Virtual Camera SDK — A Virtual Webcam and Microphone for Your Windows App
Virtual Camera SDK is a Windows SDK that adds one virtual webcam and one virtual microphone to the system. Zoom, OBS Studio, browser apps and other DirectShow applications list the two devices next to physical ones. For example, a conferencing product can send its composed layout into a Zoom call as a camera.
DirectShow or .NET Push API • Camera + microphone • Up to 4096×2160, 1–60 fps • C#/C++/Delphi • Royalty-free distribution
From €500/year · Lifetime from €1,500
Video and audio reach the devices in one of two ways. A DirectShow graph ends in the SDK's sink filters, which hand video and audio through shared memory to source filters registered as capture devices. From .NET, VirtualVideoWriter and VirtualAudioWriter in the VisioForge.DotNet.VirtualCamera package push BGRA, BGR24 or YUY2 frames and PCM audio with no graph at all. You decide what the camera shows; the SDK makes it a device.
Key Benefits
A Real Device to Other Apps
The camera and microphone appear in the device lists of Zoom, OBS Studio and other DirectShow applications
Your Frames, With or Without a Graph
Feed the camera from any DirectShow source your application builds, or push frames straight from .NET code
Branded for Your Product
Custom device names and a no-signal image of your choice
How a Virtual Camera Works
A virtual camera is a software device that other applications open exactly as they open a USB webcam. With Virtual Camera SDK, your application feeds that device in one of two ways: a DirectShow graph that ends in the Virtual Camera Sink filter, or .NET code that pushes frames through VirtualVideoWriter. Either way, the frames travel through shared memory to the Virtual Camera Source filter, which is registered on the system as a video capture device. When Zoom, OBS Studio or a browser opens that device, it receives your frames.
What that means in practice:
- Anything your application produces can become the camera picture: a video file, a capture device or your own filter in a DirectShow graph, or BGRA, BGR24 and YUY2 frames that your .NET code renders.
- The virtual microphone works the same way: an audio sink in your graph, or PCM samples pushed through VirtualAudioWriter, become an audio capture device for other applications.
- The camera offers YUY2 at fixed sizes from 320×180 to 4096×2160, landscape and portrait, at 1–60 fps. The frames you send are scaled to the size the receiving application picks.
- When nothing is streaming, the camera shows an image you choose, or starts an application you specify, instead of a black frame.
- The camera is visible to applications that list DirectShow devices. The Windows Camera app, the camera list in Windows Settings and UWP apps use Media Foundation only and do not show it.
One installation provides one virtual camera and one virtual microphone. Several applications can open the camera at the same time and receive the same picture.
What You Get with Virtual Camera SDK
Virtual Camera SDK is for developers who need a webcam and a microphone that their own software controls: a conferencing product, a test rig, a computer-vision pipeline, a kiosk. It is not an end-user webcam application; the picture comes from the code you write.
A Webcam Other Applications Recognize:
The Virtual Camera Source filter is registered as a video capture device, so Zoom, OBS Studio and browser applications such as Google Meet in Chrome or Edge list it next to physical cameras.
Up to 4096×2160 at 1–60 fps:
The camera offers YUY2 at fixed sizes from 320×180 through 1920×1080, 3840×2160 and 4096×2160, plus the matching portrait sizes, at any frame rate from 1 to 60 fps.
Automatic Scaling:
The frames you send are scaled to the size the receiving application selects, so your graph does not have to follow every application's choice.
Virtual Microphone:
A separate pair of filters, the Virtual Audio Card, turns the audio of your graph, or PCM samples pushed from .NET, into a microphone that other applications can select.
Several Applications at Once:
More than one application can open the virtual camera at the same time; each receives the same picture.
Custom Device Names:
Rename the camera and the microphone so that users see your product name in their device lists.
Any DirectShow Source, or No Graph:
The sink accepts video from whatever your graph builds: file sources, capture devices, VisioForge SDKs or your own filters. Without a graph, the VisioForge.DotNet.VirtualCamera package pushes frames from your code; it targets .NET Framework 4.7.2, .NET 8 and .NET 10.
No-Signal Image or Application:
When no video arrives, the camera shows a background image you choose, or starts an application you specify, instead of a black frame.
Royalty-Free Distribution:
Ship the filters with your application to any number of end users without per-user fees. A source code license is available.
Samples in C#, C++ and Delphi:
Working sample projects for .NET, native C++ and Delphi are on GitHub, among them a WPF demo of the .NET Push API, and email support answers integration questions.
