An important tech question

[dsc]

I teach and am trying to gerry rig a document camera. My problem is this. I can get a picture of the paper I am trying to show to the class but I can't get the image to take up my whole computer screen and thus it isn't large enough when I project it for the class. So any ideas how to make the image larger?

To clarify What I am intending to do is be able to have a kid write on a piece of paper and have that projected to the entire class. In the stone ages we used what was called an opaque projector to do that. Now we use what is called an elmo. Elmos are very expensive and our school has a limited supply so I figured what if I used a web cam and had it do the video for me. The problem is that I can't get it to give me a large enough image to be able so see more than a few words at a time. The image only takes up about one fourth of the computer and the LCD then is only using about one fourth of its projection space.

[lillypaddle]

1. Don't know

the answer to your question. And my "kid" is 43 years old - but I wanted to say 'Thank you' for teaching. It's such an important job.

[dsc]

2. thanks

your kid and I are the same age.

[lillypaddle]

7. You're a good kiddo

:hug:

[Duer 157099]

3. Do you have a graphics program of some sort?

I use Paint Shop Pro, and I would take the image, or get a screen shot, and then simply resize it to as large as I could without losing resolution, and then just enlarge the window until it fills the whole monitor screen frame.

Not sure I'm describing that correctly. Let me know if not.

[RegieRocker]

4. Camera resolution settings

[jtuck004]

5. So you are using the camera and then sending it directly through to the

monitor? That is going to be dependent on the camera, I think, so perhaps the manual would give some info? There might be a setting under there somewhere...

If you are taking the pictures then saving them to your hard drive first, you could open it up with many editors, such as the photo editor in Microsoft Office, or paint, or Picasso, or many others, then enlarge it. Might get a little fuzzy though.

[EOTE]

6. It won't take up the whole computer screen even if you maximize the image?

I'm going to need a bit more information. What operating system are you using? Do you need a higher resolution picture? If not, it can probably just be maximized to take up the entire screen.

[tridim]

8. irfanview

http://www.irfanview.com/

[Bryan Buchan]

9. Chance are you have taken it at a low resolution

and your computer is showing it at full resolution. To be sure, in the program you are displaying the picture be sure you are zoomed in at 100% Occasionally a program will reduce this if you have a high resolution picture to like 30%. Or increase the resolution of the photo taking device and take another picture. Or if this is an iphone there are plenty of document imaging apps out there that will not only take a good photo of the document but transform it to a nice readable black and white pdf if desired.

[RegieRocker]

10. Already informed him our her of that. Since resolution is the resolution...

[dsc]

13. I can, and have, adjusted the size of the picture but there appears to be a limit

No matter what I do, the picture takes up around a third or so of my screen and thus only about a third of the LCD projection.

[RegieRocker]

14. What resolution did you set the camera at? You should also be able

to set resolution for projection. Match them.

[dsc]

15. I'll try that tomorrow

it is at school but thanks.

[catabryna]

11. Use a scanner.

eta: If you can't scan it, take it to your local office supply store. They can scan it for less than a dollar.

[immoderate]

12. NOTE: People can't read a page of text from a screen.

You can show a picture of a document, but don't expect to read it. I guess with formatting, it is easy to display about 80 words.

--imm.

[Tx4obama]

16. Someone in the DU Computer Forum might have an answer - link below

DU's Computer and Internet Forum (Computer Help and Support Group):
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=242