PyQt Camera Dashboard

A multi-camera RTSP dashboard built with Python, OpenCV, and PyQt5.

This application allows you to:

• View multiple RTSP camera feeds
• Record camera streams
• Automatically reconnect disconnected cameras
• Store camera settings in a JSON configuration file
• Add new cameras directly from the GUI
• Automatically organize recordings by date and hour
• Automatically clean up old recordings when disk usage becomes too high

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Main Dashboard

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First-Time Setup

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Add Camera Dialog

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Features

First-Time Setup Wizard

When the application launches for the first time:

• A PyQt setup dialog appears
• You enter:
  • Camera IP
  • Camera name
  • Username
  • Password
• The application automatically creates camera_config.json

Passwords are masked during entry.

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GUI Features

• Live camera dashboard
• Individual recording controls
• Start/Stop all recording buttons
• Dynamic camera addition using the + button
• Dark theme UI
• Automatic camera tile removal on repeated failures

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Installation

Linux / Ubuntu

Install system dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv git

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/BleedingCodes/pyqt-camera-dashboard.git
cd pyqt-camera-dashboard

Create and activate a virtual environment:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

Install Python dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Run the app:

python camera_dashboard.py

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Windows

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/BleedingCodes/pyqt-camera-dashboard.git
cd pyqt-camera-dashboard

Create and activate a virtual environment:

py -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Run the app:

python camera_dashboard.py

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First-Time Launch

On first launch, the app creates:

camera_config.json

You will be prompted to enter:

• Number of cameras
• Camera IP address
• Camera display name
• Username
• Password

Passwords are masked in the setup dialog.

Do not upload camera_config.json to GitHub.

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Configuration File

The application stores camera settings in:

camera_config.json

Example structure:

[
  {
    "name": "Front Door",
    "ip": "192.168.1.100",
    "username": "admin",
    "password": "password123"
  }
]

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Recording Storage

Recordings are automatically organized like this:

recordings/
└── YYYY-MM-DD/
    └── HH/

Example:

recordings/
└── 2026-05-17/
    └── 14/

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Security Notice

Do NOT upload camera_config.json to GitHub.

The .gitignore file is configured to prevent accidental uploads of credentials and recordings.

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Future Improvements

Ideas for future versions:

• Motion detection
• GPU acceleration
• H.265 support
• PTZ controls
• Web dashboard
• Docker support
• Encrypted credential storage
• Multi-monitor support

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License

MIT License