node-raspicam

A Node.js-based controller module for the Raspberry Pi camera.

Note: This should work well for photo and timelapse, video has yet to be tested but may work as well.

To Install

npm install raspicam

To Use

Require raspicam in your node app, then used the exposed constructor to create a RaspiCam object that you can use to take photos, start a timelapse, or record video.

var RaspiCam = require("raspicam");

var camera = new RaspiCam({ opts });

//to take a snapshot, start a timelapse or video recording
camera.start( );

//to stop a timelapse or video recording
camera.stop( );

//listen for the "start" event triggered when the start method has been successfully initiated
camera.on("start", function(){
	//do stuff
});

//listen for the "read" event triggered when each new photo/video is saved
camera.on("read", function(err, timestamp, filename){ 
	//do stuff
});

//listen for the "stop" event triggered when the stop method was called
camera.on("stop", function(){
	//do stuff
});

//listen for the process to exit when the timeout has been reached
camera.on("exit", function(){
	//do stuff
});

RaspiCam Constructor

The RaspiCam() constructor creates an object that can then be triggered to take a snapshot or start a timelapse or video recording. The constructor options mirror those offered by the raspistill and raspivideo commands provided by the Raspberry Pi Camera API.

RaspiCam Constructor Options for Photo and Timelapse

Required

• mode : String - "photo" or "timelapse"
• output : String - the path and filename where you want to store the photos (use sprintf-style variables, like %d, for incrementing timelapse photos)

Optional

• log : Function - logger function, defaults to console.log

Image parameter commands

Parameters with Values

• w, width : Integer or String - Set image width
• h, height : Integer or String - Set image height
• q, quality : Integer or String - Set jpeg quality <0 to 100>
• t, timeout : Integer or String - Time (in ms) before takes picture and shuts down (if not specified, set to 5s)
• th, thumb : String - Set thumbnail parameters (x:y:quality)
• e, encoding : String - Encoding to use for output file (jpg, bmp, gif, png)
• x, exif : String - EXIF tag to apply to captures (format as 'key=value')
• tl, timelapse : Integer or String - Timelapse mode. Takes a picture every ms

Flags

• r, raw : Add raw bayer data to jpeg metadata
• v, verbose : Output verbose information during run
• d, demo : Run a demo mode (cycle through range of camera options, no capture)

Preview parameter commands

Flags

Note: I've kept these in for completeness, but I'm not sure how they will be useful.

• p, preview : Preview window settings <'x,y,w,h'>
• f, fullscreen : Fullscreen preview mode
• op, opacity : Preview window opacity (0-255)
• n, nopreview : Do not display a preview window

Image parameter commands

Parameters with Values

• sh, sharpness : Integer or String - Set image sharpness (-100 to 100)
• co, contrast : Integer or String - Set image contrast (-100 to 100)
• br, brightness : Integer or String - Set image brightness (0 to 100)
• sa, saturation : Integer or String - Set image saturation (-100 to 100)
• ISO, ISO : Integer or String - Set capture ISO
• ev, ev : Integer or String - Set EV compensation
• ex, exposure : String - Set exposure mode (off,auto,night,nightpreview,backlight,spotlight,sports,snow,beach,verylong,fixedfps,antishake,fireworks)
• awb, awb : String - Set AWB mode (off,auto,sun,cloud,shade,tungsten,fluorescent,incandescent,flash,horizon)
• ifx, imxfx : String - Set image effect (none,negative,solarise,sketch,denoise,emboss,oilpaint,hatch,gpen,pastel,watercolour,film,blur,saturation,colourswap,washedout,posterise,colourpoint,colourbalance,cartoon)
• cfx, colfx : String - Set colour effect (U:V)
• mm, metering : String - Set metering mode (average,spot,backlit,matrix)
• rot, rotation : Integer or String - Set image rotation (0-359)

Flags

• vs, vstab : Turn on video stablisation
• hf, hflip : Set horizontal flip
• vf, vflip : Set vertical flip

RaspiCam Constructor Options for Video

Required

• mode : String - "video"
• output : String - the path and filename where you want to store the video (to write to stdout, use '-')

Optional

• log : Function - logger function, defaults to console.log

Image parameter commands

Parameters with Values

• w, width : Integer or String - Set image width (Default is 1920)
• h, height : Integer or String - Set image height (Default is 1080)
• b, bitrate : Integer or String - Set bitrate. Use bits per second (e.g. 10MBits/s would be 10000000)
• t, timeout : Integer or String - Time (in ms) to capture for. If not specified, set to 5s. Zero to disable
• fps, framerate : Integer or String - Specify the frames per second to record
• g, intra : Integer or String - Specify the intra refresh period (key frame rate/GoP size)

Flags

• v, verbose : Output verbose information during run
• d, demo : Run a demo mode (cycle through range of camera options, no capture)
• e, penc : Display preview image after encoding (shows compression artifacts)

Preview parameter commands

Flags

Note: I've kept these in for completeness, but I'm not sure how they will be useful.

• p, preview : Preview window settings <'x,y,w,h'>
• f, fullscreen : Fullscreen preview mode
• op, opacity : Preview window opacity (0-255)
• n, nopreview : Do not display a preview window

Image parameter commands

Parameters with Values

• sh, sharpness : Integer or String - Set image sharpness (-100 to 100)
• co, contrast : Integer or String - Set image contrast (-100 to 100)
• br, brightness : Integer or String - Set image brightness (0 to 100)
• sa, saturation : Integer or String - Set image saturation (-100 to 100)
• ISO, ISO : Integer or String - Set capture ISO
• ev, ev : Integer or String - Set EV compensation
• ex, exposure : String - Set exposure mode (off,auto,night,nightpreview,backlight,spotlight,sports,snow,beach,verylong,fixedfps,antishake,fireworks)
• awb, awb : String - Set AWB mode (off,auto,sun,cloud,shade,tungsten,fluorescent,incandescent,flash,horizon)
• ifx, imxfx : String - Set image effect (none,negative,solarise,sketch,denoise,emboss,oilpaint,hatch,gpen,pastel,watercolour,film,blur,saturation,colourswap,washedout,posterise,colourpoint,colourbalance,cartoon)
• cfx, colfx : String - Set colour effect (U:V)
• mm, metering : String - Set metering mode (average,spot,backlit,matrix)
• rot, rotation : Integer or String - Set image rotation (0-359)

Flags

• vs, vstab : Turn on video stablisation
• hf, hflip : Set horizontal flip
• vf, vflip : Set vertical flip

RaspiCam Object Methods

RaspiCam.start( )

Depending on the mode, this will either take a snapshot ("photo"), start a timelapse ("timelapse") or start a video recording ("video").

You can only call start() once on a RaspiCam object, as the same physical camera cannot do multiple captures at once.

Returns false if any errors, otherwise returns true.

Emits the following signals:

• start with payload (err, timestamp) when the capture process was started by a .start() method call
• read with payload (err, timestamp, filename) when a new file is saved (very useful for timelapses)
• exit with payload (timestamp) when the capture process exits via timeout

RaspiCam.stop( )

This stops any ongoing camera process.

Returns true if it stopped a process, otherwise returns false.

Emits the following signals:

• stop with payload (err, timestamp) when the capture process was stopped by a .stop() method call

RaspiCam.set( opt, value )

This is a setter - it sets any option you give it. Opt must be a string (eg. "width").

RaspiCam.get( opt )

This is a getter - it returns any option you give it. Opt must be a string (eg. "width").