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1-) Install the Required Libraries

We need to install flask, opencv, and picamera2 using the apt installer on our Raspberry Pi. Go into a terminal and run the following commands.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-opencv python3-flask python3-picamera2 ffmpeg 

2-) Timelapse Code

Now that you have the packages installed go ahead and create a Python file with the following content, running this code will generate the timelapse, make sure it is stationary when running to have a smooth lapse.”Suggestion: “Create a Python file with the following content. Running this code will generate the timelapse. Make sure the camera is stationary during capture to ensure a smooth timelapse.

import cv2
from datetime import datetime
import time
import os
from picamera2 import Picamera2
# Initialize the camera
camera = Picamera2()
camera.configure(camera.create_preview_configuration(main={"format": 'XRGB8888', "size": (1920, 1080)}))
camera.start()

# Timelapse settings
capture_interval = 10  # seconds between each frame
duration = 60 * 60 * 25  # duration of the timelapse capture in seconds (25 hours for this example)

# Create a new output directory with a timestamp
timestamp = datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
output_dir = f"timelapse_frames_{timestamp}"
os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)

start_time = time.time()

while time.time() - start_time < duration:
    frame = camera.capture_array()
    
    # Get the current time in hour:minute format
    current_time = datetime.now().strftime("%H:%M")
    
    # Define the position and font for the time overlay
    position = (frame.shape[1] - 200, 50)  # Adjust the position (x, y)
    font = cv2.FONT_HERSHEY_SIMPLEX
    font_scale = 1
    color = (0, 0, 0)  # Black color
    thickness = 3
    
    # Overlay the time on the frame
    cv2.putText(frame, current_time, position, font, font_scale, color, thickness, cv2.LINE_AA)
    
    # Save frame to disk
    filename = f"{output_dir}/frame_{int(time.time())}.jpg"
    cv2.imwrite(filename, frame)
    
    # Wait for the next capture
    time.sleep(capture_interval)

camera.stop()

High Level Overview:

Import Libraries: The script uses cv2 for image processing, datetime for timestamping, time for handling intervals, os for file operations, and Picamera2 to control the Raspberry Pi camera.

import cv2 
from datetime import datetime 
import time 
import os 
from picamera2 import Picamera2

Initialize and Configure the Camera: An instance of Picamera2 is created, configured for preview mode with a specific format and resolution, and started.

camera = Picamera2()
camera.configure(camera.create_preview_configuration(main={"format": 'XRGB8888', "size": (1920, 1080)}))
camera.start()

Set Timelapse Parameters: The capture interval is set to 10 seconds, and the total duration is set to 25 hours (in seconds).

capture_interval = 10  # seconds
duration = 60 * 60 * 25  # 25 hours

Create Output Directory: A unique output directory is created using the current timestamp to store captured frames.

timestamp = datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
output_dir = f"timelapse_frames_{timestamp}"
os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)

Capture Frames in a Loop: The script enters a loop that runs until the specified duration is reached. It captures a frame, overlays the current time, saves the frame to disk, and waits for the next interval.

while time.time() - start_time < duration:
    frame = camera.capture_array()
    current_time = datetime.now().strftime("%H:%M")
    cv2.putText(frame, current_time, (frame.shape[1] - 200, 50), cv2.FONT_HERSHEY_SIMPLEX, 1, (0, 0, 0), 3, cv2.LINE_AA)
    filename = f"{output_dir}/frame_{int(time.time())}.jpg"
    cv2.imwrite(filename, frame)
    time.sleep(capture_interval)

Stop the Camera: After capturing all frames, the camera is stopped to free up resources.

camera.stop()

This script captures images at regular intervals, overlays the current time, and saves them, allowing you to compile these frames into a time-lapse video later.

3-) Test Camera Angle with Flask App (Optional)

If you’d like to preview the camera angle before capturing your timelapse, you can set up a live stream using Flask. This step is optional but recommended for first-time setups.

Create another Python file with the following code and run it.

from flask import Flask, Response
from picamera2 import Picamera2
import cv2
from datetime import datetime

app = Flask(__name__)
camera = Picamera2()
camera.configure(camera.create_preview_configuration(main={"format": 'XRGB8888', "size": (1920, 1080)}))
camera.start()

def generate_frames():
    while True:
        frame = camera.capture_array()
        
        # Get the current time in hour:minute format
        current_time = datetime.now().strftime("%H:%M")
        
        # Define the position and font for the time overlay
        position = (frame.shape[1] - 200, 50)  # Adjust the position (x, y)
        font = cv2.FONT_HERSHEY_SIMPLEX
        font_scale = 1
        color = (255, 255, 255)  # White color
        thickness = 2
        
        # Overlay the time on the frame
        cv2.putText(frame, current_time, position, font, font_scale, color, thickness, cv2.LINE_AA)
        
        # Encode the frame as a JPEG image
        ret, buffer = cv2.imencode('.jpg', frame)
        frame = buffer.tobytes()
        
        # Yield the frame to the response stream
        yield (b'--frame\r\n'
               b'Content-Type: image/jpeg\r\n\r\n' + frame + b'\r\n')

@app.route('/video_feed')
def video_feed():
    return Response(generate_frames(), mimetype='multipart/x-mixed-replace; boundary=frame')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=5000)

If your Raspberry Pi is connected to your local WiFi you should be able to access the camera view through the following link.

http://<Your Raspberry Pi IP>:5000/video_feed

You can get your IP address of your Raspberry Pi by entering a terminal on the Raspberry Pi and typing the command ifconfig. You can then find the IP address in the inet section.

Once this is done you will see a video stream in your chrome browser!

Adjust the camera angle as you see fit before initiating the time-lapse code so you do not regret running a bad-angled time lapse so long.

ffmpeg -framerate 30 -pattern_type glob -i 'frame_*.jpg' -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p timelapse.mp4

sudo raspi-config

scp mshilleh@raspberrypi:~/Desktop/timelapse_frames_20240903_040101/timelapse.mp4 ~/Desktop/