Blue Iris UI3

[erkme73]

I'm not sure if the undocumented API I'm using to pull the video for export supports speed modification, but I've made a note to try. Any ideas on where/how the playback speed should be set for the export? I could just use whatever your current playback speed setting says, but that might confuse more people than not. And tweaked playback rate also disables audio.

Yes, that would be ideal - a check box to enable, and an input field to specify the multiplier - much like the BI console currently does. This way, the user can specify any level of compression. With BI, I've gone as high as 200x and the results have always been butter-smooth (vs. the choppy playback experienced when playing back at 16x or higher via the client player (IE, UI1-3). Audio integration is currently forfeited when exporting time lapse in the console as well. Small price to pay to compress a day-long clip to a few minutes.

After adding my 30th camera, my CPU has been redlining more than in should. I've done all tricks to reduce load, but ultimately what got me back to a manageable level was to make a few of the cameras direct-to-disc. By setting 5 cameras to D2D, my CPU dropped back below 50%. I wish I could leave it on, but rendering each frame on the fly while recording is apparently very hard on the CPU.

In any case, if there is a noteworthy event, when I use the console, I can tick the option to include the overlay, and it renders off as though I had never written to D2D. Just thought it'd be neat to do that from something other than the BI console - especially if it was a simple matter to incorporate.

A few people have asked for that. I keep telling them to make their camera embed its timestamp. LOL. But I've just now made a note to implement this. Upper-right corner of the clip player work for you?

I'd settle for anywhere, to be frank. Where ever you think it fits best and is the least amount of effort for you As for enabling the clock on the camera itself, that's obviously and option as well, but I'm sort of partial to the clean, consistent look of the BI overlays...

 

[actran]

I booted up the old mac and reproduced this error in Safari. I will fix shortly.

Wow, thank you.

 

[erkme73]

@bp2008, how can we donate to you for all you're doing? I feel like I'm taking advantage of you by submitting all these requests.

ETA: DOH! It's in the first post: Pay Brian Pearce using PayPal.Me

Get a few cold ones on me

 

[bp2008]

Why not place a checkbox option somewhere under the video that when checked will use the speed for export and if not checked, exports at real speed.

Yes, that would be ideal - a check box to enable, and an input field to specify the multiplier - much like the BI console currently does.

Yeah something like that ... unfortunately I just tried and the speed argument that normally controls playback rate does nothing when used with the command that exports from a clip. So for now I can't do it.

I've done all tricks to reduce load, but ultimately what got me back to a manageable level was to make a few of the cameras direct-to-disc

That is the first thing you should do Re-encoding reduces the quality and consumes more resources too. Blue Iris has nice timestamps but they aren't worth that.

Get a few cold ones on me

Thanks!

I'd settle for anywhere, to be frank. Where ever you think it fits best and is the least amount of effort for you As for enabling the clock on the camera itself, that's obviously and option as well, but I'm sort of partial to the clean, consistent look of the BI overlays...

Really I don't know why Blue Iris doesn't embed the configured overlays during clip playback. We know the timestamp can be added during local export as long as you re-encode the video, but playing the clips in a web interface always re-encodes the video. I'll ask Ken. Maybe he can add it easily but just hasn't gotten around to it. Otherwise it should be safe to put the timestamp into the playback controls area I suppose.

 

[lb88]

https://i.imgur.com/uQHMfkz.png
I'm getting this error in Firefox when I drag the red or green handle to export a clip
no such issues happen in chrome or edge
I tried with all extensions disabled and had the same results

both dom.streams.enabled and javascript.options.streams are enabled

 

[bp2008]

Version 19 is available now. bp2008/ui3

@lb88
This fixes that script error. I'm actually quite surprised it only happened in Firefox. Thank you for reporting.

@erkme73
This update adds the setting "Playback Controls: Real Timestamp When Streaming H.264". You'll find it in the "Extra" section near the bottom. I also emailed Ken last night asking if he could make overlays get added to direct-to-disc recordings during normal playback, since that would be a much better solution.

 

[actran]

@bp2008 I can confirm that the error I got with Mac Safari browser is now gone with v19. Thank you.

 

[erkme73]

Version 19 is available now. bp2008/ui3


@erkme73
This update adds the setting "Playback Controls: Real Timestamp When Streaming H.264". You'll find it in the "Extra" section near the bottom. I also emailed Ken last night asking if he could make overlays get added to direct-to-disc recordings during normal playback, since that would be a much better solution.

I am equal parts jealous of your ability and grateful for your willingness to share that ability. That works great! The only thing I'd ask is that, if possible, can it be made to stay on all the time (like the file name in the top left)? It disappears if not hovering, and also when scrubbing. It's 100% than not having it, but if beggars can be choosers

 

[bp2008]

can it be made to stay on all the time (like the file name in the top left)? It disappears if not hovering

Potentially. That is an argument in favor of making it a different kind of overlay instead of an item in the playback controls area. I just know the overlay is going to be in the way sometimes, and it is more complicated to implement.

First, I'd like to see if Ken will embed Blue Iris's overlays when playing recordings from a direct-to-disc camera. That is a much, much better solution than having UI3 do the timestamps.

and also when scrubbing

I used the jpeg streaming method for scrubbing, which doesn't give me access to the timestamp. It would have been a comical amount of work to keep the timestamp during scrubbing.

 

[erkme73]

I concur (as much as a layman can) that we should wait for Ken. Thx again!

 

[erkme73]

Since I appear to be monopolizing your time as of late I figured I'd let you know that I just pinged Ken about adding the overlay data to the H264 stream - since, as you point out, it has to be re-encoded anyway.

