Datastead GenICam Vision Source
The Datastead GenICam Vision Source is a DirectShow video capture source filter that exposes any GenICam / GenTL compliant camera (USB3 Vision, GigE Vision, ...) as a standard Windows video capture device named Datastead GenICam Vision Source.
Because it registers as a regular video capture device, the camera shows up in everyday DirectShow applications, exactly like a webcam: OBS Studio, VLC, ffmpeg, AMCap, recording, streaming and conferencing tools, GraphStudioNext, the TVideoGrabber SDK, or your own DirectShow application. No vendor SDK or viewer is needed to get a live picture: pick Datastead GenICam Vision Source in the camera list of the application.
The package contains a single 64-bit binary, Datastead_GenICam_x64.ax, and its runtime DLLs.
How it works
The filter is a generic GenTL consumer: it talks to the camera through the vendor's GenTL producer, a .cti file installed with the camera driver (for Allied Vision cameras, the VimbaUSBTL.cti shipped with Vimba X). The filter does not include any vendor transport layer, so a .cti must be present on the machine. See GenTL producer (.cti).
The camera settings are exposed three ways:
| Way | For | See |
|---|---|---|
| The property pages of the filter (Device, Image, Exposure, Trigger, Features, About) | any DirectShow host showing the filter dialogs | Using the capture device |
The standard DirectShow interfaces IAMCameraControl and IAMVideoProcAmp |
the usual "camera control" and "video quality" dialogs of the host | Using the capture device |
The custom IGenicamControl / IGenicamControl2 COM interfaces |
applications driving the camera without any dialog, down to every GenICam (SFNC) feature | Programmatic control, Interface reference |
Pixel formats
The filter delivers the frames to the graph as RGB24 (BGR8 with on-board debayering), Y800 (Mono8), UYVY (YCbCr422_8) or raw RGGB Bayer (BayerRG8, debayered by the host), in a FORMAT_VideoInfo media type. The format is selected on the Image page or with SetPixelFormatPreference; in Auto mode the filter picks the best format the camera supports.
Requirements
- Windows 11 or Windows 10, 64-bit, or Windows Server 2025, 2022, 2019 or 2016 (64-bit) installed with the Desktop Experience feature: the Server Core installations do not include the multimedia components required by DirectShow.
- The package ships the 64-bit (x64) filter only: the host application and the GenTL producer must be 64-bit too.
- A GenTL producer (
.cti) for the camera, installed on the machine. - The Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x64).
- Used from the TVideoGrabber SDK only: TVideoGrabber 16.6.2.0 or newer.
Download
https://www.datastead.com/downloads/
One single package: the same binary is used for the evaluation and for the licensed use, so nothing has to be reinstalled after a purchase.
Evaluation
The filter is fully functional for 30 days after its first use on the machine: no watermark, no time limit, every pixel format. After that period the video keeps streaming, with a permanent text overlay; nothing ever stops and no capture is interrupted. A license key removes the overlay, and a dated trial key is available on request for a longer evaluation.
License
Two licenses are available, depending on how the filter is used:
- Developer license (royalty-free): for applications built with the TVideoGrabber SDK or with DirectShow. The application passes the key at run time and redistributes the filter: the end users need no license.
- Workstation license (one per PC): to use the camera from OBS Studio, VLC, ffmpeg or any other existing application, without writing code. A license file is copied once on the PC, without any activation or internet access, and unlocks the filter for every application running on that PC.
Both are delivered as one signed key, usable as a file or as a string. Prices and purchase: https://www.datastead.com/purchase/. Installation of the key: License key.
Contact
Email: contact@datastead.com for sales and general enquiries, support@datastead.com for the technical support.