Capture Pictures with Your Webcam: Save to Drive and Insert in Sheets

Today I’m excited to show you a cool new feature we’ve added. It’s a simple way to capture pictures or photos with your webcam, save them directly to your Google Drive, and insert them into your Google Sheets with 1 click.

Getting Started with the ImageKit Sidebar

This fantastic feature is available in our ImageKit sidebar. You can find the ImageKit sidebar in our tools menu or from the extensions menu under File Drop and the ImageKit link.

Quick Demo

Let me walk you through a quick demo. First, we need to open the camera modal. The first time you do this, it will ask for permission to access your webcam. I’ve already granted permission, so it’s not showing the prompt for me now.

I have some notes in my notebook, and my webcam is set up on a support stand positioned over the notes. Though it’s not the best setup, it works for this demo.

Capturing the Image

Here’s how it works:

1. Enter the File Name (optionally): I can add a file name, like “alex_notes,” which will be included in the file name.
2. Specify the Folder ID (optionally): You can save the image in any folder within your Google Drive by entering the folder ID. If you leave this blank, it will save to the root directory.
3. Choose Orientation (optionally): You have two options for orientation—horizontal and vertical. Choose whichever suits your needs.
4. Take the Picture: Click the “Take Picture” button and wait a couple of seconds for the image to be captured.

Inserting the Image into Google Sheets

After capturing the image, you can insert it into your Google Sheets in two ways:

• Insert as a Link: Select a cell, then click to insert the image as a link. You’ll see the link appear in the selected cell.
• Insert as an Image: You can also insert it directly as an image using the IMAGE function. Once inserted, you can resize or preview it directly from the sheet.

Continuous Capture for Efficiency

One of the best features is that you can take multiple pictures without closing the modal. This is incredibly useful if you need to scan multiple documents or pages quickly.

Optional Next Steps – Extract Text Using OCR

If you need the text from the image, use the OCR button to extract it. This is handy for converting handwritten notes into digital text.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can seamlessly capture pictures with your webcam, save them to Google Drive, and insert them into Google Sheets using the ImageKit sidebar feature in File Drop. This new feature not only simplifies the process but also enhances your productivity by allowing for efficient document digitization and management.

We hope you find this new feature as useful as we do. Feel free to share your thoughts and contact us. Your feedback is invaluable to us.

Thank you, and happy capturing!