Avigilon ACC Enterprise User Manual

Avigilon™ Control Center
Enterprise Client User
Guide

Version 5.2.2

©2006 - 2014 Avigilon Corporation. All rights reserved. Unless expressly granted in writing, no license is granted
with respect to any copyright, industrial design, trademark, patent or other intellectual property rights of Avigilon
Corporation or its licensors.

AVIGILON, CAPTURE IT WITH CLARITY, HDSM, HIGH DEFINITION STREAM MANAGEMENT (HDSM), THE BEST
EVIDENCE, LIGHTCATCHER and the ACC logo are registered and/or unregistered trademarks of Avigilon
Corporation in Canada and other jurisdictions worldwide. Other product names mentioned herein may be the
unregistered and/ or registered trademarks of their respective owners. ™ and ® are not used in association with
each trademark in this document.

This manual has been compiled and published covering the latest product descriptions and specifications. The
contents of this manual and the specifications of this product are subject to change without notice. Avigilon
reserves the right to make changes without notice in the specifications and materials contained herein and shall
not be responsible for any damages (including consequential) caused by reliance on the materials presented,
including but not limited to typographical and other errors relating to the publication.

Avigilon Corporation
http://www.avigilon.com

Revised: 2014-07-21

PDF-CLIENT5-E-C-Rev2

2

Table of Contents

What is the Avigilon™ Control Center Client? 10

System Requirements 10

For More Information 10

Avigilon Training Center 10

Support 11

Upgrades 11

Feedback 11

Getting Started 12

Starting Up and Shutting Down the Control Center Client 12

Starting Up the Client Software 12

Shutting Down the Client Software 12

Logging In to and Out of a Site 12

Logging In 12

Logging Out 13

Navigating the Client 13

Application Window Features 14

System Explorer Icons 15

Adding and Removing Cameras in a View 15

Adding a Camera to a View 15

Removing a Camera from a View 16

3

Viewing Live and Recorded Video 16

Managing a Site 17

Sites and Servers 17

Discovering Sites 17

Managing Site Logs 19

Managing User Connections 20

Monitoring Server Status 20

Site Settings 22

Accessing the Setup Tab 22

Site Name 23

Editing the Site View 23

Exporting Site Settings 24

Importing Site Settings 25

Managing Servers in a Site 27

Connecting/Disconnecting Cameras 28

Discovering a Camera 29

Connecting a Camera to a Server 30

Editing the Camera Connection to a Server 32

Disconnecting a Camera from a Server 33

Upgrading Camera Firmware 33

Users and Groups 33

Managing Users and Groups Across Multiple Sites 33

Best Practices 34

Adding a User 35

Editing and Deleting a User 37

Importing Active Directory Groups 38

Adding Groups 39

Copying Groups to Other Sites 43

Editing and Deleting a Group 44

Alarms 44

Adding a New Alarm 45

Editing and Deleting Alarms 49

Email Notifications 50

Setting Up the Email Server 50

Configuring Email Notifications 52

Editing and Deleting an Email Notification 53

4

Rules 53

Adding a Rule 54

Editing and Deleting a Rule 57

Scheduling Site Events 58

Server Settings 60

Server Name 60

Recording Schedule 60

Setting Up a Weekly Recording Schedule 60

Using Templates to Modify the Recording Schedule 61

Adding a Template 61

Editing and Deleting a Template 62

Recording and Bandwidth 62

Scheduled Backup 64

License Plate Recognition 66

Setting Up License Plate Recognition 66

Configuring the Watch List 67

Adding Licenses to the Watch List 67

Deleting a License Plate from the Watch List 69

Exporting a Watch List 69

Importing a Watch List 69

POS Transactions 69

Adding a POS Transaction Source 69

Editing and Deleting a POS Transaction Source 75

Adding a Transaction Source Data Format 75

Adding a Transaction Exception 77

Camera Settings 79

General 79

Setting the Camera's Identity 79

Configuring PTZ 79

Rebooting the Camera 80

Network 81

Image and Display 82

Changing Image and Display Settings 82

Zooming and Focusing the Camera Lens 84

Focus Buttons 84

Dewarping an Immervision Panomorph Lens 85

5

Compression and Image Rate 86

Image Dimensions 88

Motion Detection 89

Selecting a Motion Detection Area 89

Controlling Motion Sensitivity and Threshold 90

Privacy Zones 91

Adding a Privacy Zone 92

Editing and Deleting a Privacy Zone 92

Manual Recording 93

Digital Inputs and Outputs 93

Setting Up Digital Inputs 94

Setting Up Digital Outputs 95

Microphone 96

Speaker 97

Client Settings 100

General Settings 100

Joystick Settings 102

Configuring an Avigilon™ USB Professional Joystick Keyboard For Left-Hand Use 102

Configuring a Standard USB Joystick 103

Video Display Settings 104

Displaying Analog Video in Deinterlaced Mode 105

Displaying Image Overlays 105

Changing Display Quality 106

What are Views? 108

Adding and Removing a View 108

View Layouts 108

Selecting a Layout for a View 109

Editing a View Layout 109

Making a View Full Screen 111

Ending Full Screen Mode 112

Cycling Through Views 112

Saved Views 112

Saving a View 112

Opening a Saved View 113

Editing a Saved View 113

Renaming a Saved View 113

Deleting a Saved View 113

6

Collaborating 113

Sharing a View 114

Leaving a Shared View 114

Virtual Matrix 114

Adding and Removing Virtual Matrix Monitors 115

Controlling Virtual Matrix Monitors 115

Monitoring Video 116

Zooming and Panning in a Video 116

Using the Zoom Tools 116

Using the Pan Tools 116

Maximizing and Restoring an Image Panel 116

Maximizing an Image Panel 116

Restoring an Image Panel 116

Making Image Panel Display Adjustments 117

Listening to Audio in a View 117

Triggering Custom Keyboard Commands 118

Controlling Live Video 118

Broadcasting Audio in a View 118

Using Instant Replay 118

Triggering Manual Recording 119

Camera Recording States 119

Starting and Stopping Manual Recording 119

PTZ Cameras 119

Controlling PTZ Cameras 119

Programming PTZ Tours 122

Triggering Digital Outputs 124

Monitoring Live POS Transactions 124

Controlling Recorded Video 125

Playing Back Recorded Video 125

Synchronizing Recorded Video Playback 126

Enabling Synchronized Recorded Video Playback 126

Disabling Synchronized Recorded Video Playback 127

Bookmarking Recorded Video 127

Adding a Bookmark 127

Exporting, Editing, or Deleting a Bookmark 128

Reviewing Recorded POS Transactions 129

7

Working with Maps 130

Adding a Map 130

Using a Map 132

Editing and Deleting a Map 133

Working with Web Pages 134

Adding a Web Page 134

Using a Web Page 134

Editing and Deleting a Web Page 135

Monitoring Alarms 136

Accessing the Alarms Tab 136

Reviewing Alarms 137

Reviewing Alarm Video 137

Acknowledging an Alarm 138

Assigning an Alarm 138

Bookmarking an Alarm 138

Purging an Alarm 138

Searching Alarms 139

Exporting Alarms 139

Arming Image Panels 139

Monitoring License Plates 141

License Plate Overlay 141

Reviewing License Plate Matches 141

Search 143

Performing an Alarm Search 143

Viewing Alarm Search Results 144

Performing a Bookmark Search 144

Viewing Bookmark Search Results 145

Performing an Event Search 146

Viewing Event Search Results 146

Performing a License Plate Search 147

Viewing License Plate Search Results 148

Performing a Pixel Search 149

Viewing Pixel Search Results 150

Performing a POS Transaction Search 150

Viewing POS Transaction Search Results 151

Performing a Thumbnail Search 152

Viewing Thumbnail Search Results 153

8

Export 155

Exporting Native Video 155

Exporting AVI Video 158

Exporting a Print Image 161

Exporting a Snapshot of an Image 162

Exporting Still Images 165

Exporting WAV Audio 166

Backup 168

Backing Up Recorded Video On Demand 168

Appendix 170

Event and Trigger Descriptions 170

Alarm Trigger Source Descriptions 170

Email Notification Trigger Descriptions 170

Group Permission Descriptions 171

Rule Event and Action Descriptions 173

Rule Events 174

Rule Actions 177

Updating the Client Software 178

Accessing the Control Center Web Client 179

Supported License Plates 180

Reporting Bugs 183

Keyboard Commands 184

Image Panel & Camera Commands 184

View Tab Commands 185

View Layout Commands 186

Playback Commands 186

PTZ Commands (Digital and Mechanical) 187

9

What is the Avigilon™ Control Center Client?

