python code for taking images with webcam in Linux

Hey friends lets checkout a small, simple and cute python program for taking photos with with your webcam without the help of any third party application programs. Most probably the Ubuntu like linux distributions comes without a pre-installed application for imaging with webcam. I suggest this small piece of code because most of the linux distributions includes python  as pre-installed.

I have simplified the code to the extend that any newbie to python can understand it. Also you should install the following python library for this program to work. 

 # python-opencv

        You can install this library using synaptic package manager or apt. The package name is 'python-opencv'

Code

                                                                                                                                                                                       

   import os

   import datetime

   import opencv.adaptors

   from opencv import highgui 

   import Image

   def get_image(camera):

im = highgui.cvQueryFrame(camera)

      # Add the line below if you need it (Ubuntu 8.04+)

     im = opencv.cvGetMat(im)

     #convert Ipl image to PIL image

dir(im)

print "image taken"

     return opencv.adaptors.Ipl2PIL(im) 

   #_______________find usernae___________

   a=os.popen('whoami')

   l=a.read() 

   s=l.split('\n')

   uname=s[0]

   #______________find date n time  _________

   now = datetime.datetime.now()

   now = str(now)

  

   im=None

   camera= highgui.cvCreateCameraCapture(0)

   im = get_image(camera)

   os.chdir('/home/%s/Pictures' %(uname) )

   fname='image_'+now+'.png'

   im.save(fname, "PNG")

   ####  code ends here

                                                                                                                                                                                     

You can run this program using the terminal as follows

                                                           python camera.py                                                                                         

The images will be automatically stored inside the Pictures folder inside the home directory.

till the next post...