Pixelink Capture provides the ability to add a bitmap overlay to an image, which can be used to add a crosshair, grid, scale, logo or other bitmaps over the video preview window. 


Bitmap Overlay can be enabled from the Effects tab of Pixelink Capture: 



And then click browse to select the saved bitmap image.

Note: Bitmap overlays must be in .bmp format, and the overlay may take a few seconds to upload.



To remove the Bitmap Overlay from the preview, select None from the Filters drop down menu. 


Note: Bitmap Overlays are only visible on the Preview window of Pixelink Capture. Overlays are not shown on captured images or videos.



New with Release 11: Pixelink Capture now allows you to change the position of the bitmap overlay, by adding a left and top offset. 


These values can be used to move or reposition the overlay. Eg. A top offset of 10 will move the overlay down 10 pixels. 




Tips for Creating a Bitmap Overlay


Any .BMP file can be used as an overlay. These are available for download online, and can also be created using graphics software like MS Paint or Adobe Photoshop. 


When creating a bitmap overlay, be sure to consider the ROI of the camera. For example, the PL-D755 has a full ROI of 2448 x 2048. When using a bitmap overlay of 800 x 655 with the full camera ROI, only a portion of the preview window is covered by the overlay,  




As there is no way to resize the overlay once it is uploaded, select a bitmap large enough to fit the chosen ROI of the camera, like the bitmap below: 



As the screenshots above suggest, pixel 0, 0 is in the top left corner of the preview window, and the overlay will begin at this pixel. The overlay in the screenshot below, for example is 600 x 222 pixels, with no space before the first letter:  




Pixel 0,0 of the overlay will line up with pixel 0,0 of the frame from the camera. In the images below, the overlay is 2467 x 2048 pixels, with the logo placed near the bottom right corner of the .BMP ffile.


Note: All overlays will appear monochrome/grayscale when used with a mono camera. For example, the same Bitmap Overlay has been added in the bottom right corner of the following two images:



The colour bitmap displays as a monochrome bitmap when used with a mono camera: