Users Guide

Creative WebCam Notebook

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. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any other medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement. The licensee may make one copy of the software for backup purposes. Copyright 1998-2003 Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. Version 1.0 April 2003 Sound Blaster and Blaster are registered trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft, MS-DOS, and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Contents

Introduction
Before You Begin..... i Package Contents.... i README file.... i Minimum System Requirements.... i Document Conventions.... ii
Installing Creative WebCam Notebook
About Creative WebCam Notebook... 1-1 Installing Creative WebCam Notebook... 1-2 In Windows 98 / 98SE / Me / 2000 / XP... 1-2

Using PC-CAM Center

Starting PC-CAM Center... Capturing Images and Video.... Taking a Photo.... Recording a Video.... Viewing a Photo.... Viewing a Video.... Reactivating the Camera.... Starting PC-CAM Center Help.... 2-1 2-2 2-2 2-2 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3
Creative WebCam Notebook Applications
Creative PC-Cam Center.... Creative WebCam Monitor.... Microsoft NetMeeting... Microsoft Internet Explorer.... 3-1 3-1 3-1 3-1
Technical Specifications Troubleshooting
Problems Using Creative WebCam Notebook... B-1 Problems in Windows XP... B-2
Note on USB Compatibility
Creative WebCam Notebook is a 24 bit, 16.7 million color digital video camera kit for your notebook, giving you everything you need to capture still images and full color video. Not only that, it also allows you to communicate face-to-face with others on the Internet! Creative WebCam Notebook is bundled with the following software: Creative PC-Cam Center Creative WebCam Monitor Microsoft NetMeeting Microsoft Internet Explorer For more information, see "Creative WebCam Notebook Applications" on page 3-1.
Applications included on your Installation CD may vary depending on camera model and region of purchase.

Before You Begin

Package Contents
Your Creative WebCam Notebook package contains the following items: Creative WebCam Notebook with USB cable attached Creative WebCam Notebook installation CD Quick Start The README file on the CD-ROM contains information not available at the time of printing. Read the file before you begin installing Creative WebCam Notebook. 350 MHz Pentium II or higher IBM compatible notebook 128 MB RAM 350 MB free hard disk space (for installation of all software titles) Available USB port or USB hub with an external power supply Microsoft Windows 98/98SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 or Windows XP AGP display adapter that supports 16 bit color at a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels

Introduction i

README file Minimum System Requirements
CD-ROM drive installed 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 28.8Kb or faster

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.

Introduction ii

This chapter tells you how to quickly install Creative WebCam Notebook.
About Creative WebCam Notebook
Figure 1-1 highlights the features of Creative WebCam Notebook.

Power LED

Focus ring To adjust 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. USB connector

USB cable

Figure 1-1:
Installing Creative WebCam Notebook 1-1
In Windows 98 / 98SE / Me / 2000 / XP
Follow the installation procedures for your operating system.
Do not connect Creative WebCam Notebook to your notebook before installing the drivers. If you accidentally begin installation with Creative WebCam Notebook connected, the Add New Hardware Wizard or Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box appears. Click the Cancel button. Insert the Creative WebCam Notebook CD into your CD-ROM drive. If it does not run automatically, click Start-> Run and type D:\ctrun\ctrun.exe (where D:\ represents your CD-ROM drive). Click the options for installing drivers and applications. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. You may be asked, after an application is installed, if you want to restart your notebook. Do not restart your notebook until all the drivers and applications are installed. Connect the USB cable to an available USB port on your notebook (Figure 1-2).

USB port

You can attach Creative WebCam Notebook to a USB hub with an external power supply. If you have a microphone, connect it to your external microphone connector. Read your notebooks documentation for more information.

Figure 1-2:

Connecting Creative WebCam Notebook to your notebook
Installing Creative WebCam Notebook 1-2
Clip Creative WebCam Notebook on top of your notebook screen (Figure 1-3). Follow the steps below that are for your operating system.
For Windows 98/98SE and Windows Me only After connecting your camera, Windows automatically detects the device. i. If you are prompted to insert the Windows 98 CD, replace the Creative WebCam Notebook 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. 7.

