Video Associates Labs VALCam USB User manual

VALCam USB with Flash
Introduction
Thanks for purchasing the VALCam USB, the first image acquisition system
designed specifically for photo-ID and visual database applications. All
camera controls (pan, tilt, oom and exposure level) are available from the
mouse or keyboard. Manual positioning of the camera is eliminated for
increased operator efficiency.
The VALCam Professional also includes One Click Auto Centering.
Double click on the subject’s nose and the camera will immediately center
itself in under a second.
In addition to hands off control, the VALCam USB provides a synchroni ed
photoflash for consistent high quality image acquisition in any environment.
Software controls are provided for flash intensity and flesh tone adjustments
making the acquisition of top quality images a snap. High quality captures
with perfect skin tones and exposure can be obtained effortlessly in any
environment, even dark rooms!
Video Associates Labs, Inc.
11525A Stonehollow Dr., Suite 130
Austin, TX 78758
1-800-331-0547
www.VAL.com
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Features Include:
• One Click Auto Centering on USB Professional
• Com lete SDK available on request
• Com lete USB hardware interface
The only connection to the com uter is a USB cable
• Mouse control of an, tilt, zoom and ex osure in Pan/Tilt/Zoom
version. Zoom in/out for the Zoom version.
• Uses o tical an, tilt, zoom for highest resolution.
• Synchronized hotoflash with software control of flash ex osure
and flesh tones. Perfect ca tures even in dark rooms.
• Hassle free integration of hotoflash.
• Includes 32 Bit Twain Driver. O tional Software Develo ers Kit
available.
• Will work in all major Windows hoto ID and imaging
a lications.
• High-resolution single chi CCD array (796x494).
• Auto Focus, S-video out ut.
• Available in both NTSC and PAL video standards.
Quick start instructions for hardware and software installation are provided.
A trouble-shooting guide will help resolve any installation and operational
problems. The Imaging Hints and Ti s section will help the end user
achieve high quality captures.
If technical support is needed please contact:
Video Associates Labs, Inc.
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: su o[email protected]

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Parts List for available VALCam roducts:
8500-630 VALCam Pro with Flash
High resolution Pan/Tilt/Zoom Camera
External USB interface box
Multi-cable interconnect
Hi Intensity Photo-Flash
Universal mounting bracket for flash
USB cable
4 Port USB Hub
Brick power supply for USB interface box
Instruction Manual
Installation Disk
8000-630 VALCam Pro with Flash
High resolution Pan/Tilt/Zoom Camera
External USB interface box
Multi-cable interconnect
Hi Intensity Photo-Flash
Universal mounting bracket for flash
USB cable
4 Port USB Hub
Brick power supply for USB interface box
Instruction Manual
Installation Disk
8000-628 VALCam Zoom with Flash
High resolution USB Zoom camera
Hi Intensity Photo-Flash
USB cable
4 Port USB Hub
Brick power supply for camera
Instruction Manual
Installation Disk
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Installing the VALCam USB Zoom
1. Do not connect the camera to the computer until after software
installation.
2. Mount the photoflash to the hot-shoe
connector on top of the camera.
3. Connect the flash cable to the matching
receptacle on the back of the camera.
4. Connect the power adaptor to the
matching connector on the back of the
camera. Plug the power adaptor to a wall
socket.
5. Connect the USB cable to the back of the
camera.
Do not connect the USB cable to the com uter.
Installing the VALCam USB Pan/Tilt/Zoom
1. Do not connect the camera to the computer until after software
installation.
2. Attach the flash-mounting bracket to the bottom of the camera. Use
the knob on the bottom of the flash bracket to secure the attachment.
3. Attach the complete unit to the
tripod.
4. Attach the photoflash to the hot-
shoe connector on the flash
bracket.
5. Locate the camera multi-cable.
6. Connect the brown S-video
connector on the multi-cable to the
matching S-Video connector on
the camera. Verify that the connector is properly oriented and gently
insert the connector. Do not force the connection.
7. Connect the red Visca connector to the matching red connector on
the camera.

