NetGear API Usage Examples:⚓

Danger

Kindly go through each given examples thoroughly, any incorrect settings/parameter may result in errors or no output at all.
NetGear provides auto-termination feature, where if you terminate server end manually, the connected client(s) end will also terminate themselves to save resources.
Only either of two functions (i.e. send() and recv()) can be accessed at any given instance based on activated primary mode selected during NetGear API initialization. Trying to access wrong function in incorrect mode (for e.g using send() function in Receive Mode), will result in ValueError.

After going through following Usage Examples, Checkout more bonus examples here ➶

Bare-Minimum Usage⚓

Following is the bare-minimum code you need to get started with NetGear API:

Server's End⚓

Open your favorite terminal and execute the following python code:

You can terminate both sides anytime by pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard!

# import required libraries
from vidgear.gears import VideoGear
from vidgear.gears import NetGear

# open any valid video stream(for e.g `test.mp4` file)
stream = VideoGear(source="test.mp4").start()

# Define Netgear Server with default parameters
server = NetGear()

# loop over until KeyBoard Interrupted
while True:

    try:

        # read frames from stream
        frame = stream.read()

        # check for frame if Nonetype
        if frame is None:
            break

        # {do something with the frame here}

        # send frame to server
        server.send(frame)

    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        break

# safely close video stream
stream.stop()

# safely close server
server.close()

Client's End⚓

Then open another terminal on the same system and execute the following python code and see the output:

You can terminate client anytime by pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard!

# import required libraries
from vidgear.gears import NetGear
import cv2


# define Netgear Client with `receive_mode = True` and default parameter
client = NetGear(receive_mode=True)

# loop over
while True:

    # receive frames from network
    frame = client.recv()

    # check for received frame if Nonetype
    if frame is None:
        break

    # {do something with the frame here}

    # Show output window
    cv2.imshow("Output Frame", frame)

    # check for 'q' key if pressed
    key = cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF
    if key == ord("q"):
        break

# close output window
cv2.destroyAllWindows()

# safely close client
client.close()

Using NetGear with Variable Parameters⚓

Client's End⚓

Open a terminal on Client System (where you want to display the input frames received from the Server) and execute the following python code:

Note down the local IP-address of this system(required at Server's end) and also replace it in the following code. You can follow this FAQ for this purpose.

You can terminate client anytime by pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard!

# import required libraries
from vidgear.gears import NetGear
import cv2

# define various tweak flags
options = {"flag": 0, "copy": False, "track": False}

# Define Netgear Client at given IP address and define parameters 
# !!! change following IP address '192.168.x.xxx' with yours !!!
client = NetGear(
    address="192.168.x.xxx",
    port="5454",
    protocol="tcp",
    pattern=1,
    receive_mode=True,
    logging=True,
    **options
)

# loop over
while True:

    # receive frames from network
    frame = client.recv()

    # check for received frame if Nonetype
    if frame is None:
        break

    # {do something with the frame here}

    # Show output window
    cv2.imshow("Output Frame", frame)

    # check for 'q' key if pressed
    key = cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF
    if key == ord("q"):
        break

# close output window
cv2.destroyAllWindows()

# safely close client
client.close()

Server's End⚓

Now, Open the terminal on another Server System (with a webcam connected to it at index 0), and execute the following python code:

Replace the IP address in the following code with Client's IP address you noted earlier.

You can terminate stream on both side anytime by pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard!

# import required libraries
from vidgear.gears import VideoGear
from vidgear.gears import NetGear

# define various tweak flags
options = {"flag": 0, "copy": False, "track": False}

# Open live video stream on webcam at first index(i.e. 0) device
stream = VideoGear(source=0).start()

# Define Netgear server at given IP address and define parameters 
# !!! change following IP address '192.168.x.xxx' with client's IP address !!!
server = NetGear(
    address="192.168.x.xxx",
    port="5454",
    protocol="tcp",
    pattern=1,
    logging=True,
    **options
)

# loop over until KeyBoard Interrupted
while True:

    try:
        # read frames from stream
        frame = stream.read()

        # check for frame if Nonetype
        if frame is None:
            break

        # {do something with the frame here}

        # send frame to server
        server.send(frame)

    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        break

# safely close video stream
stream.stop()

# safely close server
server.close()

Using NetGear with OpenCV⚓

You can easily use NetGear directly with any Video Processing library such as OpenCV itself. The complete usage example is as follows:

Client's End⚓

Open a terminal on Client System (where you want to display the input frames received from the Server) and execute the following python code:

Note down the local IP-address of this system(required at Server's end) and also replace it in the following code. You can follow this FAQ for this purpose.

