Photo Capture#

Use this skill when the user wants a live camera image captured and sent back.

Default Behavior#

1. Prefer direct webcam capture with scripts/capture_webcam.py.
2. Save output under tmp/ inside the workspace.
3. Reply with MEDIA:./relative/path.png or MEDIA:./relative/path.jpg so the image is sent back.
4. Only use the old macOS app-window screenshot path when direct camera capture is unavailable.

Why This Path#

Direct camera capture is the default because it works across macOS, Windows, and Linux and does not require pre-configuring screen recording, accessibility, or automation permissions.

The OS may still show a normal one-time camera permission prompt for the terminal or Python process. That is expected and lighter than the old screenshot-based setup.

Primary Command Path#

Note: Replace <skill-dir> with the actual path where this skill is installed (e.g., ~/.agents/skills/photo-capture or ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/photo-capture).

List available cameras:

bash

python3 <skill-dir>/scripts/capture_webcam.py --list-devices

Capture from the default camera on any supported OS:

bash

python3 <skill-dir>/scripts/capture_webcam.py --output ./tmp/webcam.jpg

Capture from a specific device:

bash

python3 <skill-dir>/scripts/capture_webcam.py \
  --device "0" \
  --output ./tmp/webcam.jpg

Higher resolution capture:

bash

python3 <skill-dir>/scripts/capture_webcam.py \
  --width 1920 \
  --height 1080 \
  --output ./tmp/webcam-1080p.jpg

Platform Notes#

• macOS: Uses ffmpeg with avfoundation. Auto-selects camera index 0 by default.
• Windows: Uses ffmpeg with dshow. Auto-selects the first detected video device.
• Linux: Uses ffmpeg with v4l2. Auto-selects /dev/video0-style devices.

Requirements#

• ffmpeg must be available in PATH.
• A webcam device must be present.
• If multiple cameras exist, use --list-devices and then pass --device explicitly.

macOS Fallback#

Keep the old app-window screenshot path only as a fallback for macOS environments where direct webcam capture fails.

Photo Booth fallback:

bash

bash <skill-dir>/scripts/capture_via_app.sh \
  --app "Photo Booth" \
  --layout large \
  --capture window \
  --output ./tmp/photobooth-window-large.png

Use that fallback only if the direct ffmpeg path fails or the user explicitly wants the Photo Booth or FaceTime UI visible in the image.

Validation#

When updating or debugging this skill:

1. Run --list-devices on the target OS.
2. Capture one frame to tmp/.
3. Confirm the output file exists and is not empty.
4. On macOS, only reach for the screenshot fallback if direct capture is blocked.