Comments on: Windows Task Automator Anyone?

By: Hobbes

Hobbes — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:34:45 +0000

Have you tried Action(s)? (http://app.jbbres.com). It’s pretty much like Automator and it’s free. I think it’s working on Mac and PC too.

By: andrew

andrew — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Perhaps your solution could lie in cygwin? I do several tasks using crontabs, which are executed by cron.exe and automated through cygrunsrv (cygwin's service). You don't even have to be logged in for cron.exe to be executed. Now, I'm not sure as to your specific needs (I'm mainly using it to execute curl commands) but perhaps there is a clever way of doing what you need by implementing something similar to this.I think also there are other applications for similar use - that may have more of a direct application interaction and user-friendly GUI (although I've never used them). A Google search reveals a few freeware utilities, but I'm not sure as to their usefulness.

By: Amor Entintado

Amor Entintado — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

At a previous job we used AutoIT, which is freeware and I think quite capable of performing the task at hand. Granted, I used to hate the damn thing's scripting language, especially for complicated nested stuff, but for simple things such as the one you describe it should be more than enough.

By: Eliot Landrum

Eliot Landrum — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

If your camera has a driver for Linux or FreeBSD, I would recommend formatting the box to use one of those OSes. I have an old Linux box that I only use for capturing and uploading webcam images and it does it quite well. Free too.

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I have a very easy solution that will work for you. AutoIt 3 is a language written on top of C++ and is now considered proper. You can do an amazing array of things in it, namely automatic GUIs without them even being visible (and im not talking about specifying visible mouse clicks, although you can do that!). You can also compile executables that will run on any windows machine as-is. Best of all its free. Well I think it would take me five minutes to write the code. Can you provide a sample of of your event log and also the canon softare (and version #) you are using. I have several CDs of their stuff.

By: Aaron Boswell

Aaron Boswell — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Do you have to use a PC? The Mac uses Image Capture and my testing has been good on the “take a picture every few seconds” thing.

By: Duncan Campbell

Duncan Campbell — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I think the solution lies in getting some newer image-capture s/w rather than coping with the buggy/crashing app you use now.

A look around the ‘net should land you with tens, if not hundreds, of freeware image capture apps?

Good luck.

By: David Schontzler

David Schontzler — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

You can just use Window Script Host to send events to a running program. Google along the lines of AppActivate and SendKeys and you should find some good stuff.

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Thanks for the quick answers everyone.

andrew: Cygwin sounds good but probably isn’t “point and clicky” enough for my puny brain to handle.

Amor and Brian: AutoIT sounds like exactly what I need… many thanks. I’ll give it a whirl today. Brian, thanks also for the offer to help out with the script. I’ll see if I can get it working first before bothering you.

Eliot: Yeah, unfortunately the Canon remote capture drivers aren’t available for Linux.

Aaron: Canon does have a remote capture app for Mac, but number one, I’d rather not have my G5 iMac always on, just for this task, and number two, the app just isn’t very good. Canon’s native remote capture apps (for Mac or PC) really kind of suck. They don’t even let you specify a perpetual capture state… you have to type in exactly how many photos you want it to take. There are also other deficiencies in Canon’s app which make it less ideal than the aftermarket app I’m using.

Duncan: Yeah, ideally this app wouldn’t crash, but apparently I’m the only one who it’s happening to. It is actually a fairly robust piece of software and much better than Canon’s own software. Most people don’t use the app to capture for days/weeks/months at a time so perhaps I’m using it outside its recommended schedule. I believe all of the freeware apps you’re talking about are for capturing off webcams. This is not a webcam. It’s actually a high resolution digital camera (so I can get better quality images), and any app which would be able to help me would have to tie into Canon’s specific DLL. None of those freeware apps do, unfortunately.

By: Eliot Landrum

Eliot Landrum — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hopefully AutoIT will work out for you, but in case it doesn't, here's some info on a UN*X util I found..capture (original site has more info). "A tool for remote capturing with Canon PowerShot cameras. It has been tested with Canon PowerShot A60, 70, and S400."

By: Eliot Landrum

Eliot Landrum — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That original site for capture, btw, has some really cool-to-watch clips of his plants. I just watched the mrantha plant and was quite impressed with the quality.

By: Fazal Majid

Fazal Majid — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

If you are using a DSLR for this purpose, keep in mind its shutter is only rated for a finite number of actuations before failure, usually 30,000 for a non-pro camera like a Digital Rebel, and thus at one frame per 4 minutes, you will chew through your shutter in about 4 months.

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Eliot: Cool! Looks like that guy wrote his own interface for Linux. Very nice.

Fazal: Yep, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if this caused my digital camera to eventually fail. Before, I was using a Sony DV Cam whose CCD was always turned on, so that seems like it would be even worse. The DV cam was in use for 6 months or so with no noticeable effects so hopefully this one can last awhile. It’s a Canon S30 (donated by Mike West actually… a reader of this site), so it if were to fail, I’d probably just replace it with another end-of-lifed Canon model. You’re right though… I don’t recommend putting an expensive camera to use as a 24/7 webcam.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I think the answer lies here.but that's just me.

By: Henrik Pejer

Henrik Pejer — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I do not know any of the progs you use but I’ve seen a ‘power toy’ from Microsoft that might be what you are looking for.

here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

You should look for ‘Webcam Timershot’. The page says:

“This PowerToy lets you take pictures at specified time intervals from a Webcam connected to your computer and save them to a location that you designate.”

I havenÂ´t used it but it could be interesting. If FTP is not available within the program, I think that if you add a FTP-site to the network places in windows that might solve that problem.

Good luck!