VideoXpert OpsCenter V 3.3 Operations Manual
VideoXpert OpsCenter V 3.3 Operations Manual
Document number: C5669M-M
Publication date: 04/19
VideoXpert OpsCenter v 3.3 Operations Manual
Table of Contents
Installing and Configuring VxOpsCenter 5
Installing VxOpsCenter (VideoXpert Enterprise only) 5
Running the Application for the First Time 5
Setting Up Your Workstation 5
Reconfiguring Your Workstation 7
Configuring Monitors for VideoXpert Workstations (VideoXpert Enterprise Only) 8
Configuring VX System Connections 9
Enabling or Disabling Multi-System Access (Simultaneous Server Connections) 10
Adding Servers to VxOpsCenter 11
Editing a System Connection 12
Deleting a System Connection 12
Understanding System Streaming Performance Settings 13
Configuring Shared Display Mode 13
Configuring VxOpsCenter Kiosk Mode (Optional) 15
Logging In 16
Understanding User Account Types 16
Setting Your Display Language 16
Changing Your Workstation Account Password 17
Using the VxOpsCenter Interface 18
Adding Quick Access Icons to Mission Control 19
Using Context Menus 19
Using Tooltips 20
Using Watched By 21
Setting User Preferences 21
Updating General Settings 21
Updating Mission Control Settings 22
Updating Cells Settings 22
Updating Popups and Dialogs Settings 23
Using Tabs and Workspaces 24
Using Tab View Options and Modes 24
Configuring Tab View Options 24
Changing Tab Modes 25
Creating a New Tab 25
Opening a Saved Tab 26
Updating an Existing Tab 26
Changing Tab Layouts 26
Editing the Metadata of an Existing Tab 27
Creating a New Workspace 27
Opening a Saved Workspace 27
Updating a Saved Workspace 28
Edit the Metadata of an Existing Workspace 28
Deleting a Saved Tab from the System 28
Deleting a Workspace from the System 29
Viewing a Monitor Wall 30
Sending Views to Workstations or Shared Displays 31
Using View Launcher to Send Views to Workstations or Shared Displays 31
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Downloading Exports 54
Editing an Export Name 54
Deleting One or More Exports 55
Working with Plugins 56
Installing Plugins 56
Adding a Plugin to Your Workstation 56
Using the Event Viewer Plugin 56
Using the Image Viewer Plugin 57
Using the VxMaps Plugin 58
Understanding VxMaps Permissions 58
Launching the VxMaps Plugin 58
Selecting a Map File 58
Working In a Map 58
Setting User Preferences for VxMaps (VxEnterprise Only) 59
Using the Mapping Plugin 60
Understanding Mapping Permissions (VideoXpert Enterprise Only) 60
Launching the Mapping Plugin 61
Configuring the Mapping Plugin 61
Selecting a Map File 61
Adding Cameras to a Map 61
Managing Available Maps 62
Setting User Preferences for Mapping 62
Viewing a Map 62
Using the Web Browser Plugin 63
Using the Access Control System Viewer Plugin (Optional) 63
Launching the Access Control System Viewer Plugin 64
Filtering the Events in the Access Control System Viewer 64
Configuring Access Control 64
Adding, Editing, and Deleting Access Control Servers 64
Filtering on Access Points 65
Filtering on Access Control Users 65
Using the Access Control System Viewer Event Window 66
Using the VideoXpert Plates ALPR Plugin 66
Understanding VideoXpert Plates ALPR Plugin Architecture 66
Launching the VideoXpert Plates ALPR Plugin 67
Searching Plates 68
Managing the Black and White Lists 69
Viewing Reads 71
Configuring User Preferences 71
Logging Out 71
Closing a Plugin 71
Responding to Events 72
Using the Event Viewer 72
Using the Event Notifications Dialog Box 72
Logging Out 74
Closing the Application 75
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Your system must meet the minimum requirements and have Microsoft®.NET 4.6.1 or later installed
before you can install the VxOpsCenter Client application.
1. Run the VxOpsCenter EXE installer.
2. Read and accept the terms of the End User License Agreement, and then click Next.
3. Click Begin Installation.
4. Follow the instructions in the Installation Wizard to complete the installation.
5. (Optional) If appropriate, click Update Windows Time Service.
6. Click Close.
When you run the application for the first time, you will create your user account, configure basic
VxOpsCenter and video behaviors, and, most importantly, point VxOpsCenter to the VideoXpert system(s)
you want to use. Some steps in initial setup are optional; you only need to access these options if your
workstation and network differ from default settings. The general work flow is as follows:
1. If VxToolbox is open, close it.
Note: Do not run VxToolbox and VxOpsCenter at the same time. Doing so might cause
memory-related issues.
2. Run VxOpsCenter.
3. Create your Workstation Configuration account.
l This account is local to the workstation and preserves your configuration and your VideoXpert
system credentials from other users who might access your workstation.
l Your workstation configuration account credentials may be the same as your VideoXpert user
credentials, though you may want to use different credentials for your workstation configuration
account to maximize security.
4. Configure your workstation, including your monitor layout. See the section titled Setting Up Your
Workstation.
5. Configure System Server Connections. See the section titled Configuring VX System Connections.
6. Indicate whether or not to allow multi-system access. See the section titled Enabling or Disabling
Multi-System Access (Simultaneous Server Connections).
7. Login to VideoXpert with your standard credentials (not the Workstation Configuration credentials)
to begin using VideoXpert.
Workstation settings determine the basic behavior of the system. These instructions apply to the initial
configuration only. You can re-configure the workstation at any time using the instructions in the section
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This screen will look different after initial configuration. If you do not see the red triangles on the
Workstation Settings and VX System Connections buttons, see the instructions in the section
titled Reconfiguring Your Workstation.
1. Enter a Workstation Name. This is the name by which VxCore will recognize the workstation and
the name by which other users will recognize the workstation when sending video, responding to
workstation-related events, etc.
2. Enter values in the Username and Password fields under Vx Workstation Account.
3. Under, Workstation Mode, select Normal or Shared Display mode. Shared Display mode provides
monitor-wall functionality for a workstation operating a single monitor. See the section titled
Configuring Shared Display Mode for more information about Shared Display mode.
4. For VideoXpert Enterprise systems only, if your workstation will support multiple monitors through
VxDecoder, click the Configure Monitors icon ( ) to the right of Configure Monitors to open the
Configure Monitors window for the workstation. See the section titled Configuring Monitors for
VideoXpert Workstations (VideoXpert Enterprise Only) to learn more about monitor configuration.
5. In the NTP Server for Enhanced Decoder area, do one of the following:
l Click to select the radio button for Use Windows Time Service time server
(time.windows.com).
l Click to select the radio button for Manually specify a time server, and then enter your NTP
Server Address.
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6. (Optional) click the checkbox to select or deselect Enable hardware acceleration. Hardware
acceleration is enabled by default and should only be disabled if your workstation uses an
unsupported graphics chipset, or if you need to troubleshoot graphics issues that may result from
your graphics drivers and chipset.
7. Click Apply to save your workstation configuration settings.
8. Click VX System Connections and follow the instructions in the section titled Configuring VX
System Connections.
Workstation settings determine the basic behavior of the system. These instructions help you reconfigure
the system. If this is the initial setup, see Setting Up Your Workstation.
1. In the VxOpsCenter Login window, from the Connect to System drop-down menu, select None -
Configure Workstation; enter values in the Username and Password fields; and then click Log In.
2. Launch the Workstation Configuration dialog box: In Mission Control, click the User Menu icon ( )
, and then select Configure Workstation.
3. (Optional) Enter a new string in the Workstation Name field. This is the name by which VxCore will
recognize the workstation and the name by which other users will recognize the workstation when
sending video, responding to workstation-related events, etc.
4. (Optional) Enter new values in the Username and Password fields under Vx Workstation Account.
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5. (Optional) Under, Workstation Mode, select Normal or Shared Display mode. Shared Display mode
provides monitor-wall functionality for a workstation operating a single monitor. See the section
titled Configuring Shared Display Mode for more information about Shared Display mode.
6. For VideoXpert Enterprise systems only, if your workstation will support multiple monitors through
VxDecoder, click the Configure Monitors icon ( ) to the right of Configure Monitors to open the
Configure Monitors window for the workstation. See the section titled Configuring Monitors for
VideoXpert Workstations (VideoXpert Enterprise Only) to learn more about monitor configuration.
7. (Optional) In the NTP Server for Enhanced Decoder area, do one of the following:
l Click to select the radio button for Use Windows Time Service time server
(time.windows.com).
l Click to select the radio button for Manually specify a time server, and then enter your NTP
Server Address.
8. (Optional) click the checkbox to select or deselect Enable hardware acceleration. Hardware
acceleration is enabled by default and should only be disabled if your workstation uses an
unsupported graphics chipset, or if you need to troubleshoot graphics issues that may result from
your graphics drivers and chipset.
9. Click Apply.
10. To change the VX System Connections, click VX System Connections, and then see the section
titled Configuring VX System Connections.
The VxOpsCenter supports monitors connected directly or monitors connected through Enhanced
Decoders over the network for VideoXpert Enterprise workstations. For best performance, it is
recommended that you run Windows® 8 or later on workstations operating decoder-driven monitors.
For workstations using multiple monitors driven by Enhanced Decoders, TightVNC server mirrors
Windows elements on the monitors that are driven by Enhanced Decoders over the network. Video
decoding processes are handled by the decoders driving each monitor, but the user experiences what
appears to be a single, unified Windows desktop.
1. If you have not already done so, access the Configure Workstation window:
a. Log into VxOpsCenter with the Workstation Configuration account.
b. In Mission Control, click the User Menu icon ( ), and then select Configure Workstation.
2. Select Configure Monitors. If you have already performed initial configuration for the system, log
in as the VxOpsCenter local administrator first, and then select Configure Monitors.
3. For each monitor:
a. Click to select the monitor.
b. Click to select the radio button for either Direct or Decoder.
c. If you selected Decoder, enter the IP address of the decoder, and then click Connect.
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The list of VX System Connections determines the VideoXpert environments to which your VxOpsCenter
can connect. When users log in with their VideoXpert system credentials, VxOpsCenter will connect them
to relevant VideoXpert environments. If a server is not in the list of system server connections, users will
not be able to connect to it using VxOpsCenter.
Only the Workstation Configuration account can define system server connections. When you add
systems using the Workstation Configuration account, and you are working in MSA mode, you can elect to
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provide credentials. If you add credentials for systems, then your Workstation Configuration account will
also immediately connect you with your systems. If you do not provide credentials, then you must
manually enter credentials for each system after you log in as the workstation configuration user. If you are
using Single Server Access mode (non-MSA mode), you must always provide the credentials when logging
in.
When setting up a connection to a server, you can determine streaming performance to the system. By
default, system connections use the best possible streaming options, but you may need to disable settings
or adjust your connection speed to account for the network between the workstation and the system to
which you will connect. See the section titled Understanding System Streaming Performance Settings.