What Developers Build with It
Conferencing and Collaboration Products
Send the video your product produces, such as a composed layout, a processed feed or a shared document, into Zoom or a browser meeting as a camera.
Production and Broadcast Tools
Expose the program output of your switcher or playout software as a webcam that any DirectShow application can pick up.
Kiosks, Telemedicine and Field Apps
Route the image from a medical, document or industrial camera through your software before it reaches a standard video-call application.
Computer Vision and AI Output
Publish the annotated or transformed result of your vision pipeline as a camera, so existing tools can display or record it.
QA and Test Automation
Feed a known video clip as the camera to test video applications repeatably, without a physical webcam on the test machine.
Branded Company Cameras
Give staff a camera under your company's name that shows your logo whenever no video is playing.
What the SDK contains
Feature Breakdown
Filters, interfaces, a .NET Push API and samples for adding a virtual camera and microphone to a Windows application.
- Video & Audio Path
- • Virtual Camera Sink and Source filters for video, connected through shared memory• Virtual Audio Card sink and source filters for the microphone• Video and audio come from any DirectShow source your graph builds, or from .NET code through VirtualVideoWriter and VirtualAudioWriter
- Camera Output
- • YUY2 output to the receiving application• Fixed sizes from 320×180 to 4096×2160• Portrait sizes up to 2160×4096• Frame rates from 1 to 60 fps• Input scaled to the size the application selects
- Customization & Branding
- • Custom device names for the camera and the microphone• A background image or a startup application when no video signal is present• License key set through the registry, the sink filter's interface or the VirtualVideoWriter constructor
- Compatibility & Integration
- • Works with applications that list DirectShow cameras: Zoom, OBS Studio, Chromium-based browsers• Not visible to the Windows Camera app, the Settings camera list or UWP apps• Sample code and documentation for C#, C++ and Delphi
- Licensing & Distribution
- • Royalty-free distribution for your applications• Annual or Lifetime·Team licensing with email support and the corresponding update period• The 30-day trial is fully functional; its video carries a TRIAL watermark until a license key is set.
- Deployment
- • Several applications can open the virtual camera at the same time• Deploy with your own installer: register the filter files with regsvr32
How It Compares
Free virtual camera applications are a good answer for a person who wants to appear on a call. They are not a component you can ship inside your own product. This is where Virtual Camera SDK stands among the options.
| Option | What it is | Price | Ships inside your app | Virtual microphone | Seen by the Camera app and UWP apps | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VisioForge Virtual Camera SDK | DirectShow SDK and .NET Push API | From €500/year · Lifetime from €1,500 | Yes | Yes | No | 30 days, TRIAL watermark |
| e2eSoft VCam SDK | SDK, driver or DirectShow | $1,499 | Yes | Separate SDK | Store apps per the vendor (driver build); Camera app not stated | TRIAL watermark |
| OBS Virtual Camera | Feature of a free application | Free | No | No | No | — |
| NVIDIA Broadcast | Free application, NVIDIA RTX GPU | Free | No | Yes | Not stated by the vendor | — |
| Windows 11 virtual camera API | Operating system API (MFCreateVirtualCamera) | Free | You write the media source in C++ | No, video only | Yes | — |
Third-party details as of November 2026, from: e2eSoft · OBS · NVIDIA · Microsoft
Flexible Licensing Options
Flexible licensing options for businesses and developers. Start with our free trial or choose a commercial license.
Professional Regular
1 year of updates and support
- Unlimited usage
- No reminder messages
- Free minor & major upgrades
- Email support
- 1 year of updates
- Continue using after subscription
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Minor and major updates for the product lifetime with Lifetime·Team
- Unlimited usage
- No reminder messages
- Lifetime free upgrades
- Email support
- Lifetime·Team license included
- Best value for long-term
Source Code License
Full source code access
- Complete SDK source code
- Minor and major updates for the product lifetime
- Lifetime·Team license included
- Email support
- Customize & extend SDK
- Ultimate flexibility
Need a license for educational, research, or non-profit projects? Contact us for special non-commercial licensing options.
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DirectShow All-In-One Bundle
Includes:
C# Code Example
Here's a practical example of how to use the Virtual Camera SDK in a .NET application:
Project Setup
Create a new .NET project and add the VisioForge.DirectShowAPI NuGet package:
.csproj Configuration
XMLImplementation Example
This example demonstrates how to capture video from a physical camera and stream it through a virtual camera:
VirtualCameraExample.cs
C#This example shows:
- Setting up a DirectShow filter graph
- Enumerating and selecting video capture devices
- Creating and connecting source and virtual camera filters
- Managing the streaming lifecycle
- Proper resource cleanup
For the virtual microphone, custom device names and the no-signal image, refer to the SDK documentation. To send frames from .NET without a DirectShow graph, use VirtualVideoWriter and VirtualAudioWriter from the VisioForge.DotNet.VirtualCamera package.
