Avigilon Control Center Client User Guide - Standard

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Avigilon Control Center Client User Guide - Standard | Manualzz

Avigilon Control Center™

Standard Client User Guide

Version 6.0

© 2006 -  2017, Avigilon Corporation. All rights reserved. AVIGILON, the AVIGILON logo, AVIGILON CONTROL

CENTER, ACC, HIGH DEFINITION STREAM MANAGEMENT (HDSM), HDSM, AVIGILON APPEARANCE SEARCH,

TRUSTED SECURITY SOLUTIONS, and RIALTO are trademarks of Avigilon Corporation. Other names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. The absence of the symbols ™ and ® in proximity to each trademark in this document is not a disclaimer of ownership of the related trademark. Avigilon Corporation protects its innovations with patents issued in the United States of America and other jurisdictions worldwide:

http://www.avigilon.com/patents

. Unless stated explicitly and in writing, no license is granted with respect to any copyright, industrial design, trademark, patent or other intellectual property rights of Avigilon Corporation or its licensors.

This document has been compiled and published covering the latest product descriptions and specifications.

The contents of this document and the specifications of the products discussed herein are subject to change without notice. Avigilon Corporation reserves the right to make any such changes without notice. Neither

Avigilon Corporation nor any of its affiliated companies: (1) guarantees the completeness or accuracy of the information contained in this document; or (2) is responsible for your use of, or reliance on, the information.

Avigilon Corporation shall not be responsible for any losses or damages (including consequential damages) caused by reliance on the information presented herein.

Avigilon Corporation http://www.avigilon.com

PDF-CLIENT6-S-A

Revision: 1 - EN

20170110 ii

Table of Contents

What is the Avigilon Control Center Client?

System Requirements

Updating the Help Files

For More Information

Avigilon Resource Center

Technical Support

Upgrades

Feedback

Getting Started

Starting Up and Shutting Down

Starting Up the Client Software

Shutting Down the Client Software

Logging In to and Out of a Site

Logging In

Logging Out

Changing the Administrator Password

Navigating the Client

Application Window Features

System Explorer Icons

Adding and Removing Cameras in a View

Adding a Camera to a View

Removing a Camera from a View

Viewing Live and Recorded Video

Accessing the Setup Tab

System Administration

Sites and Servers

Discovering Sites

Sharing Discovered Sites Between Users

Managing Site Logs

Managing User Connections

Monitoring Site Health

Site Settings

Naming a Site

Licensing the Site

Activating a Demo License

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Activating a License

Automatic License Activation

Manual License Activation

Deactivating a License

Reactivating a License

Editing the Site View

Connecting/Disconnecting Cameras and Devices

Discovering a Device

Connecting a Device to a Server

Connecting Cameras to a Rialto™ Video Analytics Appliance

Editing the Device Connection to a Server

Disconnecting a Device from a Server

Upgrading Camera Firmware

Users and Groups

Adding a User

Editing and Deleting a User

Corporate Hierarchy

Setting Up a Corporate Hierarchy

Ranks

Unranked Groups

Deleted Ranks

Adding Groups

Editing and Deleting a Group

External Notifications

Setting Up the Email Server

Configuring Email Notifications

Editing and Deleting an Email Notification

Enabling Central Station Monitoring

Rules

Adding a Rule

Editing and Deleting a Rule

Backing Up System Settings

Restoring System Settings

Scheduling Site Events

Server Settings

Naming a Server

Recording Schedule

Adding and Editing a Recording Schedule Template

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Editing and Deleting a Template

Setting Up a Weekly Recording Schedule

Recording and Bandwidth

POS Transactions

Adding a POS Transaction Source

Adding a Transaction Source Data Format

Adding a Transaction Exception

Editing and Deleting a POS Transaction Source

Enabling Server Analytics

Device Settings

General

Setting a Device's Identity

Configuring PTZ

Changing the Camera Operating Priority

Enabling or Disabling Video Analytics Display

Rebooting a Device

Network

Image and Display

Changing Image and Display Settings

Zooming and Focusing the Camera Lens

Dewarping a Fisheye Lens

Compression and Image Rate

Enabling Idle Scene Mode

Manually Adjusting Recorded Video Streams

Image Dimensions

Motion Detection

Setting Up Pixel Motion Detection

Setting Up Classified Object Motion Detection

Self-Learning Video Analytics

Configuring Video Analytics Cameras

Configuring Rialto Video Analytics Appliances

Self-Learning

What is Self-Learning?

Enabling Self-Learning

Teach By Example

Assigning Teach Markers

Managing Teach Markers

Applying Teach Markers to the Device

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Removing Teach Markers from the Device

Video Analytics Events

Adding Video Analytics Events

Editing and Deleting Video Analytics Events

Privacy Zones

Adding a Privacy Zone

Editing and Deleting a Privacy Zone

Manual Recording

Digital Inputs and Outputs

Setting Up Digital Inputs

Setting Up Digital Outputs

Microphone

Speaker

Client Settings

General Settings

Video Display Settings

Displaying Analog Video in Deinterlaced Mode

Displaying Logical IDs

Displaying Image Overlays

Changing Display Quality

Changing Display Adjustment Settings

Joystick Settings

Configuring an Avigilon USB Professional Joystick Keyboard For Left-Hand Use

Configuring a Standard USB Joystick

Discovering Sites

Organizing Views

Adding and Removing a View

View Layouts

Selecting a Layout for a View

Editing a View Layout

Making a View Full Screen

Ending Full Screen Mode

Cycling Through Views

Saved Views

Saving a New View

Opening a Saved View

Editing a Saved View

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Renaming a Saved View

Deleting a Saved View

Monitoring Video

Zooming and Panning in a Video

Using the Zoom Tools

Using the Pan Tools

Maximizing and Restoring an Image Panel

Maximizing an Image Panel

Restoring an Image Panel

Making Image Panel Display Adjustments

Listening to Audio in a View

Using Digital Defog

Triggering Custom Keyboard Commands

Controlling Live Video

Broadcasting Audio in a View

Using Instant Replay

PTZ Cameras

Controlling PTZ Cameras

Programming PTZ Tours

Triggering Manual Recording

Camera Recording States

Starting and Stopping Manual Recording

Triggering Digital Outputs

Monitoring Live POS Transactions

Controlling Recorded Video

Playing Back Recorded Video

Synchronizing Recorded Video Playback

Enabling Synchronized Recorded Video Playback

Disabling Synchronized Recorded Video Playback

Bookmarking Recorded Video

Adding a Bookmark

Exporting, Editing, or Deleting a Bookmark

Reviewing Recorded POS Transactions

Working with Maps

Adding a Map

Using a Map

Editing and Deleting a Map

Working with Web Pages

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Adding a Web Page

Using a Web Page

Editing and Deleting a Web Page

Search

Performing an Event Search

Viewing Search Results

Performing a Motion Search

Viewing Search Results

Performing a Thumbnail Search

Viewing Search Results

Performing Text Source Transactions Search

Viewing Search Results

Performing a Bookmark Search

Viewing Search Results

Managing Multiple Bookmarks

Export

Exporting a Snapshot of an Image

Exporting Native Video

Exporting AVI Video

Exporting Still Images

Exporting a Print Image

Exporting WAV Audio

Archive

Archiving Recorded Video On Demand

Appendix

Detailed Feature Descriptions

Email Notification Trigger Descriptions

Group Permission Descriptions

Video Analytics Event Descriptions

Rule Event and Action Descriptions

Rule Events

Rule Actions

Rule Conditions

Updating the Client Software

Reporting Bugs

Keyboard Commands

Image Panel & Camera Commands

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View Tab Commands

View Layout Commands

Playback Commands

PTZ Commands (Digital and Mechanical)

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What is the Avigilon Control Center Client?

The Avigilon Control Center (ACC) Client software works with the Avigilon Control Center Server software to give you access and control of your surveillance system.

The Client software allows you to view live and recorded video, monitor events, and control user access to the

Avigilon Control Center system. The Client software also gives you the ability to configure your surveillance system.

The Client software can run on the same computer as the Server software, or run on a remote computer that connects to the site through a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).

What you can do in the Client software depends on the Server software edition. There are three editions of the

Server software available: Core, Standard and Enterprise. Visit the Avigilon website for an overview of the features available in each edition:

http://avigilon.com/products/video-surveillance/avigilon-controlcenter/editions/

.

System Requirements

  Minimum requirements Recommended requirements

Monitor resolution

1280 x 1024

OS*

1280 x 1024

Windows Vista, Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit),

Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10

Windows 7 (64-bit)

CPU

System RAM

Video card

Intel Dual Core 2.0 GHz processor

2 GB

PCI Express, DirectX 10.0 compliant with

256 MB RAM

Quad Core 2.0 GHz

2 GB

PCI Express, DirectX 10.0 compliant with

256 MB RAM

Network card

Hard disk space

1 Gbps

500 MB

1 Gbps

500 MB

* For all Windows versions, it is recommended that the latest Microsoft service pack be deployed.

Updating the Help Files

The help files for the Avigilon Control Center Client software and Virtual Matrix software are stored with the

Avigilon Control Center Server application.

If one of these components is ever updated before the others, the help files may become out of date or describe features that are not currently supported by your system.

What is the Avigilon Control Center Client?

1

  l

If the help files become out of date, download and install the latest help files from the Avigilon website:

http://www.avigilon.com

.

The help file installers are divided into regional language packs.

  l

If the help files describe a feature that is not currently supported by your copy of the software, upgrade to the latest version.

For More Information

Visit Avigilon at

http://www.avigilon.com

for additional product documentation.

Avigilon Resource Center

Register for access to the Avigilon Resource Center to gain access to additional resources for your Avigilon products. The Resource Center provides free online training videos, product documentation, and other selfdirected support resources.

Register and login at

https://avigilonresourcecenter.force.com/avigilon/avg_login

Technical Support

To contact Avigilon Technical Support, go to

http://avigilon.com/contact-us/

Upgrades

Software and firmware upgrades will be made available for download as they become available. Check for available upgrades at:

http://avigilon.com/support-and-downloads/

Feedback

We value your feedback. Please send any comments on our products and services to

[email protected]

.

For More Information 2

Getting Started

Once the Avigilon Control Center Client software has been installed, you can start using the Avigilon High

Definition Stream Management (HDSM)™ technology surveillance system immediately. Refer to any of the procedures in this section to help you get started.

Starting Up and Shutting Down

The Avigilon Control Center Client software can be started or shut down at anytime — video recording is not affected because it is controlled separately by the Server software.

Starting Up the Client Software

Perform one of the following:

  l

In the Start menu, select All Programs or All Apps > Avigilon > Avigilon Control Center Client.

  l

Double-click or desktop shortcut icon.

  l

From the Avigilon Control Center Admin Tool, click Launch Control Center Client. For more information, see the Avigilon Control Center Server User Guide.

When you are prompted, log in to your site. You can only access cameras and video after you log in.

For more information, see Logging In to and Out of a Site below.

Shutting Down the Client Software

 1. In the top-right corner of the Client software, select

> Exit.

 2. When the confirmation dialog box appears, click Yes.

Logging In to and Out of a Site

To access any of the features in your ACC™ surveillance system, you must log in to a site.

The default administrator access uses administrator as the username and no password. To maintain the security of the administrator account, it is recommended that your system administrator immediately create a password for this account after the first login. Your system administrator can then create user accounts for other users.

Getting Started 3

Logging In

 1. Open the Site Login tab. The Site Login tab is automatically displayed if you are launching the Client software for the first time.

To manually access the Site Login tab, do one of the following:

  l

From the top-right corner of the window, select > Log In....

  l

From the top of the application window, click to open the New Task menu, then click

 2. On the left side of the Site Login tab, select one or more sites.

If the site you want to log into is not shown, click Find Site... to discover the site.

 3. Enter your username and password for the selected sites.

 4. Click Log In.

You are logged into the selected sites.

If you want to be notified when new or disconnected sites come online, select the Notify me when additional

sites become available check box.

If you want to see the login page each time you launch the Client software, select the Show this tab on startup check box. If you prefer not to login each time, you can disable this option and configure automatic login from the Client Settings dialog box.

.

Logging Out

You can log out of one or all sites at any time.

To...

Log out of one or select sites

Log out of all sites

Do this...

  l

In the System Explorer, select one or more sites then right-click and select Log Out.

 1. In the top-right corner of the Client, select > Log Out.

 2. In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Related Tasks

Discovering Sites

Changing the Administrator Password

General Settings

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Changing the Administrator Password

After you login with the default administrator credentials for the first time, it is recommended that you change the default administrator password.

Logging In 4

 1. At the top of the application window, click

to open the New Task menu. When the menu appears, click .

 2. In the Setup tab, click .

 3. In the following dialog box, select the administrator user name and click .

 4. Click Change Password....

 5. In the following dialog box, enter a new password and then confirm the new password.

 6. Click OK.

Tip: If you forget the administrator password, resetting the password is difficult and impacts every server in the site. To avoid this issue, it is highly recommended that you create at least one other administrator level user as a backup.

Navigating the Client

Once you log in, the Avigilon Control Center Client application window is populated with all the features that are available to you.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

Figure 1:

The Avigilon Control Center Client application window

Navigating the Client 5

Application Window Features

  Area

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System Explorer

View tab

Image panel

Toolbar

Task tabs

The New Task button

The Application Menu menu

System message list

Description

Displays all the elements in your surveillance system.

Use the Search... bar to quickly locate anything that is available in the

System Explorer. You can search for items by name, and devices can also be searched for by location, logical ID, serial number and IP address.

Tip: The content of the System Explorer changes depending on the tab you have open. For example, servers are not listed in the View tab.

Allows you to monitor video and organize image panels. You can have multiple Views open at once.

Displays live or recorded video from a camera. The video control buttons are displayed when you move your mouse into the image panel.

Provides quick access to commonly used tools.

Displays all the tabs that are currently open.

Opens the New Task menu so you can select and open new task tabs.

You can access advanced tools like Search and Export, or system administrative features like Site Setup.

This menu gives you access to local application settings like Client

Settings. You can also open a new window from this menu.

The highlighted number shows the number of system messages that need your attention. Click the number to display the list of messages.

The highlight color indicates the severity of the most recent message.

  l

Red

= Error

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Yellow

= Warning

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Green

= Information

System Explorer Icons

Icon Description

A site. Listed under a site are all the connected devices and linked features in the system.

A server.

A camera.

A PTZ camera.

An encoder.

A saved View.

A map.

Application Window Features 6

Icon

A web page.

Description

Adding and Removing Cameras in a View

To monitor video, add a camera to a View. Camera video can be removed from a View at any time.

Adding a Camera to a View

Do one of the following:

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Drag the camera from the System Explorer to an empty image panel in the View tab.

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Double-click a camera in the System Explorer.

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In the System Explorer, right-click the camera and select Add To View.

The camera is added to the next empty image panel in the View layout.

Tip: You can drag the same camera to multiple image panels to watch the video at different zoom levels.

Removing a Camera from a View

Do one of the following:

  l

Right-click the image panel and select Close.

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Inside the image panel, click .

Viewing Live and Recorded Video

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

When you monitor video, you can choose to watch live and recorded video in the same View tab, or only one type of video per View.

Once you've added cameras to the View tab, you can do the following:

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To switch all of the image panels in the View between live and recorded video, click either  Live or

 Recorded on the toolbar.

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To switch individual image panels between live and recorded video, right-click the image panel and select either Live or Recorded.

Image panels displaying recorded video have a

green

border.

Accessing the Setup Tab

The Setup tab is where you would configure the majority of your system – including sites, servers and cameras.

Follow one of the following steps to open the Setup tab:

Adding and Removing Cameras in a View 7

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At the top of the application window, click to open the New Task menu then click

  l

In the System Explorer, right-click the device you want to configure then select Setup.

.

Figure 2:

The Setup tab

In the Setup tab, the System Explorer is displayed on the left and the Setup options are displayed on the right.

The Setup options change depending on the device that is selected in the System Explorer.

Accessing the Setup Tab 8

System Administration

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

In Avigilon Control Center 5 software, servers are maintained in clusters called sites.

At the site level, you can manage your server and device connections, as well as set up site-wide system events.

At the server level, you can manage the recording and bandwidth for each of the server's connected cameras.

At the device level, you can edit the camera image quality and other device-specific features.

All the site, server and device settings can be configured from the Setup tab.

Sites and Servers

In the Avigilon Control Center software, servers are organized in clusters called sites. By organizing the system into clusters, you are able to control user access and system wide events through the site settings. Site settings are stored on the server, or across all servers in a multi-server system.

Depending on your system and license edition, you may have multiple servers in a site. When there are multiple servers in a site, the site is able to distribute tasks and system data between the servers so that the system can continue running even if a server fails.

Within a site, each individual server is responsible for managing the devices that are connected to it.

Specifically, the server controls video recording. Through the server settings, you control when video is recorded, how long it is stored, and how much bandwidth is used to stream video.

Discovering Sites

If your computer is on the same network segment (subnet) as a site, that site is automatically discovered and displayed in the System Explorer.

If the site you want to access is not listed, it is because the site is on a different subnet and must be manually discovered. There is no limit to the number of sites that can be discovered by the Client software.

Tip: After you discover and login to a parent site, all the child sites are automatically discovered.

By default, when a server is first connected to the system, it is added to a site with the same name. To locate a new server, you need to search for its site.

System Administration 9

 1. Open the Find Site dialog box.

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In the top-right corner of the Client, select > Log In.... In the Site Login tab, click Find Site....

  l

Or, select > Client Settings > Site Networking. In the Site Networking tab, click Find Site....

 2. In the dialog box, enter the IP Address/Hostname: and the Base Port: of the server in the site you want to discover.

The base port is 38880 by default. You can change the base port number in the Avigilon Control Center

Admin Tool. For more information, see The Avigilon Control Center Server User Guide.

 3. Click OK.

If the site is found, it is automatically added to the site list.

If the site is not found, check the following then try again:

 

  l

The network settings are configured correctly.

l

The firewall is not blocking the application.

  l

The Avigilon Control Center Server software is running on the server you searched for.

Sharing Discovered Sites Between Users

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

If you manually discovered a site, all users with access to the same copy of the application will be able to access the discovered site. However, the site will be hidden if the user does not have permission to access the discovered site.

The connection speed used to connect to the discovered site will be the same for all users.

Managing Site Logs

The Site Logs record events that occur in the ACC software. This can be useful for tracking system usage and diagnosing issues.

You can filter the items displayed in the log and save the log to a separate file for sending to Avigilon support.

NOTE: The Site Logs maintain a record of system events for as long as video data is available or 90 days, whichever is longer.

 1. In the New Task menu, click

The Site Logs tab is displayed.

.

 2. In the top-left Event Types to Show: area, select the types of logs that you want to see.

 3. In the Event Sources: area, you can filter the logs by selecting the specific site, server or device logs that you want to see.

 4. In the Time Range to Search: area, set the date and time range of the search.

 5. Click Search.

Sharing Discovered Sites Between Users 10

 6. Select a search result to display the event details at the bottom of the tab.

 7. To save the log search results, click Save events to file.... You can choose to save the search results as a text file or a comma-separated values (CSV) file.

Managing User Connections

If you find that too many users are logged in through the same username, or inactive users are preventing active users from accessing a site, you can force specific users to log out.

 1. In the New Task menu, click . The User Connections tab is displayed.

 2. Select a site from the System Explorer to display a list of all the current users on the right.

  l

The users are listed by User Name and Machine Name so that users that share a login are displayed separately.

  l

The Login Duration column lets you know how long that user has been logged in to the site.

 3. To force a user to log out of a site, select a user then click Log Users Out.

Monitoring Site Health

To help you monitor the health of your site, you can access a quick overview in the Site Health tab.

  l

In the New Task menu, click . The Site Health tab is displayed.

  o

To export a PDF copy of all the site details, click Export Site Report to PDF at the bottom-right corner.

The status icons beside each site name identifies the overall health of the site. In the System Explorer, select a site to display the status of the connected servers.

If your sites are configured into a family, you will be able to see the status of all child sites if you are logged into the parent site. If you are only logged into a child site, the parent site status is displayed as unknown.

The following health symbols identify the status of each component in the ACC software:

 

 

  l l l

— the component is functioning normally.

— the component requires your attention.

— the component is unavailable or offline.

  l

— the component status is unknown.

At the top of the tab, click any of the available filters to choose what type of information is displayed. By default, all available information is displayed.

Listed information include:

Managing User Connections 11

Feature Description

Server Name — at the top of each pane is the name of the individual server in the site. Beside the name is the server status.

General Information: Information about the server in the site.

Server IP:

The server's IP address.

Camera Licenses in Use:

CPU Load of ACC Server:

Memory usage of ACC Server:

The number of cameras that are currently connected to the server.

The percentage of server processing power that is used by the Avigilon Control Center Server software.

The amount of memory used by the Avigilon Control

Center Server software.

System Available Memory:

Up Time:

Incoming

The amount of storage available for video recording.

The amount of time the server has been running since it was last rebooted.

Network Adapters: The networks that the server is connected to, including the IP address of the network connection, the network speed and the amount of data passing through the connection.

Adapter Name

The name of the network adapter that is connected to the server.

Link Speed

IP

The maximum speed supported by the network adapter.

The IP address of the network adapter.

The speed of incoming data. This includes recording video.

Outgoing

The speed of outgoing data. This includes video streaming to the Client software.

Cameras: Information about the devices that are connected to this server.

NOTE: If the device is disconnected, the device's details may still be displayed but the Compression column will be empty because there is no video streaming.

General

Network

Hardware

The name, model number and location of the device.

The IP and MAC addresses of the device.

Compression

The serial number of the device.

The video compression rate, resolution, quality and images per second (ips) of video streamed from the device.

Site Settings

The settings stored at the site level impact all users and devices within the site.

These settings include user account information and email notifications. This is also where you can set up how the System Explorer is laid out, and where you can add or remove devices in a site.

Site Settings 12

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

Naming a Site

Give the site a meaningful name so that it can be easily identified in the System Explorer. Otherwise, the site uses the name assigned to the server it was originally discovered with.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the following dialog box, enter a name for the site.

 3. Click OK.

Licensing the Site

After installing the ACC Server, you must install and use the ACC Client to apply your software license to the application.

Your site can be licensed for the Core, Standard, or Enterprise edition. If you are running the Enterprise edition, this procedure is also used to add integration licenses.

Activating a Demo License

Before purchasing licenses, you can apply a demo license. Demo licenses allow you to use ACC software for the selected license edition for a limited amount of time to evaluate the software. To use ACC software for an extended period of time, a license must be purchased.

Demo licenses can be activated automatically or manually. To activate a demo license automatically, the ACC

Client must have internet access.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the License Management window, click Request Demo License....

 3. From the top of the window, select the Automatic or Manual tab.

  l

In the Automatic tab, choose a license edition from the drop down list. Click Activate Now.

The demo license is activated on the site.

  l

In the Manual tab, complete the following steps:

 a. Select a license edition from the drop down list.

 b. From the Save As window, choose where you want to save the activation file that is generated by the system. You can rename the activation file.

 c. Click Save.

