Copyright: Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001 Intel Corporation
Citation: Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001 Intel Corporation


Welcome to Intel Auto Snapshot
Welcome to Intel® Auto Snapshot

Welcome to Intel® Auto Snapshot, an easy way to automatically take pictures with the Intel® PC Camera and post them to a Web site, send them to an email address or create a short video.  When Auto Snapshot is running, it displays video images in the live view window.  The live view window also allows access to advanced configuration settings and options for starting, stopping and exiting the program.  Auto snapshots are stored in the gallery in the Intel® Create & Share® software.

To work in Auto Snapshot’s live view window:

•	To open the live view window, click on the Auto Snapshot icon in the system tray.

•	To close the live view window, click Close.  Auto Snapshot continues to run in the background on your computer.

•	To view or change the current auto snapshot settings, click Configure.

•	To adjust the video settings (such as color, brightness and source), click Video Settings.

•	To turn Auto Snapshot off without exiting the program, click Stop.

•	To turn Auto Snapshot on, click Start.

•	To exit Auto Snapshot, click the system icon in the upper left corner of the live view window and click Exit on the shortcut menu.

Note

You can only adjust the video settings when Auto Snapshot is off and connected to the video source.

Related Topics

Change the Configuration of Auto Snapshot

Troubleshooting

View Recent Errors

Turn Auto Snapshot On and Off


System tray

The system tray located on the Windows* taskbar which runs along the edge of the Windows* desktop.  The system tray shows the clock and which programs are currently running in the background on your computer.


Accessing Intel Auto Snapshot from the System Tray
Accessing Intel® Auto Snapshot from the System Tray

When Intel® Auto Snapshot is running, the Auto Snapshot icon is displayed in the system tray.  The system tray is located on the Windows* taskbar which runs along the edge of the Windows* desktop.  By clicking the Intel® Auto Snapshot icon in the system tray, the shortcut menu allows you to:

•	Open and close the Auto Snapshot live view window, where you can see the current video.

•	View or change the auto snapshot configuration.

•	View recent errors.

•	Turn auto snapshot off and on.

•	Exit Auto Snapshot.

•	Access Help and see information about this version of Auto Snapshot.


Intel Auto Snapshot Configuration - General tab
Intel® Auto Snapshot Configuration - General tab

Use the General tab to specify where to put snapshots and which trigger to use.

To configure where to put auto snapshots:

Under Where to Put Snapshots:

•	To transfer them to a Web page, click Post to the Internet. To view or change the Web posting settings (such as the ISP, username, password or screen name), click Settings.

•	To create a video clip from a series of auto snapshots, click Save Snapshots to disk as a video clip. To view or change the video clip settings (such as the directory, overwriting options and playback options), click Settings.

•	To save auto snapshots to your local computer drive, click Save to Disk. To view or change the save settings (such as the file name, gallery and number of snapshots), click Settings.

•	To send auto snapshots to an email address, click Email New Snapshots. To view or change the email settings (such as the email address(es) and return email address), click Settings.

To configure a trigger:

Under When to Take Snapshots:

1	To take auto snapshots when motion is detected, click Motion Triggered Snapshots.  To change the motion settings (such as sensitivity, initial delay and whether to take continuous snapshots), click Settings.

2	To take auto snapshots using a timer, click Timer Triggered Snapshots.  To change the timer settings (such as the interval and schedule), click Settings.

3	Click OK.

Related Topics

Internet Settings

Save to Disk Settings

Save as Video Clip Settings

Email Settings

Motion Sensor Settings

Timer Settings

Caption Tab


Change Where to Put Auto Snapshots

1	In the Task bar, right-click the AutoSnapshot icon

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Configure.

3	In the Configure Auto Snapshot dialog, click the General tab.

Under Where to Put Snapshots:

•	To transfer them to a Web page, click Post to the Internet.  To view or change the Web posting settings (such as the ISP, username, password or screen name), click Settings.

•	To save auto snapshots to your local computer drive, click Save to Disk.  To view or change the save settings (such as the file name, gallery and number of snapshots), click Settings.

•	To send auto snapshots to an email address, click Email New Snapshots.  To view or change the email settings (such as the email address(es) and return email address), click Settings.

•	To create a video from a series of auto snapshots, click Save snapshot to disk as a video clip.  To view or change the video clip settings (such as the file name and options for the gallery, overwriting files and playback), click Settings.

Related Topics

Motion Sensor Settings

Timer Settings

Caption Tab


Intel Auto Snapshot Configuration - Caption tab
Intel® Auto Snapshot Configuration - Caption tab

Use the Caption tab to create captions for your snapshots. Captions can be descriptive phrases, names, and the date and/or time the auto snapshot was taken.  You can change the caption style to italic, bold, colored text and the size of the caption.  After a caption is added to a snapshot, you cannot change it or remove it.

To configure captions:

1	To include a caption in new snapshots, click Add Captions to Snapshots.

2	To indicate where the caption should be located on the snapshot, click Top or Bottom.

3	To include the current date with each snapshot, click Add Date and choose a format.

4	To include the current time with each snapshot, click Add Time and choose a format.

5	To adjust the background of the caption, click Transparent or Solid.  If you choose a solid background, select a color.

6	To include a description with each snapshot, click Title Text and type the caption in the Text Title box.

7	To have the description appear on a separate line from the date and time, click Title Text on separate line from date and time.

8	To change the style of the description, such as the typeface, color, size or angle, click Font/Color.

9	To turn off captions, clear the Add Caption Text To Snapshots checkbox.

10	Click OK.

Tip

If you choose a solid background, be sure to choose a different color than the caption text color.

Related Topics

General Tab


Change Advanced Caption Settings

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Auto Snapshot icon

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Configure.

