Pixilab - Block license: Camera

The Camera block allows you, or a visitor to take a photo. This uses either a webcam connected to a Display Spot or the mobile camera functionality of a Visitor Spot.

IMPORTANT: This is a premium block type, requiring additional license options. For Displays Spots not using our PIXILAB Player software, a secure server connection (https) is required to access the camera. This requirement does not apply to Visitor Spots, where the device’s native camera functionality is used instead. For use on Visitor Spots, you must also have the Visitor Data Collection license option.

The resulting image is then uploaded to the Blocks server, where a User Script is needed to receive the image by subscribing to the 'image' event. The User Script will then have to decide what to do with the image. It could, for example, be associated with an individual visitor as part of Visitor Data Collection.

• Start Automatically starts the camera in viewfinder mode immediately, without any user interaction. This option applies only to Display Spots running PIXILAB Player, and can not be used on Visitor Spot (i.e., mobile devices). If not selected, you must press the camera symbol once to activate viewfinder mode before an image can then be captured by a second press.
• Mirror Camera View flips the camera’s viewfinder horizontally, often desirable for a visitor-facing camera. This setting does not apply on Visitor Spots, where the native camera typically has its own corresponding setting.
• Photo Source on Mobile decides whether a visitor must take a new photo using the camera (Camera Only) or can either take a new photo or chose an existing one from the device’s photo library (Camera or Library).
• Camera Rotation allows a webcam to be mounted sideways. Many webcams are designed to capture a wide aspect ratio image. If you prefer a tall image, mount the camera rotated 90° and change this setting accordingly to counter-rotate the preview and resulting image.
• Camera Roll Name provides an additional name to the User Script used to receive the image. This is useful if you need to show a Camera block in more than one context, as a means of indicating the context to the script.

HINT: By combining “Start Automatically” with a Press behavior, you can control when images are captured programmatically, rather than having someone pressing the on-screen camera symbol.