd be neat to have the radar record so if you wanted to go back a few weeks/months to see what the weather was like on a given day, you could replay it. However, with the 6-frame loop, any recording shy of full frame rate results in unsychronized playback that makes the radar jump forward and backward. I tried using the alt/timelapse frame rate under record, but no matter what setting i pick, it still records at the video frame rate. First world problems!
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
The NWS radars only update at the quickest rate of every 2-3 minutes, thats only during severe events when they have the radar set to SAILS. Other times it can be as long a 6-8 minutes between scan updates.
The NWS radar network has had lots of issue's the past month.
Their network has major overload problems during large severe outbreaks.
Wunderground has had lots of issue's the past 1yr.
Individual radar sites will go offline from time to time depending on equipment failures or phone line problems. Yes, lots of them are still using phone lines to transmit data.
I have not yet played with this in BI, but banging on WU's server every two to 4 sec's isn't gaining anything as far as the actual radar update.
You can check radar status here: NWS Level III Radar System
The NWS radar network has had lots of issue's the past month.
Their network has major overload problems during large severe outbreaks.
Wunderground has had lots of issue's the past 1yr.
Individual radar sites will go offline from time to time depending on equipment failures or phone line problems. Yes, lots of them are still using phone lines to transmit data.
I have not yet played with this in BI, but banging on WU's server every two to 4 sec's isn't gaining anything as far as the actual radar update.
You can check radar status here: NWS Level III Radar System
I have not yet played with this in BI, but banging on WU's server every two to 4 sec's isn't gaining anything as far as the actual radar update.
True, I just like seeing the motion restarted often, which quickly tells me which way the front is heading . I've been using 4 sec's for about 3 years now. This past year WU seems to go offline more than it used to, but not for long.
Thanks for the other info., too.