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Camera (Timelapse)

Take timelapse photos with a Raspberry Pi camera and automatically generate an MP4 on a daily basis. Optionally upload the daily timelapse to YouTube.

Getting Started

  • Use Raspberry Pi Imager to install Raspberry Pi OS Lite (Bookworm) on a microSD card
  • Use raspi-config to:
    • Enable the CSI camera interface
    • Set up your WiFi connection
  • Connect the Raspberry Pi camera to your Raspberry Pi

Installation

Installation of the program, as well as any software prerequisites, can be completed with the following two-line install script.

wget -q https://raw.githubusercontent.com/eat-sleep-code/camera.timelapse/master/install-camera.timelapse.sh -O ~/install-camera.timelapse.sh
sudo chmod +x ~/install-camera.timelapse.sh && ~/install-camera.timelapse.sh

Usage

camera.timelapse <options>

Options

  • --interval : Set the timelapse interval (default: 10)
  • --framerate : Set the output framerate (default: 60)
  • --rotate : Rotate the camera in 90° increments (default: 0)
  • --exifFStop : Set the numeric F-Stop value in the image EXIF data (default: Not specified)
  • --exifFocalLength : Set the numeric Focal Length value (mm) in the image EXIF data (default: Not specified)
  • --exifFocalLengthEquivalent : Set the numeric 35mm Focal Length value (mm) in the image EXIF data (default: Not specified)
  • --outputFolder : Set the folder where images will be saved (default: dcim/)
  • --retention : Set the number of days to locally retain the captured files (default: 7)
  • --waitUntilAnalysis : Set whether to perform an initial analysis. (default: False)
  • --renderVideo : Set whether a video is generated every 24 hours (default: True)
  • --uploadVideo : Set whether to automatically upload videos to YouTube (default: False)
  • --privacy : Set the privacy status of the YouTube video (default: public)

Example

camera.timelapse --rotate 180 --exifFStop 2.2 --exifFocalLength 2.75 --exifFocalLengthEquivalent 16 --retention 14 --uploadVideo True

Tip

The EXIF data shown above is completely optional but may prove useful when using captured images with third-party applications such as photogrammetry software.

Automatic YouTube Upload

  • Copy config.json.example to a new file called config.json.
  • Sign in to the Google APIs & Services console.
  • If necessary, create a new Project.
  • Expand the left menu and select the Enabled APIs & services menu item.
  • Click the + ENABLE APIS AND SERVICES button.
  • Search for – and enable – the YouTube Data API v3.
  • Select the Credentials menu item from the left menu.
  • Click the + CREATE CREDENTIALS button and select OAuth client ID from the dropdown menu that appears.
  • ❗ Select Desktop app from the Application Type dropdown menu. Selecting any other option from the list will make authentication impossible. ❗
  • Enter an appropriate value in the Name field and click the Submit button.
  • From the screen that appears, copy the Client ID and Client Secret and paste them in the appropriate places within the config.json file you created in the first step.
  • Open a terminal and execute ./camera.timelapse/setup-youtube-device-trust.sh. You will be prompted to open a link in the browser.
  • You will receive a warning about only continuing if you trust the requestor. If you trust yourself, advance to the final step to complete the authentication process.
  • Be sure to set --uploadVideo to True when you launch camera.timelapse to automatically upload the new videos after they are created each day.

Autostart Timelapse Sequence

Want to start the timelapse sequence every time you boot your Raspberry Pi? Here is how!

  • Review /etc/systemd/system/camera.timelapse.service
    • If you would like to add any of aforementioned options you may do so by editing the service file.
  • Run ~/camera.timelapse/install-camera.timelapse.service.sh

Infrared Cameras

If you are using an infrared (IR) camera, you will need to modify the Auto White Balance (AWB) mode at boot time.

This can be achieved by executing sudo nano /boot/config.txt and adding the following lines.

# Camera Settings 
awb_auto_is_greyworld=1

Note

While IR cameras utilize "invisible" (outside the spectrum of the human eye) light, they can not magically see in the dark. You will need to illuminate night scenes with one or more IR lights to take advantage of an Infrared Camera.

Tip

If you are using a Raspberry Pi with 1GB – or less – of memory, you may wish to increase your SWAP file to match your memory size as outlined in this third-party guide.

Important

This application was developed using a Raspberry Pi V3 12MP (2023) camera and a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W board. This application should also work without issue with Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi 4B, Raspberry Pi 3B and 3A, and Raspberry Pi Zero W boards. This application should also work with Raspberry Pi HQ (2020) cameras. Issues may arise if you are using either third party or older hardware.