Take & store camera snapshots and send it "on demand" (later) with telegram

Configuration
1

Hello !

I currently run an automation quite simple from my HA + Alarmo settings.
Each time someone trigger the alarm (by not deactivating it), I take 5 snapshots and send them with telegram.
But, having to wait for the entry delay (15sec) to pass is a problem, because the intruder could have passed the camera’s scope (meaning : i get a static picture of the door …)

My idea is :

  1. to take (and store) picture as soon as the entry delay start (adding 1 ou 2 sec to give the time to open the door),
  2. send a notification with telegram saying “Door is open, want a snapshot ?”, with a button to request pictures
  3. When I want (could be few minutes / hours after the event), I could click on the button and received the snapshots

I tried with a script to trigger the snapshots (with variables “snapshot1 and snapshot2” being the filename of the snapshots) and send a message to telegram, and an automation to answer to a /snapshot command.

But variable can’t be used across scripts & automations … So, I don’t know how to send “last created file” and/or share information between different automations / scripts .
Any idea ?

2

Just use frigate and set up automations. It will send image from the trigger event plus have video

I think your goal is to stay simple but you will learn at the wrong time that a recording will catch the important stuff as image missed

3

I have the correct trigger (door opening + motion sensor), I just don’t want to by spammed by pictures each time someone’s coming home. So storing and delivering pictures ON demand is the correct way to go.

Frigate can answer to this kind of request ?

4

Yes

Frigate does:
Clips, short video of event
Snapshots, photo of detected object and I believe motion event but I don’t use this way

You also have option to record 24/7

It will retain the clip, snapshot or video based on settings in config

With multiple cameras frigate is best with Coral TPU or GPU but if one or two camera it may be fine with CPU.

You may trigger HA automation with frigate event and event ID correspond to image. I use this like doorbell to get notified when persons arrive. Even when facing busy street I don’t get spammed with notifications. You may also set zones or sensitivity to reduce this

You may just continue using snapshot and door trigger. May just add condition where if automation trigger less than 30 seconds ago don’t send.

Frigate may be better long term from managment perspective since it will provide better ui for review and additional capture options