ZoneMinder Forums

When using "video writer" as "H264 Camera Passthrough" we (as expected) do not get the timestamp on top of the frames. Is there a way to get a TXT file or something describing when the event started/ended as well as any other relevant event metadata? I understand the video file is stored in a directory hierarchy describing the date and time, but still miss other info stored in simple text like the zones that triggered the alarm, plus alarm score etc. It would be nice to have a text file with all that info being stored together with the video.

Thanks

I've thought about dumping the event db info to a .json file in the event dir...

That would be awesome Iconnor !
You did mention the event DB info - were you thinking about this as also another way to import (or move) events from one zoneminder install to another? You got me curious.

ffmpeg supports a metadata file for creating chapters, which then can be inserted in to a video: https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-formats.html#Metadata-1
Where in the source code does zm write the passthrough file, or rather, when is the file closed? A loop through all the motion alerts, writing of the metadata file and then a ffmpeg pass would need to be done.

A bit simpler option would be if there was an external file for chapters, similar to .srt for subtitles, but I haven't found anything like it.

To capture metadata such as timestamps, zone triggers, alarm scores, etc., along with your video files when using a "H264 Camera Passthrough" video writer, you typically need to:

1. Configure your video recording software to include text overlays or annotations.
2. Implement custom scripting or integration to extract and store metadata in separate text files or databases.
3. Ensure your file naming and structuring includes relevant event information.

Consult your software documentation or support for specific steps tailored to your setup.