Change Can Be Hard
We finally had a successful automated upload from the local machine to the YouTube channel and we are pleasantly surprised to be honest. Having had… Read More »Change Can Be Hard
We finally had a successful automated upload from the local machine to the YouTube channel and we are pleasantly surprised to be honest. Having had… Read More »Change Can Be Hard
I have recently moved all of the software running this project to a single 2023 M3 iMac. This also required making some changes to the… Read More »Updating the VT FarmCam Process
This post is an update to one written in 2018 as the process and software used has changed since then.
Over the years I have had requests to share the details of how I do the technical things that power the FarmCam. Below are instructions for using EvoCam to share still images as well as timelapse videos on a website to which you have FTP access.
Unfortunately, EvoCam is no longer being developed so everything in this article will likely focus on Version 5.0 (64-bit preview 3) of the software. At the time of this writing one can still download the software from reputable sites; however, if you cannot find it, email me. I can provide the DMG file, but I do not provide support for the software! EvoCam works only on macOS, and I have tested it up to: macOS Sonoma Version 14.3.1 and current run it on my Apple Silicon (M3) iMac (2023).
Read More »Simple Timelapse Videos and MoreLast December I ordered a new 4k camera with a plan to swap it for the Hikvision camera which has been in place since January 2016. When the Amcrest UltraHD 4K arrived I connected it in my office and ran some tests for streaming, and time-lapse. Satisfied, I still waited until June to mount and connect the new Amcrest camera, swapping out the Hikvision.
Read More »Amcrest Addition AbandonedAs you may recall there has been a lot of effort (by me) put into trying to make EvoCam as efficient as it can be in regard to its resources usage. I figured if the software has been abandoned I have two choices: learn to program and roll my own EvoCam clone or do what I can to keep it alive, and hope that I find a replacement. Long time readers (LOL) know that I chose the latter, because the former would take too long, and probably drive me mad.Read More »Don’t (Kernel) Panic! 🤪
Recently I wrote about night vision and green screen, and I assumed that it was a trade off. It kind of is, but maybe not in the way I thought.
Every time I make a change to EvoCam or to the Hikvision settings, something new occurs. Not necessarily good or bad, just new. And times like this I am simply baffled.
Again, it’s time to look under the hood.
When I woke this morning, I was pleased to see that all systems were go, and things appeared to be behaving themselves. Then I got to work, opened my Air, connected to the iMac via screen share, and … grey screen?
Sigh.
Look, I have never claimed to be an expert on anything. I hunt and peck my way around the keyboard, and do the same when it comes to figuring shit out.
I like to pretend that what I am creating with the FarmCam Project is like software development; each tweak or improvement a new version. Sometimes it feels that way as I wrestle with EvoCam to get the most out of the abandoned software, that has gone dark without explanation. I can’t just make a support request or post to a support forum. If there are diehard EvoCam enthusiasts, I have no idea where to find them.
These instructional entries are here for two reasons. One, I hope to help others who may have similar interests — or needs — to my own. Secondly, if I don’t write this stuff down somewhere, I am likely to break something and forget WTF I did. These are my own manuals in some sense. Hence, many entries with lots of guess work and promises to report back later. Most of the time I forget to do some things in advance, and I am left wondering if a change will make any difference at all. Other times, I’m not patient enough to test things before I write about them here. [This is another of those times!]Read More »Do As I Say, Not As I Did
I turned to cron/crontab in order to run an Automator application and Transmit to (sometimes) smoothly synchronise the daily movies on my iMac with those on the remote server. Then I learned much of the hard work I was scripting could be done from within my beloved EvoCam. However, EvoCam does not appear to be able to handle the archiving part of the operation. At least not to my specifications.
This process has been updated as of 1 March 2024. Please refer to the newer version.
Over the years I have had requests to share the details of how I do the technical things that power the FarmCam. Below are instructions for using EvoCam to share still images as well as timelapse videos on a website to which you have FTP access.
Unfortunately, EvoCam is no longer being developed so everything in this article will likely focus on Version 5.0 (64-bit preview 3) of the software. At the time of this writing one can still download the software from reputable sites; however, if you cannot find it, email me. I can provide the DMG file, but I do not provide support for the software! EvoCam works only on macOS, and I have tested it up to: macOS High Sierra Version 10.13.6 on my Mac Mini (Mid-2011).
Read More »EvoCam for Simple Timelapse and More