Note: To optimize decoder performance in Windows 7, download and install the DFMirage mirror
driver. Do not install the DFMirage driver if running a version of Windows other than Windows 7.
Note: The multi-system access option takes effect whether or not you have configured the
workstation to connect to multiple systems.
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e. Click Import.
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e. (Optional) Click to select or deselect the checkbox for Validate SSL/TLS Certificate...
f. (Optional) Type values in the Username and Password fields.
g. Click Test Connection to verify that you have provided the correct server address; testing the
connection will require you to provide credentials to the server.
h. Click Save.
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7. If the Log Out Required dialog box opens, click OK. You will be logged out. The configuration
changes are applied when you log back in.
System streaming performance settings determine the quality of streams you receive or, in some cases,
whether you receive a stream at all from a particular system. These settings affect frame rate and latency
of video, typically for the better with each subsequent setting. However, these options may not be available
for your network. VxOpsCenter uses the deepest selected option that is provided by the server.
If you deselect all Streaming Performance options, you will engage JPEG Pull streaming. JPEG Pull
streaming is always available and works on virtually all network types (anywhere a TCP connection is
available). It works even on slow connections, in part because of its lower quality (low frame rate and high
latency).
To set the System Streaming Performance, log in with the Workstation Configuration account and add or
edit a system.
l Allow RTSP/RTP is recommended for most system configurations. Select this to enable RTSP
streaming over TCP (or Unicast or Multicast UDP, depending on subsequent settings). This option
provides a higher quality stream than JPEG Pull on all but the slowest networks.
l Allow UDP is recommended for most LAN configurations. This setting enables Unicast streaming
over UDP. Streaming over UDP is more efficient and has lower latency than streaming over TCP.
However, UDP traffic is blocked by some WAN networks, and by fewer LAN networks. If you
encounter streaming problems, try deselecting it.
l Allow Multicast is recommended for most enterprise-level networks whose switches allow
multicast traffic. This setting enables Multicast streaming over UDP. Multicast UDP streaming is
even more efficient than unicast UDP streaming. However, multicast traffic is blocked by most
WAN networks, and by some LAN networks.
l Connection Speed determines the type and resolution of video available to you; at slower
connection speeds, you will receive video transcoded into lower resolutions. When streaming
JPEGs, your connection speed determines the compression of JPEG images (the lower the speed,
the greater the compression).
– 512k restricts you to JPEG streaming.
– 1 Mbps restricts video to CIF resolution (352 x 240) or smaller.
– 5 Mbps restricts video to D1 resolution (720 x 480) or smaller.
– 10 Mbps restricts video to secondary streams when available.
– Connection speeds greater than 10 Mbps can access full resolution video. Options are 50
Mbps, 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, and 10 Gbps.
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The user account you provide when setting up Shared Display mode must have the Setup Edge Devices
permission. The account should also have rights to view and control any cameras you send to the monitor;
the shared display cannot display cameras it does not have permission to access, even if the user sending
something to the shared display has permission to view those cameras.
4. Provide a number for the monitor. The number will allow you to set rules to send video to your shared
display, or to send video to the shared display by number.
5. (Optional) Enter or select a VX System to create a VideoXpert Connection. Selecting this option
opens a dialog to configure system server connections. See the section titled Configuring VX
System Connections.
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6. Provide the user name and password of an account with credentials to view video; the account
provided must have access to cameras and functions you want to use through the shared monitor.
7. (Optional) Click the checkbox to select or deselect Show camera names and timestamps in video
cells. Whether the user sharing video has names and timestamps enabled, the shared display uses
this preference to determine whether or not to display overlays.
8. (Optional) Click the checkbox to select or deselect the Show Shared Display title bar.
9. In the Aspect Ratio area, click to select the radio button to either Maintain video aspect ratios or
Stretch video to fill the cells. If you select Stretch video to fill the cells, an option appears that allows
you to collapse space between cells.
10. Click Save.
You can run VxOpsCenter in kiosk mode, so that only VxOpsCenter Client will be run without access to
any other Windows applications.
l The launcher and script are not included in the default installer of VxOpsCenter.
l To run in kiosk mode, install VxOpsCenter on a machine with Windows 10 operating system using
VxOpsCenter 2.5 or later.
Note:If not done properly, this process might result in a loss of critical data. In addition, the process
has several complex steps that, if not done properly, might result in unforeseen results. Before
beginning this process, ensure that all important data is backed up. If you are uncertain of this
process or are unfamiliar with the requirements, contact Product Support Services for assistance.
To install and configure VxOpsCenter to run in kiosk mode:
1. Install VxOpsCenter v 2.5 or later on a Windows 10 PC.
2. Download OpsCenterLauncher.zip from https://schneider-
electric.app.box.com/s/iy7fef2oewj0cnsqxux0eq0onwkn6s3p.
3. Download kiosk_mode_script_v2.ps1 from https://schneider-
electric.app.box.com/s/3lq2jhu4ujxpne97nfbxf77qntgtufaf.
4. Unzip OpsCenterLauncher.zip and copy the files to the VxOpsCenter directory at c:\Program
Files\Pelco\VideoXpert\VxOpsCenter.
Note: The path must be the same as the path specified in kiosk_mode_script_v2.ps1.
Note: If the OpcCenter Client kiosk mode is updated to a newer version, copy the contents of
OpsCenterLauncher.zip to the folder again.
5. Create a local standard user account called “Operator”.
Note: The account must be the same as the account specified in kiosk_mode_script_v2.ps1.
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Logging In
Open the VxOpsCenter application.
1. Enter your credentials.
2. (Optional) If VxOpsCenter is configured to connect to a single system at a time, select the system
you want to access. See the section titled Understanding User Account Types.
3. Click Log In.
NOTE: If one or more licenses associated with the VideoXpert system are nearing or past the
expiration date and require renewal, a warning dialog box will open. The dialog box lists the affected
license(s) and the expiration date. Make a note of this, and then click Remind Me Later to close the
box. Optionally, click Dismiss Selected (if present), to stop the warning from appearing. Notify your
system administrator of the pending expiration.
Note: If multi-system access is enabled, only Workstation Configuration accounts are supported.
If your user account is both the Workstation Configuration account and a VX system user, VxOpsCenter
will log you into applicable VX systems and allow access to workstation configuration settings.
When you log in as a standard VX system user, the system will only populate sources and options you
have permissions to see (determined by the roles assigned to your user account). If a system or camera
does not appear when you log in, then the system or camera might be offline, or you might lack the
appropriate permissions.
The localization presented by the VxOpsCenter client is based on the Region and Language settings within
Windows.
Note:You must have the appropriate Windows language pack to expose display languages in the
VxOpsCenter Client.
To set or change your VxOpsCenter display language:
1. Close the VxOpsCenter software if it is already running.
2. Click Start (if necessary), and then search for and click to open Region & language settings.
3. In the Languages area, if the appropriate language is not present, click Add a language. Follow the
prompts to add the appropriate language.
4. In the Languages area, click on the appropriate language, then click Set as default.
5. Close the Settings window.
6. Run the VxOpsCenter Client.
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1 Mission Control contains settings, and all the items with which you may populate workspaces.
2 The Views panel provides access to New Tabs, Saved Tabs, and Workspaces. Your workspace
consists of tabs and monitors populated with cameras or plug-ins. You may have one active
workspace at a time containing some number of tabs (typically one tab per monitor, but that is not a
limitation); each tab contains some number of video streams or plug-ins.
3 The Systems panel enables you to add or edit system connections. This is available only when
running in multi-system access (MSA) mode.
4 The Content panel provides access to the Sources tab, which shows all the video sources that the
current user can access. Use the filters in the panel to sort the list in real time. It also provides
access to the Plugins tab, which contains content and overlay plugins. Content plug-ins consume a
cell, like the Mapping or Image Viewer plugins. Overlay plugins operate in the same cell as video,
providing additional information about the video in question.
5 The Bookmarks panel shows clips of video that you or other users have bookmarked. Use the filters
in the panel to sort the list in real time.
6 The Select Grid Layout controls or the New Tabs panel determine the number of cells in a tab.
7 A Tab is a window of the VxOpsCenter containing cells.
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8 A Cell displays a single camera or plug-in within VideoXpert. Cell highlights determine whether a cell
is selected, playing-back video, or is in PTZ mode.
9 Playback Controls and the timeline in a selected cell applies to that cell only.
10 Playback Controls and the timeline at the bottom of the tab applies to all synchronized cells within
the tab.
11 Synchronous Play enables you to select cells for which playback is synchronized.
12 Tooltips show additional information about your video sources. Hover over entries in the Sources
and Bookmarks panels to reveal tooltips.
13 The User Menu contains preferences and controls specific to the current user. Through this menu,
you can reach application Preferences, the Export Archive, the View Launcher, and other user
options.
14 The Event Counter shows how many active events that require response from you or someone with
similar permissions.
15 The Undock Mission Control icon ( ) undocks Mission Control from its current location. When it
is undocked, the Dock Mission Control icon ( ) docks it to any tab in the workspace.
16 The Move Mission Control to the Left ( ) icon is visible when Mission Control is in the default
position--the right panel, and moves it to the left panel. The Move Mission Control to the Right icon (
) is visible when Mission Control is the left panel, and moves it to the right panel.
17 Quick access to frequently used tools are provided in Mission Control, just above the Views panel.
Click the corresponding symbol to get to New Tabs ( ), Plugins ( ), Saved Tabs ( ), and
Workspaces ( ).
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l Manage Tags shows you what tags are assigned to the selected camera(s), system, and folders;
and lets you filter which tags to show. See the section titled Managing Tags.
l Open Camera Configuration in Browser opens the camera Web UI, and enables you to login and
make changes to the camera configuration. Refer to the camera operations manual.
l Open in VxToolbox opens VxToolbox to the corresponding system, and highlights the source in
the Devices (center) panel. Refer to the current version of the VxToolbox User Guide (for
VideoXpert Enterprise systems) or to the VxToolbox section of the VideoXpert Professional User
Guide.
l Rotate lets you select the default rotation, 180 degrees, or plus or minus 90 degrees. See the
section titled Rotating the Camera.
l Diagnostics and Analytics lets you toggle:
– Show Statistics to display or hide camera statistics including such things as bitrates, mode,
source, and call-up time. See the section titled Displaying Statistics.
– Show Simple-Motion Data or Show Analytics Drawing Data to display or hide analytics
overlays on some Pelco cameras. See the section titled Using Analytics Overlays.
Using Tooltips
Hover over any bookmark in a cell or in the Bookmarks panel to reveal additional information about the
bookmark. This information might include:
l The name of the bookmark
l The name of the device
l The date and time at the middle of the bookmark recording time
l An image from the recorded bookmark
Hover over the device symbol on any source in the Sources panel to reveal additional information about the
source, including:
l The name of the source
l The current image of the source (if enabled)
l Whether or not the camera is Online, On Screen, and Recording, and whether PTZ is locked (if the
camera has PTZ)
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l Watched by information
l Tags associated with the source (if any)
l Technical Details such as: whether or not there is camera storage, the IP address, the camera ID,
the target location for recording (if any), the camera model, the camera serial number, and the
camera software version
Click on View to display the source in a cell.