Naming a Site 13

 d. On a computer with internet access, open a web browser and go to

http://activate.avigilon.com

.

Figure 3:

The Avigilon License Activation web page

 e. Browse to the location of your activation file then click Upload.

The activated license file should download automatically. If it does not, allow the download to occur when you are prompted.

Activating a Demo License 14

 f. Complete the product registration page to receive product updates from Avigilon, then click Register.

Figure 4:

The product registration web page

 g. Return to the ACC Client and click Apply....

 h. Locate the downloaded license file and click Open.

 i. When the Confirm Licenses window displays, click OK.

The licenses are activated for the site.

Activating a License

To use all the features in your preferred edition of the ACC software for an unlimited amount of time, you must activate a license.

Licenses can be activated automatically or manually. To activate a license automatically, the ACC Client must have access to the internet.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the License Management window, click Add License....

Activating a License 15

Automatic License Activation

 1. From the top of the window, select the Automatic tab.

 2. Enter the product key. A check mark will appear if the product key is valid.

 3. If you have multiple product keys, click Add Key and enter the next product key.

If you have multiple product keys listed in a text file, you can copy and paste them into the product key field. If invalid product keys are pasted, the number of invalid product keys are displayed. To view the invalid product keys, click Copy To Clipboard and paste the product keys into a text file.

 4. If you need to remove the last product key, click Remove Last Key.

 5. To clear all the product keys, click Clear.

 6. When all the licenses for this site have been added, click Activate Now.

Manual License Activation

 1. From the top of the window, select the Manual tab.

 2. Enter the product key. A check mark will appear if the product key is valid.

 3. If you have multiple product keys, click Add Key and enter the next product key.

If you have multiple product keys listed in a text file, you can copy and paste them into the product key field. If invalid product keys are pasted, the number of invalid keys are displayed. To view the invalid product keys, click Copy To Clipboard and paste the product keys into a text file.

 4. If you need to remove the last product key, click Remove Last Key.

 5. To clear all the product keys, click Clear.

 6. When all the product keys for this site have been added, click Save File....

 7. From the Save As window, choose where you want to save the activation file that is generated by the system. You can rename the activation file.

 8. Click Save.

 9. On a computer with internet access, open a web browser and go to

http://activate.avigilon.com

.

 10. Browse to the location of your activation file then click Upload.

The activated license file should download automatically. If it does not, allow the download to occur when you are prompted.

 11. Complete the product registration page to receive product updates from Avigilon, then click Register.

 12. Return to the ACC Client and click Apply....

 13. Locate the downloaded license file and click Open.

 14. When the Confirm Licenses window displays, click OK.

The licenses are activated for the site.

Deactivating a License

You can deactivate individual licenses and reuse them on a different site. For example, if you have more camera channel licenses than you are using on a site, you can move some licenses to another site.

Licenses can be deactivated automatically or manually. To deactivate a license automatically, the ACC Client must have access to the internet.

Automatic License Activation 16

 1. In the site Setup tab, click .

 2. In the License Management window, select the license you want to deactivate.

You can select multiple licenses to deactivate them at the same time.

 3. Click Remove License....

 4. To save the product keys, click Copy to Clipboard then paste the product key into a text file.

 5. Select the Automatic or Manual tab.

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If you selected the Automatic tab, click Deactivate Now.

The selected licenses are deactivated automatically.

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If you selected the Manual tab, complete the following steps:

 a. Click Save File....

 b. From the Save As window, select where you want to save the deactivation file that is generated by the system. You can rename the deactivation file.

 c. Open a web browser and go to

http://activate.avigilon.com

.

 d. Browse to the location of your deactivation file then click Upload.

When you see the confirmation message, the license has been deactivated and is available for use on another site.

NOTE: There is a limit to the number of times a license can be deactivated and activated on another site. If you have reached this limit, contact Avigilon Technical Support to help resolve the issue.

Once a license has been deactivated, you can reuse the product key on a new site. For more information, see

Activating a License on page 15.

Reactivating a License

Licenses will need to be reactivated when servers are added to or removed from a site. The licenses on the incoming server are inactivated and need to be reactivated. The site will continue to work for a limited time with the active site licenses.

Licenses can be reactivated automatically or manually. Automatic license reactivation requires the ACC Client to have internet access.

Reactivating a License 17

 1. In the site Setup tab, click .

 2. Click Reactivate Licenses....

 3. Select the Automatic or Manual tab.

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If you selected the Automatic tab, click Reactivate Licenses.

All inactive licenses are reactivated automatically.

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If you selected the Manual tab, complete the following steps:

 a. Click Save File....

 b. From the Save As window, select where you want to save the reactivation file that is generated by the system. You can also rename the reactivation file.

 c. Open a web browser and go to

http://activate.avigilon.com

.

 d. Browse to the location of your reactivation file then click Upload.

 e. Complete the product registration page to receive product updates from Avigilon, then click Register.

 f. Return to the ACC Client and click Apply....

 g. Locate the license file and click Open.

 h. When the Confirm Licenses window displays, click OK.

The licenses are reactivated for the site.

Editing the Site View

You can edit the way your site is organized in the View tab so that it reflects how your system is set up.

By default, all cameras are listed in alphabetical order by site in the System Explorer. Through the Site View

Editor, you can organize the System Explorer to display cameras by location and group items for convenience, or hide cameras that are not relevant to an ongoing investigation.

NOTE: These settings only affect the System Explorer in the View tab.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

The Site View Editor dialog box is displayed.

 2. Change the site View layout as required.

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Click to add a New Folder. The New Folder is displayed as a virtual sub-site for organizational purposes only and will not have any Setup options.

Double-click the New Folder to change the name.

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To move one element, select the listed element then use the green arrows to move it up and down the list, or move it under a sub-site folder.

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To move multiple elements, select more than one element then drag them up and down the list together, or under the same sub-site folder.

Editing the Site View 18

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To show or hide the elements in a sub-site folder, click the arrow on the left to expand or collapse the sub-site folder.

This setting determines what users see each time they log in to the site. The user can still collapse or expand sub-site folders in the System Explorer.

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To sort a sub-site folder, select an element then click to sort that folder level into alphabetical order.

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To delete a sub-site folder, select the folder then click .

 3. Click OK to save your changes.

When you open a new View tab, your changes will be displayed in the System Explorer.

Connecting/Disconnecting Cameras and Devices

Cameras and other devices are connected to a site through the linked servers. The server manages and stores the camera's recorded video, while the site manages the events that can be linked to the camera's video.

You can connect and disconnect cameras and devices through the Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab.

A camera's connection status is indicated by the icon beside the camera name in the System Explorer. The status icons may appear over any device icon in the System Explorer.

Icon Definition

The camera is connected to the server.

Camera Connected

The camera is connected to the server and is currently upgrading its firmware.

Camera Upgrading

Camera Connection

Error

The camera cannot connect to a server.

This may be because the camera is no longer on the network or there is a network conflict.

Camera Disconnected

The camera is disconnected but recorded video from the camera remains on the server.

No Icon

The camera is disconnected and no recorded video from the camera remains on the server.

Discovering a Device

Avigilon and ONVIF devices that are connected to the same network as the Avigilon Control Center Server are automatically detected and added to the Discovered Cameras list.

If a device is not automatically discovered, it may be on a different subnet or is a third party camera that needs to be manually discovered.

Connecting/Disconnecting Cameras and Devices 19

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

The Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab is displayed.

 2. In the top-left corner, click Find Camera....

 3. In the Find Camera dialog box, complete the following fields to find the device:

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Search From Server: select the server that you want the device to connect to.

  l

Search Type: select a search type:

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IP Address — select this option to discover a device by its IP address or hostname. The device and server’s gateway IP address must be set correctly for the device to be found.

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IP Address Range — select this option to discover a device by IP address range. Only devices with IP addresses in that range will be discovered.

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Camera Type: select the device's brand name.

Tip: Select ONVIF to discover devices that are ONVIF compliant.

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Control Port: enter the device control port. The default port number is 55080.

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If required, enter the device's User Name: and Password:.

 4. Click OK.

If the device is discovered, it is automatically added to the Discovered Cameras list. You can now connect the device to a server.

Connecting a Device to a Server

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

To access a device from a site, it must be connected to a server within the site. The server manages and stores a camera's recorded video, while the site manages the events that can be linked to a camera's video.

Once a device has been discovered on the network, it can be connected to the server. If you do not see a

device you want to connect, see Discovering a Device on the previous page.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

The Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab is displayed.

 2. In the Discovered Cameras area, select one or more devices then click Connect....

Tip: You can also drag the device to a server on the Connected Cameras list.

 3. In the Connect Camera dialog box, select the server you want the device to connect to.

NOTE: If you are connecting multiple devices, all the cameras must use the same connection settings.

 4. If you are connecting a third-party device, you may choose to connect the device by its native driver. In the Camera Type: drop down list, select the device's brand name. If there is only one option in the drop down list, the system only supports one type of driver from the device.

Connecting a Device to a Server 20

 5. If the camera supports a secure connection, the Camera Control: drop down list is displayed. Select one of the following options:

NOTE: The setting may not be displayed if the camera only supports one of the options.

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Secure — The system will protect and secure the camera's configuration and login details. This option is selected by default.

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Unsecure — The camera's configuration and login details will not be secured and may be accessible to users with unauthorized access.

Cameras with a secure connection are identified with the icon in the Status column.

 6. If it is not displayed, click

to display the Site View Editor and choose where the device appears in the

System Explorer.

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If your site includes virtual sub-sites, select a location for the device. The list on the right updates to show what is stored in that directory.

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In the site directory, drag the device up and down to set where it is displayed.

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If you are connecting multiple devices at the same time, the selected devices must be assigned to the same sub-site.

Tip: If the site you want is not listed, you may need to connect the device to a different server. Make sure the selected server is connected to the site you want.

 7. Click OK.

 8. If the device is password protected, the Camera Authentication dialog box appears. Enter the device's username and password, then click OK.

Connecting Cameras to a Rialto™ Video Analytics Appliance

NOTE: For IP video analytics appliances only. This procedure is not required for analog video analytics appliances.

If you have an IP model of the Rialto video analytics appliance, you do not need to physically connect the camera to the appliance. Cameras can be connected to the appliance and configured through the Video

Analytics Configuration dialog box.

NOTE: The connecting camera and video analytics appliance must be on the same server.

 1. Add the video analytics appliance to the server. For more information, see Connecting a Device to a

Server on the previous page.

 2. Connect the required cameras to the same server as the video analytics appliance.

 3. In the Setup tab, select a video analytics appliance camera channel.

 4. Click . The Video Analytics Configuration dialog box opens.

 5. From the Linked Camera: drop down list, select a camera for this camera channel.

 6. Click OK.

 7. When you are prompted, allow the video analytics appliance to reboot.

Connecting Cameras to a Rialto™ Video Analytics Appliance 21

NOTE: If the camera you link to has a resolution higher than 2.0 MP, the video analytics appliance will use the camera's secondary video stream. This does not affect the resolution of recorded video.

Next, configure the appliance's video analytics settings. For more information, see Configuring Rialto Video

Analytics Appliances on page 56.

Editing the Device Connection to a Server

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

The Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab is displayed.

 2. Select the device connections you want to edit from the Connected Cameras list.

 3. To edit the device connection details, click Edit.... For details about the editable options, see Connecting

a Device to a Server on page 20.

If you selected multiple cameras, only the settings that are identical are displayed.

 4. To change the camera password, click Change Password... then enter a new password in the following dialog box.

 5. If the camera has an authentication error, click Login to Camera... then enter the correct password.

 6. Click OK.

Disconnecting a Device from a Server

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

. The Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab is displayed.

 2. Select the device you want to disconnect from the Connected Cameras list, then do one of the following:

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Click Disconnect. The device will be disconnected from the server and moved to the Discovered

Cameras list.

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Drag the device into the Discovered Cameras list.

Upgrading Camera Firmware

Camera firmware updates are typically included with the ACC Server update packages. Camera firmware updates are automatically downloaded and installed to the camera.

When the camera firmware is being upgraded, video from that camera cannot be displayed and the System

Explorer will display beside the camera name.

When the firmware upgrade is complete, the System Explorer will display again and video from the camera will display.

Users and Groups

When users are added to the ACC system, they are assigned to a group that defines their access permissions in a site. Use the Users and Groups dialog box to create and manage users and groups.

Editing the Device Connection to a Server 22

Adding a User

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the Users tab, click .

 3. When the Add User dialog box appears, complete the User Information area.  

 4. If you don’t want this user to be active yet, select the Disable user check box. Disabled users are in the system but cannot access the site.

 5. In the Login Timeout area, select the Enable login timeout check box to set the maximum amount of time the Avigilon Control Center Client software can be idle before the user is automatically logged out of the application.

 6. In the Password area, complete the following fields:

 

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Password: — enter a password for the user. l

Confirm Password: — re-enter the password.

  l

Require password change on next login — select this check box if the user must replace the password after the first login.

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Password Expiry (Days): — specify the number of days before the password must be changed.

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Password never expires — select this check box if the password never needs to be changed.

 7. In the Member Of tab select the check box beside each access group the user belongs to.

The other columns display the permissions that are included in the selected groups.

 8. Click OK. The user is added to the site.

Editing and Deleting a User

You can edit and delete users as needed.

NOTE: Be aware that you cannot edit or delete users that belong to the same ranked group as you or higher.

This also means that you cannot edit your own user account unless you are part of an Unranked group.

Tip: If a user has access to more than one site, the changes to the user need to be made on each site.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the Users tab, select a user then perform one of the following:

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To edit the user's information, click . For details about the editable options, see Adding a User above.

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To delete the user, click .

Corporate Hierarchy

You can set up a Corporate Hierarchy in the system to reflect your organization's structure.

Groups are given ranks to help define what they have access to. Users cannot see groups of equal or higher rank than the group they belong to. If users belong to multiple groups of different ranks, they will be able to view all ranks below the highest rank they belong to.

Adding a User 23

Setting Up a Corporate Hierarchy

Corporate hierarchy is set up by assigning ranks to different access permission groups. For more information

about ranks, see Ranks below.

You can assign ranks to permission groups through the Users and Groups dialog box. For more information about

adding groups, see Adding Groups on the next page.

When you see the Rank option, you can select an existing rank or create a new one.

  l

To use an existing rank, select an option from the drop down list. The default option is Unranked.

  l

To add a rank, click . When you see the Edit Corporate Hierarchy dialog box, complete the following steps:

If you have not yet created a Corporate Hierarchy, a message will appear prompting you to create a new one. Click Yes.

The default rank is Global. It is the highest rank in the Corporate Hierarchy.

NOTE: The Global rank cannot be deleted. It can only be renamed.

 1. Select Global then click . A new rank is added.

 2. To rename the rank, double-click the name and enter a new one in the text field. Click anywhere outside the text field to save the new name.

 3. Select a rank then click

to add a new rank immediately below the rank you selected.

NOTE: Ranks can only be added or deleted. They cannot be moved within the Corporate

Hierarchy.

 4. To delete a rank, select the rank then click

. All subordinate ranks will also be deleted.

NOTE: Make sure there are no members in the rank before you delete it. Members of a deleted rank are automatically assigned the lowest position in the Corporate Hierarchy and may lose required permissions.

 5. Click OK to save your changes.

Now that you've set up the Corporate Hierarchy, you can assign ranks to permission groups to define what users

can access within the system. For more information, see Users and Groups on page 22.

Ranks

Ranks in the Corporate Hierarchy feature represent the different levels that may exist in your organization. Each rank can have different permissions and be responsible for subordinate ranks.

The default rank is Global. It is the highest rank in the Corporate Hierarchy and can configure all ranks that are added below it.

When you add ranks, be aware that users assigned to a rank can only edit other ranks that are subordinate in the

Corporate Hierarchy. Any ranks that are above or parallel will not be accessible.

The following image is an example of a Corporate Hierarchy with multiple ranks. Canada is the highest, Global rank. West Coast and East Coast are of equal rank to each other, and one rank below Canada. Users belonging to East Coast cannot edit ranks below West Coast and vice versa.

Setting Up a Corporate Hierarchy 24

Unranked Groups

The Unranked groups are above the Corporate Hierarchy and cannot be deleted or edited.

Users belonging to Unranked groups are able to create and edit any ranked or Unranked groups and users if they have the Setup user and group settings privilege.

The default groups Administrators, Power Users, Restricted Users, and Standard Users are Unranked.

Deleted Ranks

If a rank is deleted, groups in this rank are removed from the hierarchy and assigned an orphaned rank. An orphaned rank is the lowest rank possible and is only visible to Unranked and Global users.

Unranked and Global users can reassign group ranks at any time. Members of the orphaned rank have no Setup user and group settings privileges but still retain other privileges, e.g. viewing live video.

Deleting a rank will also delete all the ranks below it in the Corporate Hierarchy. Remotely synchronized users and groups may become inaccessible.

Adding Groups

Groups define what features users have access to. Create new groups to change what users can access.

Unranked Groups 25

Groups can be given a rank in the Corporate Hierarchy to further define what the members of the group can

access. For more information about the Corporate Hierarchy feature, see Corporate Hierarchy on page 23.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the following dialog box, select the Groups tab and click

.

 3. In the pop-up dialog box, select an existing group to use as a template for your new group, then click OK.

 4. In the Edit Group dialog box, complete the following:

 a. Give the new group a name.

 b. Select a rank for the group from the Rank: drop down list. To edit or view the entire Corporate

Hierarchy, click .

 c. Select the required Group Privileges: and Access Rights: for the group. Clear the check box of any feature or device that you do not want the group to have access to.

 5. Select the Members tab to add users to the group.

If a user is added to the group through the Add User dialog box, the user is automatically added to the group's Members list.

 a. Click

.

 b. Select the users that should be part of this new group. Only users that have been added to the site are displayed.

Tip: Enter the name of a user in the Search... field to locate specific users.

 c. Click Add. The users are added to the Members list.

 6. Click OK to save the new group.

Related Tasks

Setting Up a Corporate Hierarchy

Adding a User

Reference Materials

Group Permission Descriptions

Editing and Deleting a Group

You can change the access permissions for a set of users by editing their access group.

24

23

110

Editing and Deleting a Group 26

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

 2. Select the Groups tab.

 3. Select a group and do one of the following:

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To edit the group, click . For details about the configurable options, see Adding Groups on page 25.

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To delete the group, click .

NOTE: Default groups cannot be deleted.

External Notifications

Use the External Notifications dialog box to configure the site to send email in response to specific events. You can set up an email server for the site and choose what events require email notifications.

If you use a central station monitoring service, you would also use this dialog box to set up communication between your site and the monitoring station.

Setting Up the Email Server

To send email notifications, the site must be given access to an email server.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click .

The External Notifications dialog box is displayed.

 2. Select the Email Server tab.

 3. In the Email Server Settings: area, complete the following:

 a. Sender Name: enter a name to represent the site in all email notifications.

 b. Sender Email Address: enter an email address for the site.

 c. Subject Line: enter a subject line for all emails sent from the site. The default subject is Avigilon

Control Center System Event.

 d. SMTP Server: enter the SMTP server address used by the site.

 e. Port: enter the SMTP port.

 f. Timeout (seconds): enter the maximum amount of time the server will try to send an email before it quits.

 4. (Optional) If the email server uses encryption, you can select the Use secure connection (TLS/SSL) check box.

 5. (Optional) If the email account has a username and password, select the Server requires authentication check box.

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Enter the User Name: and Password: for the email account.

 6. Click OK.

Configuring Email Notifications

In the Email Notifications dialog box, you can create email notification groups to specify who will receive email notifications when certain events occur.

External Notifications 27

Be aware that you cannot send any email notifications until you've set up an email server for the site. For more

information, see Setting Up the Email Server on the previous page.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

The External Notifications dialog box is displayed.

 2. Make sure the Email Notifications tab is selected.

 3. Click .

 4. Enter an Email Group Name:.

 5. In the Email Recipients: area, add all the user, group and individual emails that are part of this email group.

Do any of the following:

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Click to add a site user or access group. In the dialog box, select all the required users and groups then click OK.

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Click to add individual emails. In the dialog box, enter the email address then click OK.

Tip: Make sure the site users in the Email Recipients: list have a valid email in their user account.

 6. Click to send a test email to everyone on the Email Recipients: list.

 7. In the Email Trigger: area, select all the events that will trigger an email for this email group. Click the blue underlined text to define the event requirements.

Tip: If you require other events or more specific requirements, you can also configure email notification in

the rules engine. For more information, see Rules on page 30.

 8. To attach a snapshot of the email notification event, select the Attach images from camera(s) linked to

the event check box.

NOTE: This option is disabled if Motion Detect is not selected because there are no images associated with system events, digital inputs, or POS transaction exceptions.

 9. In the Email Schedule: area, select a schedule for the email notification. For more information, see

Scheduling Site Events on page 33.

 10. To limit the number of emails sent, enter the minimum amount of time between each email in the Send

email at most every: field.

 11. Click OK.

The new email notification is saved and added to the Email Groups: list.

Editing and Deleting an Email Notification

You can edit or delete email notifications as needed.

Editing and Deleting an Email Notification 28

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

The External Notifications dialog box is displayed.

 2. In the Email Notifications tab, do one of the following:

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To edit an email notification, select the notification from the Email Groups: list then make the

required changes. For more information about the editable options, see Configuring Email

Notifications on page 27.

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To delete an email notification, select the notification from the Email Groups: list then click .

Enabling Central Station Monitoring

If you use a central station monitoring service, you can set up the Avigilon Control Center System to communicate with your central monitoring service.

Consult with your central monitoring service for the correct settings for each field.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

The External Notifications dialog box is displayed.

 2. Select the Central Station Monitoring tab.

 3. Select the Enable Central Station Monitoring check box to enable this service.

 4. Complete the SMTP fields with the information provided by your central monitoring service.

The central monitoring service will typically provide you with a specific name, email and SMTP details to identify you in their system.

 5. To periodically check the state of the connection to the central monitoring service, select a time interval from the Minimum Heartbeat Interval: drop down list.

The selected amount of time must pass before a confirmation message is sent. The confirmation message is only sent if no other notifications are sent during the set time period.

This feature allows the system to automatically send a message to the central monitoring service to confirm that the systems are still connected and no issues have occurred.

If the central monitoring service requires the system to send a heartbeat test message at specific intervals, select the option that is equal to half the requested interval. For example, if the central monitoring service requires a confirmation message be sent once a day, assign the system to send a message every 12 hours.

 6. From the Attachment: options, select one of the following:

Attaching an image or video of an event allows the central monitoring service to verify alarms and take the appropriate actions.

Enabling Central Station Monitoring 29

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None — The system sends a message to the central monitoring service without any attachments.

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Video Clip for Device Events — The system automatically exports a video of the event in H.264 format, and attaches it in the message.

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Image for Device Events — The system takes a snapshot of the event and attaches it in the message.

NOTE: To send a message to the central monitoring service, the rule action for an event must be setup to

Send notification to Central Monitoring Station.

 7. Click OK to save your changes.

 8. Create rules that will notify the central monitoring service of specific events.

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On the Select Rule Action(s) page, make sure the Send notification to Central Monitoring Station option is selected. This ensures the central monitoring service is notified of the rule event.

