User’s Guide Creative WebCam NX 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 Minimum System Requirements............................................................................
A Technical Specifications B Troubleshooting Problems Using Creative WebCam NX Pro........................................................................B-1 Problems in Windows XP ....................................................................................................
Introduction
Introduction Creative WebCam NX Pro is a digital video camera kit that gives you everything you need to capture 24bit still images and video in 16.7 million colors. Not only that, it also allows you to communicate face-toface with others on the Internet! Applications included on your Installation CD may vary depending on camera model and region of purchase.
❑ Sound Blaster® or other Windows-compatible audio card. Sound Blaster 16 or higher required for simultaneous two-way conversation with full-duplex support. For Videoconferencing ❑ Microphone ❑ Modem or LAN access to the Internet at 28.8Kbps or faster Technical Support and Warranty For Technical Support information, go to Start -> Programs -> Creative -> Technical Support. This information can also be found in the Installation CD. Go to d:\Support\\Support.pdf.
Document Conventions Tip. This tells you about short cuts or hints relating to a feature. Note. This highlights additional or important information about a feature. Caution! This highlights proper usage of your product. Use this information to avoid risky situations. Warning! This warns you of possible hazards to yourself or your product, that may result in injury or damage.
1 Installing Creative WebCam NX Pro
Installing Creative WebCam NX Pro This chapter tells you how to quickly install Creative WebCam NX Pro. About Creative WebCam NX Pro Figure 1-1 highlights the features of Creative WebCam NX Pro. Snapshot button Press it to launch PCCAM center and capture images Focus ring Adjusts the view focus. Point the lens toward your subject and then rotate this ring in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion until the image is in focus.
Installing Creative WebCam NX Pro Follow the installation procedures for your operating system. In Windows 98/98SE / Me/2000/ XP 1. Do not connect Creative WebCam NX Pro to your computer before installing the drivers. If you accidentally begin installation with Creative WebCam NX Pro connected, the Add New Hardware Wizard or Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box appears. Click the Cancel button. 2. Insert the Creative WebCam NX Pro Installation CD into your CD-ROM drive.
5. Place your Creative WebCam NX Pro on top of your computer monitor or other flat surface. For LCD flat panel monitors or notebook computers, use the integrated hinged lever to balance the camera. See Figure 1-2. If you have a microphone, plug it into your computer’s microphone connector. For further information, please read the documentation for your microphone connector. USB port Hinged lever Figure 1-2: Connecting Creative WebCam NX Pro to your computer For Windows 98/98SE and Windows Me only 1.
2. Check the image in the Video preview pane of the Creative WebCam NX Pro Camera Configuration dialog box. If it flickers or displays a series of dark bands, click the Cancel Flicker button. 3. Click the Finish button, and then restart your computer if you are prompted to do so. For Windows 2000 only 1. When a Digital Signature Not Found dialog box appears, telling you that Creative WebCam NX Pro has been detected, click the Yes button. 2.
Verifying the installation in Windows 98/98SE and Windows Me Verifying the installation in Windows 2000 & XP 2. When a Hardware Installation Dialog box appears (Figure 1-4), ignore the message and click the Continue Anyway button. For more details on this warning message, see "Problems in Windows XP" on page B-2. Installation will be complete in a while. 3. Check the image in the Video preview pane of the Creative WebCam NX Pro Camera Configuration dialog box.
2 Using PC-CAM Center
Using PC-CAM Center This chapter tells you how to quickly set up Creative WebCam NX Pro as a Web Camera using PC-CAM Center software. For detailed information about the application’s features and settings, refer to its Help file. (See “Starting PC-CAM Center Help” on page 2-4.) Starting PC-CAM Center • If PC-CAM Center does not recognize the camera correctly, see Appendix A, “Troubleshooting.
Capturing Images and Video For more instructions on how to take a photo or record a video, refer to the PC-CAM Center Help file. To launch PC-CAM Center Help, see "Starting PC-CAM Center Help" on page 2-4 Taking a Photo To take a photo: 1. In the PC-CAM Center window, click the Live Video button. The current camera view is displayed in the Viewing window. The Save automatically check box is selected, by default. 2. In the Save photo in box, select the destination album for your photo. 3.
To preview a video: 1. Click the Save automatically check box to clear it, if you want to preview each video before deciding whether to save it to the destination album. Viewing a Photo Viewing a Video Reactivating the Camera 2. Click the Record video button to start recording. 3. After you stop recording, click the Play button on the bottom left-hand corner of the Live Video window to preview the video. 4.
Starting PC-CAM Center Help This Help file contains instructions on how to use PC-CAM Center to take photos and record videos. It also teaches you how to optimize settings to take high quality photos and videos. To start the Help file: 1. Click the PC-Cam Center logo at the top left corner of PC-CAM Center’s main window. 2. On the PC-CAM Center menu, click Help.
3 Creative WebCam NX Pro Applications
Creative WebCam NX Pro Applications The Creative WebCam NX Pro application CD includes the following: ❑ Creative PC-CAM Center ❑ Creative WebCam Monitor ❑ Microsoft NetMeeting ❑ Microsoft Internet Explorer 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.
A Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications Construction ❑ USB Port version: Remote camera head with a USB cable Power ❑ From a USB port or USB hub with an external power supply Sensor ❑ CMOS image sensor Video Resolution ❑ Up to 640 x 480 pixels on a Minimum System Picture Resolution Still mode ❑ Up to 640 x 480 pixels ❑ With software interpolation: Up to 1024 x 768 pixels Video formats ❑ RGB24 ❑ I420 Exposure control ❑ Automatic Color balance ❑ Automatic Field-of-view ❑ 40 degrees +/- 5% (horizontal) Depth
Software compatibility ❑ TWAIN, Video for Windows, WDM MiniDriver for DirectShow and Still Image driver (STI) that runs in Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows Me and Windows XP Technical Specifications A-2
B Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting If you have a technical problem with this product, you may wish to consult our self-help tool “Knowledgebase” for online troubleshooting and solutions. Go to www.creative.com and select your region. Problems Using Creative WebCam NX Pro An application reports that the video driver is already in use, or that the camera cannot be found. Do the following: ❑ The camera is not properly connected.
Insufficient system resources reserved for the USB port, causing the system to be unable to function. There are too many devices in the system, causing IRQ problems with the system’s USB controller. Do the following: Problems in Windows XP 1. Remove some devices from the system. 2. Restart the system. The system will rearrange the resources automatically. A Hardware Installation error message appears on a Windows XP operating system when applications are being installed.
C Note on USB Compatibility
Note on USB Compatibility To look for a USB compatible product, you can visit the product search page at the official USB Web site: http://www.usb.org/app/ search/products. While testing Creative WebCam NX Pro on 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 NX Pro.