Using Watched By
If you have the “Multiview” permission, you will see a Watched by field in tooltips throughout the
VxOpsCenter interface. The Watched by field shows users watching live video from a particular video
source; the Watched by field does not show users playing back video recorded from a video source.
If the users listed in the Watched by field are viewing video from a different site than you, the tooltip will
also attempt to indicate the site from which other users are watching video. If users are watching video
from an aggregated site, the tooltip will state the site name in parenthesis. If you are watching video from
an aggregated site, and the users listed in the Watched by field are accessing VideoXpert from the
Aggregation (parent) site, then the tooltip will simply list parent site.
When logged in to VideoXpert, you can set some basic preferences for behaviors within the VxOpsCenter
application.To access the Preferences window:
1. In Mission Control, click the User Menu icon ( ).
2. Click Preferences.
The Preferences window opens.
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13. (Optional) Click to select or deselect the checkbox for Automatically play audio when available.
l If you selected it, click to select the radio button for From selected cell only or From all visible
cells.
l If you deselected it, From all visible cells is not available.
14. (Optional) In the Video aspect ratio area, click to select the radio button for Maintain video aspect
ratios or Stretch video to fill cells.
15. (Optional) For PTZ cameras, in the Immersive/Panoramic Video area:
a. Click to select or deselect the checkbox for Show immersive PTZ reference on panoramic
image.
b. If there are Optera cameras on your system, the Start Optera streams as option is
displayed.Click to select the radio button for Immersive only, Panoramic only, or
Panomersive.This sets the default streaming state.
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For each tab, use the Mode and View menus to control the display.
To update view options for a tab, select the tab (in the image above, the tab is named LinkedPTZ), click
View, and then select one or more of the following options:
l (Optional) Select whether to display the tab in Full Screen mode--the tab controls and outer borders
vanish, maximizing the size of video and cells.
l (Optional) Set the Max Video Quality within the tab. Unless the tab is in collaborative mode, video
quality settings affect video locally; they will not determine the behavior of a tab displayed on
another user’s workspace or a shared display, nor do they affect the quality of recorded video.
– Highest Available Quality sets the tab to behave normally; it will display the camera’s primary
stream when possible, as dictated by cell size and system resources.
– Secondary Stream forces the tab to display secondary streams for all cameras.
– D1 (720 x 480) displays video at 720 x 480 resolution.
– SIF (352 x 240) displays video at 352 x 240 resolution.
– JPEG Stream sets the tab to have all streams transcoded into JPEG frames. The rate of the
JPEG stream is dependent on network bandwidth and Media Gateway availability; this setting
can be stressful on your Media Gateway.
– Thumbnail sets the tab to images that refresh roughly every 30 seconds, rather than video.
This mode uses few resources and significantly reduces the impact of the tab on your
workstation. Use this mode for large areas in which a low frame rate is still enough to capture
activity within the scene.
– No Video prevents the tab from displaying video locally. Use this mode when controlling a tab
on a monitor wall, so that the tab has little or no impact on your local workstation resources.
If necessary, the system will downgrade one or more video streams that are displayed in the cells.
When this happens, the orange downgraded stream icon ( ) is displayed to the right of View in the
tab task bar. Click the icon to allow the system to attempt to restore the initial video quality to each
cell.
l Click to select either Stretch video to fill cells or Maintain video aspect ratios, whichever is not
currently selected.
l Click to select either Collapse space between cells or Show space between cells, whichever is
not currently selected.
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Tab modes determine the features available to you within a tab. Changing tab modes without saving the
current tab will cause you to lose your settings. Modes are exclusive; for example: a tab cannot support a
sequencing mode and also the collaborative mode. Putting the tab in either mode will remove the abilities
granted by the previous mode. To change the mode, click Mode, and then click to select one of these
options:
l Normal mode sets the tab to behave normally.
l Collaborative mode allows you and other users to view and affect changes in the tab
simultaneously; use this mode to collaborate with other users.
l Collaborative tabs do not support plug-ins and are not available when multi-server access is
enabled.
l Collaborative tabs are always global tabs; you cannot restrict the users who have access to the
collaborative tab.
l Tabs marked with the Collaborative Tab icon ( ) are collaborative, and allow multiple users to
view and affect changes in the tab simultaneously. User commands against the collaborative
tab are performed on a first-come, first-served basis. Users should account for latency and the
total number of collaborative users when affecting the tab to coordinate efforts.
l Live Sequence mode allows you to add more cameras to a tab than the layout would traditionally
support, and to rotate cameras through the tab at a particular interval.
l Alarm Sequence mode allows you to designate cameras that you want to watch only when a
meaningful event occurs.
Creating a tab allows you to recall the complete tab, including all cameras, viewing states (live or recorded
video), and plug-ins. Save tabs that you or other users will recall frequently.
1. Select a layout for a new tab by one of the following methods.
l At the top of the workspace, to the right of all open tabs, click the New Tab icon ( ), and select
a layout.
l In Mission Control, in the quick access icons area, click the New Tabs icon ( ), and then click
to select a layout.
l In Mission Control, in the Views panel, click New Tabs, and then click to select a layout.
2. Populate the tab with sources or plug-ins. Use the filter function, if necessary, in Mission Control to
find cameras to add to your workspace:
a. Click Filter to expand the view.
b. Type a value in the Filter by field.
c. Double-click a source or drag it to an empty cell.
3. While viewing the tab to be saved, click File at the upper left corner of the window, and then click
Save As.
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5. Click Save.
You can make changes to an existing tab and then save the changes.
1. In the tab you wish to update, make all necessary changes.
2. Click File at the upper left corner of the window, and then click Save.
The grid icon in any tab shows your current layout. Click it to select a new layout option. If you select a
layout with fewer cells than your current layout, the client will retain camera-cell assignments and
repopulate cells accordingly if you return to the original layout or a layout with more cells than the original.
1. Select the tab to be changed, or open a new tab.
2. Do one of the following:
l Click the Select Grid Layout menu next to the grid icon ( ) in the top right of the tab task bar.
l In Mission Control, in the quick access icons area, click the New Tabs icon ( ).
l In Mission Control, under Views, click New Tabs.
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Creating a workspace allows you to recall the complete workspace, including all cameras, viewing states
(live or recorded video), and plug-ins. Save workspaces that you or other users will recall frequently.
1. In Mission Control, in the Views panel, click Workspaces.
2. Double-click or click and drag to open an existing workspace that is similar to the one you are
creating.
3. To delete tabs from the workspace, click the X at the right of each tab that you do not want (to close
the tab). Leave at least one tab open.
4. Make appropriate changes to each remaining tab, if necessary.
5. Add more tabs, as appropriate, using one of the following methods:
l To add a new tab, see the section titled Creating a New Tab.
l To add an existing tab: in Mission Control, under Views, click Saved Tabs, and then double-
click the tab name.
6. Make any other changes to the workspace. For example: undock, dock, or move Mission Control;
change the mode; or change the view.
7. Save the new workspace:
a. Click the Save Workspace As icon ( ).
b. Enter a value in the Name field.
c. (Optional) Select a value in the Shortcut field from the drop-down menu.
d. (Optional) To make the workspace available to all users in the VideoXpert environment, click to
select the checkbox for Save as global workspace.
e. Click Save.
Opening a saved workspace will close your current workspace; you can save your current workspace
before you open a new one. If you set a shortcut for a saved item, you can also recall it using keyboard
shortcuts. To open a saved workspace:
1. In Mission Control, click to expand the Views area.
2. Click Workspaces.
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3. Double-click the workspace you want to open, or drag a workspace into the monitor in which you
want it to open.
4. If the Recall a saved workspace dialog box opens, click to select Keep Open Windows or Close
Your Open Windows.
6. Make any other changes to the workspace. For example: undock, dock, or move Mission Control;
change the mode; or change the view.
7. If this is not a global workspace, or if you have permission to edit/update the workspace, save the
updated workspace:
a. Click the Save Workspace icon ( ).
b. In the Save Workspace confirmation dialog box, click Save.
You can edit the name or shortcut of a workspace, or change whether it is saved as a global workspace at
any time.
1. In Mission Control, under Views, click Workspaces.
2. Click to select the workspace to edit, and then click the Edit Workspaces icon ( ), or right-click the
name of the workspace and then click Edit Workspace.
3. In the Edit Workspace dialog box, make any needed changes, and then click Save.
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3. At the upper left corner of the monitor wall tab, select a pre-configured monitor wall from the drop-
down menu.
4. For each monitor in the wall, you can:
l Drag sources into a cell.
l Change the tab grid layout by selecting an option from the Select Grid Layout drop-down menu
or by dragging and dropping them from the New Tabs panel to the monitor.
l Click on the source name to display the tooltip for the source.
5. To refresh the tab, click the Refresh icon ( ) at the upper right of the tab.
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To use the View Launcher to send cameras or tabs to other workstations or shared displays in your
VideoXpert network:
1. Open the View Launcher using one of the following methods:
l In Mission Control, click the User Menu icon ( ), and then select View Launcher.
l Click the source in the active cell, click File, and then click Send To.
l Right-click the source in the active cell, and then select Send To.
l Right-click the device icon in of the appropriate source in the Sources list, and then select Send
To.
2. Use the drop-down menu to select the View that you want to send if it is not already selected.
If present, you can also select Saved Tabs, Saved Investigations, or Workspaces.
3. Use the drop-down menu under Select System to select the system on which resides the
destination for the view you want to send.
4. Use the drop-down menu under Add a Destination to select destination for the view you want to
send; destinations marked by are shared displays. You can select multiple destinations. When
you have added all appropriate destinations, click outside the drop-down menu.
5. (Optional) To clear a single destination from the list, click the x at the right of the destination row.
6. (Optional) To clear the destination list, click Clear.
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7. (Optional) Select Force Acceptance to automatically launch the view in the active window of the
destination.
The destination user might have to manually accept the view you send, the destination might be set
to accept the view automatically, or you can force the destination to accept the view.
8. Click Launch.
9. The disposition of the sent view is listed in the Status column.
Entering 6m3c222 would send camera 222 to cell 3 of monitor 6; entering 6m would send the
currently selected camera to cell 1 of monitor 6.
4. Click the Call Up Camera icon ( ) or press the Enter key.
5. To close the Quick Launch dialog box, click the Cancel icon ( ).
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Watching Video
The Sources section of Mission Control shows the list of video and audio sources you are authorized to
access.
If a particular source is online but does not appear in your source list, try refreshing the list. Cameras that
come online after you log in or perform a search will not appear until you refresh the list. If the camera still
does not appear, request access to the source from your administrator.
