MilestoneXProtectSmartClient UserManual en-US
MilestoneXProtectSmartClient UserManual en-US
User Manual
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Contents
Welcome .................................................................. 14
What's new? ........................................................................ 14
Troubleshooting ................................................................................. 22
Contents 2
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Contents 3
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Carousels ............................................................................. 88
About carousels .................................................................................. 88
Hotspots .............................................................................. 89
About hotspots ................................................................................... 89
Contents 4
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Cameras .............................................................................. 90
Add a camera to a view ...................................................................... 90
Contents 5
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Search for motion in recorded video in XProtect Professional VMS ... 149
Contents 6
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Events............................................................................................... 161
Export a video clip, audio, XProtect data or a still image .................. 166
Contents 7
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Work with views in the XProtect Smart Client – Player .................... 195
Contents 8
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Contents 9
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
If you know that your surveillance system administrator has already configured the necessary
views for you, you may skip parts of this manual. After installing and logging in to XProtect Smart
Client, you can proceed straight to this manual’s chapters about viewing live and recorded video.
Consult your surveillance system administrator if in doubt.
In general, Milestone recommends that you always use the latest version of the XProtect Smart
Client to ensure that you have access to all the new features and functions included in your
XProtect surveillance system.
Click Start, select Run... and type dxdiag. When you click OK, the DirectX Diagnostic
Tool window opens.
The version information is displayed near the bottom of its System tab. Should the server require
a DirectX update, the latest versions of DirectX are available from the Microsoft website
(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads).
Welcome
What's new?
If you have previously used XProtect Smart Client, you may already have noticed one or more new
features in XProtect Smart Client:
Smart Map
If you are using OpenStreetMap, you can specify an OpenStreetMap tile server (see
"Changing the OpenStreetMap tile server" on page 124) by your own choice, for example if
your organization uses its own customized maps stored on a local server.
You can now prevent certain types of XProtect Smart Client users from editing smart maps.
To do this, you must configure the relevant Smart Client profiles in Management Client.
Smart Map
Smart Map is a powerful new set of functionality for creating a single overview of surveillance
systems around the world, or for displaying a single location in a realistic view.
Use the Bing Maps, Google Maps, OpenStreetMap services in XProtect Smart Client as
geographic backgrounds, which lets you map locations around the world. Change the
imagery to display the Smart Map with the type of detail that you prefer.
Add images, CAD drawings, and shapefiles as custom overlays to enhance the geographic
background with images and drawings that reflect your environment. Custom overlays can
be geo-referenced, and will automatically display in their correct location on the geographic
background.
Use links to locations or other maps to quickly navigate the Smart Map.
Welcome 14
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
When the export panel is open, the current view is still active. To include cameras in your
export, you simply select the cameras you want.
You can also select cameras from other views without leaving the export panel.
H.265
Added support for H.265 video codec also called HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding)
The full support for H.265 decoding is from Intel skylake (sixth generation) processors.
https://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2015/12/11/codecs-are-they-slowing-you-down
A UHD enabler.
The maximum number of cameras changes from 26 to 48, 8 are for free.
XProtect Smart Client 2016 R2 and earlier versions cannot connect to XProtect Essential
2016 R3 systems or newer.
More information is available on our website (https://www.milestonesys.com/our-products/video-
management-software/xprotect-essential/).
Other features
The Export, Evidence Lock, and Retrieve buttons have been moved closer to the timeline
to make them more easily accessible.
Simplified workspace
As an alternative to the advanced workspace, you can now work with video surveillance in a
simplified workspace (see "Using the simplified workspace" on page 28).
With a limited set of features and tabs, the simplified workspace makes it easier to focus on
the basic tasks.
A toggle mode button lets you switch between simple and advanced mode. By default,
XProtect Smart Client opens in one of these modes.
Welcome 15
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
The tiles on a Smart Wall overview make it easy to determine whether a view item is
displaying content, and what it's showing. A blue tile indicates content, a gray tile is empty.
Tiles display an icon that indicates the type of content that it is showing.
You can display content only when an event occurs, and then remove it after a period of
time based on an end event. For example, you can display a response checklist when a
camera detects motion. After the end event, the monitor becomes blank again. To do this,
your system administrator must set up a start event and an end event.
The Playback permission lets you investigate live and recorded video without disturbing
what others see on the Smart Wall. You can disconnect from the shared video while you
investigate, and then reconnect when you're done. To do this, your system administrator
must enable the Playback permission for your role.
New workspace where you can apply filters and perform free-text searches, for example to
find specific items purchased within the last seven days.
Reserve and release a PTZ session. During a reserved PTZ session, only you can control the
camera. Others can control the camera after you release the session. To do this, your
system administrator must enable the Reserve PTZ sessions and Release PTZ sessions
permissions for your role.
Pause system patrolling or manual patrolling, regardless of who started it, if you need more
time to control the camera.
Create your own PTZ presets and patrolling profiles if the existing ones do not match your
needs. To do this, your system administrator must enable the Manage PTZ presets or
patrolling profiles permission for your role.
You and other users can activate the PTZ presets and patrolling profiles that you or your
system administrator create. To do this, your system administrator must enable the
Activate PTZ presets or patrolling profiles permission for relevant roles.
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Welcome 17
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Get help
To access the XProtect Smart Client help system, on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar, click
Help > Help or press F1 on your keyboard.
To access online video tutorials in a browser window, on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar,
click Help > Video Tutorials.
The help system is context-sensitive, which means it automatically displays a help topic relevant to
the area you are working with. Help topics may contain various types of links, notably expanding
drop-down links that display detailed information when you click them, links to other topics, and
Internet links.
When you print a help topic, the topic is printed as you see it on your screen. Therefore, if a topic
contains expanding drop-down links, click each required drop-down link to display the text in order
for it to be included in your printout.
To view this information, on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar, click Help > About.
The version of your XProtect Smart Client affects which XProtect server version it is compatible
with. The latest XProtect Smart Client is compatible with the latest server version and the previous
server version.
Welcome 18
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
1. Open Internet Explorer and connect to the management server using the URL or IP address
of that server.
(http://localhost/installation/admin) or
2. On the Welcome page, click Language and select the language you want to use.
3. The XProtect Smart Client setup wizard starts. In the wizard, follow the installation
instructions.
The wizard suggests an installation path. Normally, you can use the suggested installation path.
However, if you have previously used add-on products, this path might not be valid anymore (on
page 19).
5. Insert the surveillance system software DVD, select the required language, and then click
Install XProtect Smart Client.
6. If you receive a security warning (Do you want to run or save this file?, Do you want
to run this software? or similar), accept this (by clicking Run or similar—the exact name
depends on your browser version).
7. The XProtect Smart Client installation wizard starts. In the wizard, follow the
installation instructions.
Your XProtect Smart Client may contain a MIP Plug-ins pane. The pane is used for handling plug-
in functionality, typically for third-party applications, which can be controlled through XProtect
Smart Client.
On some surveillance systems, you can add more types of content to views in XProtect Smart
Client. This may be the case if your organization uses add-on products for increasing the
capabilities of its surveillance system.
If you encounter a second dialog during login, you need additional login authorization (see "About
login authorization" on page 21) to get access to the XProtect Smart Client.
Log-in settings
Name Description
2. Specify your login information, and click Connect. If a problem occurs during login, you
may receive an error message (see "Troubleshooting" on page 22).
3. If you have logged in before, you can restore the views you last used. Depending on
configuration, the XProtect Smart Client may ask you if you want to restore the view(s) you
last used. Your options are:
Main view: If you select this, the view you last used in the XProtect Smart Client 's
main window is restored.
5. To log out of the XProtect Smart Client, simply click the Log Out button in the XProtect
Smart Client title bar.
If you encounter a second dialog during login, you need additional login authorization (see "About
login authorization" on page 21) to get access to the XProtect Smart Client.
Troubleshooting
If a problem or other issue occurs during login to XProtect Smart Client, you will see one of the
following error messages:
Your user rights do not allow you to log in at this point in time. User
rights may vary depending on time of day, day of week, etc...
Issue: You have tried to log in at a time when your user rights do not allow you to log in.
What to do: Wait until you are permitted to log in. Consult your surveillance system administrator
if in doubt about your user rights.
You do not have access to any part of the application. Contact the
system administrator.
Issue: You currently have no access rights to any part of the XProtect Smart Client, and therefore
you cannot log in.
What to do: Consult your surveillance system administrator, who will be able to change your
access rights if required.
Application is not able to start, because two (or more) cameras are
using the same name or ID...
This error message only appears in a very rare scenario, where a backed-up configuration from one
surveillance system is mistakenly used without any modification on another surveillance system.
This can cause different cameras to "fight" over the same identity, and that can in turn block your
XProtect Smart Client's access to the surveillance system. If you see such a message, you cannot
correct the problem. Instead, contact your surveillance system administrator, who will be able to
handle the issue.
Some messages will appear in an orange ribbon above your views:
Due to system settings, your XProtect Smart Client session will expire
within the next [...]
Occurs if your current XProtect Smart Client session is about to end. When connected to certain
types of surveillance system (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 12), your rights to use
the XProtect Smart Client may depend on time of day, day of week, etc.
When that is the case, you will typically see this message a number of minutes or seconds before
your session will be closed; the exact number of minutes/seconds is defined on the surveillance
system server.
Simplified mode - only the Live and Playback tabs are available, and you can perform a
limited set of tasks. For more information, see Using the simplified workspace (on page 28).
Advanced mode - all features and tabs are available, and you can access the setup mode.
For more information, see Using the advanced workspace (on page 25).
Depending on your product, XProtect Smart Client opens in simplified or advanced mode. If you
change the default mode through the Toggle Mode button, XProtect Smart Client opens in the
changed mode the next time you open the program.
The table gives you an overview of the XProtect Smart Client default mode according to the
product.
Product Mode
In the XProtect Smart Client window (see "Using the advanced workspace" on page 25), you view
live video on the Live tab of the XProtect Smart Client, and recorded video on the Playback tab.
When you select the Live tab, your XProtect Smart Client connects to the surveillance system
server, and displays live video from cameras in the selected view.
If your computer has more than one physical display attached, you can send individual views to
separate windows (see "Multiple windows" on page 136) letting you watch more than one view at a
time.
2 Application toolbar
Panes
Panes give you access to the majority of the XProtect Smart Client features. The panes you see
depend on your XProtect Smart Client configuration and on your task.
Panes can be minimized to save space and to give a better overview of the panes you use. Click
the Minimize/expand icon on the title bar of the pane to minimize or expand it.
Tabs
The XProtect Smart Client has the following main areas:
The Live tab (on page 30) for viewing live video
The Playback tab (on page 32) for viewing recorded video
The Sequence Explorer tab (see "Searching video using Sequence Explorer" on page 141)
for navigating video sequences
The System Monitor tab (on page 38) for viewing system information
If some of the tabs are unavailable, it is because you do not have the rights required to access all
the areas.
Views
The way in which video is displayed in the XProtect Smart Client is called a view. A view can
contain video from up to 100 cameras, depending on your surveillance system. Your XProtect
Smart Client can handle an unlimited number of views, allowing you to switch between video from
various groups of cameras. Each view's layout can be customized to fit its content. To help you
maintain an overview, all views are placed in folders called groups. A group can contain any
number of views and, if required, subgroups.
Views can be private or shared with other users.
In addition to video, views can display web pages and still images (for example, mugshots). For
some surveillance systems, views can even display data from other applications (such as receipts
from a cash register) alongside video.
Your user settings, including information about your views, are stored centrally on the surveillance
system server, so you can use your views, private as well as shared, on any computer that has a
XProtect Smart Client installed, provided you log in with your own user name and password.
Example: XProtect Smart Client displaying a view with video from four different cameras (a 2x2 view)
Task buttons
The task buttons are on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar and to the right of the timeline. The task
buttons available depend on the tab you are on. For example, Setup is not available on all tabs.
These are the task buttons:
Setup: click to enter setup mode (see "Enter setup mode" on page 53)
Export: click to export video (see "Export a video clip, audio, XProtect data or a still image"
on page 166)
Evidence Lock: click to create an evidence lock (see "Create evidence locks" on page 170)
Toggle Full Screen Mode : click to toggle between full screen (see "View in full screen"
on page 53) and a smaller window that you can drag to the size you want.
Application buttons
With the application buttons in the toolbar, you can select basic XProtect Smart Client actions:
Toggle Theme: switch the XProtect Smart Client theme to dark or light
Status: access to the Status (see "The Status dialog box" on page 37) window
Help: access the help system (see "Get help" on page 17), play online video tutorials or
view version number and plug-in information (see "View version and plug-in information"
on page 18)
Settings: configure XProtect Smart Client settings and behavior (see "Configuring your
XProtect Smart Client" on page 38), joysticks, keyboard shortcuts, and language
Toggle Mode: switch between simplified mode and advanced mode (see "About modes in
XProtect Smart Client" on page 24).
Log Out: log out (see "The login process" on page 20) of the XProtect Smart Client
View video
View video https://youtu.be/sn1v
1 View live video, or play back recorded video to investigate an incident. oRJxXEo | Read more
Select a different view to view video from another area or other (see "Changing views
content. in simplified mode" on
page 29)
Get a closer look
2 Tap or double-click a video to view it in full-screen mode. Tap or
double-click again to exit the full-screen mode.
View video
(https://www.youtube
Investigate recordings .com/watch?v=Ev4LZ
3 Play video forward or backward, zoom or scroll forward or backward in wLAl4c) | Read more
time, and adjust the timespan. You do this on the Playback tab. (see "Playback
buttons" on page
154)
View video
(https://www.youtube
Create documentation .com/watch?v=r1BIp1
4 Export a video clip or still image that shows what happened. You do PrWJ8) | Read more
this on the Playback tab. (see "Export video in
simplified mode" on
page 29)
modify views, you need to switch to advanced mode through the button.
If the button is not available, you cannot switch to advanced mode. In that case, please
contact your system administrator.
For more information, see About modes in XProtect Smart Client (on page 24).
Privacy mask, the media player format, and still images are features that are available only in
1. Select the view containing the cameras that caught the incident.
2. On the Playback tab, to the right of the timeline, click the Export button. The Export
panel appears. Only the camera in focus appears in the Sources list.
3. For each camera you want to include in the export, select the associated check box. If the
same camera appears more than once in a view, automatically all of them are selected.
4. You can also include cameras from other views. If you change the view, you will not lose
your export settings.
5. Specify the start and end time. You can also set the time interval in the timeline by
dragging the square brackets to the left or right.
6. Click Export. The panel is closed, and a green status bar in the upper right corner indicates
the progress of the export.
7. When the export is complete, you can click the Details button in the status bar to view the
exported video.
If a plug-in that supports export is added to the export list, any related cameras are automatically
included.
Note: If you are using the XProtect Smart Wall add-on, those features are available on the Live
and Playback tabs. For more information, see About XProtect Smart Wall.
Read more
1 The different work areas (see "Tabs" on
page 26)
Read more
(see "Select a
2 Select a view
view" on page
53)
Read more
(see "Change
3 Change cameras in views cameras in
views" on page
82)
Read more
(see "View
recorded video
4 View recorded video using independent playback using
independent
playback" on
page 139)
Read more
(see "The
5 The camera toolbar camera
toolbar" on
page 36)
Read more
(see "Enter
6 Enter setup mode
setup mode"
on page 53)
Read more
(see
7 Application buttons "Application
buttons" on
page 27)
Change cameras in
3 Cameras
views (on page 82)
See also
View recorded video using independent playback (on page 139)
Print evidence (on page 174)
Add or edit bookmarks (on page 157)
Search recorded video (on page 139)
Take a snapshot (on page 151)
Setup mode
See also
Add a map to a view
You can add existing maps or create new ones.
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, drag the Map item to a position in the
view.
2. In the Map Setup window that appears, select either Create new map or Use existing
map.
A triangle next to a map name indicates that the map might have one or more sub-maps.
Sub-maps and the elements they contain are also added.
3. In the Name field, enter a name for the map. The name will be displayed in the map
position's title bar.
Tip: If you leave the Name field blank and click Browse..., the Name field displays the
name of the image file you select.
6. Click OK.
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the map to a
tile in the overview.
Add the camera navigator to a view (see "Add a camera navigator to a view or a Smart Wall" on
page 101)
Add Matrix content to a view (on page 135)
Add a Smart Wall to a view (see "Start working with a Smart Wall" on page 179)
Add content to views (on page 76)
View recorded video using independent Read more (see "View recorded video using
2
playback independent playback" on page 139)
8 Use digital zoom Read more (see "Use digital zoom" on page 56)
The status of the surveillance servers your XProtect Smart Client is connected to through
Milestone Federated Architecture. For more information, see Login information below.
The jobs created for retrieving data from interconnected hardware devices or cameras that
support edge storage. For more information, see Jobs below.
The existing evidence locks that you have user rights to. For more information, see
Evidence Lock List below.
Login information
Here you can view the status of the surveillance servers your XProtect Smart Client is connected
to. The dialog box is useful if you are connected to a surveillance system that supports Milestone
Federated Architecture. Milestone Federated Architecture is a parent/child setup of related but
physically separate surveillance systems. Such a setup can be relevant for, for example, chains of
shops with many separate—but related—surveillance systems.
To open the Status window, click the Status button in the application toolbar:
Tip: If the button flashes red, one of more servers are unavailable. When you have viewed the
status, the button will stop flashing red even if the server(s) are still unavailable.
If servers are available, they will be displayed in blue:
If servers are not available at the time you log in, you cannot use cameras or features belonging to
those servers. Unavailable servers are displayed in red:
The number of servers you see reflects the number of servers retrievable from the surveillance
system at the time you logged in. Particularly if you connect to large hierarchies of servers, more
servers may occasionally become available after you log in. The server list is a static representation
of server status. If a server is unavailable, it will display a reason in the Status field when you click
it. To attempt to connect to the server, click the Load Server button. The server status for that
server will then be updated. If a server continues to be unavailable for longer periods of time,
contact your surveillance system administrator for advice.
Jobs
If your XProtect Smart Client is part of a Milestone Interconnect™ system and you have sufficient
rights to retrieve data from interconnected hardware devices or cameras that support edge
storage, you can view the jobs created for each data retrieval request for these devices.
Each camera where retrieval has been requested is displayed as a separate job. You can view the
progress of the running jobs and you can stop the jobs from here. Related audio will automatically
be retrieved, but these jobs will not show up anywhere. Once a job has completed, the timeline
(see "The timeline" on page 152) for the device is automatically updated.
If you would like to only see the jobs you have requested, click the Only show my jobs filter.
If a tile displays a warning sign, a data collector for one of your monitored servers or cameras may
not be running. If you place your mouse above the tile, the system shows you when it last
collected data for the relevant tile.
Open the Settings window by clicking the Settings button in the application toolbar:
Application options
Application options let you customize the general behavior and look of your XProtect Smart Client.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client
to follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings are server-controlled, in which case,
configuration on the server decides whether you can override the settings.
Name Description
Select how the XProtect Smart Client reacts when you maximize
it by clicking the Maximize/Restore button in the application
toolbar. If you select Maximize to full screen, the XProtect
Smart Client will cover any Windows task bar on your screen
when maximized.
Application maximization
Select whether to show or hide the camera title bar. The title bar
displays the name of the camera and the colored indicators (see
"Camera names and colored indicators" on page 91) signifying
events, detected motion, and video.
Default for camera title bar
You can override this setting on individual cameras by adjusting
camera properties (see "Camera settings" on page 92) for the
camera(s) in setup mode.
Show current time in title Select whether to show or hide the current time and date (of the
bar computer running the XProtect Smart Client) in the title bar.
Select what to show if there are empty positions in views, for
Show in empty view
example, you can select a logo or have just a black background
positions
displayed.
Name Description
Select a default frame rate for video viewed in the XProtect Smart
Client.
Default frame rate You can override this setting on individual cameras by adjusting
camera properties (see "Camera settings" on page 92) for the
camera(s) in setup mode.
Select a default PTZ click mode for your PTZ cameras. Options
are click-to-center or virtual joystick. You can override this
PTZ click mode
setting on individual cameras by selecting a different default PTZ
click mode for the camera.
Select how the XProtect Smart Client opens after you have logged
Start mode in. Options are full-screen mode, window mode or your last used
mode.
Select whether the XProtect Smart Client displays a view
Start view immediately after you have logged in. Options are: the view you
last used, no view, or that you decide after you have logged in.
Lets you select whether you want the mouse pointer to be hidden
after a period of inactivity. You can specify how much time you
want to elapse before hiding the mouse pointer. The default
option is after 5 seconds. Options are:
Never
After 5 seconds
Hide mouse pointer
After 10 seconds
After 20 seconds
After 30 seconds
Panes options
The Panes options let you specify whether you want a pane to appear on a particular tab.
Some panes may contain functionality which may not be available to you, either because of your
user rights or the surveillance system (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 12) you are
connected to.
The Mode column displays where the pane is available, the Function column lists the name of the
pane, and the Setting column lets you specify whether you want the pane to be available or
unavailable.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client
to follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings may already be server-controlled, in
which case configuration on the server decides whether you can override the settings.
Functions options
The Functions options let you specify the functions (for example, playback on the Live tab) that
you want to display on a particular XProtect Smart Client tab.
The Mode column displays where the pane is available, the Function column displays the name of
the function, and the Setting column lets you specify whether or not you want the pane to be
available.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client
to follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings are server-controlled, in which case
configuration on the server decides whether or not you can override the settings.
Functions:
Name Description
The ability to print from the Live and Playback tab. Note that
enabling/disabling this option on the Playback tab will control
Live and Playback > Print
whether or not the corresponding button is enabled on the
Sequence Explorer tab.
Name Description
The ability to show bounding boxes on live video on the Live tab
or on recorded video on the Playback tab on all cameras.
Bounding boxes are used for, for example, tracking objects.
Live and Playback > The bounding box feature is only available if connected to certain
Bounding boxes surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system differences" on
page 12) and to cameras that support metadata. Depending on
your user rights, access to bounding boxes from some cameras
may be restricted.
Timeline options
The Timeline options let you specify your general timeline settings.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client
to follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings are server-controlled, in which case,
configuration on the server decides whether you can override the settings.
Name Description
Additional data Select to show or hide additional data from other sources.
Additional markers Select to show or hide additional markers from other sources.
Motion indication Select whether to show or hide motion indication on the timeline.
All cameras timeline Select whether to show or hide the timeline for all cameras.
Export options
The Export options let you specify general export settings.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client to
follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings may already be server-controlled, in
which case, configuration on the server decides whether you can override the settings.
Name Description
Privacy mask Select whether or not privacy masks are available on export.
Media player format Select whether or not you can export in media player format.
Media player format - video Select whether you want video texts to be optional, required or
texts unavailable when you export in media player format.
XProtect format Select whether or not you can export in XProtect format.
XProtect format - project Select whether you want project comments to be optional,
comments required or unavailable when you export in XProtect format.
XProtect format - device Select whether you want device comments to be optional,
comments required or unavailable when you export in XProtect format.
Still image export Select whether or not you can export still images.
Note: You can edit these settings only if your administrator has allowed you to in Management
Client.
Name Description
Keyboard options
Keyboard options let you assign your own shortcut key combinations to particular actions in the
XProtect Smart Client. The XProtect Smart Client also features a small number of standard
keyboard shortcuts (see "Keyboard shortcuts" on page 54), immediately ready for use.
Name Description
Joystick options
Even though joystick control is supported for a large number of PTZ cameras, not all PTZ cameras
may be joystick-controlled.
When a new joystick is detected by the XProtect Smart Client, a default pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ)
configuration for the joystick is added automatically. However, the Joystick options let you
customize the setup for all your XProtect Smart Client joysticks.
Name Description
If the Follow Server field is selected, your system administrator controls the setting of Show
Access Control Notifications.
Alarm options
Select whether or not you want alarms to play sound notifications.
Advanced options
The Advanced options let you customize advanced XProtect Smart Client options. If you are not
familiar with the advanced options and how they work, just keep their default settings. If you
connect to some surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 12), you may
see Follow Server column. You can use this column to make XProtect Smart Client follow the
surveillance system server's recommended settings as set up in the Management Client's Smart
Client Profiles. You may experience that certain settings are already server-controlled, in which
case configuration on the server decides whether or not you are able to override those settings.
Advanced options:
Name Description
Name Description
Name Description
Name Description
Language options
Specify the language version of your XProtect Smart Client. Select from the list of available
languages and then restart the XProtect Smart Client for the change to take effect.
Access each of the tabs: Live, Playback, Alarm Manager, and Sequence Explorer
Create views (views determine the way in which video from one or more cameras is
displayed)
The Live tab (see "The Live tab" on page 30) offers you numerous features, including audio (on
page 101), carousels (on page 88), hotspots (on page 89), Matrix, camera shortcut menus, pan-
tilt-zoom (PTZ) (see "PTZ and fisheye lens images" on page 58) control, digital zoom, events
activation, output activation, quick playback, and more.
Even though you can see live video from a camera on the Live tab, the video stream from the
camera is not necessarily being recorded. Video is normally recorded as defined by the surveillance
system server. Typically, recording takes place according to a schedule (for example, every
morning from 10.00 to 11.30) and/or whenever the surveillance system detects special events (for
example, motion generated by a person entering a room, a sensor registering that a window is
being opened, or manually activating an event in your XProtect Smart Client). Typically, you view
recorded video on the Playback tab, but you can also view it on the Live tab (see "View recorded
video using independent playback" on page 139).
