Hello
New to automation and looking into getting the Veralite or VeraEdge and Amcrest ProHD 1080P camera.
Will I be able to set scenes/triggers? Can’t find much info on the cameras.
I’ve had partial success getting images from my Amcrest IP3M-956E as a generic camera. If you are looking to set triggers on motion detection and such, then a plugin will have to be written. Old Foscams (non-HD versions) were able to send HTTP requests on a motion event, and thus you could have used something like the virtual motion sensor plugin (or the old Foscam plugin itself) to generate triggers within Vera.
Newer cameras seem to lack this functionality, (perhaps to push people to the manufacturers’ cloud storage service). I’m looking at the Amcrest CGI, and it might be possible to use one of its commands to generate events in Vera. I’ll be playing with it over the next few weeks to see if I can get something going.
If you want to take a look at it, the CGI can be downloaded here:
https://support.amcrest.com/hc/en-us/articles/213155128-Amcrest-HTTP-API-SDK-IP2M-841-
The command I am looking at is in section 6.10 (called “attach”)
[quote=“tedp, post:2, topic:193000”]I’ve had partial success getting images from my Amcrest IP3M-956E as a generic camera. If you are looking to set triggers on motion detection and such, then a plugin will have to be written. Old Foscams (non-HD versions) were able to send HTTP requests on a motion event, and thus you could have used something like the virtual motion sensor plugin (or the old Foscam plugin itself) to generate triggers within Vera.
Newer cameras seem to lack this functionality, (perhaps to push people to the manufacturers’ cloud storage service). I’m looking at the Amcrest CGI, and it might be possible to use one of its commands to generate events in Vera. I’ll be playing with it over the next few weeks to see if I can get something going.
If you want to take a look at it, the CGI can be downloaded here:
https://support.amcrest.com/hc/en-us/articles/213155128-Amcrest-HTTP-API-SDK-IP2M-841-
The command I am looking at is in section 6.10 (called “attach”)[/quote]
Something to think about. I use Blue Iris for managing my cameras… it’s far more powerful than trying to use Vera as a PVR. There is a great BI plugin that also include motion sensor capability for whatever camera you have in BI… I use it to switch all my tablets to a front door camera view when it detects motion. Otherwise, I use the BI apps for camera views most of the time.
Thanks for the comments!
I am looking more for a “if camera detects movement, turn the light on” action. If possible at all.
The camera will be saving to my FTP server, so no need for PVR. Just trying to take advantage of the motion sensor on camera.
So far, it seems the two will have to be on their own:
- Manage and record the camera on its own
- get a motion detection monitor supported by Vera, as well as bulbs.
[quote=“tedp, post:2, topic:193000”]If you want to take a look at it, the CGI can be downloaded here:
https://support.amcrest.com/hc/en-us/articles/213155128-Amcrest-HTTP-API-SDK-IP2M-841-
The command I am looking at is in section 6.10 (called “attach”)[/quote]
Thanks for that info, trying to make some sense out of it… Will keep trying. But if you have a link to some kind of API demo, let mw know.
New to all this whole automation thing…
Update 1:
So far, from reading AMCREST_CGI_SDK_API.pdf and testing on a browser, cannot get the VideoMontion on 6.10 to work.
http://192.168.18.115/cgi-bin/eventManager.cgi?action=attach&codes=VideoMotion
While these other two work fine:
http://192.168.18.115/cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi?channel=1
I get a pic of current footage
=============== 6.9 GetEventIndexes ================
http://192.168.18.115/cgi-bin/eventManager.cgi?action=getEventIndexes&code=VideoMotion
Answer: channels[0]=0
Any ideas?
I’m hoping to try and replicate what you did. The documentation isn’t clear if the command is a poll or sets up an unsolicited event. My camera is remote, so there are only limited tests i can run on it.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
I played with it for a bit, and I couldn’t get much out of it either. Without spending a ton of time investigating, it’s hard to imagine what is going on. My only guess is that perhaps, a long timeout is needed for the http response (i.e. keep the connection open), so WHEN an event happens, the response is received.
I’m probably going to give up on this camera and try a hikvision equivalent. Looking at their API [url=http://oversea-download.hikvision.com/uploadfile/Leaflet/ISAPI/HIKVISION%20ISAPI_2.0-IPMD%20Service.pdf]http://oversea-download.hikvision.com/uploadfile/Leaflet/ISAPI/HIKVISION%20ISAPI_2.0-IPMD%20Service.pdf[/url], (see section 8.11.31) you can generate http requests on events. Assuming it all works, you would be able to use the Virtual Motion Sensor plugin [url=http://apps.mios.com/plugin.php?id=8301]MiOS Apps to generate triggers for scenes within Vera.
I’ve kind of had it with this Amcrest camera.
Which model will you be trying? The only one listed as compatible on the vera list is https://www.amazon.com/Hikvision-DS-2CD2132-I-Fixed-Focal-Camera/dp/B00EJXK0I6. But then again, it does not seem to offer FTP video storage, which was the selling point for Amcrest over all those other cloud/smart cameras.