When watching live video, cells 1/4 the size of the tab or larger will use the primary stream from a video
source. Cells smaller than 1/4 the size the tab will use the secondary video stream. In a 2x2 layout, for
example, all cells will use the primary stream. In a 1+12 tab, the largest cell will use the primary stream and
the other twelve will use the secondary stream.
When watching recorded video, cells 1/4 the size of the tab or larger will display full-framerate video. Cells
smaller than 1/4 the size of the tab will playback only iFrames.
1. In Mission Control, click to expand Content, and then click Sources.
2. Find the camera you want to watch. To use the Filter to search for cameras:
a. Click Filter to expand the filter panel.
b. Type a value in the Filter by field or select a saved filter from the Advanced Filter Options drop-
down menu.
c. (Optional) To save a filter, under Advanced Filter Options, in the Advanced Filter Options drop-
down menu, click Save Filter.
The color of the inner and outer border of a cell indicates the status of the cell.
l A white outer border indicated that the cell is active (selected); a black outer border indicates that
the cell is not active.
l A white inner border indicates that the cell is in live mode.
l A yellow border indicates that the cell is in playback mode.
l A purple border indicates that the cell is in Digital PTZ mode.
l A blue border indicates that the cell is in PTZ mode.
l A flashing red border indicates that there is a notification for the device. To close the flashing red
border, respond to the event notification.
If your workspace has been configured do to so, it will display a red alarm symbol for each active alarm at
the left margin of a cell for a camera you are viewing. The inner cell border will flash red.
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Pelco’s Sarix cameras provide for an overlay of analytics on live and recorded video that can be displayed
in VxOpsCenter. The two types of analytics overlays are:
l Show Simple-Motion Data Analytics, which shows a red-tinted shape overlaying the video where
motion is present.
l Show Analytics Drawing Data, which shows lines, boxes, and text to track areas of motion within
the scene.
The overlays are configured at the camera level. Configuration parameters include the type of overlay that
is enabled (one, both, or neither), the shape of each overlay in the overlay type, and sensitivity to motion.
Refer to the operations manual for the camera to configure analytics overlays.
Analytics overlays can be enabled on a per-cell basis. That is, you can have more than one cell streaming
video for the same camera, and set each cell to display (or not display) different analytics.
To view an analytics overlay in a cell:
1. Open the camera in a cell.
2. Right-click the cell, click to select Diagnostics & Analytics, and then click to select Show
Simple-Motion Data or Show Analytics Drawing Data.
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A check mark is displayed to the left of the option you select, indicating that the overlay is enabled.
3. If appropriate, repeat the previous step and select the other overlay.
4. (Optional) To disable an analytics overlay, perform the steps above, but click to deselect the overlay
(s) that you do not want to display.
Video sources marked with a small blue or gray dot ( ) are associated with an audio source. In any cell
containing or associated with an audio source, click the Mute/Unmute icon ( ) to enable or disable audio
within a cell; you can control volume through Windows’ standard audio controls.
To change the audio preferences on one or more cells:
1. In Mission Control, click the User Menu icon ( ), and then click Preferences.
2. In the Preferences dialog box, click Cells.
3. Click to select or deselect the checkbox for Automatically play audio when available.
4. Click to select From selected cell only or From all visible cells.
5. Click Done.
In the source cell, double-click the cell or click the View Video in Full-Screen icon ( ) to expand a cell to
the full-screen. Click the same icon, now labeled Exit Full Screen, double-click the cell, or press the Esc
key to exit full-screen mode.
Users with sufficient permissions can access recorded video from any video source in a workspace.
Placing the pointer on a cell containing a source with recorded video will reveal playback controls.
1. Place your cursor over the cell containing the source with recordings that you want to watch.
2. Navigate to the date and time in the recording that you want to view using one of the following
methods:
l Click the Jump to Specific Date/Time icon ( ), specify or select the date and time, and then
click Go.
l Click in the cell with the recording to playback, enter a value in military time (for example: for
9:45PM, enter 2145). As you do this, the Quick Launch dialog box opens. When the time is
displayed in the black box at the center of the Quick Launch dialog box, click the Jump to Time
icon ( ).
l Click at the appropriate spot in the timeline to quickly navigate to a different time in the
recording. Green areas on the timeline represent recorded video.
l Drag the timeline into position to navigate to a different time in the recording. Green areas on the
timeline represent recorded video.
Note: If a user changes a camera from http to https settings or the opposite, there might be a
recording gap of between five seconds and five minutes.
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If your camera or video source is recording video locally (using a micro SD card or in concert with ONVIF
Profile G), the timeline will display the camera storage icon ( ); the device tooltip will also alert you to
multiple recording locations.
Click on the camera timeline to display the camera storage icon ( ), and then click the icon to open an
investigation tab showing the camera’s various recording locations as separate timelines.
You cannot view video while it is stored on the camera; you must push video from the camera to a
VideoXpert Storage recorder, to view video stored on a camera. See the section titled Using Investigations
to View Video Stored on a Camera’s Local Storage.
Pixel Search enables you to quickly access motion detection events on a specific camera for a selected
range of time in a recording.
1. For the specific camera (one at a time) that has the events you want to view, ensure that you have
set the Motion Detection analytic, Detect Motion setting to On Server in VxToolbox. See the current
version of the VxToolbox User Guide for instructions.
2. Display the camera in a cell in VxOpsCenter; expand the cell, if appropriate.
3. Right-click the cell, and select Search Recordings for Motion (Pixel Search).
4. In the dialog box, click to select the checkbox for Don’t show again (if appropriate), and then click
OK.
5. In the grid that now overlays the camera view in the cell, select one or more zones (squares) in the
grid, using one of these methods:
l Click to select a single zone.
l Click and drag to select multiple adjoining zones in a rectangular pattern.
l Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, and click to select each zone. These do not need to
be adjoining zones.
l Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, click individual zones, and click and drag to also
select groups of adjoining zones.
l To clear the selected zones, click the Clear Selected Zones icon ( ) at the upper left of the
cell.
l To search in the zones that you did not choose, instead of the zones you chose, click the Invert
Selected Zones icon ( ) at the upper left of the cell.
6. To select a different date and time range than what is currently selected, click the edit icon ( ) at
the upper right corner of the cell, to the right of the date range; in the Set Time Range window, select
a start date, start time, end date, and end time; and then click Set.
7. The length of time included in the default time range is based on the current time bar selection. For
example, if 1hr is selected in the time bar drop-down menu at the bottom of the workspace, then one
hour will be the default time included in the search range. To change the length of time included, in
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the default time range, click the drop-down menu for the current time bar selection, and then click
the appropriate time range.
8. (Optional) To exit the Pixel Search, click the Cancel icon ( ) at the upper left of the cell.
9. In the upper right of the cell, click Search.
l The first event (chronologically) plays immediately.
l Clips with motion events detected are indicated by blue bars in the timeline in the playback
controls area.
l The blue pixel search bars are half-height; motion is full-height.
l To jump to the next event, click the Alt key, and then click the Next Clip icon ( ) in the
playback controls area.
l To jump to any event, select an event from the Jump to Event drop-down menu at the top of the
window, or click the blue bar associated with the event in the playback controls area.
10. When finished, click Done in the top right corner of the window.
Creating Bookmarks
When watching recorded video, you can implement a bookmarks to note a moment in video to reference
later. Bookmarks appear in a section in Mission Control, and are global resources; all users can see the
bookmarks you create. Within Mission Control, bookmarks behave like cameras; you can add a bookmark
to a tab or workspace to recall the portion of video captured by the bookmark.
1. While watching a recorded video, click the Create Bookmark icon ( ).
2. Provide a Title for the bookmark. The title can be searched within Mission Control.
3. (Optional) Enter information in the Notes field.
4. (Optional) Apply a lock to segments of video/audio recordings, called clips, to prevent them from
being deleted unless they are purposely unlocked. To do so:
a. Click to select the checkbox for Lock Video.
b. Use the date and time selectors to set the start and end parameters for the lock.
5. Click Save.
Bookmarks behave like any other camera or video source. Adding a bookmark to a workspace adds the
camera to the workspace in playback mode, paused at the date and time specified by the bookmark.
1. Click Bookmarks in Mission Control to expand bookmark resources.
2. Use the filters to search for a bookmark. The list of results only displays the source, date, and time
for the bookmark in question, but you can also search by the plain-text note attached to the
bookmark. Hover the cursor over a bookmark to get more information about it.
3. Add the bookmark to a workspace.
4. To see the lock on the timeline, scroll to a time within the lock, and notice the white bar at the top of
the timeline, with arrows pointing down to indicate the start and stop times.
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To edit the plain text for the bookmark or to lock or unlock the bookmark, select the bookmark in Mission
Control and click the Edit Bookmark icon ( ), you cannot change the date, time, or camera.
To delete a bookmark, select it in Mission Control, click the Delete Bookmark icon ( ), and then click
Delete.
You can synchronize playback across multiple cells within a tab to provide different perspectives for a
single recording event.
1. Click Sync in the tab containing the cells you want to synchronize.
2. Select the cells you want to synchronize, and then click Sync, or select Sync All to select all cells
in the tab.
3. If necessary, click the Play icon ( ) to playback video. Cells will remain synchronized until you
click Sync again, even if you jump to live video and re-engage playback.
l When using sync playback on any of your current monitors, click the Activate Synchronous
Play for This Cell icon ( ) in the bottom left corner of the tab to add a tab to the sync group. The
icon turns yellow when the cell is added to a sync group. The controls in any monitor belonging
to the sync group will affect playback for all cells and tabs in the group.
l Click the Add to Multi-Tab Sync Group icon ( ) to add cells in a tab to the global sync group.
l If you want to add individual cells in a monitor to the global sync group, click Sync to open the
Select Cells for Synchronized Playback box, select the cells you want to add to the group, and
then click Sync.
l To remove a cell from the group, click the Deactivate Synchronous Play for this Cell icon ( ).
The icon returns to white when it is removed from a sync group.
A video sequence, indicated by the sequence symbol ( ), is a series of cameras set to rotate through a
tab at a user-defined period of time. When you configure a sequence, you can determine which cameras
appear in the sequence; how often the cameras rotate; and whether or not to rotate an entire set of
cameras, or just one at a time. A sequence may be helpful when you have more locations to track than you
have monitors or attention.
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To create a sequence:
1. In any tab, click Mode and select Live Sequence.
2. Set the Dwell Time period. This is the length of time that the tab will dwell on cameras before
advancing to the next camera(s) in the sequence.
3. Set the Replacement Method. This determines how many cameras you want to replace at the end of
each dwell period: all of the cameras in the grid, or one camera at a time. When replacing a single
camera at a time, the cameras rotate through the grid, left-to-right, top-to bottom. (The next camera
in the sequence moves into the top-left cell; the camera formerly in the top-left cell moves to the
right, and so on. The bottom-right cell is bumped off the grid, until it re-enters the sequence.)
