Lesson Videos
Introduction
The images, or data, captured using DCam is called metadata. To correctly capture images, you will need to know how to install and upgrade the DCam software and successfully navigate the DCam home screen. This lesson will introduce you to the DCam software, instruct you how to install and update the software, and explain the different sections of the DCam home screen.
Refer to the DCam User Guide sections titled, “DCam Installation and Upgrades” and “DCam Home Screen Components” for more information.
DCam Installation and Updates
With every DCam installation, the places localities database is also installed with the most recent approved localities. To install the most current version of DCam software, perform the following steps:
Step 1: Go to https://office365lds.sharepoint.com/sites/DCam, and click DCam Software Versions.
Note: If DCam cannot be downloaded from the internet, request that the files be provided for download from the external hard drive.
Step 2: Click the 3 vertical dots, and download the DCam zip file.
Step 3: From the downloads folder, locate the downloaded file. A dialog box displays asking whether you want to allow the app to make changes to your device.
Step 4: When the dialog box displays asking whether you want to allow the app to make changes to your device, click Yes.
Step 5: The InstallShield dialog displays. Click Install.
Step 6: A second InstallShield dialog displays. Click Yes.
Step 7: A final dialog displays. For the installation to proceed, click Next.
Step 8: To complete the installation, when prompted, click Finish.
Step 9: A dialog displays asking whether you want to restart your computer. Click Yes.
Note: After the new software is installed, the version number displays on the program’s screen and on the desktop DCam icon. The software defaults to standard mode once installed. Operators should only use online mode with approval from the field supervisor or manager.
Updating the DCam Software
You do not normally need to uninstall the previous version of DCam or the places database when upgrading the software. If there is a need to uninstall the previous versions, see the section titled “Uninstalling a Previous Version of DCam Software” in the DCam User Guide.
Note: With all software upgrades, you must first transfer all folders to the external hard drive for shipping. At that point, follow the instructions under the “Installing DCam Software” section in the DCam User Guide.
DCam Home Screen
The home screen has 3 main sections:
The Green Section
The green section is where you enter the process of creating folders, calibration, and image capture. When you begin image capture, you will identify your project, identify the listing you will use, and create a digital folder.
- To create new folders in which to capture images, click Manage Projects, Listings, and Folders. This is the first step in the preservation of records.
- To continue capturing images to an existing folder, click Continue Imaging Folder. This option is only available when there is an open folder.
The Brown Section
The brown section is the communication portal between your site and the Image Processing Center. This section is where messages, software updates, and virus updates are received. It is also where the images you capture are transferred to external hard drives to be mailed to the image processing centers each week.
- For 2-way communications with headquarters, click Send/Receive Headquarters Data. This option is only available in online mode.
- To process incoming data from headquarters, click Process Data from Headquarters. This may be a daily occurrence for workstations operating in online mode. For workstations operating in standard mode, this should be done when you received a hard drive from headquarters, which usually happens weekly.
- When you have captured all of the images to folders and those folders are ready to be transferred to the external hard drive, click Transfer Folders to External HD. This normally happens on a weekly basis.
- To get information about previously shipped hard drives, click View Ship History.
The Blue Section
The blue section contains the following items:
- To practice calibrating the camera, create different templates, and adjust camera orientation, click Practice Configuring Imaging Device. This is not where you perform daily camera calibrations.
- To make room on the image drive for additional folders and images, click Move Folders. Moved folders are not deleted. Rather they are moved to another drive on the computer until headquarters can verify that they can be deleted. Only use this option when directed to do so by your supervisor or manager.
- To set various options for the DCam program, click Preferences. The preferences section covers these options that affect daily image capture:
- Operator
- Device Setup
- Capture Feedback
There are other options which are more advanced or are default settings. You can learn more about these options under the “Preferences” section in the DCam User Guide.
Other Sections of the Home Screen
The following additional sections are on the home screen:
- User and Project Statistics
- Disk Usage
- Top Panel
- Title Bar
- Menu Bar
- Help
- Tool Bar
- Welcome Banner
- Status Bar
To read more about these sections of the home screen, see the DCam User Guide section titled, “DCam Home Screen Components.”
Learning Experiences
Activity 1: Check Your Understanding
- You have to uninstall the previous version of the DCam software in order to install an upgraded version.
- True
- False
- How many main sections are there on the DCam home screen?
- What are the main sections on the DCam home screen, and what does each section contain?