3	In the Auto Snapshot Configuration window, click the Caption tab.

4	To include a caption with auto snapshots, check the Add Caption to Snapshots box.

5	To take auto snapshots without captions, clear the Add Caption to Snapshots box.

6	To position the caption on the auto snapshot, click Top or Bottom.

7	To change the background of the caption, click Transparent or Solid.  If you choose a solid background, select a color.

8	To include the current date with each auto snapshot, click Add Date and choose a format.

9	To include the current time with each auto snapshot, click Add Time and choose a format.

10	To include a description with each auto snapshot, click Text Title and type the caption in the Text Title box.

11	To have the description appear on a separate line from the date and time, click Text Title on Separate Line.

12	To change the style of the description, such as the typeface, color, size or font style, click Font.

13	Click OK.

Tip

If you choose a solid background, be sure to choose a different color than the caption text color.

Note

After an auto snapshot is taken and a caption is added to it, you cannot change or remove the auto snapshot’s caption using Auto Snapshot's configuration tools.

Related Topics

Change the motion sensor settings

Change the timer settings

General Tab


Save as Video Clip Settings

Use the following settings to customize how your video clip file is saved and how it appears when played.  To change the settings, make sure Auto Snapshot is not running.  If necessary, stop Auto Snapshot.

The video clip is created from all the auto snapshots taken when the auto snapshot is turned on.  To generate the video, stop Auto Snapshot.  You can control the size and playing time of the video clip by adjusting the trigger you selected (motion detection or timer).  The more auto snapshots you take during a session, the longer the video clip will be and the larger the video file size will be.  Adjust the trigger and length of the session to suit your needs.

Caution!

Avoid using a very sensitive trigger setting and long session when taking auto snapshots for the video clip.  This combination of settings can result in numerous snapshots saved to disk, which can use up all the available disk  space on your computer.

1	To change the name of the video clip, type a new name in the File name box.  The file type, AVI, is automatically added to the end of the file name.

2	Choose a gallery for organizing your auto snapshots.  To create a new gallery, click New and type the gallery name in the Gallery box.

3	To replace the existing video clip with a new video clip, click Overwrite the existing video clip.  Choose this option if you want to save space on your computer.

Note  Choosing this option means Auto Snapshot will automatically replace the video clip with a new one every time you create a video clip.

4	To create a new video clip each session, click Create a new video clip.  This increments the file name with a number.

Note  Choosing this option can create many video clips, which may quickly use up all the available disk space on your computer.

5	To display each auto snapshots briefly during the video, choose Slide show.

6	To play the snapshots at a higher speed choose Time compressed video.

7	Click OK.

8	To start taking auto snapshots for the video clip, start Auto Snapshot.

Related Topics

Change the motion sensor settings

Change the timer settings


Change the Video Clip Settings

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Auto Snapshot icon

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Open Intel Auto Snapshot.

3	If Auto Snapshot is running, click the Stop button and then click Configure.

4	In the General tab, click Save snapshots to disk as video clips and click Settings.

5	To change the name of the video clip, type a new name in the File name box.

6	Choose a gallery for organizing your auto snapshots.  To create a new gallery, click New and type the gallery name in the Gallery box.

7	To replace the existing video clip with a new video clip, click Overwrite the existing video clip.  Choose this option if you want to save space on your computer.

Note  Choosing this option means Auto Snapshot will automatically replace the video clip with a new one every time you create a video clip.

8	To create a new video clip each session, click Create a new video clip.  This increments the file name with a number.

Note  Choosing this option can create many video clips, which may quickly use up all the available disk space on your computer.

9	To display each auto snapshots briefly during the video, choose Slide show.

10	To play the snapshots at a higher speed, like a true video, choose Time compressed video.

11	Click OK.

12	To start taking auto snapshots for the video clip, click the Start button in the live view window.


Add an ISP for Posting Auto Snapshots to the Web

To make it easy to add ISPs for posting auto snapshots to the Web, Intel® Auto Snapshot has a Web Site Information Wizard.  The wizard requires the following information about the Web site: the transfer protocol, the upload host name and the Web page directory.  If you are unsure of which values to use, complete the ISP Information Form before adding an ISP.

Before you use the Web Site Information Wizard, connect to the Internet.  Auto Snapshot uses the live connection to verify the ISP configuration that you create with the wizard.

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Auto Snapshot icon

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Configure.

3	On the General Tab in the Auto Snapshot Configuration dialog box, click Post Snapshots to the Internet and click Settings.

4	In the Internet Settings dialog, click New to start the Web Site Information Wizard.

5	Type the name you want to use for the ISP (this can be any descriptive name, such as My ISP or My Web Site) and click Next.

6	Click the protocol you want to use. If you are unsure which protocol to use, choose FTP and click Next.

7	Type the name of the upload host, which is the Web server for posting your pages and click Next.

8	Type the name of the Web page directory for posting your pages and click Finish.

9	Auto Snapshot verifies the ISP configuration and adds it to the list of available ISPs.


 Web Site Information - Site Name and Transfer Protocol

Use the Web Site Information Wizard to enter the Web server configuration information needed for a new Web site, or edit an existing Web site’s Web server information.  The wizard requires the following information about the Web site: the transfer protocol, the upload host name and the Web page directory.  If you are unsure of which values to use, complete the ISP Information Form before using the wizard to add or edit a Web site for auto snapshots.

Descriptive Name for Web Server Configuration

•	In the Descriptive Name box, type the name of the Web server.  This name can be anything you find useful like My ISP or My Web Site.  Each time you want to publish pages to this site, click this name in the ISP list.

Select Transport Protocol

1	From the Transfer Protocol list, click the protocol the ISP uses to send your Web pages to their Web server.  If you are unsure of the protocol, refer to the ISP Information form.  Typically, the transfer protocol is FTP.

2	Click Next to continue.

Related topics

Web Site Information Wizard - Upload host name


Web Site Information - Upload Host Name
0 Web Site Information - Upload Host Name

Upload host name

1	Type the name of your ISP’s Web server, also known as a host.  For example: ftp.yourISPserver.com.  Your Web pages are sent to this server for posting.

2	Click Next to continue.

Note

If you are unsure of which values to use, complete the ISP Information Form before using the wizard to add or edit a Web site for auto snapshots.

Related topics

Web Site Information Wizard - Web page directory name


Web Site Information - Web Page Directory

Web page directory name

1	Type the name of your directory on the ISP server.  This is the storage location of all your Web site files.  It is usually a sub-directory of your user directory.  If the pathname is long (for example: user\home\<your user name>\public_html), type only the public_html part of the pathname.  This name may be case sensitive, in which the name may include a specific combination of upper and lower case characters.  For example, if the name is case sensitive, \public_html is not the same directory as \Public_HTML or \PUBLIC_HTML.

If you are unsure of which values to use, complete the ISP Information Form before using the wizard to add or edit a Web site for auto snapshots.

2	Click Finish to add the Web site.

Note

If you are not connected to the Internet when you click Finish, the Web Site Information Wizard give you a chance to start your modem and dial in to the ISP.  When your connection is established, click Ready.


 Protocol

A set of rules that allows computers to communicate over the Internet.


Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

The protocol used to access hypertext files across the Internet.


File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

FTP is a protocol designed to transfer files between computers on the Internet.


Trigger

The trigger determines when the video source takes an auto snapshot.  You can use a motion trigger or timed trigger.


Session

The period of time during which Intel® Auto Snapshot is turned on and taking pictures.  You can begin a session by starting Auto Snapshot and end the session by stopping Auto Snapshot.


Motion Sensor Settings

When you choose the motion trigger, the video source is used as a motion sensor to determine when to take auto snapshots.  You can configure the motion sensor sensitivity to take a picture when Auto Snapshot detects less or greater motion.  If you set the motion sensitivity to more sensitive, the video source takes more auto snapshots.  The default is a moderate amount of motion sensitivity which is suitable for most situations.  If you change the sensitivity, try several settings to determine which degree of motion works best for you.

There are several settings that you can use to coordinate auto snapshots with motion detection.  The initial delay setting is the amount of time after detecting motion that Auto Snapshot takes the first auto snapshot.  After motion is detected, you can take a single auto snapshot or continuous auto snapshots.  When taking continuous auto snapshots, you use a frequency delay which waits to take a snapshot when continuous motion is detected.

Note

If you move the slider towards more sensitivity in conjunction with taking continuous snapshots, you may take numerous auto snapshots, especially if you use a short frequency.  This combination of settings can result in numerous snapshots saved to disk or as video clips, repeated postings to your Web site or email messages with an auto snapshot attachment.

To configure the video source as a motion sensor:

1	To change the motion sensitivity of the video source, click and drag the slider to the left (for less sensitivity) or the right (for greater sensitivity).

2	To use an initial delay, under Initial Delay, click the number of minutes and/or seconds that you want to wait before taking for first auto snapshot.

3	To take a single auto snapshot after detecting motion, under Continuous Snapshots, click "Take only one snapshot."

4	To take more than one auto snapshot after detecting motion, under Continuous Snapshots, click "Take continuous snapshots."

5	To set a frequency for continuous auto snapshots, click the number of minutes and/or seconds that you want to wait before taking each consecutive auto snapshot.  The minimum frequency is one second.

6	Click OK.

Related Topics

Timer Settings

General Tab

Change the Save to Disk Settings

Change the Save as Video Clip Settings

Change the Email Settings


Change the Motion Sensor Settings

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Auto Snapshot icon

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Configure.

3	In the Configure Auto Snapshot dialog, click the General tab.

4	Under When to Take the Snapshots, click Motion Triggered Snapshots and click Settings.

5	To change the motion sensitivity of the video source, click and drag the slider to the left (for less sensitivity) or the right (for greater sensitivity).

6	To use an initial delay, under Initial Delay, click the number of minutes and/or seconds that you want to wait before taking for first auto snapshot.

7	To take a single auto snapshot after detecting motion, under Continuous Snapshots, click "Take only one snapshot."

8	To take more than one auto snapshot after detecting motion, under Continuous Snapshots, click "Take continuous snapshots."

9	To set a frequency for continuous auto snapshots, click the number of minutes and/or seconds that you want to wait before taking each consecutive auto snapshot.  The minimum frequency is one second.

10	Click OK.


Timer Settings

Timer settings control when and how frequently Auto Snapshot takes auto snapshots.  When the timer interval is shorter, Auto Snapshot takes more auto snapshots.  When the interval is broader, Auto Snapshot takes fewer auto snapshots.  The timer interval defaults to 15 minutes.  Choose an interval that is reasonable for your computer resources, Web site resources or email recipient’s resources.

Use the time schedule to take auto snapshots 24 hours a day or within specific hours.  If you schedule snapshots for 24 hours a day, adjust the Save to Disk settings or Save as Video Clip settings to take only one auto snapshot or to use a relatively low rolling number to avoid filling up disk space (applies only to Save to Disk settings).

Caution!

Avoid using the 24 Hours a Day option in conjunction with taking an unlimited number of snapshots.  This combination of settings can result in numerous snapshots saved to disk, which can use up all the available disk  space on your computer.

To configure the timer

1	To define a timer interval, under Timer Interval, click the hours, minutes and/or seconds that you want to wait between taking auto snapshots.

2	To take auto snapshots 24 hours a day, under Time Schedule, click "24 hours a day."

3	To take auto snapshots between certain hours, under Time Schedule, click "Only between the following times" and click the "Start time" and "Stop time".

