Image Capture on Windows 8 Tablet

Question

I'm working with a Dell Latitude ST2 tablet. It's running Windows 8 Pro on an Intel Atom processor.

I'm trying to do a simultaneous image capture from both the front and rear facing cameras. I'm messing around with the code from here: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/18511/Webcam-using-DirectShow-NET

I can only get the rear facing camera, and even then the image capture doesn't work. The stream is just fine. (Less concerned about this than I am the dual streams.)

The two image sensors in the tablet are OV8830 and OV2720.

Also, is there a better API or method rather than using DirectShow for what I'm trying to accomplish?

Thanks!

Edit: I forgot to mention I'm working in VB. I'd prefer to stick with an Windows Forms Application.

Answer 1

I have tried this method just a day back with small modifications in the code.For me the image stream as well as the capture is working great.i will place my code here.you can have your modification for application to work for you.

 Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports System.IO

Public Class FrmCam
    Const WM_CAP As Short = &H400S
    Const WM_CAP_DRIVER_CONNECT As Integer = WM_CAP + 10
    Const WM_CAP_DRIVER_DISCONNECT As Integer = WM_CAP + 11
    Const WM_CAP_EDIT_COPY As Integer = WM_CAP + 30
    Public Const WM_CAP_GET_STATUS As Integer = WM_CAP + 54
    Public Const WM_CAP_DLG_VIDEOFORMAT As Integer = WM_CAP + 41
    Const WM_CAP_SET_PREVIEW As Integer = WM_CAP + 50
    Const WM_CAP_SET_PREVIEWRATE As Integer = WM_CAP + 52
    Const WM_CAP_SET_SCALE As Integer = WM_CAP + 53
    Const WS_CHILD As Integer = &H40000000
    Const WS_VISIBLE As Integer = &H10000000
    Const SWP_NOMOVE As Short = &H2S
    Const SWP_NOSIZE As Short = 1
    Const SWP_NOZORDER As Short = &H4S
    Const HWND_BOTTOM As Short = 1
    Private DeviceID As Integer = 0 ' Current device ID
    Private hHwnd As Integer ' Handle to preview window
    Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" _
        (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByVal wMsg As Integer, ByVal wParam As Integer, _
        ByRef lParam As CAPSTATUS) As Boolean
    Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" _
       (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByVal wMsg As Integer, ByVal wParam As Boolean, _
       ByRef lParam As Integer) As Boolean
    Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" _
         (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByVal wMsg As Integer, ByVal wParam As Integer, _
         ByRef lParam As Integer) As Boolean
    Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowPos" (ByVal hwnd As Integer, _
        ByVal hWndInsertAfter As Integer, ByVal x As Integer, ByVal y As Integer, _
        ByVal cx As Integer, ByVal cy As Integer, ByVal wFlags As Integer) As Integer

    Declare Function DestroyWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hndw As Integer) As Boolean
    Structure POINTAPI
        Dim x As Integer
        Dim y As Integer
    End Structure
    Public Structure CAPSTATUS
        Dim uiImageWidth As Integer                    '// Width of the image
        Dim uiImageHeight As Integer                   '// Height of the image
        Dim fLiveWindow As Integer                     '// Now Previewing video?
        Dim fOverlayWindow As Integer                  '// Now Overlaying video?
        Dim fScale As Integer                          '// Scale image to client?
        Dim ptScroll As POINTAPI                    '// Scroll position
        Dim fUsingDefaultPalette As Integer            '// Using default driver palette?
        Dim fAudioHardware As Integer                  '// Audio hardware present?
        Dim fCapFileExists As Integer                  '// Does capture file exist?
        Dim dwCurrentVideoFrame As Integer             '// # of video frames cap'td
        Dim dwCurrentVideoFramesDropped As Integer     '// # of video frames dropped
        Dim dwCurrentWaveSamples As Integer            '// # of wave samples cap'td
        Dim dwCurrentTimeElapsedMS As Integer          '// Elapsed capture duration
        Dim hPalCurrent As Integer                     '// Current palette in use
        Dim fCapturingNow As Integer                   '// Capture in progress?
        Dim dwReturn As Integer                        '// Error value after any operation
        Dim wNumVideoAllocated As Integer              '// Actual number of video buffers
        Dim wNumAudioAllocated As Integer              '// Actual number of audio buffers
    End Structure
    Declare Function capCreateCaptureWindowA Lib "avicap32.dll" _
         (ByVal lpszWindowName As String, ByVal dwStyle As Integer, _
         ByVal x As Integer, ByVal y As Integer, ByVal nWidth As Integer, _
         ByVal nHeight As Short, ByVal hWndParent As Integer, _
         ByVal nID As Integer) As Integer
    Declare Function capGetDriverDescriptionA Lib "avicap32.dll" (ByVal wDriver As Short, _
        ByVal lpszName As String, ByVal cbName As Integer, ByVal lpszVer As String, _
        ByVal cbVer As Integer) As Boolean
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        LoadDeviceList()
        If Not Directory.Exists(Application.StartupPath & "\Images") Then
            Directory.CreateDirectory(Application.StartupPath & "\Images")
        End If
        If lstDevices.Items.Count > 0 Then
            btnStart.Enabled = True
            lstDevices.SelectedIndex = 0
            btnStart.Enabled = True
        Else
            lstDevices.Items.Add("No Capture Device")
            btnStart.Enabled = False
        End If
        Me.AutoScrollMinSize = New Size(100, 100)
        btnStop.Enabled = False
        btnSave.Enabled = False
        'picCapture.SizeMode = PictureBoxSizeMode.StretchImage
    End Sub
    Private Sub LoadDeviceList()
        Dim strName As String = Space(100)
        Dim strVer As String = Space(100)
        Dim bReturn As Boolean
        Dim x As Short = 0
        ' 
        ' Load name of all avialable devices into the lstDevices
        '
        Do
            '
            '   Get Driver name and version
            '
            bReturn = capGetDriverDescriptionA(x, strName, 100, strVer, 100)
            '
            ' If there was a device add device name to the list
            '
            If bReturn Then lstDevices.Items.Add(strName.Trim)
            x += CType(1, Short)
        Loop Until bReturn = False
    End Sub

