Getting Started Creative CardCam Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Creative Technology Ltd. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the written permission of Creative Technology Ltd.
Contents
Contents Introduction About the Applications .............................................................................. vi Creative CardCam Photo Album......................................................... vi Third party software......................................................................... vi Before You Begin ..................................................................................... vi Package Contents ............................................................................
Docked Mode ................................................................................ 3-5 Undocked Mode ............................................................................. 3-6 4 Using Software Applications Using Creative CardCam Photo Album ...................................................... 4-1 Starting CardCam Photo Album ....................................................... 4-1 Downloading images ......................................................................
Appendixes A Technical Specifications Features and Specifications .....................................................................A-1 Driver and Operating System Compatibility ...............................................A-2 Power ...................................................................................................A-2 Sensor..................................................................................................A-2 Light Sensitivity ............................................
Introduction
Introduction Creative CardCam is a slim and compact digital camera no bigger than a credit card, making it incredibly portable and convenient. Your camera also comes with a built-in lithium ion battery. With simple and straightforward controls, it is easy to take pictures and to download them into your computer. The Creative CardCam Photo Album software provided make it easy for you to modify your images. You can also create calendars and postcards using the pictures.
About the Applications Creative CardCam Photo Album This powerful application lets you take pictures and store them in albums. Use this application to download pictures to your computer, when using Creative CardCam as a portable digital camera. You can also export pictures to other programs, or send them as attachments in your e-mail messages. Third party software ❑ Adobe® Acrobat® Reader Version 5.
Minimum System Requirements ❑ Genuine Intel® Pentium® II 233 MHz class processor or 100% compatible motherboard chipset ❑ 32 MB system memory ❑ ATA-33 hard disk ❑ 200 MB free hard disk space ❑ Available USB port or self-powered USB hub ❑ Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition (SE), Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Windows 2000 or Windows XP ❑ CD-ROM drive installed for software and application installation Updating Drivers To download the latest drivers and file updates for Creative CardCam, vis
1 About Creative CardCam
About Creative CardCam About your Creative CardCam The following figures show you the front and rear views of the camera. Snapshot button Lens button Viewfinder Power switch Focus-free lens Front view Snapshot button Viewfinder Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) counter Audio cue button Mode/Delete button USB connnector Rear view Figure 1-1: Front and back views of Creative CardCam.
LCD screen and icons Figure 1-2 below shows you the meaning of the LCD icons on your camera. LCD counter Icons on the LCD display Number of available shots Battery indicator Image size Erase last image Erase all images Audible cues with beeps Figure 1-2: LCD screen and icons on Creative CardCam.
Turning the camera on or off To turn on the camera, do the following: Push the Power switch downwards as shown in Figure 1-3. There is a beep sound and the Lens button automatically pops out. Figure 1-3: Turning on the camera. To turn off the camera, do the following: Push the Lens button in as shown in Figure 1-4 Figure 1-4: Turning off the camera.
Attaching the neck strap Figure 1-3 below shows you how to attach the neck-strap (provided) to your camera. Figure 1-5: Attaching the neck strap to the camera.
2 Installing Creative CardCam
Installing Creative CardCam Device Installation You need to install the device driver and applications to use Creative CardCam. The following instructions are applicable to all supported Windows operating systems. 1. Do not connect Creative CardCam to your computer before installing the drivers and applications. If you accidentally begin installation with Creative CardCam connected, the Add New Hardware Wizard dialog box appears. Click the Cancel button. 2.
• The USB port(s) of certain computers may be found on the front panel instead of the back panel. • You can also attach the camera to a self-powered USB hub. 7. Connect your camera’s USB cable to an available USB port on your computer (see Figure 2-1). Place Creative CardCam on a flat surface. You can connect the camera while the computer is turned on. Windows automatically detects the device. USB port USB cable Figure 2-1: Connecting Creative CardCam. i.