4	Click OK.

Related Topics

Motion Sensor Settings

General Tab

Change the Save to Disk Settings

Change the Save as Video Clip Settings


Change the Timer Settings

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Auto Snapshot icon

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Configuration.

3	In the Configure Auto Snapshot dialog, click the General tab.

4	Under When to Take the Snapshots, click Timer Triggered Snapshots and click Settings.

5	To define a timer interval, under Timer Interval, click the hours, minutes and/or seconds that you want to wait between taking auto snapshots.

6	To take auto snapshots 24 hours a day, under Time Schedule, click "24 hours a day."

7	To take auto snapshots between certain hours, under Time Schedule, click "Only between the following times" and click the "Start time" and "Stop time."

8	Click OK.

Related Topics

Motion Sensor Settings

General Tab

Change the Save to Disk Settings

Change the video clip settings


 Save to Disk Settings

Save to disk settings include the file name and gallery on your computer hard drive.  The file name defaults to autosnap.jpg; you can change this to another name.  Saving auto snapshots to a gallery makes it easy to browse through your pictures when using Intel® Create & Share® Software.

There are several options for the number of auto snapshots.   When choosing the number of snapshots, note that the typical snapshot uses approximately 15K to 30K of disk space, so choose a number that is reasonable for your system resources.  You can choose to take a single auto snapshot, a rolling number of auto snapshots or unlimited auto snapshots.  If you use a rolling number, Auto Snapshot automatically replaces older auto snapshot files with new auto snapshot files, which can help conserve disk space.  For example, if you choose 5 as the rolling number, when Auto Snapshot takes the sixth picture, the next rolling number is 1, thus replacing the first file.

Caution!

If you choose to take a large number or unlimited number of auto snapshots, you might fill up your available disk space and affect the performance of the gallery.  This may affect the operation of other programs running on your computer.  To avoid this problem, use a low rolling number and/or regularly delete unused snapshots from your hard disk and the galleries.

To configure the Save to Disk settings:

1	To change the file name, in the File Name box type the new file name.

2	Choose a gallery for organizing your auto snapshots.  To create a new gallery, click New and type the gallery name in the Gallery box.

3	To take one auto snapshot, under Number of Snapshots, click Single.

4	To take more than one auto snapshot, under Number of Snapshots, click Add Rolling Number to File Name and click the number of auto snapshots.

5	To take unlimited auto snapshots, under Number of snapshots, click Unlimited.

6	Click OK.

Related Topics

Internet Settings

Email Settings


Change Save to Disk Settings

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Auto Snapshot icon

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Configure.

3	In the Configure Auto Snapshot dialog, click the General tab.

4	Under Where to Put Snapshots, click Save to Disk and click Settings.

5	To change the file name, in the File Name box type the new file name.

6	Choose a gallery for organizing your auto snapshots.  To create a new gallery, click New and type the gallery name in the Gallery box.

7	To take one auto snapshot, under Number of Snapshots, click Single.

8	To take more than one auto snapshot, under Number of Snapshots, click Add Rolling Number to File Name and click the number of auto snapshots.

9	To take unlimited auto snapshots, under Number of snapshots, click Unlimited.

10	Click OK.


Email Settings

Email settings include the destination email address and sender’s email address.  The default destination email address is recipient@ispname.com.  The return address identifies the sender to the email recipient.  The default return address is the email address you entered when you set up Intel® Create & Share® Software.  If you did not enter a return address during setup, Auto Snapshot uses you@ispname.com.  If the return address is empty or the default entry (you@ispname.com), Intel® Auto Snapshot uses the recipient’s email address as the return address.

Caution!

If you maintain an active Internet connection and you take many snapshots, Auto Snapshot sends a message with an auto snapshot attachment to the email address(es).  This may fill up the recipient’s Inbox and possibly prevent them from receiving other email messages.

To configure email delivery of auto snapshots:

1	Type the email address(es) to which you want to send snapshots.  The @ is required.

2	To send the auto snapshot to more than one email address, separate them with a semi-colon (;), for example, user1@ispname.com; user2@ispname.com.

3	To change the return email address, type the new address.  The @ is required.

4	Click OK.

5	To send the auto snapshot to the email address(es), you need to have an active Internet connection.

The auto snapshot is saved in the temporary directory that you chose for Intel® Create & Share® Software.

Related Topics

Internet Settings

Motion Sensor Settings

Timer Settings


Change Email Settings

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Auto Snapshot icon

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Configure.

3	In the Configure Auto Snapshot dialog, click the General tab.

4	Under Where to Put Snapshots, click Email New Snapshots and click Settings.

5	In the Email Settings dialog, type the email address(es) to which you want to send snapshots.  The @ is required.

6	To send the auto snapshot to more than one email address, separate them with a semi-colon (;), for example, user1@ispname.com; user2@ispname.com.

7	To change the return email address, type the new address.  The @ is required.

8	Click OK.

9	To send the auto snapshot to the email address(es), you need to have an active Internet connection.

The auto snapshot is saved in the temporary directory that you chose for Intel® Create & Share® Software .


 Internet Settings

Internet settings include the ISP that hosts your Web site, your user name and password or, for America Online*,screen name.  Intel® Auto Snapshot has preconfigured internet settings for America Online, AT&T WorldNet*, CompuServe 2000*, and Prodigy*.  You can use any ISP that you configured for Intel® Home Page Builder or add a new ISP.  You can also edit or delete existing ISPs.  If your Web site is located on your computer, you can post to the local drive.

To configure Internet settings

1	From the ISP list, click the ISP that hosts the Web page with the auto snapshot.

2	In the User Name box, type your user name.

3	In the Password box, type your password.

4	If you choose America Online, enter your screen name.

5	If you choose CompuServe 2000, enter your member name.

6	To add a new ISP, clicking New.  To add an ISP, you must be connected to the Internet.

7	If the configuration details of the ISP have changed since the last time you connected to it, click Edit to change it.  To edit an ISP, you must be connected to the Internet.