4. To add cameras to the Live Sequence:
a. To the right of Cameras in the Sequence, click the edit icon ( ) to enter the Edit Mode.
b. Either double-click cameras, or drag cameras into the Cameras in the Sequence box.
6. Click Save.
7. Click Resume Sequence.
Alarm Sequence mode, indicated by the alarm symbol ( ), allows you to designate cameras that you
want to watch only when meaningful events occur, so that you never miss activity relevant to your
surveillance operations.
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By default, the sequence will any camera-associated events that have been configured to provide a
notification for your user account and role. You can refine the sequence to a subset of system cameras and
a subset of camera-associated events that you want to watch.
To create an alarm sequence:
1. In any tab, click Mode and then click Alarm Sequence.
2. If the Tab Mode Change Confirmation dialog box opens, click OK.
3. Type in a value or select a value using the up and down arrows for Dwell time when available cells
are full. This indicates how quickly video rotates through the sequence when you have more current
events than available cells in the sequence.
4. (Optional) In the Include these events area, click to select the radio button for Selected Events if you
only want to use a subset of events in your sequence, click the Edit icon ( ), click to select or
deselect checkboxes for the Event Types to include, and then click Save; otherwise, leave the All
relevant events radio button selected.
5. (Optional) In the Cameras in the Sequence area, click to select the radio button for Selected
Cameras if you want the sequence to follow a specific subset of cameras, drag cameras into the
sequence (the order does not matter for alarm sequences), and then click Save; otherwise, leave
the All Cameras radio button selected.
6. (Optional) In the Auto Close Stream area, click to select the radio button for After a specific period,
and then enter or select the time period; otherwise, leave the When the event is acknowledged radio
button checked.
7. Click Resume Sequence to run the sequence.
Editing Sequences
Click the Edit icon ( ) to edit the cameras, events, and other settings belonging to a sequence.
You do not need to pause the sequence to edit the cameras in the sequence.
Click Pause Sequence to stop cameras from rotating in or out of the sequence. The cameras in the tab will
continue to play until you click Resume Sequence.
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Setting up Snapshots
3. Click Done.
Taking Snapshots
1. Click the Take Snapshot icon ( ) to take a snapshot of the current frame.
2. If you have not set up a location for saved snapshots, provide a location and file name for the
snapshot, and then click Save.
3. If you have set up a location for saved snapshots using the instructions in the section titled Setting
up Snapshots, the snapshot will be saved to that location without further interaction.
Displaying Statistics
To display camera statistics over live video in the pane, right-click the cell for which you want to see
statistics, click Diagnostics & Analytics, and then click Show Statistics. Perform this step again to hide
the information.
l To find a filter, click to expand Advanced Filter Options, click Saved Filter Sets, and then click the
appropriate filter.
l To save a filter, click to expand Advanced Filter Options, populate the filter, click Saved Filter
Sets, and then click Save Filter.
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l To toggle between the Folder View and the Video Sources view, click the Show Folder View icon (
) or the Show List View icon ( ), whichever is visible. These are located at the far right of the
window, below the Filter.
See the section titled Managing Tags to create and manage folders.
Managing Tags
The Manage Tags window enables you to see information about a selected camera or cameras, create tags
in the system, and organize cameras in a folder structure.
To access the Manage Tags window, do one of the following:
l In Mission Control, click the User Menu icon ( ), and then select Manage Tags.
l Right-click a video source, either in a cell or in the Sources list, and then select Manage Tags.
The Selected Camera(s) panel in the Manage Tags window displays folder tag information.It also allows
you to create new tags.
1. In Mission Control, in the Content area, in Sources list, select the sources for which to manage
tags.
2. Access the Manage Tags window.
3. Click the Selected Camera(s) tab.
4. Click to select or deselect the checkboxes in the Show field, for My tags, Global tags, and Personal
Tags.Not all of these will be present for all cameras.
l Global tags are signified by the Global icon ( ).These tags are available to all users within the
system.All users can filter sources, exports, and bookmarks according to the listed tags.
l Personal tags created by you are indicated by the My Tag icon ( ).These tags are only
available to you and administrator-level users.You can use your personal tags to assign and
sort resources in a way that best reflects how you use VideoXpert.
l Folder tags are indicated by the Folder Tag icon ( ).
6. (Optional) To clear the tag(s) from the selected camera(s), do one of the following:
l Remove a single tag by clicking the x at the right of the tag itself.
l Remove all tags by clicking Remove All, and then click Clear in the confirmation dialog box.
You create tags while assigning them.It is important to have a strategy for tags and camera organization
before you begin creating and assigning tags.
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1. Click to select one or more cameras for which to create and apply a tag.
2. Access the Manage Tags window.
3. Click within the tag field and type the name of the tag you want to assign; if the tag exists, you can
select it and it will autofill.
4. If the tag does not exist, do one of the following:
l Click Create this tag (personal) to create a tag that is private to your user account.
l Click Create this tag (global) to create a tag that other users can see and use.
Through OpsCenter, users with sufficient rights can delete global tags.
1. Access the Manage Tags window.
2. Select the System tab.
3. (Optional) Click to select the checkboxes in the Show field to enable or disable My tags, Global
tags, or Personal tags.
In addition to the tags included in the Selected Camera(s) panel, you will also see Personal tags
which are indicated by the personal tag icon ( ).These tags are only visible to the creator and to
administrator-level users.For this reason, there might not be any Personal Tags.
4. Do one of the following:
l Select the tag you want to delete, and then click the Delete icon ( ).
l Right-click the tag you want to delete, and then click Delete.
3. In the Create New Folder dialog box, enter a folder name in the Name field.
4. In the Create as field, click to select either the Top-level folder or Child of radio box.If you select
Child of, use the drop-down menu to select the appropriate parent folder.
5. Click OK.
6. In the Drag Cameras To and From Folders area:
a. (Optional) Use the filter to find the appropriate camera(s).
b. Click and drag the camera(s) to the new folder.
A camera can be assigned to only one folder at a time.
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8. To assign a camera to a different folder, click and drag it to the appropriate folder in the Folder View
area.
9. Click Done to exit the window.
Playback Controls
Playback controls appear when you hover over a cell containing recorded video. From left to right, the
controls are:
Icon Description
Click (when white) to activate or (when yellow) to deactivate synchronous play for a cell; select in
all cells that you want to synchronize within a tab.
Add a bookmark.
Take a snapshot of the current frame.
Enter investigation mode for all selected cells.
Mute or unmute audio on a source. If there is no audio for the source, the icon is not shown.
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Icon Description
Rewind video. Click again to increase speeds from 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, 32x, 64x, or 128x.
Pause playback and rewind video a single frame.
Play video at normal speed.
Pause playback and move video forward a single frame.
Fast-forward video. Click again to increase speeds from 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, 32x, 64x, or 128x.
Rewind video 30 seconds and initiate playback.
Select the date and time of video you want to watch.
Forward video to live playback.
View video in full-screen or exit the full-screen and return to the tab view.
Engaging PTZ control changes the color of the border around the cell containing the source (camera) you
want to control: blue indicates native PTZ control, and purple indicates digital PTZ mode.
l PTZ mode functions when PTZ cameras are operating in live mode.
l Digital PTZ engages when you:
– Engage PTZ controls for cameras.
– Attempt to place PTZ cameras in playback mode; return to live video to engage native mode for
supported cameras.
– Press Alt+Enter to force digital PTZ mode.
In Digital PTZ mode, all PTZ controls affect their digital equivalents. Pan or tilt commands to a camera in
digital PTZ mode cause the camera to digitally zoom in the requested direction (as opposed to physically
moving the camera’s field of view). Zoom commands will digitally zoom the camera from the center of the
field of view. Digital PTZ enhancements may affect video quality.
PTZ mode icons are:
Icon Description
Locks or unlocks PTZ controls for other users. If present, this icon is located in the cell heading.
The Zoom In icon is located in the cell heading.
The Zoom Out icon is located in the cell heading.
In the cell video, this icon engages the click-to-center mode.
• Click to center video.
• Double-click to center video and zoom in.
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The cell border will turn blue or purple depending on the PTZ mode supported by the source.
3. Control the camera by one of the following methods. Use the joystick or mouse to affect broad
motions, and the keyboard to perform more precise movements.
l Move the joystick up and down to tilt the camera; press the up and down arrows to nudge the
camera vertically.
l Move the joystick left and right or press to pan the camera; press the left and right arrows to
nudge the camera laterally.
l Twist the joystick right to zoom in and left to zoom out; press + or Page Up to zoom in and - or
Page Down to zoom out. When zooming the camera in, video may jump briefly when the
camera switches from physical to digital zoom; to prevent this behavior, disable the camera’s
digital zoom feature.
l Use the mouse to pan and zoom. Click on the region to which you want to pan, and double-click
to zoom in to the region.
4. To exit PTZ mode, click the Deactivate Digital PTZ Mode icon ( ) or the Deactivate PTZ Mode
icon ( ), whichever is present.
Click-to-Center PTZ
When PTZ mode is enabled, you can click within the cell to center a camera’s field of on any point on which
you click, within the cell. Click-to-center functionality is not supported for all cameras.
When PTZ mode is enabled within a cell:
l Click in the cell to center the camera’s field of view on the location that you clicked.
l Double-click to center video and zoom in on the location that you clicked.
l Hold Alt and double-click, to zoom out.
A PTZ preset is a defined PTZ position; you can send the camera to the defined position by calling the
preset. A PTZ pattern (or a preset tour) is a series of presets; you can configure most patterns to dwell at
each preset for a specific period of time.
If a pattern or preset exists on the camera, to execute it:
1. Click the cell in which the camera video is being displayed.
2. (Optional) Execute a preset using one of the following methods:
l Right-click the cell displaying the camera, select Presets, and then select the preset you want
to execute.
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l Click the cell displaying the camera, begin entering the preset number. As you do this, the
Quick Launch dialog box opens. When the preset number is displayed in the black box at the
center of the Quick Launch dialog box, click the Trigger Preset icon ( ).
3. (Optional) To execute a pattern, right-click, select Pattern, and then select the pattern you want to
execute.
4. To exit a preset or a pattern:
l To stop a preset or a pattern, click the Deactivate Digital PTZ Mode icon ( ) or the Deactivate
PTZ Mode icon ( ), whichever is present.
l To stop a pattern only, right-click the cell, select Pattern and then select Stop Pattern.
Creating Presets
VideoXpert does not store presets. Any presets or patterns you create through VxOpsCenter are created
and stored camera-side. When you create a preset through VideoXpert, you will assign the preset a
numerical value; the preset will appear in the camera or encoder interface as “Preset <value>”. Some
cameras and encoders have limitations—a maximum value for presets or reserved values that you cannot
change.
If you want to assign a non-numerical, friendly name to a preset, you must change the name of the preset
from within the camera interface.
Note: For Pelco NET5500 and NET5400 series encoders, you can edit presets, but you cannot
create new ones.
