Installation and User’s Guide TM Camfire PC for Windows® 98SE, 2000, or XP operating systems Whiteboard Camera
Registration Benefits In the past, we’ve made new features available as free software upgrades. Register your Camfire PC system to be notified of free upgrades. Keep the following information available in case you need to contact Technical Support: Serial Number Date of Purchase Register online at: www.smarttech.com/registration FCC Warning This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a "Class A" digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules.
Important Information Please read this manual carefully before you set up and use the Camfire™ PC system. With proper care, your Camfire PC system should provide years of trouble-free service. About This Guide This guide explains how to install and use the Camfire PC system, which consists of a camera boom that connects directly to a computer. It doesn’t cover the Camfire DCi system, which is a different product that consists of a camera boom that connects to a control unit.
Installation Checklist Step 1: Install the Camera Boom(s) To install a single camera boom 1. Mount the camera boom on the wall (page 4). 2. Connect an external power supply, if required (page 9). 3. Connect the camera boom to a computer (page 13). To install multiple camera booms 1. Mount the camera booms on the wall (page 4). 2. Connect the camera booms to each other (page 7). 3. Connect any external power supplies that may be required (page 9). 4. Connect the first camera boom to a computer (page 13).
Contents Important Information .............................................................................................................. i About This Guide ..........................................................................................................i Other Warnings and Safety Precautions ......................................................................i Cleaning the Camera Boom .........................................................................................
Exporting a Notebook File .........................................................................................26 Copying Images from Notebook Software into Other Applications ...........................27 Copying Images from the Clipboard into Other Applications.....................................27 Customer Support ................................................................................................................. 28 Contacting SMART Technical Support.....................................
Camfire PC Whiteboard Camera System With the Camfire PC system, you can write notes, create schedules and draw diagrams on your whiteboard, and then save an image of these notes in one step. To do this, simply use the capture slide on the whiteboard, click the Camfire button in Notebook™ software, or use the toolbar commands that are available from the Camfire PC icon in your system tray.
To access the configuration settings for Camfire PC software, click the Camfire PC icon in your system tray. A shortcut menu appears. You can also access this menu with a right-click. NOTE: This manual does not explain how to get diagnostic images for troubleshooting camera issues. If you’re experiencing camera problems, contact SMART Technical Support at 1.866.518.6791 (Canada/U.S.) or +1.403.228.5940 (all other countries) for assistance.
Installing the Camfire PC System If you have one whiteboard in the room, you only need one camera boom. However, if you have more than one whiteboard, you may want to install a camera boom above each one. You can do this easily because a single computer can control as many as four camera booms. The installation procedure varies, depending on whether you plan to use one camera boom with the computer or several.
Recommended Tools Have the following tools on hand when you install the Camfire PC system: • Phillips® No. 2 screwdriver • bubble level • measuring tape • security hex key (supplied) Mounting a Camera Boom on the Wall To install multiple camera booms, repeat these instructions for each one. Step 1: Mark the drywall anchor locations 1. Measure the width of the whiteboard and use a pencil to mark on the wall the center location of the whiteboard.
Step 2: Fasten the wall bracket to the wall 1. At each toggle bolt anchor location, drill a 1/4 in. (6 mm) pilot hole and then drill the final 1/2 in. (13 mm) hole through the drywall. If the marked location is at a wall stud, don’t use a drywall anchor. Use a No. 8 by 2 in. (38.1 mm) long wood screw for wood studs or a self-drilling metal screw for metal studs. 2. Insert toggle bolt anchors in the marked locations as follows: a.
Step 3: Mount the camera boom on the wall 1. Lift the camera boom to the top of the wall bracket. Then slide the base of the camera boom onto the wall bracket, fitting the camera boom mounting slots onto the wall bracket hooks. Camera Boom Wall Bracket Hook x 3 Mounting Slot x 3 2. Open the door at the bottom of the camera boom base. Using the provided hex key, tighten the security hex screw at the bottom of the camera boom base.
3. Close the door on the camera boom base. 4. If you’re only installing one camera boom, skip to Connecting an External Power Supply, on page 9. Connecting Multiple Camera Booms If you’re installing multiple camera booms to work with one computer, you must connect them together in a daisy-chain pattern. The information that is transmitted between the computer and a camera boom travels from one camera boom to the next until it reaches its destination. You may also need to attach additional power supplies.
To connect the camera booms 1. Begin with the camera boom farthest from the computer. 2. Open the door at the bottom of the camera boom base and connect the IEEE 1394 cable to the Input port. Be careful to use the correct port. When you’re facing the camera boom, the Input port is the one on the left. 3. Run the IEEE 1394 cable through the wire management hook and across the top of the whiteboard to the next camera boom.