8	If you want to remove an ISP’s settings, click Delete. When you delete an ISP in the Internet Settings dialog, the ISP can no longer be accessed from Intel Auto Snapshot or Intel Home Page Builder.

Note

If you maintain an active Internet connection and you take very frequent auto snapshots, Auto Snapshot connects to the ISP and posts them to the Web site.  This ties up your telephone line.

Related Topics

Change where to put autosnapshots

Troubleshooting for Auto Snapshot


Change Internet Settings

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Auto Snapshot icon [image].

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Configure.

3	In the Configure Auto Snapshot dialog, click the General tab.

4	Under Where to Put Snapshots, click Post to the Internet and click Settings.

5	In the Internet Settings dialog, from the ISP list, click the ISP that hosts the Web page with the auto snapshot.

6	In the User Name box, type your user name.

7	In the Password box, type your password.

8	If you choose America Online*, enter your screen name.

9	If you choose CompuServe* 2000, enter your member name.

10	To add a new ISP, click New.  To add an ISP, you must be connected to the Internet.

11	If the configuration details of the ISP have changed since the last time you connected to it, click Edit to change it.  To edit an ISP, you must be connected to the Internet.

12	If you want to remove an ISP’s settings, click Delete. When you delete an ISP in the Internet Settings dialog, the ISP can no longer be accessed from Intel® Auto Snapshot or Intel® Home Page Builder.

13	Click OK.


Turn Intel Auto Snapshot On or Off
Turn Intel®Auto Snapshot On or Off

You can turn Intel® Auto Snapshot on or off and have Auto Snapshot continue to run in the background.  When Auto Snapshot is off, the video source takes no auto snapshots; when Auto Snapshot is on, the video source takes auto snapshots using the current configuration.

To Auto Snapshot on or off:

1	In the system tray, click the Auto Snapshot icon.

2	To stop Auto Snapshot, click Stop on the shortcut menu.  The icon changes to red, indicating that the trigger is not running:

3	To start Auto Snapshot, click Start on the shortcut menu.  The icon changes to green, indicating that the trigger is running:

4	If the live view window is open, click Stop or Start below the video image.

Note

When the Auto Snapshot icon has a flashing green light, it is posting an auto snapshot to the Web or sending it via email.  If you turn off Auto Snapshot while it is transferring the auto snapshot, Auto Snapshot completes the transfer and turns off the trigger.

Related Topics

Exit Auto Snapshot


Exit Auto Snapshot
Exit Intel® Auto Snapshot

When you exit Intel® Auto Snapshot, Auto Snapshot shuts down, so no more auto snapshots are taken.  The Auto Snapshot icon is removed from the system tray.

To exit Auto Snapshot:

1	In the system tray, click on the Intel Auto Snapshot icon: .

2	Click Exit from the shortcut menu.

3	If the live view window is open, click the Auto Snapshot icon in the upper left corner of the live view window: .

4	Click Exit from the shortcut menu.

Note

If you exit Auto Snapshot while it is posting an auto snapshot to the Web or sending it via email, you interrupt the file transfer.  The auto snapshot is not sent to its destination.

Related Topics

Start Auto Snapshot Every Time You Start Your Computer


Interrupt Posting an Auto Snapshot to the Web or Sending by Email

1	In the system tray, click on the flashing Intel® Auto Snapshot icon: .

2	Click Exit from the shortcut menu.

3	If the live view window is open, click the upper left corner of the live view window.

4	Click Exit from the shortcut menu.


View or Change the Configuration for Intel Auto Snapshot
View or Change the Configuration of Intel® Auto Snapshot

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Intel® Auto Snapshot icon [image].

2	On the shortcut menu, click Configure.

3	To view or change basic settings for what to do with auto snapshots or the trigger settings, click the General tab.

4	To view or change snapshot captions, click the Caption tab.

5	To save your changes, click OK.

6	To exit without saving your changes, click Cancel.


Start Auto Snapshot Every Time You Start Your PC

You can configure Intel® Auto Snapshot to start every time you start your computer.  When you install Intel® Create & Share® Software, it creates two shortcuts for Auto Snapshot.  One shortcut can be used to load Auto Snapshot in an active state.  If you use this shortcut, Auto Snapshot will begin taking auto snapshots after you start your computer.  The other shortcut can be used to load Auto Snapshot in an inactive state.  If you use this shortcut, Auto Snapshot must be turned on manually after you start your computer.

To add the active Auto Snapshot shortcut to the Windows* Startup group:

1	On the Windows* task bar, click Start>Programs>Windows Explorer.

2	Navigate to the folder C:\Program Files\Intel\Createshare\program.

3	Right-click on the "Intel Auto Snapshot (Start)" icon [image] and click Copy.

4	Navigate to the folder C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp.

5	Right-click on the folder and click Paste.

6	Close Windows* Explorer.  The next time you start your computer, Auto Snapshot will start automatically and immediately begin taking auto snapshots.

To add the inactive Auto Snapshot shortcut to the Windows* Startup group:

1	On the Windows* status bar, right-click on the Start button and click Open.

2	In the Windows\Start Menu window, double-click on the Programs folder.

3	Double-click on the Intel Create & Share Software folder.

4	Double-click on the PC Camera Software folder.

5	Right-click on the Intel Auto Snapshot short-cut and click Copy.

6	Navigate back to the Programs folder.

7	Double-click on the Start Up folder.

8	Right-click and click Paste.

9	Close the Program Groups window.  The next time you start your computer, Auto Snapshot will load but will not take auto snapshots until you turn it on.

