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Moe edited this page Feb 6, 2017 · 26 revisions

Using a Plugin

We will use shinobi-opencv.js, a node.js plugin, for the example.

  1. Locate the plugin and install its required dependencies.
  • In this case it is OpenCV 2.4.9 and the npm called opencv.
  1. OpenCV 2.4.9 will be installed with install_opencv_2.4.sh. Run the following to make it executable.
chmod +x install_opencv_2.4.sh
  1. Go back to main Shinobi directory. As regular user run the following to install the node.js npm for opencv.
sudo npm install opencv
  1. Run the plugin from Shinobi directroy after camera.js is running.
pm2 start plugins/opencv/shinobi-opencv.js
  1. In the Edit or Add Monitor window you should see OpenCV Connected inside the orange box labelled Detector. More options should also have appeared.

Contributing a Plugin

Criteria for a plugin

  • Shinobi must be able to run if the plugin is not present.
  • Exceptions will only be made if the plugin is better off as a feature in which case it shouldn't be classified as a plugin.
  • Required dependencies must have an installation process included
  • Plugin must be a separate process (a daemon)
  • Plugin interfaces with camera.js through socket.io-client.
  • OpenCV plugin can be reviewed as an example.
  • Instructions must be provided for simple installation and usage.
  • Options for plugin must be hidden unless plugin is connected to camera.js.
  • Plugin cannot undermine the overall performance of Shinobi.
  • Reviewed, tested, and accepted by peers or a senior developer in the Slack community chat.

Why Socket.io for transport?

  • Well mainly because this allows for a plug and play feel.
  • Not having to restart the server for a plugin makes sense.
  • Fast and reliable data transfer.
  • It was previously attempted that we use UDP ports to achieve the same result but found there was quality loss.
  • Socket.io is supported by many languages, not just Node.js
  • Write your plugin in Python, C++, whatever. As long as it communicates with camera.js through socket.io the data exchange remains the same.
  • Since each plugin is it's own process it can be run on another machine entirely.
  • You could have one machine do camera.js functions and another do opencv requests.
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