If he's able to implement that, as a side effect, it would result in HUGE performance gains to those of us with excess cameras. D2D uses considerably less CPU/GPU since each frame from each camera doesn't have to be encoded on-the-fly. By changing 5 of my 30 cameras from H264 to D2D, my CPU when from 80-90% to less than 40%. I'd love to have EVERY camera D2D, but have been reluctant to do so because of the loss of the overlay data.

If I could see the overlay data (with formatting, position, and content preserved) when playing back clips in real time (not just exporting) on a browser, I'd switch all cameras to D2D immediately. It would literally be the best of both worlds.

Hopefully I was able to communicate that properly in my email to Ken.

All that said, I do have another "request"/suggestion. The overlay that you have in UI3 auto-hides/fades away after x seconds of no mouse movement. How hard would it be to add an 'extra' feature that turns the ability to auto-hide "OFF". IOW, provide an option to leave the overlay on all the time?

 

[bp2008]

Hopefully I was able to communicate that properly in my email to Ken.

I hope so too. That would nullify the last major downside to using direct to disk, and it doesn't seem like it should be too hard.

All that said, I do have another "request"/suggestion. The overlay that you have in UI3 auto-hides/fades away after x seconds of no mouse movement. How hard would it be to add an 'extra' feature that turns the ability to auto-hide "OFF". IOW, provide an option to leave the overlay on all the time?

Yeah I guess I'll throw that into the next release. Maybe Ken will catch it for the next BI update.

 

[bp2008]

Get version 20 from here, @erkme73

bp2008/ui3

 

[AKE]

I hope so too. That would nullify the last major downside to using direct to disk, and it doesn't seem like it should be too hard.



Yeah I guess I'll throw that into the next release. Maybe Ken will catch it for the next BI update.

I just updated to your #19 release and used it to export a clip of someone stealing! The export process is perfect, just right click and align the markers to the start and stop. May i suggest being able to have a less sensitive/more detailed scrobble when choosing the beginning/end of a clip to export. With 6 hour clips its hard to drag the markers around with the mouse without skipping a bunch of frames. Thanks for the active development. [Windows 7, latest BI build, 7th gen i7, tested in chrome]

May I also suggest the ability to enable clappr's chromecast functionality. I took a look at their experimental chromcast plugin and it only requires passing in a few parameters to activate it. I will try to fiddle with player when I get the chance to see if it actually works.

 

[erkme73]

Get version 20 from here, @erkme73

bp2008/ui3

What took so long You're spoiling us!

I just updated to your #19 release and used it to export a clip of someone stealing! The export process is perfect, just right click and align the markers to the start and stop. May i suggest being able to have a less sensitive/more detailed scrobble when choosing the beginning/end of a clip to export. With 6 hour clips its hard to drag the markers around with the mouse without skipping a bunch of frames. Thanks for the active development.

Remember that you can enable skip ahead/back (by 10 seconds) buttons from the "extra" features. This really helps nail the proper times (vs. using the scrubber handle). You can, of course, also use the assigned hotkeys to move forward and back...

 

[bp2008]

I just updated to your #19 release and used it to export a clip of someone stealing! The export process is perfect, just right click and align the markers to the start and stop. May i suggest being able to have a less sensitive/more detailed scrobble when choosing the beginning/end of a clip to export. With 6 hour clips its hard to drag the markers around with the mouse without skipping a bunch of frames. Thanks for the active development.

Hi. I'm glad it could help. The loss of precision was a conscious decision for the sake of usability. The previous implementation (in version 15, which you can still download) let you be more precise, but it wasn't intuitive at all, and kind of a pain to use.

I suggest not using 6 hour clips

May I also suggest the ability to enable clappr's chromecast functionality. I took a look at their experimental chromcast plugin and it only requires passing in a few parameters to activate it. I will try to fiddle with player when I get the chance to see if it actually works.

I don't have a chromecast to test with, but I could give it a look. If you can tinker with the code and make it work, you could tell me what to change.

 

[bp2008]

Remember that you can enable skip ahead/back (by 10 seconds) buttons from the "extra" features. This really helps nail the proper times (vs. using the scrubber handle). You can, of course, also use the assigned hotkeys to move forward and back...

Yeah but those don't affect the export offset handles Maybe I could make it so...

But geez that would be a lot of work. You have no idea how much trouble it was making those handles move the seek position correctly like they do.

 

[erkme73]

Yeah but those don't affect the export offset handles Maybe I could make it so...

But geez that would be a lot of work. You have no idea how much trouble it was making those handles move the seek position correctly like they do.

Ah. How hard would it be to enable BOTH styles of clip start/stop capture? IOW, have an option to choose either the handles (as is current) or the set buttons (as in 15)? Or maybe implement a third that lets you use the right-click context menu to set existing scrubber point as start or end point? Easy for me to say, huh?

 

[bp2008]

Actually restoring v15's method, even optionally, would be not difficult. Setting scrubber points via a context menu item would not be difficult either. I could probably even go overboard and make the text position readout above each scrub handle into an editable text box. I'm not going to do that though.

 

[erkme73]

Actually restoring v15's method, even optionally, would be not difficult. Setting scrubber points via a context menu item would not be difficult either.

Right, so use the hot keys to get to the precise spot (10 second jumps), right-click "set start", then use hot keys to jump scrubber to end, right-click "set end"... The power of the 10 second and frame-by-frame buttons is immense - especially when you have very long clips. Mine are set to 24 hours!