At the time of this product’s release, Microsoft strongly encouraged companies to submit their hardware solutions for certification. If a hardware device driver is not submitted, or does not qualify, for Microsoft certification, a warning message appears. You may see this message when installing this driver. If you do, you may choose to click the Continue Anyway button. Creative has tested this driver on Windows XP, and it does not impair or destabilize your computer.
Verifying the installation 1. Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel. For Windows XP, click Start -> Control Panel. 2. Double-click the System icon. The System Properties dialog box appears. 3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Device Manager tab. For Windows 2000/XP, click the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button. 4. Click the plus (+) sign next to the Imaging Device icon. The entry Creative CardCam should appear.
Charging the battery To prevent permanent damage, make sure that you have installed Creative CardCam Photo Album before connecting your camera to the computer or notebook. Before using the camera for the first time, make sure that the battery is fully charged. This should take approximately 2 hours. You can charge it using a USB port on your computer or notebook computer. Figure 1-5 below shows you how to charge your battery. USB port USB cable (provided) Figure 2-2: Charging your battery.
3 Using Creative CardCam
Using Creative CardCam You can only use Creative CardCam when it is disconnected from your computer. Make sure that you have installed Creative CardCam Photo Album before connecting your camera to the computer or notebook. Remember to charge your camera before using it. Audio cues To enable audio cues, do the following: When the camera is turned on, press the Audio cue button on the camera. The Audio cue icon appears on the LCD screen and a beep indicates that your camera’s audio cues have been enabled.
Image size The number of available shots may vary depending on the selected image size. A larger image size will decrease the available shots by more than one whereas a smaller image size will decrease the available shots by one. To select the image size, do the following: When the camera is turned on, press the Mode/Delete button.
Taking Pictures • You can only turn the camera on when it is disconnected from the computer. • The camera turns itself off if it is left idle after twenty seconds. 1. Make sure the USB cable is unplugged from the camera. 2. Turn on your camera by pushing the Power switch downwards. Your camera beeps once. The number of images avalable is shown on the image counter on the LCD. 3. Press the Mode/Delete button to select the image size. 4. Aim the camera at the desired object.
Tips on Taking Good Pictures Here are some tips for taking a good picture. ❑ Bright lighting Avoid taking pictures with bright light sources all around the object. These lights will create “hotspots,” which will affect the quality of the picture. ❑ Bad lighting When indoors or outdoors, be sure there is enough light falling onto the object. Avoid taking pictures of objects in shadow, especially when the light source (for example, sun or spotlight) is directly behind the object.
Downloading Images from the Camera For your computer to detect the camera correctly, make sure that you turn on the camera before connecting it to your computer. 1. Turn on the camera, and then connect it to your computer. 2. Start Creative CardCam Photo Album. 3. Click the Camera button, and then click Download images. The Creative CardCam Download dialog box appears. 4. To delete all images from your camera after downloading, click the Delete from camera after download check box to select it. 5.
Undocked Mode When Creative CardCam is not connected to your computer and you are using it as a portable digital camera, do the following to delete all files in your camera’s memory: 1. Press and hold the Mode/Delete button until the LCD blinks . 2. Press the Mode/Delete button until the LCD blinks . 3. Press the Snapshot button to delete all files from the camera. A beep is heard when the memory is cleared and the LCD displays the available frames in that particular mode.
4 Using Software Applications
Using Software Applications Using Creative CardCam Photo Album CardCam Photo Album is an easy-to-use application that enables you to take pictures with the CardCam camera. You can also view pictures, create and manage albums, and download image files from your camera. Starting CardCam Photo Album To start CardCam Photo Album, do one of the following: ❑ Click Start -> Programs -> Creative -> Creative CardCam -> CardCam Photo Album. ❑ Double-click the Creative CardCam Photo Album icon on your desktop.
After you start Creative CardCam Photo Album, the Creative CardCam Photo Album window similar to Figure 4-1 appears. The following sections describe the more commonly used operations. Menus Left pane Right pane Figure 4-1: Creative CardCam Photo Album window.