For more information about creating rules, see Adding a Rule below.

Tip: The system Email Notifications feature works separately from the Central Station Monitoring feature, but you can configure the rules to send you the same notifications as the central monitoring service. When you create rules for the central monitoring service, include the Send email option on the Select Rule Action(s) page. You can configure the rule to send you details that are not included in the central monitoring notification.

Rules

The Rules engine allows you to trigger specific actions when a certain event, or set of events, occurs.

For example, you can create a rule that starts a live stream when the back door is opened.

If the default email notification options are insufficient for your needs, you can use the Rules engine to set up more specific trigger events.

Adding a Rule

NOTE: sites with a Standard license can have up to 3 rules in their system.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

The Rules dialog box is displayed.

 2. Click

.

 3. On the Select Rule Event(s) page, select all the events that will trigger the rule. If there is blue underlined text in the rule description, click on the text to further define the event.

When the trigger event is defined, click .

 4. On the Select Rule Action(s) page, select all the actions that will occur in response to the triggers. If there is blue underlined text in the rule description, click on the text to further define the event.

When the action is defined, click .

 5. On the Select Rule Condition(s) page, select the specific condition that will cause this rule to run. You can select more than one condition.

If there is blue underlined text in the rule description, click on the text to further define the condition.

Rules 30

When the condition is defined, click .

 6. On the Select Rule Properties page, complete the following:

 a. Enter a Rule Name: and a Rule Description:.

 b. Select a Schedule: for the rule. For more information, see Scheduling Site Events on page 33.

 c. Make sure the Rule is enabled check box is selected to enable the rule.

 7. Click

to save the new rule.

Editing and Deleting a Rule

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

. The Rules dialog box is displayed.

 2. Select a rule, then do one of the following:

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To edit the rule, click . Go through the Rule Setup wizard and make the required changes on each page. On the last page, click to save your changes.

For details about the editable options, see Adding a Rule on the previous page.

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To delete a rule, click . When the confirmation dialog box appears, click OK.

Backing Up System Settings

You can back up site and server configuration settings so that they can be restored after an unexpected system failure or used on a different site.

If you want to back up or archive recorded video, see Archive on page 108.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the following dialog box, select the server that you want to back up. The site settings are automatically included in the backup file.

 3. If you want to encrypt the backup file, select the Encrypt the backup file. check box then enter a password.

The password is required when the backup file is used to restore the system settings. Be aware that if you lose the encryption password, the file can no longer be used.

NOTE: It is highly recommended that you enable the encryption option because the settings file may contain sensitive system information.

 4. Click OK.

 5. In the Save As dialog box, name and save the file.

The backup file is saved in Avigilon Settings File (.avs) format.

NOTE: Backup files can only be restored to servers that are running the same or more recent version of the

Avigilon Control Center Server software.

Editing and Deleting a Rule 31

Restoring System Settings

NOTE: You cannot restore settings from a 5.2.2 or earlier server through this version of the Avigilon Control

Center Client software.

If you have a backup Avigilon Settings File (.avs), you can restore the settings as needed. You would typically restore settings after a server has been replaced in the site, or when setting up several independent sites that require similar settings.

NOTE: Make sure the new server has at least the same number of licenses as the server that generated the backup file. If not, you will lose access to features that were included in the backup file but are not supported by the new server.

Be aware that when you restore server settings, all existing settings are overwritten by the restored settings.

When you restore site settings, the restored settings are merged with any existing settings.

 1. In the site Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the following dialog box, find and select the .avs file that you want to restore.

 3. If the backup file is encrypted, enter the required password in the following dialog box. You will not be asked to provide a password if the file is not encrypted.

 4. Select the settings you want to restore.

By default, the system will select the recommended option for you.

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Restore site and server settings — select this option to restore all settings in the site and the selected server.

NOTE: If the server is part of a multi-server site, do not select this option because the site settings are maintained by the other connected servers.

 

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Restore server settings — select this option to restore all settings to the selected server.

l

Use custom settings — click Choose Settings to specify the settings that you want to restore.

Be careful when selecting the custom settings because some settings have dependencies that may cause unexpected issues if they are not supported by the server.

 5. Select the server that you want to restore the settings to.

It is recommended that you only select servers in the Recommended Servers list. Servers in this list do not have any existing device connections. Restoring settings to a server that is not in this list may overwrite existing device connection details or cause the system to exceed its license and processing limits.

 6. Click OK.

If you restored the site settings, the settings are merged:

Restoring System Settings 32

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Unique settings are added to the site.

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If the settings are identical, only the current site version is kept.

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If an import setting and a site setting have the same name but are configured differently, the import setting is added to the site and renamed in this format: <setting name> (Import), like Email1 (Import).

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In the rules engine, the Notify users (default) rule is always added and renamed, even if the settings are the same. The import version is enabled and the site version is disabled by default.

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The two site Views are combined.

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The import settings take precedence.

For example, a map from the import file is already used in the site. Currently, the map is stored at the top of the site View. But in the import file, the map is kept at the bottom. After the import settings are merged with the current site settings, the map is moved to the bottom.

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Unorganized elements from the import file are listed at the bottom of the site View.

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User permission groups are merged.

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If groups have the same name, the import settings are used and the users from both the import file and the current site are added to the group.

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Groups added from the import file automatically gain access to all the new devices that were added since the settings were exported.

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Users with the same name will use the import settings, including passwords.

Scheduling Site Events

Site events are actions that can affect the entire site, like email notifications. When you configure a site event, you are given the option to assign a schedule to the event. Schedules control when events can occur — at specific times during a day, or only on specific days.

When you see the Schedule option while configuring an event, you can select an existing schedule or create a new schedule.

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To use a preconfigured schedule, select an option from the drop down list. The default option is Always, which allows the event to run constantly.

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To change a schedule, select the schedule then click > .

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To delete a schedule, select the schedule then click > . In the following confirmation dialog box, click OK.

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To create a schedule, click then select . When the Edit… dialog box is displayed, complete the following steps:

 1. Give the new schedule a name.

 2. Give the first recurrence a name.

You can add multiple recurrences to create a detailed schedule. For example, you could create one recurrence to cover every weekend, plus extra recurrences to cover public holidays.

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To add extra recurrences, click .

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To delete a recurrence, select the recurrence then click .

Scheduling Site Events 33

 3. For each recurrence, define the duration by entering a Start: and End: time.

Be aware that if you enter an End: time that is earlier than the Start: time, the event will span two days. For example, if the schedule is set to start at 12:00 pm and end at 11:59 am, the event is automatically enabled from 12:00 pm on day 1 and will end at 11:59 am on day 2.

 4. In the Start Date: field, enter when the recurrence should begin.

 5. In the Recurrence pattern area, select the frequency of the recurrence.

Option Description

The event is enabled during the same time every day.

Daily

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Select the number of days between each schedule recurrence.

The event is enabled during the same day and time every week.

Weekly

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Select the day(s) of the week, then select the number of weeks between each schedule recurrence.

The event is enabled during the same day and time every month.

Monthly

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Select the specific day or weekday, then select the number of months between each schedule recurrence.

The event is enabled during the same day and time every year.

Yearly

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Select the specific day or weekday and month, then select the number of years between each schedule recurrence.

 6. Add and complete any other recurrences that need to be part of the schedule.

 7. Click OK to save the new schedule.

Server Settings

Server settings are related to video recording on each server in the system. This includes configuring the recording schedule, data aging, and bandwidth usage.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

Naming a Server

Give the server a meaningful name so that it can be easily identified in the System Explorer. Otherwise, the server uses the name that is assigned by Windows.

 1. In the server Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the following dialog box, enter a name for the server.

 3. Click OK.

Server Settings 34

Recording Schedule

Use the Recording Schedule dialog box to set the recording schedule for cameras connected to the server. By default, the server is set to record motion and configured events when they occur.  

Once the recording schedule is set, video is recorded automatically.

Adding and Editing a Recording Schedule Template

The recording schedule is set by using templates that tell cameras when and what to record. For example, you can create one recording schedule template for weekdays and another for weekends.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

 1. In the server Setup tab, click

. The Recording Schedule dialog box is displayed.

 2. Click Add Template below the Templates: list.

 3. Enter a name for the New Template.

 4. Click the Set Area button, then click or drag the cursor across the Recording Mode: timeline to set the types of events that the cameras will record throughout the day. Individual rectangles on the Recording

Mode: timeline are colored when they have been selected.

The Recording Mode: options include:

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Continuous — record video constantly.

 

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Motion — only record video when motion is detected.

l

Digital Inputs — only record video when a digital input is activated.

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POS Transactions — only record video when a point of sale (POS) transaction is made.

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License Plates — only record video when a license plate is detected.

 5. To disable recording in parts of the template, click the Clear Area button, then click or drag the cursor across the timeline to remove the set recording areas.

 6. If cameras are not recording in Continuous mode all day, you can set cameras to record reference images between events in the recording schedule.

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Select the Record a reference image every: check box, then set the time between each reference image.

Editing and Deleting a Template

 1. In the Setup tab, select the server you want to edit then click

.

 2. In the Recording Schedule dialog box, select a template from the Templates: pane and do one of the following:

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To edit a template, modify the schedule.

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To rename a template, click Rename Template and enter a new name.

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To delete a template, click Delete Template.

 3. Click OK to save your changes.

Recording Schedule 35

Setting Up a Weekly Recording Schedule

You can set up a weekly recording schedule by applying templates to cameras for each day of the week.

 1. In the server Setup tab, click

. The Recording Schedule dialog box is displayed.

 2. Select a template from the Templates: list.

 3. In the Default Week area, click the days of the week this template applies to for each camera.

Figure 5:

The Recording Schedule dialog box: Default Week

 4. Click OK.

Recording and Bandwidth

While the Recording Schedule dialog box sets when and what cameras record, the Recording and Bandwidth dialog box sets how long recorded video is stored.

In the Recording and Bandwidth dialog box, you can change the Data Aging settings and set the maximum record time for each connected camera. The amount of data aging that is available depends on the camera that is connected to the system.

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For JPEG2000 or JPEG compression cameras, data aging is available at three rates:

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High Bandwidth keeps recordings at their original quality.

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Half Image Rate discards half of the recorded data to make room for new recordings.

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Quarter Image Rate keeps 1/4 of the original recorded data so that you can still see older video.

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For H.264 cameras that support data aging, data aging is available at two rates:

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High Bandwidth keeps the original high quality video and the secondary stream of low resolution video.

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Low Bandwidth only keeps the secondary stream of low resolution video.

NOTE: The data aging can only occur when the secondary stream is enabled.

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For H.264 cameras that do not support data aging, only the High Bandwidth video is kept.

By default, the system is set to keep recorded video for the maximum amount of time based on the available storage.

 1. In the server Setup tab, click

.

The Recording and Bandwidth dialog box is displayed.

The Data Aging column shows an estimate of the recording time that is available at each image rate, given the amount of space on the recording device.

Setting Up a Weekly Recording Schedule 36

 2. In the Data Aging column, move the sliders to adjust the amount of time video is stored at each image rate.

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To change the data aging settings for all linked cameras, move the slider for one linked camera and all linked cameras will be updated.

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To change the data aging setting for one camera, break the camera's link to other cameras by clicking the icon to the left of its name, then make your changes.

 3. In the Max. Record Time column, manually enter a maximum record time or select one of the options from the drop down list for each camera.

NOTE: If the time estimated in the Total Record Time column is shorter than what is set in the Max. Record

Time column, the camera's actual recording time will be shorter than the Max. Record Time.

 4. Click OK.

POS Transactions

The Point of Sale (POS) Transaction Engine is a licensed feature that records raw data from POS transaction sources. You can link cameras to specific POS transaction sources, and set up the system to make note of transaction exceptions.

Once POS transactions have been set up, you can see live and recorded POS transaction data in the View tab while watching any linked video.

To monitor live POS transactions, see  Monitoring Live POS Transactions on page 84.

To review recorded POS transactions, see Reviewing Recorded POS Transactions on page 88.

Adding a POS Transaction Source

 1. In the server Setup tab, click

. The POS Transactions dialog box is displayed.

 2. Click . The POS Transactions Setup wizard is displayed.

 3. On the Set Transaction Source Device page, enter the Hostname/IP Address: and the Port: of the POS transaction source device, then click Next.

 4. On the Set Transaction Source Data Format page, select a data format, then click Next.

To add or edit a data format, click Add or Edit. Alternatively, click Copy From to duplicate then edit the selected data format.

For more information about adding a new data format, see Adding a Transaction Source Data Format on the next page.

 5. On the Set Transaction Exceptions page, select any exceptions that need be monitored, then click Next.

If you do not need to monitor for exceptions, you can skip this page.

To add or edit a transaction exception, click Add or Edit. For more information, see Adding a Transaction

Exception on page 39.

POS Transactions 37

 6. On the Set Transaction Source Device page, select the cameras you want to link to the transaction source.

You can also set the amount of time video needs to be recorded before and after each transaction. The default value is 5 seconds.

When you are ready to continue, click Next.

 7. On the Set Transaction Source Name and Description page, enter a name and description for the transaction source. Select Enable transaction source to start receiving data from the transaction source.

 8. Click

to save the new transaction source.

Adding a Transaction Source Data Format

When you add a new POS transaction source, be aware that the transaction source must have a source data format.

 1. In the POS Transactions Setup wizard, click

when you arrive on the Set Transaction Source Data

Format page. The Configure Data Format dialog box is displayed.

For information about accessing this dialog box, see Adding a POS Transaction Source on the previous page.

 2. In the Properties area, define the following:

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Name: enter a name for the data format.

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Description: enter a description of the data format.

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Transaction Start Text: (required) enter the text that identifies the start of each transaction from the

POS transaction source.

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Transaction End Text: (optional) enter the text that identifies the end of each transaction.

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Encoding: Select the encoding used by the POS transaction source.

 3. Capture data from the transaction source. Perform any of the following to capture raw data of the source data format:

The following figure shows raw transaction data on the left and filtered transaction data on the right.

Adding a Transaction Source Data Format 38

Figure 6:

The Configure Data Format dialog box

  l

Click Capture Data to start capturing a raw transaction data sample.

  l

Click Stop Capture to stop capturing transaction data.

 

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Click Load Data... to load raw transaction data from a file.

l

Click Save Data... to save a copy of the transaction data that has been captured.

 4. To create a new filter for the raw transaction data file, click Add Filter.... The Configure Filter dialog box is displayed.

There are two default filters in the Current Filters: area — one to create line breaks and the other to delete extra white space at the beginning of each line. If you do not need extra filters, skip this step.

 a. In the Text: field, enter text for the filter to search for.

 b. Select the Match case and/or Match whole word check box to focus the text filter to only find text with the same capitalization or an exact match.

 c. In the Method: drop down list, select a search method. You can choose to filter text found through a Normal search, Wildcards search, or Regular expressions search.

 d. In the Action to Take: area, select the action the system will take when the filter finds a match to your text criteria.

 e. Click OK.

 5. On the Configure Data Format screen, click OK to add the new data format to the data format list.

Adding a Transaction Exception

To help monitor unusual transactions, you can set up transaction exceptions. Transaction exceptions can help you identify unauthorized discounts, fake returns, and manual price overrides.

Adding a Transaction Exception 39

 1. In the POS Transactions Setup wizard, click

when you arrive on the Set Transaction Exceptions page.

For information about accessing this page, see Adding a POS Transaction Source on page 37.

 2. In the Configure Exception dialog box, enter a name for the exception.

 3. Select one of the Text to Match options:

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Match Text — Enter text that will be monitored as a transaction exception.

The system will monitor all transactions for the text entered in the Text to Match field.

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Match Value — Enter the value that triggers the transaction exception. You can use the relational operators from the drop down list, and further define the value by entering any text that may appear before or after the value.

The exception will monitor all transactions for values that match what you enter in the Text Before

Value:, Match when value:, and Text After Value: fields.

 4. Click OK.

The new transaction exception is added to the Set Transaction Exceptions page.

Repeat this procedure until all the required transaction exceptions have been added to the transaction source.

Editing and Deleting a POS Transaction Source

 1. In the server Setup tab, click

.

The POS Transactions dialog box is displayed.

 2. In the POS Transactions dialog box, select a POS transaction source, then do one of the following:

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To edit the POS transaction source, click . Go through the POS Transactions Setup wizard and make the required changes on each page. On the last page, click to save your changes.

For details about the editable options, see Adding a POS Transaction Source on page 37.

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To delete the POS transaction source, click .

When the confirmation dialog box is displayed, click Yes.

Enabling Server Analytics

Server Analytics is an ACC ES Analytics Appliance feature that allows video analytics to be performed on cameras without self-learning video analytic capabilities.

 1. In the server Setup tab, click .

 2. In the following dialog box, a list of connected cameras are displayed.

Only cameras without video analytics capabilities are displayed.

If you do not have access rights for a camera, it will not be shown in this list.

Editing and Deleting a POS Transaction Source 40

 3. To enable video analytics, select the check box beside the connected camera.

The Total Analytic Load bar displays the appliance's video analytic capacity. The percentage is based on the enabled camera's current Compression and Image Rate settings.

 4. Click OK.

Your settings are now saved.

Video analytic events can now be set up for the enabled cameras from the camera's Setup tab.

Enabling Server Analytics 41

Device Settings

Device settings are used to adjust video quality and set up devices that can be connected to cameras and video analytics appliances. These settings include adjusting camera display quality, video compression and image rate.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

General

Use the device General dialog box to set a device's identity and configure device PTZ settings. You can also reboot the device through the General dialog box.

Setting a Device's Identity

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

In a device's General dialog box, you can give the device a name, describe the device's location and give the device a logical ID. The logical ID is needed to control the device through keyboard and joystick commands.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

The General dialog box is displayed.

.

 2. In the Camera Name: field, give the device a meaningful name to help you identify it. By default, the device model number is used as the device's name.

 3. In the Camera Location: field, describe the device's location.

 4. In the Logical ID: field, enter a unique number to allow the Client software and integrations to identify this device. By default, the device's Logical ID: is not set and must be manually added.

Tip: If Display LogicalIDs is enabled in Client Settings, the device's Logical ID will appear beside the device's name in the System Explorer.

 5. (Cameras only) To disable the LEDs on a device, select the Disable camera status LEDs. This may be required if the device is installed in a covert location.

 6. Click OK.

Configuring PTZ

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

Device Settings 42

Use the camera General dialog box to enable and configure the motorized pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) devices that may be connected to Avigilon cameras.  PTZ devices are connected to Avigilon cameras through the RS-485 inputs.

Third-party PTZ camera controls cannot be configured through the Avigilon Control Center software.

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click

The General dialog box is displayed.

.

 2. In the PTZ area, select the Enable PTZ controls check box.

NOTE: If the features described in the following steps are not displayed, the camera only has a motorized zoom and focus lens. You will be able to control the zoom and focus settings through the PTZ Controls pane but other PTZ controls will not be available.

 3. In the Protocol: drop down list, select the appropriate PTZ protocol. The available protocols include:

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AD Sensormatic

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AXSYS

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AXSYS DCU

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Ernitec ERNA

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Honeywell Diamond

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Kalatel ASCII

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Pelco D

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Pelco P

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TEB Ligne

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Videotec MACRO

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Videotec Legacy

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Vicon extended

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Vicon normal

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JVC JCBP

 4. Enter the Dip Switch Address:, Baud Rate:, and Parity: for the PTZ device.

 5. Click OK.

Once PTZ has been configured, you can use the camera's PTZ Controls while you watch the camera's live video

stream. For more information, see Controlling PTZ Cameras on page 80.

Changing the Camera Operating Priority

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

Changing the Camera Operating Priority 43

Depending on the scene, you may want the camera to maintain a specific frame rate rather than use all the available features. Or the reverse.

Choose what the camera should prioritize during normal operations.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The General dialog box is displayed.

 2. From the Mode: drop down list, select one of the following:

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High Framerate — the camera will hold the preferred image rate as the priority.

The camera will stream at the configured image rate even if it is unable to use other features supported by the camera. Depending on the camera model, disabled features may include selflearning video analytics, WDR and edge storage.

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Full Feature — the camera will maintain the function of all supported features as the priority.

The camera will dedicate more processing power towards maintaining the function of its key features, and use an optimized image rate. Depending on the camera feature, the image rate may be capped down to less than half the configured image rate.

 3. Click OK.

Enabling or Disabling Video Analytics Display

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

If you are configuring an Avigilon self-learning video analytics device, you can enable or disable the device from displaying the bounding boxes that highlight video analytics activity.

By default, this setting is enabled.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

The General dialog box is displayed.

.

 2. To enable video analytics display, make sure the Display video analytics activity check box is selected.

 3. To disable video analytics activity, clear the Display video analytics activity check box.

Once disabled, the View tab no longer displays bounding boxes in the camera's video stream, or in the camera's AVI video export.

The camera continues to detect video analytics data, so you will still be able to see bounding boxes while configuring video analytic events, Classified Object Motion Detection and Teach By Example.

Bounding boxes will also be displayed when you perform a Motion or Classified Object Events search on the camera's video.

 4. Click OK.

Enabling or Disabling Video Analytics Display 44

If you want to change this setting for all cameras rather than for specific devices, change the Video Analytics

Activity overlay option in the Client Settings dialog box. For more information, see Video Display Settings on page 68.

Rebooting a Device

You can restart all Avigilon devices through the device's General dialog box. This feature is not available for third party devices.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click 

The General dialog box is displayed.

.

 2. Click Reboot Camera....

The device will disconnect from the Avigilon Control Center system and shut down. When the device starts up again, the device should automatically reconnect with the server it was previously connected to.

Network

Use the device Network dialog box to change how a device connects to the server network.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Network dialog box is displayed.

 2. Select how the device obtains an IP address:

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Obtain an IP address automatically: select this option for the device to connect to the network through an automatically assigned IP address.

The device will attempt to obtain an address from a DHCP server. If this fails, the device will obtain an address through Zero Configuration Networking (Zeroconf) and select an address in the

169.254.0.0/16 subnet.

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Use the following IP address: select this option to manually assign a static IP address to the device.

Enter the IP Address:, Subnet Mask:, and Gateway: you want the device to use.

 3. Select the Control Port: for connecting to the device. This port is also used for manually discovering the device on the network.

 4. Click OK.

 5. (Rialto Video analytics appliance only) When prompted, allow the system to restart the device.

Rebooting a Device 45

Image and Display

Use the Image and Display dialog box to control a camera’s display settings for live and recorded video.

An image histogram is provided at the bottom of the window to help you configure your settings.

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

Changing Image and Display Settings

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click

.

The Image and Display dialog box is displayed.

 2. To focus the camera, see Zooming and Focusing the Camera Lens on page 48.

 3. Click

to toggle the Auto Contrast Adjustment.

This setting changes the contrast of the video displayed in this dialog box. It does not affect recorded video or video displayed in other views. By default, Auto Contrast Adjustment is off.

 4. If the camera supports day/night control, select one of the following options from the Day/Night Mode: drop down list:

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Automatic — allow the camera to control the infrared cut filter based on the amount of light in the scene.