The Avigilon™ Control Center Client software works with the Avigilon™ Control Center Server software to give
you access and control of your Avigilon High Definition Stream Management (HDSM)™ surveillance system.

The Client software allows you to view live and recorded video, monitor events, and control user access to the
Control Center. The Client software also gives you the ability to configure your surveillance system.

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

What you can do in the Client software depends on the Server software edition. There are three editions of the
Server software available: Core, Standard and Enterprise. Visit the Avigilon website for an overview of the
features available in each edition: http://avigilon.com/products/video-surveillance/avigilon-control-

center/editions/

A copy of the Client software can be downloaded from the Avigilon website or installed with the Server
software.

System Requirements

 Minimum requirements Recommended requirements

Monitor resolution 1280 x 1024 1280 x 1024

Windows XP with Service Pack (SP) 2 or

OS

CPU Intel Dual Core 2.0 GHz processor Quad Core 2.0 GHz

System RAM 2 GB 2 GB

Video card

Network card 1 Gbps 1 Gbps

Hard disk space 500 MB 500 MB

later, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or
Windows 8 (32-bit or 64-bit)

PCI Express, DirectX 10.0 compliant with
256 MB RAM

Windows 7 (64-bit)

PCI Express, DirectX 10.0 compliant with
256 MB RAM

For More Information

Visit Avigilonat http://www.avigilon.com/ for additional product documentation.

Avigilon Training Center

The Avigilon Training Center provides free online training videos that demonstrate how to set up and use the
Avigilon Surveillance System. Register online at the Avigilon Partner Portal site to begin:

http://avigilon.force.com/login

10 What isthe Avigilon™ Control Center Client?

Support

For additional support information, visit http://avigilon.com/support-and-downloads/. The Avigilon Partner Portal
also provides self-directed support resources - register and login at http://avigilon.force.com/login.

Regular AvigilonTechnical Support is available Monday to Friday from 12:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. Pacific Standard
Time (PST):

l North America: +1.888.281.5182 option 1

l International: +800.4567.8988 or +1.604.629.5182 option 1

Emergency Technical Support is available 24/7:

l North America: +1.888.281.5182 option 1 then dial 9

l International: +800.4567.8988 or +1.604.629.5182 option 1then dial 9

E-mails can be sent to: [e-mail].

Upgrades

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

http://avigilon.com/support-and-downloads/ for available upgrades.

Feedback

We value your feedback. Please send any comments on our products and services to [e-mail]

Support 11

Getting Started

Once the Avigilon™ Control Center Client software has been installed, you can start using the Avigilon High
Definition Stream Management (HDSM)™ surveillance system immediately. Refer to any of the procedures in this
section to help you get started.

Starting Up and Shutting Down the Control Center Client

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

Starting Up the Client Software

Perform one of the following:

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

l

Double-click the shortcut icon on the desktop.

l From the Avigilon Control Center Admin Tool, click Launch Control Center Client. See the Avigilon

Control Center Server User Guide for more information.

Log in to your Site when the Log In dialog box appears. See Logging In to and Out of a Site for more information.

Shutting Down the Client Software

1.

In the top-right corner of the Client, select > Exit.

2. In the confirmation dialog box that appears, click Yes.

Logging In to and Out of a Site

To access any of the features in your Avigilon High Definition Stream Management (HDSM)™ surveillance system,
you must log in to a Site.

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

Logging In

1. Open the Log In dialog box. The Log In dialog box automatically appears when the Client software is

launched.

To manually access the Log In dialog box, do one of the following:

12 Getting Started

l

In the top-right corner of the Client, select > Log In... to log in to all available Sites.

l In the System Explorer, right-click a Site and select Log In... to log in to the selected Site.

2. In the Log In dialog box, select a specific Site or select All Sites from the Log in to: drop-down list.

Figure 1: Log In dialog box

Tip: If you accessed the Log In dialog box from a specific Site, you will not have the option of logging in

to All Sites.

If the Site you want to log into is not shown, click to discover the Site. See Discovering Sites for more
information.

3. Enter your User Name: and Password:. Or, select the Use current Windows cre dentials check box to

automatically use the same username and password as your computer.

4. Click Log In.

After logging in the first time, you can set up automatic login from the Client Settings... dialog box. See General

Settings for more information.

Logging Out

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

To... Do this...

Log out of one Site 1. In the System Explorer, right-click the Site and select Log Out.

1.

Log out of all Sites

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

2. In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Navigating the Client

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

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

Logging Out 13

Figure 2: Avigilon Control Center Client application window.

Application Window Features

 Area Description

Displays all the elements in your surveillance system.

Use the Search... bar to quickly locate anything that is available in the
System Explorer. You can search for items by name, and devices can

1 System Explorer

also be searched for by location, logical ID, serial number and IP
address.

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

2 View tab

3 Image panel

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

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

4 Toolbar Provides quick access to commonly used tools.

5 Task tabs Displays all the tabs that are currently open.

New Task button

14 Application Window Features

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

 Area Description

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

Application Menu menu

System message list

This menu gives you access to local application settings like Client

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

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

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

l Red = Error

l Yellow = Warning

l Green = Information

System Explorer Icons

Icon Description

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

A server.

A camera.

A PTZ camera.

An encoder.

A virtual matrix monitor.

A saved View.

A map.

A web page.

Adding and Removing Cameras in a View

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

Adding a Camera to a View

Do one of the following:

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

l Double-click a camera in the System Explorer.

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

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

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

System Explorer Icons 15

Removing a Camera from a View

Do one of the following:

l Right-click the image panel and select Close.

l

Inside the image panel, click .

Viewing Live and Recorded Video

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

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

Once you've added cameras to the View, perform the following:

l

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

Recorded on the toolbar.

l To switch individual image panels between live and recorded video, right-click the image panel and

select either Live or Recorded.

Image panels displaying recorded video have a green border.

16 Removing a Camera from a View

Managing a Site

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

The default settings in the Avigilon™ Control Center Client software allow you to start using the application
immediately after installation. However, you may want to customize and set up your Site to reflect how the
system will be used in daily operations.

In Avigilon Control Center 5, servers are maintained in clusters called Sites. Each Site can contain multiple
servers that share configuration settings across the entire Site.

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

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

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

All the Site, server and camera settings can be configured from the Setup tab.

Sites and Servers

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

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

Within a Site, each individual server is responsible for managing the devices that are connected to it.
Specifically, the server controls video recording. Through the server settings, you control when video is
recorded, how long it is stored, and how much bandwidth is used to stream video.

Discovering Sites

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

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

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

Managing a Site 17

1. Open the Find Site dialog box.

l

In the top-right corner of the Client, select > Log In... . In the Log In dialog box, click .

l

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

Figure 3: Site Networking tab

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

discover.

18 Discovering Sites

Figure 4: Find Site dialog box

The base port is 38880 by default. You can change the base port number in the Avigilon Control Center
Admin Tool. See the Avigilon Control Center Server User Guide for more information.

3. Click OK.

If the Site is found, it is automatically added to the Site list in the Site Networking tab.

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

l The network settings are configured correctly.

l The firewall is not blocking the application.

l The Avigilon Control Center Server software is running on the server you searched for in step 2.

Managing Site Logs

Site Logs record events that occur in the Avigilon Control Center. This can be useful for tracking system usage
and diagnosing issues.

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

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

1.

In the New Task menu, click .

Figure 5: Site Logs tab

2. In the Site Logs tab, select the Events Types to Show:.

Managing Site Logs 19

3. Next, select the specific Sites, servers and cameras whose logs you want to see.

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

5. Click Search.

6. Select a result to display its event details.

7. To save the log search results, click Save events to file... and save the file. You can choose to save the

search results as a text file or a CSV file.

Managing User Connections

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

1.

In the New Task menu, click .

2. In the User Connections tab, select a Site from the System Explorer to display a list of all the current users

on the right.

Figure 6: User Conn ection s tab

l The users are listed by username and computer name so that users that share a login are displayed

separately.

l The Login Duration column lets you know exactly how long that user has been logged in to the

Site.

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

Monitoring Server Status

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

l

In the New Task menu, click .