Downloading images • When downloading is completed, a folder containing the downloaded images is created in the left pane of the Creative CardCam Photo Album window. To download images from your camera to your computer, do the following: 1. In the Creative CardCam Photo Album window, click Camera, and then click Download images. The Creative CardCam Download dialog box similar to Figure 4-2 appears. Progress Bar. Number of downloaded images/Total number of images in camera.
Selecting images To select images on the right pane, do the following: 1. Click Edit, and then click Select All. All the images on the right pane are selected. 1. To invert the selection, click Edit, and then click Invert Selection. Deleting Images To 1. 2. 3. permanently delete an image from your computer, do the following: On the left pane, click the folder that contains the image you want to delete. On the right pane, click the image that you want to delete. Click File, and then click Delete.
Renaming images or folders To 1. 2. 3. 4. rename an image, do the following: On the left pane, click the folder that contains the image you want to rename. On the right pane, click the image that you want to rename. Click File, and then click Rename. Type a new name for the image, and then press the key. To 1. 2. 3. rename a folder, do the following: On the left pane, click the folder that you want to rename. Click File, and then click Rename.
Slideshow 1. On the left pane, click the folder that contains the image you want to display. 2. Click File, and then click View. 3. The Creative CardCam Slideshow window appears as shown in Figure 4-3.
Rotating images You can rotate downloaded images. Do the following: 1. On the left pane, click the folder that contains the image you want to rotate. 2. On the right pane, click the image that you want. 3. To rotate the image right, click Edit, and then click Rotate Right. 4. To rotate the image left, click Edit, and then click Rotate Left.
Configuring your camera’s settings • File numbers are automatically assigned to all images taken. They range from 0001 to 9999. • Each image has a file number that remains for as long as the image remains in the camera. When the image is deleted, the file number is skipped. • When the file counter is reset, the file numbers start from 0001 again. To configure your camera’s settings, do the following: 1. Make sure that your camera is connected to your computer. 2.
Using ArcSoft PhotoImpression Starting ArcSoft PhotoImpression To start ArcSoft PhotoImpression, do the following: Click Start -> Programs -> Creative -> Creative CardCam -> ArcSoft PhotoImpression -> PhotoImpression 3.0. After ArcSoft PhotoImpression is started, the PhotoImpression window similar to Figure 4-5 appears. Figure 4-5: ArcSoft PhotoImpression window. For more information on how to use ArcSoft PhotoImpression, refer to its online Help file.
A Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications This section lists the specifications of your Creative CardCam.
Driver and Operating System Compatibility ❑ USB model supports Windows 98, 98 SE Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP ❑ TWAIN support Power From USB port or self-powered USB hub (powered by an external power source).
B Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting This appendix provides solutions to problems you may encounter during installation or normal use. Problem Installing Software The setup program for Creative CardCam does not run automatically after the Installation CD is inserted into the CD-ROM drive. The AutoPlay feature in your Windows system may not be enabled. To install the software from the CD: 1. Insert the installation CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2. Click Start -> Run. 3. In the Open box, type D:\CTRUN\CTRUN.
Images cannot be downloaded from the camera. Make sure that your camera is turned on and connected to your computer. Do the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Unplug the camera from your computer. Close Creative CardCam Photo Album. Turn on the camera. Refer to “Turning the camera on or off” on page 1-3. Connect the camera to your computer. Start the Creative CardCam Photo Album, and then try to download the images again.
Problems in Windows XP A Hardware Installation error message appears on a Windows XP operating system when a driver is being installed. At the time of this product's release, Microsoft strongly encouraged companies to submit their hardware solutions for certification. If a hardware device driver is not submitted, or does not qualify, for Microsoft certification, a warning message similar to the one below appears. You may see this message when installing this driver.
C Note on USB Compatibility
Note on USB Compatibility While testing Creative CardCam on PC motherboards with integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, we encountered a small number of motherboards that do not meet the USB specification exactly. These and other non-USB-compliant motherboards may not operate correctly with Creative CardCam. Fortunately, the manufacturers of some of these motherboards have released new versions of motherboards or BIOS to address the problem.
