Blackmagic Forum

Hello there,

I'm a developer and sometimes I don't have access to a physical blackmagic device for development and testing purposes.

Is there any way I can emulate a blackmagic device? For example, I have a code to capture from a bmd device and save the video to a file, I would like to test it without having any actual bmd attached to the server. (same thing to output video instead of capturing).

I'm working on Linux (CentOS 7), and I usually work with DeckLink Mini Recorder, Mini Monitor, Duo, Quad.

Were you ever able to get anywhere with this request? I've got the 4k 2 M/E, a 12G 40x40, and a few HyperDecks Mini at the office but wanted to get some development done while I'm at home during the holiday break... rather than having to go in to test, or unrack any of the gear, I was also hoping to emulate some of it.

It seems that this is possible, at least for camera control. A guy does it on a Raspberry Pi .

But unfortunately his Github repo lacks any source code.

Where are Blackmagic SDKs? There's documentation on the BMD Web site, but no links to SDK materials. WTF?

Hi both! The notification went to my spam box
I could not find any answer.

About PalmerWoodrow's question, the blackmagic sdk is available on its website.
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/suppor ... d-playback

Wrong. That just goes to the general support page. Come on, man.

Hi PalmerWoodrow, how are you? Hope you are enjoying this evening.

Let me try to explain you in simple words:
If you select the product family, for instance, Capture and Playback, then you'll see in the "Latest downloads" section (at the left) a button to download the SDK for Windows, macOS, or Linux.
If you download that SDK, you'll find a PDF inside full of documentation. At least the Linux one provides the PDF.

I wish you a happy new year!

You're just regurgitating the wrong information posted previously.

You can go to the general consumer page there, sure, and scroll and scroll through page after page of every category of device and release after release of NON-DEVELOPER-RELATED downloads... to find a couple of SDKs interspersed among them.

But, as noted, a bunch of stuff is MISSING. Like the camera-control SDK, which by your logic you'd expect to find in the camera area.

And this doesn't change the fact that developer downloads don't belong piled in with consumer/end-user downloads. Why should a regular customer have to wade through a bunch of SDKs, any more than developers should have to wade through a bunch of regular firmware updates?

Well, they're not supposed to. Right at the top of BMD's homepage, there's a link entitled Developer. It goes here: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/developer

And, as noted, there's a bunch of stuff missing even from here, the developer area. This is the area BMD set up for developers. It's called "Developer." SDKs are for developers, not regular end users.

You're welcome.

Which missing camera control SDK are you referring to? As far as I know there's no such SDK, but there's documentation of the Bluetooth and SDI protocols in the camera manuals.

Following what roger.magnusson said:

From here https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/developer
You can select "Blackmagic Cameras"
Which takes you here https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/develo ... uct/camera
And there you may find "Blackmagic Camera Control"
And finally, View Manual gives you this https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/ ... ontrol.pdf

Those are all manuals, not the actual SDKs.

PalmerWoodrow wrote:Those are all manuals, not the actual SDKs.

Wrong. The SDK downloads include the SDK documentation, sample code and libraries.

What "SDK downloads?"

PalmerWoodrow wrote:Those are all manuals, not the actual SDKs.

That was my point. There's no camera SDK. You control the cameras over Bluetooth or SDI, not using precompiled libraries.

In the CINEPI-2K video you linked to he just reuses the Bluetooth protocol defined by Blackmagic Design to control his camera. It has nothing to do with emulating a BMD camera as such.

This thread is about emulating BMD capture cards which are completely different (and they do have an SDK).

You're welcome for my informative post. The referenced project DOES emulate a BMD camera in that it implements BMD's camera-control protocol.

But I invite any insecure empty-livers to keep crying because someone insulted the bungled developer resources on their pet Web site. Or whatever it is that has their panties in a twist.

Why the insults? There is no public camera SDK. It's not being kept from you, it doesn't exist. Just accept it and move on.

No idea. Some people feel personally insulted when you raise issues with their pet product, so they lash out with condescending drivel. There's at least a few in every forum, it seems.

There is no need for hostility with people who are trying to provide guidance and direct you towards finding information on the website or here on the forums. As was stated earlier, there are SDKs for some of our product lines and those would be the ones you see below.

Blackmagic Raw, Desktop Setup , Videohub, and ATEM devices.