1. In the upper left corner of the cell, click the Activate Digital PTZ Mode icon ( ) or the Activate PTZ
Mode icon ( ), whichever is present.
2. Move the camera to the position you want to mark as a preset.
3. Right click, select Preset, and then click Add Preset.
4. Enter or select a number for the preset. The maximum number for the preset is determined by the
camera or encoder on which you are creating a preset. Some cameras have reserved values that
you cannot use to set a new preset.
5. Click OK.
Editing Presets
Some presets are pre-defined by the camera or encoder; you cannot edit these presets.
Note: For Pelco NET5500 and NET5400 series encoders, you can edit presets, but you cannot
create or delete presets.
1. In the upper left corner of the cell, click the Activate Digital PTZ Mode icon ( ) or the Activate PTZ
Mode icon ( ), whichever is present.
2. Position the camera to the location that you will make the preset.
3. Right-click in the cell, click Presets, and then hover over the preset you want to change.
4. Click the Reposition the preset to the current PTZ spacial coordinates icon ( ).
5. Click OK.
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Deleting Presets
Some presets are pre-defined by the camera or encoder; you cannot delete these presets.
Note: For Pelco NET5500 and NET5400 series encoders, you can edit presets, but you cannot
create or delete presets.
1. In the upper left corner of the cell, click the Activate Digital PTZ Mode icon ( ) or the Activate PTZ
Mode icon ( ), whichever is present.
2. Right click in the cell, click Presets, and hover over the preset you want to delete.
3. Click the Delete icon ( ).
4. Click Delete.
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Investigation mode provides robust, synchronized playback controls with up to nine total cells, allowing
users to fully investigate an incident across multiple cameras simultaneously. Investigation mode always
opens in a new tab.
1. Synchronize the cells you want to investigate. To investigate a single cell, do not synchronize any
cells; if there cells are already synchronized, then apply Sync to only the cell that you want to
investigate.
2. Click in a cell in the Sync group, and then click the Investigate icon ( ).
3. (Optional) Add cameras to the layout. As you add cameras, they will appear in the cells of the
investigation tab, and in the camera list at the bottom of the workspace. A timeline is included in the
playback controls area, indicating the availability of recorded video for all cameras.
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If your camera or video source is recording video locally (using an SD card or in concert with ONVIF Profile
G), the timeline will display the ; the device tooltip will also alert you to multiple recording locations. You
cannot view video while it is stored on the camera; you must first push video from the camera to a
VideoXpert Storage recorder in order to view a camera’s local recordings.
Note: Refer to documentation for your camera to enable and setup local recording. The process to
enable and use local recordings may differ by camera model.
Click to open an investigation tab showing the camera’s various recording locations as separate
timelines. The timelines are labeled as follows:
l Default Recorder: Video recorded by your VideoXpert Storage recorder. These are the recordings
you would normally see when you playback video.
l Downloaded from Camera: Video pushed from the camera to the recorder does not overwrite
video already stored on the recorder; the video recorded on the camera and the video recorded on
the VXS recorder coexist. This timeline shows video that has been pushed from the camera to the
recorder. You can only view these recordings when in the multi-recording investigation tab.
l Camera Storage: Displays thumbnails representing video stored on the camera. You must use the
timeline to create and push video clips to default storage to view it.
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Video that has been copied from the camera to Storage will appear in the second timeline, title Downloaded
from Camera. Select the section of video you want to play from here and play back. Video is synchronized
between your default recorder and the Downloaded from Camera timeline.
NOTE: This feature must be enabled in order to work. It is enabled and disabled in VxToolbox.
When the recording server has been down, either due to a hardware/software fault or for maintenance,
there can be a gap in the recording. When the recording server is online again, the VideoXpert system
queries the SD card on the camera for missing video. Recordings are retrieved automatically for the down
period.
To use this feature:
1. Click on the camera timeline to display the camera storage icon ( ), and then click the icon to open
an investigation tab showing separate timelines for the camera:
l Default Recorder—on VxStorage only
l Downloaded from Camera—on the camera (Edge Recording)
l Camera Storage—on the camera's SD card
Creating Clips
Operators can create clips of recorded information, trim video clips, save them to a playlist for safekeeping,
or delete them.
The trim tool enables users to select a portion of a recording and save it to a within an investigation as a
clip. Clip selections persist in the timeline, even if you choose not to add the clip to the playlist. Once
you’ve selected a clip, you can resize or delete the selection using the time-box controls on the timeline.
1. When in Investigation Mode, click on the timeline where you want to select a clip.
2. Drag to select the start and end time of the clip you want to add to a playlist.
3. To add a clip to a playlist, click on the clip you want to select to expose the down arrow symbol ( ),
and then select Add to Playlist.
4. To delete a clip, click on the clip to expose the down arrow symbol ( ), and select Delete.
5. When you delete the clip, it will be removed from any playlists that you have not exported.
6. If you have changed a clip, but would like to undo the change, click on the clip to expose the down
arrow symbol ( ), and then select Revert Changes.
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Creating a Playlist
A playlist is a series of recorded clips. Operators can trim video clips and save them to a playlist for
safekeeping. Playlists are saved locally. You can reference your playlist later, but if you absolutely want to
be sure that you don’t lose the clips or video in your investigation playlist, you should export the playlist to
your Core server.
1. When in Investigation Mode, click the selection arrow ( ) above the clip symbol.
2. On the timeline, click on the clip to expose the down arrow symbol ( ), and select Add to Playlist.
Repeat as necessary.
3. Refer to the following sections to preview, edit, or export the playlist.
l You can preview your playlist at anytime to ensure that it adequately captures your investigation. If
it does not, you can reorganize the clips in the playlist or re-trim clips to refine the action captured by
each clip.
l Click and drag clips in the playlist to reorder them.
l Click the playlist tools icon ( ), and then click Preview Playlist to playback your playlist. Clips
are stitched together in the order that they appear in the playlist.
l Re-trim a clip by either of the following methods:
– In the playlist, right-click a clip, select Re-trim clip, and then adjust the start and/or end times
of the clip. Click Apply when complete to save your changes back to the clip and playlist.
– Click the playlist tools icon ( ), click Re-trim clip, and then adjust the start and/or end
times of the clip. Click Apply when complete to save your changes back to the clip and
playlist.
– In the timeline, click and drag the start time and/or end time of the clip, click the down arrow
symbol ( ), and then select Apply To Playlist. This updates the listing that is already in the
playlist.
l Delete a clip from the playlist and from the timeline by one of the following methods:
– In the playlist, click to select one or more clips, right-click one of the selected clips, and then
click Delete selected clips.
– In the playlist, click to select one or more clips, click the playlist tools icon ( ), and then
click Delete selected clips.
– In the timeline, click on a clip to expose the down arrow symbol ( ), and then select Delete.
Exporting a Playlist
Exporting a playlist allows you to save a collection of video clips, so that you can easily find and download
your investigation later. Exporting video from network storage to your Core allows you to store video
independently of your VideoXpert recorders for quick access later. The system exports unencrypted files in
the MKV format, and encrypted files in ZIP format.
If you do not have permission to export video for the video sources in your investigation video, or the
recordings saved to your playlist are no longer available from network storage, you will not be able to export
a full playlist. You can still export a playlist with missing clips.
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1. At the upper right corner of the playlist (left) panel, click the Export Playlist icon ( ).
2. In the Export Playlist As dialog box, enter a value in the Export Name field.
3. Click to select or deselect the checkbox for Encrypt this export; if you select encryption, enter a
password in the fields. See the section titled Encrypting Export Files.
4. Click Save.
5. (Optional) Click View Exports to view the status of your export and view the Export Archive
window.
6. (Optional) When your export is complete, you can download it locally:
a. In the Export Playlist As dialog box, click View Exports.
b. In the entry for the export, click Download.
c. Navigate to the folder in which you want to save the export; enter a new value in the File name
field, or accept the default; and then click Save.
d. (Optional) After the file is saved, click Show File to open the file location, and then open the
file.
7. At any time, you can view, edit, download, and delete exports from the Export Archive. See the
section titled Using the Export Archive.
When you export a playlist, the VxOpsCenter gives you the option to encrypt the file. Encrypting the file
ensures that no one can tamper with your exported video. To decrypt and playback an export, you must
have the password used when generating the export and the VideoXport Player; you cannot playback
encrypted exports with another video player.
Encrypted exports appear as ZIP archives containing the playlist file, video clips (MKV) and a signature
file. When you attempt to open an encrypted export, it will prompt you for the password. The password will
allow the player to decrypt the export. The player will then use the signature file and public key (within the
signature) to validate the export and verify that it has not been tampered with. It will then playback the file.
If you lose or forget the password to an export, your administrator can recover it for you by returning to the
export archive and selecting the export for which you need a password.
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Downloading Exports
You can download exports from the Export Archive, which appears automatically when you export a
playlist. You can also access the Export Archive at any time, as described below.
Note: If you are using VxOpsCenter on a VxPro server, you do not need to download exports; you
can browse to the exports directory on your data drive to access exports.
Unencrypted exports use the MKV format. Encrypted exports are ZIP files; if the export file has been
encrypted, you must use the VideoXpert Player to decrypt and playback the file.
1. Access the Export Archive.
2. (Optional) Use the filters or sort the list of available exports by camera tag or other data associated
with the export (camera name, ID, exporting user, etc).
3. To download the archive without VideoXpert Player:
a. Click Download for the archive row.
b. Browse to a location and type a value in the File name field.
c. Click Save.
d. (Optional) When the archive has been downloaded, click Show File to open the browser to the
file location.
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Deleting an export from the Export Archive sends it to the Trash Bin; you must delete an export from the
Trash Bin to permanently remove it from the system. This two-step process prevents users from
inadvertently removing exported files from the system.
1. To access the Export Archive, click the User Menu icon ( ) in mission control and select Show
Export Archive.
2. In the Export Archive window, view the list of exports in the table.
l (Optional) Sort by any column title.
l (Optional) Click to expand Filter, type a value in the search field; and/or click in the Camera
Tags field, and then click to select the tags. Click Clear in the Camera Tags field to clear the
tags, or click Clear Filters at the upper right of the Export Archive window to clear both of the
filter fields.
3. (Optional) To delete an export, click the trashcan icon ( ) in the left column for the archive row; in
the confirmation dialog box, click to select or deselect the checkbox to Delete Permanently; and
then click Yes.
l If you did not select Delete Permanently, the archive is removed from the current list, and is
added to the Export Trash Bin.
l If you did select Delete Permanently, the archive is deleted, but not added to the Export Trash
Bin.
5. If you want to view deleted exports, click the down arrow to the right of Export Archive, and then
select View Trash Bin.
l To move an export from the Export Trash Bin to the Export Archive window, click the export
Restore button.
l To delete multiple exports from the trash bin, click to select the exports (use Ctrl or Shift), click
the Export Archive Menu icon ( ), click Delete Selected Exports, and then click Delete
Permanently in the confirmation dialog box.
l To return to the Export Archive window, click the X symbol in the upper right corner of the
Export Trash Bin window.