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8. Connect the yellow power connector to the matching yellow connector on
the camera.
9. Connect the photoflash cable to the matching white connector on the multi-
cable.
10. Connect the 25-pin connector on the multi-connector to the USB converter
box.
11. Connect the power supply to the
USB converter box.
12. Connect the USB cable to the
converter box. Do not connect the
other end of the USB cable to the
computer.
13. If desired the external USB
converter can be removed from the
flash bracket. An extended 10 ft
cable is available from Video
Associates.
Final Installation for Win XP and Win 2000
1. Run Setu VALCam USB.EXE located on the installation CD.
2. Verify that the camera is configured as described above. Make sure the
power supply is connected and plugged in to a wall outlet.
3. Verify that the USB cable from the Zoom camera or the converter box is
attached. Plug the USB cable to your computer USB port.
4. The computer will find new hardware and install the device. Answer Yes or
Continue if you are queried during the installation.
5. The installation process will install 2 devices before the process is
completed.
6. You can confirm the installation by opening Device Manager and noting the
“VALCam USB Camera” listed under “Imaging Devices”
NOTE: When u grading software ALWAYS UNPLUG THE POWER
SUPPLY CONNECTOR before installing the new software. Plug in the
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Power Su ly Connector after the software u grade is installed.
Camera firmware will not be u graded unless this rocedure is
followed.
Basic O eration
1. Confirm that the display settings of your computer are set to 24 or
32-bit color (16 bit is not recommended).
2. Click on START->PROGRAMS->VALCam USB and start the
application.
3. The application will determine if the DirectX version installed on the
computer is capable of using the camera. If the version needs to be
upgraded, an error message will be displayed. The Microsoft DirectX
upgrade is provided on the installation CD. If necessary run the
DirectX upgrade and restart the camera application.
4. The VALCAM ID capture control box will appear. If you receive an
error message or the ca ture control box does not a ear
dis laying live video, consult the troubleshooting guide.

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Camera Zoom controls
1. Press the + key next to the numeric keypad, the camera will oom in. Release
the + key and the camera will stop ooming. To oom out press the – key
next to the numeric keypad. Release the – key to stop the action.
2. To speed up the Zooming action hold down the Ctrl key
To slow down the Zooming action hold down the Shift key.
One Click Auto Position (Available on Pan/Tilt version only)
This version of VALCam USB supports One Click Auto Positioning for the
fastest face-centering feature available for photo-id applications. Unlike other
auto-centering features, the VALCam will center the camera in real time in less
than 1 second. The results can be previewed immediately for approval before
saving.
Mouse Click, Drag and Release can also be used to quickly position the camera
to any desired location for fast positioning.
Using the Double Click Auto-Position feature:
1. Place mouse cursor over any face feature (i.e., tip of the nose).
2. Double click the left mouse button
3. Camera will position the face feature to the center of the screen or any
predefined position immediately
4. Tap the ↑, ↓, ←, → cursor keys to fine tune position for fine control of
camera position.
5. Hold down the ↑, ↓, ←, → cursor keys to move the camera continuously.
NOTE: This feature can also be used to center scars and tattoos for
law enforcement a lications.
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Using the Click, Drag and Release feature.
1. Place mouse cursor over any face feature (i.e., tip of the nose)
2. Click and hold the Left mouse button
3. Drag the mouse cursor to any desired position
4. Release the Left mouse button
5. Camera will position the face feature at the new cursor position.
6. Tap the ↑, ↓, ←, → cursor keys to fine tune position for fine control
of camera position.
7. Hold down the ↑, ↓, ←, → cursor keys to move the camera
continuously.
Manually Adjusting Pan/Tilt osition
1. Use the ↑
↑↑
↑, ↓
↓↓
↓, ←
←←
←, →
→→
→ keys on your keyboard to control pan/tilt
operation. Hold down keys to initiate action and release keys to stop
action. (Pan/Tilt/Zoom Camera only)
2. To speed up PTZ action hold down the Ctrl key.
To slow down PTZ action hold down the Shift key.
3. Place the mouse over the button and hold down the left mouse
button. The camera will oom in. When the mouse button is released,
ooming will stop. The button works the same way to oom out.
4. Place the mouse over the button and hold down the left mouse
button. The camera will tilt up. When the mouse button is released,
camera motion will stop. The , , buttons works in a
similar fashion. (Pan/Tilt/Zoom Camera only)
5. PTZ speed can be adjusted in the “Adjust Dialog Box”.

