Getting Started¶
Welcome to the Beehive Photo Metadata Tracker! This guide will help you get up and running quickly, whether you're setting up a local development environment or deploying to production.
Quick Overview¶
The Beehive Tracker is a Streamlit-based web application that transforms your beehive inspection photos into structured, analyzable data. Here's what you can expect:
What You'll Achieve
- Upload beehive photos and automatically extract metadata
- View interactive timelines of your inspection history
- Correlate weather data with hive conditions
- Analyze photos with computer vision AI
- Export data for further analysis
Prerequisites¶
Before you begin, ensure you have:
- Python 3.9+ (Python 3.11 recommended)
- Git for cloning the repository
- Google Cloud Account (for Vision API - optional but recommended)
- Docker (optional, for containerized deployment)
Installation Options¶
Choose the installation method that best fits your needs:
-
Local Installation
Install directly on your machine with Python and pip/poetry.
Best for: Development, customization, full feature access
-
Docker Container
Run in an isolated container with all dependencies included.
Best for: Quick testing, production deployment, consistency
-
Cloud Deployment
Deploy to Google Cloud Run for scalable, managed hosting.
Best for: Production use, sharing with team, reliability
Quick Start Checklist¶
Once you've chosen your installation method, follow these steps:
- Install the application using your preferred method
- Configure environment variables (especially for Google Vision API)
- Run the application and access the web interface
- Upload your first photo to see the analysis in action
- Explore the timeline view to visualize your data
What's Next?¶
After completing the basic setup:
🔧 Configure Features¶
Learn how to set up optional features like weather integration and computer vision analysis in the Configuration Guide.
📖 Learn the Interface¶
Explore all the application features in our comprehensive User Guide.
🚀 Deploy to Production¶
When you're ready to go live, check out our Deployment Guide.
Getting Help¶
Need Assistance?
- Check the FAQ section for common issues
- Review the troubleshooting guide for installation problems
- Visit the GitHub repository for community support
System Requirements¶
Minimum Requirements¶
- OS: macOS, Linux, or Windows 10+
- RAM: 2GB available memory
- Storage: 1GB free disk space
- Network: Internet connection for API services
Recommended Specifications¶
- OS: macOS or Linux (for best performance)
- RAM: 4GB+ available memory
- Storage: 5GB+ free disk space (for photo storage)
- Network: Stable broadband connection
Ready to transform your beehive photo management? Let's start with the installation process! 🐝