20 Managing User Connections

Figure 7: Server Status tab

In the System Explorer, select a Site to display the statuses of connected servers. Listed information includes:

l Server IP: the server's IP address.

l Total Camera Licenses: the total number of camera channel licenses that have been activated on the

server.

l Camera Licenses in Use: the number of cameras that are currently connected to the server.

l CPU Load of ACC Server: the percentage of server processing power used by the Avigilon Control

Center server software.

l Memory usage of ACC Server: the amount of memory used by the Avigilon Control Center Server

software.

l System Available Memory: the amount of storage available for video recording.

l Up Time: the amount of time the server has been running since it was last rebooted.

l Network Adapters: the networks that the server is connected to, including the IP address of the network

connection, the network speed, and the amount of data passing through the connection.

Click Export Site Report to PDF to export the listed server information.

Monitoring Server Status 21

Site Settings

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

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

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

Accessing the Setup Tab

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

l

At the top of the application window, click to open the New Task menu. When the menu appears,

click .

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

Figure 8: Setup tab

22 SiteSettings

In the Setup tab, the System Explorer is displayed on the left and the Setup options are displayed on the right.
The Setup options change depending on the device that is selected in the System Explorer.

Site Name

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

1.

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

2. In the dialog box that appears, give the Site a name.

Figure 9: Site Name: dialog box

Editing the Site View

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

Through the Site View Editor, you can organize the System Explorer to display cameras by location, group
maps, and saved Views for convenience, or hide cameras that are not relevant to an ongoing investigation.

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

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

SiteName 23

1.

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

Figure 10: Site View Editor dialog box

2. In the Site View Editor dialog box, you can perform the following:

l Select any of the listed elements and use the green arrows to move it up and down the list, or

move it under a site folder.

l

Click to sort the list in alphabetical order.

l

Click to add a new Site. The new Site is a virtual folder for organizational purposes only and will
not have any Setup options.

Double-click the new Site to change the default name.

l

Click to delete a Site folder.

3. Click OK to save your changes.

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

Exporting Site Settings

You can export Site settings so that they can be backed up or used on a different Site.

24 Exporting Site Settings

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site whose settings you want to export, then click

2. Select the settings you want to export.

Figure 11: Export Settings dialog box

3. Click OK.

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

Exported client settings can only be saved in Avigilon Settings File (.avs) format.

Importing Site Settings

You can import and use settings that were previously exported from a Site.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site to you want to import settings to, then click

2. In the Select File to Import dialog box, find the Avigilon Settings File (.avs) you want to import then click

Open.

NOTE: .avc files are not compatible with this version of the Avigilon Control Center Client software.

3. Select the settings you want to import. Only the settings included in the .avs file are displayed.

Importing Site Settings 25

Figure 12: Import Settings dialog box

4. Click OK.

The settings are merged.

l Unique settings are added to the Site.

l If the settings are identical, only the current Site version is kept.

l If an import setting and a Site setting have the same name but are configured differently, the import

setting is added to the Site and renamed in this format: <setting name> (Import), like Email1 (Import).

l In the rules engine, the Notify users (default) rule is always added and renamed, even if the

settings are the same. The import version is enabled and the Site version is disabled by
default.

l The two Site Views are combined.

l The import settings take precedence.

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

l Unorganized elements from the import file are listed at the bottom of the Site View.

l User permission groups are merged.

l If groups have the same name, the import settings are used and the users from both the

import file and the current Site are added to the group.

l Groups added from the import file automatically gain access to all the new devices that

were added since the settings were exported.

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

26 Importing Site Settings

Managing Servers in a Site

A Site can contain multiple servers to share settings and tasks across all the servers. For example, users and
groups that are added to the Site will automatically have access to all linked servers.

By default, when a server is first discovered on the network, it is added to the System Explorer as a server in a
Site of the same name. You can move the server to a different Site to share resources.

1.

In the Setup tab, select a Site then click .

2. The Site Management tab lists all the Sites you can access and all the servers connected to each Site.

If you do not see the Site or server you want to configure, see Discovering Sites for more information.

Figure 13: Site Man agement tab

3. When you select a server, you will see the available options at the bottom of the screen.

4. To move a server:

l Select the server and drag it to a different Site.

l Or, select the server then click Connect. In the dialog box that appears, select the Site you want

the server to connect to.

NOTE: Sites without any servers are automatically removed from the list.

Once the server is connected to the Site, the settings are merged.

Managing Servers in a Site 27

l Unique settings from the server are added to the Site.

l If the settings are identical, only the Site version is kept.

l If a server setting and a Site setting have the same name but are configured differently, the server

setting is added to the Site and renamed in this format: <setting name> (server name), e.g. Email1
(Server2F).

l In the rules engine, the Notify users (default) rule is always added and renamed, even if the

settings are the same. The Site version remains enabled but the added rule is disabled by
default.

l The two Site Views are combined.

l The Site settings take precedence.

For example, a map from the Site was copied to the server in the past. In the server, the map
was placed at the top of the Site View. But in the Site, the same map is placed at the
bottom. After the server is connected to the Site, the map takes the position used by the
Site (the bottom).

l New, unorganized elements from the server are listed at the bottom of the Site View.

l User permission groups are merged.

l If groups have the same name, the Site settings are used and the users from both the Site

and the server are added to the group.

l Groups that are new to the Site automatically get access to all the devices in the Site.

l Groups that are new to the server automatically get access to all the devices that are

connected to the server.

l Users with the same name will use the settings configured in the Site (including passwords), and

gain group permissions from the server.

l If the Site is connected to a Windows Active Directory, the server must be connected to the same

Active Directory domain or the connection will fail. For more information, see Importing Active

Directory Groups.

5. If the Site has multiple servers, you can choose to disconnect a server from the current Site and re-assign

the server to its own Site.

l Select a server from the Site then click Disconnect....

When a server is disconnected, it retains all the settings it received from its previous Site.

Connecting/Disconnecting Cameras

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

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

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

28 Connecting/Disconnecting Cameras

Icon Definition

Camera Connected

Camera Upgrading

The camera is connected to the server.

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

The camera cannot connect to a server.

Camera Connection Error

Camera Disconnected

No Icon

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

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

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

Discovering a Camera

When cameras are connected to the network, they should be automatically discovered by the Client.

If a camera is not automatically discovered, you can try to manually discover the camera.

l

In the Setup tab, select a Site then click .

In the Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab, all Avigilon and ONVIF cameras that are connected to the
same network segment (subnet) are automatically detected and appear in the Discovered Cameras list.

If the camera you want to connect to is on a different subnet, or is manufactured by a third-party, do the
following:

1. At the top of the Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab, click Find Camera....

2. In the Find Camera dialog box, complete the following fields:

Discovering a Camera 29

Figure 14: Find Camera dialog box: Se arch Type - IP Address Figure 15: Find Camera dialog box: Search Type - IP Address

Range

l Search From Server: select the server that you want the camera to connect to.

l Search Type: select a search type.

l Camera Type: select the camera's brand name.

Tip: Select ONVIF to discover cameras that are ONVIF complaint.

l IP Address/Hostname: (For IP Address search only) enter the camera's IP address or hostname. The

camera and server’s gateway IP address must be set correctly for the camera to be found.

l Start IP Address: and End IP Address: (For IP Address Range search only) enter the start and end IP

addresses. Only addresses in that range will be searched for the selected camera type.

l Control Port: enter the camera control port.

l Provide the User Name: and Password: for the camera if required.

3. Click OK.

If the camera is discovered, it will appear in the Discovered Cameras list. You can now connect the camera to a
server.

Connecting a Camera to a Server

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

the required user permissions.

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

Once the camera has been discovered on the network, it can be connected to the server. If you do not see the
camera you want to connect to, see Discovering a Camera.

30 Connecting a Camera to a Server

1.

In the Setup tab, select a Site then click .

Figure 16: Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab

2. In the Discovered Cameras area, select a camera then click Connect....

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

Connectinga Camera to a Server 31

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

Figure 17: Connect Camera dialog box

4. If you are connecting a third-party camera, you may choose to connect the camera by its native driver. In

the Camera Type: drop-down list, select the camera's brand name. If there is only one option in the drop-
down list, the system only supports one type of driver from the camera.

5. In the Connection Type: drop-down list, select Primary. The camera will automatically connect to this

server if they are in the same network.

If you plan to create failover connections, see Failover Connections for more information.

6. In the License Priority: drop-down list, select the appropriate license priority. The highest priority is 1 and

the lowest priority is 5.

NOTE: This option is only available if you are connecting to a secondary or tertiary server.

The License Priority: setting decides the order that cameras are connected to the server. The server will
try to connect cameras with a higher priority before cameras with lower priority. If the server does not
have enough camera channel licenses, low priority cameras may not be connected. A camera channel
license is only used when the camera actually connects to the server.