If title bars have been enabled in the camera properties (see "Camera settings" on page 92) in
setup mode, the title bar above the camera's image displays Recording if video is being recorded.
Tip: To maximize video from a particular view item, double-click the camera position. To return to
normal view, double-click the camera position again.
You may notice that sometimes the camera is recording for short periods only. This is because the
surveillance system server may have been configured to only record the video stream from a
camera when there is motion, when a door is open, or similar, which can lead to many short
periods of recordings.
You can therefore still select Start Recording for # Minutes even though the video stream from
a camera is already being recorded; this way you can make sure that the video stream from the
camera will be recorded without interruption for the specified number of minutes.
If multiple streams have been set up on the server, you can temporarily view a different stream by
selecting this from the camera toolbar. On the camera toolbar, click More and then select a stream
from the available list.
Once started, recording will continue for the number of minutes determined by your
surveillance system administrator. You cannot change this, and you cannot stop recording
before the specified number of minutes has passed.
Once started, recording will continue for the number of minutes determined by your
surveillance system administrator or you can click the icon again to stop manual
recording.
Tip: You can start recording the video stream from more than one camera simultaneously,
although you must select them one by one.
Particular user rights may be required in order to access the Playback tab, and, depending on
your user rights, access to browsing video from some cameras may be restricted.
The Playback tab offers you numerous advanced features for browsing recorded video, including
the timeline (see "Time navigation controls" on page 151), smart search (which lets you search for
motion in selected areas of recordings from a particular camera), and two types of sequences
browsing (either through a simple list with a preview option or through the Sequence Explorer (see
"Searching video using Sequence Explorer" on page 141)'s thumbnail view of multiple sequences).
In addition to the video browsing features, the Playback tab also lets you listen to audio (when
connected to selected Milestone surveillance systems only), use hotspots, use digital zoom (on
page 56), navigate fisheye lens images (see "PTZ and fisheye lens images" on page 58), print
images (see "Print evidence" on page 174), and export video evidence (see "XProtect format
settings" on page 164) as AVIs (movie clips), JPEGs (still images) as well as XProtect format.
Tip: To maximize video from a particular position in a view, double-click the camera position. To
return to normal view, simply double-click the camera position again.
On the Playback tab, all cameras in a view display recordings from the same point in time (the
master time) by default . However, you can view and navigate recordings from individual cameras
independently of the master time (if this is enabled in the Settings (see "Functions options" on
page 41) window).
You can use independent playback to view recorded video from the Live tab or to view video
independently of the master time.
1. Move your mouse across the camera that you want to view recorded video for. On the
toolbar that appears, click the Independent Playback button.
2. Drag the timeline (see "The timeline" on page 152) to select the time containing the video
that you want to view.
3. If you want to view recorded video for the selected time on all the cameras in your view at
once, on the toolbar, click the View recordings from selected time on Playback tab
button: . This displays the Playback tab with all cameras synchronized to the time you
have selected.
Select a view
You can select a view from the Views pane on the Live and Playback tab. If views have been
assigned shortcut numbers (see "Assign a shortcut number to a view" on page 75), you will also be
able to select a view by using keyboard shortcuts (see "Keyboard shortcuts" on page 54).
If neither the pane nor the shortcut is available, check the pane's availability in the Settings (see
"Panes options" on page 41) window.
When you change to full screen mode, the toolbars and panes are hidden. To display them, move
your mouse to the top of the screen.
To return to the default view, press ESC or F11 on your keyboard.
On the camera toolbar, click the Copy to Clipboard icon to copy an image.
Keyboard shortcuts
When you work on the Live and Playback tabs, a number of simple keyboard shortcuts are
available.
The PLUS SIGN in the following shortcuts does not indicate the key but the combination of pressing
two or more keys. For example, the keyboard shortcut /+ENTER indicates that you press the slash
(/) key and then the ENTER key.
These shortcuts cannot be used for positions in views containing Matrix content or static images.
ALT Select a specific view item. When using ALT, you can navigate to a view
item by typing the numbers displayed on the screen. When a view item is in
focus, it is marked with a blue frame.
If you are using a PTZ (on page 232) camera or a hotspot (see "Hotspots"
on page 89), this allows you to control cameras with a joystick or to send
the view item directly to the hotspot without using the mouse.
/+<camera Change the camera in the selected view item to the camera with the
shortcut matching shortcut number. Example: if the required camera has the
number>+ENTER shortcut number 6, press /+ 6+ENTER.
Camera shortcut numbers may not necessarily be in use on your
surveillance system. Camera shortcut numbers are defined on the server.
/+ENTER Change the camera in the selected view item to the default camera.
/+/+ENTER Change the cameras in all view items to the default cameras.
*+<view shortcut Change the selected view to the view with the matching shortcut number.
number>+ENTER Example: if the required view has the shortcut number 8, press *+
8+ENTER.
View shortcut numbers may not necessarily be used. If view shortcut
numbers are used, you can see them on the Live tab in the Views pane,
where they appear in parentheses before the views' names. View shortcut
numbers are defined on the Live tab in setup mode.
6 (numeric Move the view position selection one step to the right.
keypad only)
4 (numeric Move the view position selection one step to the left.
You can also assign your own custom shortcut key combinations (see "Keyboard options" on page
44) for particular actions in XProtect Smart Client.
Digital zoom
For non-PTZ cameras, digital zoom is enabled by default. If you enable or disable digital zoom on
one camera, all cameras in your view are affected. For PTZ cameras, this setting only applies to
one camera at a time.
When you export evidence (see "XProtect format settings" on page 164), you can choose to export
the regular images or the digitally zoomed images in AVI or JPEG formats. When you export to
database format, this is unavailable, because the recipient can use digital zoom on the exported
recordings. If you print (see "Print evidence" on page 174) an image on which you have used
digital zoom, the digitally zoomed area of the image will be printed.
Tip: If you don't want the camera toolbar to pop up when you move your mouse over the
view, press and hold the CTRL key while moving the mouse.
A small overview frame (the zoom indicator) appears in the bottom right corner of the view,
providing an overview of the full image when you zoom in on an area.
2. Click and hold down the mouse button inside the image to zoom. The area you select is
highlighted by a white border. When you release the mouse button, the zoom will take
effect.
3. If you want to move to other areas of the image while maintaining your zoom level, in the
overview frame, drag the highlighted area to the required position.
4. To adjust the zoom level using the zoom level slider, press and hold down the SHIFT key,
click inside the image and while holding both down, move your mouse up or down the zoom
level slider.
5. Selecting a zoom level of 0% lets you view the full image again.
Tip: If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also use the scroll wheel to control the zoom level.
On many mice, clicking the scroll wheel or middle mouse button quickly lets you view the full
image again.
interpolation. Digital zoom simulates optical zoom, but the digitally zoomed portion will have a
lower quality than the original image.
Is digital zoom relevant for PTZ cameras?
When viewing live video from a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, you can use the PTZ camera's own
optical zoom features, so digital zoom is not highly relevant for PTZ cameras. You can, however,
use the digital zoom feature if, for example, your user rights do not allow you to use the PTZ
camera's own optical zoom features.
Why can't I see any navigation buttons?
If the camera you are viewing video for is not a PTZ camera, you will only be able to zoom in on an
area of the image and you will only see the zoom buttons. Once you have zoomed in on an area of
the image, you will have access to the PTZ navigation buttons, which let you navigate within this
zoomed area.
The PTZ navigation buttons and the virtual joystick mouse pointer
On individual mice, the scroll wheel may have been reserved for special purposes, in which case
zooming may not be possible. Refer to your mouse configuration manual.
You cannot use presets (see "Move the camera to a PTZ preset position" on page 59) for navigating
fisheye lens images but you can save a favorite position.
1. Navigate to the position in the fisheye lens image that you want to save.
2. On the camera toolbar, click More > Save Fisheye Lens Positions to save the position.
3. When you want to return to the fisheye lens position, on the camera toolbar, click More >
Load Fisheye Lens Positions.
PTZ images
If your views (including those in a carousel or a map preview) contain PTZ camera images, you can
control the PTZ cameras using the overlay PTZ navigation button.
In Setup mode, on the Properties pane, you can define the PTZ click mode for the view item. You
can choose between click-to-center and virtual joystick. Click-to-center is the default mode when
you start using XProtect Smart Client. You can change the default selection in XProtect Smart
Client options (see "Configuring your XProtect Smart Client" on page 38).
Tip: Most PTZ cameras support joystick and point-and-click control. You can customize (see
"Joystick options" on page 44) the joystick control.
You can also control most PTZ cameras simply by pointing and clicking inside the camera images.
If you see a set of crosshairs when placing your mouse pointer over the images from a PTZ
camera, the camera supports point-and-click control.
Crosshairs indicate point-and-click control. For some cameras, crosshairs may look different.
Some cameras have crosshairs surrounded by a square. When this is the case, you can zoom in on
an area by dragging a square around the area in the image you want to magnify. For such
cameras, zoom level is controlled by holding down the SHIFT key on your keyboard while moving
the mouse up or down; this will display a zoom level slider inside the image.
1. On the Live tab, on the camera toolbar, click the PTZ icon to open the PTZ menu.
2. Select a PTZ preset in the menu to move the camera to the required position. The icon
turns green.
If you select the preset Home, the camera moves to its default position.
1. In the view, select the relevant PTZ camera that you want to give a new PTZ preset.
2. On the camera toolbar, click the PTZ icon to open the PTZ menu.
5. Select the PTZ preset entry and type a new name for the PTZ preset.
6. Use the PTZ buttons to navigate to the relevant position and click Update preset to save.
7. Use the arrows to move a PTZ preset up or down in the list. This can be useful if your list
contains many presets.
3. Use the PTZ buttons to navigate to the required position and then click Update preset to
save.
4. Click Close.
1. In the view, select the PTZ camera with the PTZ preset you want to modify.
2. On the camera toolbar, click the PTZ icon to open the PTZ menu.
3. Click Manage PTZ presets and in the dialog box, select the PTZ preset.
4. To edit the name of the preset, ensure the name of the PTZ preset is highlighted. Click the
text and overwrite the existing name.
5. If the camera is not in the correct position, use the PTZ buttons to navigate to the required
position and then click Update preset to save.
6. Use the up or down arrows to arrange the PTZ presets on the list.
7. Click Close.
Only stop system patrolling when there is an important reason to do so. Normally your system
administrator has planned the patrolling carefully to meet your organization's surveillance needs.
2. On the camera toolbar, click the PTZ icon to open the PTZ menu.
4. To resume the system patrolling, select the Stop PTZ patrolling command again.
1. In the view, select the PTZ camera that you would like to start patrolling on.
2. On the camera toolbar, click the PTZ icon to open the PTZ menu.
3. Below the Manage PTZ presets entry, you find the list of patrolling profiles configured for
this camera.
While the patrolling profile is running, there is a check mark in front of it for all users.
The PTZ icon turns green for you and red for all other users, so they can see that someone
controls the camera.
The system resumes its regular patrolling or the camera is made available for other users.
If the camera is available and you have the sufficient PTZ rights, you can take control of the
camera, by clicking on the video within the view item or moving your joystick. You keep the control
until you have not done any movements for 15 seconds. The timeout for manual control is 15
seconds by default, but your system administrator can change it.
If you want to control the camera for a longer period, select Pause patrolling (on page 66) from
the PTZ menu.
1. In the view, select the relevant PTZ camera where you want to add a new patrolling profile.
2. On the camera toolbar, click the PTZ icon to open the PTZ menu.
4. Follow the steps below and click OK to close the Manage patrolling profiles window.
You and other users can see the new patrolling profile in the PTZ menu.
1. Click below the Patrolling profiles list to add a new patrolling profile.
2. Type a name for the profile and press Enter. You can always rename it later.
The new patrolling profile is added to the Patrolling profiles list. You can now specify the
positions and other settings for the patrolling profile.
Note that the system only saves your changes when you click OK. Until then you can cancel
all your changes.
PTZ presets are defined by your administrator or, depending on user rights, you can do this
by clicking the Manage PTZ presets (on page 59) button.
4. Repeat adding presets until you have selected all necessary positions in the patrolling
profile:
The camera uses the PTZ preset at the top of the list as the first stop when it patrols
according to the patrolling profile. The PTZ preset in the second position from the top is the
second stop, and so forth.
2. Select the PTZ preset that you want to change the time for in the Positions list:
2. Below On finish, go to, select one of the presets from the drop-down list as the end
position.
You can select any of the camera's PTZ presets as the end position, you are not limited to
the presets used in the patrolling profile.
You can also choose not to specify an end position at all, but to keep the default setting:
No end position.
2. In the Manage PTZ presets (on page 59) dialog box, make the changes to the presets and
click OK.
3. Continue managing your patrolling profiles and click OK to close and save.
Pause patrolling
Depending on your surveillance system (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 12), you
can pause a patrolling.
If you have the necessary PTZ priority, you can pause a system patrolling or a manual patrolling
started by another user. You can always pause your own manual patrolling. This can be useful
when you need a longer timeout to control the camera.
Patrolling is paused for 10 minutes by default, but your system administrator may have changed
this.
1. In the view, select the PTZ camera that you would like to pause patrolling on.
2. On the camera toolbar, click the PTZ icon to open the PTZ menu.
While patrolling is paused, there is a check mark in front of the Pause patrolling
menu item for all users. The PTZ icon turns green for you and red for all other users, so
they can see that someone controls the camera.
If you move the camera to a PTZ preset or move it manually, the timeout of the pause
patrolling resets. If you start a manual patrolling, you lose the pause patrolling session.
The system resumes its previous patrolling or the camera is made available for other users.
If a user with a lower PTZ priority than you has started a manual patrolling, for example
Weekday, you can pause it and take control of the camera:
While you have paused another user's manual patrolling, there is a check mark in front
of the Pause patrolling menu item and the patrolling profile for all users. The PTZ icon
turns green for you and red for the other users, so they can see that someone controls the
camera.
Administrators with security rights to run a reserved PTZ session can run the PTZ camera in this
mode. This prevents other users from taking control over the camera. In a reserved PTZ session,
the standard PTZ priority system is disregarded to avoid that users with a higher PTZ priority
interrupt the session.
You can operate the camera in a reserved PTZ session both from XProtect Smart Client and the
Management Client.
To reserve a PTZ session can be useful, if you need to make urgent updates or maintenance to a
PTZ camera or its presets without being interrupted by other users.
You cannot start a reserved PTZ session, if a user with a higher priority than yours controls the
camera or if another user has already reserved the camera.
2. On the camera toolbar, click the PTZ icon to open the PTZ menu.
3. Select Reserve PTZ session. If you have started a manual patrolling it automatically
stops.
The PTZ camera is now reserved to you, and the timer shows the remaining time of the
session.
Remember to release the session when done, as the PTZ camera will remain reserved until the
current session times out.
1. On the camera toolbar for the PTZ camera that you are controlling, click the PTZ icon
to open the PTZ menu. (The green color indicates that you currently run the PTZ session).
The PTZ session is released and available for other users or system patrolling, indicated by
On the Live tab, in the Output pane select the required output, and then click Activate.
The list of selectable output is grouped by server in some surveillance systems, while in
others, they are grouped by cameras. If a server is listed with a red icon , it is
unavailable, in which case you cannot activate output on that server.
About views
XProtect Smart Client can show different functionality in Live and Playback mode. Before you
begin to set this up, it may be useful to know the terminology to denote what you see and what
you can set up to create a working area that matches your requirements.
VIEW
The graphical layout that displays content is
called a view.
A view can contain content from up to 100
cameras, web pages, still images, text and
more, according to what you need to
display.
Your XProtect Smart Client can handle an
unlimited number of views, allowing you to
switch between content from various groups
of cameras or other content.
You can customize each view's layout to fit
its content.
VIEW ITEM
The red square in the illustration indicates
one of the four view items present in this
view.
A view includes a number of view items, the
cells that contain whatever content you add
to them.
You add content to your view items
individually.
VIEW
The graphical layout that displays content is
called a view.
A view can contain content from up to 100
cameras, web pages, still images, text and
more, according to what you need to
display.
Your XProtect Smart Client can handle an
unlimited number of views, allowing you to
switch between content from various groups
of cameras or other content.
You can customize each view's layout to fit
its content.
Video feed (from a live camera or a video file
played back)
Access Monitor
Camera Navigator
Carousel
CONTENT
Hotspot
Once you have set up the view with the
HTML page layout you prefer, you can add functionality
or content to your view items.
LPR (add-on)
Add content to a view item by dragging the
Map relevant content from the left side pane of
your XProtect Smart Client.
Matrix
Text
Transact (add-on)
To help you maintain an overview, all views are placed in folders called groups. A group can
contain any number of views and, if required, subgroups. Views can be private or shared with other
users.
Your user settings, including information about your views, are stored centrally on the surveillance
system server, so you can use your views, private as well as shared, on any computer that has a
XProtect Smart Client installed. This is provided you log in with your own user name and password.
You can still access any views under the protected top-level folder, but you cannot create new
views or edit existing views under it.
Your ability to edit views and groups depends on your user rights. Basically, if you can create the
view or group, you can also edit it. Consult your surveillance system administrator if in doubt.
To create a view, you must first have a group to add it to. You can either create a new view in an
existing group or create a new group for the view. To create a view under a shared top-level folder,
you must first create a group within this shared folder.
A group can contain an unlimited number of views. You can also create any number of subgroups if
required.
Private views can only be accessed by the user who created them.
Shared views allow many XProtect Smart Client users to share the same views. This is
possible because all views are stored on the surveillance system server. Depending on your
type of surveillance system (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 12), shared
views can be shared by all XProtect Smart Client users, or access to selected shared views
can be given to certain XProtect Smart Client users.
Typically, only a few people in an organization can create and edit shared views. For example, the
surveillance system administrator may create and maintain a number of shared views, so users do
not need to create their own views.
The example below shows the benefit of searching instead of navigating through a complex
hierarchy when you need to get an overview of related views:
You can search for views that contain specific cameras or view item types. For example, if you
want to see all views that contain PTZ cameras, cameras from a certain manufacturer or views that
contain these view item types:
Map
Alarm
Matrix
HTML
Add-on products
Finally, you can search for keywords.
Create a view
Not all users may have access to all cameras on the surveillance system and some of the features
you include in your shared view may not be supported in earlier versions of the XProtect Smart
Client. Therefore, always make sure that the users you want to share with have the necessary
rights and are running the same XProtect Smart Client version as yourself. To check your XProtect
Smart Client version, click in the top right corner of the XProtect Smart Client window.
1. In setup mode, in the Views pane, select the group in which you want to create the view.
3. Select a layout for your new view. You can select layouts for displaying up to 100 (10×10)
cameras in a single view. Available layouts are grouped according to their aspect ratio
(height/width relationship: 4:3 or 16:9), and according to whether they are optimized for
regular content or content in portrait mode (where the height is greater than the width).
4. Enter a name for the view by overwriting the default New View name.
2. Click Copy.
Or press CTRL+C.
Or press CTRL+V.
Tip: Alternatively, you can select and drag the view to another folder.
4. The copied view is by default named the same as the original followed by (2). To change
the name, click Rename.
To delete a view, select the relevant view, and either click Delete.
Important: Deleting a group will delete all views and any subgroups within the group as well.
1. In setup mode, in the Views pane, select the view you want to assign a shortcut to.
2. In the Shortcut field, specify a shortcut number, and then press ENTER. The shortcut
number appears in parentheses in front of the view's name.
Privacy masks
Privacy masks are available only for selected surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 12).
You can use privacy masks to protect sensitive information in recorded video by blocking out
certain areas in a camera's field of view. For example, if a camera overlooks the windows of a
private residence, you can apply privacy masks to the windows.
In the following illustration, privacy masks are applied to five windows in an adjacent building.
Privacy masks are applied to cameras by system administrators, and you cannot add or remove
them from views in XProtect Smart Client. You can, however, add privacy masks when you export
(see "XProtect format settings" on page 164) video. For more information, see Mask areas in a
recording during export (on page 168).
Note: If you export video that contains privacy masks, the export process may take significantly
longer and the export file size may be larger than usual, particularly if you export in XProtect
format.
You can find an overview of common keywords if you click next to the search field.
You can see matching results for views and cameras while you type.
Name
Description
Capability:
PTZ
Audio
Input
Output
TIP: Your system administrator can add free text tags in the camera description field on the
surveillance server to make it possible to group cameras and search for these tags. An example
could be that all outdoor cameras use the tag "Outdoor" in the description field. In that case, all
cameras of this type can easily be found.
2. In the Overview pane, expand the required server to view a list of available cameras
from that server.
Often, you only see a single server, but if you are connected to a large surveillance system,
you may see a hierarchy of several servers. If a server is listed with a red icon, it is
unavailable, in which case you cannot view cameras from that server.
3. Select the camera from the list and drag it to the position in the view. An image from the
camera may appear in the selected position if a connection is established. If a connection
cannot be established, just the camera name is displayed. If parts of images are black, it is
because privacy masks (on page 75) are in use.
You can specify the camera properties (such as quality, frame rate and more) in the Properties
pane (see "Camera settings" on page 92). Repeat for each camera required in the view.
If you want to add multiple cameras to a view in one go (for example all of the cameras from a
camera folder under a server), simply drag the folder to the view. This automatically adds all the
folder's cameras in the view from the selected position onwards. Make sure a sufficient number of
positions are available in the view.
You can easily change which cameras are included in your view by dragging a different camera to
the position.
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, click and drag the HTML Page item to the
view.
3. In the Open URL window's Open field, enter the location of the required HTML page
(example: http://www.mywebsite.com/mywebpage.htm).
- or -
If the HTML page is stored locally on your computer, specify its location on your computer
(example: C:\myfiles\mywebpage.htm), or click Browse... to browse for the required HTML
page.
4. Click OK.
After you add an HTML page to a view, you can specify properties for the page:
1. In setup mode, select the imported HTML page in the view. In the Properties pane,
change the necessary properties.
URL: Click New to specify a new URL or location of the HTML page.
Scaling: Select the scaling of the HTML page. The optimal scaling depends entirely on
the content of the imported HTML page and how you want to display it.
As a rule, with a high scaling value, e.g. 1280×1024, text on the HTML page will appear
relatively small, and a considerable amount of content will be visible without the need
for scrolling. With a low scaling value, e.g. 320×200, text on the HTML page will appear
relatively large, and a relatively small amount of content can be displayed without the
need for scrolling.
Enable HTML scripting: Only select this feature if the HTML page is a custom-made
HTML page for navigating or triggering features inside the XProtect Smart Client itself
(see examples of custom-made HTML pages in Use an HTML Page for Navigation (on
page 83)).
If selected, a client script required for navigating and controlling a number of features
inside the XProtect Smart Client will be added to the HTML page. For HTML pages which
are not going to be used for such purposes, the client script cannot be used, and may
even cause the HTML page to malfunction.
Hide toolbar: By default, a simple navigation bar is inserted above each imported
HTML page. The navigation bar has the following five buttons: Back, Forward,
Refresh, Home and Print:
If you do not want the navigation bar, you can hide it by selecting Hide toolbar.
When an imported HTML page contains links, we recommend that the links have the
target='blank' attribute (example: <a href=" otherwebpage.htm" target="blank">Link</a>).
This makes the links open in separate windows, which will help you avoid losing view of the
XProtect Smart Client window when a link opens a web page in the same browser as the XProtect
Smart Client .
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: If you want to share floor plans or maps, consider using the Map feature (see "Maps" on page
104). The Map feature is available only for certain surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 12).
The procedures in this topic assume that you have already added a Smart Wall overview to a view.
For more information, see Start working with a Smart Wall (on page 179).
To display an image on a Smart Wall, follow these steps:
2. In Smart Client, on the Navigation pane, select the view that contains your Smart Wall
overview.
3. Drag the image file to the tile in the overview where you want to display the image.
Note: When you drag an image to the Smart Wall overview, the system automatically
embeds the image and the Properties pane is not available.
To display an image on more than one Smart Wall, follow these steps:
1. Select the view that contains your Smart Wall overview, and then click Setup.
2. In the System Overview pane, drag the Image item to a position in the view.
3. Select the image file that you want to add, and then click Open.
Note: When you add an image to a view, the system resizes the image to fit the position.
This can distort the image. To avoid distortion, in the Properties pane for images, select
the Maintain image aspect ratio check box.
5. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it. Repeat this step to send the image to each
Smart Wall.
1. On the Live or Playback tab, roll the mouse over the view item that is showing the
footage.
2. On the view item toolbar, click the Create Snapshot icon . The system saves the image
to the location specified in Application options (on page 39).
3. To display the snapshot, drag the snapshot from the folder to a tile in the Smart Wall
overview.
1. In setup mode, in the Overlay Buttons pane, select and drag the action onto the camera
position.
2. When you release the mouse, the overlay button appears. To resize the button, drag the
handles that appear.
3. If you want to change the text of the overlay button, double-click the text, overwrite it, and
then click the check mark button to save. To undo, click the cancel button . When
you save, the text scales to the largest possible size on the button.
1. Click Setup.
2. On the System Overview pane, drag the Text content to the view.
Paste text that you copied from an external text editor, for example Microsoft Word or
WordPad, by right-clicking and choosing Paste.
