[kakugori]

Hi folks. I'm trying to build a photo booth, and running into some troubles finding a way to implement a scare in the middle. The booth building I can do no problem, it's the photo app I'm having trouble with.

The general idea I'm after is not so different from a diy photo booth type thing built around a touch-screen tablet with webcam. General progression looks like this: Start button, countdown, picture, repeat for a second pic, a scare pops up, and one last picture taken quickly for the reaction, and the pics then upload for retrieval with the option to email the pics to the user. I do not want this to be a manned attraction, as I'm always short on help.

I can find some decent regular photobooth apps, some horror type photo manipulation apps, some scary prank apps, but nothing that will do what I'm after. I've tried building one myself in Microsoft's Project Siena, but it seems very limited. Somewhere in there I might be able to build this app, but I'm stuck. Dowloaded Visual Studio Express, but that seems beyond me. Coding isn't exactly my strong suit (uh, I can do basic html as needed), and I'm having trouble finding tutorials for how to build something like this.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[Abunai]

That sounds like a cool idea.
What type of tablet would you be using (operating system)?
I'd imaging that there are some folks here that could assist you with coding for IOS or Android or for a Windows tablet.

 

[chuck]

I use DLSR Remote Pro from Breezesys in my photobooth. They also make one that works with webcams. You can customize the screens to display what ever you want. Also has the capabilities to capture the email address. However, the program only saves this information in an xml file and does not actually send the email. I had to write a prgram that listened in the specific folder for the XML file to be generated, parse the info from it and send the email out using my own smtp settings.

Disclaimer - I am going from memory here so I may have missed a step or two. I will play with the program tonight and make sure my steps are correct.

For the booth portion; Let me see if I can explain it easily. When you start the program you run the photobooth setup. This creates the layout that you want and specifies the output folder and photobooth folder. The photobooth folder contains the images you would use when the application is running. For instance, you can specify the background image, the image used when the camera is counting down, the image that would be displayed when it is ready for the user to push the button, etc.

In order to create the scare we need to mess with the images that are displayed on the screen when the application is ready to take a picture. These are 1.jpg, 2.jpg, 3.jpg, and 4.jpg.

Find your favorite scary picture. A lot of the video pranks use Regan from The Exorcist. FInd this picture and save it to that same folder as 4.jpg. Be sure you find the highest resolution photo available.
Now go an find a scream sound file. The louder the better. This must be a wav file. Rename the file as 4.wav

When the guest enters the booth and pushes the button, The screen will display the number 1 and take the picture. Then it will display the number 2 and take a picture, same for 3. When it gets to 4, it will display your scary picture, play the scream file, and take the picture.

 

[chuck]

Also has the capabilities to capture the email address. However, the program only saves this information in an xml file and does not actually send the email. I had to write a prgram that listened in the specific folder for the XML file to be generated, parse the info from it and send the email out using my own smtp settings.

Scratch this part about the email. Looks like the new version has the ability to send emails built into the app.

 

[kakugori]

I've got both a Windows tablet and an ipad available, so I have options.


Thanks for the info, Chuck. That sounds much easier than what I've been trying thus far.

 

[DannyK]

Are you lloking for helo more on the interface or on the "Scare"? I think a electric chair type scare in this prop would be a REALLY great scare (provided they will be sitting down). As for the interface, that isn't really my strong suit, bu t the reaction from a visual scare combined with the electric chair style prop I mentioned above would (i think) create exactly what you are looking for, and definately make an impression on your guests. The whole ponit is repeat buisiness right?

 

[kakugori]

I hadn't planned on building a seat, just a standing booth. While the electric chair would be cool, I think it'd also be a lot harder for me to accomplish since it'd require some kind of code to link it with the camera program. Same thing for a light or strobe, which I'd originally considered setting up for the scare. Webcam PhotoBooth seems to be working perfectly for what I want, since it's so simple. This will only be one small part of my setup rather than a main attraction

Also, my friendly competitors on the next block have already done the electric chair thing...gotta be different.

 

[chuck]

Were you able to get it to work with Webcam Photobooth?

 

[kakugori]

Yes! That seems to be the perfect option - I'm still playing around with sound effects but otherwise I'm pretty impressed. Does everything I wanted, and it was even easy to set up, which never happens to me. The built-in email and facebook uploads are going to work well.