If available, move the Day/Night Threshold: slider to set the exposure value (EV) when the camera changes from day to night mode.

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Day Mode — the camera will only stream in color and the IR cut filter is disabled.

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Night Mode — the camera will only stream in monochrome and the IR cut filter is enabled.

 5. Adjust the camera's image settings to best capture the scene. A preview of your changes are displayed in the image panel and the histogram.

Tip: Use the Maximum Exposure:, Maximum Gain:, and Priority: options to control low light behavior.

Option Description

Synchronize Image

Settings with All Heads

You can apply the same image settings to all camera heads by selecting this check box.

(Avigilon HD Multisensor

Dome Cameras Only)

NOTE: Zoom and focus settings must be set individually.

Exposure:

You can allow the camera to control the exposure by selecting Automatic, or you can set a specific exposure rate.

NOTE: Increasing the manual exposure time may affect the image rate.

Image and Display 46

Iris:

Option Description

You can allow the camera to control the iris by selecting Automatic, or you can manually set it to Open or Closed.

You can limit the automatic exposure setting by selecting a Maximum

Exposure: level.

Maximum Exposure:

By setting a Maximum Exposure: level for low light situations, you can control the camera's exposure time to let in the maximum amount of light without creating blurry images.

You can limit the automatic gain setting by selecting a Maximum Gain: level.

Maximum Gain:

By setting a Maximum Gain: level for low light situations, you can maximize the detail of an image without creating excessive noise in the images.

You can select Image Rate or Exposure as the priority.

When set to Image Rate, the camera will maintain the set image rate as the priority, and will not adjust the exposure beyond what can be recorded for the set image rate.

Priority:

Flicker Control:

Enable Adaptive IR

Compensation

Saturation:

When set to Exposure, the camera will maintain the exposure setting as the priority, and will override the set image rate to achieve the best image possible.

If your video image flickers because of the fluorescent lights around the camera, you can reduce the effects of the flicker by setting the Flicker

Control: to the same frequency as your lights. Generally, Europe is 50 Hz and

North America is 60 Hz.

Backlight Compensation:

If your scene has areas of intense light that cause the overall image to be too dark, move the Backlight Compensation: slider until you achieve a well exposed image.

Enable Wide Dynamic

Range

Select this box to enable automatic color adjustments through Wide Dynamic

Range (WDR). This allows the camera to adjust the video image to accommodate scenes where bright light and dark shadow are clearly visible.

Select this box to enable automatic infrared adjustments through Adaptive IR

Compensation. This allows the camera to automatically adjust the video image for saturation caused by IR illumination.

You can adjust the video's color intensity by moving the Saturation: slider until the video image meets your requirements.

Sharpening:

Image Rotation:

You can adjust the video sharpness to make the edges of objects more visible. Move the Sharpening: slider until the video image meets your requirements.

You can change the rotation of captured video. You can rotate the video 90,

180, or 270 degrees clockwise.

You can control white balance settings to adjust for differences in light.

White Balance

You can allow the camera to control the white balance by selecting Automatic

Changing Image and Display Settings 47

Option Description

White Balance, or select Custom White Balance and manually set the Red: and Blue: settings.

 6. Click Apply to Cameras... to apply the same settings to other cameras of the same model.

 7. Click OK.

Zooming and Focusing the Camera Lens

If the camera has remote zoom and focus capabilities, you can control the camera's zoom and focus through the

Image and Display dialog box.

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click 

.

The Image and Display dialog box is displayed.

 2. If the camera has a built-in auto-focus feature, you can choose one of the following:

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Continuous Focus — the camera will automatically focus itself whenever the scene changes. Skip the following steps.

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Manual Focus — you can manually focus the camera through the Focus: buttons. Once the focus is manually set, it will not change.

 3. While you watch the preview in the image panel, complete the following steps to zoom and focus the camera:

 a. Use the Zoom: buttons to zoom in to the distance you want to focus.

 4. In the Iris: drop down list, select Open. When the iris is fully open, the camera's depth of field is the shortest.

 5. Use the Focus: buttons until the image becomes clear.

Button Description

Auto Focus

The camera will automatically focus one time.

The camera will focus as close to zero as possible.

Large step toward zero.

Small step toward zero.

Small step toward infinity.

Large step toward infinity.

Infinity.

 6. Click Apply to Cameras... to apply the same settings to other cameras of the same model.

 7. Click OK.

Zooming and Focusing the Camera Lens 48

Dewarping a Fisheye Lens

If your camera uses a supported fisheye or panomorph lens, you may choose to dewarp the image through the

Avigilon Control Center software.

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click .

 2. In the View Perspective: drop down list, select one of the following options:

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Floor: select this option if the camera is installed to look up.

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Ceiling: select this option if the camera is installed to look down.

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Wall: select this option if the camera is installed to look at the horizon.

 3. If available, edit the Image and Display settings.

 4. Click OK.

The system dewarps the lens image based on the way it is installed. You will be able to control how video is displayed in an image panel through the PTZ controls.

Compression and Image Rate

Use the camera Compression and Image Rate dialog box to modify the camera's frame rate and image quality settings for sending image data over the network.

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click

.

The Compression and Image Rate dialog box is displayed.

The Bandwidth: area gives an estimate of the bandwidth used by the camera with the current settings.

Adjust the settings as required.

NOTE: For cameras capable of maintaining multiple streams, the settings in this dialog box only affect the primary stream.

 2. In the Format: drop down list, select the preferred streaming format.

 3. In the Image Rate: bar, move the slider to select the number of images per second (ips) you want the camera to stream over the network.

For H.264 cameras and encoders, the image rate setting must be divisible by the maximum image rate. If you set the slider between two image rate settings, the application will round to the closest whole number.

Dewarping a Fisheye Lens 49

 4. In the Image Quality: drop down list, select an image quality setting. An image quality setting of 1 will produce the highest quality video and require the most bandwidth. The default setting is 6.

 5. In the Max Bit Rate: field, select the maximum bandwidth the camera can use in kilobits per second

(kbps).

 6. In the Resolution: drop down list, select the preferred image resolution.

 7. In the Keyframe Interval: drop down list, enter the preferred number of frames between each keyframe.

To help you determine how frequently keyframes are recorded, the Keyframe Period: area tells you the amount of time that passes between each recorded keyframe.

It is recommended that you have at least one keyframe per second.

 8. If your camera supports multiple video streams, you can select the Enable Low Bandwidth Stream check box. Depending on your version of the software, the check box may also be called "Enable secondary stream".

When enabled, the lower resolution video stream is used by the Avigilon HDSM™ feature to maximize bandwidth and storage efficiencies.

 9. Click Apply to Cameras... to apply the same settings to other cameras of the same model.

 10. Click OK.

Enabling Idle Scene Mode

If you are configuring an Avigilon self-learning video analytics camera, the Compression and Image Rate dialog box offers the option to record video at a different frame rate and quality if there are no motion events detected in the scene.

A motion event is when the camera uses its Pixel Motion Detection or Classified Object Motion Detection ability

to identify significant events in the scene. For more information, see Motion Detection on page 52.

Idle scene mode is typically used to set the camera to stream at a lower image rate and reduced quality to lower the bandwidth and storage used when the scene is idle.

NOTE: This option is only available if the camera is set to stream in H.264 format.

 1. In the Compression and Image Rate dialog box, select the Enable Idle Scene Mode check box.

The Idle Scene Mode settings are displayed. If the settings do not automatically display, click to reveal the settings.

 2. In the Post-Motion Delay: field, enter the amount of time in seconds the scene must be idle before it switches to idle scene mode.

 3. In the following Image Rate: bar, move the slider to select the number of images per second (ips) you want the camera to stream while the scene is idle.

 4. In the Image Quality: drop down list, select the video image quality when the camera is in idle scene mode.

 5. In the Max Bit Rate: field, select the maximum bandwidth the camera can use in this mode.

Enabling Idle Scene Mode 50

 6. In the Keyframe Interval: drop down list, enter the preferred number of frames between each keyframe.

To help you determine how frequently keyframes are recorded, the Keyframe Period: area tells you the amount of time that passes between each recorded keyframe.

 7. Click OK to save your settings.

Next time the camera's field of view becomes quiet or idle, the camera will automatically switch to idle scene mode. The camera will automatically switch back to standard streaming mode when motion events are detected in the scene.

Manually Adjusting Recorded Video Streams

If you have a 1-3 megapixel Avigilon H4 HD camera, you have the option of manually adjusting the primary and secondary video stream, or allowing the system to automatically use HDSM technology. HDSM technology allows ACC to automatically record both the primary and secondary stream so that the system can intelligently adjust video bandwidth and storage efficiencies to meet your requirements.

If your local regulations require that a specific video stream be recorded or be a certain resolution, you have the option of manually adjusting the settings to meet the requirements.

 1. In the Compression and Image Rate dialog box, select Manual from the Recording Profile: drop down list.

The High Bandwidth Stream is automatically disabled for recorded video but the settings are still available for you to configure the live video stream. The Low Bandwidth Stream settings are enabled.

The default HDSM Auto option allows the system to use the HDSM feature for viewing live and recorded video. Be aware that if you are using the Manual setting, HDSM technology is disabled for recorded video but is still used for live video streams.

 2. If you need to adjust the live video stream, change the High Bandwidth Stream settings first.

The High Bandwidth Stream settings are used to optimize the Low Bandwidth Stream settings, so some of the settings may change depending on your settings for the High Bandwidth Stream.

 3. If it is not displayed, click

to display the Low Bandwidth Stream settings.

If you prefer to record a higher resolution video, clear the Enable Low Bandwidth Stream check box and adjust the High Bandwidth Stream settings.

 4. In the Resolution: drop down list, select the preferred image resolution.

 5. In the Image Rate: bar, move the slider to select the number of images per second (ips) you want the camera to stream over the network.

 6. In the Image Quality: drop down list, select an image quality setting. An image quality setting of 1 will produce the highest quality video and require the most bandwidth. The default setting is 6.

 7. In the Max Bit Rate: field, select the maximum bandwidth the camera can use in kilobits per second

(kbps).

 8. In the Keyframe Interval: drop down list, enter the preferred number of frames between each keyframe.

To help you determine how frequently keyframes are recorded, the Keyframe Period: area tells you the amount of time that passes between each recorded keyframe.

It is recommended that you have at least one keyframe per second.

Manually Adjusting Recorded Video Streams 51

 9. Click Apply to Cameras... to apply the same settings to other cameras of the same model.

 10. Click OK.

The changes immediately take effect. The ACC Client software will continue to use HDSM technology to manage the display of live video, but recorded video will only display the configured video stream.

The data aging settings in the Recording and Bandwidth dialog box update to reflect the new recording profile settings.

Image Dimensions

Use the Image Dimensions dialog box to set the image dimensions for the camera. You can crop the video image to help reduce bandwidth and increase the maximum image rate.

NOTE: This feature is only available for JPEG2000 cameras.

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click

.

The Image Dimensions dialog box is displayed.

 2. Adjust the image dimensions by doing one of the following:

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Drag the edges of the image until the video is cropped to fit your requirements.

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Change the values for the Top:, Left:, Width:, and Height: fields.

 3. Click OK.

Motion Detection

In the Motion Detection dialog box you can define motion detection areas and configure the camera's sensitivity and threshold for motion.

Depending on the type of camera you are configuring, there may be two types of motion detection available:

Pixel Motion Detection and Classified Object Motion Detection.

Pixel Motion Detection observes the video stream as a whole and considers any change in pixel as motion in the scene. This option is available to most cameras that are connected to the system.

Classified Object Motion Detection analyzes the video and only reports the motion of vehicles or persons. This option is only available to Avigilon self-learning video analytics devices.

Setting Up Pixel Motion Detection

In the Motion Detection dialog box, use the Pixel Motion Detection tab to set up pixel motion detection. This allows you to define when the system will acknowledge motion in the scene.

Image Dimensions 52

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click

.

 2. In the Pixel Motion Detection tab, define the green motion detection area in the camera's field of view:

NOTE: Pixel motion detection is ignored in the areas that are not highlighted in green.

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— Click this button then draw green rectangles to define the pixel motion detection areas.

You can draw multiple rectangles to create your pixel motion detection area.

  l area.

— Click this button and draw rectangles to erase sections from the pixel motion detection

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— Click this button and manually draw pixel motion detection areas with your mouse. This tool allows you to be very specific and highlight unusual shapes.

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— Click this button to highlight the entire image panel for pixel motion detection.

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— Click this button to clear the image panel of all pixel motion detection areas.

Tip: Avoid areas with continuous pixel motion, like a TV or computer monitor, so that the camera is not constantly detecting unimportant pixel motion events.

Figure 7:

The Motion Detection dialog box: the Pixel Motion Detection tab

 3. Define how sensitive the system should be to pixel motion.

 a. Move the Sensitivity: slider to adjust how much each pixel must change before it is considered in motion.

When the sensitivity is High, even small movements are detected - like dust floating immediately before the camera lens.

Setting Up Pixel Motion Detection 53

 b. Move the Threshold: slider to adjust how many pixels must change before the image is considered to have pixel motion.

When the threshold is High, only large motions are detected - like a truck driving across the scene.

Tip: The Motion indicator above the Threshold: slider will move to indicate how much motion is occurring in the current scene. Only when the Motion indicator moves to the right of the Threshold: marker will the camera detect the pixel motion.

 c. In the Pre-Motion Record Time: and Post-Motion Record Time: fields, specify how long video is recorded before and after the pixel motion event.

 4. Click OK to save your settings.

Setting Up Classified Object Motion Detection

In the Motion Detection dialog box, use the Classified Object Motion Detection tab to set up object motion detection. This allows you to define when the system will acknowledge a person or vehicle in the scene.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Motion Detection dialog box is displayed.

 2. In the Classified Object Motion Detection tab, define the green motion detection area in the camera's field of view:

Figure 8:

The Motion Detection dialog box: the Classified Object Motion Detection tab

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To change the shape or size of the green overlay, click and drag any of the yellow markers on the border. Extra markers are automatically added to help you fine tune the shape of the overlay.

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To move the green overlay, place the cursor over the green overlay until the cursor changes into a hand or the pan tool. Then, click and drag the green overlay to the desired location.

Setting Up Classified Object Motion Detection 54

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Click to add an exclusion area. The exclusion area is added inside the green overlay.

Classified object motion is not detected in exclusion areas.

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To set an exclusion area, move and resize the exclusion area as required then click anywhere on the green overlay.

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To edit an exclusion area, double-click the exclusion area then modify as required.

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Select an exclusion area then click to delete the exclusion area.

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Click to restore the default green overlay.

 3. Define the objects that are detected by the system.

 a. Check the Person box to detect people in the area.

 b. Check the Vehicle boxes to detect vehicles in the area.

 c. Move the Sensitivity: slider to adjust how sensitive the system is to the detection of classified objects.

 d. In the Threshold Time: field, adjust how long an object must be moving before it is considered a moving object.

 e. In the Pre-Motion Record Time: and Post-Motion Record Time: fields, specify how long video is recorded before and after a classified object motion detection event.

 4. Click Apply to save your settings.

Self-Learning Video Analytics

Video analytics appliances and Avigilon cameras with self-learning video analytics can be configured to learn their surroundings and detect specific events.

To configure Classified Object Motion Detection for a video analytics camera, see Setting Up Classified Object

Motion Detection on the previous page.

Configuring Video Analytics Cameras

Cameras with video analytics and cameras connected to ACC ES Analytics Appliances can be configured to better understand the scene where it is installed and improve the accuracy of the camera's classified object detection.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Video Analytics Configuration dialog box opens.

 2. From the Location: drop down list, select the location that best describes where the camera is installed.

The Location: setting helps the camera identify what it should be looking for.

Self-Learning Video Analytics 55

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Outdoor — Use for outdoor scenes. This setting detects humans and vehicles.

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Large Indoor Area — Use for indoor scenes with a width of 1.5 m (5 ft) or more. Vehicle detection is disabled.

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Indoor Overhead — Use when the camera is mounted overhead, typically in the center of a room.

This setting is useful for counting people. Vehicle detection is disabled.

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Outdoor High Sensitivity — This setting allows the analytics to run with higher sensitivity for detecting humans and can be used in more challenging scenes. More frequent false positives may occur. This setting detects humans and vehicles.

NOTE: If you change the Location: setting after it has been set, the system will delete any data the device may have learned.

 3. In the Camera Type: drop down list, select the type of camera that has been connected to this camera channel.

This helps the video analytics determine what type of image it should expect from the camera.

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Day and Night — select this option if the camera can stream video in color or black and white. This type of camera typically displays color video during the day and black and white video at night to capture as much detail as it can of the scene.

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Color — select this option if the camera can only stream video in color.

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Black and White — select this option if the camera can only stream video in black and white.

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Thermal — select this option if the camera can stream forward looking infrared (FLIR) video.

 4. Move the Tampering Sensitivity: slider to define how sensitive the camera is to sudden changes in the scene.

Tampering is defined as a sudden change in the camera field of view, usually caused by someone unexpectedly moving the camera. Lower the setting if small changes in the scene, like moving shadows, cause tampering events. If the camera is installed indoors and the scene is unlikely to change, you can increase the setting to capture more unusual events.

 5. Check the Enable Appearance Search box if you want this camera to support the Avigilon Appearance

Search feature.

 6. Check the Enable Noise Filter box if the camera is too sensitive and falsely detects motion as classified objects. Disable this option if the camera is not sensitive enough.

 7. Click Apply to save your settings.

Next, you can enable self-learning and configure analytics events. For more information, see Self-Learning on

the next page or Video Analytics Events on page 61

Configuring Rialto Video Analytics Appliances

To use a Rialto video analytics appliance, configure each connected camera channel for video analytics detection.

If you are configuring an analog video analytics appliance, the cameras are physically connected to each camera channel before the appliance is connected to the system.

If you are configuring an IP video analytics appliance, any camera on the network can be digitally connected to the appliance camera channels. Before you complete this procedure, connect the required cameras first. For

more information, see Connecting Cameras to a Rialto™ Video Analytics Appliance on page 21.

Configuring Rialto Video Analytics Appliances 56

 1. Open the Setup tab, then select one of the appliance camera channels.

 2. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Video Analytics Configuration dialog box opens.

 3. From the Location: drop down list, select the location that best describes where the camera is installed.

The Location: setting helps the camera identify what it should be looking for.

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Outdoor — Use for outdoor scenes. This setting detects humans and vehicles.

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Large Indoor Area — Use for indoor scenes with a width of 1.5 m (5 ft) or more. Vehicle detection is disabled.

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Indoor Overhead — Use when the camera is mounted overhead, typically in the center of a room.

This setting is useful for counting people. Vehicle detection is disabled.

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Outdoor High Sensitivity — This setting allows the analytics to run with higher sensitivity for detecting humans and can be used in more difficult scenes. More frequent false positives may occur. This setting detects humans and vehicles.

NOTE: If you change the Location: setting after it has been set, the system will delete any data the device may have learned.

 4. In the Camera Type: drop down list, select the type of camera that has been connected to this camera channel.

This helps the video analytics appliance determine what type of image it should expect from the camera.

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Day and Night — select this option if the camera can stream video in color or black and white. This type of camera typically displays color video during the day and black and white video at night to capture as much detail as it can of the scene.

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Color — select this option if the camera can only stream video in color.

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Black and White — select this option if the camera can only stream video in black and white.

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Thermal — select this option if the camera can stream forward looking infrared (FLIR) video.

 5. Check the Enable Noise Filter box if the camera is too sensitive and falsely detects motion as classified objects. Disable this option if the camera is not sensitive enough.

 6. Click Apply to save your settings.

 7. If you are prompted, allow the device to reboot.

Next, you can choose to enable self-learning and configure analytics events. For more information, see Self-

Learning below or Video Analytics Events on page 61.

Self-Learning

When self-learning is enabled, the video analytics device will perform initial self-calibration for the scene in its field of view. This can significantly improve the accuracy of human and vehicle classification.

NOTE: Enabling and disabling self-learning does not affect the Teach By Example feature.

Self-Learning 57

What is Self-Learning?

Self-learning is the video analytics device's ability to perform an initial self-calibration of the scene. Once enabled, self-learning can significantly improve object classification accuracy.

Self-learning is configured from the Video Analytics Configuration dialog box. The Self-Learning Progress: status in the dialog box tells you the following information:

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0% - 33% — The device is in the initial learning stage where it begins to gather information on the scene.

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34% - 66% — The device is calibrating itself using the data it has gathered on the average person and average vehicle in the scene.

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67% - 100% — The device has established a high level of classified object detection accuracy.

Tip: To help increase the device's detection accuracy, use the Teach By Example feature. For more information,

see Teach By Example on the next page.

NOTE: If the device continues to display low object detection accuracy after completing self-learning, an error may have occurred during installation. Contact Avigilon Technical Support for help.

It is highly recommended that the self-learning feature be enabled for all video analytics devices, except in the following circumstances:

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If you do not expect any humans or vehicles in the device's field of view.

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If humans and vehicles in the field of view move at multiple height levels, such as people on a staircase.

If the scene changes significantly, you may want to reset the self-learning settings. When self-learning is reset, all previous self-learning data is deleted and the device learns anew. You may want to use this feature if a building in the scene is demolished then rebuilt.

Enabling Self-Learning

The Video Analytics Configuration dialog box allows you to enable or disable self-learning in video analytics devices.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click .

The Video Analytics Configuration dialog box opens.

 2. To enable self-learning, check the Enable Self-Learning box.

 3. To disable self-learning, clear the Enable Self-Learning check box.

NOTE: Disabling self-learning may result in more classified objects being falsely detected.

Once disabled, the camera stops self-learning and no longer utilizes any learned information.

 4. To reset self-learning, click Self-Learning Reset.

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In the confirmation dialog box that appears, click Yes.

NOTE: When self-learning is reset, all previous self-learning data for the device is deleted.

 5. Click OK to save your changes.

What is Self-Learning?

58

Teach By Example

You can improve the accuracy of classified object detection by using the Teach By Example feature. You can assign true or false Teach Markers to detected objects to help train the video analytics device.

Teach Markers can be assigned then applied to devices by different users. Users who assign markers to detected objects are typically users who monitor video on a regular basis. It is recommended that 30 true and

30 false markers be assigned before they are applied to a device. Users who apply the markers to the device may be an administrator who is less involved with day to day video monitoring.

NOTE: The Teach Markers are local to a single server and are created for individual cameras. They are not shared between servers or cameras.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

Assigning Teach Markers

Assign true or false markers to the detected objects to help the device increase its detection accuracy. You can assign Teach Markers to recorded video from the Teach By Example tab and from search results.

NOTE: The Teach Markers are local to a single server and are created for individual cameras. They are not shared between servers or cameras.

 1. Display recorded video from the analytics device in one of the following locations:

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In the device Setup tab, click .

The Teach By Example tab opens.

Playback the recorded video until you encounter bounding boxes in the scene. For more

information about controlling video playback, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

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In the New Task menu, click one of the following Search options: or .