Apply basic formatting to the text, such as font types, sizes, and colors.
4. To save your text and start displaying it, click Save. If you want to change your text after
you save it, you can open the Text Editor again from the Properties pane by clicking Edit.
Notes:
Resizing the Text Editor window changes the size of the text. Content added to view items is
resized to fit the view item when it is displayed.
You can insert tables from products such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, but you cannot
make changes to the tables. For example, you cannot resize rows, or add or remove them.
Additionally, to accommodate for XProtect Smart Clients dark and light themes, the system tries to
change the color format of light or dark texts. If your text is not visible, apply a different color
format to the text.
Note: When you send text to a Smart Wall, only the original text displays. That is, if you edit the
text in the view, the change does not display on the Smart Wall.
To display text on more than one Smart Wall, follow these steps:
1. Perform the steps described earlier in this topic for adding text to a view item.
2. After you save, click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the
monitor, and then select the position on the monitor. Repeat this step to send the text to
each Smart Wall.
To display the text on one Smart Wall, follow these steps:
Note: The steps in this procedure require that your text editor supports drag and drop operations.
If your text editor does not, use the previous procedure in this section to send the text to the
Smart Wall.
1. In XProtect Smart Client, on the Navigation pane, select the view that contains your Smart
Wall overview.
2. In your text editor, enter the text that you want to display, and then select it. If the text
already exists, just select it.
3. Drag the text to the tile in the overview where you want to display it.
4. In the Text Editor, review the text, and make any changes required.
5. To save your text and start displaying it, click Save. If you want to change your text after
you save it, you can open the Text Editor again from the Properties pane by clicking Edit.
On the camera toolbar, click More > Send Camera, select the destination view, and then
select the position in the view where you want the video for that camera to display.
If some of the camera positions are not selectable, they might be unavailable or used for
hotspots, carousels, or Matrix content.
You can also send video content to separate windows (see "Multiple windows" on page 136)
or displays.
2. In the Cameras pane, drag the relevant camera into the position in the view.
Alternatively, on the camera toolbar, click More > Camera, and then select the relevant
server and camera.
The original camera is listed at the top of the right-click sub-menu and named (default).
This lets you quickly switch back to your original view.
In the Cameras pane, the list of cameras is grouped by server . If a server is listed with a red
icon, it is unavailable, in which case you will not be able to select cameras from that server.
Tip: If camera shortcut numbers have been defined, you can use keyboard shortcuts (on page 54)
to switch between cameras. If a camera shortcut number has been assigned, it appears in
parentheses in front of the camera name.
Swap cameras (on page 83)
Swap cameras
You can temporarily swap two cameras in a view by dragging one of the cameras to a different
position. The camera in that position then exchanges places with the one you swap it with. You can
only swap cameras with other cameras. This can be useful, for example, if you want to keep all
your most important cameras in a certain position in your view. If you want to make permanent
changes to your view, you must first be in setup mode.
To swap cameras, click the relevant camera title bar and drag it to the relevant position.
To restore the original view, click the reload view button on the workspace toolbar: .
Switch cameras in views (see "Change cameras in views" on page 82)
Tip: The XProtect Smart Client is highly flexible when it comes to customizing navigation and other
features. For advanced users it is possible to create approximately 100 different function calls in
the XProtect Smart Client.
Where Viewstatus indicates whether the view is shared or private (if the HTML page is to
be distributed to several users, the view must be shared).
This button would allow users to go to a view called View2 in a shared group called
Group1.
Bear in mind that, depending on their user rights, some users may not be able to access all
tabs.
Tip: For advanced users it is possible to create many other types of buttons using the
approximately 100 different function calls available for the XProtect Smart Client. See Scripting for
more information.
In the following we have created two shared groups in the XProtect Smart Client . We have called
them Group1 and Group2. Each group contains two views, called View1 and View2.
We have also created an HTML page with buttons allowing users to switch between our four
different views as well as between two of the XProtect Smart Client 's tabs, Live and Playback.
When viewed in a browser, our HTML page looks like this:
HTML page with buttons for navigating between views and tabs
We have saved the HTML page locally, in this case on the user's C: drive. When the HTML page is
to be used for navigation, saving the HTML page locally is necessary because of security features in
Internet Explorer.
When saving the HTML page locally, save it at a location to which an unambiguous path can be
defined, for example in a folder on the user's C: drive (example: C:\ myfolder\file.htm). Saving the
HTML page on the user's desktop or in the user's My Documents folder will not work properly due
to the way Windows constructs the path to such locations.
We then imported the HTML page into the required XProtect Smart Client views. When importing
the HTML page, we made sure to select Enable HTML scripting in the HTML page's Properties in
setup mode.
Selecting Enable HTML scripting ensures that the scripting required for the buttons to work is
automatically inserted in the HTML page.
For this example, we divided the floor plan into four colored zones, and defined an image map area
for each zone. Users can click a zone to go to the view displaying cameras from that zone.
For instance, the red zone on our image map mirrors the Go to Shared Group2 View2 button
from the previous example. If you click the red zone, you will go to View2 in Group2.
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, drag the HTML Page item to the required
position in the required view.
3. Select the position in the view, and in the Properties pane, select Enable HTML
scripting.
Selecting Enable HTML scripting ensures that the scripting required for your buttons or
other navigation features to work is automatically inserted in the HTML page.
4. Depending on the navigation features you have included on your HTML page, you may often
want to import the HTML page into several views in order for the navigation to fully work.
1. Create the required HTML page. The navigation controls in the HTML page must match the
views users see in the XProtect Smart Client. For example, in order for a button leading to
View1 to work, a view called View1 must exist in users' XProtect Smart Clients. If you
intend to distribute the HTML page to a group of users, the views in which the HTML page
will be used should be placed in shared groups.
2. Save the HTML page locally on each computer on which it will be used. When saving the
HTML page locally, save it at a location to which an unambiguous path can be defined, for
example in a folder on the user's C: drive (example: C:\ myfolder\file.htm). Saving the
HTML page on the user's desktop or in the user's My Documents folder will not work
properly due to the way Windows constructs the path to such locations.
3. Import the HTML page into the XProtect Smart Client views in which it will be used. Having
imported the HTML page, select its position in the view, go to the Setup tab's Properties
pane, and verify that Enable HTML Scripting is selected.
4. Test that the navigation controls on the imported HTML page work as intended.
5. Enjoy simple and intuitive XProtect Smart Client navigation, tailored to meet your
organization's needs.
Troubleshooting
If your HTML navigation page does not work as intended, consider the following:
Have you selected Enable HTML Scripting after importing the HTML page?
Does the intended audience have the rights to required benefit from the HTML navigation
page? Bear in mind that depending on their user rights, some users may not have access to
certain cameras, views, features or tabs in their XProtect Smart Client.
you log in for the first time after the changes were made, and they may occasionally require you to
re-create your views.
What if I cannot create private or shared views?
Typically only a few people in an organization are able to create and edit shared views. Your
surveillance system administrator may create and maintain a number of shared views. When you
log in, the shared views will automatically be available to you, so you will not need to create
further views.
How can I see which views I have access to?
Typically, your surveillance system administrator will have told you if you have access to shared
views. If not, you can quickly determine if any shared views are available to you.
On the Live or Playback tab, the Views pane will always contain a top-level folder called Private.
The Private top-level folder is for accessing private views, and its content depends upon which
views—if any—you have created for yourself.
Any other top-level folders in the Views pane are for accessing shared views. The names of these
top-level folders depend on what has been configured.
The fact that the Views pane contains one or more top-level folders for accessing shared views
does not in itself guarantee that shared views are actually available. To verify if any shared views
are available under the top-level folders, expand the folders.
How can I see which views I can edit?
If a folder has a padlock icon, it is protected and you cannot create new views or edit existing
views to it.
Can I see my views on different computers?
Your user settings, including information about your views, are stored centrally on the surveillance
system server. This means that you can use your views, private as well as shared, on any
computer that has a XProtect Smart Client installed, provided you log in to the XProtect Smart
Client with your own user name and password.
Can I add an overlay button for an action if I do not have rights to perform the action myself?
Yes. This enables you to make buttons available on shared views, where colleagues with the
necessary rights will be able to use the buttons, even if you do not have rights to use them
yourself.
When you add a button for an action you do not have rights for, the button will appear dimmed in
setup mode and will not appear when you use the Live tab. Colleagues with the necessary rights
will be able to use the button on the Live tab.
What if my rights change after I have added an overlay button?
Changes to your rights will affect the way you can use any buttons and they will either appear
dimmed or available depending on whether or not you have user rights for those actions. For
example, if you add a button for an action you do not have rights to perform and then your user
rights change so that you do have the necessary rights, the button will change to available.
How do I delete an overlay button?
In setup mode, right-click the button, and select Delete.
Will overlay buttons appear in exported video?
No, if you export (see "Using the advanced workspace" on page 25) video, overlay buttons are not
included in the export.
Carousels
About carousels
A carousel is used for displaying video from several cameras, one after the other, in a single
position in a view. You can specify which cameras to include in the carousel as well as the interval
between camera changes. Carousels are displayed with the carousel icon on the toolbar: .
You can use digital zoom and PTZ controls from a carousel if the camera supports this. When you
use the PTZ (see "PTZ images" on page 59) or digital zoom controls that appear, the carousel
pauses automatically.
2. In the Carousel Setup window, on the left, click to expand the servers and then click to
select the camera you want to include in the carousel. Click Add. Repeat for each camera
you want to include in the carousel.
If a server has a red icon , it is unavailable, in which case you will not be able to view a
list of cameras from that server.
3. To determine the sequence the cameras appear in the carousel, in the Selected cameras
list, select the camera and move up or down.
4. Enter the number of seconds each camera appears in the carousel. You can specify a value
for all cameras, or for each camera.
To change settings for the carousel, click Setup, and in the Properties pane, click
Carousel Setup to open the Carousel Setup window.
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the carousel
to a tile in the overview.
Carousel settings
In the Properties (see "Camera settings" on page 92) pane, you can specify the settings for the
carousel. The Live Stream, Image Quality, Frame Rate, and Maintain Image Aspect Ratio
settings apply to all cameras in the carousel.
Hotspots
About hotspots
A hotspot lets you view magnified and/or higher quality video from a selected camera in a
dedicated position in a view. Hotspots are useful because you can use a low image quality and/or
frame rate for cameras in the view's regular positions and a high image quality and/or frame rate
for the hotspot. This saves bandwidth on your remote connections.
There are two types of hotspots:
Global hotspots, which display the selected camera regardless of whether the camera is in
the main window or in a secondary display
Local hotspots, which only display the selected camera of the local display
It is a good idea to have a hotspot in one of the view's larger positions, for example, the large
position in a 1+7 view: .
If a position in one of your views contains a hotspot:
When you click a camera in a view, the hotspot position updates with that camera's feed
Tip: Note that the position now displays a hotspot icon: to indicate that it is a hotspot.
2. Specify the properties for the hotspot (see "Hotspot settings" on page 90) in the
Properties pane. To save bandwidth, you can specify a low image quality for the other
positions in your view and a high quality for the hotspot.
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the hotspot to
a tile in the overview.
Hotspot settings
In the Properties (see "Camera settings" on page 92) pane, you can specify the settings for the
hotspot. The Live Stream, Image Quality, Frame Rate, and Maintain Image Aspect Ratio
settings apply to all cameras in the hotspot.
Cameras
Some of the following features are only available in certain surveillance systems (see "Surveillance
system differences" on page 12).
2. In the Overview pane, expand the required server to view a list of available cameras
from that server.
Often, you will only see a single server, but if you are connected to a large surveillance
system, you may see a hierarchy of several servers. If a server is listed with a red icon, it is
unavailable, in which case you will not be able to view cameras from that server.
3. Select the camera from the list and drag it to the position in the view.
Tip: If parts of images are black, it is because privacy masks (on page 75) are in use.
You can specify the camera properties (such as quality, frame rate and more) in the Properties
pane (see "Camera settings" on page 92).
Repeat for each camera required in the view.
Tip: If you want to add multiple cameras to a view in one go (for example all of the cameras from
a camera folder under a server), simply drag the folder to the view. This automatically adds all the
folder's cameras in the view from the selected position onwards. Make sure a sufficient number of
positions are available in the view.
Tip: You can easily change which cameras are included in your view by dragging a different camera
to the position.
The round video indicator is placed in the upper right corner of the camera title bar. This indicator
changes color to display the current status of the video in the view item. The list below describes
the different colors:
Gray - The video has not changed for more than two seconds
The motion indicator appears when motion is detected. Click inside the image to reset the
motion indicator. This indicator will not appear if no motion has been detected.
The event indicator appears when specific events occur. This is defined by the surveillance system
administrator. Click inside the image to reset the event indicator. The indicator will not appear if
event indication has not been specified for the camera, or if no specified events have occurred.
Note: This feature is only available in certain surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 12) and requires that notifications on events have been configured on the
server.
Tip: Event and motion indications can be accompanied by sound notifications (on page 97).
The camera connection indicator appears when the server connection to the camera is lost. A
camera may stop working for various reasons, for example, if it has been configured only to be
available during certain hours of the day, or because of camera or network maintenance, or a
change in configuration on the surveillance system server.
PTZ overlay
Tip: If you don't want the camera toolbar to pop up when you move your mouse over the view,
press and hold the CTRL key while moving the mouse.
Camera settings
In Setup mode, in the Properties pane, you can view and edit properties for the selected camera
(the selected camera is indicated by a bold border in the view).
Name Description
Camera name To change the camera, click the ellipsis button to open the
Select Camera dialog and select a different camera. This can be
useful if you want to change the camera but keep the settings.
If available, select the live stream that you want to display in the
view. If multiple streams have been set up on the server, you
Live Stream can select either Default or one of the available stream options.
If you select another option than Default, you will not be able to
edit Image quality or Frame rate settings.
Name Description
Name Description
Name Description
Name Description
This part of the Properties pane may not be visible. To view it,
go to the Options window's (see "Configuring your XProtect
Smart Client" on page 38) Functions tab, and ensure that
Setup > Edit video buffering is set to Available.
If you require very smooth display of live video, without any
jitter, it is possible to build up a video buffer.
If possible, avoid using video buffering. Video buffering can
significantly increase memory usage for each camera displayed in
a view. If you do need to use video buffering, keep the buffering
level as low as possible.
When live video is stored in a buffer, it will display smoothly
Video buffering without any jitter, but the building up of the buffer will lead to a
small delay in the display of live video. Such a delay is often not a
problem for the person viewing the video. However, the delay
may become very evident if the camera is a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ)
camera, and especially if you use a joystick to operate the
camera.
Being able to control the amount of video buffering lets you
decide whether you want to prioritize smoothly displayed live
video (requires buffering and leads to a small delay) or instant
PTZ and joystick operation (requires no buffer, but may—due to
the lack of a buffer—lead to a slight jitter in live video).
To use video buffering, select Use default video buffer, then
select the required buffer, from None to Maximum 2 seconds.
The Apply to All button lets you quickly apply the camera
Apply to All
settings for the selected camera to all cameras in the view.
JPEG Send all frames Send every 4th frame Send every 20th frame
MPEG/
Send all frames Send key frames only Send key frames only
H.264/H.265
Example:
If you set the Frame rate option to Low in your XProtect Smart Client, and your system
administrator has configured the camera to feed JPEG images at a frame rate of 20 frames per
second, you will experience an average of 1 frame per second when viewing video from the
camera. If your system administrator then configures the camera with a feed as low as 4 frames
per second, you will experience an average of 0,2 frames per second when viewing video from the
camera.
Bounding boxes
A bounding box is the rectangular border that encloses, for example, an object in a camera image.
In the XProtect Smart Client, a bounding box displays as a pink border in video.
You can show/hide bounding boxes from individual cameras in Display Settings in the camera
properties.
If bounding boxes are displayed on your screen, they also appear when you export (see "XProtect
format settings" on page 164) video in the XProtect format or print (see "Print evidence" on page
174) still images.
Overlay buttons
You can add overlay buttons to the camera positions in the view to trigger auxiliary commands
(commands defined by the camera). The overlay buttons may vary depending on your surveillance
system (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 12). Auxiliary commands differ from camera
to camera; for details, see the documentation for the camera.
Sound notifications
Your XProtect Smart Client may have been configured to notify you with a sound notification when:
- and/or -
events (on page 161) related to one or more specific cameras occur
When you hear a sound notification, special attention may be required. If in doubt about whether
or how sound notifications are used in your organization, consult your surveillance system
administrator.
You can temporarily mute sound notifications for a specific camera: on the camera toolbar, click
More > Sound Notifications > Mute.
When you minimize the XProtect Smart Client window, sound notification is disabled.
To turn on sound notifications for the camera again, click More > Sound Notifications > Mute
again.
The ability to mute sound notifications is not available for hotspots (on page 89), carousels (on
page 88), or Matrix (on page 134) positions.
building. By setting up your cameras according to their location on a map or floor plan, you can
navigate from one camera to the next from a single view.
On the Live and Playback tabs, you can see the video from the current camera in the camera
navigator view, with thumbnail views of all the nearby cameras sorted according to proximity on
the pane on the right. When you point to any of the other cameras, either in the main view or the
pane on the right, the camera is shown highlighted in red. You can click directly on the camera
icons or in the pane on the right to change from one camera to the next.
You can base your views on several maps that link to each other through hot zones, allowing you
to follow movement from a camera on one map to another camera on a sub-map, just as you
would a person moving from one floor to another or outside your building. The Sub-Maps pane
gives you access to the cameras set up on maps that are linked via hot zones on a map.
When you click from one camera to the next, a Back button appears next to the Home button
above the camera preview pane. This lets you click back through your camera selection or home to
your default camera view. In the Sub-Maps view, you can also click Up to a previous map or
Home to your default view.
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, drag the Map item to a position in the
view.
2. In the Map Setup window that appears, select either Create new map or Use existing
map.
A triangle next to a map name indicates that the map might have one or more sub-maps.
Sub-maps and the elements they contain are also added.
3. In the Name field, enter a name for the map. The name will be displayed in the map
position's title bar.
Tip: If you leave the Name field blank and click Browse..., the Name field displays the
name of the image file you select.
6. Click OK.
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the map to a
tile in the overview.
Name Description
Displays the map and default camera that your camera navigator
Home map and camera is based on. You can change these settings, by clicking the
button to open the Select Home Map and Camera window.
Select the maximum number of cameras that you want to include
Maximum camera indicators in your main view. Each camera is shown with a camera icon .
You can display an unlimited number of cameras.
Select Relative to selected camera if you want to display the
location and orientation of the cameras as seen from the
camera's perspective
or
Camera indicator orientation Select Relative to map if you want the location and orientation
of the cameras to always reflect the layout of the map as seen
from above.
The selected camera is always the centered one.
Select the maximum number of cameras that you want to display
in your preview pane. Only the cameras that are visible on the
screen will use your system's resources. The maximum number of
cameras that you can display is 20.
Maximum preview cameras
Note that the more cameras that you preview, the more of your
system resources they will take up.
1. Click Setup.
Tip: To get the most out of the camera navigator and to be able to see the camera views in
the pane on the right, select a 1 x 1 view.
2. From the System Overview pane, drag the Camera Navigator to your view.
3. In the Select Home Map and Camera window, select the map that you want to base your
navigation on.
4. Click the camera that you want to select as the default camera whenever you open the
Camera Navigator, and then click OK.
Note: When you send a camera navigator to a Smart Wall, the navigator uses only the original
settings. That is, if you select a different camera in the view, the Smart Wall does not display the
change.
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the camera
navigator to a tile in the overview.
Audio
Support for specific audio features may vary from system to system (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 12). Access to recorded audio, or certain recorded audio features, may be
restricted depending on your user rights. Consult your surveillance system administrator if in
doubt.
About audio
The XProtect Smart Client supports both incoming and outgoing audio. You can listen to live
recordings from microphones attached to cameras as well as use loudspeakers connected to
cameras to talk to audiences. When you play back recorded video, you can hear the corresponding
audio if the cameras have microphones and/or speakers attached. When you select a camera or
view, the corresponding microphone and/or speaker is also selected by default.
Tip: If your views contain maps, these maps may contain microphones and/or speakers. When this
is the case, you can listen to audio by clicking the relevant microphone or speaker element. Click
and hold down the mouse button for as long you want to listen or talk.
Audio settings
Tip: You can listen to recorded audio independently of the views/cameras you are watching. You
must specify a time in the Playback tab's navigation feature to determine what recorded audio to
hear.
Name Description
Name Description
Talk to an audience
IMPORTANT: The surveillance system can record incoming audio from microphones attached to
cameras, even if no video is being recorded. However, outgoing audio transmitted through
speakers attached to cameras is only recorded on some surveillance systems (see "Surveillance
system differences" on page 12).
There are three ways of talking to audiences through speakers attached to cameras, either by
using the Audio pane, by using overlay buttons, or by using speaker functionality on maps.
Talk through speakers
1. On the Live tab, in the Audio pane, under Speakers, select the relevant speakers from
the Talk to: list. See Audio settings (on page 102) for specific information about speaker
settings.
If your surveillance system has speakers attached to multiple cameras (and you have the
necessary rights), you can talk through all the speakers simultaneously by selecting All
speakers.
Alternatively, if a position in a view has an overlay button or a map with speaker elements,
you can click these.
2. Click and hold down the Talk button while you talk. Keeping the button pressed down when
you speak gives you full control over what is actually transmitted through the speakers.
This feature does not exist in the XProtect Smart Client. However, the Level Meter in the Audio
pane gives an indication of the input level which, in turn, gives an idea of the output level.
You may be able to adjust the output volume either on the speakers or through the configuration
interface of the camera device that has the speakers attached. You can also adjust your audio
settings in Windows. Consult your surveillance system administrator if in doubt.
Will other XProtect Smart Client users be able to hear what I say through speakers?
As a rule, other XProtect Smart Client users cannot hear what you say. However, if microphones
are located near the speakers you are talking through, it may be possible to hear you.
Can I talk through multiple speakers at the same time?
Yes, if your surveillance system has speakers attached to multiple cameras (and you have the
necessary rights to access them), you can talk through all the speakers at once. In the Audio
pane, in the Speakers list, select All speakers, then click and hold the Talk button when you
talk.
If you have selected List only devices from current view in the Audio pane, you will not see all
speakers.
Will audio from microphones attached to cameras be recorded?
Incoming audio, from microphones attached to cameras, is recorded, even when no video is being
recorded.
Will what I say through speakers be recorded?
The surveillance system can record incoming audio from microphones, even when no video is being
recorded. However, outgoing audio transmitted through speakers can only be recorded, played
back, and exported on some surveillance systems. For a detailed outline of the features available
on your particular system, see the XProtect Product Comparison Chart on:
http://www.milestonesys.com.
Depending on your surveillance system, recordings can be used, for example, to prove that a
XProtect Smart Client operator gave an audience specific instructions through speakers.
Do I get an indication of my voice level when I talk through speakers?
Yes, in the Audio pane, the Level Meter indicates the level of your voice. If the level is very low,
you may need to move closer to the microphone. If the Level Meter shows no level at all, verify
that the microphone is connected and correctly set up.
Maps
Introduction to maps
The map feature is only available for selected surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 12). A map position does not display live video, a map is always a still image.
With a map, you get a physical overview of your surveillance system. You can instantly see which
cameras are placed where, and in what direction they are pointing. You can use maps for
navigation. Maps can be grouped into hierarchies, so you can drill down through hot zones, from
large perspectives to detailed perspectives, for example, from city level to street level, or from
building level to room level.
Maps may contain elements representing cameras, microphones and similar technology. You can
view recorded video from cameras (see "View recorded video from cameras on a map" on page
114) in a preview window when you move your mouse over a camera icon on the map. The status
information in playback mode is not based on recorded data, but retrieved from the elements'
current status, as displayed in live mode.
Maps do not have to be geographical maps, although they often are. Depending on your
organization's needs, photos and other kinds of image files can also be used as maps.
Note: Maps are not the same as a Smart Map. For more information, see Maps and Smart Map
features in XProtect Smart Client (on page 119).
You can use map elements to interact with the actual devices in the following ways:
Cameras
Place your mouse pointer over a camera on a map to see a live preview from the camera. Click the
title bar of the preview to display it as a separate floating window. You can resize the floating
window by pulling its corners. To start recording, right-click the required camera and select Start
Recording for # Minutes. Particular user rights may be required to use this feature.
A fixed camera is displayed on the map with an associated view zone that shows the camera's
angle of view. Note that the angle on the map is very likely to need adjustment to match the
camera's angle of view. To adjust the angle, simply drag it to a suitable size and position.
A PTZ camera is displayed on the map with any PTZ presets defined for the camera on the
surveillance system. The presets are illustrated as colored angles that radiate from the PTZ camera
icon. Each angle represents a particular preset. Note that the angles are very likely to need
adjustment to match the camera's preset angles. To adjust an angle, simply drag it to a suitable
size and position. If a camera has more than 25 presets, no angles are initially displayed since the
angles would be too small to be useful. In such cases, you can add required angles individually by
dragging the presets from the required camera from the Element Selector window onto the map.
To go to one of a PTZ camera's presets, simply click the preset on the map. This works in the
floating preview window, on the map itself, as well as in hotspot positions (see "Hotspots" on page
89). Alternatively, right-click the camera, select PTZ Presets, then select the required preset.
