Skip to content

FAQ and troubleshooting

The device does not appear in the host application

  • the registration must be run as administrator (_REGISTER_FILTER.cmd, or the automatic installer),
  • the host application must be 64-bit: the package ships the x64 filter only, a 32-bit application does not see it,
  • check that the filter loads: all the DLLs of Install_Manually\x64 must have stayed next to the .ax (or be on the PATH), and the Visual C++ 2015-2022 x64 Redistributable must be installed. See Installation.

No cameras found

The GenTL producer was not located, or the camera is not reachable:

  • check that GENICAM_GENTL64_PATH, or the producer selected in the Device page, points to an existing 64-bit .cti, see GenTL producer (.cti),
  • check that the vendor transport runtime (e.g. Vimba X) is installed and that its own viewer sees the camera,
  • check that the camera is not already opened by another application: a GenICam camera is exclusive.

The picture is dark, or Brightness has no effect

On Allied Vision Alvium cameras, Brightness is the auto-exposure / auto-gain target: it only acts while Exposure auto or Gain auto is enabled. Enable auto first, then move Brightness. In manual mode, raise the exposure time or the gain instead. See Standard DirectShow controls.

A control is missing in the host dialog

The camera does not expose that feature, or exposes it as read-only. The available controls and their ranges come from the camera itself. The Features page (or IGenicamControl2::RefreshFeatureTree) shows the exact capabilities of the camera.

Changing the pixel format, the ROI or the binning has no effect

These settings are applied when the camera opens and are fixed for the session: stop the graph (preview or recording), change them, then start again. Only the exposure, the gain, the frame rate and the auto modes are changed on the fly. See Using the capture device.

The frame rate is lower than the value I set

The camera clamps AcquisitionFrameRate to what the exposure time, the ROI, the pixel format and the interface bandwidth allow; the Exposure page shows the camera-reported maximum next to the value (GetFloatRange("AcquisitionFrameRate", ...)). Reduce the exposure time or the ROI, or enable binning, to reach a higher rate.

Frames are dropped

GetStats tells the dropped and incomplete counters apart. Dropped frames mean the host does not consume the frames fast enough (the filter keeps the most recent ones); incomplete frames come from the transport (USB bandwidth, cable, hub). See Acquisition statistics.

A text overlay is drawn over the video

The 30-day evaluation period has expired on this machine, and no license key is in force. The stream keeps running (nothing stops, no capture is interrupted); only the overlay is added. To remove it:

  • drop the license file DatasteadGenICam.lic in the %LOCALAPPDATA%\Datastead\ folder of the Windows account that runs the application, then restart the application, or
  • have the application pass the key string before the graph starts.

The About property page tells which state the filter is in: "Licensed to <name>", "Evaluation: N day(s) left" or "Evaluation period expired". If a key was passed and refused, the returned code says why (see License key).

Need more than 30 days to evaluate? Request a dated trial key on https://www.datastead.com/genicam-vision-source. Licenses are available from our online store.

The raw RGGB (Bayer) format is no longer offered

That is the expected behaviour once the evaluation has expired: a Bayer mosaic cannot carry a readable overlay, so the pin offers RGB24 instead and the filter demosaics the frames itself. With a valid license key, raw Bayer is offered as usual. See License key.

Can the filter be used without TVideoGrabber?

Yes: it is a standard DirectShow video capture device, usable from any DirectShow application (C++, DirectShow.NET, and so on), and from everyday applications such as OBS Studio, VLC, ffmpeg or AMCap. See the Interface reference for programmatic control. Used from OBS Studio, VLC, ffmpeg or AMCap, without an application of your own, the filter requires a workstation license on each PC (see License key).

How do I view the camera in OBS Studio, VLC or ffmpeg?

Use the 64-bit version of the application: a 32-bit build does not see the device.

  • OBS Studio: Sources, +, Video Capture Device, select Datastead GenICam Vision Source, then Configure Video to open the property pages (producer, camera, pixel format).
  • VLC: Media, Open Capture Device, capture mode DirectShow, video device Datastead GenICam Vision Source; under Advanced options, check Device properties to open the property pages when the stream starts.
  • ffmpeg: ffmpeg -f dshow -show_video_device_dialog true -i video="Datastead GenICam Vision Source" output.mp4

Where can I download the filter?

From https://www.datastead.com/downloads/. See Installation.

Which cameras are supported?

Any camera with a GenICam / GenTL compliant producer: USB3 Vision, GigE Vision, and the other transports the vendor's .cti covers. The filter has been developed and validated with Allied Vision Alvium USB3 cameras through Vimba X; other vendors' producers follow the same standard.

Should I buy one license per end user?

It depends on the use:

  • your own application, redistributed to end users: the royalty-free developer license covers the redistribution, the end users need no license,
  • OBS Studio, VLC, ffmpeg or another existing application, without an application of your own: one workstation license per PC.

See License key and https://www.datastead.com/purchase/, or ask contact@datastead.com.