Perform a search then select a search result that includes bounding boxes. For more information

about performing each of these searches, see Search on page 93.

 2. Click inside a bounding box to display the Teach Markers menu.

People detected by the video analytics device are outlined in red bounding boxes and vehicles are outlined in blue bounding boxes.

 3. Select one of the following options:

The options may be different depending on the detected object type.

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True Person/True Vehicle — Select this option if the video analytics device has correctly identified this object.

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False Person/False Vehicle — Select this option if the video analytics device has incorrectly identified this object.

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Not Used — Select this option if you do not want to use this object as a teaching sample.

Teach By Example 59

You need at least 30 true Teach Markers and 30 false Teach Markers per camera to teach a video analytics device. Each camera will accept a maximum of 50 true Teach Markers and 50 false Teach Markers. A tally of the total number of assigned markers is displayed at the bottom of the Teach By Example tab.

After you've assigned the minimum number of Teach Markers, you can send the examples to the device. For

more information, see Applying Teach Markers to the Device below.

Managing Teach Markers

After you've assigned Teach Markers to objects detected in the device's recorded video, you can modify or delete the Teach Markers before they are applied to the device.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Teach By Example tab opens.

 2. To edit Teach Markers:

 a. Select an item from the Teach Markers list.

 b. Click the related bounding box in the image panel then change the assigned object type.

 c. Select Not Used to remove individual Teach Markers from the list.

 3. To remove all the Teach Markers from the list, click Clear All Markers.

This will delete all the markers that are currently listed, but not the markers that have already been applied to the camera.

Applying Teach Markers to the Device

After the minimum number of Teach Markers have been assigned, you can apply the markers to the device. This sends the true and false detection details to the device.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Teach By Example tab opens.

 2. To review the Teach Markers, select a marker from the list.

The associated video is displayed in the image panel and the details are displayed below.

You can sort the markers by clicking the column headings.

 3. To apply all the Teach Markers to the video analytics device, click Apply.

NOTE: You must have a minimum of 30 true and 30 false Teach Markers, or an error message is displayed.

The Teach Markers information is sent to the device, and the device will now use the details to help increase its detection accuracy.

The listed Teach Markers are moved from the list because they have been applied to the device.

Managing Teach Markers 60

Removing Teach Markers from the Device

If there are significant changes in the scene or if the camera is moved to a different location, you may want to remove the Teach Markers that have been applied to the device because the information is no longer accurate.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

The Teach By Example tab opens.

 2. Click Restore to Factory Default.

 3. When you are prompted, click Yes.

.

The device's teach data is restored to the factory default settings.

If you have new Teach Markers prepared for the device, those markers are not deleted from the list. Only the markers that have already been applied to the device are removed.

Video Analytics Events

You can set up specific video analytics events on each Avigilon self-learning video analytics device. Devices can be configured to detect a variety of human and vehicle activity within a scene.

The configured events can be used to set up detailed rules. For more information, see Rules on page 30.

Adding Video Analytics Events

Before you can add video analytics events to rules and alarms, they must first be created for each video analytics device.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Video Analytics Configuration dialog box opens.

 2. Click

. The Analytics Event Configurations: dialog box opens.

 3. Enter a name for the video analytics event.

 4. Select the Enabled check box. If the check box is clear, the video analytics event will not detect or trigger any events.

 5. In the Activity: area, select one of the following options:

NOTE: The option you select here will define the other settings that are displayed.

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Objects in area – the video analytics event will be triggered when the selected object type moves into the region of interest.

In the image panel, define the green region of interest. The green overlay can be configured like

the Classified Object Motion Detection feature. For more information, see Setting Up Classified

Object Motion Detection on page 54.

Removing Teach Markers from the Device 61

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Object loitering– the video analytics event will be triggered when the selected object type stays within the region of interest for an extended amount of time.

In the image panel, define the green region of interest.

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Objects crossing beam – the video analytics event will be triggered when the selected object type crosses the beam in the pointed direction.

In the image panel, move or resize the green directional beam as needed:

  o

To move the beam, click and drag the green beam in any direction.

  o

To change the length or rotate the beam, click one end of the beam and stretch or rotate the beam.

  o

To change the direction of the beam, click .

  o

To detect objects traveling in either direction of the beam, click .

 6. In the Object Types: area, select and/or .

 7. Move the Sensitivity: slider to adjust how sensitive the video analytics device is to the detection of classified objects.

 8. If available, enter a time in the Threshold Time: field to define how long an object must be in the region of interest before it triggers a video analytics event.

 9. Click OK to save your settings.

For more video analytic event options, click Show Advanced Options. For a description of the advanced

options, see Video Analytics Event Descriptions on page 112.

Editing and Deleting Video Analytics Events

 1. In the device Setup tab, click .

The Video Analytics Configuration dialog box opens.

 2. Select an event from the Analytics Event Configurations: list and do one of the following:

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To edit the video analytics event, click . In the following dialog box, make the required changes.

For more information, see Adding Video Analytics Events on the previous page.

NOTE: If you change the name of the event, any rules or alarms linked to the event may no longer function.

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To delete the video analytics event, click .

Privacy Zones

You can set privacy zones in the camera's field of view to block out areas that you do not want to see or record, like bathroom entrances and other private areas.

Editing and Deleting Video Analytics Events 62

Adding a Privacy Zone

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click 

.

The Privacy Zones dialog box is displayed.

 2. Click and a green box will appear in the image panel.

 3. Move and resize the green box until it covers the area you want to keep private.

 4. Click OK.

Editing and Deleting a Privacy Zone

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click 

.

The Privacy Zones dialog box is displayed.

 2. Select a privacy zone from the Privacy Zones: list and do one of the following:

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To edit the privacy zone, adjust the green box in the image.

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To delete the privacy zone, click .

 3. Click OK to save your changes.

Manual Recording

When you trigger manual recording in an image panel, you are telling the camera to record video outside of its recording schedule. Manual recording continues until it is stopped, or until the maximum manual recording time is reached.

To set the maximum manual recording time, follow these steps:

 1. In the camera Setup tab, click

.

The Manual Recording dialog box is displayed.

 2. Define the following:

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Manual Recording Duration: enter how long the camera should record if recording is not manually stopped.

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Pre-Trigger Record Time: enter the amount of time video is recorded before manual recording is activated.

 3. Click Apply to Cameras... to apply the same settings to other cameras of the same model.

 4. Click OK.

For more information on manually recording video, see Triggering Manual Recording on page 83.

Adding a Privacy Zone 63

Digital Inputs and Outputs

Use the Digital Inputs and Outputs dialog box to set up external digital input and output devices that are connected to the device (a camera or video analytics appliance).

The external devices can be used to create alarms or trigger recording events and specific actions through the

Rules engine. For more information, see Rules on page 30.

Setting Up Digital Inputs

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click 

.

The Digital Inputs and Outputs dialog box is displayed.

 2. In the Digital Inputs: area, select an input.

 3. Enter a Name: for the digital input.

 4. In the Recording Duration: area, select one of the following:

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Select Follow event to record the entire digital input event.

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Select Maximum time: to limit the recording time.

 5. Enter the Pre-Event Record Time: and Post-Event Record Time:.

 6. Select the digital input's default Circuit State:.

 7. Select cameras to link to this digital input.

If the Recording Schedule is configured to record digital inputs, the cameras selected in the Link to

Camera(s): area are used to record the events triggered by this digital input.

 8. Click OK.

Setting Up Digital Outputs

Once a digital output is configured, you can manually trigger the digital output in an image panel. For more

information, see Triggering Digital Outputs on page 84.

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Digital Inputs and Outputs box is displayed.

 2. In the Digital Outputs: area, select an output.

 3. Enter a Name: for the digital output.

 4. Select the digital output's default Circuit State:.

Digital Inputs and Outputs 64

 5. The Trigger Behavior: options define what occurs when the digital output is activated.

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Select Activate to enable the digital output in continuous mode. The Duration: fields allow you to specify how long the digital output should be active for.

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Select Pulse to enable the digital output in pulse mode. Specify the Period:, Duty Cycle:, and

Repeat Count: for the pulse.

 6. If there is only a Trigger Duration: field, specify the trigger duration in minutes and seconds.

 7. In the Link to Camera(s): area, select the cameras that are permitted to trigger this digital output.

By default, the system automatically selects the camera that this digital output is connected to.

 8. Click OK.

Microphone

Use the Microphone dialog box to change the settings for any audio input device that is connected to a camera or video analytics appliance. You can also link the audio to other cameras.

To use this feature, a microphone must be connected to the device.

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Microphone dialog box is displayed.

 2. If multiple Microphone Inputs: are listed, select the one you want to edit.

 3. Select the Enable check box to enable audio recording from microphones connected to the device.

 4. Enter a name for the microphone.

 5. In the Source: drop down list, select the audio input source.

When connecting Fisheye digital inputs, the digital audio inputs are:

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Audio Input 1 — configures the gain for any line level audio input that is connected to the pink audio input connector on the auxiliary cable.

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Audio Input 2 — configures the gain for the microphone that is built into the camera.

 6. In the Gain: drop down list, select the amount of analog gain that is applied to the audio input. The higher the dB setting, the louder the volume.

 7. In the Link to Camera(s): area, select cameras to link to this audio.

 8. Click OK.

Speaker

Use the Speaker dialog box to change the settings for any audio output that is connected to a device (a camera or video analytics appliance). You can also link the audio to other devices.

Microphone 65

To use this feature, speakers must be connected to the device and a microphone must be connected to your local Client.

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the device. Options that are not supported by the device will be disabled or hidden.

 1. In the device Setup tab, click

.

The Speaker dialog box is displayed.

 2. If multiple Speaker Outputs: are listed, select the one you want to edit.

 3. Select the Enable check box to enable audio broadcasting. Speakers connected to the device will broadcast audio from the microphone that is connected to the local Client.

 4. Select the Record speaker output check box to record what is broadcast.

 5. Enter a name for the speaker.

 6. The Volume: slider controls the volume of the speakers.

 7. In the Link to Camera(s): area, select cameras to link to the speakers.

 8. To test the Microphone Level:, speak into the microphone. The red bar will move to show the audio input level.

 9. Click OK.

If you want to enable two-way audio for your local application, see General Settings on the next page.

Speaker 66

Client Settings

The Client Settings are used to set your preferences for your local copy of the Client software. This includes saving your password, setting the language, saving your last window layout, configuring your joystick, and manually adding and removing sites.

General Settings

Use the General settings to set your local Client preferences. Any changes you make will only affect this copy of the Client software.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

 1. In the top-right corner of the Client, select

> Client Settings.

 2. In the General tab, make any required changes:

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Save/restore window layout: Select this check box if you want the Client to remember your layout preferences.

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Automatically launch full screen: Select this check box if you want the Client to automatically launch in full screen mode each time it starts.

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Display Notifications: Select this check box if you want the Client to display system messages.

System messages are listed in the red box at the top-right corner of the Client - click the red box to see the messages. System messages notify you of site events, system events and possible device connection issues.

If this check box is cleared, all system messages are hidden.

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Synchronize recorded video playback: Select this check box to allow the system to automatically synchronize the Timelines in all new View tabs.

For more information, see Synchronizing Recorded Video Playback on page 86.

Cycle dwell time: Enter the number of seconds the Client waits before it cycles to a different View

tab. For more information, see Cycling Through Views on page 75.

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Language: Select a language from the drop down list to change the Client language. Select

Windows Default for the Client to use the same language as the operating system.

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Automatically log in to sites: Select this check box to automatically log in to all sites you can access. Select the type of login you use:

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Select Using Windows Authentication if you use your Windows login to access sites.

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Select Using saved user name and password: if you use your Avigilon Control Center username and password.

Client Settings 67

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In the Maximum Incoming Client Bandwidth: area, you can set how much bandwidth is received by the client. This includes video streaming.

You can select Unlimited or Other:, and specify the maximum bandwidth allowance in kilobits per second (kbit/s).

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In the Client Duplex Audio Setting: area, decide if you want to enable two-way audio. This allows people in the video to talk with the operator monitoring the video.

You have the option of Full-duplex audio, which allows simultaneous communication, or Half-

duplex, which only allows communication from one side at a time. To use this feature, you need to

set up microphones and speakers to cameras. For more information, see Microphone on page 65 and Speaker on page 65.

 3. Click OK to save your changes.

Video Display Settings

You can adjust the Client Display settings to improve how video is displayed on your monitor.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

 1. In the top-right corner of the Client, select

> Client Settings > Display.

 2. Complete any of the following procedures to adjust how video is displayed in image panels.

Displaying Analog Video in Deinterlaced Mode

Select the Display Deinterlaced Images check box if the analog video you are watching is showing interfacing artifacts. This setting will help improve video image and smooth out some of the artifacts.

Displaying Logical IDs

Select the Display LogicalIDs check box if you need to see the Logical ID of all devices. Logical IDs must be unique numbers. This setting will display the device's Logical ID in brackets beside the device's name in the

System Explorer.

When this setting is enabled, the device's name in the System Explorer is displayed in the following format.

<Device Name>(Serial Number)(Logical ID). For example, 2.0-H3A-DP1(574065)(101).

The Device Name and Serial Number can be changed in the General settings dialog box by editing the Camera

Name: field. The Logical ID can be changed in the General settings dialog box by editing the Logical ID: field.

Displaying Image Overlays

Select any of the Image Overlays: options to set the type of information that is displayed over video.

Overlay

Camera Name

Camera Location

Playback Timestamp

Description

Displays the name assigned to the camera.

Displays the location assigned to the camera.

(Recorded video only) Displays the exposure timestamp for the video.

Video Display Settings 68

Overlay

Live Timestamp

Record Indicator

Description

From the Timestamp Zone: area, select the time that should be displayed:

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Show device time — If you have cameras installed at different locations in your system, select this option to display the time recorded at the camera location.

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Show local time — Select this option to display the recorded video time in your local timezone.

(Live video only) Displays the current date and time to the millisecond.

From the Timestamp Zone: area, select the time that should be displayed:

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Show device time — If you have cameras installed at different locations in your system, select this option to display the time at the camera location.

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Show local time — Select this option to display the time in your local timezone.

(Live video only) Displays the recording status of a camera.

The recording status is indicated by the round icon on the top-left corner of the image panel. The color of the icon shows the camera's recording status.

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: recording triggered by a motion event

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: recording

Motion Activity

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: not recording. Click this icon at any time to begin manual recording.

Highlights motion in red.

Bounding boxes outline objects detected in the video. The color of the bounding box identifies the object type:

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Red - a person

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Blue - a vehicle

Video Analytics Activity

The Video Analytics Activity overlay is only activated for video from a video analytics device.

NOTE: The bounding boxes may not be displayed if the feature is disabled on the

specific device. For more information, see Enabling or Disabling Video Analytics

Display on page 44.

Changing Display Quality

If your computer does not have enough network bandwidth or processing power, you may not be able to watch video at its full image rate and quality. You can configure the image panels to display video in high quality and low frame rate, or low quality and high frame rate.

Select a higher display quality setting if you need to see specific details or faces in the scene. Select a lower display quality setting if it's more important to see moving events as they occur.

The Change Display Quality: settings only affect the image panel display and do not affect the actual video quality or image rate between the camera and the server. Therefore, you can review recorded footage later to confirm what you saw in the image panel.

In the Change Display Quality: area, select one of the following options:

Changing Display Quality 69

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Maximum: displays video at full resolution with the lowest image rate.

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High (Default): displays video at 1/4 resolution.

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Medium: displays video at 1/16 resolution.

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Low: displays video at 1/64 resolution with the highest image rate.

Changing Display Adjustment Settings

The Display Adjustment Settings: allow you to configure the default values that will be applied to all video displayed in the View tab.

NOTE: This setting does not affect recorded video.

 1. In Client Settings under the Display tab, move the sliders to adjust the Gamma:, Black Level:, and White

Level:.

By default, Gamma: is set to 0.55, Black Level: is set to 0.5%, White Level: is set to 98%, and Auto-

Contrast is disabled.

 2. Select the Enable Auto-Contrast check box to allow the system to automatically adjust the contrast level for the video stream.

NOTE: When Auto-Contrast is disabled, the Black Level: and White Level: cannot be adjusted.

 3. Click Restore to Factory Default to revert to the factory default settings.

 4. Click OK to save your changes.

If video is being displayed in a View tab, the new settings will not take effect until Restore Defaults is selected in the image panel.

Joystick Settings

There are two types of joysticks supported by the Client: standard Microsoft DirectX USB joysticks and the

Avigilon USB Professional Joystick Keyboard.

Access the Joystick settings to install the required drivers and configure your joystick options.

Configuring an Avigilon USB Professional Joystick Keyboard For Left-Hand Use

The Avigilon USB Professional Joystick Keyboard is a USB add-on that contains a joystick for controlling zooming and panning within image panels, a jog shuttle for controlling the Timeline, and a keypad programmed with the Client software keyboard commands. For more information about the keypad commands that control

the Client software, see Keyboard Commands on page 120.

By default, the keyboard is installed in right-hand mode. Change the Joystick settings to configure it for left-hand mode.

 1. Connect the keyboard.

 2. In the top-right corner of the Client, select

> Client Settings > Joystick.

If the keyboard is not automatically detected, an error message is displayed. Click Scan for Joysticks....

 3. In the Joystick tab, select the Enable left-hand mode check box.

Changing Display Adjustment Settings 70

 4. Click OK. The keyboard is now configured for left-hand mode.

 5. Rotate the keyboard until the joystick is on the left and the jog shuttle is on the right. Reinstall the keypad cover with the View button labels at the top.

For more information about the Avigilon USB Professional Joystick Keyboard, see the installation guide that is included with the device.

Configuring a Standard USB Joystick

Use the Joystick settings to configure the buttons used in your standard Microsoft DirectX USB joystick.

 1. Connect the joystick. In the top-right corner of the Client, select

> Client Settings > Joystick.

 2. If the joystick is not automatically detected, an error message will appear. Click Scan for Joysticks....

 3. In the Joystick tab, choose an action for each button on the joystick:

 a. Press a button on the joystick to highlight its label in the dialog box.

 b. Select an action for the button from the drop down list.

Options include ways to control recorded video, Views, image panels, instant replay, audio, snapshots and PTZ.

 c. Repeat this procedure for each button on the joystick.

 4. Click OK.

Discovering Sites

If your computer is on the same network segment (subnet) as a site, that site is automatically discovered and displayed in the System Explorer.

If the site you want to access is not listed, it is because the site is on a different subnet and must be manually discovered. There is no limit to the number of sites that can be discovered by the Client software.

Tip: After you discover and login to a parent site, all the child sites are automatically discovered.

By default, when a server is first connected to the system, it is added to a site with the same name. To locate a new server, you need to search for its site.

 1. Open the Find Site dialog box.

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In the top-right corner of the Client, select > Log In.... In the Site Login tab, click Find Site....

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Or, select > Client Settings > Site Networking. In the Site Networking tab, click Find Site....

 2. In the dialog box, enter the IP Address/Hostname: and the Base Port: of the server in the site you want to discover.

The base port is 38880 by default. You can change the base port number in the Avigilon Control Center

Admin Tool. For more information, see The Avigilon Control Center Server User Guide.

 3. Click OK.

If the site is found, it is automatically added to the site list.

If the site is not found, check the following then try again:

Configuring a Standard USB Joystick 71

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The network settings are configured correctly.

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The firewall is not blocking the application.

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The Avigilon Control Center Server software is running on the server you searched for.

Discovering Sites 72

Organizing Views

A View tab is where you watch camera video. Inside the View tab is a set of image panels that allows you to organize how video is displayed.

You can arrange image panels into different layouts to take advantage of different camera angles and save

View layouts that you like.

Adding and Removing a View

View tabs allow you to customize how you monitor video. You can open a new View in the current window or open a View in a new window to make use of multiple monitors. Views can also be removed as required.

To...

Do this...

Open a new View tab

Close a View tab

Open a new window

Close a window

Click > .

On the View tab, click  .

Select

> New Window

A new window appears. You can now position this window to make use of multiple monitors.

In the top-right corner of the window, click .

NOTE: If you see a confirmation dialog box, it is because there is only one window open and closing this window will also close the application.

View Layouts

You can organize how video is displayed through View layouts. You can choose to display video in 1 - 64 image panels. You can also customize the shape of image panels to accommodate cameras that are installed vertically to capture long hallways.

There are 10 pre-configured layouts that you can edit to fit your needs.

Selecting a Layout for a View

You can organize how video is displayed by selecting a View layout.

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On the toolbar, click then select one of the layout options.

Editing a View Layout

If the default View layouts do not fit your surveillance requirements, you can customize a View layout.

Organizing Views 73

 1. On the toolbar, select

 > Edit Layouts....

 2. In the Edit Layouts dialog box, select the layout you want to change.

 3. Enter the number of Columns: and Rows: you want in your layout.

 4. In the layout diagram, do any of the following to further customize the layout.

Figure 9:

The Edit Layouts dialog box

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To create a larger image panel, select a gray line to delete the border between two image panels.

When a line is highlighted in red, the line can be deleted.

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To restore an image panel, select a dotted line to divide a larger image panel into two. When a dotted line is highlighted in green, the line can be restored.

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To restore all default View layouts, click Restore Defaults. All custom layouts in the Layouts: list will be replaced.

NOTE: You can only add or subtract lines to create a rectangular shape.

 5. Click OK to save your changes. The previous View layout has been replaced with your customized layout.

Tip: The keyboard commands used to access View layouts are linked to the layout's position in the Layouts: list.

For example, if your custom layout is placed at the top of the Layouts: list (layout 1), you can press Alt + 1 to use that layout.

Making a View Full Screen

You can maximize a View to fill an entire monitor screen.

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On the toolbar, click .

Making a View Full Screen 74

Ending Full Screen Mode

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While the View is in full screen mode, click .

Cycling Through Views

If you have multiple Views open, you can cycle through the View tabs by displaying each one for a few seconds.

This is useful when monitoring a large number of cameras.

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To activate the Cycle Views feature, click .

To change the amount of time each View is displayed for, change the Cycle dwell time: setting. For more

information, see General Settings on page 67.

Saved Views

Once you have set up a View you like, you can save the View to share with other users in the site. A saved View remembers the current View layout, the cameras displayed in each image panel, and the image panel display settings.

Saving a New View

 1. From the toolbar, select > Save As New View.

 2. In the following dialog box, complete the following:

 a. Select the site that the View should be added to.

 b. Give the saved View a name.

 c. Assign a number to the saved View in the Logical ID: field. The logical ID is a unique number that is used to open the saved View through keyboard commands.

 d. If it is not displayed, click

to display the Site View Editor and choose where the saved View appears in the System Explorer.

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If your site includes virtual sub-sites, select a location for the saved View. The list on the right updates to show what is stored in that directory.

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In the site directory, drag the saved View up and down to set where it is displayed.

 e. Click OK.

Your saved View is added to the System Explorer under the selected site. You can now manage the saved View as a part of your site.

Opening a Saved View

Do one of the following:

Ending Full Screen Mode 75

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In the System Explorer, double-click the saved View ( ).

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In the System Explorer, right-click and select Open.