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Adjust Live Preview/Ca ture Parameters
1. Click the Flash Off button.
2. Adjust the Brightness control buttons for proper
image illumination. This is the only control used to
adjust image brightness.
3. The last setting of the Brightness control is
remembered between sessions.
4. Click the Adjust button and click the
“Flesh Tone” tab.
5. Click the “Manual” radio button to
adjust the live preview colors. Adjust
the Live Red and Live Blue scroll
controls up and down. Note the
changes in the image color balance.
These controls can be used to fine tune
image color for optimal quality.
6. Adjust the Live Color control and note
the changes in the image. This control
adjusts color intensity from pale to
very intense.
7. Click the “Page Defaults” or “Auto White” button to reset White Balance
and normali e color settings.
8. Refer to the “Tips on Optimi ing Captures” for more details on obtaining
high quality captures.
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Shar ness Control
1. Click the “Advanced” tab on
the Adjust Dialog box.
2. The “After Ca ture” control
adjusts post capture image
enhancement. The effects of
this control are not visible until
the capture is viewed. The
default is 1 or 2.
3. The “Frame Grabber”
sharpness adjustment affects
real time out image sharpness.
The default is 2 or 3.
4. Higher or lower values might
be warranted in different circumstances. If the values are too high
the image will look edgy and noisy. If the value is too low the
image will look soft or out of focus.
5. Clicking the “Page Defaults” button will restore
factory defaults.
Ca turing a Live Images
1. Verify that the Use Preview is set to Yes and Use
Flash is set to Flash Off.
2. Zoom in as close as necessary to your subject.
NOTE: Always zoom in as tight as the image com osition will
allow for best quality images.
3. Adjust Brightness, Flesh Tone, and Shar ness
controls for best image quality.
4. Click the Capture Button and the image will be displayed.

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5. Adjust the “Red” and “Blue” scroll bars to adjust the image color balance.
The values can be adjusted from -50 to +50. Positive values increase Red
or Blue. Negative Colors decrease Red or Blue. These setting are
remembered between captures and sessions and will be restored on the
next capture without additional adjustment.
NOTE: If large ositive or negative values of Red or Blue need to be
added, the “Live Red” and “Live Blue” adjustments should be set to
minimize the values of these settings. See “Ti s on Quality Ca tures”
later in the manual.
6. Click the “Save” button to send the image to clipboard or your
application. Click the “Don’t Save” button to discard the image and
prepare to take another capture. This is very useful when using the Twain
driver as you can immediately take another capture without restarting the
application.
Using the Photo-Flash
The photoflash allows optimal captures to be obtained in any environment with
the highest quality. You can even take captures in a completely dark room and
varying subject distances with no degradation of image quality.
Once the flash intensity is set for a given subject distance, all captures will be
identical even with different amounts of room light.
The VALCam stores different settings for Flash and non-Flash captures so both
live and Flash capture can be obtained without user intervention.
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Taking a Flash Ca ture
1. Click the Use Flash button to Flash On.
The Flash will be triggered the next time the
capture button is clicked.
2. Frame the subject with the camera controls.
Remember to zoom in as tight as your image com osition will allow
for highest image resolution.
3. Adjust the and buttons for the
subject distance from the camera. Each time
these buttons are clicked the flash intensity will
be changed to accommodate for proper subject
distance.
4. Click the Capture Button and after a short delay the flash will fire
and the image will be displayed. (Verify that Use Preview is set to
Yes)
Flash set too dark Flash set too Bright
5. Fine tune the and adjustments for optimal capture
exposure and take another capture. Repeat this process until
optimal image exposure is obtained. The live preview will not
change because Use Flash is set to Flash On.

