MultiCam for movie talk with numerous cameras
MultiCam for movie talk with numerous cameras
Announcement (12/17/13): Sadly, support for MultiCam has been discontinued. This page will remain intact to enable legacy uses of MultiCam to proceed, especially for research purposes. However, the MultiCam software is increasingly likely to be incompatible with newer software, such as Windows eight and latest versions of Skype. It may be possible to proceed using MultiCam on Windows seven with older versions of Skype, such as version 6.1.0.129. (Just click on the link to install it; you will most likely also need to disable automatic updates within Skype, via Implements|Options|Advanced|Automatic updates. And an update from August 2014: MultiCam user Kev Lawrence tells me that version 6.Legal.0.106 is now working with MultiCam. Many thanks to Kev for this useful information.)
Why has support for MultiCam been discontinued? The primary reason is that the code requires substantial maintenance to keep up with switches in Windows and Skype, and the resources to proceed this maintenance are not available. Oncoming switches in the Skype Desktop API represent a particularly large challenge in this regard.
Thanks to all MultiCam users for their support and feedback! Albeit it has not happened yet, I still hope that the existence of MultiCam and similar utilities will persuade movie talk vendors to provide more lithe built-in multi-camera support. Certainly, MultiCam has succeeded in proving that certain niche applications (such as online music lessons and other types of online tutoring) can benefit greatly from lithe viewpoint control at both finishes of the conversation. Thanks again! — John MacCormick The drama’s done. Why then here does any one step forward?–Because one did get through the wreck. — from the Epilogue of Melville’s Moby Dick
Legacy content for unsupported MultiCam:
What is MultiCam?
How do I download and install MultiCam?
If you don’t have it already, you may also be required to install Microsoft’s .NET Framework four Client Profile.
You will, of course, also need Skype (the free version is fine).
By the way, earlier versions of MultiCam, and the latest development version, are available on the separate downloads page.
When should I use MultiCam?
Obviously, at least one of the parties should be using numerous cameras—otherwise, there’s nothing for MultiCam to do. But that is the only limitation. For example, MultiCam is certainly useful when one end of the conversation isn’t even using movie, provided the other end has numerous cameras. Similarly, MultiCam is again useful when one end of the conversation has two or more cameras, and the other end has only one. And of course, MultiCam is also useful when both finishes of the conversation have numerous cameras.