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Drag from the System Explorer to the current View in the application or new window.

Editing a Saved View

 1. Open a saved View.

 2. Make any required changes to the View tab.

 3. From the tool bar, select > Update Saved View.

Renaming a Saved View

 1. In the System Explorer, right-click

and select Edit....

 2. In the Edit View dialog box, enter a new name or logical ID and click OK.

Deleting a Saved View

 1. In the System Explorer, right-click and select Delete.

 2. In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Editing a Saved View 76

Monitoring Video

Inside a View tab, you can monitor and control video from multiple cameras. Once you open a camera in a View tab, you can control the camera's live and recorded video stream. You also have access to the camera's PTZ controls and other playback settings.

To organize how video is displayed in the View tab, see Organizing Views on page 73.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

Zooming and Panning in a Video

Use the zoom and pan tools to focus on specific areas in the video stream.

Using the Zoom Tools

There are two ways to digitally zoom in and zoom out of a video image:

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Move your mouse over the video image, then rotate your mouse wheel forward and backward.

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On the toolbar, select or , then click the image panel until you reach the desired zoom depth.

Using the Pan Tools

There are two ways to pan through the video image:

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Right-click and drag inside an image panel.

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On the toolbar, select , then click and drag the video image in any direction inside the image panel.

Maximizing and Restoring an Image Panel

You can maximize an image panel to enlarge the video display.

Maximizing an Image Panel

Do one of the following:

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Right-click an image panel and select Maximize.

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Inside the image panel, click .

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Double-click the image panel.

Restoring an Image Panel

In a maximized image panel, do one of the following:

Monitoring Video 77

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Right-click the maximized image panel and select Restore Down.

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Inside the image panel, click .

Double-click the image panel.

Making Image Panel Display Adjustments

You can change the image panel display settings to bring out video details that are hard to see with the image panel's default settings. These settings can also be adjusted in Client Settings. For more information, see

Changing Display Adjustment Settings on page 70.

 1. Right-click an image panel and select Display Adjustments....

The Display Adjustments... settings are displayed in a floating pane immediately beside the image panel.

 2. Move the sliders to adjust the Gamma:, Black Level: and White Level:.

By default, Gamma: is set to 0.55, Black Level: is set to 0.5%, White Level: is set to 98%, and Auto-

Contrast is disabled.

The image panel displays your changes.

 3. Select the Enable Auto-Contrast check box to allow the system to automatically adjust the contrast level for the video stream.

NOTE: When Auto-Contrast is disabled, the Black Level: and White Level: cannot be adjusted.

 4. To clear your changes, click Restore Defaults.

If display adjustments have been made in the Client Settings, they will be applied to the image panel.

 5. To set the selected levels as the default settings for all image panels going forward, click Save as

Defaults.

Listening to Audio in a View

If there is an audio input device linked to a camera, the button is displayed in the image panel when you watch the camera's video. To listen to the streaming audio, make sure there are speakers connected to your computer. By default the audio is muted.

The camera's microphone must be enabled before you can listen to any audio. The button is not displayed if the microphone is disabled.

To control audio playback, do any of the following:

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In the lower-right corner of the image panel, click to mute or activate the audio.

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Move the slider to change the volume.

To enable the camera's microphone, see Microphone on page 65 for more information.

Making Image Panel Display Adjustments 78

Using Digital Defog

If a camera that supports digital defog, the Digital Defog button is displayed in the image panel. Digital

Defog uses an image processing algorithm to increase image quality when dealing with rainy, misty, or foggy conditions in outdoor surveillance applications. By default digital defog is off.

The digital defog levels set in the image panel will apply to all user views and will be seen in recorded video.

Digital defog must be set for each camera with this feature.

To control digital defog, do any of the following:

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To enable Digital Defog, in the lower-right corner of the image panel, click Digital Defog.

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To change the level of Digital Defog, move the slider.

If the connected device supports discrete levels, the slider will snap to the nearest level.

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To enable Digital Defog in Auto Mode, click the digital defog button until is displayed.

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To disable Digital Defog, click the Digital Defog button until is displayed.

Triggering Custom Keyboard Commands

If your system has custom keyboard commands set up to run specific rule events, you can activate the keyboard commands by doing the following:

 1. Press Ctrl +  on your keyboard.

 2. Enter the custom keyboard command number to begin running the rule event.

Consult your system administrator for details about the custom keyboard commands that are available in your system. Custom keyboard commands are set up as rule events through the Rules engine. For more information

about setting up rule events, see Rules on page 30.

Controlling Live Video

In this section are features that are only available while monitoring live video.

Tip: If video appears slow, it may be a network issue between the Client software and the server that the camera is connected to. Actual recorded video quality is not affected.

Broadcasting Audio in a View

If there are speakers linked to a camera, the button is displayed in the image panel when you watch the camera's video. The button allows you to broadcast your verbal response to what is occurring in the video, like a Public Address (P.A.) system.

Using Digital Defog 79

The camera's speakers must be enabled before you can broadcast any audio. The button is not displayed if the speakers are disabled.

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To broadcast audio, hold and speak into your microphone. The red bar moves to show the microphone's audio input levels. If the level is low, speak louder or adjust the microphone volume in the

Windows Control Panel.

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Release the button to stop the broadcast.

To set up two-way audio, see General Settings on page 67.

For more information about enabling camera speakers, see Speaker on page 65.

Using Instant Replay

To review an event that just occurred, you can immediately access recently recorded video through the instant replay feature.

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Right-click the image panel and select one of the instant replay options:

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Replay - 30 Seconds

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Replay - 60 Seconds

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Replay - 90 Seconds

The image panel immediately plays back the camera's most recently recorded video.

PTZ Cameras

PTZ cameras can be controlled through the image panel on-screen controls or by using the tools in the PTZ

Controls pane.

Some tools and features may not be displayed if they are not supported by your camera.

Controlling PTZ Cameras

Pan, Tilt, Zoom (PTZ) controls allow you to control cameras with PTZ features. You can control a PTZ camera by using the on-screen controls or by using the tools in the PTZ Controls pane.

For other ways to use the PTZ Controls, see Keyboard Commands on page 120.

NOTE: For video analytics devices, classified object detection only works when the camera is in its Home position.

 1. In the toolbar, click

. PTZ controls are now enabled in image panels that are displaying PTZ video.

 2. In the image panel, click  .

The PTZ Controls are displayed in a floating pane immediately beside the image panel.

NOTE: The controls may appear differently depending on the camera. Some options are disabled or hidden if they are not supported by the camera.

Using Instant Replay 80

 3. To pan or tilt, do one of the following:

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In the image panel, drag your mouse from the center to move the camera in that direction. The farther the cursor is from the center of the image panel, the faster the camera will move.

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If the camera supports Click to Center, click anywhere on the image panel to center the camera to that point.

Figure 10:

PTZ On-screen controls

 4. Use the other PTZ controls to perform any of the following:

To...

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Click to zoom in.

Do this...

Zoom

Control the iris

Control the focus

Program a PTZ preset

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Click  to zoom out.

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Click the image panel and use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out.

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If the camera supports Drag to Zoom, click and drag to create a green box to define the area you want to zoom in and see.

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Right-click the image panel and select Zoom Out Full.

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Click to close the iris.

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Click to open the iris.

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Click to focus near the camera.

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Click to focus far from the camera.

 1. Move the camera's field of view into position.

Controlling PTZ Cameras 81

Activate a PTZ preset

Return to the Home preset position

Program a PTZ pattern

Activate a PTZ pattern

Program a PTZ tour

Activate a PTZ tour

Activate an auxiliary command

Lock the PTZ controls

To...

Display the PTZ camera on-screen menu

Do this...

 2. In the Presets drop down list, select a number then click .

 3. In the dialog box, enter a name for the preset.

 4. Select the Set as home preset check box if you want this to be the camera's Home preset.

 5. Click OK.

Select a preset then click .

If the PTZ camera supports a Home preset position, click to return the camera to its Home position.

 1. In the PTZ Controls pane, select a pattern number and click .

 2. Use the PTZ controls to move the camera and create the pattern.

 3. Click to stop recording the pattern.

In the PTZ Controls pane, select a pattern number and click

.

The pattern will repeat until the pattern is stopped or another pattern is run.

For more information, see Programming PTZ Tours on the next page.

In the PTZ Controls pane, select a tour number and click .

The tour will repeat until stopped or until other PTZ controls are used.

 1. Select an aux command number and click .

 2. Click to turn off the auxiliary output.

 1. Click

.

 2. To move through the menu options, click any of the following:

  l

Click to move down the options.

  l

Click to move up the options.

  l

Click to confirm your selection.

  l

Click to cancel your selection.

Click .

Other users will be unable to use the PTZ controls for this camera until you unlock the controls or log out.

Controlling PTZ Cameras 82

Programming PTZ Tours

If the PTZ camera supports guard tours, the tours can be programmed through the PTZ controls pane. Tours allow the PTZ camera to automatically move between a series of preset positions, and can be set to pause at each preset for a specific amount of time for video monitoring.

NOTE: For video analytics devices, classified object detection only works when the camera is in its Home position.

 1. Create all the PTZ presets you need for this tour.

 2. In the PTZ Controls pane, select a tour number then click . The Edit PTZ Tour dialog box is displayed.

 3. Give the tour a name.

 4. In the Tour Pause Duration: field, enter the amount of time before the tour repeats. Tours repeat until manually stopped, or until other PTZ controls are used.

 5. In the Tour Mode: drop down list, select one of the following:

  l

Sequential: the PTZ camera will go to each preset in the set order.

  l

Random: the PTZ camera will go to each preset in random order.

 6. Select the Set as default tour check box if you want this tour to run automatically.

  l

The Default Tour Idle Start Time: field is now enabled. Enter the amount of time the PTZ camera must be idle before this tour automatically starts.

 7. To add a preset to the list, click .

 a. In the Preset column, select a preset from the drop down list.

 b. In the Move Speed column, enter how fast you want the PTZ camera to move to this preset. The higher the %, the faster the camera moves.

 c. In the View Time column, enter the amount of time you want the PTZ camera to stay at this preset position. The view time is 10 seconds by default.

 d. Repeat this step until all the presets for the tour have been added.

 8. To remove a preset, select the preset then click

.

 9. To re-order a preset, select the preset then click or . The preset order only affects tours that use

Sequential mode.

 10. Click OK to save the tour.

Triggering Manual Recording

Cameras are set to follow a recording schedule. If an event occurs outside the camera's recording schedule, you can click the record indicator icon to force the camera to record the event. For more information about

recording schedules, see Recording Schedule on page 35.

The Record Indicator overlay must be enabled to use manual recording. For more information, see Video

Display Settings on page 68.

Programming PTZ Tours 83

Camera Recording States

Recording Recording triggered by an event

Starting and Stopping Manual Recording

In an image panel that is displaying video, do either of the following:

Not recording

  l

In the top-left corner of the image panel, click to start manual recording.

The recording indicator is highlighted in blue to show that the camera is recording. Manual recording continues until it is stopped or until the maximum manual recording time is reached.

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Click to manually stop video recording.

The maximum manual recording time is configured in the Manual Recording dialog box. For more information,

see Manual Recording on page 63.

Triggering Digital Outputs

While you monitor live video in an image panel, you can manually trigger any digital output that is connected to the camera.

Digital outputs are configured in the Digital Inputs and Outputs dialog box. For more information, see Setting Up

Digital Outputs on page 64.

To trigger a digital output:

 1. Open the camera's live video in an image panel.

 2. In the image panel, click .

 3. If there is more than one digital output linked to the camera, you will be prompted to select the digital output you want to trigger.

Monitoring Live POS Transactions

If a camera is linked to a point of sale (POS) transaction source, you can monitor live POS transactions while you monitor video from the linked camera.

 1. Open the camera's video in an image panel.

 2. In the image panel, click

.

NOTE: If the camera is not linked to a POS transaction source, the icon is not displayed.

If there is more than one POS transaction source linked to the camera, you will be prompted to select one. The POS transactions are displayed in the next image panel.

Each transaction is separated by date and time, and the most recent transaction is highlighted in blue.

 3. To display cameras that are linked to the POS transaction source, click

 in the POS transaction image panel.

If multiple cameras are connected to the POS transaction source, you will be prompted to select one.

Camera Recording States 84

Controlling Recorded Video

In this section are features that are only available while monitoring recorded video.

Tip: If video appears slow, it may be a network issue between the Client software and the server that the camera is connected to. Actual recorded video quality is not affected.

Playing Back Recorded Video

The Timeline displays when video was recorded and lets you control video playback.

The colored bars on the Timeline show the camera's recording history:

  l

A red bar shows the camera has recorded a motion event.

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A blue bar shows the camera has recorded video.

  l

White areas show when the camera has not recorded any video.

  l

A yellow bar is a bookmark in the camera's recording history.

For more information about bookmarks, see Bookmarking Recorded Video on page 87.

Figure 11:

Playback controls on the Timeline

To...

Do this...

  l

Click the dark gray date display and select a specific date and time.

Select a playback time

  l

Click a point on the Timeline.

Start playback

Click .

  l

Click to fast forward. Tap the arrow again to increase the playback speed.

  l

Click to rewind. Tap the arrow again to increase the playback speed.

You can play the video up to eight times the original speed.

Stop playback

Click .

  l

Click to step forward one frame.

  l

Click to step backward one frame.

Controlling Recorded Video 85

To...

Do this...

Jump forward or backward on the

Timeline

On the Timeline, click or to move to set points on the

Timeline.

Zoom in or out of the

Timeline

Center the Timeline on the time marker

Pan the Timeline

  l

Move the slider on the bottom left to zoom in or out on the Timeline.

  l

Place your mouse over the Timeline and use the scroll wheel to zoom in or out on the Timeline.

You can zoom in to a quarter of a second, and zoom out to see years if recorded video exists.

Right-click the Timeline, and select Center on Marker.

  l

Click and drag the time marker through the

Timeline.

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Move the horizontal scroll bar under the Timeline.

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Right-click and drag the Timeline.

Synchronizing Recorded Video Playback

Synchronizing recorded video playback allows you to synchronize Timelines across multiple tabs while they are in recorded mode.

Synchronized recorded video playback is disabled by default. Once it is enabled, it will remain enabled until it is manually disabled.

NOTE: Tabs can only be synchronized to one time. You cannot synchronize groups of tabs to separate times.

Enabling Synchronized Recorded Video Playback

  l

To enable synchronized video playback in all new View tabs, select > Client Settings > General >

Synchronize recorded video playback.

The Timelines in new View tabs are automatically centered on the current time.

Enabling synchronized recorded video playback in the Client Settings dialog box will not synchronize the

Timelines of previously opened tabs, it will only synchronize new tabs that are opened after enabling synchronized recorded video playback. Previously opened tabs need to be synchronized individually.

  l

To synchronize playback between specific tabs, click at the bottom of each Timeline. The icon changes to to show that it is now synchronized.

The Timeline will synchronize with the first tab you selected.

Synchronizing Recorded Video Playback 86

Disabling Synchronized Recorded Video Playback

  l

To disable synchronized recorded video playback in all new View tabs, clear the Synchronize recorded

video playback check box in the Client Settings dialog box.

Previously synchronized tabs will remain synchronized.

  l

To disable synchronized video playback in individual tabs, click at the bottom of the Timeline. The icon changes to to show that synchronized playback is disabled.

The Timeline will continue to display the same time but will no longer be synchronized with other

Timelines.

Bookmarking Recorded Video

You can add bookmarks to recorded video to help you find and review an event later. Bookmarked video can be protected against scheduled data cleanup so that the video is never deleted.

Adding a Bookmark

Tip: You can add a bookmark any time the Timeline is displayed.

 1. Drag the time marker to where you want to start the bookmark, then right-click the Timeline and select

Add Bookmark.

The Edit Bookmark dialog box appears, and the bookmark time range is highlighted on the Timeline.

 2. Enter a name for the New Bookmark.

 3. In the Cameras: pane, select all the cameras that need to be attached to this bookmark.

NOTE: You can only bookmark multiple cameras from the same site.

 4. In the Time Range to Bookmark: area, enter the full duration of the bookmark.

You can also move the black time range markers on the Timeline to adjust the time range.

 5. In the Description: field, enter any extra information that you want to include with the bookmark.

 6. To protect the bookmark video from being deleted, select the Protect bookmark data check box.

NOTE: Protected bookmarks are never deleted. Be aware that bookmarked videos take up space and can become the oldest video on the server.

 7. To make the bookmark private, select the Bookmark is private check box. Private bookmarks are only visible to the user who marked the bookmark as private, and the system administrator. No one else will have access to the bookmark.

 8. Click OK.

Disabling Synchronized Recorded Video Playback 87

Exporting, Editing, or Deleting a Bookmark

  l

Click the bookmark on the Timeline, then do one of the following:

To...

Do this...

Export a bookmark

Edit a bookmark

Delete a bookmark

Click Export, then complete the Export tab. For more information, see Export on page 99.

Click Edit, then make your changes. For more information about the editable

options, see Adding a Bookmark on the previous page.

Click Delete. When the confirmation dialog box appears, click Yes.

Reviewing Recorded POS Transactions

While you watch recorded video, you can review POS transactions that occur at the same time.

 1. Select a camera that is linked to the POS transaction source and display the camera's recorded video

 2. In the image panel, click

.

If there is more than one POS transaction source linked to the camera, you will be prompted to select one. The POS transactions are displayed in the next image panel.

  l

Each transaction is separated by date and time.

  l

When you select a transaction, the video jumps to that event on the Timeline.

  l

Scroll up or down to see other recorded POS transactions.

 3. To display cameras that are linked to the POS transaction source, click

in the POS transaction image panel.

If multiple cameras are connected to the POS transaction source, you will be prompted to select one.

 4. Use the Timeline to review the video in more detail.

For more information about Timelines, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

If you want to find a specific POS transaction, see Performing Text Source Transactions Search on page 96.

Working with Maps

A map is a graphical reference of your surveillance site. You can create a map out of any image of your location, then add cameras, encoders, saved Views, and other maps to the image to help you quickly navigate through your surveillance site.

Adding a Map

You can create a map from any image in JPEG, BMP, PNG, or GIF format. The image is used as the map background and cameras are added on top to show where they are located in your surveillance site.

NOTE: The recommended map image size should be no more than 3000 x 3000 px or 9 MP. Larger images may cause rendering issues.

Exporting, Editing, or Deleting a Bookmark 88

 1. In the System Explorer, right-click a site or site folder and select New Map....

 2. In the Map Properties dialog box, click Change Image... and locate your map image.

 3. In the Name: field, enter a name for the map.

 4. If it is not displayed, click

to display the Site View Editor and choose where the map appears in the

System Explorer. By default, the map is added to the site that you initially selected.

  l

If your site includes virtual sub-sites, select a location listed on the left. The list on the right updates to show what is stored in that directory.

  l

In the site directory, drag the map up and down to set where it is displayed.

 5. Click OK.

In the following Editing: Map tab, you can click Edit Properties... to open the Map Properties dialog box again.

 6. Drag and place cameras from the System Explorer onto the map.

Figure 12:

The Editing: Map tab

By default a camera is displayed as an icon with a yellow triangle to represent its field of view.

  l

Drag the black points at the end of the yellow field of view to re-size and position the camera angle.

 7. Drag encoders, saved Views and other maps that you need from the System Explorer onto the map.

Adding a Map 89

 8. In the Map Icon Properties options, you can change the way icons are displayed on the map. Select any icon on the map then do the following:

Figure 13:

Map Icon Properties options

 a. To replace an icon with a clickable shape region, select one of the shape buttons. You can replace the icon with a rectangle, ellipse or polygon region.

 b. Select the Show name check box to display the object's name on the map.

 c. Click Delete from Map to remove the object from the map.

 d. (Cameras only) Select the Show field of view check box to display the camera's yellow field of view. This option is only available when the camera icon is used.

Drag the corners of the yellow triangle to expand the field of view. Drag the black circle at the end of the triangle to rotate the field of view.

 e. (Cameras only) Click Change Image Region to define the specific area that is displayed when you access the camera from the map.

In the following dialog box, move and resize the green overlay to select the region you want to focus on, then click OK.

 9. Click to save your new map.

Using a Map

You can open a map in any image panel, then open video or alarms from the map.

 1. To open a map in an image panel, do one of the following:

  l

Double-click in the System Explorer.

  l

Drag from the System Explorer to an image panel.

  l

In the System Explorer, right-click and select Add To View.

 2. When the map appears in an image panel, do any of the following:

Using a Map 90

Figure 14:

Map in an image panel

To...

Display video from a camera on the map

Open a linked map

Open a linked View

Do this...

  l

Drag a camera from the map to a different image panel, or

  l

Click the camera on the map.

  l

Click the map icon on the map.

You can use the Forward and Back buttons to move between maps.

  l

Click the saved View on the map.

Editing and Deleting a Map

You can update a map or delete an old map anytime.

 1. In the System Explorer, right-click  

then select one of the following:

  l

To edit the map, select Edit.... For more information about the available map options, see Adding a

Map on page 88.

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To delete the map, select Delete. When the confirmation dialog box appears, click Yes.

Working with Web Pages

You can quickly review online content while monitoring videos by adding web pages to the System Explorer.

NOTE: Web pages will not load if you do not have internet access.

Editing and Deleting a Map 91

Adding a Web Page

You can add web pages to a site for quick access to internet content that is related to your surveillance system.

 1. In the System Explorer, right-click a site or site folder and select New Web Page....

The Web Page Properties dialog box is displayed.

 2. In the Name: field, enter a name for the web page.

 3. Enter the web page URL in the URL: field.

 4. Select a Zoom level: for viewing the web page inside an image panel.

 5. If it is not displayed, click

to display the Site View Editor and choose where the web page appears in the System Explorer. By default, the web page is added to the site you initially selected.

  l

If your site includes virtual sub-sites, select a location listed on the left. The list on the right updates to show what is stored in that directory.

  l

In the site directory, drag the web page up and down to set where it is displayed.

 6. Click OK.

Using a Web Page

To open a web page, do one of the following:

  l

Double-click in the System Explorer.

  l

Drag from the System Explorer to an image panel.

  l

In the System Explorer, right-click and select Add To View.

The web page is displayed in one of the image panels. Use the web browser buttons to navigate through the internet.

Figure 15:

Web Page controls

NOTE: If the web page does not render, you may need to install the latest version of Internet Explorer.

Editing and Deleting a Web Page

Whenever a web page address becomes out of date, you can choose to update the web page or delete the web page from the site.

  l

In the System Explorer, right-click then select one of the following:

  l

To edit the web page, select Edit.... For more information about the editable options, see Adding a

Web Page above.

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To delete the web page, select Delete. When the confirmation dialog box is displayed, click Yes.

Adding a Web Page 92

Search

You can quickly search for recorded video that is linked to an event or search through a camera's recording history.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

Performing an Event Search

The Event Search allows you to search for specific events that the system is configured to identify.

 1. In the New Task menu, click

.

The Search: Event tab is displayed.

