Creative CardCam Value Getting Started

Getting Started

Creative CardCam Value

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.

October 2002 PC-CAM is a trademark of Creative Technology Ltd.

Contents

Introduction

Creative PC-CAM Center...................................................................xii

Creative WebCam Monitor ................................................................xii

Microsoft NetMeeting........................................................................xii

Ulead Photo Express MCE .................................................................xii

Before You Begin ....................................................................................xiii

Package Contents ...........................................................................xiii

Included Software...........................................................................xiii

Third party software........................................................................xiii

README File...................................................................................xiii

Minimum System Requirements .......................................................xiv

Updating Drivers.............................................................................xiv

Document Conventions.................................................................... xv

1 About your Creative CardCam Value

About your camera.................................................................................1-2

Functions of Control Buttons and the LCD display ..............................1-4

Control Buttons.....................................................................1-4

LCD display modes.................................................................................1-5

Enabling Audio Cues.......................................................................1-5

Inserting or Changing Batteries ...............................................................1-6

Installing Creative CardCam Value ...........................................................1-7

In Windows 98/98 SE/Me ...............................................................1-7

In Windows 2000...........................................................................1-9

In Windows XP ............................................................................ 1-10

In Windows 98/98SE/Me/2000/XP.................................................1-12

2 Using Creative CardCam Value as a Digital Camera

Precautions during Battery Low status......................................................2-2

Taking Pictures......................................................................................2-3

Tips on Taking Good Pictures ..........................................................2-5

Downloading Images from the Camera.....................................................2-5

Deleting Images from the Camera ...........................................................2-6

Deleting images in docked mode .....................................................2-6

3 Using Creative CardCam Value as a Web Camera

Starting Microsoft NetMeeting..................................................................3-2

Starting Microsoft Netmeeting Help..........................................................3-3

Using PC-CAM Center .............................................................................3-4

Capturing Images and Videos..................................................................3-5

Taking a Photo in Preview Mode ......................................................3-6

Deleing images in docked mode ......................................................3-6

Recording a Video in Preview Mode..................................................3-6

Viewing a Photo.....................................................................................3-7

Viewing a Video .....................................................................................3-7

Sending a video clip via email..................................................................3-8

Reactivating the Camera.........................................................................3-8

Starting PC-CAM Center Help...................................................................3-8

Starting Creative WebCam Monitor ..........................................................3-9

A Technical Specifications

Features and Specifications.....................................................................A-2

Detached mode .....................................................................................A-2

Docked mode ........................................................................................A-3

Audio/visual indications ..........................................................................A-3

Sensor..................................................................................................A-3

Exposure Control ...................................................................................A-3

Color Balance ........................................................................................A-4

Driver and Operating System Compatibility...............................................A-4

B Troubleshooting

Problem Installing Software.....................................................................B-2

Problems Using Creative CardCam Value ..................................................B-2

Problems when changing batteries...........................................................B-4

Problems in Windows XP.........................................................................B-5

C Note on USB Compatibility

Introduction

Introduction xi

Introduction

Creative CardCam Value is a compact digital camer a that is near the size of a credit card. Your camer a captures images in 24-bit (16.7 million) colors at up to 640 x 480 pixel resolution with software interpolation. As an added benefit, it also captures video clips in full-color at up to 30 frames per second. The following are just some of the things you can do with your Creative CardCam Value:

❑ Portable Digital Camera. As Creative CardCam Value is portable, you can use

it as a digital camera to take pictures anywhere you like! With Creative CardCam Value’s focus-free lens, you don’t need to manually focus your camera. Downloading images from Creative CardCam Value is a breeze with the PC-CAM Centre software.

❑ Video Conferencing. You can use the included Microsoft Netmeeting

software

with Creative CardCam Value to send video images to other Netmeeting users.

❑ Security Camera. Worried that someone will use your computer without your

knowledge? Creative CardCam Value can f unction as a security camera, recording short videos of any movement in its field of view. It can also be programmed to take pictures automatically at regular intervals.

Creative CardCam Value is also compatible with Instant Messenger Software, such as Microsoft

Network (MSN), AOL® Instant Messenger (AIM) and Yahoo Messenger . Use Creativ e Creative CardCam Value to add video input to y our favorite Instant Messaging software, such as MSN Messenger, Yahoo

Messenger, or the

Windows

Messenger feature built into Windows XP.

Introduction xii

About the Applications

Creative PC-CAM Center

This powerful application lets you take pictures or record videos and store them in albums. Use this application to download pictures to your computer, when using Creative CardCam Value as a portable digital camera. You can also export pictures or videos to other programs, or send them as attachments in your e-mail messages. There are various settings for you to adjust, allowing you to optimize the quality of your pictures and videos.

Creative WebCam Monitor

If you are thinking of going “live” on the Internet, Creative W ebCam Monitor is the application to use. Just aim your camera and pick a time interval. W ebCam 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 snapshots to you if it detects any motion in the area being monitored.

Microsoft NetMeeting

Microsoft NetMeeting is a voice communications client that includes support for international conferencing standards and provides true multi-user application sharing and data conferencing capabilities.

