Looking for screen capture/recording tool with 'motion detection' or similar.

[forrestc]

I fairly regularly run into a situation where I would like to make s screen grab of my Windows box (Win 10) when something changes on the screen.   For instance, when a number increments in an interface on some Electronics project I'm working on.    These changes may only happen every few hours, and of course always while I've looked away for a minute. 

I've been looking at various tools, and haven't found anything like this.   This is really common in the video world, where you say 'only record if something moves in this part of the screen'.   But haven't found anything which can do this with a screen capture.   Well, at least can't without a lot of additional effort.   One would assume there's something out there which will do this, but so far no luck.

Bonus if it also does screen recording before and/or after the trigger.

Ideas?

[GlennSprigg]

Have a look at "iSpy", which is completely OpenSource !!!......

https://www.ispyconnect.com/features.aspx

'Seems' to fulfill your requirements, and a #$%&-load more !!  :-)

[forrestc]

Have a look at "iSpy", which is completely OpenSource !!!......

https://www.ispyconnect.com/features.aspx

'Seems' to fulfill your requirements, and a #$%&-load more !!  :-)

Haven't downloaded it yet, but yes, it seems like this will work.   I had missed "Desktop capturing" as a feature set here....

[GlennSprigg]

Hi. YES... it has that quite advanced feature to "Monitor the Windows Desktop", as though it is a Camera !!!
You can 'Monitor' selected 'parts' of the 'screen', as with the usual video 'movement' bounding boxes.
There is a plethora of specific settings for all this, but is easy to set-up/modify once done.

You can set up a free account, (prompted/opted for at the appropriate time, if needed), for MONITORING
all such visual 'activity' over the 'net' from a Remote (or one right next to it) Computer !
Obviously, unless you are only looking at a particular Region on the Screen, ANY further activity on the
'Monitored' screen by further 'using' that computer/laptop, will trigger such visual 'movements'......
Therefore, it is best to monitor such activity on such a 'remote' computer. (Sitting right next to it!).

There are settings for a time-lapse before detection starts, and what constitutes a 'trigger'.....
(There is a difference between 'Motion-Detection' and 'Alerts' for instance).
You can also set how long each triggered 'session' runs for, and many quality/size recording options.

MOST (?) people already have/use the famous 'VLC' Media Player, as at least an option. (Free, OpenSource).
'iSpy' likes to work with it !!!!  (Latest 'VLC' is version 3.0.3....  https://get.videolan.org/vlc/3.0.3/win64/vlc-3.0.3-win64.7z )
That is a 64-bit version. When UN-ARCHIVED, (to where-ever), it is a fully working version, with ALL files &
Directories, that does not need to be further 'installed'.   Place a COPY of all those files/directories, (NOT the 'Parent'),
in the   C:\Program Files\iSpy\VLC64   directory, (after installing 'iSpy' !!), so it knows how/where to work with it.

NOTES: ....
(1)  'iSpy' has advanced considerably from a lot of older online 'reviews/instructions'.
(2)  I've played with 'iSpy' before, but NOT in relation to 'screen/desktop' as a 'camera' !!  As a result, due to a lot
      of us here having a personal thirst for knowledge, apart from just helping you, I'm exploring ALL that side of
      this app.  I 'think' I'm getting it by the "Short-N-Curlies" now, so if you have further problems, then discuss it !