Video Streaming Client-Server Module

This repository contains a client-server model designed for video streaming. It captures video data from a camera and transmits it to a server, which then relays the information to any client requesting the video feed.

The main conceit of this project is to develop local area video streaming for an upcoming project, again I've used Golang because it's performant, designed for concurrent systems, and I like working with it.

As an extra challenge I made it work over the internet too.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Key Features
• Project Structure
• API Documentation
• Installation and Setup
• Running the Code

Key Features

• Client-Server Architecture: Efficiently handles video data transmission from a camera to a server and then to clients.
• Global Functionality: The system is built to operate globally, with varying ping times depending on location, be aware you will have to handle portforwarding for it to work globally.
• Multi-language Development: The server is implemented in Go (Golang), and the client is in Python, with a future plan to migrate the client to Dart for integration with Flutter for a better user interface.
• Socket Programming: Uses low-level socket interfaces for precise control over network communications.

Project Structure

The project is divided into several key components:

• Server (Go): Handles incoming video streams, processes requests, and manages data distribution to clients.
• Client (Python/Dart): Connects to the server, requests video data, and displays the video stream.
• Networking: Utilizes UDP for transmitting video data and handling client-server communications.

API Documentation

Overview

This API facilitates interactions with a video streaming server, enabling camera initialization, removal, feed requests, and updates. It is optimized for efficient video data transmission within a client-server architecture.

API Calls

RequestTypeInitialiseCamera - Request Type 1

• Purpose: Adds a new camera to the server's client list.
• Input: ImportedCamera
  • Contains camera identifier, color bands, width, and height.
• Output: ExportedCamera
  • Returns the initialized camera details including name, ID, bands, width, and height.

RequestTypeRemoveCamera - Request Type 2

• Purpose: Removes a camera from the server's client list.
• Input: Camera ID
  • Unique identifier of the camera to be removed.
• Output: None
  • Confirms the camera has been successfully removed.

RequestTypeUpdateCamera - Request Type 3

• Purpose: Updates the server buffer with a new image from a camera.
• Input: IncomingImagePacket
  • Contains the camera ID and image data to be updated.
• Output: None
  • Indicates the image has been successfully updated in the buffer.

RequestTypeRequestFeed - Request Type 4

• Purpose: Requests the video feed from a specific camera.
• Input: FeedRequest
  • Contains the camera ID and sequence number for the requested feed.
• Output: FeedResponse
  • Provides the most recent sequence number and buffer containing the feed data in UDP packets.

RequestTypeRequestCameras - Request Type 5

• Purpose: Requests information about all cameras.

• Input: 'None

• Output: a collection of ExportedCamera

  • Provides meta information about the cameras, such as width and existence.

Data Structures

ImportedCamera

• Used when initialising the camera.
• Name: [20]byte - Identifier for the camera.
• Bands: uint16 - Number of color bands.
• Width: uint16 - Width resolution of the camera.
• Height: uint16 - Height resolution of the camera.

ExportedCamera

• Used when a request for camera information is requested.
• Name: [20]byte - Name of the camera.
• ID: uint16 - Unique identifier for the camera.
• Bands: uint16 - Number of color bands.
• Width: uint16 - Width resolution of the camera.
• Height: uint16 - Height resolution of the camera.

FeedRequest

• Used when requesting the feed from a single camera.
• ID: uint16 - Unique identifier for the camera feed request.
• SeqNum: uint32 - Sequence number for the feed request.

FeedResponse

• Response to a feed request.
• mostRecentSequenceNumber: uint32 - The most recent sequence number in the feed.
• buffer: [][]UDPPacket - Buffer holding the feed data in UDP packets.

UDPPacket

• Structure of a packet of video information. Sequence numbers and packet numbers are included as reassembly is required.
• PacketNum: uint16 - Packet number within a sequence.
• TotalPackets: uint16 - Total number of packets in a sequence.
• SeqNum: uint32 - Sequence number of the packet.
• Data: [packetSize]byte - Data contained in the packet.

IncomingImagePacket

• Used when sending information from the client to the server. Typically when a camera sends image information to the server.
• CameraID: uint16 - Unique identifier for the camera sending the packet.
• ImageInformation: ImagePacket - Image data packet information.

ImagePacket

• Used to describe an image
• MessageID: uint32 - Unique identifier for the image message.
• PacketNum: uint16 - Packet number within the image message.
• TotalPackets: uint16 - Total number of packets in the image message.
• SeqNum: uint32 - Number representing the image within the context of a larger video stream.
• Data: [packetSize]byte - Image data contained in the packet.

Future Enhancements

• Transition the client application from Python to Dart for a more engaging UI using Flutter.
• Improve network efficiency and reduce latency for better global performance.

Installation and Setup

1. Clone the repository to your local machine.
2. Ensure you have Go and Python installed, or Dart for the future client version.
3. Configure port forwarding on your network to allow external access to the server or just use the local network IP for local access.
4. Run the server using the provided batch file.
5. Connect clients by running the client script.

Running the Code

To run the application, execute the provided batch files. Please note that these batch files are designed for Windows and may not work on other operating systems.

Local Testing Procedure

1. Start the Server:

   • Double-click the start_server.bat file.
   • Note the local IP address displayed in the server terminal.

2. Start a Camera:

   • Double-click the start_camera.bat file.
   • When prompted for an IP in the command line, enter the local IP address from the server terminal.

3. Start a Watching Setup:

   • Double-click the start_watching.bat file.
   • When prompted for an IP, enter the local IP address from the server terminal.
   • Enter the ID of the camera you want to watch.
   • The stream should now be visible on the watching setup.

Global Testing Procedure

1. Set Up Port Forwarding:

   • Enable port forwarding on port 8000 for your computer's local IP address.
   • You can find the local IP address by starting the server and reading the terminal output or by using the IPConfig command in the terminal.

2. Start the Server:

   • Double-click the start_server.bat file after setting up port forwarding.
   • Note the Global IP address displayed in the server terminal (usually labeled "Global" and shown on the first line).

3. Start a Camera:

   • Double-click the start_camera.bat file.
   • When prompted for an IP, enter the Global IP address from the server terminal.

4. Start a Watching Setup:

   • Double-click the start_watching.bat file.
   • When prompted for an IP, enter the Global IP address from the server terminal.
   • Enter the ID of the camera you want to watch.
   • The stream should now be accessible on the watching setup.

Contributing

Contributions to the project are welcome! If you have ideas for improvements or want to report a bug, please open an issue or submit a pull request.