Microphones
Place your mouse over a microphone; press and hold the left mouse button to listen to incoming
audio from a microphone, or right-click the microphone and select Listen to Microphone. You
cannot use microphones in map views in playback mode.
Speakers
Place your mouse over a speaker; press and hold the left mouse button to talk through the
speaker. You cannot use speakers in map views in playback mode.
Events
Click an event on the map to activate it, or right-click the event and select Activate Event. When
left-clicking an event, the mouse pointer briefly changes to a lightning symbol to indicate that the
event is being activated.
Alarms
Click an alarm on the map to view it, or right-click the alarm and select Activate Alarm. Right-
click to acknowledge the alarm.
Output
Click an output on the map to activate it, or right-click the output and select Activate Output.
When you click an output, the mouse pointer briefly changes to a lightning symbol to indicate that
the output is being activated.
Hot zones
A hot zone is usually colored, so it is easy to recognize. Click a hot zone to go to the sub-map
associated with the hot zone, or right-click the required hot zone and select Go to Sub-map.
If the hot zone appears with a dotted outline, no map is associated with the hot zone.
On some surveillance systems, maps from several different servers may be in a map hierarchy.
This can mean that when you click a hot zone, the sub-map is unavailable because its server is
unavailable. Servers can become unavailable because of scheduled maintenance or network
problems. Contact your surveillance system administrator if the problem persists.
A hot zone can point to a map that you do not have access rights to and the XProtect Smart Client
will inform you about this. Because user rights can be time-based, you might not be able to access
a map that you could previously. This can be because you do not have access during certain hours
of the day or certain days of the week. Contact your surveillance system administrator if in doubt
about your user rights.
Plug-ins
Plug-in elements are available only if used on your surveillance system. Examples of plug-in
elements: access control systems, fire detection systems, etc.
Interconnected hardware
Because interconnected hardware that is part of a Milestone Interconnect system is offline at times,
you may often see error statuses on the interconnected hardware element on a map.
Status visualization is a feature that graphically displays the status of elements added to a map.
When a map is fully operational and in the normal state, no visual status indication is presented.
The Status Visualization window lets you define the visual appearance of maps' status indication.
Attention needed—when an element requires attention, but is still working; for
instance when a server is running out of disk space. Note that the device in
question is not necessarily included on the map. The default display color is
yellow.
Alarms—when an element has an alarm attached to it. The default display color
is red.
Ignore status—when an element has a status that does not need attention, for
example, if you are already aware of what the issue is. The default color is blue.
The status of a map mirrors the status of all elements on the map. Up to four names of affected
servers can be listed in the map title bar. In cases where an unavailable server causes disabled
elements on the map, but the server itself is not included on the map, the map is displayed in the
not operational state, even though the map only contains disabled elements. If the unavailable
server is included on the map, the map is simply displayed with the disabled/status unknown.
Status information is also available in the Map Overview.
1. In setup mode, select the map. Right-click the map and select Status Visualization.
2. In the Status Visualization window, click the Color box to launch the Color Selection
tool, and select a color for the status visualization line, then click the Color box again to fill
the Color box with the selected color.
5. To define how fast the status visualization flashes, select a speed from the Indication
Speed list.
6. In the Properties pane, select Status Visualization to enable showing status visualization
in live mode.
Tip: The status visualization applies to all maps, you do not need to define the status visualization
appearance for each individual map.
Your status visualization settings may take some time to load and display correctly if you connect
to a very large surveillance system with many maps. On complex systems, it can take 30 seconds
or longer to correctly update status visualization.
Map settings
In setup mode, you can use the Properties pane to adjust a number of settings for individual
maps.
Name Description
Displays the map that forms the basis of the particular map view.
Home map The field is read-only, but you can change the map by clicking the
selection button to open the Map Setup window.
Change the map, but keep the elements on the map in their
Change Background
relative positions to each other.
Rename Map Edit the name of your map.
Name Description
The Icon size drop-down list lets you select the size of new
elements added to the map, ranging from Tiny to Very large.
Icon size
You can re-size icons on the map by pulling the sizing handles in
the corners of the icons.
The Name check box lets you enable/disable whether names of
elements are displayed when adding new elements.
Tip: If you have added an element to the map and the element
name is not displayed on the map, right-click the required
Show name element and select Name. If you do not want the element name
displayed, right-click the name and select Delete Text. Icon
size drop-down list lets you select the size of new elements
added to the map, ranging from Tiny to Very large. You can re-
size icons on the map by pulling the sizing handles in the corners
of the icons.
Allow pan & zoom Select to allow pan and zoom on the map in live mode.
Select to automatically maximize the map to full screen in Live
mode when the XProtect Smart Client has not been used for the
Auto maximize map
number of seconds defined in Timeout. The maximum number of
timeout seconds is 99999.
Select to display a live video preview when you move the mouse
On mouse over
over a camera.
Select to define that the preview window looks the same as your
other views. Clearing this check box lets you define the Title bar
and Video indicator settings for previews.
Title bar: select to display a title bar with the name of the
Use default display settings camera.
Video indicator: select to display the video indicator (see
"Camera names and colored indicators" on page 91), which
flashes green when the image is updated. You can only select
Video indicator if you have also selected Title bar.
Select to graphically display the status of the elements (on page
Status visualization
106) added to a map.
Enable status details When selected, you can see status details on cameras and
support servers in live and playback mode.
Select to automatically change the map in the preview when you
Automatically change map
select an alarm to display the map for the camera that the alarm
on alarm
relates to.
Select to only show camera view zones and PTZ presets when
you move your mouse over the camera, view zone or preset. This
Only show on hover setting is useful if you have several cameras on a map with
overlapping view zones or several presets. The default value is to
show view zones and presets.
The toolbox
The map toolbox consists of a number of tools for configuring the map. Selecting either Camera,
Server, Microphone, Speaker, Event, or Output opens the Element Selector with a list of
cameras, servers, microphones, speakers, events, and output, allowing you to place these
elements on the map.
Toolbox icons
Camera
Server
Output
Interconnected
hardware
Hot Zone Activates the hot zone drawing tool, allowing you
to place hot zones on the map.
Text Opens the text tool, allowing you to place
editable text boxes on the map.
Plug-in Opens the Element Selector with a list of plug-
ins (if used in your organization), allowing you to
place a plug-in element on the map.
Color Picker Opens the color selection tool, and activates the
color picker, allowing you to use a color already
existing on the map.
Color Fill Opens the color selection tool, allowing you to
change the color of texts, backgrounds, hot
zones, etc.
Selector Activates the selector tool, allowing you to select
elements on the map and pan and zoom the
map.
Map Overview Opens the Map Overview, allowing you to
navigate between different maps.
Center Map Here: Centers the map around the clicked position
Zoom In
Zoom Out
Zoom to Standard Size: Zooms the map to the standard size it was set up with
Forward: Lets you quickly go to a map you have viewed earlier in this session
(From a PTZ camera preset) Go to Preset [preset]: Lets you direct the camera to an
predefined preset.
(From a camera) Live Preview: Lets you see a live preview from the selected camera.
(From a camera) View Zone: Lets you toggle on and off a fixed camera's view zone that
shows the camera's angle of view.
The shortcut menu that appears when you right-click the map also displays other features, such as
Home Map Setup, Toolbox, Map Overview, Element Selector, Font Selection, Color
Selection, and Status Visualization.
Shortcut menus for individual elements (on page 105) may have other content.
In addition to the common right-click menu items, the right-click menus of events and output also
feature Select Icon Type, which lets you select whether the event icon or output should be
displayed as a lamp, a door, a gate or a switch. Changing the event/output icon to something more
adequate to the actual event/output helps end users more quickly get an overview of the actual
contents of the map.
To display status details, right-click the required element and select Status Details. Status details
are displayed in a separate, floating window.
Content in the Map Overview may take some time to load if you are connected to a very large
surveillance system with many maps.
Can I change the background of a map but keep the cameras in their relative positions?
Yes. If you need to update the map but want to keep all the information on it, you can just replace
the map background (if you have the necessary map edit rights). This allows you to keep all your
cameras, and other elements in their relative positions on a new map. Select Change map
background, by right-clicking the map or in the Properties pane.
If you are connected to a surveillance system that supports Milestone Federated Architecture, you
can only add maps from the surveillance system server you logged in to. Milestone Federated
Architecture is a system setup with related but physically separate surveillance systems. Such a
setup can be relevant for, for example, chains of shops with many separate—but related—
surveillance systems.
See the XProtect Comparison Chart on http://www.milestonesys.com for information about which
surveillance systems support Milestone Federated Architecture.
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, drag the Map item to a position in the
view.
2. In the Map Setup window that appears, select either Create new map or Use existing
map.
A triangle next to a map name indicates that the map might have one or more sub-maps.
Sub-maps and the elements they contain are also added.
3. In the Name field, enter a name for the map. The name will be displayed in the map
position's title bar.
Tip: If you leave the Name field blank and click Browse..., the Name field displays the
name of the image file you select.
6. Click OK.
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the map to a
tile in the overview.
1. On the Live tab or the Playback tab, select the map that contains the cameras you want to
view in a floating window.
2. At the top of the map title bar, click the Send all cameras to floating window icon: .
The floating window displays a maximum of 25 cameras in the view.
If you have more than 25 cameras on a map, when you click this button, it will not always be the
same cameras you see.
2. In the toolbox, click the required element icon to open the Element Selector window.
3. You can use the filter to quickly find a required element: type a search criterion to narrow
down the list of displayed elements to fit your search criterion.
Tip: You can use the selector tool from the toolbox to select and move elements on a map, or to
pan the map.
Removing elements
To remove an element, right-click the unwanted element (camera, hot zone, server, event, output,
microphone, or speaker) and select Remove [element].
Move elements
To move an element, click and drag it to a new position on the map.
Rotate elements
To change the orientation of an element, select it and place your mouse over one of the element's
sizing handles. When the mouse pointer changes appearance to a curved arrow, click and drag the
element to rotate it.
Tip: If your map has a color that makes it difficult to see the elements on the map, try creating a
text box and fill it with a color that makes it stand out from the map. Add the required elements to
the map, then drag them into the text box.
You can use digital zoom and PTZ controls from the camera preview if the camera supports
this. In the preview window, either click the More button and select digital zoom or use the
PTZ (see "PTZ images" on page 59) controls that appear. If you have PTZ presets set up for
a particular camera, you can activate the preset by selecting the preset in the preview.
If you have more than 25 cameras on a map, when you click this button it will not always
be the same cameras you see.
3. Move the mouse pointer onto the map. The mouse pointer now displays the hot zone icon
and a small white cross to indicate that hot zone drawing is enabled.
To draw the hot zone, click the map where you want to start drawing the hot zone. The
starting point is now indicated by a large blue dot—also known as an anchor—on the map:
The hot zone drawing tool makes straight lines only; if you want a rounded hot zone
border, you must use several small straight lines.
4. Click the hot zone starting point to complete drawing the hot zone. The hot zone is now
outlined with a dotted line, indicating that no sub-map has been attached to the hot zone.
Tip: You can alter the outline of a hot zone by pulling the hot zone anchors.
5. To attach a sub-map to the hot zone, double-click the dotted hot zone to open the Map
Setup window.
You can change the color of the hot zone using the color tool. Using different colors for hot zones
helps users differentiate between adjacent hot zones.
If you are connected to a surveillance system that supports Milestone Federated Architecture (see
"Surveillance system differences" on page 12), for technical and performance reasons, a maximum
of 20 hot zones on a single map can point to maps from other surveillance system servers than the
one to which you are logged in. There is no such limit for hot zones pointing to maps belonging on
the server to which you are logged in. Milestone Federated Architecture is a parent/child setup of
related but physically separate surveillance systems. Such a setup can be relevant for, for
example, chains of shops with many separate—but related—surveillance systems.
3. In the toolbox, select the color fill tool . This will open the Color Selection window.
Tip: Use the color picker tool to use an existing color from the map.
4. Only relevant for text elements: Select whether you want the color change to apply to text
or background.
5. Select the color from the color palette—you can see a preview of the selected color in the
EXAMPLE box.
Adjusting Gradient
Use the Gradient slider to adjust how the element color fades from left to right.
Dragging the slider to the far right will make the element color fade instantly. Dragging the
slider to the far left will make the element color almost not fade at all.
Drag the Gradient slider to the required level, then click the map element to apply color
and gradient.
Adjusting Opacity
Use the Opacity slider to adjust the transparency of the color fill.
Dragging the Opacity slider to the far right will make the color completely transparent,
while dragging the Opacity slider to the far left makes the color completely solid.
Drag the Opacity slider to the required level, then click the map element to apply color and
opacity.
Use the color slider to select the main color shade, then drag the color circle to select the
required tone.
- or -
When you rename a label, you are only changing the label on the map, not the name of the camera
or element in the system.
You can also make sure your labels don't overlap by rotating them. To rotate a label on a map:
Select the label and place your mouse over one of the sizing handles. When the mouse
pointer changes appearance to a curved arrow, click and drag the label to rotate it.
Another way to save space on a map is to select only to show view zones and PTZ presets on hover
(see "Map settings" on page 108).
Tip: You can always edit your text settings; click the required text box and select the text
tool from the toolbox, then change the text settings for the selected text box.
5. Type your text. Press ENTER on your keyboard to make the text box expand downwards.
Tip: You can use the color fill tool to change the text color and background.
Tip: You can move the text box around; select the selector tool, grab the text box on the map and
move the text box.
To display status details, right-click the required element and select Status Details. Status
details are displayed in a separate, floating window.
If you see the error message "Event Server has insufficient access rights to the recording servers,"
you will not be able to view status details from recording servers. The error message relates to the
Event Server service, which handles map-related communication on the surveillance system. The
Event Server service is managed on the surveillance system server. Contact your surveillance
system administrator, who will be able to handle the issue.
To use the zoom function on a map, right-click the map and select Zoom In or Zoom Out
as required. Or use the Zoom to Standard Size function to zoom back to normal size.
Tip: Alternatively, use your mouse's scroll wheel to zoom; scroll up to zoom in, scroll down to
zoom out.
If Auto maximize map is enabled and your map position in the view is part of a view with several
view positions, the map is automatically maximized to full screen after a period of time as defined
in setup mode in the Properties pane. To revert to the original view, double-click the map
anywhere outside of any added elements.
Smart Map
This feature is only available for selected surveillance systems. For a detailed outline of the
features available on your particular system, see the XProtect Product Comparison Chart on:
http://www.milestonesys.com.
Maps - These maps are based on still images that do not contain geographical references.
You can add devices such as cameras, microphones, and recording servers, and features
like alarms, events, and access controls that let you interact with your surveillance system
directly from the map. You must manually position device and feature elements on the
map. For more information, see Introduction to maps (on page 104).
Smart Map - This type of map uses a geographic information system to accurately reflect
geography in the real world. This can give you a more exact overview of your cameras in
multiple locations. You can use the Bing Maps and Google Maps services, or the
OpenStreetMap map project as geographic backgrounds, and add computer-aided design
(CAD) drawings, shapefiles, and images as overlays. For more information, see About the
Smart Map feature in XProtect Smart Client (on page 119).
Note: The maps and Smart Map features are not interchangeable. If you're using the maps
features, you can use the image file as a Smart Map, but you must add the cameras again. You
cannot transfer maps with cameras to a Smart Map. You can, however, link a Smart Map to maps.
For more information, see Add or delete links on a Smart Map (on page 129).
Note: By default, Bing Maps and Google Maps display satellite imagery (Satellite). You can change
the imagery, for example to aerial or terrain, to see different details. For more information, see
Change the geographic background on a Smart Map (on page 124).
Basic world map - Use the standard geographic background provided in XProtect Smart
Client. This map is intended for use as a general reference, and does not contain features
such as country boundaries, cities, or other details. However, like the other geographic
backgrounds, it does contain geo-reference data.
Note: The Bing Maps and Google Maps options require access to the Internet, and you
must purchase a key from Microsoft or Google. For more information, see the section in this
topic titled Selecting a plan for Google Maps APIs and Bing Maps APIs.
None - This hides the geographic background. However, the geo-reference data is still
there. For more information, see Working with layers on a Smart Map (on page 130).
Note: If you don't want to allow users to use OpenStreetMaps as a geographic background, you
can make the service unavailable by clicking Settings, and then selecting Unavailable for
the OpenStreetMap geographic background option. If you make the service unavailable for use
as a geographic background, XProtect Smart Client does not display it as an option for a Smart
Map. By default, the service is available.
However, there are some requirements for using Bing Maps and Google Maps. To use Bing Maps
and Google Maps, you must do the following:
1. Your system administrator must enter your Bing Maps key, or your Google Maps private
cryptographic key and client ID in Management Client for a Smart Client profile. Bing Maps
and Google Maps geographic backgrounds are available in XProtect Smart Client only after
your administrator does this.
2. Use your Google Maps or Bing Maps account to create or purchase a key for Bing Maps, or a
client ID and private key for the Google Maps API. For more information, see the section in
this topic titled Selecting a plan for Google Maps APIs and Bing Maps.
Note: When your system administrator enters the key in Management Client for a Smart
Client profile, all users assigned to the profile can use the key. If you want to use a
different key, you can enter it in the Options dialog box in Smart Client. This requires that
your system administrator has not locked the key in Management Client, and that the
Follow server check box is not selected in Smart Client. The key in Smart Client is
associated with your user account, and only you will use it.
After you enter the Bing Maps key in Smart Client, you must reload the view for the change
to take effect. You can reload the view by selecting another view, and then returning to the
current view, or by clicking Reload view.
Select a plan for Google Maps APIs and Bing Maps APIs
Bing Maps and Google Maps offer different usage plans for their APIs. When you select a plan it's
important to consider how much you will use the map service.
Bing Maps offers Basic Keys and Enterprise Keys, and Google Maps offers Standard and Premium
plans. Basic keys for Bing Maps are free, but allow a limited number of transactions before the
transactions become billable or access to the map service is denied. Premium and Enterprise keys
are not free, but allow unlimited transactions.
If you are going to use Bing Maps or Google Maps in XProtect Smart Client, Milestone recommends
the following:
For Bing Maps, purchase an Enterprise Key. You can also use a Basic Key, but remember
that they allow limited use.
To use Google Maps, you must purchase a Premium Plan for the Google Static Maps API.
For more information, visit the following websites:
Enter your Bing Maps key, or your Google Maps key or client ID in
Management Client
You can make a key available to multiple users by entering it for a Smart Client profile. All users
who are assigned to the profile will use this key.
Tip: It is a good idea to have your key available in a format that allows you to copy it to
Management Client.
To enter a key for a Smart Client profile, follow these steps:
1. In Management Client, on the Site Navigation pane, click Smart Client Profiles.
2. In the Properties pane, select the Smart Client profile, and then click the Smart Map tab.
For Bing Maps, enter your key in the Bing Maps key field.
For Google Maps, enter the information you received for your Premium Plan in the
Client ID for Google Maps and Private key for Google Maps fields.
Enter your Bing Maps key, or your Google Maps private key and client ID
in XProtect Smart Client
If you want to use a different key, and not use the key from the Smart Client profile that you are
assigned to, you can enter the key in XProtect Smart Client. If you enter a key in XProtect Smart
Client, it is associated with your user account and only you will use it.
Tip: It is a good idea to have your key available in a format that allows you to copy it to XProtect
Smart Client.
To provide a key for Bing Maps or Google Maps in XProtect Smart Client, follow these steps:
3. Depending on the map service you want to use, do one of the following:
For Bing Maps, enter your key in the Bing Maps key field.
For Google Maps, enter the information you received for your Premium Plan in the
Client ID for Google Maps and Private key for Google Maps fields.
1. On the Live or Playback tabs, select the view where you want to add the Smart Map, and
then click Setup.
2. Expand the System Overview pane, and then drag the Smart Map item to the view.
Note: Changing the geographical background applies to all views. Everyone who is viewing the
Smart Map will see the new background the next time they log in.
To change the geographical background, follow these steps:
1. Select the view that contains the Smart Map, and then click Setup.
Note: The Bing Maps and Google Maps are available only if your system administrator has set
them up. For more information, see Getting started with geographical backgrounds (see "Getting
started with geographic backgrounds" on page 119).
Shapefile - This format can contain geo-spatial vector data, such as points, lines,
polygons, and attributes that represent objects on a map, such as walls, roads, or
geographical features like rivers or lakes. For example, city planning and administration
offices often use shapefiles because they scale well when you zoom in and out, and their file
size is often smaller than CAD drawings or bitmap images.
CAD - A computer-aided design (CAD) drawing is useful as a Smart Map overlay because,
like shapefiles, CAD data can use a coordinate system and spatial reference to provide
accurate geographical context. For example, you can use a detailed ariel map or a road
map of a location.
Image - If you have an image file, such as the floor plan of a building, you can add it as an
overlay on the Smart Map. You can use the following types of image files: PNG, BMP, GIF,
JPG, JPEG, PHG, TIF, and TIFF.
By default, when you add a custom overlay, XProtect Smart Client creates a location with the same
name as the overlay at the place on the map where you put the overlay. This makes it easier to
find the overlay, especially when you are zoomed out. The overlay and location are not, however,
linked. For example, you can delete or rename the location without changing the overlay, and vice
versa. If you don't want to automatically create locations when you add a custom overlay, you can
turn off the feature. To do this, click Settings, and for the Create location when layer is
added option, select No.
A projection file (PRJ) that contains spacial reference. For shapefiles, PRJ files are usually
included as support files. However, this is not always true for CAD drawings. The PRJ must
be in the same directory as the SHP file for shapefiles, or the DWG or DXF files for CAD
drawings, and they must use the same filename prefix
You can enter the SRID code that is associated with the coordinate system and projection
used in the dataset. XProtect Smart Client will use the code to position the drawing on the
Smart Map
Note: SRID codes are assigned by organizations such as EPSG and Esri. These codes are
associated with PRJ files that contain geographical coordinates and projection information for an
area of the earth, or the entire globe. For example, an EPSG code for the area of France that
includes Paris is 3949. There can be more than one SRID code from the same organization, or
another organization, that cover an area. If you don't have a PRJ file, it is important to know the
SRID code for the coordinate reference system associated with your dataset. Otherwise, your
drawing in France might end up in Sweden.
If you do not know the SRID code for your drawing or shapefile and you don't have a PRJ file,
contact the source of your file to get that information.
Note: Changing the geographic background applies to all views. Everyone who uses the Smart Map
sees the new background the next time they display the view.
To change the geographic background, follow these steps:
3. Under Geographic backgrounds, select the background and the type of detail that you
want to display. For example, if you want to see topographical information, select Terrain.
If you want to see roads, select Road.
Note: The Bing Maps and Google Maps geographic backgrounds are available only if your system
administrator has set them up. For more information, see Getting started with geographic
backgrounds (on page 119).
In Management Client - you set the tile server address on the Smart Client profiles. The
server address applies to all Smart Client users assigned to the individual Smart Client
profiles.
In XProtect Smart Client - you set the tile server address in the Options dialog (see
"Change the OpenStreetMap tile server" on page 124). The server address applies only to
that Smart Client installation.
system administrator to help you enable the feature on the Smart Client profile in Management
Client.
Steps:
1. In the upper right corner, click Options. The Options dialog appears.
3. In the Alternative OpenStreetMap tile server field, enter the server address. If the field
is grayed out, it has been locked in the configuration.
-OR-
To use the server specified in the configuration, select the Follow Server check box.
For more information about changing the tile server, see Changing the OpenStreetMap tile server
(on page 124).
1. Select the view that contains the Smart Map, and then click Setup.
If the overlay you're adding is geo-referenced, click anywhere on the Smart Map.
XProtect Smart Client uses the geo-reference information to place the overlay in the
correct geographic location. Additionally, the Smart Map will center on the overlay at a
default zoom level.
If the overlay you're adding is not geo-referenced, go to the point on the map where
you want to add the element, and then click the point on the Smart Map.
Tip: Before you add an overlay, it's a good idea to zoom in to the place on the map
where you want to put it. This makes it easier to accurately position the overlay.
3. Enter a name for the overlay, and then select the file type to add.
Shapefile - Select the SHP file. If you have a PRJ file, XProtect Smart Client will find it,
and you can just click OK. If you do not have a PRJ file, you can reposition the overlay
manually after you add it. You can also apply a color. For example, adding a color can
make the shapefile stand out more on the Smart Map.
CAD - Select the DWG file. If you have a PRJ file, click OK. If you do not have a PRJ
file, and you want to use geo-referencing to position the file on the Smart Map, enter
the spatial reference identifier (SRID), and then click OK. If you do not have a PRJ file
or an SRID, you can reposition the overlay manually after you add it.
Note: For more information about SRIDs, see Using custom overlays to increase detail
on a Smart Map (on page 122).
5. Click Save.
1. Select the view that contains the Smart Map, and then click Setup.
To move the overlay on the map, click and drag the overlay
Tip: Use the pivot point to fine-tune the alignment of the overlay with your geographic
background. For example, if your overlay has a building in the upper right corner, you
can roughly align the building with the imagery on the geographic background, and then
place the pivot point on the building to anchor the overlay on that building. You can
then rotate and resize the overlay to align with other points on the geographic
background.
1. Select the view that contains the Smart Map, and then click Setup.
3. Hover the pointer over the custom overlay, and then click Delete.
5. Optional: If a location was created for the custom overlay, you might want to delete that as
well. For more information, see Add, edit, or delete a location on a Smart Map (on page
129).