6. If you want to delete failed exports, click the down arrow to the right of Export Archive, and then
click Delete All Failed Exports. In the confirmation dialog box, click to select or deselect the
checkbox for Delete Permanently, and then click Yes.
7. To exit the window, click the X in the upper-right corner of the window, or click outside the window.
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Note: You can add more than one plugin to a workstation, but you should not run more than one
mapping plugin per workstation.
Installing Plugins
Close VxOpsCenter application before installing plugins.
To install a plugin, run the plugin installer, typically an MSI file.
Plugins install under C:\ProgramData\Pelco\OpsCenter\Plugins. The Ops Center application searches this
directory recursively on start-up to populate the plugins available to it.
Note: The Access Control System Viewer plugin is not automatically available. Obtain the installer
from PartnerFirst.pelco.com, and see the installation instructions in the current version of the
VideoXpert Installation Manual.
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2. (Optional) In the Filter (left) panel of the cell, make one or more of the following selections:
l Enter or select a From date, From time, To date, and To time.
l In the Show events with status area, click to select or deselect checkboxes for Needs
Attention, In-Progress, Acknowledged, and/or Logged.
l (Optional) Enter or select a Range for the Severity of events to display.
l (Optional) Select a User from the drop-down menu. To show only those actions related to the
selected user, click to select the checkbox for Only show user related actions.
l (Optional) In the Events area, select an event category from the drop-down menu, and then
select the event type from the drop-down menu below -AND-.
l (Optional) To clear the filter, click Reset Filter.
3. (Optional) The Pause Events checkbox is selected by default. To allow the list to update, click to
deselect the checkbox.
4. (Optional) To sort, select the criterion from the drop-down menu to the right of Sort by, and then
select Ascending or Descending order from the drop-down menu.
5. (Optional) If you selected the Needs Attention in the Show events with status field, click to select
one or more of the events, and then click Acknowledge Selected.
6. (Optional) To copy details of an event to paste into another application, double-click to select the
event, click Copy Details, and then click Copy all to clipboard. Navigate to the target application
and paste the content.
The Image Viewer Content plugin allows you to display a directory of images within a cell of the Ops Center
Client. The images rotate at a designated interval, or you can manually tab through the images. You can
use the Image Viewer to scroll through important snapshots from your Ops Center, or to display a series of
important images (persons of interest, etc) in the same workspace that you use for video.
Note: The Image Viewer path is stored on the Core, and will follow your account across
workstations; if you set a path local to a particular workstation, you will not be able to view your
images on another workstation.
1. Open the Image Viewer plugin.
2. (Optional) Select an existing picture directory containing the images you want to view; this directory
can be local or a network location.To do so:
a. Click the menu icon ( ) and then click Select picture directory.
b. Navigate to the folder.
c. Click OK.
3. (Optional) If there is no directory, or if you want to save images to a new directory, create one. To do
so:
a. Click the menu icon ( ) and then click Select picture directory.
b. Browse to an appropriate location, and then click Make New Folder.
c. Type in a name for the folder, and then click OK.
4. (Optional) To select the speed at which to scroll through the images, click the menu icon ( ), click
Cycle images every..., and then click one of the options.
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5. (Optional) Click the menu icon ( ), and then click to select or deselect Show Date/Time.
6. (Optional) Click the menu icon ( ), and then click to select or deselect Show Title.
7. (Optional) Click the menu icon ( ), and then click to select or deselect Fade between images.
8. (Optional) Control scrolling through the images by using the back icon ( ), the pause icon ( ), and
the forward icon ( ) at the lower right of the Image Viewer plugin.
NOTE: VxMaps supports world drawings as geodatabase. It also supports DWG, JPEG and PNG
(raster), and GIF images.
NOTE: You should not run more than one VxMaps plugin per workstation.
If running the VxOpcCenter software on Windows 8N, you may have to install the Media Player and Visual
C++ redistributables to run the VxMaps Plugin.
Before you use the plugin, configure the VxMaps Import Utility in VxToolbox. Refer to the current version of
the VideoXpert Toolbox User Guide (for Enterprise systems) or the VideoXpert Professional User Guide.
Working In a Map
To use the map:
1. Open a map in VxMaps.
2. (Optional) Filter the cameras that are displayed. To do so, click the expand icon ( ) beside the
Filter title, and then do one or more of the following:
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l Enter values in the search field to filter by criteria such as camera name, IP address, and/or
number.
l Click in the Tags field, and type in or select a tag for which to filter.
l Click Clear to reset the filters.
l To close the filter panel, click the collapse icon ( ) beside the Filter title.
3. (Optional) Move the field of view of the map. To do so, click on the map and drag it until the
appropriate view is displayed.
4. (Optional) Use the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out. You can also zoom into an area of
the map by holding down the Shift key and using the mouse to select a region. VxMaps will zoom in
to show only the selected region of the map.
Cameras will not block or impede areas of the map at different zoom levels.
5. (Optional) Choose which layers to include and exclude from the view.
a. Ensure that VxMaps is displayed in a one-cell tab.
b. At the upper right corner of the VxMaps cell, click the menu icon ( ).
c. In the Base Layers list (if present), click to select and deselect the checkboxes to indicate
which layers to include and exclude.
d. Click to select or deselect the checkbox for Feature layers (if present), and any checkboxes in
the Feature layers list to indicate which layers to include and exclude.
e. When you have finished selecting the layers to display, click the menu icon ( ) again to close
the panel.
6. (Optional) Hover over a camera to view the camera name and a thumbnail.
If the hover option is not working, it has been disabled. Enable it in the Preferences panel. See the
section titled Setting User Preferences for VxMaps.
7. (Optional) Notice the status of the icons on the map.
l An plain icon (gate, door, alarm, etc.) is online, with no events in progress.
l An icon that has additional or different symbols—for example: it has a red X through it or a
question mark over it; or it has been replaced by another symbol (alarm symbol, open door or
gate, etc.)—indicates special status. View camera data for details.
8. (Optional) View camera data. To view data for a specific camera, press Ctrl and click the camera on
the map. This opens a panel on the right of the cell. Data includes: the camera name, status,
Watched by information, Tags, and Details (IP address, ID, recording data, model and serial
numbers, and software/firmware version).
9. (Optional) Open a camera from the map. Double-click a camera to open it in a new cell.
10. Click on a linked map icon ( ) to open a linked map in a new cell.
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5. (Optional) Adjust the Map Background Color by selecting a color from the drop-down menu.
6. (Optional) Adjust the Camera Number Color by selecting a color from the drop-down menu (if
present).
7. (Optional) Adjust the Camera Number Placement by selecting an option from the drop-down menu
(if present).
8. (Optional) Change the Icon Scale by clicking and dragging the slider bar (if present).
9. (Optional) Click to select or deselect the checkbox for Show camera thumbnail on hover.
10. Click the gear icon ( ) again to close the Preferences panel.
Note: The Mapping plugin supports Dwgs and raster images. VxMaps supports world drawings as
geodatabase as well as jpeg and png (raster) images. If you have geodatabase images, see the
section titled Using the VxMaps Plugin.
Note: You should not run more than one mapping plugin per workstation.
If running the Ops Center software on Windows 8N, you may have to install the Media Player and Visual
C++ redistributables to run the Mapping Plugin.
Before you use the Mapping Plugin, configure the VxMaps Import Utility in VxToolbox. Refer to the current
version of the VideoXpert Toolbox User Guide (for Enterprise systems) or the VideoXpert Professional
User Guide.
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Note: Do not try to add cameras to the map from Mission Control. You must add cameras to the map
from the Edit Mode, Cameras area. Dragging cameras from Mission Control will replace the mapping
plugin with a video source rather than placing a camera on the map.
1. Click Edit Mode.
2. Click to expand Cameras.
3. (Optional) Type a value into the Filter field to shorten the list of cameras to from which to choose.
You can also click to select or deselect the checkbox for Apply Filter to Map.
4. (Optional) Click to expand Advanced Filter Options, and then select values from the drop-down
menus for one or more or the following options: Online, Recording, On Screen, or On Map. You can
also type or select values in the Tags field.
5. (Optional) To sort the sources by name, click Source Name. To toggle between ascending and
descending order, click Source Name again. To sort the sources by number, click #. To toggle
between ascending and descending order, click # again.
6. From the list of sources, drag sources to the appropriate location on the map.
7. (Optional) To revert to the previously saved version of the map, click Cancel and Exit. You will exit
Edit Mode.
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8. When you have finished configuring Mapping, click Save, and then click OK in the Drawing
confirmation dialog box.
4. (Optional) To delete a map: In the list of available maps, click to select a map; click the Delete icon
(-); and then click Yes in the Delete Map? confirmation dialog box.
5. (Optional) To revert to the previously saved version of the map, click Cancel and Exit. You will exit
Edit Mode.
6. When you have finished configuring Mapping, click Save, and then click OK in the Drawing
confirmation dialog box.
At any time, you can change the user preferences from the Mapping plugin.
1. At the upper right of the Mapping plugin cell, click the gear icon ( ).
2. (Optional) Click to select the appropriate radio button in the Launching Preferences area. If you
select Always load a specific map, select a value from the drop-down menu in the Choose Map
field.
3. (Optional) Click to select or deselect the appropriate checkboxes in the Map Recentering area. If
you select Allow recentering on a different map, you can also select Prompt me before recentering
on a different map.
4. Click Save Changes.
Viewing a Map
When using the Mapping plugin, you can change the view in the following ways:
l (Optional) Select an available map: If you have more than one map available on the Mapping plugin,
you can select which map to view. In the Map field at the upper left of the Mapping cell, select a map
from the drop-down list.
l To add a map, see the section titled Managing Available Maps.
l (Optional) Show or hide cameras. Cameras are saved as a separate layer on the map. This enables
you to hide maps, for an unobstructed view of the map itself. To show cameras, click to select the
checkbox for Show Cameras; to hide cameras, click to deselect the checkbox.
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l (Optional) View camera data. To view data for a specific camera, click the camera on the map. Data
includes: the camera name, status, Watched by information, Tags, and Details (IP address, ID,
recording data, model and serial numbers, and software/firmware version).
l (Optional) Move the field of view of the map. To do so, click on the map and drag it until the view is
displayed.
l (Optional) Move and rotate a camera. Click to select a camera. This enables a handle ( ), which
allows you to turn the icon to reflect its field of view or to “pick it up” and move it to another location
on the map.
l (Optional) Zoom in and out by one of the following methods:
– Use the scroll wheel on your mouse.
– On the map, click to zoom in; click to zoom out.
– On your keyboard, press the + key to zoom in; press the - key to zoom out.
Cameras will not block or impede areas of the map at different zoom levels.
l (Optional) Open a camera from the map. Double-click a camera or a group of cameras to open them
in a new tab.
l To select multiple cameras, press the Ctrl key while dragging to select a region that includes the
cameras to select.
