Camera not detected

You see

You open the Camera panel. The Device dropdown shows No camera or only other cameras (built-in webcam, etc.), your workspace camera is missing.

What is happening

Beam Bench asks the OS for available video devices. If the camera does not appear, the OS does not see it (yet).

Fix

If the camera is unplugged or unpowered

Confirm USB connection and power, then click Refresh in the Camera panel.

If macOS denied permission

The first time Beam Bench reads from a camera, macOS prompts for permission. If you missed or denied the prompt:

1. System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera.
2. Find Beam Bench.
3. Enable.
4. Restart the app.

If the camera is in use by another app

Some camera drivers / OS configurations only let one app access the camera at a time. Close Zoom, FaceTime, other capture tools, then click Refresh.

If the OS does not see the camera at all

Verify with a system camera app:

• macOS: open Photo Booth or the Camera app. If your camera does not appear there either, the issue is at the OS level (driver, cable, hardware).
• Windows: open the Camera app.
• Linux: v4l2-ctl --list-devices lists video devices.

If the OS does not see it, the issue is the camera, its cable, or the driver. Not Beam Bench.

If your machine has no active profile

The Device dropdown is disabled when no machine profile is active. The Camera panel shows: Select or create an active machine profile to choose a camera. Set up a machine profile in Device Settings.

Verify it worked

• The Device dropdown lists your camera.
• Selecting it lets Update Overlay capture a frame.

Still stuck?

• Camera panel reference.
• Install a camera guide.
• Post in the Facebook group with camera model and OS info.