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GigE Virtual Camera

A native macOS application that creates virtual cameras from GigE Vision industrial cameras, making them available to any macOS application including HyperStudy experiments.

Overview​

The GigE Virtual Camera application bridges the gap between professional GigE Vision cameras and consumer applications. It creates a virtual camera device that appears as a standard webcam in any macOS application, allowing you to use high-quality industrial cameras in video conferencing, recording software, and HyperStudy experiments.

Features​

  • System Extension Architecture: Implements a proper CMIO System Extension for virtual camera functionality
  • Native macOS Integration: Appears as a standard camera in all macOS apps
  • Universal GigE Support: Works with any GigE Vision compliant camera via Aravis library
  • Real-time Preview: Built-in preview with camera status and controls
  • Professional Features: Designed for industrial and professional camera integration
  • Notarized & Signed: Properly signed with Developer ID for secure distribution

System Requirements​

  • Operating System: macOS 12.3 (Monterey) or later
  • Processor: ARM64 (Apple Silicon) Mac
  • Network: GigE Vision compliant camera on the same network
  • Permissions: System Extension approval (first launch only)

Installation​

Download​

Download the latest release →

Step-by-Step Installation​

  1. Download the DMG

    • Go to the Releases page
    • Download the latest GigEVirtualCamera-vX.X.X.dmg file
    • The app is fully signed and notarized by Apple

  2. Install the Application

    • Double-click the downloaded DMG file
    • Drag GigEVirtualCamera.app to your Applications folder
    • Eject the DMG

  3. First Launch

    • Open GigEVirtualCamera from your Applications folder
    • If you see a warning about an unidentified developer (rare with notarization), right-click and select "Open"

  4. Grant System Extension Permission

    When you first launch the app, macOS will display a notification:

    "System Extension Blocked" A program tried to load new system extension(s) signed by "Luke Chang"

    To approve:

    • Click the notification, or go to System Settings → Privacy & Security
    • Scroll to the Security section
    • Find the message about blocked system software from "Luke Chang"
    • Click "Allow"
    • Enter your administrator password if prompted
    • Restart the app after approving

  5. Grant Camera Permissions

    • Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera
    • Find GigEVirtualCamera in the list
    • Toggle it ON

  6. Verify Installation

    systemextensionsctl list

    You should see com.lukechang.GigEVirtualCamera.Extension listed.

Usage​

Connecting to a Camera​

  1. Launch GigEVirtualCamera
  2. Select Camera: Your GigE Vision cameras on the network appear in the dropdown menu
  3. Click Connect: The app establishes connection and starts streaming
  4. Verify Preview: The preview window shows the live camera feed

Using Test Camera​

For testing without physical hardware:

  1. Select "Test Camera (Aravis Simulator)" from the dropdown
  2. Click Connect
  3. A simulated feed will appear

Using in Other Applications​

The virtual camera appears as "GigE Virtual Camera" in all macOS applications:

HyperStudy Experiments:

  1. In HyperStudy's device setup, select camera source
  2. Choose "GigE Virtual Camera"
  3. Your GigE camera feed is now available to the experiment

Zoom / Microsoft Teams / Google Meet:

  1. Open video settings in your conferencing app
  2. Select "GigE Virtual Camera" as your camera
  3. Your GigE feed becomes your video source

QuickTime Player:

  1. File → New Movie Recording
  2. Click dropdown arrow next to record button
  3. Select "GigE Virtual Camera"

OBS Studio:

  1. Add a new Video Capture Device source
  2. Select "GigE Virtual Camera"

Network Requirements​

Camera Network Setup​

  1. Same Network: Camera must be on the same network as your Mac
  2. Wired Connection: Use Ethernet for best performance (required for GigE bandwidth)
  3. IP Configuration: Use DHCP or configure static IP on camera

Firewall Settings​

GigE Vision uses UDP port 3956. Ensure your firewall allows:

  • System Settings → Network → Firewall → Options
  • Add GigEVirtualCamera to allowed applications

Testing Camera Detection​

# Install Aravis tools
brew install aravis

# List detected cameras
arv-camera-test-0.8

Architecture​

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ GigE Camera (Network)                                                   │
└────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Aravis Library (C++)                                                    │
│ ├─ Camera Discovery                                                     │
│ ├─ Frame Acquisition                                                    │
│ └─ GigE Vision Protocol Handling                                        │
└────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ AravisBridge (Objective-C++)                                            │
│ └─ C++ to Swift Bridge                                                  │
└────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Main App (GigECameraApp)                                                │
│ ├─ SwiftUI Interface                                                    │
│ ├─ Camera Management                                                    │
│ ├─ Preview Display                                                      │
│ └─ Frame Sender                                                         │
└────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
             │ (XPC / CMIO Sink)
             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ System Extension (GigEVirtualCameraExtension)                           │
│ ├─ CMIO Extension Provider                                              │
│ ├─ Virtual Camera Device                                                │
│ └─ Frame Stream Management                                              │
└────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ macOS Camera System                                                     │
│ └─ Available to all apps (HyperStudy, Zoom, QuickTime, etc.)            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Technologies​

  • CMIO (Core Media I/O): macOS camera extension framework
  • System Extensions: Apple's modern privileged extension architecture
  • Aravis: Open-source GigE Vision camera library
  • SwiftUI: Native macOS user interface
  • XPC: Secure inter-process communication

Troubleshooting​

System Extension Issues​

Extension not loading:

# Check extension status
systemextensionsctl list

# View extension logs
log stream --predicate 'subsystem == "com.lukechang.GigEVirtualCamera"'

"System Extension Blocked" persists:

  1. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security
  2. Scroll down to Security section
  3. Click "Allow" next to the blocked extension message
  4. Restart your Mac if the option doesn't appear

Camera Not Detected​

  1. Verify Physical Connection

    • Camera is powered on
    • Ethernet cable is connected
    • Camera and Mac are on same network

  2. Test with Aravis Tools

    brew install aravis
    arv-camera-test-0.8

  3. Check Network Configuration

    • Verify IP addresses are in same subnet
    • Try pinging the camera's IP address
    • Check firewall settings

Virtual Camera Not Appearing​

  1. Check Permissions

    • System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera
    • Ensure GigEVirtualCamera is enabled

  2. Verify Extension is Active

    systemextensionsctl list
    system_profiler SPCameraDataType

  3. Restart the App

    • Quit GigEVirtualCamera completely
    • Relaunch from Applications

  4. Restart Your Mac

    • Sometimes required after first extension approval

Performance Issues​

Low frame rate:

  • Ensure Gigabit Ethernet connection
  • Connect camera directly to Mac (avoid switches if possible)
  • Check network utilization in Activity Monitor
  • Try lowering camera resolution

Dropped frames:

  • Use wired connection (not WiFi)
  • Close other bandwidth-intensive applications
  • Check camera's internal buffer settings

Development​

For developers who want to build from source:

Prerequisites​

  • macOS 12.3+ (Apple Silicon recommended)
  • Xcode 15.0+
  • Homebrew

Building​

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/ljchang/hyperstudy-gige.git
cd hyperstudy-gige

# Install dependencies
brew install aravis

# Open in Xcode
open GigEVirtualCamera.xcodeproj

# Build and run (Cmd+R)

For detailed build instructions including code signing for distribution, see BUILDING.md.

Resources​

Release Notes​

Release notes are automatically synced from GitHub releases.