usda-vision/management-dashboard-web-app/CAMERA_ROUTE_IMPLEMENTATION.md

🎥 Camera Route Implementation Guide

This document explains the implementation of the new public camera live view routes (/camera#/live) that don't require authentication.

🚀 What Was Implemented

1. LiveCameraView Component (src/components/LiveCameraView.tsx)

• Displays live camera feed without authentication requirements
• Handles streaming start/stop automatically
• Provides error handling and loading states
• Full-screen live view with camera label and status indicator

2. CameraRoute Component (src/components/CameraRoute.tsx)

• Validates camera route parameters
• Ensures only valid camera numbers (camera1, camera2, etc.) are accepted
• Renders the LiveCameraView for valid routes

3. Updated App.tsx

• Added route pattern matching for /camera#/live
• Integrated camera routes into existing authentication flow
• Maintains backward compatibility with existing functionality

4. Test Page (public/camera-test.html)

• Simple HTML page to test camera routes
• Provides links to test different camera numbers
• Explains expected behavior

📋 Required Dependencies

The following packages need to be installed to complete the implementation:

# Install React Router
npm install react-router-dom

# Install TypeScript types
npm install --save-dev @types/react-router-dom

Note: Due to permission issues, these packages couldn't be installed automatically. You'll need to resolve the permissions or install them manually.

🔧 How to Complete the Setup

Option 1: Fix Permissions and Install

# Fix node_modules permissions
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER node_modules
sudo chmod -R 755 node_modules

# Install dependencies
npm install

Option 2: Manual Installation

# Remove problematic node_modules
rm -rf node_modules

# Reinstall everything
npm install

Option 3: Use Yarn Instead

# Install yarn if not available
npm install -g yarn

# Install dependencies with yarn
yarn install

🧪 Testing the Implementation

1. Start the Development Server

npm run dev

2. Test Camera Routes

Open these URLs in your browser:

• http://localhost:5173/camera1/live - Live view of camera1
• http://localhost:5173/camera2/live - Live view of camera2
• http://localhost:5173/camera3/live - Live view of camera3

3. Use the Test Page

Open http://localhost:5173/camera-test.html to access the test interface.

4. Expected Behavior

• ✅ Valid routes should show live camera feed
• ❌ Invalid routes should show error message
• 🔒 Protected routes should redirect to login

🏗️ Architecture Details

Route Pattern

/camera{number}/live

• {number} must be a positive integer
• Examples: /camera1/live, /camera2/live, /camera10/live
• Invalid: /camera/live, /camera0/live, /camera-1/live

Component Flow

App.tsx → Route Detection → CameraRoute → LiveCameraView

API Integration

The LiveCameraView component integrates with existing camera API endpoints:

• POST /cameras/{camera_name}/start-stream - Start streaming
• GET /cameras/{camera_name}/stream - Get MJPEG stream
• POST /cameras/{camera_name}/stop-stream - Stop streaming

🎯 Key Features

✅ Public Access

• No authentication required
• Anyone can view live camera feeds
• Perfect for monitoring displays

✅ Non-Blocking Streaming

• Uses existing CameraStreamer infrastructure
• Separate camera connections for streaming vs. recording
• Doesn't interfere with recording operations

✅ Real-time Video

• MJPEG format for low latency
• Automatic stream management
• Error handling and retry functionality

✅ Responsive Design

• Full-screen live view
• Camera identification labels
• Live status indicators

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Permission Errors During Installation

# Fix ownership
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER .

# Fix permissions
sudo chmod -R 755 .

2. Camera Stream Not Loading

• Check if camera API is running (http://localhost:8000)
• Verify camera configuration in config.compose.json
• Check browser console for errors

3. Route Not Working

• Ensure React app is running
• Check browser console for routing errors
• Verify component imports are correct

4. TypeScript Errors

• Install missing type definitions
• Check import paths
• Verify component interfaces

Debug Steps

1. Check browser console for errors
2. Verify API endpoints are accessible
3. Test camera streaming directly via API
4. Check component rendering in React DevTools

🚀 Next Steps

Immediate

1. Install required dependencies
2. Test basic functionality
3. Verify camera streaming works

Future Enhancements

1. Add React Router for better routing
2. Implement URL-based navigation between cameras
3. Add camera selection interface
4. Implement stream quality controls
5. Add recording controls (if needed)

Production Considerations

1. Security: Consider adding rate limiting
2. Performance: Optimize for multiple concurrent viewers
3. Monitoring: Add analytics and usage tracking
4. Access Control: Implement optional authentication if needed

📚 Related Documentation

• Camera API Documentation
• Streaming Guide
• Vision System README

🤝 Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the troubleshooting section above
2. Review browser console for error messages
3. Verify camera API is running and accessible
4. Test API endpoints directly with curl or Postman

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Implementation Status: ✅ Components Created | ⚠️ Dependencies Pending | <20><> Ready for Testing