Related Topics

Change the Configuration of Auto Snapshot

Turn Auto Snapshot On or Off

Exit Auto Snapshot


Start Intel Auto Snapshot
Start Intel® Auto Snapshot

There are three ways start Intel® Auto Snapshot:

•	Click the Start button on the Windows* taskbar and click Programs>Intel Create & Share Software>PC Camera Software>Intel Auto Snapshot.  The next time you restart your computer, you must manually start Auto Snapshot from the Program menu.

•	On the Windows* desktop, double-click the Intel® Create & Share® Software icon, then click Share, Send and Broadcast.  Click set up an auto snapshot.

•	Start Auto Snapshot every time you start your computer.


Recent Errors

This window displays recent errors that have occurred while running Intel® Auto Snapshot.  To delete the errors, click Clear Log.  To close the dialog box, click Done.  The errors are deleted from the error log when you exit Auto Snapshot.  Auto Snapshot's error log stores up to 25 error messages.

Related Topics

Look Up a Description of an Error Message

Troubleshooting for Auto Snapshot


View recent errors for Intel Auto Snapshot
View recent errors for Intel® Auto Snapshot

1	In the system tray, click the Intel® Auto Snapshot icon: .

2	Click Show Errors from the shortcut menu.

3	To delete the errors, click Clear Log.

4	To close the dialog box, click Done.

Note

Auto Snapshot's error log stores up to 25 error messages.  The errors are deleted from the error log when you exit Auto Snapshot.

Related Topics

Look Up a Description of an Error Message

Troubleshooting for Intel® Auto Snapshot


Intel Auto Snapshot Configuration - Video Tab
Intel® Auto Snapshot Configuration - Video Tab

If you have more than one video source attached to your computer, the Intel® Auto Snapshot Configuration dialog includes a Video tab.  Use the Video tab to choose the video source you want to use to take auto snapshots.  You can only use one video source at a time.

Note

If you do not have more than one video source, the Configure Intel Auto Snapshot dialog box does not include the Video tab.

Related Topics

General Tab

Caption Tab


Change the Video Source

If you have more than one video source on your computer, you can change which one to use for auto snapshots.  You can only use one video source at a time.  If you have only one video source, the Video tab is not included in the Configure Auto Snapshot dialog box.

1	In the system tray, right-click on the Auto Snapshot icon

2	From the shortcut menu, choose Configure.

3	In the Configure Auto Snapshot dialog, click the Video tab.

4	In the Video list, click the video source that you want to use to take auto snapshots.

5	Click OK.


Troubleshooting for Auto Snapshot

Auto Snapshot is taking too many pictures.

Auto Snapshot is not taking enough pictures.

Auto snapshots are not being updated on my Web site or sent by email.

Web site posting or email was not completed, so where did my auto snapshots go?

I ran the Auto Snapshot Setup Wizard but Auto Snapshot is not taking any pictures.

There are no dialup connections on my computer.

No auto snapshots appear in my gallery.


Auto Snapshot is taking too many pictures

There are a few things you can do to reduce the number of auto snapshots being taken:

Adjust the trigger used to take auto snapshots.

You can increase the timer interval, decrease the motion sensor sensitivity or choose "single snapshot" for the motion sensor settings.

OR

(Save to Disk only) Reduce the rolling number added to file names or choose "single snapshot."

Show me how

Related Topics

More Troubleshooting Topics


Auto Snapshot is not taking enough pictures

There are a few things you can do to increase the number of auto snapshots being taken:

Adjust the trigger used to take auto snapshots.

You can decrease timer interval, increase the motion sensor sensitivity, or choose "continuous auto snapshots" on the motion sensor settings.

OR

(Save to Disk settings only) Increase the rolling number added to file names or choose unlimited snapshots.

Show me how

Note

When you increase the number of auto snapshots taken, you consume additional resources on your computer's hard drive.  Choose a setting that is reasonable for your computer.

Related Topics

More Troubleshooting Topics


Auto Snapshots are not being updated on my Web site or sent by email

Verify the following:

(For Web posting only)  Did you change the file name used for auto snapshots in the Web page?

When you post Web pages with auto snapshot items (such as those created with Intel® Home Page Builder) to a Web site, Auto Snapshot looks for a file named autosnap.jpg when it uploads a new auto snapshot.  This file name is case-sensitive.  For example, AutoSnap.jpg is not the same file as autosnap.jpg.  If you manually changed the file name in the Web page, your Web page will not be able to load the latest images.

Did you use the correct information for the Web site or Email address?

Web posting:  Check that the settings for the Web site are valid.  Change the Internet settings, if necessary.  If you need help with the Web site information, refer to the Web site information form that you filled out for Home Page Builder or complete a new ISP Information form for this ISP.

Email:  Check for a misspelled or incomplete email address.  Change the email address, if necessary.

(For Web posting only)  If you are using the timer, does the interval conflict with the default refresh rate on the web page?

Web pages created with Intel® Home Page Builder have a default refresh rate of 30 seconds for auto snapshots.  If the timer interval differs from the 30 second refresh rate for the Web page, the new auto snapshot is not be refreshed at the refresh rate.  For example if the timer is set to 15 seconds, the Web page will refresh with every other snapshot transferred to the Web site.  You can adjust the refresh rate by manually editing the HTML in the web page and uploading the edited page to the Web site or you can change the timer interval to 30 seconds.

Do you have permission to upload files to your ISP’s Web server?

Contact your ISP to verify that you have the required permissions to upload files to the Web server.

Have you enabled any Windows* power management features, such as standby, on your computer?

Power management conserves energy by putting your computer in standby mode when you aren’t using it.  Using power management settings for System Standby and Turning Off Hard Disk can conflict with Auto Snapshot’s ability to autodial.  Adjust your power management settings by opening the Control Panel and clicking the Power Management icon.

