# Is it possible to create a DirectShow output?

**URL:** <https://forum.opencv.org/t/is-it-possible-to-create-a-directshow-output/10662>\
**Category:** C++\
**Tags:** windows, programming\
**Created:** [October 24, 2022, 12:21pm UTC](https://forum.opencv.org/t/is-it-possible-to-create-a-directshow-output/10662 "2022-10-24T12:21:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![FEscobar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@FEscobar](https://forum.opencv.org/u/FEscobar)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 12:21pm UTC](https://forum.opencv.org/t/is-it-possible-to-create-a-directshow-output/10662/1 "2022-10-24T12:21:43Z")

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My intention is to use OpenCV to read the webcam input, process that input and create a new DirectShow feed that could be read by other applications.

I’ve read a lot about reading DirectShow inputs but never seen a way to create DirectShow outputs, that’s something that can be done with OpenCV?

Regards, Frank.

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**Author:** ![crackwitz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.opencv.org/crackwitz/32/14_2.png) [@crackwitz](https://forum.opencv.org/u/crackwitz)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 1:20pm UTC](https://forum.opencv.org/t/is-it-possible-to-create-a-directshow-output/10662/2 "2022-10-24T13:20:10Z")

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explore pyvirtualcam. they use some APIs. the base is numpy arrays, i.e. library-agnostic pieces of image data.

OpenCV is for understanding a picture. if you want to shove the picture somewhere else, that’s not computer vision, hence not a task for OpenCV. you can surely use both in the same program.

> **[GitHub - letmaik/pyvirtualcam: 🎥 Send frames to a virtual camera from Python](https://github.com/letmaik/pyvirtualcam/)**
>
> 🎥 Send frames to a virtual camera from Python. Contribute to letmaik/pyvirtualcam development by creating an account on GitHub.

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**Author:** ![sturkmen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.opencv.org/sturkmen/32/13_2.png) [@sturkmen](https://forum.opencv.org/u/sturkmen)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://forum.opencv.org/t/is-it-possible-to-create-a-directshow-output/10662/3 "2022-10-24T14:33:05Z")

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take a look at [GitHub - iamsurya/minimal-working-examples: Short pieces of code used in other major projects. Language Agnostic.](https://github.com/iamsurya/minimal-working-examples)

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**Author:** ![FEscobar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@FEscobar](https://forum.opencv.org/u/FEscobar)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 4:12pm UTC](https://forum.opencv.org/t/is-it-possible-to-create-a-directshow-output/10662/4 "2022-10-24T16:12:58Z")

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Unfortunately, I was looking for an OpenCV C++ solution.

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**Author:** ![crackwitz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.opencv.org/crackwitz/32/14_2.png) [@crackwitz](https://forum.opencv.org/u/crackwitz)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.opencv.org/t/is-it-possible-to-create-a-directshow-output/10662/5 "2022-10-24T20:44:32Z")

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did you just reject all those helpful links because you don’t want to even look at Python code to learn what Windows APIs they use to do the exact thing you want?

please ask your question on a forum for Windows API programming. your problem has nothing to do with OpenCV, apart from both things handling image data.