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Flash set correctly
6. Once the proper setting is found, it will not need to be readjusted even if
the room lighting changes. If the subject distance changes these settings
will need to be readjusted.
Adjusting Flash Ca ture Quality
1. Adjust the “Red” and “Blue” scroll bars to adjust the image color balance.
The values can be adjusted from -50 to +50. Positive values increase Red
or Blue. Negative Colors decrease Red or Blue. These setting are
remembered between captures and sessions and will be restored on the
next capture without additional adjustment.
NOTE: If large ositive or negative values of Red or Blue need to be added,
the “Flash Red” and “Flash Blue” adjustments should be set to minimize the
values of these settings. See “Ti s on Quality Ca tures”
later in the manual.
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2. If large values of Red and Blue are
needed click the “Don’t Save” button
and click the “Adjust” button. The
“Test” dialog will open.
3. Set the Flash Color Correction Radio
button for the setting (Fluorescent or
Default) that is not being used.
4. Do not close the “Test” dialog box and
take another flash capture.
5. Adjust the “Flash Red” and “Flash
Blue” controls on the main dialog for
color balance. Use the “Flash Color Correction” setting that needs
the smallest adjustment of the “Red” and “Blue”
6. If desired this process can be continued by adjusting the “Flash
Red” and “Flash Blue” controls in the “Test” dialog, taking
another capture and adjusting the “Red” and “Blue” controls in the
main dialog.
7. Please note that the Flash color controls only effect flash captures
and have no effect on the live preview.
Cro ing Control
The VALCam USB allows the user to set cropping parameters for both
preview and capture. The live preview will display live video that
corresponds to these parameters. The capture image will also conform to
these dimensions.
These parameters can be set to match the picture box of the card design
thereby eliminating the need for software cropping and speeding up the
capture process. The efficiency of the process will depend on how the
photo-id application handles image captures. If the cropping function of
your photo-id software can be disabled, you can use the camera to crop
and capture straight to your card.
Another advantage of this feature is that the live preview will correspond
to the actual “portrait” design of the card for a more pleasing and realistic
rendition of the image.

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Using Cro ing Control
1. Click the Adjust button.
2. Click the Cropping tab on the adjust dialog box.
3. Click the various Cropping Select choices and see how the live display
changes to the new aspect ratio.
4. Take a capture and note how the capture also matches the new settings.
5. Select Custom and adjust the Hori ontal setting for any aspect custom
aspect ratio.
6. It is recommended to leave the Vertical setting at 468 for maximum
resolution and only adjust the Hori ontal setting.
Typically it’s only necessary to match the Horizontal/Vertical ratio to your
picture box on your card design. It’s not necessary to match absolute pixel
values.
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Using the VALCam with Photo-ID A lications
Twain drivers for the VALCam USB are loaded during the software
installation procedure. Using your application, select the VALCam
system as your Twain source.
Alternatively you can run the VALCam executable as a standalone
application and capture images directly to the Window’s clipboard. You
can then paste these images into any applications that will support the
Window’s clipboard.
Contact Video Associates if you need a standalone application to capture
JPG files.
Setting an Administrators Password
An administrative password can be applied to restrict using the “Adjust”
dialog box. This allows confidently settings parameters in the camera that
cannot be changed by unauthori ed personal.
The following parameters can be locked from end users:
• Zoom control
• Flash Intensity
• Preview adjustments
• Color adjustments
• Cropping parameters
Setting the Password:
1. Locate and double click on the VALCam USB.INI file located in
the Windows folder or sub folder.
2. The file will open in Notepad. Scroll down and locate the
Password=None entry.
3. Modify this entry with a password of your choice
Example: Password=123.
4. Restart the VALCam application and click the Adjust button.
5. You will be prompted to enter your password
Enter 123 to open the Adjust Dialog box.

