detecting present iSight on Panther/Tiger - PPC/Intel - USB/Firewire

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

Hi everybody,

I’m looking for a solution to detect a (connected) iSight on several configurations.
The following script works on Tiger (PPC and Intel) and Panther (without iSight).

try
	tell (do shell script "ioreg -l | grep iSight") to (it contains "Product Name" and it contains "iSight")
	if result then
		display dialog "iSight found" buttons {"OK"} default button 1
	else
		error
	end if
on error
	display dialog "No iSight found" buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with icon stop
end try

Unfortunately I can’t test it on Panther with connected iSight.
Can somebody test it for me, please.
Thanks (any better solutions are welcome)

#2

In another thread http://bbs.applescript.net/viewtopic.php?id=19538, we have been tracking laptop thiefs (/mainly ourselves) using an external routine called iSightCapture http://www.intergalactic.de/hacks.html
Here I found out that a call to iSightCapture (via shell script) will error out if no camera active or attached.

Your script is more elegant, I’d say ( I do not have Panther installed however)…

#3

Thanks Eelco, its funny, my question do refer to isightcapture and your mentioned thread :slight_smile:

I’m going to write a GUI for isightcapture with AppleScript Studio (my very first ASS project ;))
with including capability to upload pictures via FTP to a server (e.g like a webcam).
I just want the app to refuse launching if no iSight is available

#4

Hi StefanK and Eelco

I’ve also continuing on developing this further in ASS. I was wondering whether you were moving along… Currently my app is working fine, it just needs lots of tweaking, especially in the UI. I was looking for a way to be independent of isightcapture but no luck so far. Any developments on your side?

greetings.

#5

Stadsman,

Actually I have a working (beta) using all the scripting tricks mentioned in
http://bbs.applescript.net/viewtopic.php?id=19538
but I don’t use it currently as my machine hardly leaves the house at the moment.

What’s the UI issue that you have…?

#6

@Eelco:

The UI issue has been resolved; it was more of a learning issue in AppleScript Studio :wink:
My app now detects changes in WAN IP, SSID and detects motion.
If you (or others) are interested in the code, send me a pm so I can email you my ASS project.

@Stefan:

Your code for detecting iSight didn’t work on all macs I tested. The following adaptation so far does but I haven’t tested it on macs with plug-in iSight:

	try
		set testCam to do shell script "ioreg -l | grep iSight"
		if testCam contains "Product Name" then
			--iSight present
		else
			--no iSight
		end if
	on error
		--no iSight
	end try