Hello Kuvacode team,
would you consider adding a SetActiveCamera (or equivalently named) command to the External API in a future v5 / v6 release? Reading the request reference in external_api.rst, I can see Connect / Disconnect / Shoot-with-CameraSelection / SetProperty etc., but there’s no documented way to change which camera SS5 treats as the Active Camera in its Camera Controls panel.
In a multi-camera studio workflow where the operator presses SS5’s own Shoot button (rather than scripting captures via Shoot with a CameraKey), the active-camera selection is what determines which body fires — so the only way to flip it from an external tool today is to drive SS5’s UI via macOS Accessibility, which is genuinely fragile (panel focus state, Qt event routing, Spacebar / Enter inadvertently triggering Shoot, timing, etc.).
A direct request like {"msg_type":"Request","msg_id":"SetActiveCamera","msg_seq_num":N,"CameraKey":"…"} returning the usual msg_result reply would eliminate that entire class of fragility.
Happy to share more detail on the use case if useful — and thanks for this very useful application.
Hi Philippe,
Yes I’ll get this added for v6 of the software.
CaptureGRID 6 is going to be released very soon, and then Smart Shooter 6 will come a bit later in the summer.
But note. we’re planning to re-organise the feature support in the products. CaptureGRID will keep the External API feature as standard, but it will become an optional paid upgrade with Smart Shooter.
Hello Francis,
Thank you for reading my request and for the positive response. That’s great news! (Except perhaps for the planned additional fee. 
)
Actually, even a simpler solution could work very well for our use case. For example, a menu command such as “Switch Active Camera” (available when two or more cameras are connected) that automatically makes the next connected camera the active one.
This command could then be assigned to a keyboard shortcut. Combined with the existing Shoot shortcut, it would allow a simple workflow such as:
Switch Active Camera → Shoot
This would provide a quick and reliable way to alternate between cameras without relying on UI automation or external scripting.
In any case, having direct API support through a SetActiveCamera command would be an excellent addition.
And if Smart Shooter 6 also brings UI/UX improvements with greater flexibility in module layout and arrangement, that would certainly add to the value proposition.
Thank you again, and I look forward to Smart Shooter 6.
Best regards,
Philippe