The browser plug-in provides a means to access web resources from within VxOpsCenter.
To add the plug-in to your workspace: type value (key word by which to search or URL) into the search
field.
1. Click to expand the Content area, click Plugins, and then drag the Web Browser plugin into a cell.
2. You can also double-click Web Browser to open a new single-cell tab containing the plugin.
3. Type a value into the search field (a keyword by which to search or a known URL).
The Access Control System Viewer Plugin enables the communication and data exchange from various
Access Control Systems to the VideoXpert System.A server component, called an Access Control Server,
communicates directly to the Access Control System and relays information to the Access Control
System Viewer while relaying events between the Access Control System and VideoXpert.While the ACS
Server handles events, it also provides other information to the Access Control System Viewer, such as
user images that the Access Control System Viewer may display in association with events injected by the
ACS Server.
An Access Control Server will provide value without the use of the Access Control System Viewer.Events
may be passed to/from the ACS and VX and these events may be viewed with the Event Viewer OCC
Plug-in or the Admin Portal Events Tab, however, user images, door controls and enhanced Event filters
are provided through the Access Control System Viewer Plug-in.
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l In the Show events with status area, click to select or deselect checkboxes for Needs
Attention, In-Progress, Acknowledged, and/or Logged.
l (Optional) Select a Property Display Filter from the drop-down menu.This selects what is
displayed for an event when it is expanded (center panel).Selecting None displays all
properties, selecting Remove IDs displays all properties except those IDs that are
unnecessary for the users to see, and Minimal displays only minimal details about the event.
l (Optional) Enter or select a Range for the Severity of events to display.
l (Optional) Select a user from the VMS Users drop-down menu.To show only those actions
related to the selected user, click to select the checkbox for Only show user related actions.
l (Optional) In the Events area, select an event category from the drop-down menu, and then
select the event type from the drop-down menu below -AND-.
l (Optional) To clear the filter, click Reset Filter.
From the Access Control tab, you can configure communication to an Access Control Server and display
information that is not available elsewhere in VideoXpert.
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f. Click Save.
g. (Optional) Repeat this procedure to add another server.
5. To delete an access control server, click the Delete access control system icon ( ), and then click
Yes.
6. When you have finished configuring the servers, click Close.
An access point can be anything that the Access Control Server reports as an access point, whether it is a
door, gate, or other entryway.All Access Points are listed along with the current known state of the
each.The Lock/Unlock button shows the current state and allows the user to toggle Lock/Unlock the door
by dragging the button – left for lock, right for unlock.The unlock state appears with a green background.
1. Click the Access Control tab.
2. Click to expand Access Points.
3. Select one or more Access Points from the Access Point list.
4. Click to select the checkbox for Add Access Points to Filter.
5. In the Event Window, click to select an event that has an access point.
l Only events with that access point ID will be included in the Event Window.
l The associated access point(s) are added to the Access Points list in the Access Control
panel.
The Access Control Users section contains a list of known users of the Access Control System.A user
may be selected at any time to display their associated image (if available).
1. Click the Access Control tab.
2. Click to expand Access Control Users.
3. From the drop-down menu, click to select an access control user.
4. (Optional) Click to select the checkbox for one of the following:
l Add Access Control User to Filter will display only those events that are associated with the
selected Access Control User.
l Update User on Event Selection will cause the selected Access Control user to change
when an event is selected that has a user associated with it.To choose an event, double-click
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the event in the Event Window.If you did not deselect the checkbox for Auto Select Events
when you configured an Access Control Server, the event will be chosen automatically.
The Event Window is the list of events that meet the criteria of the filter and Access Control configuration.
1. Click the Access Control tab.
2. Use the following options to find the information you need:
l (Optional) Click to select or deselect the checkbox to Pause incoming notifications.Deselect
this checkbox to automatically display events as they are received by the VideoXpert System.
l (Optional) In the Sort by field, select Time or Severity from the drop-down menu, and then
select Descending or Ascending order from the drop-down menu.
l Click an event to expand it; double-click the event to collapse it.
l To copy details of an event to the clipboard: right-click the event, click Copy Details, and then
click Copy all to clipboard.You can then paste the information into another application.
l View video associated with the event by dragging the viewer icon ( ) to a cell.
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l VideoXpert Plates ALPR recognizes license plates, and then sends information to the
VideoXpert Plates Manager. The event (plate capture) is also sent to and marked in the VideoXpert
System.
l VideoXpert Plates Manager returns data to VideoXpert Plates ALPR Plugin, based on the search
criteria. This accesses the requested VideoXpert video fragment at the timestamp associated with
the license plate capture.
l Meta-data is stored and retrieved via the VideoXpert Plates Manager System.
3. Click Login.
A new window opens, showing that VideoXpert Plates Plugin is running.
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If you see the error message "Error connecting to VideoXpert Plates Manager", it means that
communication between the two programs is corrupt. To fix the problem:
l If you are prompted to enter new credentials, enter the API key as instructed above.
l If you did not receive the prompt, or entering the key did not work:
1. Return to VideoXpert Plates Manager.
2. Access the Settings menu, and then access the Users window.
3. Use the slider Rest API Key, and copy the new key.
4. Return to the plugin, stop it, and then restart it by closing the plugin window.
5. When prompted, paste the new key into the ApiKey field, and then click Login.
A new window opens, showing that VideoXpert Plates Plugin is running.
Searching Plates
After launching the VideoXpert Plates ALPR Plugin, you can search for plates. To do so:
1. At the upper left of the plugin window, click the Search tab.
The Search panel will open. It contains search criteria fields, the Search button, and the plate list
area.
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3. Click Search.
4. View the list of plates that match the search criteria in the plate list area. The following information is
shown:
l A list of the plate capture records—Each capture in the list includes the date and time of the
capture, the plate number, an image of the plate, and the authorization flag.
l The current page and total number of pages (50 results per page)
l Navigation buttons to move through the pages
l The total number of records that match the search criteria—If no records matched, you will see
the message No records found.
5. (Optional) To display a larger image of the vehicle and plate and to access the video clip associated
with the plate read,click the capture in the plate list.
l Access the video clip by moving the cursor to an appropriate time in the green video timeline
beneath the capture image, and then click Play.
l To increase the length of the video that is displayed before the point of capture, see the section
titled Configuring User Preferences.
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These lists must be initially created in the VideoXpert Plates Manager program. They will then
automatically appear here. However, once they have been created, they can be edited from this menu. The
user can also add plates to a list, with notes and From and To dates and times during which the lists will be
active—when they are allowed in, or when they will trigger an alarm.
To use the Black and White Lists:
1. In the upper left corner of the plugin window, click the Lists tab.
2. In the List field, click to select a list from the drop-down menu.
3. (Optional) Type a partial or complete plate number in the Plate field.
You can use the "?" as a wildcard for a single character, or the "*" as a wildcard for multiple
characters. For example: type "?J*" to get a list of all plates in the correct time range that have a
"J" as the second character.
4. Click Search.
5. View the list of plates that match the search criteria in the plate list area. If matches are found, the
following information is shown:
l A list of the plate capture records
l The current page and total number of pages (50 results per page)
l Navigation buttons to move through the pages
l The total number of records that match the search criteria—If no records matched, you will see
the message No records found.
6. (Optional) Click a record to diplay and/or edit the vehicle details, or to delete the item.
l If you edit the details, click Save changes.
l To delete the item, click Delete item.
For more advanced list options, such as importing preexisting lists from .csv files, see the current version
of the VideoXpert Plates Manager User Guide.
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Viewing Reads
To veiw plate captures as soon as they are read, click the Reads tab in the upper left corner of the plugin
window. The following information is displayed in the panel:
l Capture details, including:
– Time and date
– Camera ID
– Plate number with a plate patch image
– Status (authorized or not)
l List of recently captured plates, with the most recent at the top of the list
Click on a plate from the list to diplay the vehicle image on the right of the screen.
Logging Out
To log out of VideoXpert Plates Plugin:
1. In the upper left corner of the plugin window, click the Config tab.
2. Click Logout.
Closing a Plugin
If you close a plugin without saving your changes, you will lose the changes.
Close a plugin by one of the following methods:
l Click the ( ) icon in the upper right corner of the plugin.
l Click the Close Plugins icon ( ) to the immediate left of the Dock/Undock Mission Control icon at
the bottom of the window, and then click the close icon ( ) associated with the plugin you are
closing.
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Responding to Events
Events in VxOpsCenter are reported in several locations of the UI, depending on how each alarm is
configured. Notification methods include:
l The cell that displays the camera for which there is an event will have a flashing red inner border and
a red alarm bar at the upper left of the cell.
l In the Content area, in the Sources list, the source item will display with a red background.
l The Event Notifications window enables you to research, snooze, and acknowledge current events.
l The Event Viewer lists all events, and allows you to filter and sort the full list of events to include
only those that you want to view.
The Event Viewer lists events on the system. To use Event Viewer, see the section titled Using the Event
Viewer Plugin.
When an event occurs that is pertinent to your user account and has a notification configured, an event
notification dialog box will pop-up on your monitor and present ways in which you can respond to the event.
Event notifications requiring acknowledgment persist until you or other users with the same role
acknowledge them. Other notifications persist based on the configuration of the alarm. See the current
version of the VideoXpert Toolbox User Guide for VideoXpert Enterprise systems or the VideoXpert
Toolbox section of the VideoXpert Professional User Guide for VideoXpert Professional systems.
The events icon in the lower-right corner of your workspaces also shows the number of active events that
require your attention.
1. Access an event notification by one of the following methods:
l Click the notification icon ( ) at the lower right of the window, and then click to select the
notification. Click again to close the list of notifications.
l Click the Expand icon ( ) in the bottom left corner of the event notification window that pops-
up on your screen, and then click to select the notification on which to act. Click the icon again,
now labeled Collapse, to close the window.
The event notification includes the type of event, the device (for example, the specific camera)
on which the event occurred, the date and time of the event, and the severity of the event.
2. (Optional) If the alarm is set with snooze enabled, click Snooze to temporarily remove the visual
notifications, but have them reappear at the preconfigured interval.
3. (Optional) Click In-Progress to indicate that you are either investigating the event or are in the
process of correcting an event condition.
4. Click Acknowledge to indicate that the event is no longer relevant; or that the event condition has
been accounted for or corrected. Acknowledging an event clears the event notification.
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5. (Optional) If you accessed an event from the event notification pop-up window, you can click
Acknowledge All, and then click OK in the confirmation dialog box, to clear all existing events from
the event notification window.
6. (Optional) Click Event Log to open the event in the Event Viewer window.
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Logging Out
When you log out, the application saves your desktop configuration, including video stream and plug-ins.
1. In Mission Control, click the User Menu icon ( ).
2. Click Log Out.
3. In the Log Out confirmation dialog box, click Log Out.
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