But I contacted Vera support and was told:
“The most important feature for a camera to work with the Vera unit, is to support the MJPEG Protocol and also to be able to have a URL method for obtaining a snapshot or JPG image.”
And the camera does have that with the following commands:
These two worked:
http://user:passwd@192.168.18.11/cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi?1
http://user:passwd@192.168.18.11/axis-cgi/mjpg/video.cgi?camera=0
Not sure if the last command is needed, but the camera does support mjpg for video encode modes
Waiting on support to see what would be next…
You contacted Vera support — you’re brave 
I have a DS2CD-2032F-I that I’ve been playing with. I haven’t integrated it to Vera yet, but what the support person told you is mostly correct. The way the baseline Vera works is to grab static jpeg images for display purposes. So the snapshot.cgi url is the one to use. I believe front-ends like altUI support direct streaming. For inside my house, I don’t use vera to see what is going on my cameras – I use an android app (ipcam viewer pro). I do use vera remotely for occasional monitors.
All that being said, if what you’re ultimately trying to do is to trigger a scene on motion, you don’t really need to even display the images or video from the camera through vera. What you need (and what I am trying to also do) is to send a MESSAGE from the camera to Vera when it detects motion. That’s the hard part – you can always do what another user suggested on this thread and just use BlueIris. For my application, I don’t want to spin up a computer just to run that software, but that’s probably the EASIEST thing to do.
As for the Hikvision – I’ll try seeing if I can get images to show up on Vera. The key thing I am trying to figure out now is to figure out how to form a http request from the Hikvision per section 8.11.31 of their API.
I attached implementation file for Amcrest HD cameras that enables Pan/Tilt/Preset control support in Vera
I tested it on my IP2M-841B-UK ProHD on Vera Edge
Zoom is untested as I don’t see the Zoom controls in UI7 but I still enabled the actions in LUA code and ZoomWIde & ZoomTele URLs seems to work from a browser.
Upload the I_Amcrest_ProHD.xml to Vera via Apps->Develop apps->Luup files
Set as implementation file for the Amcrest camera
Cameras->Amcrest->Advanced Settings->Extra Parameters->impl_file
In case you want to control Motion Detection from Vera these can be handy.
–Enable MotionDetect in scene LUUP code
luup.inet.wget(“http://:@/cgi-bin/configManager.cgi?action=setConfig&MotionDetect[0].Enable=true”,5)
–Disable MotionDetect in scene LUUP code
luup.inet.wget(“http://:@/cgi-bin/configManager.cgi?action=setConfig&MotionDetect[0].Enable=false”,5)
I use it to enable sending of motion detection alerts to my email.
It seems there is no direct way to make the camera let Vera know that motion detection has been tripped.
Thanks for the file. Installed with my IP2M-841B and it works great. Can Pan, Tilt and select presets. Makes the camera much more useful with my VeraPlus. Will try the motion code later.
Wow this is great thanks for writing this!!! Works on the IPM-721
Amcrest has published just one HTTP API specification, so it was more than likely this would work on all their PTZ cameras.
Set as implementation file for the Amcrest camera
Cameras->Amcrest->Advanced Settings->Extra Parameters->impl_file
Apologies for the newb question… i am not sure what to do with this portion on the vera plus.
any help would be appreciated.
dan
When I checked the develop apps Luup files i-amcrest was not listed. I then downloaded the amcrest pro hd attachment and opened it, but have no idea how to install that with my vera. Is there a step by step procedure I can follow? I have the IP2M-841 Thanks.
Okay finally got this to work … thanks for your help.
Imported the xml file …
xml file into the impl_file
the only URL that i could get to work on the click through and on veramate…
http:///cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi?3
@antilley It would be interesting to know which model and firmware you have ?
Naturally the implementation file brings additional functions for motorized Amcrest PTZ cameras only.
For fixed position cameras it brings nothing new.
This URL gives you snaphot image from the Amcrest and /cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi is what Vera should use as the URL variable (Under Advanced->Extra Parameters->Variables)
http:///cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi
You also get the video stream via browser, but these won’t work via the Vera I’m afraid :
Main Stream :
http:///cgi-bin/mjpg/video.cgi?channel=0&subtype=0
Secondary Stream :
http:///cgi-bin/mjpg/video.cgi?channel=0&subtype=1
[quote=“GaryTTirn, post:18, topic:193000”]@antilley It would be interesting to know which model and firmware you have ?
Naturally the implementation file brings additional functions for motorized Amcrest PTZ cameras only.
For fixed position cameras it brings nothing new.
This URL gives you snaphot image from the Amcrest and /cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi is what Vera should use as the URL variable (Under Advanced->Extra Parameters->Variables)
http:///cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi
You also get the video stream via browser, but these won’t work via the Vera I’m afraid :
Main Stream :
http:///cgi-bin/mjpg/video.cgi?channel=0&subtype=0
Secondary Stream :
http:///cgi-bin/mjpg/video.cgi?channel=0&subtype=1[/quote]
Hey, thanks for this GaryTTirn!!!
I love my Amcrest Cameras. How do we get Vera to officially support them? Amcrest is pretty popular i would think.
FYI, i just emailed support. I’ll let you guys know if they have any replies.