VisionCanvas

Annotate live camera video with Apple Pencil or your finger, then mirror the clean result over HDMI — perfect for document cameras, teaching, and presentations.

VisionCanvas — Draw on camera video, output clean over HDMI

VisionCanvas is an iPad app that lets you annotate live video from an external UVC camera or the built-in camera with Apple Pencil (or your finger), then mirror the combined video and ink cleanly over HDMI to an external display or projector. Built for document cameras, teaching, live commentary, and any "show while you draw" workflow.

Key Features

• External UVC camera support Automatically detects and prefers a connected USB-C external camera, with easy switching to the built-in camera.

• Real-time drawing engine Built from scratch (not PencilKit) to track your pencil or finger without lag, mid-stroke — so what you're drawing appears smoothly on the HDMI output as you draw it, not just after you lift.

• Free pen & eraser customization Pick any color and width for both pen and eraser. Apple Pencil Pro/2nd generation double-tap and squeeze gestures switch between pen and eraser without putting the Pencil down. Your last-used color and width are remembered.

• Works with or without Apple Pencil Finger drawing works out of the box; an optional palm-rejection toggle switches to Pencil-only input for anyone actively holding the Pencil.

• Clean HDMI output with audio passthrough Mirrors the composited camera + ink image to an external display, and passes the connected camera's audio through to HDMI too.

• Camera switching Browse all connected cameras and pick one manually, or leave it on automatic (external preferred).

• Undo / Redo / Clear Take back or redo any stroke, or clear the canvas entirely, at any time.

Great For • Document-camera style live annotation over physical materials • Remote/online teaching and training • Live commentary and diagrams during streams or presentations • A quick shared whiteboard

Requirements • iPadOS 17 or later • A USB-C iPad (to use an external UVC camera) • Apple Pencil recommended (2nd generation / Pro for double-tap and squeeze gestures) — not required; finger drawing is fully supported • A USB-C to HDMI adapter is required for HDMI output