Q: How do I register Camerpad Moving?
A: You must obtain a registration key from Camerapad and then you will enter that into the program under FILE / ABOUT.

Q: Camerapad Moving does not work in Windows 7.
A: Past versions of Camerapad Moving are not designed around Windows 7 and need a workaround in order to use the registry. To fix the issue, all you need to do is configure the shortcut to run as administrator. If having an issue installing a license key, you can also disable UAC to see if that helps.

Q: My PTZ2 does not respond to bookmarks, coordinates or IR remotes.
A: The PTZ2 control panel uses unlimited software presets instead of the 8 fixed internal hardware presets like the older PTZ1. In order for this to work, your camera needs the correct level of OS. Please follow these directions to fix the issue: http://www.camerapad.com/flash.asp

Q: How do I add more presets into Camerapad Moving?
A: The more recent versions of Camerapad Moving ship with 20 bookmarks but support unlimited. To modify this number, you will make sure that Moving is not running, then go and edit the camera.ini file. At the top of the [ControllerSettings] section, you will add BookmarkLimit = 30.

Q: Is the PTZ2 camera USB?
A: No. Most robotic cameras are serial controlled and the PTZ2 is no exception. What this means is that the control cable connects to your COM1 or other serial port on your PC.

Q: Why does Windows XP not auto find my camera?
A: Serial robotic cameras are not a plug-and-play device and there are no drivers to load for support. The Camerapad Moving program takes care of this interfacing as long as you select the correct COM port.

Q: How do I get the camera video into my computer?
A: The video output on most of these robotic cameras is an analog signal that must be converted or "captured" into the pc with appropriate hardware. This can be done with a "capture" card, TV card, various display cards, external USB capture device, Firewire devices and so on. Some machines these days already have some sort of video input from the factory for digital movie making.

Q: When I plug in my PTZ2 camera, it doesnt move at all but there is video.
A: Like many robotic cameras, the PTZ2 requires a software command to initialize. This must be sent across the serial connector using a control panel.

Q: Can I use the PTZ2 camera with an IR remote but no PC?
A: Sorry, no. The original design of the Picturetel equipment is for the IR signal to come into the camera but then pass through the serial line to the original codec computer which then deciphers the signal and sends the appropriate movement command back to the camera. Camerapad Moving has duplicated this behavior to enable IR support for all Picturetel cameras that are capable.

Q: How do I hook up the Limelight to the PTZ2?
A: PDF directions are available here. Assembling_Limelight.pdf

Q: Are the power and control cables included when I purchase the PTZ2 camera?
A: No. The PTZ2 cameras are no longer manufactured and cannot be found "new" nor did they ever come with cables or software for PC control. A lot of Camerapad users already have a PTZ2 or other surplus type camera and all they need is a custom cable, power supply and/or software while some folks still use the original Picturetel equipment and only need a replacement camera unit with no cables. Since I am custom making the cables and power supplies myself, I price it all separately so that the customer can get exactly what they need.

Q: Can the PTZ2 be used outdoors?
A: The PTZ2 camera was designed for inside desktop video conference use. It is not equipped to handle the extremities of outdoor use. With that said, I have had an outdoor camera running for over two years in a homemade enclosure. If you protect it from moisture and direct sunlight, there is no reason that you cannot get many years from a PTZ2 camera outside. If you are in a very extreme environment, I would suggest a heated/cooled enclosure. Most outdoor camera enclosures are designed for a hanging "dome style" camera so I have yet to find one suitable for these bottom mount cameras. Pictures of the enclosure I am using can be seen on my backyard camera web page here: http://www.camerapad.com:2046/

Q: My PTZ1 camera turns backward and clicks over and over.
A: The older PTZ1 camera actualy does a "self test" when powered. When the camera turns all the way back, it employs all three motors at once which creates a maximum current draw. If your power source does not supply enough current, the camera will reset and keep trying to complete a boot self-test. The fix for this is to get a larger power supply. 12V 2A should handle it. We offer 3A switching power supplies which can be used with 120 or 220 input.

Q: Does Camerapad Moving support multiple cameras?
A: No, and yes. Right now each control panel supports a single camera. We are working on a program that will allow use of any number of different model cameras simultaneously, but until it is released, what you can do is install a control panel into a different directory for each camera that you have and then run each program separately with their associated differing com port and ip port configurations. My demo camera computer currently has three cameras using three com ports and three running instances of Moving. And obviously it also has three capture devices running three separate instances of webcam software. Add that all up and you have 6 open ports to the machine. It's a lot to setup but is pretty cool when it's done.

Q: What are you using for video streaming on your demos?
A: Right now, Webcam32. A few months from now it should be Camerapad Showing.

Q: Can you run multiple installs of webcam32 from one pc so that it streams continuously from different ports?
A: Yup! My demo computer has three instances of Webcam32 running. Check out how to do it here: profiles.html

Q: Does your Camerapad Moving software support Serial to USB conversion? That is, does the setup allow a USB port to be designated as a selectable serial com port?
A: Yup. Actually, once you install the USB to RS232 converter, that magic is done at the OS level so Camerapad Moving just addresses a regular COM port as usual.

Q: Can the PTZ2 camera be used with motion capture software?
A: Certainly, but do understand that the movement of any robotic camera will activate the motion sense settings.

Q: Can you put a lens on the PTZ2 camera?
A: The PTZ2 camera comes with a nice Sony .6X wide angle lens inside the top cover. You can remove it and replace with any 37MM thread lens. I have had people use a 2X and 5X tele lens on these things for long range surveillance.

Q: I have a Picturetel SS700 (Swiftsite). Can the unit be used with your software or can the camera be removed and used by itself?
A: No. The Swiftsite does not allow for any remote control input and the camera head is missing the main circuit board and plastic chassis that is in the standalone camera units.

Q: What is the resolution of the PTZ2 camera?
A: The output on the PTZ2 camera is standard analog composite video or svideo using the enhanced cable. This is TV standard NTSC or PAL depending on your model of camera. A correct answer would be that this is the same quality as your Camcorder analog output or a VHS tape. An interesting explanation can be found here: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/vidres.htm

Q: What is the streaming rate of the PTZ2 camera?
A: The PTZ2 camera is analog output which is 30 frames per second at NTSC standard just like your TV set. If you are digitizing the video for streaming over the net, the final end result outcome of the streaming rate will depend on your capture device, cpu speed, quality of capture and compression software and the link quality between the two computers.

Q: Is there a way I could use your software with dial-up networking?
A: Sure. Dial up networking magic is done within the OS of the host pc. It does not need to be connected to the Internet. You need to configure it to receive incoming calls, authenticate users, supply an ip address and then bridge or route traffic. At that point the host machine and the remote machine should be on the same "virtual" network and can see each other. You should be able to access the host machine in your browser by its name or ip address.

Q: When I access the demo files on my machine at localhost:800/index.html. I see the buttons, but not the video. Do I need to be running something else?
A: All of the example files do not have any embedded video in them. The scripting needed to add the video depends upon your video streaming software.

Q: What kind of light sensitivity does the camera have (in Lux)? If I aimed it out my window at night, would it be able to see someone walking by?
A: The Picturetel PTZ2 camera is rated at 7LUX. It would not be usable without some level of lighting. Checkout my demo cameras at night to get an idea.