Document cameras are great for displaying experiments, math problems performed on paper, and displaying printouts on projectors and classroom TVs. This article will help you identify and use the AVer brand document cameras used in many classrooms at OTC.
Introduction
AVer Document cameras can be identified with the AVer logo on them. They connect to the PC by a regular USB port.
 |  |
|---|
Yours may be a slightly different model, but this model shown is a common model used at OTC and many of the buttons and the design may be the same or similar. There may also be an AVer remote that can control the document camera. The neck on the AVer Document camera is flexible and can be bent in whatever position desired to capture feed. This is useful for experiments where you might want to show both side and top-down views; you can change the orientation on the fly while performing your experiment.
Below is a guide to the controls:
AVer Software - Sphere 2
AVer cameras come packaged with a software suite. You can find this in your Windows/Start menu applications list. Sphere2 is the main software program used to display whatever the document camera head is oriented towards. You may also have a shortcut on the desktop; either way to launch the software will work.
Sphere2 Operation, Controls, and Recording
Please take 15 minutes to go through this tutorial on Sphere2 operation.
Mirroring the Document Camera to the Class
Start mirroring your screen to the class.
Drag the Sphere2 program by the top of the application in the title bar, onto the monitor that’s mirrored to the class.
Mirroring the Document Camera to a Class and Zoom Simultaneously
This can be slightly trickier because you must select the Screen that’s mirrored to the class to also share with Zoom. To do this:
Drag the Sphere 2 program onto the display being mirrored to the classroom Projector or TV.
Click Share Screen.
Select the Screen that you are mirroring to the class and have the document camera displayed on.
Tip: Zoom gives you a preview of each screen in the list to help you identify which screen to share.
Tip: Zoom will put a colorful border around the screen you have selected/are sharing.
Click Share
Troubleshooting
Problem: I get an error that the visualizer isn’t connected.
“Visualizer” refers to the document camera. The indicator LED above the power button on the AVer camera needs to be green to indicate the visualizer is on and transmitting the camera.
If it is orange, it is on the wrong input. Press the Camera/PC button on the document camera to change the input.
If it is red, it is in standby. Press the power button to turn the document camera on. Please give it up to 30 seconds to warm up.
If the LED is green, but you’re still getting this error, please restart the computer and the document camera (by pressing the power button until the LED turns red, then turning it back on) and see if the error returns when you launch Sphere2.
Problem: I can’t find the Sphere2 program in the applications list.
Contact the Help Desk. Something has officially Gone Wrong™ and your software has disappeared.
Problem: The image is fuzzy.
You can press the AF button on the document camera to auto-focus. If that isn’t able to resolve the problem, you can also use Zoom+ and - buttons to try to manually focus the camera. You can also use the MODE button on the remote if it’s available to cycle through several image presets depending on what you are displaying. See the controls guide PDF above to help you locate these controls.