Tip: If you change your mind and decide to keep the custom overlay, before you save the
change you can you can click Cancel deletion.
Tip: Before you add the camera, it's a good idea to zoom in to the location on the map.
This makes it easier to accurately position the camera.
Expand the System Overview pane, find the camera or camera group, and then drag it to
the point on the Smart Map where you want to display it. You can drag cameras afterward
to reposition them.
On the Smart Map toolbar, click Add a camera, and then select the camera.
Align the camera icon's field of view with the actual field of view of the
camera
If you are zoomed out on the map, and you want to change the field of view for a camera, you may
have to zoom in until the field of view is displayed.
1. Select the view that contains the Smart Map you want to work with.
3. Use the rotate handle to point the camera in the right direction.
4. To adjust the width, length, and angle of the field of view, click and drag the handles at the
front edge of the field of view.
2. Click Setup, and then double-click the camera icon on the map.
3. Click Pick icon, and then select the icon for the camera.
4. To close the window and save your selection, click outside the window.
1. Select the view that contains the Smart Map you want to work with.
2. Click Show or hide layers and custom overlays, and then select or clear the check
box for the information to show or hide.
Click Select multiple cameras, then click and drag on the Smart Map to select the
cameras. After you select the cameras, press DELETE on your keyboard.
Press and hold CTRL while click the camera icons, and then press DELETE or right-click
the camera icon and select Remove camera.
Note: The maps that you can link to are the static maps that have been available in XProtect
Smart Client for several releases. You cannot add a link that goes to another Smart Map. For more
information, see Maps and Smart Map features in XProtect Smart Client (on page 119).
Links display locations and maps as follows:
A link to a location displays the location in the current view. To return to a location that you
previously viewed, click Back on the Smart Map toolbar.
A link to a map displays the map in a floating window. This lets you access both types of
maps at the same time. You can view and interact with the map but you cannot make
changes in the floating window, such as adding cameras.
1. Select the view that contains the Smart Map, and then click Setup.
2. Go to the point on the map where you want to add the link.
3. In the map toolbar, click Add a link, and then click the point on the map where you
want the link to be.
4. Specify whether you want to link to a Smart Map location, or a map, and then click Add.
Tips: You can display the title of the link on the Smart Map if you select Icon and text as
the display style. Typically, names indicate where the link takes you.
6. In the Destination field, select the map or location that the link goes to.
7. In the Display style field, specify whether to display the name and link icon, or only the
link icon on the map.
8. Optional: If you color code links, or want to make them more visible on the map, you can
specify a color for the link. By default, links to Smart Map locations are blue, and links to
legacy maps are red. If you use a different color, it's a good idea to use the same color for
each type of link. For example, this can make it easier to distinguish between links when
you use layers to filter items on the map.
full picture of your environment, they're also useful for navigating the Smart Map. For more
information, see Explore your Smart Map (on page 132).
Note: When you add a custom overlay, XProtect Smart Client adds a location with the same name
as the overlay. For example, this makes it easier to go to the overlay on the Smart Map when you
are zoomed out. The overlay and location are not, however, linked. For example, you can delete or
rename the location without changing the overlay, and vice versa.
To add a location to a Smart Map, follow these steps:
1. Select the view that contains the Smart Map, and click Setup.
2. If needed, pan and zoom in to the point on the Smart Map where you want to add the
location.
3. In the toolbar, click Add a location, and then click the point on the Smart Map.
4. Give the location a name, and then add the following optional details:
Specify a zoom level to apply when someone goes to the location on the Smart Map
Select a color for the location icon. Color-coding locations is useful, for example, for
distinguishing between types of locations. This could be based on the function of the
location or its type, or indicate the location's priority
Optional: Make the location your home location. The Smart Map centers on this location,
and applies the default zoom level setting for it, when you click Home
While you're working with the Smart Map, you can click Home to return to the home location.
This is similar to resetting the Smart Map in the view. You return to the default settings for the
view item, and the system deletes the history of the locations you visited.
Note: Selecting a new home location affects everyone who uses the view item. If someone else
had set another location as home, you are changing their setting.
If you delete a home location, the next time you or someone else displays the view or clicks
Home, the geographic background will be zoomed out to display the world.
Custom overlays - These are bitmap images, CAD drawings, and shapefiles
Geographic backgrounds - These are the Basic world map, Bing Maps, Google Maps, or
OpenStreetMap
Note: Bing Maps and Google Maps are available as geographic backgrounds only if your system
administrator has enabled them in Management Client. For more information, see Getting started
with geographical background layers (see "Getting started with geographic backgrounds" on page
119).
To show or hide layers, on the toolbar, click Show or hide layers and custom
overlays, and then do one of the following
To show or hide system elements and custom overlays, select or clear the check boxes
Note: Selecting None hides the geographic background, but the geo-references still apply
to the Smart Map. For example, if you add a new shapefile that contains spatial reference,
the system will still use the spatial reference to place the file on the map.
The order, from top to bottom, in which custom overlays display. The first custom overlay
in the list is the highest in the order. For example, the order can be helpful when you want
to stack overlays to represent levels on a building.
Removing custom overlays from the Smart Map To manage default settings for your Smart Map,
follow these steps:
To rearrange the order, use the drag handle in front of the overlay to drag it to a new
position in the list. Layers are ordered from top to bottom in the list.
To delete an overlay, hover the pointer over the overlay, and then click Delete.
Use the scroll wheel or double-click the left or right button on your mouse
Hold the SHIFT key and drag the pointer to select an area on the map. The map zooms in
and centers on your selection
Note: The zoom capabilities are powerful, and you can zoom in to a close level. For example, you
can make a single room fill an entire view. However, the Bing Maps, Google Maps, or
OpenStreetMaps geographic backgrounds might not be able to provide an image at that depth.
When this happens, the view item stops displaying the geographic background. Other layers, such
as cameras or shapefile images continue to display. To display the geographic background again,
zoom out.
If you have multiple cameras close to each other on the Smart Map, if you zoom out to a certain
level they become grouped, and an icon that indicates the number of cameras in the group
appears. In the following image there are two cameras in the group . As you zoom in again,
depending on how close together the cameras are, cameras are removed from the group and
display on the Smart Map.
To view video from one camera in a preview window, right-click the camera icon and select
Live preview. To preview the video in another view item, click and drag the camera icon
from the map to the view item.
To view video from more than one cameras in a preview window, do one of the following:
Hold the CTRL key while you select the cameras, and then right-click a camera icon and
select Live preview. To preview the video in a view item, click and drag the camera
icons to any view item in the view.
Note: The system assigns each camera to a view item, so the number of view items in
the view must match or exceed the number of cameras you select.
Click Select multiple cameras, then click and drag on the Smart Map to select the
cameras. After you select the cameras, press ENTER on your keyboard.
If your view contains a Smart Wall overview in a view item, drag the Smart Map item to a
tile on the overview.
If your view does not include a Smart Wall overview in a view item, right-click the Smart
Map, point to Send to Smart Wall, and then select the Smart Wall.
Matrix
The ability to add Matrix content to views is only available when connecting to selected surveillance
systems (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 12). Matrix is only available if Matrix has
been configured on your surveillance system, and you have the required user rights.
About Matrix
Matrix is a feature that lets you send or receive video from any surveillance system camera to any
monitor (known as a Matrix-recipient) on a network. A typical Matrix configuration automatically
presents live video on the required Matrix-recipient when a defined event occurs, for example,
when motion is detected or when another user wants to share important live video. Provided Matrix
has been configured on the surveillance system server, you can include Matrix content in your
XProtect Smart Client views. When a particular event occurs, or another user wants to share video
with you, live video will automatically appear in your Matrix views.
A Matrix position is displayed with a Matrix icon on the toolbar: . You can maximize a Matrix by
double-clicking it.
A view can contain several Matrix positions. This lets you watch live video from several Matrix-
triggered sources at the same time. If your view contains several Matrix positions, the positions are
always ranked—one of the positions will be the primary Matrix position, another the secondary, and
so on. When the first Matrix-triggered live video stream is received, it is automatically presented in
the primary Matrix position. When the next Matrix-triggered video stream is received, a first-in-
first-out principle applies: the previously received video stream is transferred to your view's
secondary Matrix position, and the newest video stream is presented in your primary Matrix
position, and so on. The Matrix positions’ ranking is applied automatically: the first Matrix position
you add is the primary Matrix position, the next one you add is the secondary one, and so on. You
can change this ranking in setup mode, see Matrix properties (see "Settings" on page 135).
On the Playback tab, Matrix positions display video from the cameras with which the Matrix
positions were last used on the Live tab. You can, of course, play back this video using the
Playback tab's navigation features.
Settings
In setup mode, in the Properties (see "Camera settings" on page 92) pane, you can specify the
settings for Matrix positions.
Name Description
2. When you select a Matrix position, you can specify its properties in the Properties pane.
When viewing live or recorded video, you can double-click a Matrix position (or any other
camera position in a view) to maximize it. When maximized, video from cameras in the
Matrix position is displayed in full quality by default, regardless of your image quality
selection. If you want to make sure that the selected image quality also applies when
maximized, select Keep when maximized.
2. On the camera toolbar, click More > Matrix, and then select the relevant Matrix recipient.
Multiple windows
This feature is only available for selected surveillance systems. For a detailed outline of the
features available on your particular system, see the XProtect Product Comparison Chart on:
http://www.milestonesys.com.
You can send individual views to separate windows or displays, while keeping the main window of
the XProtect Smart Client in the background, so you can watch several views simultaneously. The
selected camera or item is always displayed with a blue border.
You can send any view to:
A primary display to show the view in a separate full-screen window on your computer's
main display with the main window hiding behind it.
A secondary display to show the view in a full-screen window on another monitor (if
available).
A floating window to show the view in a small separate window. You can use any number of
floating windows and you can resize these to suit your needs.
The primary and secondary display show the window in full screen with the tabs and controls
hidden. To display the tabs and controls, click the Full screen icon: .
The floating window shows the selected view, with the Live and Playback tabs. You can select a
new view from the toolbar by clicking the dropdown button. You can toggle between displaying the
floating window as a full-screen with no tabs and as a smaller floating window with tabs by clicking
the Full screen icon: . You can also choose to link the floating window to the main window to
synchronize time or to follow the Live or Playback tab.
Your view setup is stored in the XProtect Smart Client, so next time you log in, you can reuse it.
However, this only applies to the computer on which you set it up. If you want to use multiple
windows with the XProtect Smart Client on more than one computer, you must configure your
multiple window setup on each computer.
Primary display
Example of a view sent to the Primary display. While you are viewing the separate full screen window, the main XProtect
Smart Client window is hidden behind it.
Secondary display
Example of an 8×8 view sent to a Secondary display. In this example, the main XProtect Smart Client window is available on
the left display.
Floating window
Example of a view sent to a Floating window. The main XProtect Smart Client window is immediately available behind the
floating window.
2. Click Send View To and then select where you want your view to display.
3. Click Link window to synchronize your view in the floating window with that of your main
view. If you link the floating window, the corresponding timeline is not displayed in your
floating window but is included in the timeline on the main window.
4. To close a separate view window, click the Close button in the right corner of the window:
If a view is sent to Primary Display or a Secondary Display the title bar is hidden. To display
the title bar and get access to the Close button, move your mouse to the top of the view.
Any hotspots, carousels, Matrix positions, still images or HTML pages included in the view will work
as usual in a floating window.
Slice the video into short sequences that you can examine
Smart search cannot be used for video from fisheye lens cameras. Depending on your user rights,
access to smart search may be restricted.
1. Move your mouse across the camera that you want to view recorded video for. On the
toolbar that appears, click the Independent Playback button.
2. Drag the timeline (see "The timeline" on page 152) to select the time containing the video
that you want to view.
3. If you want to view recorded video for the selected time on all the cameras in your view at
once, on the toolbar, click the View recordings from selected time on Playback tab
button: . This displays the Playback tab with all cameras synchronized to the time you
have selected.
1. Create the export as described in Export a video clip, audio, XProtect data or a still
image (on page 166).
2. Click the Details button in the upper right corner when the export is complete. A dialog
box appears with a link to the output folder.
1. Go to the folder where you store export files. The default location is
C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Milestone\Video Export. You can check the folder
location in the Export window. This works only if you always use the same export
destination.
2. Depending on the output format, open the relevant folder and double-click the video file
or still image. If the format is XProtect format, double-click the Smart Client Player
file with the .exe extension.
Sequence Search
Search in recording sequences on one or more cameras based on motion detection, events
or bookmarks.
Smart Search
Sequence Search
With Sequence Search you can easily investigate recordings from selected cameras. The recorded
video is shown in a thumbnail overview from where you can browse recordings and play them
instantly in the player window.
The thumbnail overview display content chronologically from left to right, with the most recent
thumbnails towards the bottom right part of the view:
You can adjust the size of the thumbnails by dragging the Size Slider below the thumbnail
overview:
The thumbnails can relate to an individual selected camera or several selected cameras in a view.
The fact that you can compare the thumbnails side-by-side, while navigating in time by dragging
the thumbnail overview, enables you to look at large amounts of recorded video and identify the
most relevant video, which you can then immediately play back.
To view video associated with a particular thumbnail, click the thumbnail. When you click a
thumbnail, it becomes highlighted and (provided Autoplay is selected) the associated sequence is
played back in the right side of the Sequence Explorer.
Tip: If you have clicked a thumbnail, and then navigated away from it by dragging the thumbnail
overview left or right, you can quickly return to the selected thumbnail by clicking the refresh
button.
The thumbnail overview only shows recording within the time interval you have specified. Unless
you have selected to view all sequences, you can navigate the timespan backward or forward by
placing the mouse in the left or right side of the thumbnail overview.
2. Use the slicing functionality to display thumbnails for specific intervals of time. For example,
one thumbnail for every 30 seconds. You can also specify your own intervals with Custom
slicing interval.... If you have continuous recordings, or recordings of long duration, it is
especially useful to use slicing to divide the thumbnails into shorter sequences.
3. Watch the list of thumbnails update. The list is now ready for you to view the selected
sequences.
Define search
1. On the Sequence Explorer tab, select Sequence Search.
2. In the Select camera... menu, find the camera that you want to view sequences for. You
can add up to 100 cameras in a sequence search:
The timeline
The timeline on the Sequence Explorer (see "The timeline" on page 152) lets you navigate through
video content.
2. For bookmarks, select the search criteria you are interested in, for example, time, your
bookmarks only, or content from the bookmark's Bookmark ID, Headline and Description
fields.
3. Select whether you want the search to include only the selected camera or all cameras in
the view.
4. Click Search. This will retrieve a list of results. The sequence closest to the time you have
selected for the view appears in the middle of the list. Sequences or bookmarks from before
the time you have selected appear above, and ones from after, below. Each sequence is
listed with camera information, date, and time. Selecting a sequence in the list moves all
video in the view to the time of the selected sequence.
5. To display more details about each sequence or bookmark in the list, select Show details.
For sequences, this displays the date and time of the first image in the sequence (green
flag), the last image (checkered flag), and the motion detection, event, that triggered the
recording (yellow flag). For bookmarks, Show details, displays additional information,
consisting of an image from the bookmark time as well as a detailed description (if one is
available).
6. To quickly preview the video when you place your mouse over the bookmark or sequence in
the list, select Auto-preview.
7. When you have selected a sequence or bookmark in the list, you can generate a printed
report or export it . For a bookmark (depending on your user rights), you can also edit or
delete it. For more information, see Add and edit bookmarks, Print evidence (on page 174)
and Exporting (see "XProtect format settings" on page 164).
2. Use the search field to search for bookmark headlines or descriptions. Matching results are
shown instantly in the thumbnail overview.
3. Select My bookmarks only if you only want to see bookmarks created by you. When you
place your mouse over a thumbnail, details about the bookmark are displayed in a pop-up
window.
To the right of the preview you can see details about the selected bookmark. Depending on your
user rights, you may be able to edit, delete, print, or export the bookmark:
When you delete a bookmark, the bookmark is deleted not only from the thumbnail
overview but from the entire surveillance system. You will be asked to confirm that you
really want to delete the selected bookmark.
Navigating sequences
You have several options for navigating the thumbnails.
Tip: In the calendar, a blue background indicates the selected date. A gray background
indicates the current date.
These appear when the Sequence Explorer cannot retrieve a proper thumbnail, for example,
because of a server communication error, a decoding error, or similar. However, placeholder
thumbnails may also appear when thumbnails retrieved from the surveillance system do not
exactly match requested points in time. This is because deviating thumbnails could otherwise cause
confusion.
If you have selected slicing in Sequence Search, a placeholder thumbnail appears if the retrieved
thumbnail is outside of the requested time interval. Example: You request a time interval of
12:00:00, 12:00:30, and the first available thumbnail is at 12:00:33. If there are no recording
sequences that cover this interval, the system makes no attempt to retrieve a thumbnail and the
next thumbnail displayed is from the next interval (12:00:30-12:01:00). If there are recording
sequences that cover this interval, a placeholder thumbnail will appear instead.
In Sequence Search, a placeholder thumbnail appears if the retrieved thumbnail is more than three
seconds off compared with the requested time, for example the time when recording of the
sequence in question was triggered on the surveillance system.
You can still click a placeholder thumbnail to view video; it will take you to the first available
recording after the point in time represented by the placeholder thumbnail.
Go to latest sequences.
Note: Smart Search is based on motion metadata that is generated along with the motion-
recorded video. Your system administrator can enable or disable Smart Search for cameras on the
server, and can specify settings such as sensitivity, processing time, and detection methods. If
your search does not produce results, it may be that Smart Search is not enabled for the camera.
Contact your system administrator for more information.
Note: Smart Search functionality differs depending on the XProtect product that you are using. If
the following procedure does not match your product, see Search using the Smart Search pane
(see "Search for motion in recorded video in XProtect Professional VMS" on page 149).
To search for motion in recorded video, follow these steps:
If you are already viewing the camera feed that you want to search, on the view item
toolbar, click the Smart Search icon to open the Sequence Explorer window
with the Smart Search tab and camera selected.
Click the Sequence Explorer tab, and then click the Smart Search tab. You will have
to select the camera.
2. If the camera is not already selected, below the selection image click Select camera, and
then select the camera that recorded the video. The system displays an image from the
camera with a mask applied. Masked areas are excluded from the search. This helps make
the search results more precise.
Masked image
3. Under Period, use the time selector to specify a time-frame for the search.
4. Under Motion threshold, use the slider to specify how much motion to search for. Higher
thresholds require more motion and produce fewer search results, and lower thresholds
produce more.
5. To specify where to search, click the button, and then click and drag in the selection
image to unmask an area. For example, if you want to find out when someone entered a
room, select the area around the door. Repeat this step to unmask more areas.
Note: The selection image contains an invisible grid. When you unmask an area, what
you’re actually doing is clearing cells in the grid. If the area you unmask includes any
portion of a cell, the system unmasks the entire cell. The result can be that the system
unmasks slightly more of the image than you intended.
Tip: You can temporarily switch between mask and unmask modes by holding the CTRL
button. For example, if you unmask a larger area than you wanted, you can press the CTRL
button and then mask part of the selection without having to click the button. If you
want to clear all selections, click Reset.
6. After you select an area, the system displays the sequences where motion was detected
and plays the first sequence that was found. Use playback controls and toolbar options to
investigate the video.
Note: Smart Search functionality differs depending on the XProtect product you are using. If the
following steps do not match your product, see Search for motion in recorded video in XProtect
Advanced VMS.
2. On the Playback tab, expand the Smart Search pane, and then select the Show mask
check box. The system displays an image from the camera with a mask applied. Masked
areas are excluded from the search. This helps make the search results more precise.
Masked image
3. To specify where to search, click the button, and then click and drag in the image to
unmask the area. For example, to find out when someone entered a room, select the area
around the door. Repeat this step to unmask more areas. By default, the button is selected.
Note: The image contains an invisible grid. When you unmask an area, what you're actually
doing is clearing small cells in the grid. If the area you unmask includes any portion of a
cell, the system unmasks the entire cell. The result can be that you unmask slightly more of
the image than you intended.
Tip: To temporarily switch between mask and unmask modes, press and hold the CRTL
button. For example, if you unmask a larger area than you intended, you can press and
hold the CTRL button and then mask part of the selection without having to click the
button. If you want to clear all selections, click Reset.
4. In the Sensitivity list, specify how much motion to search for. Higher sensitivities require
more motion and produce fewer search results, and lower produce more.
5. In the Interval list, specify how often you want the system to select a frame to analyze
roles that can view, operate, or play back content for motion. For example, if you select 10
seconds, the system analyzes one frame every ten seconds. Selecting a long interval can
produce search results faster. However, the search may not find motion sequences that are
shorter than the interval. If you select All images, the system analyzes all frames.
6. Optional: Use the timeline to specify the time to start searching from. You can search
forward and backward in the recording.
7. To start the search, click Next to search forward in time, or Previous to search backward
in time. In the search results, the system highlights the areas where it detected motion.
Adjust time
You can set the time that you want Smart Search to search from. The preview image is shown from
the selected time.
You can also define a period to search within. The period is always based on the start time that you
have selected. To select a start time, you have two options:
Drag the timeline below the preview grid left or right to set the start time. Available
recordings are indicated with colors. You can also use the arrows to go to previous
or next frame.
Click the current time to access a calendar where you can specify a date and time.
Click Go To to set this time as start time.
A low threshold does not necessarily give more results. A high threshold does not necessarily give
less results.
Take a snapshot
As an alternative to exporting video evidence, you can take a quick snapshot of an image if you
want to save or share a still image. You can take a snapshot from the Live, Playback or Sequence
Explorer tab, or from a carousel, hotspot or the camera navigator.
To take a snapshot, on the camera toolbar of a selected camera, click the snapshot icon:
. When a snapshot is taken, the snapshot icon momentarily turns green.
You can view your snapshot, by browsing to the snapshot file location. Snapshot files are saved in
the default file location specified in Application options (see "Configuring your XProtect Smart
Client" on page 38).
If the image contains a privacy mask, this privacy mask is also applied to the snapshot image.
1: Playback date
2: Timeline time
3: Playback time
4: Time selection mode
The timeline
The timeline displays an overview of periods with recordings from all cameras displayed in your
current view. For example, the timeline is displayed on the Playback and Sequence Explorer
tabs, in independent playback mode, and when you add or edit bookmarks.
Two timelines are displayed in the timeline area (see "The timeline buttons and controls" on page
151). The upper timeline shows the selected camera’s recording periods and the lower one is for all
the cameras in the view including the selected camera. If you have linked floating windows, these
will also be included on the lower timeline.
Drag the timeline to the right to move backward in time; drag to the left to move forward in time.
You can also use the scroll wheel of your mouse to move the timeline backward and forward. To
zoom the range of the timeline so it increases or decreases the units of time, press CTRL and use
the scroll wheel at the same time.
The timeline is displayed in light-red to indicate recording, red for motion, light-green for incoming
audio, and green for outgoing audio. If there are additional sources of data available, these will be
shown as other colors. See Additional data (on page 155) and Additional markers (on page 156).
The Timeline time is indicated by a blue vertical line.
You can switch between a simple and an advanced timeline by toggling the Simple/Advanced
Timeline button in the bottom right corner. If you select the simple timeline, you only see the
shuttle slider, the time span slider, the Play Backward and Play Forward buttons and the Next
Image and Previous Image buttons.
The first time you open the XProtect Smart Client – Player, it opens in simple timeline mode.
On the timeline, to the far right, click the small question mark for a legend of color codes.
Dark gray indicates that there are no recordings for the time.
A dark checkerboard pattern indicates that no recordings have been requested and
therefore it is unknown whether there are recordings.
A light checkerboard pattern indicates that data has been requested for retrieval.
The timeline with dark checkerboard pattern where no recordings have been requested and therefore it is not known whether
there are recordings and the lighter checkerboard pattern where video has been requested for retrieval
Time selection
Click Set Start/End Time to jump to a specific point in time, by specifying the date and time.
Clicking Time selection mode lets you select a period of time by dragging the start and end
time indicators on the timeline (typically when you are exporting video (see "XProtect format
settings" on page 164)). Click again to see the timeline with no time selected.
Playback Speed
The playback speed slider lets you change the current playback speed. Move the slider to the left,
for slow motion, and to the right for fast motion. Click 1x for normal speed.
Playback buttons
Use the playback buttons to play back recordings:
Previous image: Moves to the image just before the one currently
viewed
Next image: Moves to the image just after the one currently viewed
Pause: When you click either Play backward in time or Play forward
in time, the button turns into a pause button. This lets you pause
playback without having to move your mouse pointer.
Shuttle slider: Lets you adjust the speed. Drag it to the right to
increase forward play speed. Drag to the left to increase backward play
speed.
To browse the video recordings, drag the timeline to the left or right.
Navigation buttons
Use the navigation buttons to navigate through recording sequences.
First sequence: Moves to the first image in the database for the
selected camera
Previous sequence: Moves to the first image in the previous
sequence
Next sequence: Moves to the first image in the following
sequence
Last sequence: Moves to the last image in the database for the
selected camera
Time span slider: Lets you specify the time span of playback in
the timeline
Time span
The time span slider lets you specify the time span of playback, independent playback, and
sequences (for example, 1 hour, 2 hours, or up to 4 weeks) of your recordings in the timeline.