Connecting External Power Supplies (If Required) Single Camera Boom If the IEEE 1394 port or PC card on your computer can supply 12W of 12V DC power, skip this procedure and install Notebook software as explained on page 15. However, if your IEEE 1394 port or PC card can’t supply this much power, you must order an external power supply (SMART order No. SCF-XCP). We will also include a country-specific power cable with your order.
Fourth Camera Boom Third Camera Boom Second Camera Boom First Camera Boom Computer Location Figure 5: External Power Supply Connections (Computer on the Right Supplies 12W of 12V DC Power to the First Camera Boom) First Camera Boom Second Camera Boom Third Camera Boom Fourth Camera Boom Computer Location You may also connect this power supply to the second or third camera boom Figure 6: External Power Supply Connections (Computer on the Left Cannot Supply 12W of 12V DC Power to the First Camera Bo
To connect an external power supply 1. Open the door at the bottom of the camera boom base. Connect the male end of the 12V DC power adapter/extension cable to the power socket on the camera boom.
2. Connect the female end of the 12V DC power adapter/extension cable to the barrelshaped connector on the 12V DC universal power supply. Close the door on the camera boom base.
3. Connect the 12V DC universal power supply to the female end of the country-specific power cable. To Power Adapter/ Extension Cable Central Europe and Germany Japan United Kingdom and Ireland 12V DC Universal Power Supply Australia and New Zealand North America Female End of Country-Specific Power Cable South Africa 12V Power Supply Country-Specific Power Cables 4. Plug the power adapter into a power outlet.
To connect the camera boom to a computer 1. Open the door at the bottom of the camera boom base and connect the IEEE 1394 cable to the Input port. Be careful to use the correct port. When you’re facing the camera boom, the Input port is the one on the left. Camera Boom Base Door Input Port Wire Management Hook IEEE 1394 Cable 2. Close the door on the camera boom base. 3. Run the IEEE 1394 cable through the wire management hook, across the top of the whiteboard and towards the computer.
Laptop Computer IEEE Port Supplied IEEE 1394 Cable To Camera Boom NOTE: Some laptop computers include a built-in IEEE 1394 port. In that case, you won’t need an IEEE 1394 PC card. Installing Camfire PC Software and Notebook Software 1. Close all applications on your computer. 2. Insert the Camfire PC software CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. 3. The CD-ROM is self-starting, but it won’t run if the Autoplay feature is deactivated on your computer. In this situation, open the Setup.
To attach the capture slide to the whiteboard 1. Select a convenient location for the capture slide within the bottom half and left quarter of the whiteboard. If you attach the capture slide outside of this area, it may not function properly. You may prefer to place it close to the whiteboard frame to maximize the available writing space. Select a capture slide location within the bottom half and left quarter of the whiteboard. 2.
Updating the Camera Software Your camera comes with the correct software fully installed. Only update this software if SMART Technical Support or your reseller recommends it. To update the camera software 1. On the computer that’s connected to the camera boom, click the Camfire PC icon in the system tray and select Update Camera Software. Camfire PC Icon NOTE: If you don’t see the Camfire PC icon in your system tray, select Start > Programs > Camfire PC Software to open the program. 2.
Calibrating the System The camera boom houses two digital cameras and each camera photographs a portion of the notes on your whiteboard. Before the notes are captured, image-enhancing software stitches the two photographs into a single snapshot and crops excess wall surface from the image. This software also corrects the perspective, whitens the background, sharpens the writing, and improves the color. All you must do is refine the image alignment.
4. Reorder and name the whiteboards: a. Click a thumbnail to select it. Arrow buttons appear below the thumbnail. b. To reposition the thumbnail, click the left arrow or right arrow button. Arrange the thumbnails to best match the physical layout of the whiteboards. c. Click the text box below the thumbnail and enter a name for the whiteboard. d. Repeat steps a–c for each whiteboard. 5. Click Next. Now you’ll need to refine the image alignment, as explained in the next section.
3. Erase any writing that may be on your whiteboard. Using a dry-erase marker, mark the center of the whiteboard at the top and bottom of the writing surface. Make each mark approximately 2 in. (5 cm) long, beginning at the whiteboard frame. Mark center of the whiteboard at top and bottom of writing surface 4. Align the top and bottom image targets to the marks you just made. Align the top and bottom image targets 5. Align the corner image targets to the corners of the whiteboard.
