Moca2 User Manual
Moca2
Moca2, like its predecessor Moca, can be used as a regular camera, but its main functionality is to allow the user to record video or take photos even with the screen turned off and without previewing. It has a motion detection mode which makes it very effective for monitoring pets or even as a home security camera, since it can be left monitoring and take a photo or video only when it detects movement.
In the car it can be used as Dashcam given its ability to keep only the last recorded minutes (it has a configurable retention policy), allowing space saving on your device; you can put your cell phone in a holder and put it to record even with the screen off.
Moca2 has the option for sending events to the operating system so that other automation tools can be integrated.
It has a Widget to easily access to take photos, record video or enter detection mode without having to open the app.
In the free version there's advertisement and the functionality for masking the application is not available; Furthermore, some options (which are unrestricted in the paid version) can be accessed after viewing an advertisement.
Required permissions
The required permissions are:
Take photos: to use the camera to take photos and videos.
Access Files: this to be able to record videos and photos, as well as to record logs for possible error reporting.
Record Audio: if videos can also include audio or not
Appear to the Front: it is required in the background recording mode and thus be able to record even with the screen off.
Avoid battery optimization: for when you are recording with the screen off, android does not finish the execution of the app.
Background recording
In background recording mode, a preview of the image is not displayed. This mode can be used to start recording and then exit the app or turn off the screen and Moca2 will continue recording.
It even shows a description of how the recording would be with the current configuration; Shortcuts for photo and video configuration are displayed.
There are also controls to change the zoom and access to some most used settings.
Recording with preview
In the previewing mode a preview of the image is shown, but it can NOT be used to record in the background when closing the app or turning off the screen; when this happens, the recording will stop immediately.
Controls to change the zoom and access to certain most used settings are shown.
Movement detection mode
Movement detection mode can be used with either preview or no preview. If it is required to continue detecting movement in the background when closing the app or turning off the screen, the mode without preview should be used; If used with preview, when the screen is turned off or the app is exited, the recording will stop immediately.
A description of what detection would look like with the current configuration is displayed; for example if video is recorded or photo is taken when motion is detected, as well as the events that are sent to the operating system according to the current configuration.
There are also controls to change the zoom and access to some most used settings.
Easy start Widget
There is a Widget to take photos, record video or start detecting with just one click; this way, you don't have to enter the app to do it.
The text of the buttons is configurable, you can even choose to show it or not; You can also configure which buttons should appear in the widget.
Notification bar widget
Once the application is in use, a notification is created, which can be used to stop the current detection or recording without having to enter the application.
App menu
In the main menu you have the following options:
My recordings: to access the photos or videos that are generated in the application. This option can be hidden from the app settings.
Masking Conf: This option is only available in the paid version. In the free version you have at this point the option "Enable paid options" to enable certain options of the paid version for a recording session.
Plugins: will come at the end of 2020
Tutorial: the link to this tutorial
Rate the app: to send an email with suggestions or rate the app in the playstore.
Send logs: to send logs to the developer.
Accessing recorded files
By choosing the "My recordings option" in the menu, you can access the videos and photos that have been taken with the app. An external application can be opened to view its content. Once the photo or video is chosen, the external program that is going to be used to reproduce must be chosen.
Enable paid version options in free version
When you press "Enable paid options" in the main menu of the application, you can temporarily configure certain options that are free to use in the paid version. Once it is enabled by viewing an advertisement, the "Conf. Paid options" menu will be available to configure the options already enabled, as shown below.
Paid options available in free version.
These options can be enabled by a recording, photo or detection session. Once used in a session, they must be re-enabled. These options are always available in the paid version without the need to see advertising.
Mute the device during the session: so that no notification or calls are heard
Mute the camera shutter: so that it does not make noise when taking photos, when starting to record or when stopping recording.
Include audio in video: can be disabled and the video is left without audio to save space.
Photo and video file extension: to make files not visible to Android gallery.
Video and Photo Quality (see Camera and Video Settings for more details)
Application masking
App masking is available only for the paid version. In this you can choose the texts that will be shown in the buttons to record, take a picture, detect and stop. You can also choose the icon for each of them from a predetermined list of icons. You can also change the name that will be displayed in the widget in the notification bar.
At any time you can restore the default values.
Available configurations
You have the possibility to configure different aspects of the application; general camera settings, app behavior when in motion detection mode, various video and photo options, widget settings and other general settings. Each of them is described in detail below.
Camera configuration
Force use of old camera api: This option is present on modern devices. In case the use of the camera is unstable (generating errors) it is possible to force the use of a more stable camera version.
Use camera: You can choose which of the cameras the application will use (front, selfie, etc.) and thus configure other options for the chosen camera. The configuration of the cameras is saved separately, so you can for example use a resolution in the main camera and another in the selfie.
Focus Mode: In some devices you have the option to change the focus mode to be Manual, automatic, etc.
Use flash if available - to enable the use of flash if the camera allows it.
Zoom: the zoom to use for the current camera.
Video and Photo Quality: to choose the quality with which it is recorded. NOTE: in the free version, you must see an advertisement before you can enable qualities above High Definition.
