Josh, is there a way to send updates of pictures to sharptools’ files? Here is the scenario I would like to solve. I currently send snapshots of the surveillance cameras to my WhatsApp account. Would it be possible to “send” these snapshots to sharptools, perhaps with a webhook? Failing that I am looking at uploading the pictures to a shared website as you posted above.
I would appreciate your consideration.
Theuns
A dedicated media host would be better suited if you need to send media updates.
Why do you need to send the snapshots to SharpTools rather than display them directly from the media surveillance tool?
Josh, thank you for responding so quickly. Our dashboard is a dedicated display to control just about all key tasks in the house. The room is sort of central to the house and to see who is pressing the door bell, or quickly see what is causing a noise at the back door, looking at the dashboard while activating some lights etc etc. would be more efficient. I am thinking of a scenario at, my wife alone at home, or maybe better said I am alone at home, (she can defend herself much better than I can hope to do). Back to the point, switching between applications to get a quick view of a snapshot is not really effective. My concern with a shared source is the delay between taking the snapshot, uploading to the service and then updating the dashboard. I was hoping that if I could send the snapshot directly to sharptools’s dashboard, the lag time is reduced. Alternatively I am also considering a second screen/device that can display only the cameras.
Another scenario would be to look at a snapshot on the dashboard on my phone while not at home.
I will see how effective the sharing to onedrive could work (mainly lag time), otherwise the separate screen/device might be the best solution.
Thank you once again for sharptools, it is the best dashboard system available.
Theuns
Does the source system offer a way to directly access the image snapshots?
Many surveillance systems let you access surveillance snapshots with a URL.
If Sharptools could make it so that http:// (none secured) would work for these connections to the NVR or DVR stream or snapshot then we could go direct. There are workarounds but these require additional computer servers with SSL certificates. Some NVR or DVR’s systems will make their own certificate but this doesn’t always work. I know, I have tried it. VCL or a web browser shows the stream works but once in Sharptools even the https:// fails more than works. (it works but intermittent and inconstantly)
https://admin:------@-------.ddns.net:440/cgi-bin/mjpg/video.cgi?channel=1&subtype=1
----- is replaced with password and the ddns server. It works in a browser but Sharptools is hit and miss.
Josh, Apologies for the delay, I managed to get back to this issue again. In the meantime I have tried to connect with OneDrive, and it appears as if the snapshot file is linked, which means if I replace the snapshot with a new version, the link is dropped. I also tried connecting directly to the cameras but it seems the snapshot file is similarly linked to a specific name and updating the file to the current snapshot breaks the link. I could however look at sharing the video, but that would add a bandwidth load I would not use, just pumping data for nobody to look at.
The easiest would be to the ability to send the snapshot by webhook to Sharptools, if at all possible. Currently I am sending the snapshots to my phone with WhatsApp and Telegram (as a test) and I found Telegram to be much more reliable and faster in receiving the snapshots. But then there is the question of do I want to use those platforms for snapshots. A detail I will have to consider later.
Best regards,
Theuns
PS. I think I broke something and have an issue sharing a dashboard, but I will create a new post for that.