8. Click Next. 9. If you have multiple whiteboards, repeat steps 3–8 for each whiteboard. 10. Click Finish. 11. Without removing the image targets, capture the notes on each whiteboard into Notebook software, as explained on page 23. An image of each whiteboard appears in Notebook software. 12. If the horizontal lines are unbroken in the captured image, you can remove the image targets. The alignment was successful. Some jaggedness in the lines is normal, even for a well aligned system.
Using the Camfire PC System Although you can also capture your whiteboard notes onto the clipboard, Notebook software is a more convenient tool for collecting, organizing and presenting your captured notes. Each time you capture your whiteboard notes, an image is inserted on a new page in the Notebook file. You can then move, copy and save these images. If you like, you can also export your notes as a PDF file, HTML file or a series of image files for people who don’t have Notebook software.
Capturing Your Whiteboard Notes You can capture your notes to Notebook software at the whiteboard or the computer, but you must be at the computer to capture your notes onto the clipboard. To capture your notes at the whiteboard 1. Slide the capture slide on the whiteboard to the opposite side. (This is like clicking a shutter button on a camera.) The capture slide moves both left and right. It doesn’t matter which direction you move the slide, but you should move it all the way to the edge.
To capture your notes at the computer 1. Double-click the Camfire PC icon in the system tray. Then click the Capture Image To Notebook or Capture Image To Clipboard button. OR Click the Camfire Notebook file. button in Notebook software to capture your notes into the 2. If more than one camera boom is connected to your computer, the Select a Whiteboard dialog box opens. Click the thumbnail for the whiteboard you want. 3.
To open a Notebook file 1. Select Open from the File menu. The Open dialog box appears. 2. To change the directory from the default folder, click the arrow beside the default directory name, and select the directory in which the file is stored. 3. Select the file name of the Notebook file you want to open or type it in the File name box. 4. Click the Open button. Reordering and Deleting Images To move an image to a different page 1. In the Side Sorter, click the thumbnail of the image you want to move. 2.
Exporting a Notebook File You can export your Notebook file manually, or you can set the file to export automatically at a specified time interval or whenever you open a different page.
6. From the Frequency list, select the time interval for automatically exporting your Notebook file. To only export the file when you change the page you’re on, select Switch page. 7. Click OK. Copying Images from Notebook Software into Other Applications 1. In the Side Sorter, click the thumbnail of the image you want to copy. 2. Click to select the image. A selection rectangle appears around the image. 3. Select Copy from the Edit menu. 4.
Customer Support SMART’s Technical Support team welcomes your call. However, you may want to contact your local reseller first if you experience problems with any SMART product. SMART’s resellers can readily provide you with quick advice so you can enjoy the benefits of the Camfire PC system without delay. Contacting SMART Technical Support There are a number of ways to contact SMART Technical Support: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: Web site: 1.866.518.6791 (toll-free in Canada/U.S.) or +1.403.228.
Index A Aligning the Captured Images, 19–21 Automatically Exporting a Notebook File, 26 C Calibrating the Camera Boom Image Alignment, 19–21 Reordering Multiple Whiteboards, 18–19 Camera Boom Cleaning, i Connecting to Computer, 13–15 Mounting on Wall, 4–7 Multiple Camera Booms, 3, 7–13 Single Camera Boom, 3 Updating the Software, 17 Camera Software Updating, 17 Capture Slide Disabling/Enabling, 16 Installing, 15 Using, 23 Capturing Whiteboard Notes, 23–24 Checklist of Installation Steps, ii Cleaning the C
Saving a Notebook File, 25–27 O Opening a Notebook File, 25 P PDF File, 26 PNG File Format, 26 Power Supply, 9–13 Printing Images, 25 R Raceway for Cable, 8, 14 Registration of Product, 28 S Safety Precautions, i Saving a Notebook File, 25 SMART Web Site, 28 T Technical Support, 28 Toggle Bolt Anchors, 5 U Unpacking Components, 3 Updating Camera Boom Software, 17 Using the Capture Slide, 23 W Warranty, 28 Whiteboard Naming, 18–19 Reordering Multiple Whiteboards, 18–19 Size, 1 Whiteboard Notes Capturi
Suite 600, 1177 – 11th Avenue SW Calgary, AB CANADA T2R 1K9 Main Switchboard: 1.888.42.SMART (Canada/U.S.) or +1.403.245.0333 (all other countries) Support Tel: 1.866.518.6791 (Canada/U.S.) or +1.403.228.5940 (all other countries) Support Fax: +1.403.245.0366 support@smarttech.com www.smarttech.
