hs.camera

Inspect the system's camera devices

API Overview

Functions - API calls offered directly by the extension

  • allCameras
  • isWatcherRunning
  • setWatcherCallback
  • startWatcher
  • stopWatcher

Methods - API calls which can only be made on an object returned by a constructor

  • connectionID
  • isInUse
  • isPropertyWatcherRunning
  • name
  • setPropertyWatcherCallback
  • startPropertyWatcher
  • stopPropertyWatcher
  • uid

API Documentation

Functions

allCameras

   
Signature hs.camera.allCameras() -> table
Type Function
Description Get all the cameras known to the system
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A table containing all of the known cameras
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 329

isWatcherRunning

   
Signature hs.camera.isWatcherRunning() -> Boolean
Type Function
Description Checks if the camera devices watcher is running
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A boolean, True if the watcher is running, otherwise False
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 468

setWatcherCallback

   
Signature hs.camera.setWatcherCallback(fn)
Type Function
Description Sets/clears the callback function for the camera devices watcher
Parameters
  • fn - A callback function, or nil to remove a previously set callback. The callback should accept a two arguments (see Notes below)
Returns
  • None
Notes
  • The callback will be called when a camera is added or removed from the system
  • To watch for changes within a single camera device, see hs.camera:newWatcher()
  • The callback function arguments are:
  • An hs.camera device object for the affected device
  • A string, either "Added" or "Removed" depending on whether the device was added or removed from the system
  • For "Removed" events, most methods on the hs.camera device object will not function correctly anymore and the device object passed to the callback is likely to be useless. It is recommended you re-check hs.camera.allCameras() and keep records of the cameras you care about
  • Passing nil will cause the watcher to stop if it is running
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 486

startWatcher

   
Signature hs.camera.startWatcher()
Type Function
Description Starts the camera devices watcher
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • None
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 378

stopWatcher

   
Signature hs.camera.stopWatcher()
Type Function
Description Stops the camera devices watcher
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • None
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 435

Methods

connectionID

   
Signature hs.camera:connectionID() -> String
Type Method
Description Get the raw connection ID of the camera
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A number containing the connection ID of the camera
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 554

isInUse

   
Signature hs.camera:isInUse() -> Boolean
Type Method
Description Get the usage status of the camera
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A boolean, True if the camera is in use, otherwise False
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 590

isPropertyWatcherRunning

   
Signature hs.camera:isPropertyWatcherRunning() -> bool
Type Method
Description Checks if the property watcher on a camera object is running
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A boolean, True if the property watcher is running, otherwise False
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 691

name

   
Signature hs.camera:name() -> String
Type Method
Description Get the name of the camera
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A string containing the name of the camera
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 572

setPropertyWatcherCallback

| | | | --------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Signature | hs.camera:setPropertyWatcherCallback(fn) -> hs.camera object | | Type | Method | | Description | Sets or clears a callback for when the properties of an hs.camera object change | | Parameters |

  • fn - A function to be called when properties of the camera change, or nil to clear a previously set callback. The function should accept the following parameters: The hs.camera object that changed A string describing the property that changed. Possible values are: gone - The device's "in use" status changed (ie another app started using the camera, or stopped using it) A string containing the scope of the event, this will likely always be "glob" A number containing the element of the event, this will likely always be "0"
| | Returns |
  • The hs.camera object
| | Notes | None | | Examples | None | | Source | extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 608 |

startPropertyWatcher

   
Signature hs.camera:startPropertyWatcher()
Type Method
Description Starts the property watcher on a camera
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • The hs.camera object
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 644

stopPropertyWatcher

   
Signature hs.camera:stopPropertyWatcher()
Type Method
Description Stops the property watcher on a camera
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • The hs.camera object
Notes None
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 671

uid

   
Signature hs.camera:uid() -> String
Type Method
Description Get the UID of the camera
Parameters
  • None
Returns
  • A string containing the UID of the camera
Notes
  • The UID is not guaranteed to be stable across reboots
Examples None
Source extensions/camera/libcamera.m line 533

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