camsnap
Capture frames or clips from RTSP/ONVIF cameras.
About this skill
The camsnap skill empowers AI agents to interact programmatically with network cameras, providing robust capabilities for surveillance, monitoring, and media capture. Agents can initiate commands to take still images, record short video clips of specified durations, or even monitor camera feeds for motion detection, triggering custom actions when activity is detected. This skill is invaluable for automating tasks related to physical security, home automation, or any scenario requiring interaction with IP cameras without a graphical user interface. By configuring camera details once, an agent can seamlessly integrate camera feeds into larger scripts or workflows, making it possible to respond dynamically to visual input. Users would leverage camsnap to achieve consistent, automated media capture from their camera infrastructure, enabling advanced monitoring, logging, and event-driven automation based on visual triggers.
Best use case
The primary use case for camsnap is automated surveillance and programmatic interaction with IP cameras. It benefits users who need to integrate camera feeds into home automation systems, security monitoring scripts, or data collection processes where capturing specific visual events or media is crucial without manual intervention.
Capture frames or clips from RTSP/ONVIF cameras.
Users should expect a JPG image or an MP4 video file saved to a specified location, or the execution of a custom action triggered by detected motion.
Practical example
Example input
Capture a 15-second video clip from the 'front_door' camera and save it as `alert_20231027.mp4`.
Example output
Recording clip from front_door.mp4 (15s)... Done. Saved to alert_20231027.mp4
When to use this skill
- To programmatically capture a snapshot from a security or IP camera.
- When you need to record a short video clip from an RTSP/ONVIF camera for an event.
- To set up automated motion detection with custom actions from a camera feed.
- For integrating camera media capture into scripts or home automation systems.
When not to use this skill
- If you require real-time, continuous live streaming with a graphical user interface.
- If your cameras do not support RTSP or ONVIF protocols.
- For advanced video editing or long-term video archiving solutions (NVR functionality).
- When you only need to view a live feed and do not require programmatic interaction.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/camsnap-1-0-0/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How camsnap Compares
| Feature / Agent | camsnap | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | easy | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Capture frames or clips from RTSP/ONVIF cameras.
How difficult is it to install?
The installation complexity is rated as easy. You can find the installation instructions above.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
# camsnap Use `camsnap` to grab snapshots, clips, or motion events from configured cameras. Setup - Config file: `~/.config/camsnap/config.yaml` - Add camera: `camsnap add --name kitchen --host 192.168.0.10 --user user --pass pass` Common commands - Discover: `camsnap discover --info` - Snapshot: `camsnap snap kitchen --out shot.jpg` - Clip: `camsnap clip kitchen --dur 5s --out clip.mp4` - Motion watch: `camsnap watch kitchen --threshold 0.2 --action '...'` - Doctor: `camsnap doctor --probe` Notes - Requires `ffmpeg` on PATH. - Prefer a short test capture before longer clips.
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