Figure 1-3:

Clipping Creative WebCam Notebook to your notebook screen
Check the image in the Video preview pane of the Creative WebCam Notebook Camera Configuration dialog box. If it flickers or displays a series of dark bands, click the Cancel Flicker button. Click the Finish button, and then restart your notebook if you are prompted to do so.
Installing Creative WebCam Notebook 1-3
For Windows 2000 only 9. When a Digital Signature Not Found dialog box appears (Figure 1-4), telling you that Creative WebCam Notebook has been detected, ignore the message and click the Yes button.
10. Check the image in the Video preview pane of the Creative WebCam Notebook Camera Configuration dialog box. If it flickers or displays a series of dark bands, click the Cancel Flicker button. 11. Click the Finish button, and then restart your notebook if you are prompted to do so. For Windows XP only

Figure 1-4: Digital Signature Not Found
dialog box After connecting your camera, Windows automatically detects the device. 12. When the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box appears, select Install the software automatically (Recommended), and then click the Next button.
Installing Creative WebCam Notebook 1-4
13. When a Hardware Installation dialog box appears (Figure 1-5), ignore the message and click the Continue Anyway button. For more details on this warning message, see "Problems in Windows XP" on page B-3. Installation will be complete in a while. 14. Check the image in the Video preview pane of the Creative WebCam Notebook Camera Configuration dialog box. If it flickers or displays a series of dark bands, click the Cancel Flicker button. 15. Click the Finish button, and then restart your notebook if you are prompted to do so.

Figure 1-5:

Hardware Installation dialog box
Verifying the installation in Windows 98/98SE and Windows Me Verifying the installation in Windows 2000 & XP

1. 2. 3. 4.

Right-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. On the menu that appears, click Properties. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Device Manager tab. Click the plus (+) sign next to the Imaging Device icon. The entry Creative WebCam Notebook should appear. Right-click on My Computer. On the menu that appears, click Properties. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Hardware tab. Click the Device Manager button. A window appears. Click the plus (+) sign next to the Imaging Device icon. The entry Creative WebCam Notebook should appear.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Installing Creative WebCam Notebook 1-5
This chapter tells you how to quickly set up Creative WebCam Notebook as a Web Camera using Creative PC-CAM Center. For detailed information about the applications features and settings, refer to its Help file. See "Starting PC-CAM Center Help" on page 2-3.

Starting PC-CAM Center

PC-CAM Center is an easily usable application that enables you to take photos and record videos with Creative WebCam Notebook. You can also view photos and videos, and create and manage albums. You can start PC-CAM Center in any of the following ways: Click Start -> Programs -> Creative > Creative WebCam ->Creative PC-CAM Center. Double-click the Creative Cam Detector icon in your taskbar. This icon appears if, during installation, you clicked the option for Creative Cam Detector to launch automatically at Windows startup. Plug your camera into the USB port and let Windows auto-detect it.
If PC-CAM Center does not recognize the camera correctly, see Appendix B, "Troubleshooting". PC-CAM Center automatically detects your installed model of Creative WebCam, and disables any unsupported features in the user interface.

Figure 2-1:

PC-CAM Center screen.

Using PC-CAM Center 2-1

Capturing Images and Video

Taking a Photo

With PC-CAM Center, you can take photos and record videos. 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 2-3. 1. 2. In the PC-CAM Center window, click the Live Video button. The current camera view is displayed in the Viewing window. In the Save Photo in box, select an album to put your photos in. If you want captured images to be saved automatically, be sure that the Save automatically check box is selected. Otherwise, click the check box to clear it. Click the Snap Photo button at the bottom of the window. A preview of the saved photo is shown at the bottom-left corner of the Live Video window. The photo is added to your selected album. If the Save automatically check box is not selected, click the Save button to save the image. Otherwise the photo is not saved or added to your selected album. In the PC-CAM Center window, click the Live Video button. The current camera view is displayed in the Viewing window. In the Video Size box, select a suitable resolution. In the Save Video in box, select an album to put your videos in. If you want captured video to be saved automatically, click the Save automatically check box. Otherwise, click the check box again to clear it. Click the Capture video button to start recording. The button starts blinking to indicate that recording is in progress. To stop the recording, click the button again. The button stops blinking. The video is added to your selected album. If the Save automatically check box is not selected, click the Save button to save the video. Otherwise the video is not saved or added to your selected album. To preview the video, click the Play button on the bottom-left corner of the Preview window.
The Save automatically check box is selected, by default.

Recording a Video

1. 2. 3.

Using PC-CAM Center 2-2

Viewing a Photo
Click the My Album button. PC-CAM Center is now in My Album mode. In the My Album box, click the My Photo folder and then click the album that contains the photos that you want to view. Thumbnails of photos in the album are displayed in the Thumbnails window. Double-click the thumbnail of the photo displayed in the Thumbnails window. The photo, 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. Click the My Album button. PC-CAM Center is now in My Album mode. In the My Album box, click the My Video folder and then click the album that contains the video that you want to view. Thumbnails of videos in the album are displayed in the Thumbnails window. Double-click the thumbnail of the video you want to view. The video plays in the Viewing window. If you are not satisfied with the result, you can select a higher resolution, and then capture the video again.