Related Topics

More Troubleshooting Topics


There are no dialup connections on my computer

If any dialup connections used by Intel® Auto Snapshot were removed from your computer, you cannot post auto snapshots to the Web or send them via email.  You need to add a new connection for each ISP that you want to use with Auto Snapshot.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


I ran the Auto Snapshot Setup Wizard but Auto Snapshot is not taking any pictures
I ran the Auto Snapshot Setup Wizard but Auto Snapshot is not taking any pictures.

Verify the following:

Did you click "On" in the Auto Snapshot setup wizard?

To start the trigger and begin taking auto snapshots, you must turn Auto Snapshot on.  Check the current status of Auto Snapshot.

Is the video source being used by another program (such as Intel® Snapshot)?

If the video source is being used by another program, Auto Snapshot cannot use it.  To make the video source available to Auto Snapshot, exit the other program.

Is the video source (e.g. camera) plugged in?

Did you restart Windows* after installing the Intel® Create and Share® Software?

Restarting Windows* after installing Intel Create & Share Software ensures that important settings take effect on your computer.

Related Topics

More Troubleshooting Topics


Web site posting or email was not completed but where did my auto snapshot go
Web site posting or email was not completed but where did my auto snapshot go?

When you post auto snapshots to the Web or send them via email, Intel® Auto Snapshot uses a single file called autosnap.jpg located in a temporary directory.  When the video source takes a new auto snapshot, Auto Snapshot writes over the existing autosnap.jpg file and transfers the file to the Web or by email.

If the transmission cannot be completed, the autosnap.jpg file remains in the temporary directory specified for the Intel® Create & Share® Software.  If the temporary directory specified in the Intel Create & Share Software is removed from your computer, the temporary file is stored in the temporary directory specified for Windows*.

Check the temporary directory

1	To start Intel Create & Share Software, double-click the "Intel Create & Share" icon on the Windows* desktop.

2	From the File menu, click Options.

3	Click the General tab.

4	Under Temporary Files Directory, you can view or change the current temporary directory.

5	Click OK.

Search for the auto snapshot file

1	Start Windows* Explorer.

2	From the Tools menu, click Find>Files or Folders.

3	In the Named box, type autosnap.jpg

4	Click Find Now.

Related Topics

More Troubleshooting Topics


No auto snapshots appear in my gallery

Verify the following:

Does the gallery you chose still exist (e.g. did you delete or rename the gallery)?

If you renamed the gallery or deleted the gallery, Auto Snapshot cannot use it.  You can choose a different gallery.  You can also add a new gallery to use for auto snapshots and choose the new gallery in Auto Snapshot’s Save to Disk Settings dialog box.

Related Topics

More Troubleshooting Topics


Look Up an Auto Snapshot Error Message

Use this topic to look up information about email errors, Web posting errors, save to disk errors, display errors and other errors.  Scroll down the list of topics below and click an error message to see more information.

Email Errors

Failed to email snapshot because Auto Snapshot Email service is temporarily unavailable.

Failed to email snapshot because Internet connection isn’t active.

Failed to email snapshot due to slow network response.

Failed to email snapshot because Auto Snapshot’s Email service couldn’t be initialized.

Failed to email snapshot due to Internet communication error.

Failed to email snapshot due to low memory.

Failed to email snapshot due to low disk space.

Web Posting Errors

Failed to create a new Web site.  Make sure you are connected to the Internet and try again.

Failed to edit Web site information. Make sure you are connected to the Internet and try again.

Failed to post snapshot to specified Web site because Internet connection isn’t active..

Failed to post snapshot to the Web due to low memory.

Failed to post snapshot to the Web due to low disk space.

Failed to post snapshot because the specified Web site is not valid.  Make sure that the Web site is valid and try again.

Failed to initialize Web posting service, so the application may not be able to provide Web posting capability.

Failed to post snapshot to Web site.

Dialup Errors

Sorry but this feature cannot be enabled because the required dial-up connections weren’t found on your system.

Save to Disk Errors

Failed to save snapshot to disk due to low memory.

Failed to save snapshot to disk due to low disk space.

Other Errors

Failed to start Auto Snapshot due to low memory.


Failed to email snapshot. Email service unavailable.
Failed to email snapshot because Auto Snapshot Email service is temporarily unavailable

This error occurs when the Intel® Auto Snapshot Email service is not available, due to maintenance or other reasons.  Wait a while and send your auto snapshot by email again.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to email snapshot. No active Internet connection.

Do you have a live connection to the Internet?  Check in the system tray for the modem icon.  If it is there, you can double-click on it to see the state of the Internet connection.  If it is not there, estabish a live connection to the Internet.

When you have established a live Intenet connection, send your auto snapshot again.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to email snapshot. Slow network response.
Failed to email snapshot due to slow network response

This error can occur when you are emailing auto snapshots via a network Email server instead of connecting to the Internet with a modem.  If this error occurs, you need to change the SMTP server options for Intel® Create & Share® Software.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to email snapshot. Email service cannot be initialized.
Failed to email snapshot because Auto Snapshot Email service could not be initialized

This error can occur when you are emailing auto snapshots via a network Email server instead of connecting to the Internet with a modem.  If this error occurs, you need to:

1	Change the SMTP server options for Intel® Create & Share® Software.

2	Send your auto snapshot by email again.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to email snapshot. Internet communication error.
 Failed to email snapshot due to Internet communication error

This error occurs if:

•	The network is busy.  Wait a while and send your auto snapshot by email again.

•	The email message's return address is not in the proper format (e.g. sender@ispname or sender@.com).  Make sure the return address is in the format sender@ispname.com.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to create a new Web site. No active Internet connection.

This error occurs if:

•	You do not have a live connection to the Internet established when creating a new Web site for Auto Snapshots.

