Hi there,
Do somebody tell me how to adjust the brightness and the contrast of the web cam since there hv big contrast when I put in on the window and face outside, it's over exposure and become white on the screen, no color.....
thanks a lot.
Eric
contrast of web cam
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Semper Vaporo - Posts: 331
- Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:51 am
Re: contrast of web cam
If your camera did not come with a setup/configuration program (most don't) you should download a program called "AMCAP.exe". It used to be supplied by Microsoft in some versions of Winders, but now you have to get it from their download website (or any of several other utility repositories on the web).
AMCAP and VDV cannot access a camera simultaneously, but once you configure it using AMCAP then Winders usually remembers the settings and VDV will benefit from changes you make.
If VDV is running and already connected to the camera, you will need to Disconnect VDV from the cameras (i.e.: turn the camera Off). Then, run AMCAP and select the camera from the AMCAP "Devices" menu. Once its image is showing in the AMCAP window select the "Options" menu and click on "Video Capture Filter...". You will get a dialog box with two tabs. Each tab will show several attributes that you MIGHT be able to control on that camera... Not all cameras have the same features, so some features will be grayed out and unalterable. Each feature will have a slider and a number text box and a checkbox under the column "Auto".
If the drivers for the camera have the abiity to automatically control the feature (such as Brightness, Contrast, Focus, etc.) you can check the checkbox, or if you don't want the drivers to do the automatic control you can remove the check from the checkbox and drag the slider to the position, or type a number in the text box, that provides the image to your liking.
When you get the settings where you want them, click "OK" and terminate AMCAP (or select a different camera so AMCAP will let VDV access the one you are working on) and then turn that camera back On in VDV.
I have found that SOMETIMES Winders will forget the settings I have made to the WebCams, but I have no idea what caused the forgetfulness. It has remembered the settings through a complete shutdown and total loss of power for many minutes and yet at other times I think it has forgotten them just because it felt like causing me trouble! I have one WebCam that has AutoFocus and that will drive VDV nuts seeing motion as the camera periodically cycles in and out of focus searching for something it likes. I shut off the auto-focus feature and it works fine for months and then one day I notice it hunting for focus again. I do know that some anti-malware programs periodically reset the registry, but on this PC I have deleted all anti-malware software (it is not on the internet, so why waste CPU time looking for bad code that cannot get to the PC at all.
Another thing you can do is to put a sunglasses lens in front of the camera. I recommend a polarized lens. Of course, if you put sunglasses in front of the camera then low light conditions (night time) will produce dark images. (Not that a cheap Web Cam can produce anything but a black image when it is past-dusk and pre-dawn anyway!) I have a set of old photochromatic lenses ("Transistions Lenses" [TM]) to see if they might help. but have not tried them yet. I don't know if they need to be in direct sunlight before they will darken or if in the shade but viewing a bright scene will darken them.
Hope some of this helps.
I think it would be a nice feature to add to VDV to supply the control features like AMCAP has. I also think that it would be nice to add an automatic control to some of the attributes within VDV... like adjusting Brightness and Contrast. I have a couple of cameras that can have those things altered, but the drivers cannot do them automatically and if VDV could do it, I think the hours per day that the cameras are useful would be greatly extended.
AMCAP and VDV cannot access a camera simultaneously, but once you configure it using AMCAP then Winders usually remembers the settings and VDV will benefit from changes you make.
If VDV is running and already connected to the camera, you will need to Disconnect VDV from the cameras (i.e.: turn the camera Off). Then, run AMCAP and select the camera from the AMCAP "Devices" menu. Once its image is showing in the AMCAP window select the "Options" menu and click on "Video Capture Filter...". You will get a dialog box with two tabs. Each tab will show several attributes that you MIGHT be able to control on that camera... Not all cameras have the same features, so some features will be grayed out and unalterable. Each feature will have a slider and a number text box and a checkbox under the column "Auto".
If the drivers for the camera have the abiity to automatically control the feature (such as Brightness, Contrast, Focus, etc.) you can check the checkbox, or if you don't want the drivers to do the automatic control you can remove the check from the checkbox and drag the slider to the position, or type a number in the text box, that provides the image to your liking.
When you get the settings where you want them, click "OK" and terminate AMCAP (or select a different camera so AMCAP will let VDV access the one you are working on) and then turn that camera back On in VDV.
I have found that SOMETIMES Winders will forget the settings I have made to the WebCams, but I have no idea what caused the forgetfulness. It has remembered the settings through a complete shutdown and total loss of power for many minutes and yet at other times I think it has forgotten them just because it felt like causing me trouble! I have one WebCam that has AutoFocus and that will drive VDV nuts seeing motion as the camera periodically cycles in and out of focus searching for something it likes. I shut off the auto-focus feature and it works fine for months and then one day I notice it hunting for focus again. I do know that some anti-malware programs periodically reset the registry, but on this PC I have deleted all anti-malware software (it is not on the internet, so why waste CPU time looking for bad code that cannot get to the PC at all.
Another thing you can do is to put a sunglasses lens in front of the camera. I recommend a polarized lens. Of course, if you put sunglasses in front of the camera then low light conditions (night time) will produce dark images. (Not that a cheap Web Cam can produce anything but a black image when it is past-dusk and pre-dawn anyway!) I have a set of old photochromatic lenses ("Transistions Lenses" [TM]) to see if they might help. but have not tried them yet. I don't know if they need to be in direct sunlight before they will darken or if in the shade but viewing a bright scene will darken them.
Hope some of this helps.
I think it would be a nice feature to add to VDV to supply the control features like AMCAP has. I also think that it would be nice to add an automatic control to some of the attributes within VDV... like adjusting Brightness and Contrast. I have a couple of cameras that can have those things altered, but the drivers cannot do them automatically and if VDV could do it, I think the hours per day that the cameras are useful would be greatly extended.
Semper Vaporo,