Camsnap

camsnap

Use camsnap to grab snapshots, clips, or motion events from configured cameras.

Setup

• Config file: ~/.config/camsnap/config.yaml
• Add camera: camsnap add --name kitchen --host 192.168.0.10 --user user --pass pass

Common commands

• Discover: camsnap discover --info
• Snapshot: camsnap snap kitchen --out shot.jpg
• Clip: camsnap clip kitchen --dur 5s --out clip.mp4
• Motion watch: camsnap watch kitchen --threshold 0.2 --action '...'
• Doctor: camsnap doctor --probe

Local webcams (macOS)

• List devices: camsnap devices
• Snapshot from a local camera: camsnap snap --device 0 --out webcam.jpg
• PTZ position and ranges: camsnap ptz status --device 0
• Move a gimbal camera: camsnap ptz goto --device 0 --pan 45 --tilt -18
• Also camsnap ptz move (relative deltas) and camsnap ptz home.

Notes

• Requires ffmpeg on PATH.
• Prefer a short test capture before longer clips.
• PTZ needs macOS Camera permission: these cameras only service UVC controls while streaming, so camsnap holds a capture session open for the operation.
• Motion commands verify the settled position and exit non-zero if the camera did not reach it. On-camera AI framing can override manual positioning; disable tracking if moves keep missing.