Spinnaker C++
4.0.0.116
SpinView Guide
SpinView Getting Started

Getting Started with SpinView

  1. Download the Spinnaker® SDK from our downloads page.
  2. Follow the installation instructions.
  3. Connect your camera to your computer.
  4. Launch SpinView:
    Start Menu-->All Programs-->Spinnaker SDK-->SpinView
    Or, search for Spinnaker in the Windows taskbar.
    Your camera appears in the Devices pane.
  5. Click the camera to enumerate and access camera features or double-click the camera to start streaming.

Further configuration of the camera can be done using the Features pane described below.

Navigating SpinView

Menus

There is a main menu at the top of the SpinView window.

Menu Function
File-->Exit Closes the SpinView application
View-->Dynamic Dialogs Opens dialogs in the Features pane, grouped by function.

These are also accessible via tabs at the bottom of the Features pane.
View-->Rendering Methods Switch between CPU and GPU rendering methods
View-->Reset View to Default Restore window layout to the default view
View-->Resest Application Settings Reset and load default settings at next launch
Help-->Documentation Links to local copies of Spinnaker documents
Help-->Contact Support Open a support ticket
Help-->Give Feedback Send feedback to the Spinnaker development team
Help-->About Opens the About SpinView dialog

 

There are also context menus accessible via right-click available in the Devices pane, Features pane, and Display pane.

Buttons

Toolbar buttons are available for many functions.

Button Toolbar Function
Devices Pane Refresh the devices list
Devices Pane Display all adaptors in the Devices pane
Devices Pane
Display Pane
Start acquisition
Devices Pane
Display Pane
Stop acquisition
Devices Pane Disconnect the camera
Devices Pane Configure device IP address. Only applicable to GigE cameras.
Devices Pane Switch Device Driver. Opens the Driver Configuration window.
Devices Pane Update device firmware. Opens the Firmware Update window.
Devices Pane Save camera settings profile. Save the current settings to User Set 1 and make it the default configuration.
Devices Pane Copy camera properties to clipboard
Devices Pane Show camera properties. Opens the Properties window.
Display Pane Single image acquisition
Display Pane Stop streaming
Display Pane Save image to disk
Display Pane Zoom in / Zoom out / Loupe
From the context menu select Configure Loupe to set the Loupe size
Display Pane Display histogram. Opens the Histogram window. Start streaming before opening histogram.
Display Pane Optimize Frame Rate
Accessible when streaming is off. This may overwrite existing settings to achieve the fastest frame rate. A confirmation dialog lists all the changes. They are also noted in the Log.
Display Pane Open Recording window
Features Pane Sort features by XML sequence
Features Pane Sort features by category
Features Pane Sort features alphabetically
Features Pane Expand/collapse all nodes

Main Window

The SpinView main window is divided into separate panes. You can resize, float, or dock these panes.

Devices Pane

The Devices pane shows adaptors with cameras currently connected to them or all adaptors. Select a camera to load its features.

To toggle between views, click

Devices Pane - Cameras Connected

To refresh the devices list click

Features Pane

The features pane displays the features of the selected camera and provides access to managing the camera parameters.

By default, the features pane displays the Settings tab.

Groups of features can also be accessed through tabs at the bottom of the features pane. The tabs available are dependent on the selected camera.

Settings Tab

These features are grouped by:

  • File Access
  • Information
  • Settings
  • Image Format
  • Processing
  • GPIO
  • Sequencer
  • Features

Features Tab

Features can be sorted in three ways:

  • By the XML sequence (Default)
  • By categories
  • Alphabetically

Features Sorted by XML

Features marked with a lock symbol are read only. Some features may be locked and unlocked based on the settings of other features. Some features are always read only.

In the Features pane you can search for a feature. The search is executed as soon as you begin typing. Found items are highlighted. Related items are also shown in the search results.

Search Execution

Selecting a feature displays a description. Hovering over a text box displays a tooltip with the feature's valid range.

Feature Tooltips and Descriptions

Right-click in the Features pane to access a context menu.

Features Context Menu

From the context menu you can change your visibility of the features. By default, SpinView displays everything (Guru) but this can be limited by selecting Expert or Beginner.

From the context menu, select Display Node Information to see an information pane about the feature. This information can be copied to the clipboard.

Feature Node Information

Panes and columns within panes can be resized.

Resize Panes or Columns

Panes can also be undocked by dragging by the title bar.

Display Pane

The display pane shows the image being captured as well as information about the image settings.

To start image acquisition, double-click the camera or click

Right click on the image to access a context menu from which you can save or rotate the image, stretch to fit, draw and configure cross-hair, change the color processing method, and other settings. Some settings may depend on the camera model selected.

Display Pane Image Context menu

Right click on the Display Pane frame to access a context menu from which you can change the items that appear in the status bar of the display and view image information such as chunk data.

Display Pane Context menu

To open the recording window, click the record icon on the Display pane menu.

Recording Window

Log Viewer

The Log Viewer displays messages, errors, and warnings.

Spinnaker supports five levels of logging:

You can define the logging level that you want to monitor. Levels are inclusive, that is, if you monitor debug level error, you also monitor all logging levels above it.

The Log Viewer menu allows you to export the information, filter, change the display, and search. Spinnaker also saves a log file to: C:\ProgramData\Spinnaker\Logs

Updating Firmware

The latest firmware versions often include significant bug fixes and feature enhancements. To determine the changes made in a specific firmware version, consult the Release Notes.

To update your camera's firmware:

  1. Download the firmware file from our Downloads site.
  2. In SpinView, from the Device List, right-click on the camera and select Update Device Firmware,
    or click the Update Device Firmware button from the Device pane menu.
  3. Streaming is stopped during firmware update.

  4. Browse to select the firmware file and click Open.
  5. Click Yes to continue.

NOTE: Do not disconnect the camera from the computer during the firmware update process.

Contact Support Spinnaker® SDK Programmer's Guide and API Reference