 2. In the Camera(s) to Search: area, select all the cameras you want to include in the search.

 3. In the Time Range to Search: area, set the date and time range of your search. The time range is highlighted on the Timeline by the black time range markers. You can also drag the time range markers to modify the time range.

 4. In the Events to Search For: area, select the types of events to include in the search.

  l

Select Motion Events to find events detected in the camera's Motion Detection area.

  l

Select Digital Input Events to find events detected by digital inputs that are connected to the selected cameras.

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Select Classified Object Events to find events detected in the camera's Video Analytics

Configuration area.

 5. Click Search.

Viewing Search Results

 1. In the Search Results area, select a search result. The event is highlighted on the Timeline and the video is displayed in the image panel. Details about the search result are displayed to the right.

 2. Use the Timeline controls to review the event.

For more information, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

 3. Click Export this event to export the selected event video.

For more information, see Export on page 99.

 4. If you want to further refine your search, click Perform a motion search on this event. You can now search for detailed changes in the selected search result.

For more information, see Performing a Motion Search on the next page.

 5. Click Bookmark this event to bookmark the selected search result.

Search 93

For more information, see Bookmarking Recorded Video on page 87.

 6. Click Add to new View to display the search result video in a new View tab.

 7. To export all listed search results, click Export results to a file and save the file. The search results can be saved as either a CSV or Text file.

Performing a Motion Search

The Motion Search tab allows you to search for classified object motion and pixel motion.

NOTE: Classified Object Motion search is always displayed but only video from a self-learning video analytics device will generate meaningful search results.

 1. In the New Task menu, click

.

The Search: Motion tab is displayed. By default, the entire search image panel is highlighted in green.

 2. In the Camera to Search: area, select a camera.

 3. In the Time Range to Search: area, set the date and time range of your search. The time range is highlighted on the Timeline by the black time range markers. You can also drag the time range markers to modify the time range.

 4. Select the type of motion search that you would like to perform:

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Click Classified Object Motion to search for objects detected by a video analytics camera.

 a. In the Classified Object Motion area, check the

box to search for persons.

 b. Check the

box to search for vehicles.

 c. Move the Confidence: slider to set how certain the system must be that it identified the correct object type.

 d. Enter a time in seconds in the Object Duration: field to define how long each result must be in the scene.

 e. Select one of the following options:

  l

Individual objects — select this option to display each classified object as an individual search result.

  l

Joined by time — select this option to display objects that appear simultaneously as one search result. Define the minimum number of seconds apart before the next search result is generated.

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Click Pixel Motion to search for tiny pixel changes in a specific area in the camera's field of view.

 a. In the Pixel Search Options: area, drag the Threshold: slider to select the amount of motion required to return a search result.

A high threshold requires more pixels to change before results are found.

 b. Enter a number in the Join results less than field to set the minimum number of seconds between separate search results. You can enter any number between 1-100 seconds.

Performing a Motion Search 94

 5. Define the green search area by using the tools above the image panel.

For more information about using the classified object motion tools, see Setting Up Classified Object

Motion Detection on page 54.

For more information about using the pixel motion tools, see Setting Up Pixel Motion Detection on page 52.

 6. Click Search.

Viewing Search Results

Depending on the type of Motion Search you performed, some of the following options may not be available.

 1. In the Search Results area, select a search result. The event is highlighted on the Timeline and the video is displayed in the image panel. Details about the search result are displayed to the right.

If you performed a Classified Object Motion search, the objects in the search result are highlighted in the image panel.

 2. Use the Timeline controls to review the event.

For more information, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

 3. Click Export this event to export the selected event video.

For more information, see Export on page 99.

 4. Click Bookmark this event to bookmark the selected search result.

For more information, see Bookmarking Recorded Video on page 87.

 5. Click Add to new View to display the search result video in a new View tab.

 6. To export all listed search results, click Export results to a file and save the file. The search results can be saved as either a CSV or Text file.

 7. If you performed a Classified Object Motion search and chose to join the search results, you will have the option to Find individual objects in this event. Click this button to perform a new search to identify each individual object in the search result.

Performing a Thumbnail Search

The Thumbnail Search is a visual search that displays search results as a series of thumbnail images.

 1. In the New Task menu, click

.

The Search: Thumbnails tab is displayed.

 2. In the Camera to Search: area, select a camera.

 3. In the Time Range to Search: area, set the date and time range of your search. The time range is highlighted on the Timeline by the black time range markers. You can also drag the time range markers to modify the time range.

Viewing Search Results 95

 4. In the image panel, move or drag the edges of the green overlay to focus the search on one area in the video image. Only the area highlighted in green will be searched.

 5. Click Search.

Viewing Search Results

The search results display thumbnails at equal intervals on the Timeline.

 1. To change the size of the search result thumbnails, select Large Thumbnails, Medium Thumbnails or

Small Thumbnails from the menu above the search results.

Figure 16:

The Search: Thumbnails results tab

 2. Select a thumbnail to highlight the video on the Timeline.

 3. Click Step In, or double-click the thumbnail to perform another search around the thumbnail.

Click Step Out to return to the previous results page.

 4. Click Open In View (after selecting a thumbnail) to open the recorded video in a new View.

 5. Click Change Search to change the search criteria.

Performing Text Source Transactions Search

The Text Source Transactions Search allows you to search for specific transactions recorded by the POS transactions feature.

Viewing Search Results 96

 1. In the New Task menu, click

.

The Search: POS Transactions tab is displayed.

 2. In the POS Transaction Sources to Search: area, select all the POS transaction sources you would like to include in the search.

 3. In the Time Range to Search: area, set the date and time range of your search. The time range is highlighted on the Timeline by the black time range markers. You can also drag the time range markers to modify the time range.

 4. In the Search Text: area, enter any text that will help you filter the search results. For example, you can enter product names or transaction values.

Use Wildcards and Regular expressions search methods to find a range of results. Leave the Text: field blank to find all transactions.

 5. Click Search.

Viewing Search Results

 1. In the Search Results area, select a search result. The event is highlighted on the Timeline and the video is displayed in the image panel. Details about the search result are displayed to the right.

You can resize the image panel, search results and result details to see the information more clearly.

 2. Use the Timeline controls to review the event.

For more information, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

 3. If the search result is linked to multiple cameras, select a camera from the drop down list above the image panel to change the video that is displayed.

 4. Click Export this event to export the selected event video.

For more information, see Export on page 99.

 5. To export all listed search results, click Export results to a file and save the file. The search results can be saved as either a CSV or Text file.

Performing a Bookmark Search

The Bookmark Search allows you to search for a specific bookmark.

 1. In the New Task menu, click

.

The Search: Bookmark tab is displayed. All available bookmarks are listed on the left.

 2. In the Search: field at the top of the tab, enter any text that may appear in the bookmark's title, description, linked camera name or the name of the user who created the bookmark.

The search is automatically performed on all the listed bookmarks until only the matches are displayed.

Viewing Search Results 97

Viewing Search Results

 1. In the Bookmark list, select a bookmark. The bookmark is highlighted on the Timeline and the video is displayed in the image panel. Details about the bookmark are displayed under the image panel.

 2. Use the Timeline controls to review the event.

For more information, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

 3. If the search result is linked to multiple cameras, select a camera from the drop down list above the image panel to change the video that is displayed.

 4. To export the selected bookmark, click Export this event.

 5. If you want to further refine your search, click Perform a motion search on this event. You can now search for more detailed changes in the selected bookmarked video.

For more information, see Performing a Motion Search on page 94.

 6. To edit the bookmark, click Edit this bookmark.

For more information, see Bookmarking Recorded Video on page 87.

 7. To export a list of all bookmarks in the system, click Export results to a file and save the file. The list can be saved as either a CSV or Text file.

Managing Multiple Bookmarks

 1. To select multiple bookmarks from the Bookmark list, do any of the following:

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To select non-consecutive bookmarks, press Ctrl + click the bookmarks.

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To select consecutive bookmarks, press Shift + click the bookmarks.

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To select all bookmarks, press Ctrl + A.

Additional options are displayed below the Bookmark list. These options affect the selected bookmarks.

 2. To protect selected bookmarks, click

.

The bookmark video is protected from being deleted. Be aware that bookmarked videos take up space and can become the oldest video on the server.

 3. To remove protection from protected bookmarks, click

.

 4. To export the selected bookmarks, click

.

A new Export tab is opened. For more information, see Export on the next page.

 5. To delete selected bookmarks, click

.

 6. To deselect the bookmarks, click on the left of the options bar.

Viewing Search Results 98

Export

You can export video in multiple video and image formats. The Export tab can be accessed from bookmark options, the New Task menu and any Search tab.

You can also export snapshots of an image panel as you monitor video.

It is recommended that you export video of individual events and back up video for your archives. For more

information, see Archive on page 108.

Exporting a Snapshot of an Image

Exporting Native Video

Exporting AVI Video

Exporting Still Images

Exporting a Print Image

Exporting WAV Audio

99

101

102

104

106

107

Exporting a Snapshot of an Image

You can export a snapshot of any image panel with video. When you export a snapshot, you are exporting what the image panel is currently displaying.

 1. To export a snapshot, do one of the following:

  l

In the image panel, click .

  l

Right-click the image panel and select Save Snapshot.

The Export tab opens and your snapshot is displayed in the image panel.

 2. In the Format: drop down list, select the export file format then define your preferences:

Native

NOTE: The Native format requires the

Avigilon Control Center Player to view.

PNG image

Format Export Options

This is the recommended export format because the exported image maintains its original compression and can be authenticated against tampering in the Avigilon Control Center

Player software.

  l

Select the Export Control Center Player check box if you want to include a copy of the Avigilon Control Center

Player software with the export.

  l

Click Burn to Disc to burn the export file directly to disk rather than export the file first.

 1. In the Resolution: field, select a resolution for the video image. You can manually enter the resolution or click the drop down arrow to select a standard resolution.

Export 99

JPEG image

TIFF image

Print image

PDF file

Format Export Options

NOTE: The Resolution: field automatically maintains the image aspect ratio.

 2. Select the image overlays you want: Timestamp, Camera

name and Camera location.

 3. Click Change Image Region... to only export part of the video image. In the Change Image Region dialog box, move and resize the green overlay then click OK. Only areas highlighted in green are exported.

 4. Click Display Adjustments... to adjust the Gamma:, Black

Level: and White Level:.

 1. In the Quality: drop down list, select the exported image quality level.

 2. Set the image Resolution:.

 3. Select the image overlays you want.

 4. Click Change Image Region... to only export a part of the video image.

 5. Click Display Adjustments... to modify the image quality.

 1. Set the image Resolution:.

 2. Select the image overlays you want.

 3. Click Change Image Region... to only export a part of the video image.

 4. Click Display Adjustments... to modify the image quality.

 1. Select the image overlays you want.

 2. Click Change Image Region... to only export a part of the video image.

 3. Click Display Adjustments... to modify the image quality.

 4. Click Printer Settings... to change the selected printer and paper size.

 5. Click Add Export Notes... to add notes about the snapshot. The notes are printed below the image.

 1. Select the image overlays you want.

 2. Click Change Image Region... to only export a part of the video image.

 3. Click Display Adjustments... to modify the image quality.

 4. Click Add Export Notes... to add notes about the snapshot.

Exporting a Snapshot of an Image 100

 3. Click Start Export.

 4. In the Save As dialog box, name the export file and click Save. If you are printing the snapshot, the image is sent to your printer instead.

The Preview area displays the snapshot you are exporting.

 5. When the export is complete, click OK.

Exporting Native Video

The Native (AVE) format is the recommended format for exporting video. You can export video from multiple cameras in a single file, and the video maintains its original compression. AVE video export also includes the original video metadata so you can search the exported video, including video analytics data. AVE video is played in the Avigilon Control Center Player, where the video can be authenticated against tampering and reexported to other formats.

If there is audio linked to the video, the audio is automatically included in the export.

If you are exporting a large amount of video for your records, back up the video instead. For more information,

see Archiving Recorded Video On Demand on page 108.

 1. In the New Task menu, click  

. The Export tab opens.

 2. In the Format: drop down list, select Native.

 3. From the Cameras: drop down explorer, select the camera video that you want to export.

A preview of the video is displayed in the image panel. Use the Timeline controls to playback the video.

For more information, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

Tip: You can select more than one camera for this type of export.

 4. Enter the Time Range you want to export. The Time Range is highlighted on the Timeline by black time range markers. You can also drag the time range markers to modify the time range.

 5. If you want to add another video clip to the export, click Add clip then select the required cameras and time range.

The Add clip feature allows you to export video from different combinations of cameras and different time ranges as one export file.

For example, there is a person that is suspected of stealing from a store. During the investigation, you discover that the same person visits the store multiple times over one week. The Add clip feature allows you to export one file that includes all video of the suspect from the week.

Repeat this step until you've added all the clips that you need. You can remove a clip from the export by clicking the X button in the top-right corner of the clip area.

 6. From the Image Rate: drop down list, select how many images per second are exported.

For example, the video is streaming at 30 images per second. If you select 1/2, only 15 images for that second will be exported.

Exporting Native Video 101

To define a specific image rate, select Custom (ips) then enter the image rate in minutes and seconds. If you enter 1 minute and 0 seconds, one frame of video is exported for each minute of the export.

 7. To automatically divide the export into separate files, select a Maximum file size:.

This option allows you to export smaller files for storing in a flash drive or on optical media.

This setting is automatically disabled if you choose to burn the export to disc because the system autodetects the disc size.

 8. If you want to include a copy of the Player application with the export, select the Export Control Center

Player check box.

 9. Click one of the following:

Tip: While the file is being exported, you can continue to use the Client software for regular operations in the other tabs.

  l

Start Export: to save the file locally.

  l

In the Save As dialog box, name the export file and click Save.

  l

Burn to Disc: to burn the file directly to disc media.

 a. When the dialog box appears, insert a disc and select the media burning drive.

 b. Name the export file. The file name is automatically given a numbered suffix to help identify which file you are playing if the export spans multiple discs.

 c. Click Burn to Disc to start the export. If this button is disabled, the disc may be corrupt or full.

 d. Monitor the export progress to see if extra discs are required. When a disc is full, the export automatically pauses and you are asked to insert a new disc. After you insert a new disc, click Resume Export.

The number of discs required to export a video varies widely depending on the type of camera and disc used. Video is stored on the server with minimal compression to maximize the function of Avigilon

HDSM technology, so the size of an export can be quite large due to the camera's high megapixel resolution and frame rate.

Generally, if you export a 2 minute video from a 2MP H.264 HD camera into AVE format, you will export a

93 MB file. To reduce the number of discs required, you can lower the frame rate or use a disc type with a larger capacity. Be aware that reducing the frame rate too much may cause the exported video to be jerky or missing data.

 10. When the export is complete, click OK.

Exporting AVI Video

Video exported in Audio Video Interleave (AVI) format can be played in most media players. Be aware that you can only export one video at a time in this format.

If there is audio linked to the video, the audio is automatically included in the export.

Exporting AVI Video 102

 1. In the New Task menu, click  

. The Export tab opens.

 2. In the Format: drop down list, select AVI video.

 3. From the Cameras: drop down explorer, select the camera video that you want to export.

A preview of the video is displayed in the image panel. Use the Timeline controls to playback the video.

For more information, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

 4. Enter the Time Range you want to export. The Time Range is highlighted on the Timeline by black time range markers. You can also drag the time range markers to modify the time range.

 5. In the Encoder: field, select the compression used. The VC-1 (Windows Media Video) compression is included by default because it is tailored for high-resolution AVI encoding.

If you are planning to burn the export to disc, it is important to select a compression method to help reduce the export size and maintain video quality.

 6. In the Quality: drop down list, select the exported image quality level.

NOTE: You can only change the Quality: setting if you've selected an Encoder: for the export.

 7. In the Resolution: field, select a resolution for the video image. You can manually enter the resolution or click the drop down arrow to select a standard resolution.

NOTE: The Resolution: field automatically maintains the image aspect ratio.

 8. From the Image Rate: drop down list, select how many images per second are exported.

For example, the video is streaming at 30 images per second. If you select 1/2, only 15 images for that second will be exported.

To define a specific image rate, select Custom (ips) then enter the image rate in minutes and seconds. If you enter 1 minute and 0 seconds, one frame of video is exported for each minute of the export.

 9. To automatically divide the export into separate files, select a Maximum file size:.

This option allows you to export smaller files for storing in a flash drive or on optical media.

This setting is automatically disabled if you choose to burn the export to disc because the system autodetects the disc size.

 10. Select the Skip recording gaps check box to avoid pauses in the video caused by gaps in the recording.

 11. Select the image overlays that you want to display in the export: Timestamp, Camera name and Camera

location.

NOTE: The Timestamp displays the time that was recorded by the server that the camera is connected to.

Select the Video Analytics Activity overlay to include classified object bounding boxes in the export. The bounding boxes will be embedded in the video and cannot be removed from the export.

 12. Click Change Image Region... to only export part of the video image. In the Change Image Region... dialog box, move and resize the green overlay to select the region you want to export, then click OK.

Only areas highlighted in green will be exported.

 13. Click Display Adjustments... to adjust the Gamma:, Black Level:, White Level:, or Enable Auto-Contrast.

Exporting AVI Video 103

The Display Adjustment Settings: can be adjusted and restored for all image panels from the Client

Settings. For more information, see Changing Display Adjustment Settings on page 70.

The Display Adjustment Settings: can be adjusted for each image panel or for all image panels from the

Display Adjustments... floating pane. For more information, see Making Image Panel Display Adjustments on page 78.

 14. Click one of the following:

Tip: While the file is being exported, you can continue to use the Client software for regular operations in the other tabs.

  l

Start Export: to save the file locally.

  l

In the Save As dialog box, name the export file and click Save.

  l

Burn to Disc: to burn the file directly to disc media.

 a. When the dialog box appears, insert a disc and select the media burning drive.

 b. Name the export file. The file name is automatically given a numbered suffix to help identify which file you are playing if the export spans multiple discs.

 c. Click Burn to Disc to start the export. If this button is disabled, the disc may be corrupt or full.

 d. Monitor the export progress to see if extra discs are required. When a disc is full, the export automatically pauses and you are asked to insert a new disc. After you insert a new disc, click Resume Export.

The number of discs required to export a video varies widely depending on the type of camera and disc used. Video is stored on the server with minimal compression to maximize the function of Avigilon HDSM technology, so the size of an export can be quite large due to the camera's high megapixel resolution and frame rate.

Generally, if you export a 2 minute video from a 2MP H.264 HD camera into uncompressed AVI format, you will export a 2.7 GB file. If you select an Encoder: format and compress the video, you can export a

224 MB video at high quality. It is recommended that you always select an Encoder: format for AVI export to help significantly reduce the file size.

To further reduce the file size you can select a lower quality setting, lower the export frame rate, reduce the video resolution, or focus the export on a specific image region. Be aware that reducing each of the available settings too much may cause the export to be blurry or missing frames.

If it is important to have a high quality and full frame rate export, it is recommended that you use the AVE export format instead. AVE export intelligently compresses the video to create a smaller export file while maintaining video data so that you can search, re-export video, and authenticate the video against tampering through the Avigilon Control Center Player software.

 15. When the export is complete, click OK.

Exporting Still Images

Video can be exported as a series of still PNG images, JPEG images, or TIFF images. When you export a series of still images, you are exporting each frame of video as an independent file.

Exporting Still Images 104

If you only want one photo of the video you are watching, take a snapshot. For more information, see Exporting

a Snapshot of an Image on page 99.

 1. In the New Task menu, click  

. The Export tab opens.

 2. In the Format: drop down list, select PNG images, JPEG images, or TIFF images.

 3. From the Cameras: drop down explorer, select the camera video that you want to export.

A preview of the video is displayed in the image panel. Use the Timeline controls to playback the video.

For more information, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

 4. Enter the Time Range you want to export. The Time Range is highlighted on the Timeline by black time range markers. You can also drag the time range markers to modify the time range.

 5. (JPEG only) In the Quality: drop down list, select the exported image quality level.

 6. In the Resolution: field, select a resolution for the video image. You can manually enter the resolution or click the drop down arrow to select a standard resolution.

NOTE: The Resolution: field automatically maintains the image aspect ratio.

 7. From the Image Rate: drop down list, select how many images per second are exported.

For example, the video is streaming at 30 images per second. If you select 1/2, only 15 images for that second will be exported.

To define a specific image rate, select Custom (ips) then enter the image rate in minutes and seconds. If you enter 1 minute and 0 seconds, one frame of video is exported for each minute of the export.

 8. To limit the number of images that are exported, enter a maximum number in the Images to Export: field or use the default Unlimited setting.

The export stops when the maximum number is reached, or when the end of the export time range is reached.

 9. Select the image overlays that you want to display in the export: Timestamp, Camera name and Camera

location.

NOTE: The Timestamp displays the time that was recorded by the server that the camera is connected to.

 10. Click Change Image Region... to only export part of the video image. In the Change Image Region... dialog box, move and resize the green overlay to select the region you want to export, then click OK.

Only areas highlighted in green will be exported.

 11. Click Display Adjustments... to adjust the Gamma:, Black Level:, White Level:, or Enable Auto-Contrast.

The Display Adjustment Settings: can be adjusted and restored for all image panels from the Client

Settings. For more information, see Changing Display Adjustment Settings on page 70.

The Display Adjustment Settings: can be adjusted for each image panel or for all image panels from the

Display Adjustments... floating pane. For more information, see Making Image Panel Display Adjustments on page 78.

 12. Click Start Export.

Exporting Still Images 105

 13. In the Save As dialog box, name the export file and click Save.

The Preview area displays the video you are exporting.

 14. When the export is complete, click OK.

Exporting a Print Image

You can export a frame of video directly to your printer or as a PDF. The export can also include any notes you may have about the image.

Tip: You can perform a similar export by taking a snapshot. For more information, see Exporting a Snapshot of an

Image on page 99.

 1. In the New Task menu, click  

. The Export tab opens.

 2. In the Format: drop down list, select Print image or PDF file.

 3. From the Cameras: drop down explorer, select the camera video that you want to export.

A preview of the video is displayed in the image panel. Use the Timeline controls to playback the video.

For more information, see Playing Back Recorded Video on page 85.

 4. On the Timeline, move the red time marker to locate the video image that you want to export.

 5. Select the image overlays that you want to display in the export: Timestamp, Camera name and Camera

location.

NOTE: The Timestamp displays the time that was recorded by the server that the camera is connected to.

 6. Click Change Image Region... to only export part of the video image. In the Change Image Region... dialog box, move and resize the green overlay to select the region you want to export, then click OK.

Only areas highlighted in green will be exported.

 7. Click Display Adjustments... to adjust the Gamma:, Black Level:, White Level:, or Enable Auto-Contrast.

The Display Adjustment Settings: can be adjusted and restored for all image panels from the Client

Settings. For more information, see Changing Display Adjustment Settings on page 70.

The Display Adjustment Settings: can be adjusted for each image panel or for all image panels from the

Display Adjustments... floating pane. For more information, see Making Image Panel Display Adjustments on page 78.

 8. (Print Image Only) Click Printer Settings... to change the printer and paper size.

