Camera image handling

Many WAC sources include traffic camera locations and recent still imagery. WAC processes that imagery so the map can show current views without repeatedly loading full-size images from upstream services.

What WAC stores

When a camera image is available and usable, WAC stores a normalized image record and a smaller thumbnail for map display. This helps reduce repeated load and gives the map a consistent image format.

Duplicate images

Some cameras publish the same frame repeatedly. WAC tracks image changes so unchanged frames can be skipped instead of stored again.

Placeholder and maintenance imagery

Some feeds return maintenance screens, blank frames, or single-color placeholders when a camera is unavailable. WAC uses simple image analysis to skip many of those frames.

This filtering is best effort. A bad frame may still appear, and a legitimate low-detail image may occasionally be skipped.

Camera direction and geometry

Where source data supports it, WAC stores camera direction and viewing context. Some sources provide rich camera metadata; others provide only a location and label. WAC may infer limited display attributes from the available source record, but those attributes should be treated as approximate.