Additional data
If you have additional data under Timelines enabled for the Smart Client profile and additional
sources are available, you will be able to see an additional layer in the timeline that designates the
defined data. This allows you to view additional data that is added by other sources.
The color and the name of the additional data are defined by the source. You can see these in the
legend.
Additional markers
If you have Additional markers under Timelines enabled for the Smart Client profile and
additional sources are available, you will be able to see additional markers in the timeline that
designate incidents provided by the source. These can appear as popups in the timeline.
The icon and the name of the additional markers are defined by the source. You can see these in
the legend.
Bookmarks
About bookmarks
The bookmark feature is only available for selected surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 12). Depending on your user rights, the ability to add bookmarks from some
cameras may be restricted. You may be able to view bookmarks even if you cannot add them, and
vice versa.
You can bookmark incidents in live or recorded video. A bookmark is essentially a small video clip.
When you bookmark an incident, the program automatically assigns it an ID and the user who
created it. Bookmarks are searchable, so you and other users can easily find them later. A
bookmark video clip typically contains video from a few seconds before and a few seconds after the
bookmarked incident (specified by the surveillance system administrator) to ensure that the
incident is recorded, regardless of any delays.
You can find and edit bookmarked video by using:
The Playback tab's Recording Search (see "Search recorded video" on page 139) pane
The bookmark has been deleted (users with sufficient rights can delete bookmarks from the
Playback tab's Recording Search (see "Search using the Recording Search pane" on page
143) pane or the Sequence Explorer).
Name Description
Although the bookmark time and the clip start and end time are
specified by the surveillance system administrator, you can
change these settings. To change the time, drag the indicators on
the timeline (see "Time navigation controls" on page 151) to the
required time.
The timeline Clip start time: The suggested start time of the bookmark clip
(a certain number of seconds before the bookmark time),
specified by the surveillance system administrator.
Bookmark time: The time in the video clip that you
bookmarked.
Clip end time: The suggested end time of the bookmark clip (a
certain number of seconds after the bookmark time), specified by
the surveillance system administrator.
Lets you specify a headline containing a maximum of 50
Headline
characters.
Description Lets you specify a description.
2. Click the bookmark icon . If you have specified that you can add details in the Settings
(see "Functions options" on page 41) window, the Bookmark window appears where you
can add a detailed description of the incident. The length of a bookmark clip is determined
on the surveillance system server, but you can change this by dragging the timeline
indicators.
Tip: Do not worry if it takes a while to enter the details for your bookmark; the XProtect
Smart Client remembers your bookmarks until you click Save (unless it takes several days
to create the bookmark and the video no longer exists on the surveillance system).
3. Click OK.
State: The state of the alarm indicates if someone has addressed the event. You can
change the state of the alarm. Typically, you would change the state from New to In
progress, and then later to On hold or Closed; but if required you can also change state
from, for example, On hold to New.
Assigned to: Lets you assign the alarm to a user in your organization, including yourself.
The person to whom you assign the alarm becomes the owner of the alarm, and will be
listed in the alarm list's Owner column.
Comment: Write comments and remarks that are added to the Activities section.
Comments typically relate to the actions you have taken. For example, “Suspect detained
by Security,” or “Suspect handed over to police,” or “False alarm.” The comments field
appears at the bottom of the window.
Activities: The activities summarize how you have handled the alarm. Any changes you or
your colleagues make to alarm state or priority, any reassigning of alarms between users as
well as any comments added will automatically be included in the Activities section.
Note: Depending on the configuration of the surveillance system server, the alarm can
contain instructions about what to do when receiving the alarm. The instructions are
defined on the server side as part of the alarm definition. When that is the case, the
activities are automatically displayed when you edit the alarm.
Print: Lets you print a report that contains information about the alarm, such as the alarm
history and a still image from the time of the alarm, if an image is available.
Acknowledge an alarm
To record that you have received an alarm, and that you will do something about it, right-
click the alarm and select Acknowledge. This will change the state of the alarm from New
to In progress. You can only acknowledge new alarms.
You can acknowledge multiple alarms simultaneously; press and hold down the CTRL key,
and then select the alarms you want to acknowledge.
Disable an alarm
If you know that certain activity is causing false alarms, you may want to disable alarms on this
type of activity for a period of time. This can make it hard for you to see the real alarms that you
need to address. For example, if there is a lot of movement around a particular camera and this is
generating several false alarms, you can disable alarms on motion detection for this camera for 10
minutes.
3. In the Disable alarms window, specify how long you want to disable the alarm.
Ignore an alarm
On a map, you can ignore an alarm for an element for a duration of time. For example, if a camera
is being repaired and therefore disconnected, you might want to ignore the error showing up on the
map during the repair. When you ignore an alarm on a map, this does not remove the alarm from
the alarm list, just the map.
Click the Report button to open the Alarm Report window, where you can view two
graphs representing one of the following predefined reports:
Category
State
Priority
Site
Response time
You can filter the interval of the report, so it displays alarms over a period of 24 hours, 7 days, 30
days, 6 months, or a year.
Select the categories, states, priorities, reasons for closing, sites, or response times to display in
each of the two graphs so you can compare these side by side. The graphs display the number of
alarms on the vertical axis and the time frame on the horizontal axis.
Filter alarms
There are several ways you can filter the alarm list, so it displays just the alarms or events that
you are interested in. You can click an element on a map to see only alarms associated with that
element, you can click a predefined filter in the Quick Filters pane, or you can define your own
custom filters.
To filter the alarm list's content:
1. In the toolbar of the alarm list, click the Custom (filter applied) or No filter text. The
text may differ depending on the filter selected.
2. Enter filter criteria on any of the columns you want to filter on. For example, if you enter a
user ID in the ID field, the list will only display alarms assigned to that particular user.
3. You can combine filters, for example State name and Owner (assigned to).
4. To return to the unfiltered alarm list, click the Clear filter button.
5. To sort the alarm list's content, in the alarm list, click the button at the top of the
column.
If your alarm handling views contain map content, you can also filter the alarm list by right-clicking
an element (camera, server, or similar) on the map, then selecting Show Alarms. This will make
the alarm list show only alarms from the selected element.
Events
An event is a predefined incident on the surveillance system that can be set up to trigger an alarm.
Events are either predefined system incidents or user-specified events (for example, analytics
events, generic events, or user-specified). Events are not necessarily linked to an alarm, but they
can be.
Typically, events are activated automatically and in the background (for example, as a result of
input from external sensors, detected motion or by data from other applications), but can also be
manually activated. Events are used by the surveillance system to trigger actions, such as starting
or stopping recording, changing video settings, activating output, or combinations of actions. When
you activate an event from your XProtect Smart Client, it automatically triggers actions on the
surveillance system, for example recording on a particular camera with a particular frame rate for a
particular period of time as well as sending of a mobile phone text message with a predefined
incident description to a particular security officer.
Your surveillance system administrator determines what happens when you manually activate an
event. Your surveillance system administrator may use the terms event buttons, user-defined
events or custom events for manually activated events.
Exporting evidence
Name Description
The program automatically fills this in with the local date and
Export name time, but you can rename it. The folder or disk that you save or
burn to inherits the export name.
Lists the items selected for export, for example video sequences.
For each item, you can change the time and date. If you click the
date, a calendar opens. Here, you can select a new date to view.
Click Go To to change date. You can change the start and stop
time of the item by using the time indicator underneath the
calendar.
Click an item to see a preview of the export clip in the preview
Item pane to the right of the Item list. If you select more items by
holding down the SHIFT or CTRL button and clicking extra items,
you get access to multiple previews. You can adjust the start and
stop time on the timeline for each preview.
You can delete an item from the Item list by clicking the red x
next to it. The red x appears when you hover over the item with
your mouse. If you want to split the item into two, click the split
icon. In the preview pane, you can edit the start and end time of
each item.
Use the Add item... button to select other items that you want to
Add Item include in the list for exporting. Use the Remove All button to
clear the list in the Item window.
Path - You can specify a path yourself (the field may suggest a
path for you). When you specify a path this way, the folders you
specify do not have to be existing ones. If they do not already
exist, they are created automatically.
Export destination
Media burner - Select a burner. You can specify a burner that
you want to send the export to. In this way, you create the
export and make sure it is written directly to an optical media in
one go.
Name Description
Click to set a privacy mask on the camera. This covers the area
that you select in a black area of solid color, so those parts of the
Privacy mask
image are not viewable. You cannot remove existing privacy
masks, you can only add new ones.
You can use privacy mask, the media player format, and still images only in the advanced mode.
Name Description
Name Description
Name Description
Select if you want to export video only, audio only, or both video
Select content
and audio.
Select format Select if you want to export video in AVI format or MKV format.
A video codec is a particular compression/decompression
technology used when generating video files. Your choice of codec
will affect the quality and size of the AVI file.
The list contains the video codecs available on your PC.
Codec You can change the codec, but we recommend that you keep the
default codec settings, unless you have a good reason to change
these.
The codec that you use must be similar on the computer that you
play the video clip from.
Select if you want to add the date and time from the surveillance
Include timestamps system to the exported images. The timestamp will be displayed
at the top of the exported video.
Select to reduce the frame rate for the export; every second
Reduce frame rate
image will be included, yet still play back in real-time.
Click to open the Video Texts window where you can create pre-
and post-texts for the AVI file. These texts will be added to all
Video texts
cameras for the export and displayed as still images before (Pre-
slides) and/or after (Post-slides) the video.
Important: When you perform an export in MKV format: if you have not used privacy masking in
video recorded in JPEG or MPEG-4/H.264/H.265 formats, no transcoding takes place on recorded
video in the export (the recorded video is kept in the original quality). In contrast, if you have used
privacy masking or have recorded video using any other codec (for example MxPEG or MPEG-4
short header mode), recorded video is transcoded into JPEG in the export.
Name Description
Select if you want to add the date and time from the surveillance
Include timestamps system to the exported images. The timestamp will be displayed
at the top of the exported video.
If you want to export a storyboard (on page 167), you can select multiple sequences that
you set individual start and end time on.
2. To the right of the timeline, click Export > Export... to open the Export window.
If you want to add additional items to the one you have selected and they contain relevant
video data, you can include these in the export by using the Add item... button to select
them. You can also change your selection in the Export window.
3. In the Export name field, enter a name for the export. The system automatically creates a
name with the current date and time. You can change the name.
4. Specify a path and/or media burner for the destination of the export.
5. Click the relevant tab to select one or more of the following formats to export to:
XProtect format - Export in a Milestone XProtect database format, with the option to
include the XProtect Smart Client – Player along with the export. You must use XProtect
Smart Client – Player to view videos that you export in this format. Other media players
will not work.
Media player format - Export a file in a format that most media players can play. This
requires that a media player is installed on the computer that will play the video
Still images - Export a still image file for each frame for the selected period.
6. If you selected XProtect format, and you want the receiver of the export to be able to
verify that the exported evidence has not been tampered with, select the Include digital
signature check box. This will enable the Verify Signatures button in the XProtect Smart
Client – Player.
7. Specify settings (see "About the settings in the Export window" on page 163) for the format
you have chosen. Based on these settings, the program estimates and then displays the
size of the export in the bar at the bottom of the window.
If the video contains items or information that you do not want to be visible in the export,
you can add a privacy mask to hide those areas in the video. For more information, see
Mask areas in a recording during export (on page 168).
Export a storyboard
If you want to export a number of items that make up a storyboard (see "About exporting
storyboards" on page 166), follow these instructions:
1. On the Playback tab, in the timeline, click the Time Selection Mode button.
2. For each item that you want to export, select the start and end time (see "Time selection"
on page 154) and then click Export > Add to export list. This adds each item to the list of
exports without opening the Export window. Repeat until you have added all items that
you need for your storyboard.
3. To the right of the timeline, click Export > Export to open the Export window. All selected
items are displayed in the Item list, ready for export.
Click Add item to add additional items. Click Delete All to clear the list.
4. In the Export name field, enter a name for the export. The program automatically creates
a name with the current date and time. You can change the name.
5. Specify a path and/or media burner for the destination of the export.
7. Specify the necessary settings (see "About the settings in the Export window" on page 163)
for the format you have chosen. Based on these settings, the program estimates the size of
the export and displays this in the bar at the bottom of the window.
If you want to make changes or add more items later, click Cancel. When asked if you
want to remove the selected export items, click No. This ensures that your list of export
items is available in the Export window when you open it again.
1. On the Playback tab, to the right of the timeline, click Export > Export to open the
Export window with an empty Item list.
2. Click Add item to add the items, for example cameras, that you want to add to the export
list.
3. Click each export item and then specify its start and end time in the preview pane to the
right of the list. Repeat for all items in the list.
4. In the Export name field, enter a name for the export. By default, the system uses the
current date and time. You can change the name.
7. Specify the necessary settings (see "About the settings in the Export window" on page 163)
for the format you have chosen. Based on these settings, the program estimates and
displays the size of the export at the bottom of the window.
Note: If the video contains items or information that you do not want to be visible in the
export, you can add a privacy mask to hide those areas in the video. For more information,
see Mask areas in a recording during export (on page 168).
Note: If you want to make changes or add more items later, click Cancel. When asked if
you want to remove the selected export items, click No. This ensures that your list of
export items is available in the Export window when you open it again.
Note: Privacy masks affect only the video that you export. The original video is not masked.
To mask one or more areas in the recording, follow this step:
Click the button, and then drag the pointer over the area that you want to mask. To
mask more areas, repeat this step.
Note: The preview image contains an invisible grid. When you add a privacy mask, what you’re
actually doing is selecting cells in the grid. If the area you select includes any portion of a cell, the
system masks the entire cell. The result can be that the system masks slightly more of the image
than you intended.
Tip: You can temporarily switch between mask and unmask modes by pressing the CRTL button
while you make a selection. For example, if you added a mask but the selected area is larger than
you want, you can press the CTRL button and then unmask part of the selection without having to
click the button.
To unmask part of a privacy mask, follow this step:
Click the button, and then drag the pointer over the area of the mask that you want to
unmask. Repeat this step for each part to unmask.
To remove all privacy masks, follow this step:
Click Reset.
Tip: If you just want to view the image without masks applied, click and hold the Hide
mask button. The mask reappears when you release the button.
Evidence lock
2. In the timeline, click the Time Selection Mode or the Set Start/End Time button.
3. Select the start and end time for the video sequences you want to protect from deletion.
4. Select one or more cameras that have video sequences and data from related devices that
you want to protect.
5. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select Create.
6. In the Create Evidence lock window, give the evidence lock a headline and optionally add
a description.
8. Click Remove or Remove All to remove cameras from the evidence lock.
9. You can adjust the time interval and define for how long you want to keep the evidence
protected. See Evidence lock settings (on page 172) for more information.
11. A window shows if your evidence lock was created successfully. Click Details to see what
went well and what did not. See Evidence lock status messages (on page 173) for more
information.
2. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select View.
3. If you want to stay on the Live tab instead of the Playback tab, click the Status button
on the application toolbar and select Evidence Lock List. A list appears with the existing
evidence locks with devices that you have user rights to.
4. Search for text in the headlines and descriptions, sort the different columns and/or use the
filter options to make it easier to find the wanted evidence lock. See Filter evidence locks
(see "Evidence lock filters" on page 173) for more information.
5. Select an evidence lock and click Details to see the cameras included in the evidence lock
and other information. See Evidence lock settings (on page 172) for more information.
If you want to stay on the Live tab instead of selecting the Playback tab:
Click the Status button on the application toolbar and select Evidence Lock List.
1. Select an evidence lock and click Details. A window with the same options as when you
create a new evidence lock opens. See Evidence lock settings (on page 172) for more
information.
2. Depending on your user rights, you can make the interval of the evidence lock longer or
shorter, keep the evidence locked for a longer or shorter period and add or remove
cameras.
4. A window shows if the update was successful. Click Details to see what went well and what
did not. See Evidence lock status messages (on page 173) for more information.
2. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select View.
3. If you want to stay on the Live tab instead of the Playback tab, click the Status button
on the application toolbar and select Evidence Lock List. A list appears with the existing
evidence locks with devices that you have user rights to.
4. Select an evidence lock and click Play back. A new window opens and you can see a view
with all the cameras in the evidence lock.
5. Use one of the timeline features to go to a specific time or simply click Play Forward.
2. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select View.
3. If you want to stay on the Live tab instead of the Playback tab, click the Status button
on the application toolbar and select Evidence Lock List.
5. The Export window opens. Define your settings. See The Export window (see "About the
settings in the Export window" on page 163) for more information.
See also
If I export an evidence lock, what is included in the export?
2. To the right of the timeline, click Evidence Lock and select View.
3. If you want to stay on the Live tab instead of the Playback tab, click the Status button
5. A window shows if the deletion was successful. Click Details to see what went well and
what did not. See Evidence lock status messages (on page 173) for more information.
Filter your evidence locks based on the start time of the interval
Lock interval they are protected in. Available options are today, yesterday, last
7 days and all.
Filter your evidence locks based on when they were created.
Available options are today, yesterday, last 7 days, all and
Created
custom interval. If you select custom interval, you select the start
and end date in a calendar.
Filter your evidence locks based on when they expire. Available
options are today, tomorrow, next 7 days, all and custom
Expiry date
interval. If you select custom interval, you select the start and
end date in a calendar.
Users Filter for evidence locks created by all users or just by you.
Filter for evidence locks with data from any camera or select one
Cameras
or more cameras that must be included in the evidence locks.
Scenarios:
All the recording servers with devices
If the creation, update or deletion of included in the evidence lock are
an evidence lock is not successful, a offline.
failed message is shown and the
progress bar is red. Click Details to The management server is offline.
Failed see what went wrong.
Only for update and deletion: You do
Result: not have user rights to one or more
devices in the evidence lock.
The evidence lock is not
created/updated/deleted. Solution:
Depending on scenario. Try again later or
contact your system administrator.
Print evidence
You can print single still images or whole views from recorded video in several ways. When you
print, the image is automatically included in a surveillance report, in which you can include notes
about the recorded incident.
You can also print information about alarms if your organization uses the alarm handling features.
Print a surveillance report
1. Select the relevant camera, view, or bookmark that you want to print as part of a
surveillance report.
3. Move your mouse over the image and in the menu that appears on the camera's toolbar,
click the Print icon . If you want to print a bookmark, on the Sequence Explorer tab, in
the preview toolbar for the bookmark, click the Print icon .
The Surveillance Report appears displaying a preview of the image as well as information
about:
Camera name
Print time
the bookmark ID
time details
bookmark headline
Tip: If you used digital zoom on the image, only the area on which you have zoomed in will
be printed.
Optional: If you want to change or verify paper size, source and orientation for the
printout, in the Surveillance Report window, click Page Setup to open the Page Setup
window.
When ready, click OK to return to the XProtect Smart Client Surveillance Report window.
If you want to preview the report, click Preview.
1. On the Playback tab, in the timeline, click the Time Selection Mode button to select
the start and end time (see "Time selection" on page 154) of the sequence you want to
retrieve data for.
2. To the right of the toolbar, click Retrieve to open the Retrieval window.
You can view the progress of your retrieval jobs in the Status window (see "The Status
dialog box" on page 37) by clicking the Status button on the Application toolbar.
To stop a retrieval job that is in progress, either click Stop in the notification area at the
top of the workspace area, or in the Status window, next to the job that is in progress.
Extend
XProtect add-on products are separate software components that extend your video management
system with extra value and functionality. For example, if you use XProtect Transact you can link
transaction data from cash registers with video to optimize retail operations, allowing you to use
your video system for more than just security matters.
General properties, such as the name of the Smart Wall, and whether it displays status
text, a title bar, or a live indicator.
Presets that control the layout of the display, and the default cameras that it shows video
from.
The user roles that can view, operate and add content, or play back content, and when they
can do so.
Events that can be combined with rules to trigger system actions, such as displaying an
alarm or content.
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If you want to change any of these settings of behaviors, talk to your system administrator.
Note: User rights can prevent cameras from displaying video on your Smart Wall.
To view content on a Smart Wall, follow these steps:
1. In the Views pane, expand Smart Walls, expand the Smart Wall folder, and then select
the monitor.
2. Depending on what you want to do, click either the Live or Playback tabs.
You are setting up a video wall for the first time, and want to display content in full-screen
on the monitors.
If you aren't located in the same room as the video wall, and you want to see what it's
showing while you work on other tasks.
If you want to work in Smart Client while you monitor a situation on your Smart Wall. For
example, you might want to investigate the situation on the Playback tab, or take a
snapshot of the suspect.
The following table describes ways to view Smart Wall content in a separate window or secondary
display.
Option Description
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At the top of your Smart Wall view item, click the icon, select Send View To, and then
select the display option.
Note: To work with recorded video on the Playback tab, the Playback permission must be
granted to the user role that you are assigned to. If you do not have this permission and you try to
make a change, for example by moving the timeline slider, the system automatically disconnects
you from the shared view. To return to the shared view, click Reconnect Smart Wall monitor.
Hover the pointer over a tile. The number of the tile changes to an icon, such as a camera,
that indicates the type of content
Note: The toolbar in the Preview window provides options for printing the content, or
sending it to another Smart Wall.
To add a Smart Wall overview to a view, follow these steps:
1. Click Setup.
Tip: Views that contain wide layouts are good for displaying Smart Wall content. For
example, the bottom of the 1+1+2 view provides a wide position. The 1×3 view can contain
three Smart Walls at the same time.
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3. In the System Overview pane, drag the Smart Wall overview to the position in the view
where you want to work with it.
5. In the Smart Wall menu, select the Smart Wall that you want to work with.
1. On the Live or Playback tab, in the Views pane, select the view that contains the Smart
Wall overview.
In the Cameras pane, drag the camera to a tile in your Smart Wall overview.
Note: The Cameras pane groups cameras by server . A red icon indicates that a
server is not available, and you cannot select cameras from that server.
Tip: You can also drag cameras from maps in other displays, such as floating windows or
secondary displays.
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1. On the Live or Playback tab, in the Views pane, select the view that contains the Smart
Wall overview.
In the Cameras pane, drag the camera to a tile in your Smart Wall overview.
Note: The Cameras pane groups cameras by server . A red icon indicates that a
server is not available, and you cannot select cameras from that server.
Tip: You can also drag cameras from maps in other displays, such as floating windows or
secondary displays.
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Display an image
You can display static images on your Smart Wall. For example, this is useful when you want to
share a snapshot of a suspect, or a diagram of emergency exits.
If you are sharing an image with users or Smart Walls that cannot access the network location of
the image file, you can embed the image by clicking Embed on the Properties pane. When you
embed an image it is stored in Smart Client, and the connection to the original file location is
removed. If you remove or replace an embedded image from a Smart Wall and want to display it
again, you must add the image file to the Smart Wall again.
Tip: If you want to share floor plans or maps, consider using the Map feature (see "Maps" on page
104). The Map feature is available only for certain surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 12).
The procedures in this topic assume that you have already added a Smart Wall overview to a view.
For more information, see Start working with a Smart Wall (on page 179).
To display an image on a Smart Wall, follow these steps:
2. In Smart Client, on the Navigation pane, select the view that contains your Smart Wall
overview.
3. Drag the image file to the tile in the overview where you want to display the image.
Note: When you drag an image to the Smart Wall overview, the system automatically
embeds the image and the Properties pane is not available.
To display an image on more than one Smart Wall, follow these steps:
1. Select the view that contains your Smart Wall overview, and then click Setup.
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2. In the System Overview pane, drag the Image item to a position in the view.
3. Select the image file that you want to add, and then click Open.
Note: When you add an image to a view, the system resizes the image to fit the position.
This can distort the image. To avoid distortion, in the Properties pane for images, select
the Maintain image aspect ratio check box.
5. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it. Repeat this step to send the image to each
Smart Wall.
1. On the Live or Playback tab, roll the mouse over the view item that is showing the
footage.
2. On the view item toolbar, click the Create Snapshot icon . The system saves the image
to the location specified in Application options (on page 39).
3. To display the snapshot, drag the snapshot from the folder to a tile in the Smart Wall
overview.
Send a video clip or still image from a bookmark to a monitor in a Smart Wall
When you send a video clip or still image from a bookmark to a Smart Wall, details about the
bookmark are included. The details include the bookmark heading, the start and end times of day,
the moment the bookmark was made, and the user who made it. You can view bookmark details
by hovering the mouse pointer over the name of the camera.
To send a video clip or still image from a bookmark to a Smart Wall, follow these steps:
1. On the Live or Playback tabs, select the monitor to send the bookmark from.
4. Click Display on Smart Wall, point to the Smart Wall, then the monitor, and then click the
tile where you want to display the video or image.
5. Depending on whether you want to send a video clip or still image, do one of the following:
To send a still image, select the Send still image only check box, and then click OK.
1. Click Setup.
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2. On the System Overview pane, drag the Text content to the view.
Paste text that you copied from an external text editor, for example Microsoft Word or
WordPad, by right-clicking and choosing Paste.
Apply basic formatting to the text, such as font types, sizes, and colors.
4. To save your text and start displaying it, click Save. If you want to change your text after
you save it, you can open the Text Editor again from the Properties pane by clicking Edit.
Notes:
Resizing the Text Editor window changes the size of the text. Content added to view items is
resized to fit the view item when it is displayed.
You can insert tables from products such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, but you cannot
make changes to the tables. For example, you cannot resize rows, or add or remove them.