Silence shutter while recording: this option allows no sound to be heard when taking a photo, starting or ending recording a video. NOTE: in the free version you must see a blurb before you can silence the shutter while recording.
Movement detection configuration
You can configure the behavior of the application when it is detecting movement.
Session start delay: If you have configured a value greater than 0, say N, it does not begin to detect movement immediately but after N seconds. This allows time to settle the device after pressing the detect button.
Detection sensitivity: How sensitive is motion detection; If you configure a very low value, you have to have a lot of movement for it to be detected; a very high value, it can detect almost imperceptible movements.
Action when detecting motion: You can configure the action of the application for when motion is detected; You can record video, take a photo or even not take any of these 2 actions, but simply send a broadcast to the operating system (see General Settings for more details on broadcast events).
Continue detecting automatically: indicates whether once motion is detected and the action taken (photo, video or broadcast) must be entered again to detect or simply terminate.
Wait time before start detecting again: once movement is detected and action is taken, for example record, moca2 re-enters detection mode (if configured); the timeout indicates whether to start detecting immediately (when set to 0) or to wait a few seconds.
Widget configuration
Different aspects of the application Widget can be configured.
Show text on buttons: it can be disabled so that the widget only shows the icons and not the button texts.
Enable photo button: to display the option to take photo in the widget.
Enable video button: to show the option to record video in the widget.
Enable detection button: to show the option to detect movement in the widget.
Picture configuration
In this option you can configure the options for photos.
Session Delay start: If you have configured a value greater than 0, say N, a photo is not taken immediately but after N seconds. This allows time to accommodate the device after pressing the take photo button
Photo file extension: the photos will be recorded with this extension and not with the default extension (jpg) and in this way they can be hidden so that they are not visible in the Android gallery.
Photo Quality: You can choose the quality of the photo. NOTE: in the free version, you must see an advertisement before you can choose qualities above High Definition.
Video configuration
In this option you can configure video recording sessions.
Session Delay start: If you have configured a value greater than 0, say N, you do not start recording immediately but after N seconds. This gives you time to settle the device after pressing the record button.
Duration of the fragments: It is the maximum duration of the videos stored on the device. If for example it is defined in 10, and video is recorded for 1 minute (60 secs) this indicates that the application will record 6 videos of 10 seconds each; in this way, a video retention policy can be defined later.
Continue recording automatically: indicates whether once the duration of the fragment is reached (eg 10 secs) it should continue recording or simply end.
Include audio in video: can be disabled and the video is left without audio to save space.
Video file extension: the videos will be recorded with this extension and not with the default extension (mp4) and in this way they can be hidden so that they are not visible in the Android gallery.
Video Quality: you can choose the quality of the video to be generated. NOTE: in the free version, you must see an advertisement before you can choose qualities above High Definition.
General configuration
General options can be configured for the application.
Show "My recordings" in the menu: if disabled, this option will no longer be shown in the application menu.
Show labels on buttons in the application: it can be disabled so that the application only shows the icons and not the button texts.
Event broadcasts: you can choose which events the application sends to the operating system when it is performing an action (Note: in the paid version, the prefix for events is moca2_paid instead of moca2).
moca2.ON_SHAKE: If enabled, the application will send this event to the operating system when a shake is detected.
moca2.ON_MOTION: If enabled, the application will send this event to the operating system when a movement is detected.
moca2.PIC_TAKEN - If enabled, the application will send this event to the operating system when a photo is taken.
moca2.REC_STARTED: if enabled, the application will send this event to the operating system when it starts to record a video.
moca2.REC_STOPPED: If enabled, the application will send this event to the operating system when it finishes recording a video.
moca2.REC_ERROR: if enabled, the application will send this event to the operating system when an error occurs during the session.
Output directory: the path where the photos and videos are stored.
Number of files to retain in the directory: a retention policy is defined in this way in order to prevent the application from filling up the memory of the device. Every time the application records video or takes a photo, it will delete the oldest file to comply with the retention policy and keep only the defined number of files.
Mute the device during the session: so that no notification or calls are heard
Prevent battery optimization: to prevent Android from force terminating the application when it is working in the background.
Integrate with automation tools
You can configure an external tool like Macrodroid, Tasker, Condi, Automate and more, in order to capture events generated by Moca2 and run some user created tasks. For example, you could create a macro in Macrodroid for sending an SMS when motion is detected in Moca2. Here's how to configure Macrodroid for this case (Macrodroid needs to be installed):
Enable macrodroid
Install and run Macrodroid
In the main screen, click on the top right toggle to the enabled state, so Macrodroid can run and detect events from external apps.
Once enabled, click on "Add macro" option for adding a macro for sending an SMS when a motion detected event is gotten from Moca2
Create the macro
Add a title for the macro.
In the Triggers section, select the "Intent Received" trigger and configure with the "moca2.ON_MOTION" action.
In the Actions section, choose "Send SMS" and configure with the phone number and message to be sent.
Save, and this should work now. Do a quick test in Moca2 to see if worked.