Note: there now appears to be some official support for TIS cameras using Python: https://github.com/TheImagingSource/IC-Imaging-Control-Samples/tree/master/Python

py-ic-imaging-control

py-ic-imaging-control provides control of The Imaging Source (TIS) cameras using only Python. It is a Python wrapper for the IC Imaging Control SDK and wraps the tisgrabber.dll file included in the IC Imaging Control C SDK installer using ctypes. The code currently supports most of the functionality exposed by the DLL file, including frame ready callbacks.

This module only works on Windows due to wrapping a DLL. Tested on Windows 7 with GigE and USB The Imaging Source cameras.

Installation

Download the IC Imaging Control C SDK from here: http://www.theimagingsource.com/en_US/support/downloads/details/icimagingcontrolcwrapper/

Install to the default directory, ie:

C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents\The Imaging Source Europe GmbH\TIS Grabber DLL

Add the \bin\win32 directory to your Windows PATH system variable, ie:

C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents\The Imaging Source Europe GmbH\TIS Grabber DLL\bin\win32

Install pyicic.

Basic usage

A code example showing image capture with a camera using an external hardware trigger.

from pyicic.IC_ImagingControl import *

# open lib
ic_ic = IC_ImagingControl()
ic_ic.init_library()

# open first available camera device
cam_names = ic_ic.get_unique_device_names()
cam = ic_ic.get_device(cam_names[0])
cam.open()

# change camera properties
print cam.list_property_names()         # ['gain', 'exposure', 'hue', etc...]
cam.gain.auto = True                    # enable auto gain
print cam.exposure.range                # (0, 10)
emin = cam.exposure.min                 # 0
emax = cam.exposure.max                 # 10
cam.exposure.value = (emin + emax) / 2  # disables auto exposure and sets value to half of range
print cam.exposure.value                # 5

# change camera settings
formats = cam.list_video_formats()
cam.set_video_format(formats[0])        # use first available video format
cam.enable_continuous_mode(True)        # image in continuous mode
cam.start_live(show_display=True)       # start imaging

cam.enable_trigger(True)                # camera will wait for trigger
if not cam.callback_registered:
    cam.register_frame_ready_callback() # needed to wait for frame ready callback

for i in xrange(10):                        # take 10 shots
    cam.reset_frame_ready()                 # reset frame ready flag
    
    # send hardware trigger OR call cam.send_trigger() here
    cam.send_trigger()
    
    cam.wait_til_frame_ready(1000)              # wait for frame ready due to trigger
    cam.save_image(''.join(['image-',       # save image
                            str(i),
                            '.jpg']), 1)

cam.stop_live()
cam.close()

ic_ic.close_library()