User Manual Creative WebCam Pro 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 Before You Begin............................................................................................................................................. i Package Contents .................................................................................................................................. i README file............................................................................................................................................ i System Requirements.......
3 Creative WebCam Pro Applications Creative PC-CAM Center...................................................................................................................... 3-1 Creative WebCam Monitor................................................................................................................... 3-1 Microsoft NetMeeting..............................................................................................................................
C Note on USB Compatibility iii
Introduction
Introduction Creative WebCam Pro is a 24-bit, 16.7-million-color digital video camera kit that gives you everything you need to capture still images and full-color video.
System Requirements • • • • • • • • • Document Conventions Intel® Pentium® II 233 MHz or higher IBM® compatible PC 64 MB RAM on motherboard 100 MB free hard disk space (for installation of all software titles) 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 Display adapter that supports 16-bit color at a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels CD-ROM drive installed Sound Blaster® or other Windows-compati
1 Installing Creative WebCam Pro
Installing Creative WebCam Pro This chapter tells you how to quickly install Creative WebCam Pro and the software that comes with it. About Creative WebCam Pro Figure 1-1 highlights the features of Creative WebCam Pro. Snapshot button After you have started Creative PC-CAM Center, you can press this button to capture a still image. LED light This indicator lights up in green when Creative WebCam Pro is turned on.
In Windows 98/98 SE/Me • You can safely install the Creative WebCam Pro with your computer turned on. • The USB port(s) on your computer may be found on the front panel instead of the back panel. • You can daisy-chain the Creative WebCam Pro through another USB device or attach the Creative WebCam Pro to a self-powered USB hub. • If you have a microphone, connect it to your audio card. Most audio cards have an external microphone connector. Read your audio card’s documentation for more information. 1.
USB port Figure 1-3: Connecting Creative WebCam Pro to your laptop. i.If you are prompted to insert the Windows 98/98 SE CD, replace the Creative WebCam Pro CD with the appropriate CD. Note: Windows 98 is available in various editions. Be sure to use the correct edition for your system. ii.In the Insert Disk dialog box, click the OK button. iii.Follow the instructions on the screen. 6. Check the image in the Video preview pane of the Creative WebCam Pro Camera Configuration dialog box.
In Windows 2000 1. Do not connect Creative WebCam Pro to your computer before installing the drivers. If you accidentally begin installation with Creative WebCam Pro connected, the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box appears. Click the Cancel button. 2. Insert the Creative WebCam Pro CD into your CD-ROM drive. 3. Click the names of the drivers and applications you want to install on your computer. 4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
In Windows XP 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 In Windows 98/98 SE/Me/2000/XP 1. Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel. In Windows XP, click Start -> Control Panel. 2. Double-click the System icon. 3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Device Manager tab. In 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 WebCam Pro” should appear.
2 Using Creative WebCam Pro as a Web Camera
Using Creative WebCam Pro as a Web Camera Starting PCCAM Center PC-CAM Center is an easy-to-use application that enables you to take pictures and record short videos with the Creative WebCam Pro. You can also view pictures and videos, and create and manage albums. If PC-CAM Center does not recognize the camera correctly, see Appendix A, "Troubleshooting". To start PC-CAM Center, do one of the following: ❑ Click Start -> Programs -> Creative -> Creative WebCam -> PC-CAM Center.
After PC-CAM Center is started, the PC-CAM Center screen similar to Figure 2-1 appears. The following sections describe the more commonly used operations. For more details on how to use PC-CAM Center, see the section “Starting PC-CAM Center Help” on page 2-4. Figure 2-1: PC-CAM Center screen. Capturing Images and Video With PC-CAM Center, you can take photos and record videos in two modes — with and without a preview. The preview mode is active by default.
Recording a Video in Preview Mode Viewing a Photo 4. To capture the image in the viewing window, click the Snap Photo button at the bottom of the window. The image is captured but not saved. A preview of the photo is shown at the bottom-left corner of the Live Video window. 5. Click the Save button. The photo is added to the destination album. To record a video in the default preview mode: 1. In the PC-CAM Center window, click the Live Video button.
3. Viewing a Video Double-click the thumbnail of the image that is displayed in the Thumbnails window. The image, in its actual size, is displayed in the PC-CAM Center Viewing window. If you are not satisfied with the result, you can select a higher resolution, and then capture the image again. To view a video you have taken: 1. Click the My Album button. PC-CAM Center is now in My Album mode. 2.
3 Creative WebCam Pro Applications
Creative WebCam Pro Applications The Creative WebCam Pro application CD includes the following: • Creative PC-CAM Center • Creative WebCam Monitor Creative PCCAM Center This powerful application lets you take pictures or record videos and store them in albums. You can also export pictures or videos to other programs, or send them as attachments in your e-mail message. There are various settings for you to adjust, allowing you to optimize the quality of your pictures and videos.
A Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications Construction Remote camera head with a USB cable Camera housing Base and flip-top lens housing with manual vertical tilt of 60 degrees and a horizontal tilt of 360 degrees Power From a USB port or self-powered USB hub (powered by an external power source) Sensor CMOS image sensor Resolution ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Sensitivity 6 lux Video formats ❑ 24-bit RGB ❑ 16-bit RGB ❑ I420 Exposure control Automatic (optional manual control with software) Color balance Automatic (optiona
Color matrix Preset and integral to camera Port compatibility Universal Serial Bus port version 1.1 Software compatibility TWAIN, Video for Windows, DirectShow, and Still Image driver that run in Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
B Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting Problem Installing Software Problems Using Creative WebCam Pro The setup program for Creative WebCam Pro does not run automatically after you insert the installation CD into the 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 Run dialog box, click D:\CTRUN\SETUP.EXE (where D: is your CDROM drive) 4.
An application reports that the video driver is already in use, or that the camera cannot be found. Do one of the following: • Ensure that the Creative WebCam Pro’s USB connector is properly inserted, and that the USB connector is enabled in the BIOS. Refer to your computer’s documentation for information on the BIOS. • Reinstall the video capture drivers and restart your computer. Insufficient system resources reserved for the USB port, causing the system to be unable to function.
Problems in Windows XP A Hardware Installation error message appears on a Windows XP operating system when applications are 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 a Creative driver.
C Note on USB Compatibility
Note on USB Compatibility While testing Creative WebCam Pro 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 WebCam Pro. Fortunately, the manufacturers of some of these motherboards have released new versions of motherboards or BIOS to address the problem.
