Using iSight with Bookpedia

[jacesgrammie]

When I try to add a book manually and click in the isight button, Bookpedia does not detect the camera. The message is to make sure the firewire camera is connected to my computer which it is.

[gslusher]

When I try to add a book manually and click in the isight button, Bookpedia does not detect the camera. The message is to make sure the firewire camera is connected to my computer which it is.

I'm not the developer, but have used the 'pedias a lot.

When you choose to add a book manually (shift-command-B), the iSight is not enabled--there is no iSight button. It's used for detecting bar codes. The iSight button is there when you choose "Add a book" (command-B) or "Add multiple books."

One possible cause is that some other application is using the iSight, possibly iChat AV. Only one application at a time can use the iSight. If it is in use, you will get that precise error.

By default, iChat AV is set to automatically launch when the iSight is turned on. If you then click on the video button in iChat AV, the iSight is assigned to iChat AV. You can disable the automatic launch in iChat AV's Preferences->Video pane.

The other possibility is some connection problem--the Mac doesn't see the iSight. Lauch System Profiler and go to Hardware->FireWire and see if the iSight shows up. It should show up whether it's turned on or off. If it doesn't, try unplugging it, waiting a few seconds, then plugging it back in. Then refresh System Profiler.

Another problem might be that the iSight isn't getting power. It's bus-powered, so it has to be plugged into a FireWire port that has sufficient power. If it's plugged into a FireWire hub or daisy-chained to a FireWire hard drive, try plugging it directly into the FireWire port on the Mac. I have my iSight plugged into a Belkin FireWire hub, but that hub has a separate power supply.

[jacesgrammie]

Thank you, got it to work. Disabeled ichat on start up.

[Conor]

Thank you gslusher that was a very detailed response.