How to take a picture using the default webcam in C#?

Question

I need help to make my program. I have developed a form in C# that only has a textbox and a button to take a photo using the webcam and save it in the file path specified.

So I need a method to start the webcam, take a photo and save it in the file path and close the webcam immediately. No need to see what the webcam shows, just take the photo very fast and save it.

Any idea how I can do that? All comments are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Windows APIs to access a webcam are native, but you can use well known wrappers:

First, DirectShow.NET's DxSnap sample

Use DirectShow to take snapshots from the Still pin of a capture device. Note the MS encourages you to use WIA for this, but if you want to do in with DirectShow and C#, here's how.

Related on StackOverflow:

• Photo and video with webcam using DirectShowLib-2005
• Capturing frames from webcam using DirectShow.NET
• DirectShowLib - Can't take more than one picture with webcam. Got "Insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service" error
• DirectShow Library-How to capture image using directshow library without showing the webcam live images on the PictureBox or Panel
• Capturing a photo on x86 Atom Windows 8, DirectShow

Second, Media Foundation.NET which wraps Media Foundation API

• See How to grab constant stream of bitmap images from webcam in c# for related references

Then, other libraries, that eventually wrap mentioned above APIs (including referenced by links above)