 9. Click Add Export Notes... to add notes about the exported image. The notes are added below the image.

 10. Click Start Export.

  l

If you are exporting a Print image, the image is sent to the printer.

  l

If you are exporting a PDF file, save the image.

Exporting a Print Image 106

The Preview area displays the video you are exporting.

 11. When the export is complete, click OK.

Exporting WAV Audio

If you want to export audio with video, simply export the video in Native or AVI format. Any audio that is linked to the video is automatically included in the export file.

This procedure exports the audio alone.

 1. In the New Task menu, click  

. The Export tab opens.

 2. In the Format: drop down list, select WAV audio.

 3. In the Cameras: drop down list, select the camera that the audio is linked to.

 4. Enter the Time Range you want to export. The Time Range is highlighted on the Timeline by black time range markers. You can also drag the time range markers to modify the time range.

 5. Click Start Export.

 6. In the Save As dialog box, name the export file and click Save.

The Preview area displays the video that is linked to the audio you are exporting.

 7. When the export is complete, click OK.

Exporting WAV Audio 107

Archive

If you need to export a large amount of camera video, it is faster to archive the content into Avigilon Backup

(AVK) format. AVK files can be opened in the Avigilon Control Center Player and re-exported as needed.

If you only want to archive an individual event, it is recommended that you export the video instead. For more

information, see Export on page 99.

Archiving Recorded Video On Demand

If you want a copy of the recorded video in your system, use the Archive feature. Video is always archived in

Avigilon Backup (AVK) format. You can review the archived video in the Avigilon Control Center Player.

The archived files are stored in a folder set by the Avigilon Control Center Admin Tool. For information about changing the archive location, see The Avigilon Control Center Server User Guide.

 1. In the application window, click

>

.

The Archive tab is displayed.

 2. In the System Explorer, select all the cameras you want to archive.

NOTE: You can only archive video from one server at a time.

 3. In the Archive Options area, set the time range of the archive.

The time range is highlighted on the Timeline by the black time range markers. You can also drag the time range markers to change the time range.

 4. Select the Delete oldest archives when disk full check box to allow the application to automatically overwrite old archive files when the archive folder is full.

 5. Click Start Archiving.

 6. When the archive is complete, click OK.

Each video archive is saved in a subfolder that is named after the archive time range.

Archive 108

Appendix

Detailed Feature Descriptions

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

This section provides a detailed list of the options that are available when you configure the following features:

Email Notification Trigger Descriptions

The following table shows the email notification trigger options that are available when you set up an email

notification. For more information about setting up an email notification, see Configuring Email Notifications on page 27.

Email Notification Trigger

System event

Description

Email notifications are sent when one of the following rule events occurs:

  l

Server application starting up

  l

Server application shutting down

  l

Server application terminated unexpectedly

  l

Server application low on resources

  l

Server application installation error

 

  l

Server connection lost l

Server hardware event

  l

Connection created to standby server

  l

Connection removed from standby server

  l

Connection failure

  l

Connection restored

  l

Network connection found

  l

Network connection lost

 

  l

Network packet loss acceptable l

Network packet loss unacceptable

  l

License expires soon

  l

License expired

  l

Database error

  l

Data initialization error

  l

Data volume size reduced

  l

Data write error

 

  l

Data upgrade started l

Data upgrade completed

Appendix 109

Email Notification Trigger

Motion detected on _

Digital input activated on _

POS transaction exception on _

Description

  l

Data upgrade failed

 

  l

Data volume failed l

Data volume recovered

  l

Data recovery started

  l

Data recovery completed

  l

Data recovery failed

  l

Firmware upgrade failed

  l

Recording interrupted

  l

Recording resumed

An email notification is sent when camera motion detection has started. You can select the camera.

An email notification is sent when a digital input has been activated.

You can select the digital input.

An email notification is sent when a POS transaction exception occurs. You can select the transaction source.

 

 

 

 

Group Permission Descriptions

The following table shows the options that are available when you set up a permission group. For more

information about setting up a permission group, see Adding Groups on page 25.

 

 

 

 

View live images

Manage saved views

Manage maps

Group Permission

Use PTZ controls

Lock PTZ controls

Trigger manual recording

Trigger digital outputs

Broadcast to speakers

View recorded images

Export images

Archive images

Create teach markers

Description

Allows users to watch a camera's live video stream in a View.

Allows users to use a camera's PTZ controls.

Allows users to lock a camera's PTZ controls.

Allows users to trigger manual recording while watching video in a View.

Allows users to trigger digital outputs while watching video in a View.

Allows users to broadcast audio through speakers that are connected to a camera.

Allows users to watch a camera's recorded video in a View.

Allows users to export recorded images.

Allows users to back up recorded images.

Allows users to assign Teach Markers in recorded video.

Allows users to add and edit saved Views.

Allows users to add and edit maps.

Group Permission Descriptions 110

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manage web pages

Group Permission

Manage user sessions

Listen to microphones

Setup cameras

Setup sites

Setup general settings

Setup network settings

Setup image and display settings

Setup compression and image rate settings

Setup image dimension settings

Setup motion detection settings

Setup privacy zone settings

Setup manual recording settings

Setup digital input & output settings

Setup microphone settings

Setup speaker settings

Setup analytics settings

Setup teach by example

Setup name

Manage site

Setup site view

Setup user and group settings

Setup corporate hierarchy

Setup POS transaction settings

Description

Allows users to add and edit web pages.

Allows users to log other users out of the site.

Allows users to listen to microphones that are connected to a camera.

Allows users to configure cameras.

Allows users to edit a camera's General dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Network dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Image and Display dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Compression and Image

Rate dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Image Dimensions dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Motion Detection dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Privacy Zones dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Manual Recording dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Digital Inputs and

Outputs dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Microphone dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Speaker dialog box.

Allows user to edit the Video Analytics

Configuration dialog box.

Allows users access to the Teach By Example tab, and the ability to apply or remove Teach

Markers from an analytics device.

Allows users to configure sites.

Allows users to edit the site name.

Allows users to add and upgrade servers in a site.

Allows users to organize the order of cameras in the System Explorer.

Allows users to edit the Users and Groups dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Edit Corporate Hierarchy dialog box.

Allows users to edit the POS Transactions dialog

Group Permission Descriptions 111

 

 

 

Group Permission

 

 

 

 

Setup external notification settings

Setup rule engine settings

View site logs

Connect and disconnect cameras

 

 

 

Setup servers

View Site Health

Manage server

Setup schedule settings

Setup recording and bandwidth settings

Setup scheduled archive settings

Backup settings

Description

box.

Allows users to edit the Email Notifications dialog box.

Allows users to edit the Rules dialog box.

Allows users to view Site Logs.

Allows users to connect and disconnect cameras to servers.

Allows users to see Site Health details.

Allows users to configure servers.

Allows users to edit the server name.

Allows users to edit the camera Recording

Schedule.

Allows users to edit the camera Recording and

Bandwidth settings.

Allows users to set up Scheduled Archive.

Allows users to back up server settings.

Video Analytics Event Descriptions

The following table shows the Activity: options that can be used when configuring video analytics events. These triggers are based on the activity of detected classified objects.

NOTE: All events are reset when their duration reaches the specified Timeout: period.

For more information, see Adding Video Analytics Events on page 61.

Activity:

Objects in area

Description

The event is triggered when the selected object type moves into the region of interest.

If the number of objects is exceeded, a new event is not triggered until the number of objects falls below the defined value.

Advanced Options

  l

Number of

Objects: enter the maximum number of objects that can be in the region of interest before the event is triggered.

The default number is 1.

  l

Timeout: enter the maximum duration of the event. After this time, if the event is still active, a new event is triggered in the system.

Video Analytics Event Descriptions 112

Activity:

Object loitering

Objects crossing beam

Object appears or enters area

Object not present in area

Objects enter area

The event is triggered when no objects are present in the region of interest.

Description

The event is triggered when the selected object type stays within the region of interest for an extended amount of time. The event is reset when the object leaves the region of interest.

The event is triggered when the specified Number of

Objects: have crossed the directional beam that has been configured over the camera's field of view. The beam can be unidirectional or bidirectional.

If the number of objects is exceeded, a new event is not triggered until the event timesout.

The event is triggered by each object that enters the region of interest. This event can be used to count objects.

The event is triggered when the specified Number of

Objects: have entered the region of interest.

Advanced Options

  l

Timeout: enter the maximum duration of the event. After this time, if the event is still active, a new event is triggered in the system.

  l

Number of

Objects: enter the maximum number of objects that can be in the region of interest before the event is triggered.

The default number is 1.

  l

Timeout: enter the maximum duration of the event. After this time, if the event is still active, a new event is triggered in the system.

  l

Timeout: enter the maximum duration of the event. After this time, if the event is still active, a new event is triggered in the system.

  l

Timeout: enter the maximum duration of the event. After this time, if the event is still active, a new event is triggered in the system.

  l

Number of

Objects: enter the maximum number of objects that can be in the region of

Video Analytics Event Descriptions 113

Activity:

Objects leave area

The event is triggered when the specified Number of

Objects: have left the region of interest.

Object stops in area

The event is triggered when an object in a region of interest stops moving for the specified Threshold Time:.

Direction violated

Description

The event is triggered when an object moves in the prohibited direction of travel.

Advanced Options

interest before the event is triggered.

The default number is 1.

  l

Timeout: enter the maximum duration of the event. After this time, if the event is still active, a new event is triggered in the system.

  l

Number of

Objects: enter the maximum number of objects that can be in the region of interest before the event is triggered.

The default number is 1.

  l

Timeout: enter the maximum duration of the event. After this time, if the event is still active, a new event is triggered in the system.

  l

Timeout: enter the maximum duration of the event. After this time, if the event is still active, a new event is triggered in the system.

  l

Timeout: enter the maximum duration of the event. After this time, if the event is still active, a new event is triggered in the system.

Video Analytics Event Descriptions 114

Activity: Description Advanced Options

  l

Prohibited

Direction: move the arrow in the circle to define the direction that objects should not be traveling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rule Event and Action Descriptions

The following tables describe the trigger events and actions that are available when you set up a rule. For more

information about setting up a rule, see Adding a Rule on page 30.

Rule Events

Rule events are the events that trigger a rule.

 

Rule Events

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Server Events

Server application starting up

Server application shutting down

Server application terminated unexpectedly

Server application low on resources

Server application installation error

License expires soon

License expired

Database error

Data initialization error

Data volume failed

Data volume recovered

Data volume size reduced

Data write error

Data upgrade started

Data upgrade completed

Data upgrade failed

Data recovery started

Data recovery completed

Data recovery failed

Bookmark save failed

Network connection found

Description

The server software starts up.

The server software shuts down.

The server software shuts down unexpectedly.

The server software is low on memory or storage.

The server software was installed incorrectly.

The server software license expires soon.

The server software license has expired.

The server database has generated an error.

The server database has generated an error during initialization.

The server data volume has failed.

The server data volume was recovered.

The server data volume size was reduced.

The server generated an error while writing data.

A server data upgrade has started.

A server data upgrade has completed.

A server data upgrade has failed.

Server data recovery has started.

Server data recovery has completed.

Server data recovery has failed.

A bookmark failed to save.

The server network connection was found.

Rule Event and Action Descriptions 115

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rule Events

Network connection lost

 

Email send error

 

 

 

  Server hardware event

Archiving started

Archiving completed

Archiving failed

 

  Server connection lost

Device Events

Connection created

Connection removed

Connection created to standby server

Connection removed from standby server

Connection failure

Connection restored

Network packet loss unacceptable

Network packet loss acceptable

Motion detection started

Motion detection ended

Video analytics event started

Video analytics event ended

Tampering detected

Recording started

Recording ended

Recording interrupted

Recording resumed

Digital input activated

Digital input deactivated

Firmware upgrade started

Description

The server network connection was lost.

An error was generated while sending an email notification.

A server hardware error has occurred.

Server backup has started.

Server backup has completed.

Server backup has failed.

 

The server connection to the site was lost.

A camera or device has connected to a server.

A camera or device has disconnected from a server.

A camera or device has connected to a standby server.

A camera or device has disconnected from a standby server.

A camera or device connection has failed.

A camera or device connection has been restored.

A camera or device network packet loss is unacceptable.

A camera or device network packet loss is acceptable.

Motion detection has started on a camera.

Motion detection has ended on a camera.

A video analytics event has started.

A video analytics event has ended.

A video analytics camera or device has detected an unexpected change in the scene.

A camera or device recording has started.

A camera or device recording has ended.

A camera or device recording was interrupted.

A camera or device recording has resumed.

A camera or device digital input was activated.

A camera or device digital input was deactivated.

A camera or device firmware upgrade has started.

Rule Events 116

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rule Events

Firmware upgrade completed

Firmware upgrade failed

 

Obsolete firmware detected

 

 

 

 

 

User Events

User login

User logout

Server setting changed

Site setting changed

Device setting changed

Device connected

Device disconnected

Digital output triggered

Bookmark added

Bookmark updated

Bookmark deleted

PTZ moved

PTZ idle

Export performed

Speaker activated

Speaker deactivated

Virtual matrix monitor opened

Map added

Map updated

Map deleted

View added

View updated

View deleted

Web Page added

Web Page updated

Rule Events

Description

A camera or device firmware upgrade has been completed.

A camera or device firmware upgrade has failed.

A camera or device is detected to be running obsolete firmware. The system is unable to perform an automatic upgrade.

 

A user has logged in.

A user has logged out.

A user has changed the server settings.

A user has changed the site settings.

A user has changed the camera or device settings.

A user has connected a camera or device to a server.

A user has disconnected a camera or device from a server.

A user has manually triggered a digital output.

A user has added a bookmark.

A user has updated a bookmark.

A user has deleted a bookmark.

A user has moved a PTZ camera.

A user has left a PTZ camera idle.

A user has performed a video export.

A user is broadcasting audio through camera or device speakers.

A user has stopped broadcasting audio.

A user has opened a Virtual Matrix monitor in the

View.

A user has added a new map.

A user has updated a map.

A user has deleted a map.

A user has added a saved View.

A user has updated a saved View.

A user has deleted a saved View.

A user has added a new web page.

A user has updated a web page.

117

 

 

Rule Events

Web Page deleted

Site View updated

 

 

Custom keyboard command triggered

 

 

 

Alarm Events

Alarm acknowledged

Alarm auto acknowledged

Alarm triggered

 

  Alarm assigned

Alarm unassigned

  Alarm purged

POS Transaction Events

 

 

 

  POS transaction started

POS transaction ended

  POS transaction exception

License Plate Recognition Events

License plate detection started

License plate detection ended

License plate watchlist match

Description

A user has deleted a web page.

A user has updated the way cameras are organized in the System Explorer.

A user has triggered a custom keyboard command.

 

An alarm has been acknowledged.

An alarm has been acknowledged automatically.

An alarm has been triggered.

An alarm has been assigned to a user.

An alarm has been unassigned from a user.

 

An alarm has been purged.

A POS transaction has started.

A POS transaction has ended.

 

A POS transaction exception has occurred.

License plate detection has started.

License plate detection has ended.

A license plate on the LPR Watch List has been detected.

 

 

Rule Actions

Rule actions are the response to a rule event.

 

 

 

 

Rule Actions

User Notification Actions

Display on-screen message

Send email

Send notification to Central Monitoring Station

Play a sound

Monitoring Actions

Start live streaming

Create Bookmark

Description

 

An on-screen message is displayed about the rule event.

An email notification is sent about the rule event to the selected recipient(s).

An email notification is sent to the central monitoring station.

 

A notification sound is played within the Client when the rule event occurs.

The linked live video stream is displayed when the rule event occurs.

The recorded video of the rule event is

Rule Actions 118

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PTZ Actions

Open a saved view

Device Actions

Reboot camera

Trigger digital output

Go to Preset

Go to Home Preset

Run a Pattern

Set Auxiliary

Rule Actions

Clear Auxiliary

Description

  bookmarked.

The selected saved View is automatically displayed.

The camera or device reboots when the rule event occurs.

A digital output is triggered when the rule event occurs.

 

The selected PTZ camera moves to the selected preset position when the rule event occurs.

The selected PTZ camera moves to the home position when the rule event occurs.

The selected PTZ camera runs a selected pattern when the rule event occurs.

The selected PTZ camera starts the selected auxiliary command when the rule event occurs.

The selected PTZ camera ends the selected auxiliary command when the rule event occurs.

Rule Conditions

Rule conditions are the scenarios that must be met before the rule is triggered.

 

 

Device Events

Rule Condition

Digital input is active

Digital input is not active

Description

 

The rule is triggered if the connected digital input is active while the selected rule event occurs.

The rule is triggered if the connected digital input is inactive while the selected rule event occurs.

Updating the Client Software

Avigilon Control Center Client software updates are typically included with the Avigilon Control Center Server update packages. When you first open the Client software, you may be prompted to update with the following popup message:

A new version of Avigilon Control Center Client is available for download from server %1%.

Choose one of the following options:

Rule Conditions 119

  l

Click Update to allow the Client software to update. The software update is automatically downloaded and a dialog box displays the download progress.

When the update has finished downloading, click Update Avigilon Control Center Client. When the installation wizard appears, follow the prompts to complete the update.

  l

Click Do Not Update to continue working with the Client software without updating. The Client software will not be updated, and you can continue working with the software as before.

The Client software can also be downloaded from the Software Updates & Downloads page of the Avigilon website:

http://avigilon.com/support-and-downloads/for-software/software-updates-and-downloads/

.

Reporting Bugs

If an error occurs in the ACC software, you can contact Avigilon Technical Support at

[email protected]

or

+1.888.281.5182 option 1.

To help diagnose your problem, the Avigilon Technical Support team may ask you to provide a System Bug

Report. The System Bug Report is a zip file generated by the Avigilon Control Center Client software that contains the system log and error reports for each of the servers that you can access.

To generate a System Bug Report:

 1. Select

> System Bug Report....

 2. When the Download System Bug Report dialog box appears, click Download.

 3. In the Save As dialog box, name the file and click Save.

 4. Once the System Bug Report has downloaded successfully, click Close.

Keyboard Commands

Use any of the keyboard commands below to help you navigate the Avigilon Control Center Client software.

The Key Combination column shows the commands used on a standard keyboard, while the Keypad

Combination column shows the commands used on an Avigilon USB Professional Joystick Keyboard.

NOTE: Some features are not displayed if the server does not have the required license, or if you do not have the required user permissions.

Image Panel & Camera Commands

Command Key Combination

Keypad Combination (Image Panel buttons)

Select an image panel

Image panel # is displayed after pressing the first key.

Add a camera to the View

The camera's

logical ID

is required.

* + <image panel #> + Enter

/ + <logical ID> + Enter

 + <image panel #> + 

 + <logical ID> + 

Reporting Bugs 120

Command

Select the next image panel

Select the previous image panel

Clear image panel selection

Remove camera from the selected image panel

Maximize/Restore the selected image panel

Replay 30 seconds

Replay 60 seconds

Replay 90 seconds

Add a bookmark for selected camera

NOTE: For recorded video only.

Start/Stop manual recording for the selected camera

Activate/Mute audio for the selected camera

Key Combination

Tab

Shift + Tab

* + 0 + Enter

Backspace

Ctrl + E  

Ctrl + ,

Ctrl + .

Ctrl + /

Ctrl + B 

R

A

Broadcast audio

Take a snapshot of the selected image panel

Display linked POS transaction source/camera

Enable digital output

Trigger custom keyboard command

S

Hold to speak. Release to stop broadcasting.

F4

Ctrl + I

K

Ctrl + K

Keypad Combination (Image Panel buttons)

 

 

 + 0 + 

Hold to speak. Release to stop broadcasting.

 

 

 

 

Image Panel & Camera Commands 121

View Tab Commands

Command

Select the next View

Select the previous View

Jump to View #_

Start/Stop cycle Views

Open a new View

Close current View

Open a new window

Switch current View to display live video

Switch current View to display recorded video  

Remove all cameras from the current View

Key Combination

Ctrl + Tab

Ctrl + Shift + Tab

Ctrl + 1 to 9  

Ctrl + Y

Ctrl + T

Ctrl + W

Ctrl + N

Ctrl + L

Ctrl + P

Ctrl + Backspace

Keypad Combination (View buttons)

 

 

 

 

Full screen a View/End full screen F11

Open a saved View

The saved View's

logical ID

is

required.

Ctrl + G + <logical ID>

 + <logical ID> + 

View Layout Commands

NOTE: Customized View layouts are linked to their position in the Layouts list. For example, if your custom layout is placed at the top of the Layouts list, you can use the keyboard command for layout 1 to select the custom layout.

Keypad Combination (View buttons) Command

Change to layout 1

Change to layout 2

Change to layout 3

Change to layout 4

Change to layout 5

Change to layout 6

Key Combination

Alt + 1

Alt + 2

Alt + 3

Alt + 4

Alt + 5

Alt + 6

+

+

+

+

+

+

View Tab Commands 122

Command

Change to layout 7

Change to layout 8

Change to layout 9

Change to layout 10

Change to next layout

Change to previous layout

Playback Commands

Command

Play/Pause video playback

Increase playback speed

Decrease playback speed

Step to next frame

Step to previous frame

Go to next event

Go to previous event

Go forward one second

Go forward five seconds

Go backward one second

Go backward five seconds

Zoom in on the Timeline

Zoom out on the Timeline

Scroll forward on the Timeline

Scroll backward on the Timeline

Key Combination

Alt + 7

Alt + 8

Alt + 9

Alt + 0

Alt + ]

Alt + [

Key Combination

Spacebar   

Page Up

Page Down

Shift + →

Shift + ←

Alt + →

Alt + ←

Ctrl + →

Ctrl + Shift + →

Ctrl + ←

Ctrl + Shift + ←

Ctrl + Alt + +  

Ctrl + Alt + –

Ctrl + Alt + →

Ctrl + Alt + ←

Keypad Combination (View buttons)

+

+

+

+

 

 

Keypad Combination (Timeline buttons)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playback Commands 123

Zoom out

Pan left

Pan right

Command

Move the Timeline marker forward

Key Combination

 

Move the Timeline marker backward

 

Go to the start of the Timeline

Go to the end of the Timeline

Center the Timeline on the time marker

Ctrl + Alt + Home

Ctrl + Alt + End

Ctrl + C

PTZ Commands (Digital and Mechanical)

Command Key Combination

Toggle PTZ controls Ctrl + D

Keypad Combination (Timeline buttons)

 

 

 

Keypad Combination (PTZ buttons)

Zoom in +  

PTZ Commands (Digital and Mechanical) 124

Command

Tilt up

Tilt down

Open iris

Close iris

Focus near

Focus far

PTZ menu left

PTZ menu right

PTZ menu up

PTZ menu down

Activate preset

Run pattern

Start auxiliary

Stop auxiliary

Key Combination

Keypad Combination (PTZ buttons)

Home

End

Insert

Delete

Q  + <Preset #>

 

W  + <Aux #>

E   + <Aux #>

 

 

 

 

 + <Preset #> + 

 + <Pattern #> + 

 + <Aux #> + 

 + <Aux #> + 

PTZ Commands (Digital and Mechanical) 125

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