You can terminate client anytime by pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard!

# import required libraries
from vidgear.gears import NetGear
import cv2

# define tweak flags
options = {"flag": 0, "copy": False, "track": False}

# Define Netgear Client at given IP address and define parameters 
# !!! change following IP address '192.168.x.xxx' with yours !!!
client = NetGear(
    address="192.168.x.xxx",
    port="5454",
    protocol="tcp",
    pattern=0,
    receive_mode=True,
    logging=True,
    **options
)

# loop over
while True:

    # receive frames from network
    frame = client.recv()

    # check for received frame if Nonetype
    if frame is None:
        break

    # {do something with the received frame here}

    # Show output window
    cv2.imshow("Output Frame", frame)

    # check for 'q' key if pressed
    key = cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF
    if key == ord("q"):
        break

# close output window
cv2.destroyAllWindows()

# safely close client
client.close()

Server's End⚓

Now, Open the terminal on another Server System (with a webcam connected to it at index 0), and execute the following python code:

Replace the IP address in the following code with Client's IP address you noted earlier.

You can terminate stream on both side anytime by pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard!

# import required libraries
from vidgear.gears import NetGear
import cv2

# Open suitable video stream, such as webcam on first index(i.e. 0)
stream = cv2.VideoCapture(0)

# define tweak flags
options = {"flag": 0, "copy": False, "track": False}

# Define Netgear Client at given IP address and define parameters 
# !!! change following IP address '192.168.x.xxx' with yours !!!
client = NetGear(
    address="192.168.x.xxx",
    port="5454",
    protocol="tcp",
    pattern=0,
    logging=True,
    **options
)

# loop over until KeyBoard Interrupted
while True:

    try:
        # read frames from stream
        (grabbed, frame) = stream.read()

        # check for frame if not grabbed
        if not grabbed:
            break

        # {do something with the frame here}

        # send frame to server
        server.send(frame)

    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        break

# safely close video stream
stream.release()

# safely close server
server.close()

Using NetGear with Other VideoCapture Gears⚓

You can use any VideoCapture Gear in the similar manner. Let's implement given usage example with ScreenGear:

Client's End⚓

Open a terminal on Client System (where you want to display the input frames received from the Server) and execute the following python code:

Note down the local IP-address of this system(required at Server's end) and also replace it in the following code. You can follow this FAQ for this purpose.

You can terminate client anytime by pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard!

# import required libraries
from vidgear.gears import NetGear
import cv2

# define various tweak flags
options = {"flag": 0, "copy": False, "track": False}

# Define Netgear Client at given IP address and define parameters 
# !!! change following IP address '192.168.x.xxx' with yours !!!
client = NetGear(
    address="192.168.x.xxx",
    port="5454",
    protocol="tcp",
    pattern=1,
    receive_mode=True,
    logging=True,
    **options
)

# loop over
while True:

    # receive frames from network
    frame = client.recv()

    # check for received frame if Nonetype
    if frame is None:
        break

    # {do something with the frame here}

    # Show output window
    cv2.imshow("Output Frame", frame)

    # check for 'q' key if pressed
    key = cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF
    if key == ord("q"):
        break

# close output window
cv2.destroyAllWindows()

# safely close client
client.close()

Server's End⚓

Now, Open the terminal on another Server System (let's say you want to transmit Monitor Screen Frames from a Laptop), and execute the following python code:

Replace the IP address in the following code with Client's IP address you noted earlier.

You can terminate stream on both side anytime by pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard!

# import required libraries
from vidgear.gears import ScreenGear
from vidgear.gears import NetGear

# define various tweak flags
options = {"flag": 0, "copy": False, "track": False}

# Start capturing live Monitor screen frames with default settings
stream = ScreenGear().start()

# Define Netgear server at given IP address and define parameters 
# !!! change following IP address '192.168.x.xxx' with client's IP address !!!
server = NetGear(
    address="192.168.x.xxx",
    port="5454",
    protocol="tcp",
    pattern=1,
    logging=True,
    **options
)

# loop over until KeyBoard Interrupted
while True:

    try:
        # read frames from stream
        frame = stream.read()

        # check for frame if Nonetype
        if frame is None:
            break

        # {do something with the frame here}

        # send frame to server
        server.send(frame)

    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        break

# safely close video stream
stream.stop()

# safely close server
server.close()

Last update: June 27, 2022