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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common questions and answers about Count-Cups.

General Questions

What is Count-Cups?

Count-Cups is a cross-platform water intake tracker that uses computer vision to automatically detect and count your drinking gestures. It helps you stay hydrated by tracking your daily water consumption.

How does Count-Cups work?

Count-Cups uses computer vision (OpenCV and optionally MediaPipe) to detect drinking gestures from your webcam. It analyzes face and hand positions to identify when you're drinking and automatically counts sips.

Is Count-Cups free?

Yes, Count-Cups is free and open source under the MIT License.

What platforms are supported?

Count-Cups supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Do I need a camera?

Yes, Count-Cups requires a camera for automatic sip detection. You can also manually enter sips if detection isn't available.

Installation Questions

How do I install Count-Cups?

See the Installation Guide for detailed instructions. You can either download pre-built binaries or install from source.

What are the system requirements?

Minimum: Windows 10/macOS 10.14/Linux (Ubuntu 18.04+), Python 3.10+, 4GB RAM, 100MB storage, camera

Recommended: Windows 11/macOS 12+/Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+), Python 3.11+, 8GB RAM, 500MB storage, HD webcam

Do I need Python installed?

Only if installing from source. Pre-built binaries don't require Python.

Can I install on multiple devices?

Yes, you can install Count-Cups on multiple devices. Data is stored locally on each device.

Usage Questions

How accurate is the detection?

Detection accuracy depends on lighting, camera position, and calibration. With proper setup, accuracy is typically 80-90%. You can manually add missed sips.

Can I use multiple cup types?

Yes, you can create multiple cup profiles with different sizes and types. Switch between profiles as needed.

How do I set my daily goal?

Go to Settings and set your daily water intake goal in milliliters. The default is typically 2000ml (8 cups).

Can I track other beverages?

Yes, you can track any beverage. Create cup profiles for different beverages and Count-Cups will track them all.

Does Count-Cups work in the background?

Count-Cups needs to be running for detection. You can minimize to system tray on supported platforms.

Privacy Questions

Is my data private?

Yes, all data is stored locally on your device. No data is transmitted to external servers unless you explicitly enable telemetry (opt-in).

Does Count-Cups record video?

No, Count-Cups does not record or store video. All processing happens in real-time and video frames are discarded immediately.

What data is collected?

With telemetry disabled (default), no data is collected. If telemetry is enabled, only anonymous usage statistics are collected (no personal or hydration data).

Can I export my data?

Yes, you can export your data to CSV format from the History screen or Settings.

Technical Questions

What detection engines are available?

  • Heuristics: Fast, default engine using OpenCV
  • MediaPipe: More accurate, requires MediaPipe installation

Can I customize detection sensitivity?

Yes, you can adjust detection parameters in the Calibration screen and Settings.

How do I update Count-Cups?

Pre-built binaries: Download the latest release and replace the executable.

From source: git pull origin main && pip install -r requirements.txt --upgrade

Can I contribute to Count-Cups?

Yes! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Troubleshooting Questions

Camera not detected?

See Troubleshooting Guide for solutions. Common fixes: check permissions, try different camera index, update drivers.

Poor detection accuracy?

Improve lighting, adjust camera position, calibrate settings, try different detection engine.

Application crashes?

Check logs in ~/.count-cups/logs/, update dependencies, reset settings, report issue with log details.

Performance issues?

Reduce camera resolution, close other applications, use heuristics engine, update graphics drivers.

Feature Questions

Can I set different goals for different days?

This feature is planned for version 1.1. Currently, you can set one daily goal.

Can I sync data across devices?

This feature is planned for version 1.3. Currently, data is stored locally on each device.

Can I export to health apps?

CSV export is available. Integration with health apps (Apple Health, Google Fit) is planned for future versions.

Are there mobile apps?

Mobile apps are planned for future versions. Currently, Count-Cups is desktop-only.

Support Questions

Where can I get help?

How do I report a bug?

Create an issue on GitHub with:

  • Description of the bug
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs actual behavior
  • Environment information
  • Log files

See SUPPORT.md for more details.

How do I request a feature?

Create a feature request issue on GitHub with:

  • Description of the feature
  • Use case
  • Proposed solution
  • Alternatives considered

Next Steps

Have a question not answered here? Create an issue on GitHub or contact us at contact@voxhash.dev.