1	Start the dial-up networking connection to the Internet.

2	Click on the Auto Snapshot icon in the system tray and choose Configure.

3	On the General tab, click Post snapshots to the Internet and click Settings.

4	In the Internet Settings dialog, click New.

5	When you are finished entering the Web site information, post the auto snapshot again.

•	The information entered for the new Web site is incorrect.  Make sure you entered the correct information (upload host name, protocol and directory) from the ISP Information form for this ISP.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to edit Web site information. No active Internet connection.

This error occurs if:

•	You do not have a live connection to the Internet when you are editing the Web site information.  Start the dial-up networking connection and edit the Web site information again.

•	The information about the ISP is incorrect.  Make sure you entered the correct information (upload host name, protocol and directory) from the ISP Information form for this ISP.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to post snapshot to the Web. Low memory.
Failed to post snapshot to the Web due to low memory

If this error occurs, Intel® Auto Snapshot turns itself off.

1	Close other programs to make more memory available.

2	Turn Auto Snapshot on.

3	Post the auto snapshot again.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to post snapshot to the Web. Low disk space.
Failed to post snapshot to the Web due to low disk space

If this error occurs, Intel® Auto Snapshot turns itself off.

1	Free up disk space on your computer.

2	Turn Auto Snapshot on.

3	Post the auto snapshot again.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to post snapshot. Invalid Web site information.
Failed to post snapshot because the specified Web site is not valid

If this error occurs, Intel® Auto Snapshot turns itself off.  This error may be caused when you have deleted the web site information using Intel® Home Page Builder.

1	Add the ISP.

2	Turn Auto Snapshot on.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to post snapshot to specified Web site.
Failed to post snapshot to specified Web site

This error occurs if:

•	The user name and password are incorrect for the ISP.

•	The ISP’s server is not available.  Wait a while and post the auto snapshot again.

•	You may not have enough space left in your Web site directories on the ISP server.  You can remove unused files or contact the ISP about getting more space.

•	Check the file directory name to make sure the path is correct.

•	You may not have permission to write to the specified directory.

Post the snapshot again when you have made the appropriate changes.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to initialize Web posting service.
 Failed to initialize Web posting service so the application may not be able to provide Web posting capability

Exit and restart Intel® Auto snapshot.  If the error occurs again, reinstall Intel® Create & Share® Software.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to save snapshot to disk. Low memory.
Failed to save snapshot to disk due to low memory

If this error occurs, Intel® Auto Snapshot turns itself off.

1	Close other programs to make more memory available.

2	Turn Auto Snapshot on.

3	Auto Snapshot will save the next snapshot to disk.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to save snapshot to disk. Low disk space.
Failed to save snapshot to disk due to low disk space

If this error occurs, Intel® Auto Snapshot turns itself off.

1	Free up disk space on your computer.

2	Turn Auto Snapshot on.

3	Auto Snapshot will save the next auto snapshot.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to email snapshot. Low memory.
Failed to email snapshot due to low memory

If this error occurs, Intel® Auto Snapshot turns itself off.

1	Close other programs to make more memory available.

2	Turn Auto Snapshot on.

3	Email the auto snapshot again.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to email snapshot. Low disk space.
Failed to email snapshot due to low disk space

If this error occurs, Intel® Auto Snapshot turns itself off.

1	Free up disk space on your computer.

2	Turn Auto Snapshot on.

3	Email the auto snapshot again.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to post snapshot. No active Internet connection.

Do you have a live connection to the Internet?  Check in the system tray for the modem icon.  If it is there, you can double-click on it to see the state of the Internet connection.

When you have established a live Intenet connection, post your auto snapshot again.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Failed to start Auto Snapshot.  Low memory.
 Failed to start Auto Snapshot due to low memory

If this error occurs, Intel® Auto Snapshot turns itself off.

1	Close other programs to make more memory available.

2	Start Auto Snapshot.  Show me how.

Related Topics

Look up another error message description


Blurry Auto Snapshots

Blurry snapshots can be caused by a number of conditions, such as incorrect focus, low ambient lighting or trying to capture vigorous motion.  Follow this procedure for reducing blurry images:

1	Focus the Intel® PC Camera manually using the dial on the top of the camera.

2	Increase the ambient lighting in the room where the Intel PC Camera is located.

3	If the image quality does not improve, adjust the Intel PC Camera settings manually, as follows:

Note:

Make the following adjustments in very small increments until the image quality is acceptable.  Using manual exposure requires that the ambient lighting in the room be constant.

a	In the system tray, double-click on the Auto Snapshot icon.

b	In the Auto Snapshot live view window, click Stop to stop taking auto snapshots.

c	Click Video Settings.

d	On the Exposure tab, click Manual Exposure Control.

e	Increase the Gain setting by moving slider to the right.

f	Adjust the Exposure Time by moving the slider to the left.

g	Continue adjusting the Gain setting and Exposure Time until the image is acceptable.

h	Click OK.

Related Topics

More Troubleshooting Topics


Black or Blue Auto Snapshots

Black snapshots can occur if:

•	The ambient light in the video source location is inadequate.

•	Manual exposure settings are no longer suitable to the conditions in the room where the video source is located.  Use the Automatic Exposure setting.

•	The Intel® PC Camera is being used with an external video device.  Check the Video Settings to see whether the external video device is the video source selected for auto snapshots.  Show me how

•	Make sure the lens cover is not obscuring the lens on the Intel PC Camera.

•	Make sure the physical connections for the Intel PC Camera (the adapter power cable and the power source cable) are firmly in place and that the external video source is turned on and capturing video.

•	With some video camcorders, black auto snapshots can occur if the camcorder is in Play mode but the internal video tape is not playing.

Blue auto snapshots can occur if:

•	Blue auto snapshots can occur if you are using an external video source (e.g. video camcorders) and the camcorder is not plugged in to the Intel PC Camera or the camcorder is plugged in but turned off.

Related Topics

More Troubleshooting Topics