Motion Events Folder overfills - Dropbox FULL!

[Morton45]

Hi -- I have two cameras on two separate PCs (henceforth known as "PC1" and "PC2" running iCam Source 2.1.1 for Windows. Their respective Motion Events Folders are set to a limit of 500MB and are both saving to a directory on PC2 (running Windows Home Server). This folder is synced to an empty Dropbox account (i.e. 2GB free).

The other day I received a notification from Dropbox that my space was almost out. I checked the WHS share folder and saw that each Motion Events Folder was approaching 1GB each. The older camera shots were not being deleted. I decided to run a test by deleting all files and setting the limit on each Motion Detection Folder to 10MB. Sure enough they filled up and kept exceeding the limits.

Any help?

[Jay]

I'll try to replicate this problem on my computer tomorrow.

Also, the latest available Windows version is 2.1.4.  It probably won't resolve your problem, but it will help the troubleshooting process if we're both running the latest version.  You can get version 2.1.4 here: http://skjm.com/icam/iCamSetup2.1.4.exe

[Intregliaj]

My folder fills up when shadows trigger the recorder from the wind blowing the trees. We need masking to eliminate this.

[bspooky]

Or people recognition ala Vitamin D software instead of, or in addition to, masking. 

[Morton45]

I'll try to replicate this problem on my computer tomorrow.

Also, the latest available Windows version is 2.1.4.  It probably won't resolve your problem, but it will help the troubleshooting process if we're both running the latest version.  You can get version 2.1.4 here: http://skjm.com/icam/iCamSetup2.1.4.exe

I upgraded to 2.1.4 and set the limit to 10MB. No luck... I stopped it when it reached 25MB. 

[Jay]

I've been able to replicate the problem on my computer, and should have a fix ready for it tomorrow.

[Morton45]

Awesome! I look forward to the fix!

[Jay]

There's a new test version of iCamSource for you to try.  You can download it here: http://skjm.com/icam/iCamSource2.1.5a.exe

You can just run the executable from any directory (Desktop, Downloads, etc.), so you don't need to replace the current version you already have installed.  If it works, you can copy it into your iCamSource installation directory and rename it do "iCamSource.exe" so that the shortcuts work properly.  If it does fix the problem for you, please let me know so I can add the feature to the next release of iCamSource.

[Morton45]

Jay -- That didn't fix the issue. I ran the 2.1.5a executable and it picked up all the settings I had already defined. I cleared the folder it was writing to and left the limit @ 10MB. It currently has 300MB worth in that folder.

[Jay]

Please check the iCamSource window titlebar to make sure that it says "2.1.5a" and not "2.1.5".  If iCamSource was already running when you launched 2.1.5a, that would prevent the new version from running.

If you're definitely running 2.1.5a, please quit iCamSource and then download and run (double-click) this file: http://skjm.com/icam/CleaniCamKey.reg  That will delete all of your existing iCamSource settings.  Also, please delete (or move) your motion event recording folder(s).  I'd like you to get as close to a clean install as possible.  Please let me know if it behaves any differently in this case.  If it still isn't working, the next step will be to create a logging version, which is a bit more involved.

[Morton45]

Sorry for getting back to you so late, but I had to reinstall my OS (how's that for starting clean? ) and I had trouble getting my webcam drivers to work. Anyway, after the fresh OS I downloaded 2.1.5 from the main download page and set my directory. I then set the limit to 30MB and it still overflowed. I clean out all the pics, downloaded 2.1.5a and ran it. It picked up the settings and I changed the limit to 80MB, and it still overflowed. I then stopped it, downloaded and ran the registry file (success on that) and started it back up. All settings were clear, so I deleted the previous pic folder and set everything else as it should be, and then fired it back up. It didn't work. My 30MB limit was exceeded and now sits at ~160MB.

Edit: I just wanted to mention this in case 2.1.5a was reintroducing another bug. For some reason I keep getting a pop-up box on top of the iCamSource window. It just shows the path that I'm running iCamSource from...



I click OK and it goes away, but eventually comes back.

[Jay]

I'll need to make a logging version of iCamSource to figure out why it's acting differently on your computer than it is on mine.  There isn't a logging version ready right now, so it will take a little bit of development.  It should be ready for you to try early next week.  I'll let you know as soon as it's ready.

