Setting up a Camera on your Laser?

[Kit Dumph]

Has anyone done this yet? I need to set one up for social media content for the products I create. I have a few ideas, but would be very curious if anyone has done this or has suggestions!


Found this, might work pretty well.... https://store.google.com/product/nest_cam?utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sem&utm_medium=desktop&utm_content=plas&utm_campaign=Nestcam&gl=us&gclid=CPSI7pfbnc4CFYY0aQodpSgEkA

[Keith Downing]

Has anyone done this yet? I need to set one up for social media content for the products I create. I have a few ideas, but would be very curious if anyone has done this or has suggestions!


Found this, might work pretty well.... https://store.google.com/product/nest_cam?utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sem&utm_medium=desktop&utm_content=plas&utm_campaign=Nestcam&gl=us&gclid=CPSI7pfbnc4CFYY0aQodpSgEkA

What are you trying to accomplish? You mentioned social media, so I'm assuming you want to create marketing videos. If that's the case, I would dare to say that simply buying a web cam isn't going to do much for you. It takes quite a bit of time to cut/engrave most pieces. Actually very boring to watch; especially in low quality, full length video.

No one really wants to watch 10 or 20 minutes of a design being rastered one line at at time. What people want to see on youtube is either an instructional video (doesn't sound like what you're wanting to do) or entertainment in video form. For the latter (to create a professional result) you're going to want a camera of reasonable video quality, probably mounted on a tripod outside the machine, and to shoot with direct line of sight (no door or glass between). Then you're going to need some video editing software. And probably some music (legally licensed) and/or audio editing capabilities.

Certainly do-able, and probably a great marketing tool. But I guess what I'm saying is if this was my plan I would be thinking a lot bigger than a $100 web cam.

Of course others have mounted cameras inside their lasers so they can monitor progress and watch for issues from other areas of their shop. That would be a great use of a web cam IMHO. And yes, it has been done by several here.

[Paul Phillips]

Hi Kit, Scott Shepherd did this on the cheap a few years ago with a raspberry pi, doesn't allow remote access from your phone but could probably be added easy enough. Maybe someone with more knowledge can answer that part but at least it may give some ideas.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?231022-Watchful-Pi-I-mean-Eye&highlight=raspberry+pi

[Bill George]

The guys with 3D printers are using the Raspberry Pi and a webcam to watch and control the 3D printer from the Web.

[Mohammed Issa]

I've set up a camera for my 3D printer, then eventually moved it to my laser. I'm going to move it back to the laser and put it on a flat screen above the laser. Thanks for that link Paul. Great idea.
I used a cheap rearview camera. It gives an amazing angle and is easy to connect to a TV. But I wanted remote access to it. So I bought a A/V to USB and connected it to my computer, then I was able to monitor it from my phone.
If you have a CCTV system (security cameras) you can easily put one in the laser and watch it on your phone, or external screen.

[Craig Matheny]

I use a lorex security camera system to watch the status of the laser so I do not have to sit there all the time, I would not trust a camera cutting stuff like acrylic that is highly flammable. Regarding the social media we have just started making assembly videos of our product and we use corel's video studiox9 we do pic in pic and will be doing some of the cutting but you can make it multiple times faaster so it does not take as long plus other stuff you can do it is cheap and works great.

[Dave Stevens-Vegas]

Has anyone done this yet? I need to set one up for social media content for the products I create. I have a few ideas, but would be very curious if anyone has done this or has suggestions!


Found this, might work pretty well.... https://store.google.com/product/nest_cam?utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sem&utm_medium=desktop&utm_content=plas&utm_campaign=Nestcam&gl=us&gclid=CPSI7pfbnc4CFYY0aQodpSgEkA

I wouldn't use a Nest cam. A Pi and Raspi cam is an open, more flexible solution that is far less expensive. I've a fair amount of experience with them. There is a ton of info and community support. It's widely used for 3D print monitoring and open source project Laserweb/CNCweb has integrated it into the base package. The new FabCreator kit from Holland also has cam support via a Pi.

[Kit Dumph]

Forgot to thank everyone for their input. Been using a contuar roam on a goosneck mount jerry rigged to the laser... Going to revisit this today as I need better quality. Might try and figure out a mount for my DSLR to do this as it takes great video. Apple Imovie software makes it incredibly easy to to do video work. My art takes over a hour to engrave. I speed this up to a 30-60 second video. Add a few things and push it out to social media. The backup camera is a great idea as well!

[John Kleiber]

I hooked up some inexpensive IP based cameras to our network and run them via DVR software.
It allows me to capture video and in turn edit for the internet.
Generally viewers have a short attention span on Youtube, so I time lapse videos to 2 minutes.
Its also great for customers viewing the process while in our shop in real-time.