# CRT Photobooth

A fullscreen photobooth for a Linux laptop mirrored to a 4:3 CRT. Guests press
the button (any mouse button) to take a 3-photo shoot with countdowns and
flashes. After 4 shoots, all 12 photos are printed on one contact sheet.
When idle for 5 minutes, a fish-tank screensaver protects the CRT from burn-in.

## Setup on a new laptop

1. **Install Python 3.11 or newer** (check with `python3 --version`).

2. **Install the dependencies:**

   ```bash
   pip install pygame-ce opencv-python pillow
   ```

   Note: it's `pygame-ce`, not `pygame` — the community edition has wheels
   for newer Python versions. If pip refuses because the system Python is
   "externally managed", either use `pip install --user ...` or create a
   virtual environment:

   ```bash
   python3 -m venv ~/photobooth-venv
   ~/photobooth-venv/bin/pip install pygame-ce opencv-python pillow
   # then run with: ~/photobooth-venv/bin/python photobooth.py
   ```

3. **Plug in the Macally webcam** and confirm Linux sees it:

   ```bash
   ls /dev/v4l/by-id/
   ```

   You should see something like `usb-SolidYear_Macally_USB2.0Camera-video-index0`.
   The default config finds it automatically by name.

4. **Set up the printer.** The booth prints via CUPS with the `lp` command.
   Check what's configured and set a default:

   ```bash
   lpstat -p          # list printers
   lpoptions -d NAME  # set the default printer
   lpstat -p -d       # verify: should show a default destination
   ```

   Print a test page from the printer settings GUI to make sure it works
   before an event.

5. **Copy this whole folder** to the laptop and run it:

   ```bash
   python3 photobooth.py
   ```

   Add `--windowed` to test in a window instead of fullscreen.
   **Press Esc or Q to quit.**

## Customizing

- **All settings** live in `config.toml` — camera choice, screen text,
  countdown lengths, screensaver timeout, printer options. Comments in the
  file explain each one.
- **Idle screen background:** replace `assets/background.png` (any size,
  it gets scaled to the screen — 4:3 looks best, e.g. 800×600).
- **Fish:** drop your fish drawings into the `fish/` folder as PNGs with
  transparent backgrounds. Draw them **facing right** — the program flips
  them automatically when they swim left. Bubbles come out of the front
  (mouth) end. Delete `placeholder_fish.png` once you have real fish.

## Switching cameras

In `config.toml`, `device = "auto-macally"` finds the Macally cam by name.
To use a different camera:

- `device = "auto-integrated"` — match another camera by (partial) name
  from `ls /dev/v4l/by-id/`, case-insensitive
- `device = "/dev/video2"` — an exact device path
- `device = "0"` — a plain index

## Where things go

- `photos/` — individual shots for the current print cycle. Deleted
  automatically after a successful print. (If the program is restarted
  mid-cycle, photos here are counted so no progress is lost.)
- `contact_sheets/` — every printed sheet, kept as a backup in case of
  printer trouble. Delete them manually now and then, or set
  `delete_contact_sheets = true` in the config to remove each one right
  after it prints.

## If printing fails

The booth doesn't lose anything: the contact sheet is saved in
`contact_sheets/`, an error shows on the idle screen, and you can print the
sheet by hand with:

```bash
lp -o media=letter -o fit-to-page contact_sheets/sheet_XXXX.jpg
```

Common causes: printer off or unplugged (`lpstat -p` says "disabled" —
re-enable with `cupsenable PRINTER_NAME`), or no default printer set.

## Troubleshooting the camera

Test the camera on its own (uses the device from `config.toml`):

```bash
python3 camera.py
```

**If it reports black frames** (or the live preview shows a warning): the
Macally cam's chipset sometimes wedges and streams pure black until it is
power-cycled. **Unplug the camera, plug it back in, and restart the
program.** Worth doing a quick test shoot at the start of an event.

## Heads-up

- The Brother HL-5470DW is a **monochrome laser** — contact sheets print
  in black & white.
- The live preview is mirrored (like a mirror) so posing feels natural, but
  saved photos are not mirrored. Set `mirror_preview = false` to change that.
- CRT overscan may crop the very edges of the screen; once the CRT is
  connected, adjust text positions/sizes in code or the CRT's own controls.