Also, do you see that message pop up if you run iCamSource from another directory, such as the Desktop or the iCamSource installation directory (probably C:\Program Files\iCamSource\)?  The Downloads directory might have more restrictive permissions than the other directories.

[Morton45]

Jay -- For whatever reason the limiting seems to be working now, but not as I would think it should (which may be the actual problem here). Running 2.1.5a from the desktop I had the limit set at 10MB and the detection settings/image quality at default. The directory size started at 2MB. I waited a while, then checked and it was at 11MB. It then went to 12MB, then down to 9.5MB... interesting. Then it got to ~12-13MB, then it dropped down to ~5.5MB (half the pics deleted). It did this up down thing for a while and then I ramped up the settings (most sensitive/most detection/highest image quality). The limit (still set at 10MB) went to about 20MB before I noticed a lot of activity from my HDD. I looked and saw the target folder was down to 835KB. I found this to be a drastic cut in the pics recorded. Given all this, can you explain the limiting methodology?

1. Is it a First in First Out kind of a thing where one pic is deleted at a time?
2. Does the app wait until a certain time to poll? (i.e. poll for size every 5 minutes)

Also (another strange thing) running 2.1.5a from the desktop, I didn't get the popup when running at default settings. I did notice that it popped up fairly quickly after I ramped up the settings to the highest levels.+++++++++++

Edit: I continued to run 2.1.5a from the desktop with a limit of 10MB on the highest settings. Twice it's gotten up to ~20MB and then deleted all but ~800KB. Still not sure exact why it cuts so much. Also for good measure I had changed my storage folder to C:\iCam_test.

Edit 2: I moved 2.1.5a to the C:\Program Files\iCamSource directory and the same "20MB down to 800KB" thing happened. I then immediately switched back to 2.1.5, cleared the C:\iCam_test folder and let it run. It got up to 50MB (still 10MB limit) before I stopped it. I then fired 2.1.5a up to see what it would do to the 50MBs in the storage folder. Sure enough, almost immediately, it was taken down to 756KB!  

Edit 3: Ok, running 2.1.5a, I moved the storage directory back to my original place (D:\shares\Photos\iCam Security\My Dropbox\Play Room Security\) with highest settings and the 10MB limit. Contrary to what I posted on October 19, 2010, @ 06:55:51 PM, it's working (you may have been right about something being up with that "downloads" folder; although I checked the permissions and Administrator has the same rights). It got up to 20MB, then it deleted everything (down to like 50KB!!). An immediate recheck showed that it was up to 795KB. Given that, I'm guessing I was just lucky to catch all those other times where I saw ~800KB and in reality iCamSource is deleting EVERYTHING from the storage folder and starting over. Oh, I also got a popup again: "C:\program files\icamsource".

FINAL Q/A:

1. Is deleting all (or even most) images in the storage folder by design? I'd hate to think I set it to a 1GB limit to store a weeks worth of images, only to find out that it just hit the limit and deleted everything.
2. Can the storage cleanup method be detailed so that users can better understand it?

[Jay]

The recording trimming follows some simple rules.  As you've noticed, the trimming takes place every 5 minutes (and when the program is first started).  The trimming logic is to add up the size of the recording events, starting with the most recent.  Once the size limit has been reached, the logic will delete that event and any older events.   

You current testing method has the most extreme settings possible, which can lead to some unexpected behavior.  You have it set to the most sensitive setting, and I assume that you have the camera pointing at something that is moving constantly.  That case will lead to very large events (since the motion never really stops).  In addition, you have the size threshold set very small.  You're running into a situation where the size of the most recent event is larger than the size limit you have set, so most or all of the data is being trimmed.

If you put the settings at a more typical level (and don't point the camera at something that is constantly moving), the behavior should be closer to what you expect.  In particular, try setting the size limit significantly larger than 10 MB (100 MB or more) and make sure that the motion detection indicator isn't constantly green.  Either set the motion sensitivity lower or point the camera at something that isn't constantly moving.

I haven't been able to replicate the pop-up message you're seeing, and we haven't heard any other reports of that behavior.  I'll keep trying to replicate the problem. Any other info you can give about it would help track down the cause (for example, how long does it take to appear, what settings were at the highest levels, does it happen if recording is turned off, etc.)

[Morton45]

Jay -- Thanks for the info. Regarding the popup. I've had 2.1.5a running for about 20 hours w/o a popup. I believe I was seeing it only when I had the settings ramped up and constant motion on the camera.

Thanks again.