CentreCam

CentreCam is a development based on low cost webcams for the model engineer. It provides a first class method of centering, edge finding and micro measurements on the model engineer's milling machine or lathe.

It is up to the model engineer to make their own hardware. This is a straightforward milling machine project. It requires the purchase of a low cost webcam and optionally a little electronics skill.

Full details of the author's development can be read in Issue 121 of "Model Engineers' Workshop"

See the Hardware Development pages for a guide.

To get the best from the hardware CentreCam software has been developed. This is available from the author - see the download page.

The prime aim was to provide facilities for centring the crosshairs, and for selection of different guidelines. A secondary aim was to provide a means of calibrating distances and allow basic measurements to be made.

CentreCam software offers the following features

User selectable cross hairs, circle and alignment lines.

	Cursor key and function key control of cross hairs, circle and alignment lines.
	A centering mode to allow the centre of the crosshairs, circle and alignment lines to be adjusted. This provides compensation for any off-axis or squint effects of the camera.
	A measurement mode to allow both distance and angular measurements to be made.
	User control of screen layout and line colours.
	Colour and greyscale modes.
	Optional normalisation in greyscale mode.
	Selection of webcam sources.
	Access to driver features provided by the webcam supplier (in this Logitech).

This software runs on both Windows 2000 and Windows XP and should work with other 640 x 480 pixel webcams although the author has not tried this yet.

See the Software pages for more information.

See the Results pages for what you can expect.