Viewing a Video

Reactivating the Camera Starting PC-CAM Center Help
If your computer goes into standby mode, your camera will go into suspend mode. You can reactivate the camera and computer by moving the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard. 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. 2. Click the PC-Cam Center logo at the top left corner of PC-CAM Centers main window. On the PC-CAM Center menu, click Help.

Using PC-CAM Center 2-3

The Creative WebCam Notebook application CD includes the following: Creative PC-Cam Center Creative WebCam Monitor Microsoft NetMeeting Microsoft Internet Explorer
Creative PC-Cam Center Creative WebCam Monitor Microsoft NetMeeting
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. For details, see "Using PC-CAM Center" on page 2-1. Want to put a live snapshot of your office, coffee pot, or even your fishtank on your web page? Creative WebCam Monitor is the application to look at. Just point your camera at your subject and pick a time interval. WebCam Monitor does the rest, including uploading the snapshots to the Internet. WebCam Monitor also acts as a motion-detecting security system which automatically e-mails you when somebody comes near your PC while you are not present. Microsoft NetMeeting is a voice communications client that includes support for international conferencing standards. It also provides true multi-user application sharing and data conferencing capabilities. With its one-way or two-way video-conferencing features, your friends can see you even if they do not have a camera. Audio-only conversations and text chats are also supported. Two or more users can collaborate on a document, doodle on a whiteboard, or even share any Windows application in real-time over the Internet or on a corporate intranet.
Microsoft Internet Explorer

Microsoft Internet Explorer is an Internet browser that features ActiveX technology, so web pages can combine interactive ActiveX Controls, Java applets, and more, to create interactive content. ActiveMovie technology allows you to view multimedia content on the web, including MPEG audio and video.
Creative WebCam Notebook Applications 3-1

Technical Specifications

Construction Power Sensor Resolution - Video mode Resolution - Still mode Video formats Exposure control Colour balance Colour matrix Field-of-view Depth-of-field
USB Port version: Remote camera head with a USB cable From a USB port or USB hub with an external power source CMOS image sensor All resolutions up to 640 x 480
All resolutions up to 640 x 480
RGB 24 I 420 Automatic Automatic Preset and integral to camera 44 degrees +/- 5% (horizontal) 15 centimeters or 6 inches to infinity
Technical Specifications A-1
Port compatibility Software compatibility
Universal Serial Bus port TWAIN, Video for Windows, WDM MiniDriver for DirectShow, and Still Image driver that runs in Windows 98/98SE, Windows 2000, Windows Me and Windows XP
Technical Specifications A-2

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 Notebook
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. To resolve this problem, ensure that the cameras USB connector is inserted, and that the USB connector is enabled in the BIOS. Refer to your notebooks documentation for information on the BIOS. Reinstall the video capture drivers and restart your notebook. The cameras Power LED does not light up, or in Windows 98/98 SE, Me and 2000, the computer restarts for no apparent reason. You may have USB devices drawing too much power from your computer. This can happen especially when connecting USB devices to a passive or bus-powered USB hub. In Windows XP, a dialog box similar to Figure B-1 appears. Do the following: Connect the camera directly to your computers USB port. Use a USB hub with an external power supply.

Figure B-1:

USB Hub Power Exceeded dialog box Troubleshooting B-1
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 systems USB controller. Do the following: 1. 2. Remove some devices from the system. Restart the system. The system will rearrange the resources automatically.

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 driver. If you do, you may choose to click the Continue Anyway button. Creative has tested the driver on Windows XP, and it does not impair or destablize your computer.

Troubleshooting B-2

While testing Creative WebCam Notebook 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 Notebook. Fortunately, the manufacturers of some of these motherboards have released new versions of motherboards or BIOS to address the problem. If the setup program warns you that your motherboards USB port is incompatible with Creative WebCam Notebook, or if the camera does not work on your system and you suspect that the problem may be related to your computers USB port, the following is a list of available options: 1. Contact your computer vendor. Your computer vendor may be able to upgrade your motherboard or its BIOS to a newer version that addresses USB incompatibilities. 2. 3. Use a PCI host adapter that provides USB connectors. If you are not able to upgrade your motherboard or its BIOS, we recommend this approach. Attach the Creative WebCam Notebook to a USB hub with an external power supply. Some USB devices (such as monitors) also operate as USB hubs; you can also buy USB hubs which are to be attached to your computers USB port. However, in some cases, attaching a USB hub to a non-USB-compliant USB motherboard connector will not solve the problem.
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.
Note on USB Compatibility C-1

