This script allows webcam images to be captured at random intervals to create a timelapse video

randomcam.py

import cv2 # opencv-python
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
import time
import random
import re
import argparse

class CamContext:
  def __init__(self):
    self.cam = cv2.VideoCapture(0) 
  
  def __enter__(self):
     return self.cam
    
  def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, traceback):
    self.cam.release()  
    return False # Don't suppress exceptions

# Seed with current time
random.seed()

# arg parse
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
                    prog='Random Webcam Timelapse',
                    description='This script allows webcam images to be captured at random intervals to create a timelapse video')
parser.add_argument('--min', default=60, type=int, help="Minimum delay between captures (seconds)")
parser.add_argument('--max', default=120, type=int, help="Maximum delay between captures (seconds)")
parser.add_argument('--hours', default=1, type=int, help="Number of hours to execute for (combines with -m/--mins)")
parser.add_argument('--mins', default=0, type=int, help="Number of mins to execute for (combines with -h/--hours)")
parser.add_argument('--fps', default=24, type=int, help="Frames per second of the resulting video")

args = parser.parse_args()
min_wait = args.min
max_wait = args.max
end_time = datetime.now() + timedelta(hours=args.hours, minutes=args.mins)

print(f"Running for {args.hours}h{args.mins}m, with {min_wait}-{max_wait}s intervals.")

# Video output stream
out = None

while True:
  # Sleep random (break if sleep would exceed end time)
  sleep_time = random.randint(min_wait, max_wait)
  if datetime.now() + timedelta(seconds=sleep_time) > end_time:
    break
  time.sleep(sleep_time)
  
  # Capture image with cam 0 (and release cam again, to prevent blocking legit uses)
  result = None
  try:
    with CamContext() as cam:
      result, image = cam.read()
  except Exception as e:
    print(f"{datetime.now().isoformat()}: Failed to Enable Cam")

  # If image was captured, write it out
  if result:     
    if not out:
      # Init output video
      start_str = re.sub(r'[^\w_. -]', '', datetime.now().isoformat())
      end_str = re.sub(r'[^\w_. -]', '', end_time.isoformat())
      vid_path = f"{start_str}_{end_str}.mp4"
      height, width, layers = image.shape
      print(vid_path)
      out = cv2.VideoWriter(vid_path, cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'mp4v'), args.fps, (width,height))
    out.write(image)
    print(f"{datetime.now().isoformat()}: Captured Image")
  else:
    print(f"{datetime.now().isoformat()}: Failed to Capture Image")
    
if out:
  out.release()