Additionally, to accommodate for XProtect Smart Clients dark and light themes, the system tries to
change the color format of light or dark texts. If your text is not visible, apply a different color
format to the text.
Note: When you send text to a Smart Wall, only the original text displays. That is, if you edit the
text in the view, the change does not display on the Smart Wall.
To display text on more than one Smart Wall, follow these steps:
1. Perform the steps described earlier in this topic for adding text to a view item.
2. After you save, click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the
monitor, and then select the position on the monitor. Repeat this step to send the text to
each Smart Wall.
To display the text on one Smart Wall, follow these steps:
Note: The steps in this procedure require that your text editor supports drag and drop operations.
If your text editor does not, use the previous procedure in this section to send the text to the
Smart Wall.
1. In XProtect Smart Client, on the Navigation pane, select the view that contains your Smart
Wall overview.
2. In your text editor, enter the text that you want to display, and then select it. If the text
already exists, just select it.
3. Drag the text to the tile in the overview where you want to display it.
4. In the Text Editor, review the text, and make any changes required.
5. To save your text and start displaying it, click Save. If you want to change your text after
you save it, you can open the Text Editor again from the Properties pane by clicking Edit.
Display an alarm, or a list of alarms on your Smart Wall
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You can display the Alarm List and one or more individual alarms on a Smart Wall. For example,
sharing a list of alarms provides an overview of multiple incidents that people should address.
Sharing an individual alarm can focus attention on one particular incident.
1. On the Views pane, select the view where you want to add the Alarm List, and then click
Setup.
2. On the System Overview pane, expand Alarms, and then drag the Alarm List overview
to a view item.
4. To send the alarm list to a Smart Wall, on the view item toolbar, click More, Send to
Smart Wall, and then select the Smart Wall, the monitor, and the tile where you want to
display the list.
Tip: Alternatively, if the view contains your Smart Wall overview, you can drag the Alarm
List directly to a tile in your Smart Wall overview instead.
The name and video feed from the device that triggered the alarm, and all devices that are
related to it
You can view additional details and change some settings for the alarm by clicking the
arrow in the upper right part of the position in the view. The details are as follows:
The person the alarm is assigned to, its priority, and the state of the alarm. You can
change these if you want to
The source, or what triggered the alarm, such as when a camera detects motion or an
analytics event occurs
Activities. These are comments that users entered. Typically, they indicate decisions or
actions related to the alarm. Additionally, when someone changes the details of the
alarm, the system adds the changes to the list of activities
If you were recording video when the event occurred, you can view the video of the
moment the alarm was triggered by clicking the Playback tab, and then Go To Alarm
Time
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Note: The view item toolbar that automatically displays when you hover the pointer over a view
item covers the scrollbar, and you cannot scroll to view the details. To view the additional details in
the view item, while the pointer is outside the view item, press and hold the CTRL key and then
use the scrollbar.
To display an individual alarm, follow these steps:
2. In the Alarm List, drag the alarm to the tile in your Smart Wall overview.
Note: To send an individual alarm, you must drag it to the Smart Wall. If you use the More
menu, you add the entire list.
Add an HTML page to a view or Smart Wall
You can add HTML pages to views and Smart Walls. For example, this is useful for displaying
instructions, company web pages, Internet map services, collections of links, e-learning pages, and
so on.
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, click and drag the HTML Page item to the
view.
3. In the Open URL window's Open field, enter the location of the required HTML page
(example: http://www.mywebsite.com/mywebpage.htm).
- or -
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If the HTML page is stored locally on your computer, specify its location on your computer
(example: C:\myfiles\mywebpage.htm), or click Browse... to browse for the required HTML
page.
4. Click OK.
After you add an HTML page to a view, you can specify properties for the page:
1. In setup mode, select the imported HTML page in the view. In the Properties pane,
change the necessary properties.
URL: Click New to specify a new URL or location of the HTML page.
Scaling: Select the scaling of the HTML page. The optimal scaling depends entirely on
the content of the imported HTML page and how you want to display it.
As a rule, with a high scaling value, e.g. 1280×1024, text on the HTML page will appear
relatively small, and a considerable amount of content will be visible without the need
for scrolling. With a low scaling value, e.g. 320×200, text on the HTML page will appear
relatively large, and a relatively small amount of content can be displayed without the
need for scrolling.
Enable HTML scripting: Only select this feature if the HTML page is a custom-made
HTML page for navigating or triggering features inside the XProtect Smart Client itself
(see examples of custom-made HTML pages in Use an HTML Page for Navigation (on
page 83)).
If selected, a client script required for navigating and controlling a number of features
inside the XProtect Smart Client will be added to the HTML page. For HTML pages which
are not going to be used for such purposes, the client script cannot be used, and may
even cause the HTML page to malfunction.
Hide toolbar: By default, a simple navigation bar is inserted above each imported
HTML page. The navigation bar has the following five buttons: Back, Forward,
Refresh, Home and Print:
If you do not want the navigation bar, you can hide it by selecting Hide toolbar.
When an imported HTML page contains links, we recommend that the links have the
target='blank' attribute (example: <a href=" otherwebpage.htm" target="blank">Link</a>).
This makes the links open in separate windows, which will help you avoid losing view of the
XProtect Smart Client window when a link opens a web page in the same browser as the XProtect
Smart Client .
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2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
1. Click Setup.
Tip: To get the most out of the camera navigator and to be able to see the camera views in
the pane on the right, select a 1 x 1 view.
2. From the System Overview pane, drag the Camera Navigator to your view.
3. In the Select Home Map and Camera window, select the map that you want to base your
navigation on.
4. Click the camera that you want to select as the default camera whenever you open the
Camera Navigator, and then click OK.
Note: When you send a camera navigator to a Smart Wall, the navigator uses only the original
settings. That is, if you select a different camera in the view, the Smart Wall does not display the
change.
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the camera
navigator to a tile in the overview.
Add a hotspot to a view
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, click and drag the Hotspot item to the
required position in the view.
Tip: Note that the position now displays a hotspot icon: to indicate that it is a hotspot.
2. Specify the properties for the hotspot (see "Hotspot settings" on page 90) in the
Properties pane. To save bandwidth, you can specify a low image quality for the other
positions in your view and a high quality for the hotspot.
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2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the hotspot to
a tile in the overview.
Add a carousel to a view
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, click and drag the Carousel item to the
position in the view.
2. In the Carousel Setup window, on the left, click to expand the servers and then click to
select the camera you want to include in the carousel. Click Add. Repeat for each camera
you want to include in the carousel.
If a server has a red icon , it is unavailable, in which case you will not be able to view a
list of cameras from that server.
3. To determine the sequence the cameras appear in the carousel, in the Selected cameras
list, select the camera and move up or down.
4. Enter the number of seconds each camera appears in the carousel. You can specify a value
for all cameras, or for each camera.
To change settings for the carousel, click Setup, and in the Properties pane, click
Carousel Setup to open the Carousel Setup window.
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the carousel
to a tile in the overview.
Add a map to a view or Smart Wall
You can add existing maps or create new ones.
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, drag the Map item to a position in the
view.
2. In the Map Setup window that appears, select either Create new map or Use existing
map.
A triangle next to a map name indicates that the map might have one or more sub-maps.
Sub-maps and the elements they contain are also added.
3. In the Name field, enter a name for the map. The name will be displayed in the map
position's title bar.
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Tip: If you leave the Name field blank and click Browse..., the Name field displays the
name of the image file you select.
6. Click OK.
2. Click More, Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall setup, select the monitor, and
then select the tile where you want to display it.
Tip: Alternatively, if your view contains a Smart Wall overview, you can drag the map to a
tile in the overview.
Tip: Before you replace the content on your Smart Wall overview, it's a good idea to double-check
what the tile is displaying. You can do this by moving the pointer over the occupied tile. The tile
displays an icon to indicate the type of content that it is displaying.
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Note: Other users can manually change the content on a Smart Wall, and the content can change
according to a schedule or rules. This means that the content that you remove can reappear later.
To permanently prevent content from displaying, contact your system administrator.
To remove the Smart Wall overview from a view, follow these steps.
1. On the Views pane, select the view that contains the Smart Wall, and then click Setup.
2. In the view item that contains the Smart Wall overview, click the icon.
Note: This clears only the view. The tiles in the Smart Wall overview continue to display
content on the Smart Wall.
To stop displaying all content on a Smart Wall, follow this step:
At the top of the Smart Wall overview for the monitor that you want to clear, click the
icon and select Clear View.
To remove content from a specific tile in the Smart Wall overview, follow this step:
In the Smart Wall overview, right-click the tile that you want to clear and select Remove
from View.
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Tip: Before you replace the content on your Smart Wall overview, it's a good idea to double-check
what the tile is displaying. You can do this by moving the pointer over the occupied tile. The tile
displays an icon to indicate the type of content that it is displaying.
If you want to apply a different preset, use the Select preset menu.
Note: Other users can change the preset manually, or rules can change it automatically.
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Why don't my monitors display the layout that I specified for my Smart
Wall?
Typically, this occurs because your system administrator did not activate the preset for the
monitor. Ask your system administrator to verify that the preset is active in Management Client.
Why can't I drag an item, for example a camera, to a view? When I click
the item, nothing happens
This is a known issue in Microsoft Windows that can also occur in XProtect Smart Wall. The
workaround is press ESC one time, and the drag functionality should work again.
I have added the Alarm List to a view item, but I can't use the scroll bar
to view details
This is a known issue in XProtect Smart Wall. To use the scrollbar, position the pointer outside the
view item, and then press and hold the CTRL key. This prevents the view item's toolbar from
covering the scrollbar. You can now move the pointer into the view item and use the scrollbar.
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3 The timeline
7 Zoom in or out
Click Setup to make changes to a view or your application settings and save these to your
project.
Your user settings, including information about your views, are stored as part of a project.
Passwords
You can assign passwords to a project, for example, so only people with permission can view a
video. You can also assign passwords to devices when you export them. To avoid having to keep
track of several database passwords, you can assign a single password to the overall project. If
you do not assign an overall password and you have databases with passwords added to your
project, you will be asked to enter a password for each database when you open the project. If you
assign a password to a project, you cannot delete it. However, you can change the password or
create a new identical project in the Project pane:
Click New Project and then click Open Database to start the Open Database wizard
and add the relevant devices.
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Click Open Database , to open the Open Database wizard. You can rename and
delete devices from a project by clicking Rename or Delete .
When you delete a device, this does not delete the actual database files associated with the device,
it just removes them from the project.
Link Audio
You can link audio to a device:
Click Link Audio to Camera to have associated audio automatically selected when you
view recorded video for a particular camera.
WARNING: Do not attempt to open a live database or live archive—this can damage your system.
Select the folder containing the relevant files. When you select a database, the name of the device
appears next to the Camera, Microphone, or Speaker field. If the system cannot identify a
camera, for example, if you open archived recordings, the name will be Unknown and all three
types of devices will be added as Unknown devices (even if they don't exist) with the database file
name assigned. If there is no device, the field contains N/A.
You can also see whether or not the database contains signatures. You can verify the database
when it is added to the project (see the following section).
If the database you are trying to open is corrupted, the wizard can repair it.
whether the video has been modified after it was recorded. The recording server creates a
digital signature for the recording. Later when you view exported video in XProtect Smart
Client - Player, you can compare the recording signature with the one that was originally
created by the recording server.
whether video that you export in XProtect Smart Client has been modified after it was
exported. During the export process, XProtect Smart Client creates a signature for the
export file. Later when you review the exported evidence in XProtect Smart Client - Player,
you can compare the export signature with the one that was created during the export.
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If - during the comparison - you find that there is a discrepancy, there is reason to question the
reliability of the video evidence.
The original digital signatures are contained in PublicKey.xml and Public Key Certificate.xml
files in these locations:
Note: Digital signatures are available only for XProtect Advanced VMS.
In Management Client, signing has been turned on for the recording server.
In XProtect Smart Client, during the export process, the XProtect format and Include
digital signature check boxes were selected.
Steps:
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1. On the toolbar, click the Verify Signatures button. The Manual verification window
appears. Here you can see the devices selected for the export.
2. Click Verify to start the verification process. The system checks the authenticity of the
recording signature and the export signature.
3. To verify that you can rely on the verification of the recording signature:
1. In the Recording signatures column, click the Verified link. The Certificates
dialog appears.
2. Compare the value of the public_key and signature with the corresponding values in
the PublicKey.xml file (C:\Program Files\Milestone\Management
Server\Tools\CertificateIssuer). If the values differ, the recording has been
modified.
4. To verify that you can rely on the verification of the export signature:
1. In the Export signatures column, click the Verified link. The Certificates dialog
appears.
2. Compare the value of the public_key and signature with the corresponding values in
the Public Key Certificate.xml file (<export destination folder>\<export
name>\Client Files\Data\Mediadata\<camera name>\<camera
name>\Export signatures). If the values differ, the export material has been
modified.
A database can be verified, partially verified (if some of the files have not had signatures
attached), or not signed.
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XProtect Access
You can use XProtect Access with access control systems from vendors where a vendor-specific
plug-in for XProtect Access exists.
XProtect Access integrates events from one or more access control systems with the features of the
XProtect video management software. The incidents from an access control system generates
events in the XProtect system.
On the Live tab, you can monitor access control events in real time from the cameras
associated with a door (see "Viewing live video of access control events" on page 199). In
setup mode, you can customize your Access Monitor view items with overlay buttons (see
"Customize your view" on page 201). In a map view item you can drag Access Control units
onto the map (see "Monitor doors via maps" on page 201).
On the Access Control tab, you can view and investigate events, door states, or
cardholders (see "Investigating access control events" on page 202). You can search or
filter on events and review any related footage. You can create a report of the events for
exporting.
When a person requests access and if your system is configured for it, a separate
notification pops up with a list of related information next to the camera feed (see "Working
with access request notifications" on page 206). You can trigger access control commands,
such as locking and unlocking of doors. Available commands depend on your system
configuration.
1. On the Live (see "The Live tab" on page 30) tab, in setup mode, select the view you
want to use for access control monitoring.
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2. In the System Overview pane, click Access Monitor and drag it to a view item.
3. In the Access Monitor Settings (on page 200) dialog box that appears, specify the
settings. Once you have selected a door, you can keep the default settings or change them
if needed.
When an access control incident occurs that triggers an event, it appears in the right side of
the view item.
Name Description
Select the door you want to view access control events from.
Door When you select a door, the remaining settings in the dialog box
appear with their current values.
Select the type of access control sources that you want to receive
events from. The list can contain, for example, doors or specific
access points for a door. An access point is a point of entry,
Sources including its associated physical devices such as card readers,
keypads, sensors or buttons. A door has typically two access
points that control entry and exit through the door respectively.
The list of sources is configured by your system administrator.
Select the camera from which you want to show video related to
this door. By default, the system lists the cameras that your
Camera
system administrator has associated with the selected door, but
you can also select another camera in your system.
Select the type of events you want to receive. You can select
events from the event categories defined by your XProtect
Events
system administrator or from the list of events defined in your
access control system.
Select the command buttons that you want to have available in
Commands the access monitor, for example, lock and unlock doors. The list
of commands depends on your system configuration.
1. Click Setup and select the view item you want to modify.
3. In the Access Monitor Settings (on page 200) dialog box that appears, specify the
settings.
4. Click OK to close the dialog box and then Setup to return to live viewing.
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Have direct access to command buttons in view items other than access monitors.
Add other command buttons than those specified in Access Monitor Settings (on page 200).
To add overlay buttons:
1. On the Live tab, click Setup and select the view item you want to modify.
3. Locate the command you want to add and drag it to your view item.
The overlay button appears when you drag the mouse over the view item.
1. On the Live tab, in setup mode, expand the System Overview pane.
4. From the map toolbox that appears, click Add Access Control.
5. In the list that appears, drag the relevant access control unit, for example a door, onto the
map. A door icon appears on the map.
7. When a person requests access, the door unlocks. The door unlocks because someone
grants access via a command button on the access request notification or even on the map
itself. Once the access is granted, the door icon turns green and appear as an open door.
8. When the door is locked again, automatically or manually, the door icon turns red and
appear as a closed door.
9. You can right-click the door icon to, for example, trigger commands.
Since the state of the access control units are always visible, a map (see "Maps" on page
104) used in this way is a quick way to get a graphical overview of the states of the access
control units for the area or building you are monitoring.
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Lists
You can filter, sort and review data related to:
Events: Logs the events with a time stamp, event type, the associated door or access
control unit, and cardholder name if available. If your XProtect system integrates with
multiple access control systems, the list displays from which access control system the
event was triggered.
Doors: Lists the doors, access points and other access control units in each access control
system, and their current state.
Cardholders: Lists the cardholders in each access control system and their details.
You can combine filters (for example, for a particular cardholder on a certain date). You can also
right-click any value in a column and you instantly filter data by that value.
You can use the search field to search for a particular cardholder.
Unless you select Live Update, the list only displays data from the time you searched or filtered. If
you want to see the latest data, click the Refresh icon.
2. Click any of the filters at the top of the list and specify the criteria.
3. Alternatively you can right-click a specific time, event, source or cardholder within the list
and filter using that value.
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Select one of the available periods to see data for that particular
period. For example, click Today to see only events that took place
today or use the custom interval to specify a particular period.
Time If you select Live update, the list of events is updated instantly if
new events occur that meet the filter criterion. The list displays
maximum 100 events. You cannot search for cardholders when you
work in live update mode (see "Switch to or from live update mode
of the Events list" on page 204).
Select one or more of the available event types directly from the list
Event of event categories and uncategorized events or select between
specific access control events.
Select one or more of the available sources directly from the list of
doors or select between other sources (for example access points or
Source
controllers from the access control system) to view only events for
those units.
If your XProtect system integrates with multiple access control
Access Control System systems, select from which access control system you want to view
events.
To allow for optimum performance, the lists only display a maximum of 100 rows at a time. To
browse to the previous/next 100 rows, use the arrow buttons in the top right of the list:
.
When you select an event, the preview on the right lets you view the related video sequence for
the event. The preview camera title bar shows the camera related to the unit that triggered the
event.
If you have multiple cameras associated with a door, they all appear in the preview.
Related cardholder information appears below the video preview together with details about
the selected event.
Click to view live video or play back recorded video in a floating window.
If the event count is very high, you will receive a recommendation to refine the search and
thereby reduce the number of search results.
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Report name.
Report destination.
A comment field.
5. In the top right corner, click Details and in the dialog box that appears, click Open.
2. In the dropdown list of the filter where you usually select a period, select Live Update.
Next to the search field, you see that you have changed mode and the list is updated
instantly when an event that meets the filter criterion occurs.
When you work in live update mode, you cannot search for cardholders and you cannot
create an access report.
3. To switch back from the live update mode, filter on a new period.
2. Click any of the filters at the top of the list and specify the criteria.
3. You can combine the filters or type your criteria in the search field to search for doors.
4. Alternatively you can right-click a door or a state within the list and filter using that value.
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Select one or more of the available states directly from the list of
state categories and uncategorized states or select between
State specific access control states.
Another way that you can monitor the door states for your surveillance area is by adding doors to a
map (see "Monitor doors via maps" on page 201).
When you select a door in the list, the associated camera shows live video on the right-hand side of
the screen together with detailed information.
If you have multiple cameras associated with a door, they all appear in the preview.
Action buttons allow you to perform certain commands related to that door, for example
lock/unlock door. Available commands depend on your system configuration.
Information related to the selected door appears below the live video preview.
Click to view live video or play back recorded video in a floating window.
Investigating cardholders
The Cardholders list provides a list of the cardholders in each access control system and their
details. This is useful if you, for example, need detailed information about a specific person.
There are several ways you can filter the cardholders list, so it displays the data that you are
interested in.
2. Click the filter at the top of the list to specify the access control system from which you
want to investigate cardholders. You can only work with one access control system at a
time.
3. You can combine the filters or type your criteria in the search field to search for
cardholders.
4. Alternatively you can right-click a cardholder or a type within the list and filter using that
value.
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When you select a cardholder, the detailed information about this person appears on the right-
hand side of the screen. Depending on your system this may include a picture or a link to manage
the cardholder record in the access control system (see "Manage cardholder information" on page
206).
2. Search for a cardholder and select the person from the list.
3. On the right-hand side, below the cardholder information, you can click a link to, for
example, a webpage. Depending on the plug-in, more links may be supported and you may
be asked for additional login credentials.
4. You can edit several functionality, including cardholder information and access rights.
5. Close, in this example, the webpage and return to XProtect Smart Client.
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1. To listen to what the person requesting access is saying, click the button.
2. To speak to the person requesting access, for example to give instructions on how to
Cardholder's ID number.
Name.
Department.
Phone number.
Authority level.
Depending on your system configuration, you may be able to manage cardholder information (on
page 206).
1. Click the Settings icon in the top right corner. The Settings window appears.
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If you later need to handle access requests again, turn on access request notifications. You can
also change the options for access control, by clicking the Settings icon from within an access
request notification.
If the Follow Server field is selected, your system administrator controls the setting of Show
Access Control Notifications.
XProtect LPR
License plate recognition (LPR) recognizes characters and numbers on images to read vehicle
license plates and to extract the alphanumerics of the license plates and store these as records in
the system. The recognitions can generate LPR events in the system. You can:
Monitor LPR events as they happen in the system on the Live tab (see "LPR on the Live
tab" on page 208).
View and investigate particular LPR events on the LPR tab (see "LPR tab" on page 209) and
export LPR events as a report.
View and investigate particular LPR alarms on the Alarm Manager tab (see "LPR on the
Alarm Manager tab" on page 212).
2. In the System overview pane, click LPR and drag it to the relevant view item.
3. In the Select LPR Camera dialog box, expand the required server to view a list of
available LPR cameras from that server.
You can specify how you want to display LPR camera events on the Live tab in the Properties
pane (see "Adjust LPR view settings" on page 208).
2. In Properties, next to LPR camera, click the browse button to open the Select LPR
Camera dialog box and select another LPR camera.
3. Choose the order of LPR events in your lists on the right side of the preview:
Newest on top: Display the newest LPR events at the top of the list.
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Newest on bottom: Display the newest LPR events at the bottom of the list.
4. If you want to display the list of license plates from one camera but want to view video
from another, select a different camera in the Camera name field.
4. In the toolbox, click the Add Plug-In Element icon to open the Element Selector
window.
5. Select the relevant LPR server and drag it onto the map.
6. On the map, right-click the LPR server icon and select Status Details to get live status on
the LPR server and the LPR cameras related to the server.
You can associate the LPR specific map with your Alarms list by adding the map on the Alarm
Manager tab.
LPR tab
The LPR tab lets you investigate LPR events from all your LPR cameras. The tab includes an LPR
event list, and an LPR camera preview for previewing video associated with individual LPR events.
Below the preview, information about the license plate appears together with details from the
license plate match list it is associated with.
You can filter (see "About filtering LPR events" on page 210) the event list according to the period,
country module, LPR camera, or license plate match list. Use the Search field to search for a
particular license plate number. By default this list shows LPR events from the last hour.
You can specify and export a report of relevant events as PDF (see "Export LPR events as a report"
on page 211).
You can make updates to the existing match lists by using the License Plate Match List (see
"Edit license plate match lists" on page 210) function.
Use the Refresh button to update the event list with the latest events.
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You can change how the LPR event list displays events; you can sort the columns and you can drag
them to different positions. You can use the filters at the top of the list to filter LPR events (see
"About filtering LPR events" on page 210) or use the Search field to search.
The LPR event list only displays LPR events from the time of your search or filter. If you want to
see the latest LPR events, click the Refresh button.
To allow for optimum performance, the list only displays a maximum of 100 LPR events at a time.
To browse to the previous/next 100 LPR events, use the buttons in the top right of the LPR event
list: .
Period: Select one of the available periods to see LPR events within that particular time.
Country module: Clear or select country modules to view only LPR events linked to a
license plate from a particular country, state or region.
LPR camera: Select one or more of the available LPR cameras to view only LPR events for
those cameras.
License plate match list: Select one or more license plate lists to view only LPR events
generated by those lists.
You can combine the filters, for example, for a particular country module on a certain date.
You can also use the Search field to search for a particular license plate. Enter a combination of
characters to find results with combinations of those characters. For example, if you enter the
characters XY 12 you will get license plates that have both XY and 12 in their number. If you enter
XY12 you will only get license plates that have XY12 in their number.
1. On the LPR tab, at the top right of the window, click License Plate Match Lists to open
the License Plate Match Lists dialog box.
2. In Select license plate match list, select the list you want to edit.
3. To add a license plate, click Add. Enter relevant information and click OK.
4. To edit an existing license plate, you can use the search function to find the relevant license
plate.
5. Double-click a single row to edit or select multiple rows and click Edit.
6. In the dialog box, enter information and click OK. If the match list contains muliple
columns, you can edit the information in all fields.
7. To remove a license plate, you can use the search function to find the relevant license
plate.
9. Click Close.
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Alternatively, you can add a license plate to a license plate match list by right-clicking an unlisted
LPR event and select Add to list. You can also remove a license plate by selecting the relevant LPR
event, and on the right, below the preview, click the Remove from list icon.
1. On the LPR tab, at the top right of the window, click License Plate Match Lists to open
the License Plate Match Lists dialog box.