1. Driver 0v51x: Manufacturer Model ----------------------------Aiptek HyperVcam Home Aiptek HyperVcam Mobile Alpha Vision Tech. AlphaCam SE (model AC-520) Amitech AWK-300 Avaks AvCam USB-600 AVerMedia Intercam Elite BestBuy EasyCam U Chicony Twinklecam Pro Creative Labs WebCam 3 Creative Labs WebCam Plus Creative Labs WebCam Pro (model PD1030) Dick Smith Electronics DSE Internet Camera & Microphone D-Link DSB-C310 Elecom UCAM-C1C30 Elta WEBCam 8211 PCC Ezonics EZ USB Cam II (OV6620) GE (Target) EasyCam PC Camera Pro HO98064 Genius (OV518+) Genius VideoCam Express (v1) Hawking Tech. UC-110 Hawking Tech. UC-300 Hawking Tech. UC-310 Hawking Tech. UC-311 I-View NetView NV300M Intel Me2Cam Interbiometrics Securecam LG Electronics LPC-UM10 Lifetec LT 9388 Lifeview RoboCam LinkAV LV-C100 Maxell Maxcam (MPCC-1) Maxxtro CAM22U MediaForte MV300 MediaForte PC Vision 300
Medion MD9388 Mtekvision Zeca MV402 Mustek WCam 3X NGS Show WebCam Plus OmniVision OV7110 Eval Board OmniVision OV511+/OV7620 Eval Board OmniVision OV518+/OV7620 Eval Board("AVCAM REV 1.0 OCT 2000") Oregon Scientific NC-100 Philips ToUCam XS (Model PCVC720K, old version) Philips ToUCam II (Model PCVC820K/00) Plustek OptiCam 300U Prochips PCA-3100 Prochips PCC-2200K/W Puretek H52PT-6007 Samsung Anycam MPC-M10 Suma eON Swann SmartCAM Deluxe Terratec TerraCam PRO TEVion MD 9308 TRENDNet TV-PC301 Trust SpaceC@m USB Trust SpaceC@m 150 Trust SpaceC@m 200 Trust SpaceC@m 300 Trust SpaceC@m 320 (OV519) Typhoon WebShot 350 Waytech I-Pac VIC-30 Webeye 2000B //////////////////////////////////////////// 2. * * * Philips Philips Philips Philips and OEM webcams PCA645 PCA646 PCVC675
* Philips PCVC680 * Philips PCVC690 * Philips PCVC720/40
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Philips PCVC730 Philips PCVC740 Philips PCVC750 Askey VC010 Creative Labs Webcam 5 Creative Labs Webcam Pro Ex Logitech QuickCam 3000 Pro Logitech QuickCam 4000 Pro Logitech QuickCam Notebook Pro Logitech QuickCam Zoom Logitech QuickCam Orbit Logitech QuickCam Sphere Samsung MPC-C10 Samsung MPC-C30 Sotec Afina Eye AME CU-001 Visionite VCS-UM100 Visionite VCS-UC300
//////////////////////////////////////////// 3.Driver SN9C10x Vendor ID Product ID --------- ---------0x0c45 0x6001 0x0c45 0x6005 0x0c45 0x6009 0x0c45 0x600d 0x0c45 0x6024 0x0c45 0x6025 0x0c45 0x6028 0x0c45 0x6029 webcam*/ 0x0c45 0x602a ?????*/ 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x602b 0x602c
/*Genius Videocam NB*/ /*IC-Gear (IC Intracom) Travel Cam*/ /*OneZero pcc-st3, SWEEX WEBCAM*/ /*Chicony Twinkle Cam Pro,Twinkle Cam*/ /*Sangha X cam sangha*/ /*Sitecom VP-001 Easycam*/ /*Triplex Corporation i-mini PC camera, sweex /*View-Cam M6215, GE EasyCam Plus HO98066, /*Genius Webcam NB 300*/
0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45 0x0c45
0x6030 0x6080 0x6082 0x6083 0x6088 0x608a 0x608b 0x608c 0x608e 0x608f 0x60a0 0x60a2 0x60a3 0x60a8 0x60aa 0x60ab 0x60ac 0x60ae 0x60af 0x60b0 0x60b2 0x60b3 0x60b8 0x60ba 0x60bb 0x60bc 0x60be
//////////////////////////////////////////// 4.Driver SPCA50X Vendor ID Device ID Support Summary --------- --------- --------------{USB_DEVICE (0x0733, 0x0430)}, /* Intel PC Camera Pro */ {USB_DEVICE (0x0733, 0x0401)}, {USB_DEVICE (0x99FA, 0x8988)}, {USB_DEVICE (0x0733, 0x0402)}, /* Intel Create and Share */ /* Grandtec V.cap */ /* ViewQuest M318B */
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