developed by Edward Torkington
http://www.new-software.co.uk

Software Objectives
Crime Catcher has been designed to utilize your web camera to catch crime. It has many features including:

Quick Links: Main Screen
The main screen will show what the camera will monitor. It is where the majority of your actions will be carried out. You can start the system detecting motion with just one click! However, Options can be changed by accessing available items on the toolbar or though the menus. See the image below to check that your screen looks like this one.






Setting the System to Record Images When Motion is Detected
When the system first loads up, it is recommended that you use the Test feature to configure the system. The Test feature can be turned ON and OFF by selecting it from the Detection menu. The status bar at the bottom of the screen will let you know when motion is detected. The screen will also invert the detection so it is clear what is being picked up. Idealy, direct your camera at a stationery image and then wave your hand infront to see if it is detected. To have your coputer take images when motion is detected select Start from the Detection menu.



What if Motion is Deteced all the time?
If you have a stationery image, and motion is detected all the time, this is because the sensitivity is set too high. Web cameras normally have a certain amount of interference which varies from camera to camera. To solve the problem, goto the Options from the Detection menu and change the motion detection sensitivty to a lower setting.






What if Motion is not Detected?
Motion detection is based on colour change. Currently the system only works with colour cameras that support 24bit colour. Try cnahging the sensitivity options to high by going to options from the view menu and change the motion detection sensitivty.




How do I set the system to transfer images to a remote server?
This can be achieved by obtaining a free web page from one of the following providers: These web hosters will host your web page and give you an ftp account to transfer the files over. You can input these FTP details into Crime Catcher which will then use the account for transferring and taken images to the server. To set the FTP options, goto Options from the Detection menu and change the FTP settings to your choice.






Is there any way I can stay connected to the Internet so my images will transfer as soon as motion is detected
Yes, this can be achieved by going to the Options from the Detection menu and ensuring Maintain Connection is on. This option will try to permenently keep you computer connected to the Internet. Watch those phone bills!






My computer was stolen! How do I find out whether any pictures were recorded and transferred?
To do this, install the program again, and set the FTP options to what they were before. Goto Options from the Detection menu and change the FTP settings. Now from the main screen select Retrieve Images from the File menu. Once this process has finished, you can view the images as normal by creating a report.






How do I create a report?
To create a report select New Report from the File menu. A new screen will open (see below) showing you what pictures have been saved. Navigate through the images by usign the six buttons below the image. If you wish for the image to be included in the report, place a tick next to the image on the left. Once you have slected all the images that are to be in the report, click the Create Report button. You are required to input a title before the report is created for you.






It doesn't work / randomly detects motion.
If you are receiving random detections and it blatently seems not to work it could be one of the following reasons: Cameras differ, but you should be able to set the camera to 24bit RGB through selecting Image Format on the Device menu. If the video stream is compressed, unfortunetly the system will not be able to use the input for motion detection.




I get an error!!! What shall I do?
The system should inform you of what the error is and the best course of action. If you receive an error when the system loads, the chances are that the system can not connect to your web camera. To solve this problem, close any other applications that are using it. If your web cam uses a card which allows you to watch TV aswell, you will have to close this down too.
If you receive an error while the images are being transferred to the FTP server, please ensure that you have typed the following in correctly: If this does not solve the problem please check your internet connection, i.e. modem is plugged into the phone line etc. For support queries please email support@new-software.co.uk.