4. In the dialog box, specify the location of the import file and the import type. Click Next.
To export:
2. In the dialog box, specify the location of the export file and click Next.
3. Click Close.
4. You can open and edit the exported file in, for example, Microsoft Excel.
1. On the LPR tab, filter or search for the events you want to include in the report.
If the number of found events is very high, you will receive a recommendation to refine the
search and thereby reduce the number of search results.
Report name
Report destination
A comment field
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A progress bar appears at the top right of the XProtect Smart Client window.
If you want to change the paper format or font, open the Settings window, select Advanced, and
change the PDF report format or PDF report font settings.
Alarms list must be in Event mode (see "View LPR recognitions" on page 213)
In general, read the sections about alarm management for more details on XProtect Smart Client
functionality.
1. On the Alarm Manager tab, in the Alarms list, right-click the Image icon next to
the Quick Filters column. From the menu, select: Object, Tag, and Type.
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2. Now Type displays all events related to LPR, Tag displays their country codes, and Object
displays license plate numbers of the registered vehicles.
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2. Click Setup again to exit setup mode. The recognitions are displayed in the alarm list.
2. Click Setup again to exit setup mode. The recognitions are displayed in the alarm list.
3. To view all incoming LPR events, enter LPR in the Type field.
The alarm list will display the filtered results only when you leave the field you modified.
XProtect Transact
Search field: enter your search words here to perform a free text search. The search
returns transaction lines that contain your search words and does not distinguish between
upper and lower case letters. In the receipt, the transaction lines matching the search are
highlighted.
Time interval: use this filter to specify the time interval, for example Last 7 days. You can
also set a custom interval by your own choice. By default, the filter is set to Today.
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Source: use this filter to select the transaction sources you want to view transactions for.
By default, the filter is set to All.
To allow for optimum performance, the list only displays a maximum of 100 transaction lines at a
time. To browse to the previous or next 100 transaction lines, use the buttons in the top right of
the transaction list: .
To rearrange the columns, drag and drop the columns in the list.
See also
Investigate transactions using search and filters (on page 221)
Tab Description
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See also
Set up a view for transactions (on page 217)
Observe live transactions (on page 220)
Investigating transactions (on page 220)
Getting started
Before you start observing and investigating your transactions in XProtect Smart Client, you need
to:
1. Verify that your XProtect Transact base license has been activated during installation of the
video management software. To do this, open XProtect Smart Client and check that the
Transact tab is visible. Even if you do not have a base license, you can still use Transact
with a trial license. For more information, see XProtect Transact trial license (on page 216).
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2. Verify that transactions are displayed correctly. This includes the individual transaction lines
and receipts. To do this, click the Transact tab and select a transaction source and a time
interval. If configured correctly, a list of transaction lines appear, and if you click a line, the
corresponding video still frame is displayed, one for each connected camera.
3. Set up a view for transactions, if you want to observe real time transactions on the Live tab
or investigate transactions on the Playback tab. For more information, see Set up a view
for transactions (on page 217).
See also
Observe live transactions (on page 220)
Investigating transactions (on page 220)
1. On the Live tab or Playback tab, click Setup in the upper right corner to enter the setup
mode.
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4. Drag and drop the Transact item into the view item, where you want the transactions and
video feed to be displayed. A pop-up window appears.
5. Select a transaction source, for example a cash register, and click OK. A receipt preview is
displayed inside the view item.
6. Expand Properties and select the Show cameras check box to add cameras associated
with the transaction source. By default, the first camera added to the transaction source in
the configuration is selected.
7. Use the First camera and Second camera drop-down lists to specify which cameras are
displayed in the view item. By default, no second camera is selected. If you do not want a
second camera, leave it as is.
8. If you want to change the position of the cameras, select a value in the Position drop-
down list, for example to the left of the receipt.
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For each transaction view item you want to add to the view, repeat steps 4-8.
See also
Adjust settings for transaction view item (on page 219)
Create and manage views (on page 71)
change the cameras selected and their display order. You can select maximum two cameras
per transaction view item, and only cameras associated with the transaction source.
1. On the Live tab or Playback tab, click Setup in the upper right corner to enter the setup
mode.
2. Select the view and then the view item you want to adjust.
3. To modify the cameras selected or their position, expand Properties and verify that the
Show cameras check box has been selected.
4. Use the Position drop-down list to specify how the camera or cameras are displayed in
relation to the receipt, for example below the receipt.
5. Use the First camera and Second camera drop-down lists to change which cameras are
displayed in the view item.
6. If you want to add a transaction source to the view, follow steps 3-8 in Set up a view for
transactions (on page 217).
See also
Create and manage views (on page 71)
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2. Select a view set up for transactions. Receipts roll over the screen if there are ongoing
transactions, and the live video from the associated cameras are displayed.
If the transaction view item is narrower than the receipt, a horizontal scrollbar allows you to view
the part of the receipt that is hidden. If you try to access the scrollbar, the view item toolbar
appears covering the scrollbar. To access the scrollbar, press and hold down Ctrl while moving the
cursor into the view item area.
See also
Investigate transactions in a view (on page 220)
Investigating transactions
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2. In the Views pane, select the transaction view. Depending on how the view has been
configured, one or more receipts appear together with the cameras associated with the
transaction source.
3. To browse the video sequences in backward mode, drag the time line to the right.
4. To browse the video sequences in forward mode, drag the time line to the left.
5. Use the or buttons to play the video in backward or forward play mode.
If the transaction view item is narrower than the receipt, a horizontal scrollbar allows you to view
the part of the receipt that is hidden. If you try to access the scrollbar, the view item toolbar
appears covering the scrollbar. To access the scrollbar, press and hold down Ctrl while moving the
cursor into the view item area.
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3. In the Source drop-down list, select the transaction sources you want to investigate.
Disabled sources are marked with "()", for example "(CashRegister_)".
4. Enter your search words. The search results are displayed as transaction lines below the
filters, and in the receipt, the search item is highlighted.
6. Click a transaction line to view the associated video still frame. Use the or buttons
to start the video in backward play or forward play mode.
By default, transaction data is stored for 30 days, but depending on the configuration, data can be
stored up to 1000 days.
The search mechanism does not distinguish between upper and lower case letters.
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2. In the All sources drop-down list, select a disabled transaction source. Parentheses
indicate that the source is disabled, for example "(CashRegister_1)".
3. Select a time interval, for example Last 7 days, or set a custom interval.
4. Click to view the transaction lines for the specified time interval.
5. Select a transaction line to view the associated video still frame from that exact point in
time.
6. Use the or button to play the video in backward or forward play mode.
By default, stored transaction data is deleted after 30 days. However, your system administrator
may have changed the retention period to anything between 1 and 1000 days.
See also
Investigate transactions using search words and filters (see "Investigate transactions using search
and filters" on page 221)
Investigate transaction events (on page 223)
2. Click Setup in the upper right corner to enter the setup mode.
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4. In the Data Source list, select Event and click Setup again to exit the setup mode. All
events are displayed in a list with the most recent at the top.
5. To view only the transaction events, expand the Filter section and type "transaction event"
in the Type field. Automatically the filter is applied, and only transaction events appear in
the list.
6. If you want to view a specific event defined by your system administrator, open the
Message list and select the event.
7. To view the video recordings associated with an event, click the event in the list. The video
starts playing in the video previewer.
2. Click the Setup button in the upper right corner to enter the setup mode.
4. In the Data Source list, select Alarm and click Setup again to exit the setup mode. The
most recent alarms are displayed at the top.
5. To view only the alarms triggered by transaction events, expand the Filter section and type
"transaction event" in the Type field. Automatically the filter is applied to the list.
6. To view alarms triggered by a specific event, open the Message list and select the event.
7. To view the video recordings associated with an alarm, click the alarm in the list. The video
starts playing in the video previewer.
See also
View and edit details of an alarm (see "Viewing and editing details of an alarm" on page 159)
Print transactions
When you are viewing transactions in the Transact workspace, you can print the transactions, one
at a time. The printout displays the receipt and still images from the associated cameras at the
time matching the transaction line.
Steps:
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2. Find the transaction you want to print as described in Investigate transactions using search
and filters (on page 221).
3. Click Print below the transaction to print it. A Windows dialog box appears.
Troubleshooting
Event server
The error messages in the table are related to the event server, where the transaction data is
stored. If you encounter one of these errors, Milestone suggests that you contact your system
administrator.
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Scripting
Startup scripting
You can use scripting to control parts or all of the XProtect Smart Client login procedure.
Examples:
If using Basic authentication or Windows authentication, you can make the XProtect
Smart Client login window open with a pre-filled server address and user name fields so
users only have to enter a password to log in.
If using Windows authentication (current user), you can make the XProtect Smart
Client connect to the surveillance system automatically, based on the user's current
Windows login.
Some authentication methods are only available if the XProtect Smart Client user logs in to certain
Milestone surveillance systems. For a detailed outline of the features available on your particular
system, see the XProtect Product Comparison Chart on: http://www.milestonesys.com.
Parameters
You can use the following parameters:
ServerAddress
Refers to the URL of the server to which XProtect Smart Client connects.
For XProtect Corporate or XProtect Expert, this is the URL of the management server.
For XProtect Professional, XProtect Express, or XProtect Essential it is the URL of the image server.
The following example shows the XProtect Smart Client login window with http://ourserver in the
Server address field:
Client.exe -ServerAddress="http://ourserver"
The default authentication type is Windows authentication (current user). Unless you change
this, using the AuthenticationType parameter (described in the following section), the login
window automatically displays the current Windows user in the User name field.
UserName
Refers to a specific user name.
The following example shows the XProtect Smart Client's login window with http://ourserver in the
Server address field, and Tommy in the User name field:
Client.exe -ServerAddress="http://ourserver" -UserName "Tommy"
This parameter is relevant only for Windows authentication and Basic authentication. You use
the AuthenticationType parameter to control which authentication method to use.
Password
Refers to a specific password.
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The following example shows the XProtect Smart Client's login window with http://ourserver in the
Server address field, Tommy in the User name field, and T0mMy5Pa55w0rD in the Password
field:
Client.exe -ServerAddress="http://ourserver" -UserName "Tommy" -Password
"T0mMy5Pa55w0rD"
This parameter is relevant only for Windows authentication and Basic authentication. You use
the AuthenticationType parameter to control which authentication method to use.
AuthenticationType
Refers to one of XProtect Smart Client's three possible authentication methods: Windows
authentication (current user) (called WindowsDefault in startup scripts), Windows
authentication (called Windows in startup scripts), or Basic authentication (called Simple in
the startup scripts).
The following example shows the XProtect Smart Client login window with http://ourserver in the
Server address field, Basic authentication selected in the Authentication field, Tommy in the
User name field, and T0mMy5Pa55w0rD (masked by asterisks) in the Password field:
Client.exe -ServerAddress="http://ourserver" -UserName "Tommy" -Password
"T0mMy5Pa55w0rD" -AuthenticationType Simple
If you use Windows authentication, the example is:
Client.exe -ServerAddress="http://ourserver" -UserName "Tommy" -Password
"T0mMy5Pa55w0rD" -AuthenticationType Windows
If you use Windows authentication (current user), the UserName and Password parameters
would not be necessary, and the example looks like this:
Client.exe -ServerAddress="http://ourserver" -AuthenticationType
WindowsDefault
Script
Refers to a full path to an .scs script (a script type targeted at controlling the XProtect Smart
Client).
The following example uses an .scs script to login:
Client.exe -Script=c:\startup.scs
Example of an .scs script for logging in to http://ourserver with the current Windows user:
<ScriptEngine>
<Login>
<ServerAddress>http://ourserver</ServerAddress>
<AuthenticationType>WindowsDefault</AuthenticationType>
</Login>
</ScriptEngine>
You can use many of the XProtect Smart Client's function calls (see View a list of function calls) to
add further functionality to .scs scripts. In the following example, we have added a line so the .scs
script from the previous example will also minimize the XProtect Smart Client application:
<ScriptEngine>
<Login>
<ServerAddress>http://ourserver</ServerAddress>
<AuthenticationType>WindowsDefault</AuthenticationType>
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</Login>
<Script>SCS.Application.Minimize();</Script>
</ScriptEngine>
Format
Valid parameter formats are:
{-,/,--}param{ ,=,:}((".')value(",'))
Examples:
-UserName Tommy
--UserName Tommy /UserName:"Tommy" /UserName=Tommy -Password 'Tommy'
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Alarm
Incident defined on surveillance system to Codec
trigger an alarm in XProtect Smart Client. If A technology for compressing and
your organization uses the feature, triggered decompressing audio and video data, for
alarms are displayed in views that contain example in an exported AVI (on page 229)
alarm lists or maps. file.
Archiving
D
The automatic transfer of recordings from a
camera’s default database to another
location. This way, the amount of recordings Deadzone
you are able to store will not be limited by
A deadzone determines how much a joystick
the size of the camera’s default database.
handle should be allowed to move before
Archiving also makes it possible to back up
information is sent to the system. Ideally, a
your recordings on backup media of your
joystick handle should be completely vertical
choice.
when not used, but many joystick handles
lean at a slight angle. When joysticks are
Aspect Ratio used for controlling PTZ (on page 232)
cameras, even a slightly slanting joystick
Height/width relationship of an image. handle could cause PTZ cameras to move
when it is not required. Being able to
configure deadzones is therefore often
AVI desirable.
A popular file format for video. Files in this
format carry the .avi file extension. DirectX
A Windows extension providing advanced
B multimedia capabilities.
Bookmark E
An important point in a video recording,
marked and optionally annotated so that you Event
and your colleagues will easily be able to find
it later. A predefined incident occurring on the
surveillance system; used by the surveillance
system for triggering actions. Depending on
C surveillance system configuration, events
may be caused by input from external
sensors, by detected motion, by data
Camera Navigator received from other applications, or manually
through user input. The occurrence of an
A feature that allows you to see all your event could, for example, be used for making
cameras in relation to each other, for a camera record with a particular frame rate,
example, as they are laid out according to a
floor plan. Using the Camera Navigator, you
for activating outputs, for sending e-mails, or resources on the devices involved in the data
for a combination thereof. communication.
For example, the computer running XProtect
Smart Client should be able to use
F considerable resources on decompressing
H.264 video when it receives it from the
surveillance system.
Fisheye Lens
A lens that allows the creation and viewing of
360° panoramic images. Hexadecimal
A numeral system with a base of 16,
meaning that it uses 16 distinct symbols.
FPS Here used for defining color nuances in the
Frames Per Second, a measure indicating the map view's color tool.
amount of information contained in video.
Each frame represents a still image, but
when frames are displayed in succession the Host
illusion of motion is created. The higher the A computer connected to a TCP/IP network. A
FPS, the smoother the motion will appear. host has its own IP address, but may—
Note, however, that a high FPS may also lead depending on network configuration—
to a large file size when video is saved. furthermore have a name (host name) in
order to make it easily identifiable.
Frame rate
A measure indicating the amount of Host Name
information contained in motion video. A name by which a particular computer on a
Typically measured in FPS (on page 230) network is identified. Host names are often
(Frames Per second). easier to remember than IP addresses.
G Hotspot
A particular position for viewing magnified
GOP and/or high quality camera images in
XProtect Smart Client views (see "View" on
Group Of Pictures; individual frames grouped page 233).
together, forming a video motion sequence.
I
H
I/O
H.264
Short for Input/Output.
A compression standard for digital video.
Like MPEG (on page 231), the standard uses
I-Frame
lossy compression as it stores only the
changes between keyframes, removing often Short name for intraframe. Used in the MPEG
considerable amounts of redundant (on page 231) standard for digital video
information: keyframes stored at specified compression, an I-frame is a single frame
intervals record the entire view of the stored at specified intervals. The I-frame
camera, whereas the following frames record records the entire view of the camera,
only pixels that change. Together with a very whereas the following frames (P-frames)
large degree of compression, this helps record only the pixels that change. This helps
greatly reduce the size of video in the H.264 greatly reduce the size of MPEG files. An I-
format. The very large degree of compression frame is similar to a keyframe.
in H.264, however, can use considerable
M Output
Data going out of a computer. On IP
MAC Address surveillance systems, output is frequently
used for activating devices such as gates,
Media Access Control address, a 12-character
sirens, strobe lights, and more.
hexadecimal number uniquely identifying
each device on a network.
Overlay button
Map A button appearing as a layer on top of the
video when you move your mouse cursor
1) XProtect Smart Client feature for using
over individual camera positions in views on
maps, floor plans, photos, etc. for navigation
the Live tab. Use overlay buttons to activate
and status visualization. 2) The actual map,
speakers, events, output, move PTZ (on page
floor plan, photo, etc. used in a view (on
232) cameras, start recording, clear signals
page 233).
from cameras.
P
Matrix
A product integrated into some surveillance
systems, which enables the control of live
camera views on remote computers for
Pane Recording
Small groups of buttons, fields and more In IP video surveillance systems, the term
located in the left side of the XProtect Smart recording means saving video and, if
Client window. applicable, audio from a camera in a
database on the surveillance system. In
Panes give you access to the majority of the
many IP surveillance systems, all of the
XProtect Smart Client's features. Exactly
video/audio received from cameras is not
which panes you see depends on your
necessarily saved. Saving of video and audio
configuration and on your task, for example
in is in many cases started only when there is
on whether you are viewing live video on the
a reason to do so, for example when motion
Live tab or recorded video on the Playback
is detected, when a particular event occurs,
tab.
or when a specific period of time begins.
Recording is then stopped after a specified
amount of time, when motion is no longer
P-Frame detected, when another event occurs or
Short name for predictive frame. The MPEG similar. The term recording originates from
(on page 231) standard for digital video the analog world, where video/audio was not
compression uses P-frames together with I- taped until the record button was pressed.
frames (see "I-Frame" on page 230). An I-
frame, also known as a keyframe, is a single
frame stored at specified intervals. The I-
frame records the entire view of the camera,
S
whereas the following frames (the P-frames)
record only the pixels that change. This helps SCS
greatly reduce the size of MPEG files.
File extension (.scs) for a script type targeted
at controlling XProtect Smart Client.
Port
A logical endpoint for data traffic. Networks Sequence Explorer
use different ports for different types of data
traffic. Therefore it is sometimes, but not The Sequence Explorer lists thumbnail
always, necessary to specify which port to images representing recorded sequences
use for particular data communication. Most from an individual camera or all cameras in a
ports are used automatically based on the view.
types of data included in the communication. The fact that you can compare the thumbnail
On TCP/IP networks, port numbers range images side-by-side, while navigating in time
from 0 to 65536, but only ports 0 to 1024 are simply by dragging the thumbnail view,
reserved for particular purposes. For enables you to very quickly assess large
example, port 80 is used for HTTP traffic numbers of sequences and identify the most
which is used when viewing web pages. relevant sequence, which you can then
immediately play back.
Preset
A predefined layout for an individual monitor Speakers
in XProtect Smart Wall. In the context of XProtect Smart Client:
Loudspeakers attached to a camera that
allows XProtect Smart Client users to talk to
PTZ audiences at the physical location of a
Pan-tilt-zoom; a highly movable and flexible camera.
type of camera.
T
R
URL
Uniform Resource Locator; an address of a
resource on the world wide web. The first
part of a URL specifies which protocol (i.e.
data communication standard) to use when
accessing the resource, whereas the second
part of the URL specifies the domain or IP
address at which the resource is located.
Example: http://www.myorganization.org.
View
A collection of video from one or more
cameras, presented together in XProtect
Smart Client. A view may include other
content than video from cameras, such as
HTML pages and static images.
A view can be private (only visible by the
user who created it) or shared with other
users.
VMD
Video Motion Detection. In IP video
surveillance systems, recording of video is
often started by detected motion. This can be
a great way of avoiding unnecessary
recordings. Recording of video can of course
About the LPR event list • 209 Add content to views • 34, 35, 76
Index 234
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Add text to a view item or a Smart Wall • 81 Camera navigator settings • 99, 100
Add, edit, or delete a location on a Smart Camera settings • 34, 39, 40, 42, 50, 53, 77,
Map • 127, 129 89, 90, 91, 92, 100, 135
Adjust LPR view settings • 208 Carousels • 30, 50, 82, 88, 98
Adjust settings for transaction view item • Change cameras in views • 31, 33, 36, 82,
219 83
Index 235
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Create and manage views • 34, 71, 219 Evidence lock status messages • 170, 171,
172, 173
Create evidence locks • 27, 34, 170
Explore your Smart Map • 119, 130, 132
Customize your view • 199, 201
Export a storyboard • 166, 167
D
Date and time navigation • 153 Export a video clip, audio, XProtect data or a
still image • 27, 33, 140, 166
Deadzone • 229
Export an access report • 203
Define a favorite fisheye lens position • 59
Export evidence locks • 171
Define search • 143
Export items directly from the Export window
Delete evidence locks • 172
• 166, 167
Digital zoom • 56
Export LPR events as a report • 209, 211
Digital zoom, pan-tilt-zoom, and fisheye lens
Export options • 43
images • 56
Export video in simplified mode • 29
DirectX • 229
Exporting evidence • 163
Disable an alarm • 160
Extend • 177
Display an image on a Smart Wall • 79
F
E
Filter alarms • 161
Edit and rotate labels on a map • 117
Fisheye Lens • 230
Edit evidence locks • 171
Fisheye lens images • 58
Edit license plate match lists • 209, 210
FPS • 230
Edit PTZ presets • 61
Frame rate • 230
Enable LPR server status on maps • 209
Frequently asked questions
Enable LPR-specific elements • 212
audio • 103
Enter setup mode • 27, 32, 33, 35, 53
cameras • 98
Event • 229
digital zoom • 57
Event server • 225 exporting • 169
Index 236
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Import/export license plate match lists • 211 LPR on the Live tab • 208
Interacting with XProtect Smart Client • 49 Manage access request notifications • 207
Index 237
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
Mask areas in a recording during export • 76, Pause patrolling • 63, 64, 66
167, 168
P-Frame • 232
Matrix • 82, 98, 134, 231
Play back video with evidence locks • 171
Matrix-recipient • 231
Playback buttons • 28, 154
Media player format settings • 165
Playback date and time • 153
Milestone Federated Architecture • 38
Playback Speed • 154
Minimum system requirements • 13
Port • 232
Modify Access Monitor settings • 200
Preset • 232
Monitor • 231
Preview video from cameras on a Smart Map
Monitor and control door states • 204 • 132, 133
Monitor doors via maps • 199, 201, 205 Print a report with alarm information • 160
Move the camera to a PTZ preset position • Print evidence • 33, 36, 52, 56, 97, 144, 174
58, 59
Print transactions • 224
MPEG • 230, 231, 232
Privacy masks • 75, 77, 90, 168
Multiple windows • 22, 25, 82, 103, 136
PTZ • 54, 229, 231, 232
Index 238
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
PTZ and fisheye lens images • 30, 50, 52, 58, Searching video using Sequence Explorer •
91 26, 52, 141
Retrieve data from Milestone Interconnect • Setting up a view for transactions • 217
153, 176
Settings • 135
S
Setup mode • 34
Scripting • 226
Show video from a camera • 180
SCS • 232
Smart Map • 118
Search and filter access control events • 202
Smart Map options • 43
Search for bookmarks • 144
Sound notifications • 91, 97
Search for motion in recorded video in
XProtect Advanced VMS • 147 Speakers • 232
Search for motion in recorded video in Start and stop manual patrolling • 63
XProtect Professional VMS • 33, 139, 148, Start working with a Smart Wall • 35, 79,
149 179, 182
Search for views and cameras • 17, 76 Still images settings • 166
Search using the Recording Search pane • Surveillance system differences • 12, 20, 22,
139, 143, 157 24, 41, 42, 46, 49, 59, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67,
Searching for motion in recorded video • 17, 72, 75, 79, 86, 90, 91, 97, 101, 103, 104,
Index 239
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
115, 134, 144, 147, 156, 164, 169, 177, Time span • 155
182
Timeline options • 42
Swap cameras • 82, 83
Troubleshooting • 21, 22, 225
Switch to or from live update mode of the
Troubleshooting a Smart Wall • 193
Events list • 203, 204
Turn access request notifications on or off •
T
207
Tabs • 26, 31
U
Take a snapshot • 32, 33, 36, 151
URL • 233
Talk to an audience • 103
Use an HTML page for navigation • 78, 83,
Target audience for this manual • 11 187
The Status dialog box • 27, 37, 176 View existing evidence locks • 38, 170
The timeline • 17, 26, 33, 37, 53, 139, 143, View in full screen • 27, 33, 39, 53
152
View LPR recognitions • 212, 213
The timeline buttons and controls • 151, 152
View recorded video from cameras on a map
The toolbox • 110, 114 • 104, 114
Time navigation controls • 52, 151, 157 playback • 31, 33, 36, 50, 139, 199
Time selection • 33, 154, 166, 167, 176 View status details • 117
Index 240
XProtect Smart Client 2017 R1 - User Manual
View version and plug-in information • 18, 27 XProtect Transact trial license • 216
VMD • 233
W
Welcome • 14
What's new? • 14
X
XProtect Access • 199
Index 241
About Milestone Systems
Milestone Systems is a global industry leader
in open platform IP video management
software, founded in 1998 and now operating
as a stand-alone company in the Canon Group.
Milestone technology is easy to manage,
reliable and proven in thousands of customer
installations, providing flexible choices in
network hardware and integrations with other
systems. Sold through partners in more than
100 countries, Milestone solutions help
organizations to manage risks, protect people
and assets, optimize processes and reduce
costs. For more information, visit:
http://www.milestonesys.com.