7.

Click to choose where the camera appears in the System Explorer.

l If your Site includes virtual sub-sites, select a location for the camera. The list on the right updates

to show what is stored in that directory.

l In the Site directory, drag the camera up and down to set where it is displayed.

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

8. Click OK.

9. If the camera is password protected, the Camera Authentication dialog box appears. Enter the camera's

username and password, then click OK.

Editing the Camera Connection to a Server

NOTE: You can only edit manually discovered camera connections.

32 Editing the Camera Connection to a Server

1.

In the Setup tab, select a Site then click .

2. In the Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab, select the camera connection you want to edit from the

Connected Cameras list.

3. Click Edit.... Refer to Connecting a Camera to a Server for details about the editable options.

4. Click OK.

Disconnecting a Camera from a Server

1.

In the Setup tab, select a Site then click .

2. In the Connect/Disconnect Cameras... tab, select the camera you want to disconnect from the Connected

Cameras list, then do one of the following:

l Click Disconnect. The camera will be disconnected from the server and moved to the Discovered

Cameras list.

l Drag the camera into the Discovered Cameras list.

Upgrading Camera Firmware

Camera firmware updates are typically included with the Avigilon™ Control Center Server update packages.
Camera firmware updates are automatically downloaded and installed to the camera.

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

Explorer will display beside the camera name.

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

Users and Groups

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

Managing Users and Groups Across Multiple Sites

When you have a large organization, you need detailed user access permissions to manage how the system is
used each day.

The Avigilon Control Center system offers several features to help you manage large organizations:

l Active Directory Support: the system can synchronize with Windows Active Directory to quickly import

large number of users. For more information, see Importing Active Directory Groups.

l Detailed Group Permissions: users must be added to at least one group that defines what they can

access within the system. This includes system features and specific cameras. Only users with "Setup
user and group settings" permission are able to edit other users and groups at all. For more information,
see Adding Groups.

Disconnecting a Camera from a Server 33

To help you manage groups across the system, here are some features to help you maintain secure group
access:

l Group Ranks: rank groups in order to give them control over certain groups and not others. Each

rank is a number and is generally categorized into Global (100), National (200), Regional (300)),
State (400) and Local (500). Unranked groups have access over all ranks. Ranks are applied when
you add or edit a group.

The higher the number, the lower the rank. For example, as a regional administrator you may be in
an Administrator group ranked 300, but the head of security is in an Administrator group ranked

100. Given these ranks, you would not be able to change the permissions for the head of security,
but the head of security would be able to change yours.

You can also set a custom rank by entering a specific number. As an extension of the rank
categories, a specific rank of 150 would be able to control groups 151 and up, but would not be
able to see or control group 149.

l Copy Groups to Other Sites: copy configured groups to other Sites so that the same groups exist

at each Site location. For more information, see Copying Groups to Other Sites.

Best Practices

Listed here are some recommendations for maintaining an efficient and secure system:

l Change the default administrator password. The default administrator user has control over all aspects of

the system, so adding a password to the account is highly recommended. By default, there is no
password for the administrator account.

l Create a secondary user for the Administrator group. It is recommended that you do not use the default

administrator user account, instead create a secondary user account with the same privileges so that the
default administrator user can still be used in the rare event that the system becomes compromised.

Tip: If you forget your administrator user password, the alternate administrator user can be used to reset the
password. This will avoid the need for a system-wide reset to restore the default administrator user password.

l Assign a rank to all groups. Unranked groups have access over all other groups, so it is recommended that

any groups with users be assigned a rank to further define their access privileges. The default
Administrators group is Unranked by default, but you can create a new group with same permissions and
assign a rank to the new group.

l Limit the number of users in the default Administrator group. The Administrator group is the oversight

group that should only be used for system maintenance. For example, users in the default Administrator
group are the only ones who can see or remove private bookmarks made by all users.

l Always check that the device access permissions are correct after a group has been copied to a new

Site. Copied groups have the same feature permissions as the original group but automatically gain
access to all cameras, maps, saved Views, and web pages in the new Site.

l Always check group access permissions after a new server has been merged into the Site.

l If groups have the same name, the Site settings are used and the users from both the Site and the

server are added to the group.

l Groups that are new to the Site automatically get access to all the devices in the Site.

34 Best Practices

l Groups that are new to the server automatically get access to all the devices that are connected

to the server.

l Always check group access permissions after new users and groups settings are imported into the Site.

l If groups have the same name, the import settings are used and the users from both the import file

and the current Site are added to the group.

l Groups added from the import file automatically gain access to all the new devices that were

added since the settings were exported.

Adding a User

NOTE: This procedure describes adding individual users to the system. If you are managing users through

Windows Active Directory, add new users directly through Active Directory.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site you want to add users to, then click .

2.

In the Users tab, click .

Figure 18: Users and Groups dialog box

Adding a User 35

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

Figure 19: Add User dialog box, Gen eral tab

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

system but cannot access the Site.

5. In the Login Timeout area, select the Enable login timeout check box to limit the amount of time the user

can be logged in while the Client is idle.

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

l Password: enter a password for the user.

l Confirm Password: re-enter the password.

l Require password change on next login: select this check box if the user must replace the

password after the first login.

36 Adding a User

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

l Password never expires: select thischeck box if the password never needs to be changed.

7.

Figure 20: Add User dialog box, Member Of tab

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

The other two columns display the permissions linked to the selected group.

8. Click OK. The user is added to the Site.

Editing and Deleting a User

You can edit and delete users as needed.

NOTE: Be aware that you cannot edit or delete users that belong to the same ranked group as you or higher.
This also means that you cannot edit your own user account unless you are part of an Unranked group.

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site whose user you want to edit, then click .

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

l

To edit the user's information, click . Refer to Adding a User for details about the editable
options.

Editing and Deleting a User 37

l

To delete the user, click .

NOTE: Users imported through the Active Directory tab cannot be deleted, only disabled.

Importing Active Directory Groups

You can import Windows Active Directory groups to the Site so users can log in using their Windows credentials.
Members of an imported Active Directory group are automatically added as users to the Site and are all added
to the same permissions group.

Changes to member accounts in the Active Directory are automatically synchronized with user accounts in the
Avigilon Control Center.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site then click .

2. Select the Active Directory tab.

Figure 21: Use rs and Groups dialog box

3. If it says Active Directory Synchronization is Disabled at the top, you need to enable the feature first.

a. Click Change....

b. In the dialog box, select the Enable Active Directory synchronization checkbox.

c. Enter your username and password for the network domain.

d. Click OK.

38 Importing Active Directory Groups

4.

Click .

5. Assign a set of permissions to the Active Directory group, then click OK. You can edit the permissions for

the group later.

Figure 22: Copy Permissions dialog box

6. In the Select Groups dialog box, locate the Windows group you want to import by doing one of the

following:

l Enter the name of the Windows group in the Enter the object names to select field and click OK.

l Click the Advanced button and search for the group you want.

Figure 23: Select Groups dialog box

Once located, the group is automatically added to the Active Directory Groups: list and the Groups list. All the
users in the group are imported into the Users list.

To edit the permissions assigned to the imported group, see Editing and Deleting a Group.

Imported user information, including login credentials, is maintained by the Active Directory. In the Users and
Groups dialog box, you can only disable an imported user or configure the Login Timeout settings. For more
information see Editing and Deleting a User.

Adding Groups

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

Adding Groups 39

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site to you want to add groups to, then click .

2.

Select the Groups tab and click .

Figure 24: Groups tab

3. Select an existing group to use as a template for your new group, then click OK.

Figure 25: Copy permissions from group: dialog box

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

40 Adding Groups

Figure 26: Edit Grou p dialog box: Grou p tab

a. Give the new group a name.

b. Give the group a rank. Each rank is a number and is generally categorized into Global (100),

National (200), Regional (300), State (400) and Local (500). Unranked groups have access over all
ranks. By default, new groups are ranked below the group creator.

The higher the number, the lower the rank. For example, a group with a Global (100) rank can
control all the other ranked groups, but a group with a State (400) rank can only control Local (500)
groups and not Regional (300) groups.

You can also set a custom rank by entering a number in the Rank: field. A rank of 101-199 would be
considered part of the Global (100) category. For example, a group ranked 150 would be able to
control groups 151 and up, but would not be able to see or control group 149.

Adding Groups 41

c. Select the Group Privileges: and Access Rights: for the group. Clear the check box of any feature

or camera you do not want the group to access.

5. Select the Members tab to add users to the group. If a user is added to the group through the Add User

dialog box, the user is automatically added to the group's Members list. See Adding a User for more
information.

Figure 27: Edit Grou p dialog box: Members tab

a.

Click .

b. Select the users that should be part of this new group. Only users that have been added to the Site

are displayed.

42 Adding Groups

Figure 28: Select Users dialog box

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

6. Click OK to save the new group.

Copying Groups to Other Sites

After you have set up the group permissions that you want, you can choose to copy the same groups to a
different Site to simplify the set up process.

Be aware that this procedure will only copy groups to the Site, and not the users. However, if both Sites are
using the same Active Directory, the copied group permissions will automatically be applied to the same Active
Directory users.

You can copy the same groups from one Site to another Site multiple times to ensure the permissions are
consistent. Each time you copy the same group to a Site, the group settings are overwritten.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site whose group(s) you want to copy, then click .

2.

Select the Groups tab and click .

3. In the following dialog box, select all the groups you want to copy, then select the Site(s) you are copying

the group(s) to.

Copying Groups to Other Sites 43

Figure 29: Copy Groups dialog box.

4. Click OK.

5. Access the Site(s) you copied the group(s) to and edit the copied group(s) as needed. By default, a copied

group is automatically given access to all the cameras and objects in its new Site.

Editing and Deleting a Group

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site whose groups you want to edit, then click .

2. Select the Groups tab.

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

l

To edit the group, click . Refer to Adding Groups for details about the editable options.

l

To delete the group, click .

NOTE: Default groups cannot be deleted.

Alarms

Use the Alarms dialog box to create and manage alarms. Once an alarm has been created, you can monitor alarm
events in the Alarms tab. See Accessing the Alarms Tab for more information.

44 Editing and Deleting a Group

Adding a New Alarm

Alarms need to be added to the Site before they can be monitored in the Alarms tab.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site to add the alarm to, then click .

2.

In the Alarms dialog box, click .

3.

Select an Alarm Trigger Source: . Click when you are ready to continue. The alarm trigger options
are:

l Motion Detection - movement has been detected within a camera's field of view.

l Video Analytics Event - a video analytics event has been detected.

NOTE: A Video Analytics Event can only be detected on a camera that is connected to a Rialto
encoder.

l Digital Input Activation - a digital input connected to a camera has been activated.

l License Plate Watchlist Match - a license plate on the Watch List has been detected.

l POS Transaction Exception - a transaction exception has been detected at a POS transaction

source.

l Camera Error - a camera error has occurred.

l System Error - a system error has occurred.

l External Software Event - an event generated by third-party integration software has occurred.

Figure 30: Select Alarm Trigger Source dialog box

Adding a New Alarm 45

4. Select the cameras to link to this alarm, then complete the following:

Figure 31: Select Linked Cameras dialog box

a. Set the Pre-Alarm Record Time: and the Recording Duration:.

b. Select the View linked cameras when alarm is triggered check box to automatically display the

alarm video in a View when the alarm is triggered.

c.

Click .

5. Select the groups and users that need to receive alarm notifications. You can create an escalation

workflow to determine who is notified next if the alarm is not acknowledged.

46 Addinga New Alarm

Figure 32: Select Alarm Recipients dialog box

a.

Click to add the users or groups that will be notified of this alarm. By default, the list is empty
and you must add at least one user to continue.

b.

In the dialog box that appears, select all the required users ( ) and groups ( ). Use the search
bar at the top of the window to quickly find the user/group you want.

c. Click Add.

d. Assign each user a Wait Time. The Wait Time determines when the user or group will be notified of

the alarm. If a user is assigned 0h 0m, the user will be notified immediately after the alarm occurs. If
the next user is assigned a wait time of 1h 0m, that user is notified in one hour if the alarm is not
acknowledged in that time. If the first user acknowledges the alarm within one hour, the second
user is never notified of the alarm.

In the Alarms tab, only users who are notified will see the live alarm trigger. All potential alarm
recipients will see the alarm once it has been acknowledged.

6. Select the Play sound when alarm is triggered: check box to play a sound when the alarm is triggered.

The sound is played in the Client only, and will be used to notify the selected users. Select the sound you
want to use for the alarm from the drop-down list.

7.

Click .

Adding a New Alarm 47

8. (Optional) Set the actions that must occur when an alarm is acknowledged.

Figure 33: Select Alarm Acknowledgemen t Action dialog box

a. If the user must add comments about the alarm, select the Require a comment when

acknowledging alarm check box.

b. If a digital output must be activated when the alarm is acknowledged, select the Activate selected

digital output(s) on alarm acknowledgement check box. Then, select the digital outputs to be

activated.

c. If the digital output should only be activated when confirmed by a user, select the Require user

confirmation before activating digital output(s) check box.

d.

Click .

48 Adding a New Alarm

9. On the last page, complete the following:

Figure 34: Select Alarm Properties dialog box

a. Enter a Name: for the alarm.

b. Select a Priority: for the alarm. Priority: 1 is the highest alarm priority.

c. Select a Schedule: for the alarm. See Scheduling Site Events for more information.

d. Make sure the Enable alarm check box is selected to enable the alarm.

10.

Click .

Editing and Deleting Alarms

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site whose alarm(s) you want to edit, then click .

2. In the Alarms dialog box, select an alarm, then do one of the following:

l

To edit the alarm, click . Go through the Add Alarm wizard and make the required changes on

each page. On the last page, click to save your changes. Refer to Adding a New Alarm for

Editing and Deleting Alarms 49

details about the editable options.

l

To delete the alarm, click .

Figure 35: Alarms dialog box: alarm properties

Email Notifications

Use the Email Notifications dialog box to set up the Site to send email in response to specific events. You can
choose what events require email notifications and who receives the emails.

Setting Up the Email Server

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

50 Email Notifications

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site you want to send emails from, then click .

2. Select the Email Server tab.

Figure 36: Email Notifications dialog box: Email Server tab

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

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

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

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

Control Center System Event.

d. SMTP Server: enter the SMTP server address used by the Site.

e. Port: enter the SMTP port.

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

quits.

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

box.

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

check box.

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

6. Click OK.

Setting Up the Email Server 51

Configuring Email Notifications

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

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site whose email notifications you want to configure, then click .

2. In the Email Notifications dialog box, make sure the Email Notifications tab is selected.

3.

Click .

Figure 37: Email Notifications dialog box

4. Enter an Email Group Name:.

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

Do any of the following:

52 Configuring Email Notifications

l

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

l

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

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

6.

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

7. In the Email Trigger: area, select all the events that will trigger an email for this email group. Click the blue

underlined text to define the event requirements.

Tip: If you require other events or more specific requirements, you can also configure email notification in
the rules engine. See Rules for more information.

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

the event check box.

NOTE: This option is disabled if Motion Detect is not selected because there are no images associated

with system events, digital inputs, or POS transaction exceptions.

9. In the Email Schedule: area, select a schedule for the email notification. See Scheduling Site Events for

more information.

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

email at most every: field.

11. Click OK.

Editing and Deleting an Email Notification

You can edit or delete email notifications as needed.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site whose email notifications you want to edit, then click .

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

l To edit the email notification, select the Email Group from the Email Groups: list, then make the

required changes. Refer to Configuring Emails Notifications for details about the editable options.

l

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

Rules

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

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

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

Editing and Deleting an Email Notification 53

Adding a Rule

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site you want to add a rule to, then click .

2.

In the Rules dialog box, click .

3. Select the events that will trigger the rule. If blue underlined text appears in the rule description, click on

the text to further define the event.

When the trigger event is defined, click .

Figure 38: Select Rule Event(s) page

4. Select the actions that will occur when the rule is triggered. If any blue underlined text appears in the rule

description, click on the text to further define the action.

When the action is defined, click .

54 Adding a Rule

Figure 39: Select Rule Action(s) page

5. Complete the following:

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

b. Select a Schedule: for the rule. See Scheduling Site Events for more information.

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

Adding a Rule 55

Figure 40: Select Rule Properties page

6.

Click .

56 Adding a Rule

Editing and Deleting a Rule

1.

In the Setup tab, select the Site whose rules you want to set up, then click .

2. In the Rules dialog box, select a rule, then do one of the following:

Figure 41: Rules dialog box

l

To edit the rule, click . Go through the Rule Setup wizard and make the desired changes on

each page. On the last page, click to save your changes.

Refer to Adding a Rule for details about the editable options.

l

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

Editing and Deleting a Rule 57

Scheduling Site Events

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

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

NOTE: Schedules are shared across a Site.

Figure 42: Schedu le option

l To use a preconfigured schedule, select an option from the drop-down list. The default option is Always,

which allows the event to run constantly.

l

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

l

To delete a schedule, select the schedule then click and select .

l

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

Figure 43: Edit… dialog box.

58 SchedulingSite Events

1. Give the new schedule a name.

2. Give the recurrence a name.

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

l

To add a recurrence, click .

l

To delete a recurrence, select the recurrence then click .

3. In the Start: and End: fields, enter the time the recurrence will cover.

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

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

5. In the Recurrence pattern area, schedule how often the event will be enabled during this recurrence.

Option Description

The event is enabled during the same time every day.

Daily

l Select the number of days between each schedule recurrence.

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

Weekly

l Select the day(s) of the week, then select the number of weeks between each

schedule recurrence.

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

Monthly

l Select the specific day or weekday, then select the number of months

between each schedule recurrence.

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

Yearly

l Select the specific day or weekday and month, then select the number of

years between each schedule recurrence.

6. Complete any other recurrences that have been added to the schedule.

7. Click OK to save the new schedule.

Scheduling Site Events 59

Server Settings

Server settings are related to video recording. This includes configuring the recording schedule, data aging, and
bandwidth usage, as well as POS transactions and scheduled video backups.

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

Server Name

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

1.

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

2. In the dialog box that appears, give the server a name.

Figure 44: Server Name dialog box

3. Click OK.

Recording Schedule

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

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

Setting Up a Weekly Recording Schedule

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select the server you want to set up, then click .

2. In the Recording Schedule dialog box, select a template from the Templates: pane.

60 Server Settings

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

Figure 45: Recording Schedule dialog box: Default Week

4. Click OK.

Using Templates to Modify the Recording Schedule

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

NOTE: Recording templates are shared across a Site.

Adding a Template

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select the server you want to add a recording schedule to, then click .

2. In the Templates: pane, in the Recording Schedule dialog box, click Add Template

Figure 46: Recording Schedule dialog box

3. Enter a name for the New Template.

4. Click the Set Area button, then click or drag the cursor across the Recording Mode: timeline to set the

types of events that the cameras will record throughout the day. Individual rectangles on the Recording
Mode: timeline will be colored if they have been selected.

UsingTemplates to Modify the Recording Schedule 61

Record Mode Definition

Continuous Record video constantly.

Motion Only record video when motion is detected.

Digital Inputs Only record video when a digital input is activated.

Alarms Only record video when an alarm is activated.

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

License Plates Only record video when a license plate is detected.

5. To disable recording in parts of the template, click the Clear Area button, then click or drag the cursor

across the timeline to remove the set recording areas.

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

between events in the recording schedule.

l Select the Record a reference image every: check box then set the time between each reference

image.

Editing and Deleting a Template

1.

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

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

following:

l To edit a template, modify the schedule.

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

l To delete a template, click Delete Template.

3. Click OK to save your changes.

Recording and Bandwidth

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

In the Recording and Bandwidth dialog box, you can change the Data Aging settings and set the maximum
record time for each connected camera.

62 Editing and Deleting a Template

1.

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

Figure 47: Recording and Bandwidth dialog box

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

l For JPEG2000 or JPEG compression cameras, Data Aging is available at three rates:

l Full Image Rate and Resolution keeps recordings at their original quality.

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

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

video.

l For H.264 cameras that support Data Aging, Data Aging is available at two rates:

l Full Image Rate and Resolution keeps the original high quality video and the secondary

stream of low resolution video.

l Low Resolution only keeps the secondary stream of low resolution video.

NOTE: Data Aging can only occur when the secondary stream is enabled.

l For H.264 cameras that do not support Data Aging, only the Full Image Rate and Resolution video

is kept.

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

rate.

Recording and Bandwidth 63

l To change the data aging settings for all linked cameras, move the slider for one linked camera

and all linked cameras will be updated.

l To change the data aging setting for one camera, break the camera's link to other cameras by

clicking the icon to the left of its name, then make your changes.

3. In the Max. Record Time, manually enter a maximum record time or select one of the options from the

drop-down list for each camera.

NOTE: If the time estimated in the Total Record Time column is shorter than what is set in the Max. Record
Time column, the camera's actual recording time will be shorter than the Max. Record Time .

4. Click OK.

Scheduled Backup

Video backup must be enabled in the Avigilon™ Control Center Admin Tool before Scheduled Backup settings
can be set in the Client. The Admin Tool is also where you manually set the backup file location. See the Avigilon
Control Center Server User Guide for more information.

Files are always backed up in Avigilon Backup (AVK) format. You can review backed up video in the Avigilon
Control Center Player.

Once backups are enabled, you can schedule the application to automatically back up recorded video.

64 ScheduledBackup

1.

In the Setup tab, select the server you want to back up, then click .

Figure 48: Schedu led Backup Setup dialog box

2. Select the Enable scheduled backups check box.

3. In the Camera(s) to Backup: list, select all the camera video to back up.

4. In the Backup Options: area, complete the following:

l Perform Every: <X> day(s): specify the number of days between backups

l Start Time: the time when backup occurs

l Coverage: the amount of recorded image data that is backed up

l Starting From: starting point for the backup

ScheduledBackup 65

l Delete oldest backups when disk full: select this check box to automatically delete the oldest

backups when the backup storage location is full

For example in the figure above, the Scheduled Backup is configured to occur every day at 12 am. Video
from 30 days ago is backed up and will cover 1 day of video, so only the 30th day is backed up to the
remote server each night.

5. Click OK.

The Status area displays when the next backup will be.

License Plate Recognition

License Plate Recognition (LPR) is a licensed feature that allows users to read and store vehicle license plate
numbers from any video streamed through the Avigilon Control Center.

The License Plate Recognition options will only appear if you have the feature licensed and installed on the
server.

Setting Up License Plate Recognition

1.

In the Setup tab, select the server you wan to edit and click .

66 License Plate Recognition

Figure 49: License Plate Recognition Setup dialog box

2. Select a lane from the left pane.

The number of lanes listed is determined by the number of License Plate Recognition (LPR) channels that
are licensed.

3. Complete the following fields:

l Name: enter a name for the lane.

l Camera: select the camera that will perform LPR. One camera can be used for multiple lanes.

l License Plate Configuration: select the regional license plate format that needs to be recognized

by the camera. See Supported License Plates for more information.

l Pre-Eve nt Record Time: enter the amount of time that video is recorded before the license plate

is recognized.

l Post-Event Record Time: enter the amount of time that video is recorded after the license plate is

recognized.

l Minimum Confidence: move the slider to set the minimum confidence required for a detected

license plate to be recognized. The default value is 80%.

l Enable this lane: select this check box to enable LPR on this lane.

4. Move and adjust the size of the overlay to define the area where license plates are detected by the

camera.

NOTE: License plates are only detected when the overlay is green. If the overlay is red, the license plate
detection area is too large.

5. Click OK.

Configuring the Watch List

The License Plate Recognition (LPR) Watch List identifies license plates that are of special interest. When a
license plate on the Watch List is detected, an event is generated to notify you of the license plate and can be
used to trigger an action in the Rules engine.

You can manually add each license plate that needs to be recognized, or import a list of license plates into the
Client.

Adding Licenses to the Watch List

1.

In the Setup tab, select the server you want to add a license plate to and click .

2. When the License Plate Recognition dialog box appears, select the Watch List tab.

Configuring the Watch List 67

Figure 50: License Plate Recognition dialog box: Watch List tab

3. Click Add.... The Add License Plate dialog box appears.

Figure 51: Add License Plate dialog box

4. Enter the license plate number you want to watch for.

5. Move the Minimum Confidence slider to determine how similar the detected license plate must be before

it is considered a match.

For example, if a license plate on your Watch List is ABC 123 and the Avigilon Control Center detects an
ABC 789 license plate, the system will be 50% confident that it has found a match. If the system detects
ABC 129, it will be 83% confident that it has found a match.

6. Click OK.

68 Adding Licenses to the Watch List

Deleting a License Plate from the Watch List

1. In the License Plate Recognition dialog box, select the Watch List tab.

2. Select the license plate from the Watch List, and click Delete.

Exporting a Watch List

1. In the License Plate Recognition dialog box, select the Watch List tab.

2. Click Export....

3. In the Save As dialog box, name the file and click Save.

The Watch List can be exported as a text file or a comma-separated values (CSV) file.

Importing a Watch List

1. In the License Plate Recognition dialog box, select the Watch List tab.

2. Click Import....

3. In the Import dialog box, locate the Watch List file and click Open.

POS Transactions

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

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

To monitor live POS transactions, see Monitoring Live POS Transactions.

To review recorded POS transactions, see Reviewing Recorded POS Transactions.

Adding a POS Transaction Source

1.

In the Setup tab, select the server you want to add a POS transaction source to and click .

2.

In the POS Transactions dialog box, click .

3. Enter the Hostname/IP Address: and the Port: number for the POS transaction source device, then click

.

Deleting a License Plate from the Watch List 69

Figure 52: Set Transaction Source Device page

4.

Select a Transaction Source Data format, then click Next.

If the source data format needs to be added or edited, click or Edit. Alternatively, click Copy

From to create a new data format based on the selected data format. See Adding a Transaction Source

Data Format for more information.

70 Adding a POS Transaction Source

Figure 53: Set Set Transaction Source Data Format page

5.

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

Next. If you do not need to monitor for exceptions, just click Next.

Click to add an exception or Edit to edit an existing exception. See Adding a Transaction

Exce ption for information.

Adding a POS Transaction Source 71

Figure 54: Set Transaction Exceptions page

6. Select any cameras you want to link to the transaction source, and set the amount of time video needs to

be recorded before and after each transaction. Then click .

72 Adding a POS TransactionSource

Figure 55: Select Linked Cameras page

7. Enter a name and description for the transaction source, then select Enable transaction source to start

receiving data from the transaction source.

Adding a POS Transaction Source 73

Figure 56: Set Tran saction Source Name an d Description page

8.

Click .

74 Addinga POSTransaction Source

Editing and Deleting a POS Transaction Source

1.

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

Figure 57: POS Tran sactions dialog box

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

l

To edit the POS transaction source, click . Go through the POS Transactions Setup wizard and

make the required changes on each page. On the last page, click to save your changes. Refer
to Adding a POS Transaction Source for details about the editable options.

l

To delete the POS transaction source, click . When the confirmation dialog box appears, click

Yes.

Adding a Transaction Source Data Format

NOTE: POS transaction source data formats are shared across a Site.

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

In the POS Transactions Setup wizard, click when you arrive on the Set Transaction Source Data Format page.
When the Configure Data Format dialog box appears, complete the following procedure:

Editing and Deleting a POS Transaction Source 75

1. In the Properties area, specify the following:

Figure 58: Configure Data Format dialog box

l Name: enter a name for the data format.

l Description: enter a description of the data format.

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

POS transaction source.

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

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

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

Perform any of the following to capture raw data for the source data format:

Figure 59: Configure Data Format dialog box

76 Adding a Transaction Source Data Format

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

l Click Stop Capture to stop capturing transaction data.

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

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

3. (Optional) Click Add Filter... to create a new filter for the raw transaction data file.

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

Figure 60: Configure Filter dialog box

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

b. Select the Match case and/or Match whole word check box to focus the text filter to only find text

with the same capitalization or an exact match.

c. In the Method: drop-down list, select a search method. You can choose to filter text found through

a Normal search, Wildcards search, or Regular expressions search.

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

criteria.

e. Click OK.

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

Adding a Transaction Exception

NOTE: POS transaction exceptions are shared across a Site.

Adding a Transaction Exception 77

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

In the POS Transactions Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and go through the setup wizard. Click
when you arrive on the Set Transaction Exceptions page. When the Configure Exception dialog box appears,
complete the following procedure:

Figure 61: Configure Exception dialog box

1. Enter a name for the exception.

2. Select one of the Text to Match options:

Select And do this...

Enter text for the exception to search for.

Match Text

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

Enter the value that triggers the exception, and enter the text that may appear around
the value.

Match Value

The exception will monitor all transactions for values that match what you enter in the
Text Before Value:, Match when value:, and Text After Value: fields

3. Click OK.

78 Adding a Transaction Exception

Camera Settings

Camera settings are used to adjust video quality and set up devices that can be connected to cameras. These
settings include adjusting camera display quality, video compression, and image rate, as well as digital and
audio inputs/outputs.

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

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

General

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

Setting the Camera's Identity

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

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click

2. In the Camera Name: field, give the camera a meaningful name to help you identify the camera. By

default, the camera model number is used as the camera's name.

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

4. In the Logical ID: field, enter a unique number to allow the Client and integrations to identify this camera.

5. To disable the LEDs on the camera, select the Disable camera status LEDs. This may be required if the

camera is installed in a covert location.

6. If the camera has a motorized zoom and focus lens, the Enable PTZ controls check box will be displayed.

See Configuring PTZ for more information.

7. Click OK.

Configuring PTZ

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

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

Camera Settings 79

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you wish to configure and click . Click

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

NOTE: If the following options are not displayed, the camera only has a motorized zoom and focus lens
that can be controlled through the PTZ Controls pane. Other PTZ controls will not be available.

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

l AD Sensormatic

l AXSYS

l AXSYS DCU

l Ernitec ERNA

l Honeywell Diamond

l Kalatel ASCII

l Pelco D

l Pelco P

l TEB Ligne

l Videotec MACRO

l Videotec Legacy

l Vicon extended

l Vicon normal

l JVC JCBP

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

5. Click OK.

Once PTZ has been configured, you can use the camera's PTZ Controls while you watch the camera's live video
stream. See Controlling PTZ Cameras for more information.

Rebooting the Camera

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select a camera and click .

2. Click Reboot Camera....

The camera will disconnect from the Avigilon Control Center and shut down. When the camera starts up again,
the camera should automatically reconnect with the Avigilon Control Center.

80 Rebooting the Camera

Network

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

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select a camera and click .

2. In the Network dialog box, select how the camera obtains an IP address:

Figure 62: Network dialog box

l Obtain an IP address automatically: select this option for the camera to connect to the network

through an automatically assigned IP address.

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

169.254.0.0/16 subnet.

l Use the following IP address: select this option to manually assign a static IP address to the

camera.

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

3. Select the Control Port: for connecting to the camera. This port is also used for manually discovering the

camera on the network.

4. Select the Enable Multicast check box to enable multicast streaming from the camera. You must Enable

Network 81

Multicast to set up redundant recording to multiple servers.

Use the default generated IP Address:, TTL:, and Base Port:, or enter your own values.

5. Click OK.

Image and Display

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

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

Changing Image and Display Settings

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the camera. Options that are not supported by the

camera will be disabled or hidden.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

2. In the Image and Display dialog box, make the required changes to adjust the camera's image settings. A

preview of your changes is displayed in the image panel.

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

Figure 63: Image and Display dialog box

82 Image and Display

Exposure:

Option Description

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

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

Iris:

IR Cut Filter:

Flicker Control:

Backlight Compensation:

Enable Wide Dynamic
Range

Maximum Exposure:

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

You can allow the camera to control the infrared cut filter by selecting IR Cut
Filter:, or set the camera to Color or Monochrome mode.

If your video image flickers because of the fluorescent lights around the
camera, you can reduce the effects of the flicker by setting the Flicker
Control: to the same frequency as your lights. Generally, Europe is 50 Hz and
North America is 60 Hz.

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

Select this box to enable automatic color adjustments through Wide Dynamic
Range (WDR). This allows the camera to adjust the video image to
accommodate scenes where bright light and dark shadow are clearly visible.

You can limit the automatic exposure setting by selecting a Maximum
Exposure: level.

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

Maximum Gain:

Priority:

Saturation:

Sharpening:

Image Rotation:

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

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

You can select Image Rate or Exposure as the priority.

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

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

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

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

You can change the rotation of captured video. You can rotate the video 90,
180, or 270 degrees clockwise.

Changing Image and Display Settings 83

Option Description

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

White Balance

3. To focus the camera, see Zooming and Focusing the Camera Lens.

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

5. Click OK.

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

white balance, or select Custom white balance and manually set the Red: and
Blue: settings.

Zooming and Focusing the Camera Lens

If the camera has remote zoom and focus capabilities, you can control the camera's zoom and focus through the
Image and Display dialog box.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

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

l Continuous Focus: the camera will automatically focus itself whenever the scene changes. Skip the

following steps.

l Manual Focus: you can manually focus the camera through the Focus: buttons. Once the focus is

manually set, it will not change.

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

camera:

Tip: For Avigilon™ HD Professional Cameras, the lens must be set to auto-focus (AF) mode on the camera.
If the camera does not detect the lens, the Focus: buttons are not displayed.

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

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

shortest.

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

Focus Buttons

Button Description

The camera will automatically focus one time.

The camera will focus as close to zero as possible.