It supports one-way or two-way videoconferencing, so 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 a corporate intranet.

Ulead Photo Express MCE

Ulead® Photo Express™ MCE has everything you need to get started with picture editing and sharing. Sort your pictures in seconds using the visual thumbnail Browse mode. Retouch imperfect photos with quick and easy-to-use enhancement tools.

Introduction xiii

Ulead Photo Express MCE is fully customizable and allows you to add cool captions to photos with colorful eye-catching text. Y ou can even e-mail your pictures as HTML mail or as attachments.

Before You Begin

Package Contents

Your camera package contains the following items:

❑ One Creative CardCam Value camera ❑ One wrist-strap ❑ One USB cable ❑ Two 1.5 V Alkaline AAA batteries (twin pack) ❑ One Creative CardCam Value installation CD ❑ One Quick Start guide

Included Software

❑ Creative PC-CAM Center ❑ Creative WebCam Monitor

Third party software

❑ Ulead Photo Express MCE 4.0 ❑ Microsoft NetMeeting ❑ Adobe

Acrobat® Reader Version 5.0

❑ Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 ❑ Microsoft DirectX 8.0

README File

The README file on the Creative CardCam Value installation CD contains information not available at the time of printing. Read the file before connecting your CardCam Value to the computer.

Introduction xiv

Minimum System Requirements

❑ Intel

Pentium® II 233 MHz or faster processor

❑ 32 MB RAM ❑ ATA-33 or faster hard disk ❑ AGP display adapter capable of 16-bit color in 800 x 600-pixel display mode ❑ 70 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 ❑ Sound Blaster

or other compatible audio card and microphone (required for

videoconferencing)

❑ Modem or LAN access to the Internet at 28.8 Kbps or faster (required for

videoconferencing)

For optimal performance:

❑ Intel Pentium-II 350 MHz or faster processor ❑ 64 MB system memory or more ❑ ATA-66 or faster hard disk ❑ Display adapter that supports at least 16-bit color at a resolution of 1024 x 768

pixels

❑ Sound Blaster 16 or higher, or other Windows-compatible audio card, with

full-duplex support for simultaneous two-way conversations

Product Registration

Enjoy a host of benefits by registering your product during installation, or at www.creative.com/register.

Benefits include:

• Service and product support from Creative.

• Exclusive updates on promotions and events.

Creative does not assume any costs charged to connect to the Internet.

Introduction xv

Updating Drivers

To download the latest drivers and file updates for Creative CardCam Value, visit http://www.creative.com.

Technical Support

For Technical Support Information, refer to the document D:\Support\Language\Support.pdf on the Installation CD, where D: represents your CD-ROM.

Document Conventions

The following typographical conventions are used throughout this document:

Table 1: Document conventions

This Represents

This notepad icon indicates information that is of particular importance and should be considered before continuing.

This alarm clock icon indicates that failure to adhere to directions may result in loss of data or damage to your computer.

The warning sign indicates that failure to adhere to directions may result in bodily harm or life-threatening situations.

About your Creative CardCam Value

About your Creative CardCam Value 1-2

About your Creative CardCam Value

About your camera

The following figures show you the front and back views of the camera.

Front LED

Lights up when the camera is connected to the computer.

Snapshot button

Viewfinder

Focus-free lens

Front view

Back view

Viewfinder

Figure 1-1: Front and back views of Creative CardCam Value.

LCD Image counter/ Mode Indicator

Power/Mode button

USB connector

About your Creative CardCam Value 1-3

The following figures show you the buttons and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) on the camera.

Figure 1-2: Buttons and LCD on Creative

By default, the LCD counter displays the number of snapshots taken

High Resolution snapshot mode Low resolution snapshot mode Multiple snapshot mode Time-delayed exposure Erase Last image Erase All images Audible cues with beeps Battery flat

Snapshot button

Mode Indications on the LCD display

Top view

About your Creative CardCam Value 1-4

Functions of Control Buttons and LCD display

The following section describes in detail the functions of the buttons and LCD mode indications on your Creative CardCam Value. R efer to Figure 1-1 and Figure 1-2 for the location of these buttons and LCDs on your camera.

Control Buttons

The following buttons are found on your Creative CardCam Value:

❑ Power/Mode button

To turn on your camera:

Press this button to turn on your camera. You can only turn on your camera when it is disconnected from the computer.

To turn off your camera:

Press and hold this button for two seconds.

To change operation modes:

The same button also serves as a Mode button for changing the operation mode of the camera. It can access seven modes:

• Single snapshot (high resolution 640 x 480 pixels, software interpolated)

• Single snapshot (low resolution 320 x 240 pixels)

• Time-delayed exposure after 10 seconds (low resolution)

• Multiple snapshots: 5 shots per second (low resolution)

• Erase Last image

• Erase All images

• Audible cue On/Off

To display the number of snapshots left:

Hold down the Power/Mode button for one second.

The camera will turn itself off if it is left idle for three minutes.

+ 35 hidden pages

Creative CardCam Value Getting Started

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual