Camera class

Availability

Flash Player 6.
Flash Media Server (not required).

The Camera class lets you capture video from a video camera attached to the computer that is running Macromedia Flash Player. When used with Flash Media Server, this class lets you transmit, display, and optionally record the video being captured. With these capabilities, you can develop media applications such as video conferencing, instant messaging with video, and so on. Flash provides similar audio capabilities; for more information, see the Microphone class entry.

You can also use a Camera object without a server--for example, to monitor a video feed from a webcam attached to your local system.

NOTE

When a SWF file tries to access the camera returned by Camera.get(), Flash Player displays a Privacy dialog box that lets the user choose whether to allow or deny access to the camera. (Make sure your Stage size is at least 215 x 138 pixels for the Camera class examples; this is the minimum size Flash requires to display the dialog box.) End users and administrative users may also disable camera access on a per-site or global basis.

To create or reference a Camera object, use the Camera.get() method.

Method summary for the Camera class

Method	Description
Camera.get()	Returns a reference to a Camera object for capturing video.
Camera.setKeyFrameInterval()	Specifies which video frames are transmitted in full instead of being interpolated by the video compression algorithm.
Camera.setLoopback()	Specifies whether to use a compressed video stream for a local view of what the camera is transmitting.
Camera.setMode()	Sets aspects of the camera capture mode, including height, width, and frames per second.
Camera.setMotionLevel()	Specifies how much motion is required to invoke `Camera.onActivity(true)`.
Camera.setQuality()	Sets the maximum amount of bandwidth per second or the required picture quality of the current outgoing video feed.

Property summary for the Camera class

Property (read-only)	Description
Camera.activityLevel	A numeric value from 0 to 100 that specifies the amount of motion the camera is detecting.
Camera.bandwidth	The maximum amount of bandwidth the current outgoing video feed can use, in bytes.
Camera.currentFps	The rate at which the camera is capturing data, in frames per second.
Camera.fps	The rate at which you would like the camera to capture data, in frames per second.
Camera.height	The current capture height, in pixels.
Camera.index	The index of the camera, as reflected in the array returned by Camera.names.
Camera.keyFrameInterval	A number that specifies which video frames are transmitted in full instead of being interpolated by the video compression algorithm.
Camera.loopback	A Boolean value that specifies whether a local view of what the camera is capturing is compressed or uncompressed.
Camera.motionLevel	A numeric value from 0 to 100 that specifies the amount of motion required to invoke `Camera.onActivity(true)`.
Camera.motionTimeOut	The number of milliseconds between the time the camera stops detecting motion and the time `Camera.onActivity(false)` is invoked.
Camera.muted	A Boolean value that specifies whether the user has allowed or denied access to the camera.
Camera.name	The name of the camera as specified by the camera hardware.
Camera.names	Class property; an array of strings containing the names of all available video capture devices, including video capture cards and cameras.
Camera.quality	A number that specifies the current level of picture quality based on the amount of compression being applied to each video frame.
Camera.width	The current capture width, in pixels.

Event handler summary for the Camera class

Method	Description
Camera.onActivity	Invoked when the camera starts or stops detecting motion.
Camera.onStatus	Invoked when the user allows or denies access to the camera.

Constructor for the Camera class

See Camera.get().