CameraEvents

Docker/Python service for attaching to Dahua camera events api. Posts messages to mqtt upon events.

Can post an image into the mqtt payload also (which https://github.com/jpmens/mqttwarn can post to slack and pushover).

Running

I build and run in docker mostly. It's built on a amd64 linux machine but I create images for arm32v7 and arm64v8. Which is why there is a Dockerfile.cross instead of just a regular docker file.

Copy the sample config.master.ini to config.ini

Run command:

docker run -v <config path>:/opt/cameraevents/conf psyciknz/cameraevents

Config path is the path where the config.ini file will exist.

Otherwise, clone into a directory, create the config file, and run with python CameraEvents.py

The Dockerfile.cross is what I use for cross architecture builds. So it is not directly buildable as it needs some modifications to remove the qemu emulation for building an arm32 image on an amd. The instructions for building are a little hard to describe here.

Configuration.

Copy the config-master.ini to config.ini in the directory with the script (or where the is set to if using the docker run command)

Set your mqtt options below:

[MQTT Broker]
IP: localhost                           ;MQTT Server name
Port: 1883                              ;MQTT Port
Mqtt_Username = ''                      ;MQTT username, without qoutes
Mqtt_Password = ''                      ;MQTT password, without qoutes
BaseTopic = 'CameraEvents'
PostImagesToMQTT=False

User and password are supported on the mqtt server.

PostImagesToMQTT - the default is true, so a binary image will be posted to the payload as ImageBase64. If PostImagesToMQTT is false a snapshot or path to an NVR image will be posted for the ImageURL variable of the json payload.

List your cameras in the next section:

[Cameras]
camera1=Example1
camera2=Example2

Each section then needs it's own configuration:

[Example1]
host=192.168.1.108
protocol=http
name=NVR
isNVR=True/False
port=80
user=USER
pass=PASSWORD
auth=digest/basis
events=VideoMotion,CrossLineDetection,AlarmLocal,VideoLoss,VideoBlind
alerts=True/False
			
[Example2]
host=192.168.1.109
protocol=http
name=IPC
port=80
isNVR=False
user=USER
pass=PASSWORD
auth=basic
events=VideoMotion,CrossLineDetection,AlarmLocal,VideoLoss,VideoBlind

MQTT Events

To subscribe to all events use the following:

 mosquitto_sub -v -h <mqttserver> -t CameraEvents/#

There is an online/offline message

CameraEvents/$online False

Which is the last will and testament that can show you the service is alive.

An alert message will be posted to the topic as follows:

CameraEvents/<code>/<channel> 

Where code is VideoMotion (as per the config events). Channel, will either be the channel name or the channel number. The payload will be ON/OFF for using as a motion detector.

eg

CameraEvents/VideoMotion/NVR:3 ON
CameraEvents/NVR:3/Image {"message": "Motion Detected: NVR:3", "imagebase64": "<base64 encoded image data>"}
CameraEvents/VideoMotion/NVR:3 OFF

IVS Messages are a bit more message like. eg

CameraEvents/IVS/Garage CrossLineDetection With Human in RightToLeft direction for Gate region

I'll add specifics later for IVS, as I've seen the "human" be vehicle and smoke also...I'll problably add a fitler for these.

There is a generic Event suitable for being a motion sensor in Home Assistant or OpenHAB.

CameraEvents/<channel>/event

The payload for this event will be ON or OFF.

Subscribed Events

Camera Events subscribes to two messages currently.

CameraEvents/<index>/picture

A picture message, takes the camera index (starting at 0 or 1 depending on your NVR/Camera), and if that index matches what is on offer it will generate a snapshot and post it.

The payload is unimportant. But it must be there. An example mosquitto_pub command:

mosquitto_pub -h mqttserver -t CameraEvents/1/picture -m ON

CameraEvents/<devicename>/alerts

This message takes a payload on ON or OFF and when the device name matches a camera in the config.ini, it will turn off alerts for that device (they will not post images until turned back on)

Alerts can also be see in the config.ini for each camera/nvr with the alerts=False parameter.

Problems/Change History

2020-10-06

• Merged in the Alarm-local branch
• Updated version to 0.2.2
• Added a :latest and :0.2.2 version to dockerhub builds.
• Added more explanation to some of the config options for PostImagesToMQTT

2020-02-17

• Added MQTT Authentication to code @vogelfreiheit
• Adding AlarmLocal event processing (#8)
• Fixed a bug in calling for a snapshot via CameraEvents//picture (added to Readme)

2019-02-02

• Found Solution to snapshot problem, but new firmware (for me) is index+1 - this isn't currently configurable.
  • Added IVS topic.
  • Added travis testing.

2019-01-15

• As per some new firmware, the snapshot image command has stopped working, and the channel list. I'm attempting to find a work around.