> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-6/output-graphics-as-a-virtual-webcam.md). # Output graphics as a Virtual Webcam Captivate can publish each playout channel as a **virtual webcam**, so apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, OBS Studio, and any other camera-aware app can pick Captivate as their camera source. The setup steps differ between macOS and Windows. ## Turning it on inside Captivate In the playout window, click the **Program Out** menu and choose **Virtual Webcam**. There is one virtual webcam per channel — different channels appear as separate camera sources in your meeting app. The video format is **1920 × 1080 at 30 fps**. Captivate resamples to that fixed format at the boundary, regardless of your project’s resolution or framerate. ### Alpha The Virtual Webcam is an **opaque** camera source — meeting apps composite it onto their own background, so the consuming app sees the channel pre-flattened over black. If you need to deliver a key-able feed with alpha to a downstream tool, use the [OBS Studio output](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index/output-graphics-to-obs.md) or NDI instead. ## macOS: approving the camera extension (one-time setup) The macOS virtual webcam is implemented as a **camera system extension**. The first time you select Virtual Webcam, macOS asks you to approve it. You only need to do this once. ### Requirements * macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. * **Captivate must be installed in your Applications folder.** macOS refuses to install camera extensions from any other location. If you launched Captivate from `~/Downloads`, drag it into `/Applications` first and relaunch. ### Approval steps 1. Open the Permissions panel in Captivate. The **Virtual Camera** row shows the current state. 2. Click **Activate Extension**. macOS submits the activation request and Captivate switches to **Waiting for your approval**. 3. Click **Open System Settings**. macOS opens **Privacy & Security**. 4. Scroll to the bottom and click **Allow** next to the blocked Captivate camera extension. 5. Return to Captivate. The Virtual Camera row will switch to **Active** when macOS finishes loading the extension. If the Allow prompt has disappeared, click **Retry** in Captivate to re-trigger it. ### Restart-after-upgrade When Captivate ships a new version of the camera extension, macOS may need a **restart** before the new version is active. The Virtual Camera row will say **Restart required**. Captivate keeps working normally; the virtual webcam is just temporarily unavailable until you reboot. ### Common errors * **"Applications folder required"** — drag Captivate into `/Applications` and relaunch. * **"macOS policy is blocking the virtual camera"** — check **System Settings → Privacy & Security**. An MDM profile or parental control may be blocking system extensions. * **"Another copy of the virtual camera extension is already installed"** — uninstall the duplicate from System Settings → Privacy & Security → Login Items & Extensions, then click Retry. The dialog maps each macOS error to a remediation hint. If the dialog says *"This is a build or signing issue — please contact support,"* the installer is broken; reinstall from the official download. ### How the camera appears in your meeting app In Zoom, Teams, Meet, OBS, etc., choose **Captivate Virtual** as the camera source. ### Audio The macOS Virtual Webcam carries **video only**. Apple’s `CMIOExtension` camera framework does not provide an audio path — there is no microphone counterpart you can pair with the camera. If you need to send audio from Captivate to a meeting app, set the meeting app’s microphone to a separate audio device (a real microphone, a virtual audio device like BlackHole or Loopback, or Captivate’s separate audio output) and run audio in parallel with the camera. ## Windows: how the virtual webcam is installed The Windows Virtual Webcam is a DirectShow filter registered automatically when Captivate is installed. There is no in-app activation step and no separate permission prompt. ### How the camera appears in your meeting app In your meeting app, choose **Virtual Webcam NewBlue Captivate x32** as the camera source. {% hint style="info" %} **On the device name:** The literal device name shown by Zoom, Teams, and other apps ends in `x32`. This is a legacy artifact in the name string — the filter itself is 64-bit and runs on 64-bit Windows. Just choose the entry that begins with "Virtual Webcam NewBlue Captivate". {% endhint %} ### Audio The Windows Virtual Webcam carries **video only**. If you also need to send audio from Captivate to your meeting app, route audio through a separate audio device. ## Tips * One Virtual Webcam per channel. To rename a channel, double-click the channel name, type the new name, and press **Enter**. * To delete a channel, right-click (Windows) or Control + click (macOS) the channel name, choose **Delete**, and confirm. * The Virtual Webcam mirrors the channel’s **Program Monitor** in real time — anything you bring live with **Play** appears in the camera feed. ## See also * [Output graphics to OBS](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index/output-graphics-to-obs.md) — for use specifically with OBS Studio (and other apps with the NewBlue plugin), this path offers lower latency, full alpha, and audio. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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