    Private Sub OpenPreviewWindow()
        Dim iHeight As Integer = Piccapture.Height
        Dim iWidth As Integer = Piccapture.Width
        '
        ' Open Preview window in picturebox
        '
        hHwnd = capCreateCaptureWindowA(DeviceID.ToString, WS_VISIBLE Or WS_CHILD, 0, 0, 1280, _
            1024, Piccapture.Handle.ToInt32, 0)
        '
        ' Connect to device
        '
        If SendMessage(hHwnd, WM_CAP_DRIVER_CONNECT, DeviceID, 0) Then
            '
            'Set the preview scale
            '
            SendMessage(hHwnd, WM_CAP_SET_SCALE, True, 0)

            '
            'Set the preview rate in milliseconds
            '
            SendMessage(hHwnd, WM_CAP_SET_PREVIEWRATE, 66, 0)

            '
            'Start previewing the image from the camera
            '
            SendMessage(hHwnd, WM_CAP_SET_PREVIEW, True, 0)

            '
            ' Resize window to fit in picturebox
            '
            SetWindowPos(hHwnd, HWND_BOTTOM, 0, 0, Piccapture.Width, Piccapture.Height, _
                    SWP_NOMOVE Or SWP_NOZORDER)

            btnSave.Enabled = True
            btnStop.Enabled = True
            btnStart.Enabled = False
        Else
            '
            MsgBox("No Device Connected", MsgBoxStyle.Information, "RStar")
            ' 
            DestroyWindow(hHwnd)
            btnSave.Enabled = False
        End If
    End Sub
    Private Sub btnStart_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnStart.Click
        DeviceID = lstDevices.SelectedIndex
        'If DeviceID = 0 Then
        '    MsgBox("No Device Found", MsgBoxStyle.Information, "RStar")
        '    Exit Sub
        'End If
        OpenPreviewWindow()
        Dim bReturn As Boolean
        Dim s As CAPSTATUS
        bReturn = SendMessage(hHwnd, WM_CAP_GET_STATUS, Marshal.SizeOf(s), s)
        Debug.WriteLine(String.Format("Video Size {0} x {1}", s.uiImageWidth, s.uiImageHeight))
    End Sub
    Private Sub ClosePreviewWindow()
        '
        ' Disconnect from device
        '
        SendMessage(hHwnd, WM_CAP_DRIVER_DISCONNECT, DeviceID, 0)
        '
        ' close window
        '
        DestroyWindow(hHwnd)
    End Sub
    Private Sub btnStop_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnStop.Click
        ClosePreviewWindow()
        btnSave.Enabled = False
        btnStart.Enabled = True
        btnStop.Enabled = False

    End Sub
    Private Sub btnSave_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnSave.Click
        Dim data As IDataObject
        Dim bmap As Bitmap
        Dim filepath As String

        '
        ' Copy image to clipboard
        '
        SendMessage(hHwnd, WM_CAP_EDIT_COPY, 0, 0)
        '
        ' Get image from clipboard and convert it to a bitmap
        '
        data = Clipboard.GetDataObject()
        If data.GetDataPresent(GetType(System.Drawing.Bitmap)) Then
            bmap = CType(data.GetData(GetType(System.Drawing.Bitmap)), Bitmap)
            Piccapture.Image = bmap
            ClosePreviewWindow()
            btnSave.Enabled = False
            btnStop.Enabled = False
            btnStart.Enabled = True
            Trace.Assert(Not (bmap Is Nothing))
            filepath = Application.StartupPath & "\Images\" & frmChartOfAccounts.txtAcName.Text & frmChartOfAccounts.txtRegNo.Text & ".jpeg"
            bmap.Save(filepath)
            frmChartOfAccounts.txtimg.Text = filepath
        End If
    End Sub
    Private Sub Form1_Closing(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs) Handles MyBase.Closing
        If btnStop.Enabled Then
            ClosePreviewWindow()
        End If
    End Sub
    Private Sub btnInfo_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
        'SendMessage(hHwnd, WM_CAP_DLG_VIDEOFORMAT, 0&, 0&)
    End Sub

    Private Sub cmdExit_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles cmdExit.Click
        Close()
    End Sub
    End Class

Hope it will help you.