C# Example: .NET Push API
Without a DirectShow graph, the VisioForge.DotNet.VirtualCamera package sends frames and audio straight from your code. This .NET 8 example (C# 9 or later) pushes ten seconds of BGRA frames and silent PCM audio to the virtual camera and microphone; the filters must be registered once on the machine.
.csproj
XMLProgram.cs
C#C++ DirectShow Example
High-performance native DirectShow applications
Header File (intf.h)
First, define the necessary GUIDs and interfaces:
intf.h
C++Implementation Example (main.cpp)
Here's a complete example showing how to capture video and stream it through the virtual camera:
main.cpp
C++This C++ example demonstrates:
- DirectShow filter graph setup and management
- Video capture device enumeration
- Virtual camera filter creation and configuration
- Filter connection and streaming control
- Proper COM resource cleanup
- Error handling and status reporting
The example uses standard DirectShow interfaces along with the Virtual Camera SDK's custom interfaces for advanced functionality. Make sure to:
- Link against the DirectShow libraries
- Include the necessary DirectShow headers
- Initialize and uninitialize COM appropriately
- Handle all COM interface releases properly
For the virtual microphone, custom device names and the no-signal image, refer to the SDK documentation.
Filter Usage in a DirectShow Graph
Visual representation of how Virtual Camera SDK integrates into the DirectShow pipeline
DirectShow graph showing Virtual Camera SDK filter integration with video sources and output devices
Sample Projects on GitHub
We maintain a comprehensive collection of sample projects on GitHub to help you get started with the Virtual Camera SDK. Visit our Virtual Camera SDK Samples Repository for complete, working examples.
Technologies Used
The samples are available in multiple programming languages:
Modern .NET applications with full SDK integration
High-performance native DirectShow applications
RAD Studio and Delphi VCL applications
Put Your Application's Video in Every Video Call
Download the trial, run a sample, and see your own frames arrive in Zoom or OBS Studio.
Build with AI coding agents
Pairing with an AI agent — Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex? VisioForge publishes machine-readable surfaces for Virtual Camera SDK so your agent gets the integration right the first time: the right NuGet packages, license registration, project setup, and the cross-platform deployment details it would otherwise have to guess at.
Connect the MCP server
MCPAdd the VisioForge MCP server to your agent for contextual help — search the API, look up classes and members, fetch working code examples, and pull deployment guides, directly inside your editor.
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http visioforge-sdk https://mcp.visioforge.com/mcpVS Code (.vscode/mcp.json)
{
"servers": {
"visioforge-sdk": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.visioforge.com/mcp"
}
}
}Prefer to feed the entire documentation to your agent? It is also available as plain markdown: /llms.txt · /llms-full.txt
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between trial and licensed versions?
The trial is fully functional for 30 days, and its video carries a TRIAL watermark. Setting a license key removes the watermark. Paid licenses include email support; Annual includes 12 months of updates and Lifetime·Team includes minor and major updates for the product lifetime.
Can I use the SDK in commercial applications?
Yes, with a commercial license you can distribute your applications royalty-free. The SDK license covers unlimited deployments of your application to end users.
Which programming languages are supported?
Samples are provided for C#/.NET, C++ and Delphi. Any language that can use DirectShow COM components, such as VB.NET, can use the filters. .NET applications can also skip DirectShow and use the Push API package, VisioForge.DotNet.VirtualCamera, on .NET Framework 4.7.2, .NET 8 or .NET 10.
Does it work with Windows 11?
Yes, on Windows 10 and Windows 11, in 32-bit and 64-bit applications. The camera is a DirectShow device: Zoom, OBS Studio and Chromium-based browsers see it, while the Windows Camera app, the Settings camera list and UWP apps, which use Media Foundation only, do not.
Can multiple applications use the virtual camera simultaneously?
Yes. Several applications can open the virtual camera at the same time, and each receives the same picture. One installation provides one virtual camera and one virtual microphone.
System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems
Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Receiving Applications
Any application that lists DirectShow video capture devices.
x86/x64 Compatibility
Supports both 32-bit and 64-bit applications and systems.