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Detailed Overview of VALCam Controls
Live Color Adjustments
• Click the Adjust button on the main
dialog
• Click the Manual radio button in the
Auto White section.
• Adjust “Live Red”, “Live Blue” and
“Live Color” for optimal live video
display.
• Click “AutoWhite” for automatic
continual white balance.
• Click “Flash Off” on the main dialog.
You can now adjust the live preview
brightness with the brightness
controls.
• For best live reproduction the manual controls can be used, but Auto
White does an overall good job
Flash Color Adjustments
• Select the “Fluorescent” button if using fluorescent lighting, otherwise try
the “Default” button
• Take a flash capture from
the main dialog
• Click the default button on
the Main screen.
• Adjust the “Red” and “Blue”
scroll controls for the best
color balance.
• Note the numerical amount of Red and Blue added.
• Select the “Red” button in the Flash Color Section.
• Take another Flash Capture and adjust the “Red” and “Blue” controls on
the main screen.
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• Use the Flash Color Correction setting that has the lowest amount
of correction
• You can also experiment with adjusting “Flash Red” and “Flash
Blue” if desired.
• Generally most all settings will work, but for best results these
steps can be applied.
Advanced Settings
• The Sharpness controls have
been discussed previously.
• Lock Zoom and Lock Iris will
prevent the Zoom and
Brightness from being changed
on the main dialog. When used
with the Adjust Password
protect feature, operators will
not be able to change these
settings.
• Fine Zoom controls allow
controls of small oom
adjustment for precise settings.
• Live Ca ture S eed/Quality adjusts the live capture quality from
Fastest capture but poorer quality to Best quality but slightly
slower. This control does not affect Flash Capture quality.
Auto Position Options
• Position mouse cursor
anywhere on the live video
screen (subject’s nose)
• Double Click the left mouse
button
• Camera will center mouse
cursor in under a second.
• Adjust auto-centering position
by clicking the “Set Offset”
button and clicking mouse on
live video at new location.

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• Click any position on the live screen. Hold down left mouse button and
drag mouse cursor to new position. Release mouse button and camera will
reposition.
• Use the ↑
↑↑
↑, ↓
↓↓
↓, ←
←←
←, →
→→
→ keys on your keyboard to control pan/tilt operation.
Hold down keys to initiate action and release keys to stop action. Use the
“Shift” and “Control” buttons to speed up and slow down the camera.
• Press the + key next to the numeric keypad, the camera will oom in.
Release the + key and the camera will stop ooming. To oom out press
the – key next to the numeric keypad. Release the – key to stop the action
Tips for quality captures
• Always oom in as tight as the image will appear on your ID badge.
Do not oom wide and crop in software.
• Use of the flash will almost always provide the highest image
quality. Enable the Flash On and Preview YES radio buttons on
the main dialog
• When using the Flash be sure to set the “Flash Brightness” for the correct
distance and illumination.
• Adjust the “Flash Color Correction” and Flash Colors for optimal color
adjustment.
• When not using the Flash, turn off “Auto White” and adjust the Live Color
controls for best color balance.
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Trouble Shooting
Trouble starting or running the a lication:
1. Verify that the power supply is properly connected to the Zoom
camera or converter box if using the Pan/Tilt/Zoom version.
2. When using Windows 2000, be sure to use the supplied USB hub
3. Verify that the VALCam USB appears in Device Manager under
Imaging Devices.
4. Verify that you are running DirectX 8.1 or above. The application
will test for this condition and display a warning message if
necessary.
5. Unplug and Reinsert the USB cable.
6. Unplug and Reinsert the power cable.
7. Reboot the computer.
Flash will not fire:
1. Verify that the Flash switch is in the on position.
2. Verify Flash connector is fully inserted.
3. Verify that the amber LED is illuminated on the back of the flash.