84 Zoomingand Focusing the Camera Lens

Button Description

Large step toward zero.

Small step toward zero.

Small step toward infinity.

Large step toward infinity.

Infinity.

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

7. Click OK.

Dewarping an Immervision Panomorph Lens

If your camera uses an Immervision Panomorph lens, you may choose to dewarp the image through the Avigilon
Control Center software.

1.

In the Setup tab, choose an Immervision Panomorph lens camera and click .

2. In the Image and Display dialog box, select the Lens Type : used by the camera.

If the Lens Type list is empty, contact Avigilon Technical Support and request that support for your
camera and lens model be added to the application.

Dewarping an I mmervision Panomorph Lens 85

Figure 64: Image and Display dialog box for fish eye lens configuration

3. In the View Perspective: drop-down list, select one of the following options:

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

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

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

4. Click OK.

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

Compression and Image Rate

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

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

For more information about the supported compression technologies, see the Understanding Compression

Technologies for HD and Megapixel Surveillance white paper on the Avigilon website.

86 Compression and Image Rate

1.

In the Setup tab, select a camera and click .

Figure 65: Compression and Image Rate dialog box.

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

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

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

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

camera to stream over the network.

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

4. In the Image Quality: drop-down list, select an image quality setting. An image quality setting of 1 will

produce the highest quality video and require the most bandwidth. The default setting is 6.

5. In the Max Bit Rate: drop-down list, select the maximum bandwidth the camera can use in kilobits per

second (kbps).

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

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

It is recommended that you have at least one keyframe per second. So, if the image rate is set to 30 ips,
you should enter 30 for the Keyframe Interval: setting. 

Compression and Image Rate 87

8. If your camera supports multiple video streams, you can select the Enable secondary stream check box.

When enabled, the secondary stream is a lower resolution video stream that is used by Avigilon's HDSM
feature to maximize bandwidth and storage efficiencies.

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

10. Click OK.

Image Dimensions

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

2. In the Image Dimensions dialog box, adjust the image dimensions by doing one of the following:

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

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

Figure 66: Image Dimensions dialog box

3. Click OK.

88 Image Dimensions

Motion Detection

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

Selecting a Motion Detection Area

In the Motion Detection dialog box, you can set the green motion detection areas in the camera's field of view.
Motion detection is ignored in the areas not highlighted in green.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

2. In the Motion Detection dialog box, use the tools above the image panel to define the green motion

detection area:

l

can draw multiple rectangles to create your motion detection area.

l

l

allows you to be very specific and highlight unusual shapes.

l

l

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

: Click this button then draw green rectangles to define the motion detection areas. You

: Click this button and draw rectangles to erase sections from the motion detection area.

: Click this button and manually draw motion detection areas with your mouse. This tool

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

:Click this button to clear the image panel of all motion detection areas.

Motion Detection 89

Figure 67: Motion Detection dialog box

3. Click OK.

To define the sensitivity and threshold of the motion detection area, see Controlling Motion Sensitivity and

Threshold.

Controlling Motion Sensitivity and Threshold

In the Motion Detection dialog box, you can control the camera's sensitivity and threshold for motion. You can
also define how long video is recorded before and after each motion event.

90 Controlling Motion Sensitivity and Thr eshold

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

Figure 68: Motion Detection dialog box

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

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

3. Move the Threshold: slider to adjust how many pixels must change before the image is considered to

have motion.

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

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

4. In the Pre-Motion Record Time: and Post-Motion Record Time: fields, specify how long video is recorded

before and after the motion event.

5. Click OK.

Privacy Zones

You can set privacy zones in the camera's field of view to block out areas that you do not want to see or record,
like bathroom entrances and other private areas.

Privacy Zones 91

Adding a Privacy Zone

NOTE: You can add up to 4 privacy zones per camera.

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

2.

In the Privacy Zones dialog box, click and a green box will appear on the image panel.

Figure 69: Privacy Zones dialog box

3. Move and resize the green box until it covers the area you want to block out.

4. Click OK.

Editing and Deleting a Privacy Zone

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

2. In the Privacy Zones dialog box, select a privacy zone from the Privacy Zones: list and do one of the

following:

l To edit the privacy zone, adjust the green box in the image.

l

To delete the privacy zone, click .

3. Click OK to save your changes.

92 Adding a Privacy Zone

Manual Recording

When you trigger manual recording in an image panel, you are telling the camera to record video outside of its
recording schedule. Manual recording continues until it is stopped, or until the maximum manual recording time
is reached.

To set the maximum manual recording time, follow these steps:

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

Figure 70: Manual Recording dialog box

2. Specify the following:

l Manual Recording Duration: enter how long the camera should record if recording is not manually

stopped.

l Pre-Trigger Record Time: enter the amount of time video is recorded before manual recording is

activated.

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

4. Click OK.

For more information on manually recording video, see Triggering Manual Recording.

Digital Inputs and Outputs

Use the Digital Inputs and Outputs dialog box to set up external digital input and output devices that are
connected to the camera.

The external devices can be used to create alarms or trigger recording events and specific actions through the
Rules engine. See Rules for more information.

Manual Recording 93

Setting Up Digital Inputs

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to set up and click .

2. In the Digital Inputs: area, select an input.

Figure 71: Digital Inputs and Outputs dialog box

3. Enter a Name: for the digital input.

4. In the Recording Duration: area, select one of the following:

l Select Follow event to record the entire digital input event.

l Select Maximum time: to limit the recording time.

5. Enter the Pre-Event Record Time: and Post-Eve nt Record Time:.

6. Select the digital input's default Circuit State: .

7. Select cameras to link to this digital input.

If the Recording Schedule is configured to record digital inputs, the cameras selected in the Link to

94 Setting Up Digital Inputs

Camera(s): area are used to record the events triggered by this digital input.

8. Click OK.

Setting Up Digital Outputs

Once a digital output is configured, you can manually trigger the digital output in an image panel. See Triggering

Digital Outputs for more information.

NOTE: The dialog box may appear differently depending on the camera. Options that are not supported by the

camera will be disabled or hidden.

1.

In the Setup tab, select a camera and click .

2. In the Digital Outputs: area, select an output.

Figure 72: Digital Inputs and Outputs box: Digital Output Settings

3. Enter a Name: for the digital output.

4. Select the digital output's default Circuit State:.

Setting Up Digital Outputs 95

5. The Trigger Behavior: options define what occurs when the digital output is activated.

l Select Activate to enable the digital output in continuous mode. The Duration: fields allow you to

specify how long the digital output should be active for.

l Select Pulse to enable the digital output in pulse mode. Specify the Period:, Duty Cycle:, and

Repeat Count: for the pulse.

6. Alternatively, there may only be a Trigger Duration: field. Specify the trigger duration in minutes and

seconds.

7. Select the cameras that should be linked to this digital output.

When the digital output is triggered, all the cameras linked to this digital output will begin recording.

8. Click OK.

Microphone

Use the Microphone dialog box to change the settings for any audio input device that is connected to the
camera. You can also link the audio to other cameras.

To use this feature, a microphone must be connected to the camera.

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

96 Microphone

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

Figure 73: Microphone dialog box

2. Select the Enable check box to enable audio recording from microphones connected to the camera.

3. Enter a name for the microphone.

4. In the Source: drop-down list, select the audio input source.

5. In the Gain: drop-down list, select the amount of analog gain that is applied to the audio input. The higher

the dB setting, the louder the volume.

6. In the Link to Camera(s): area, select cameras to link to this audio.

7. Click OK.

Speaker

Use the Speaker dialog box to change the settings for any audio output device that is connected to a camera.
You can also link the audio to other cameras.

Speaker 97

To use this feature, speakers must be connected to the camera and a microphone must be connected to your
local Client.

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

1.

In the Setup tab, select the camera you want to edit and click .

Figure 74: Speaker dialog box

2. Select the Enable check box to enable audio broadcasting. Speakers connected to the camera will

broadcast audio from the microphone that is connected to the local Client.

3. Select the Record speaker output check box to record what is broadcast.

4. Enter a name for the speaker.

5. The Volume: slider controls the volume of the speakers.

6. In the Link to Camera(s): area, select cameras to link to the speakers.

7. To test the Microphone Level:, speak into the microphone. The red bar will move to show the audio input

level.

8. Click OK.

98 Speaker

If you want to enable two-way audio, see General Settings for the local Client.

Speaker 99

Client Settings

Client Settings... are used to set your preferences for your local copy of the Client software. This includes saving
your password, setting the language, saving your last window layout, configuring your joystick, and manually
adding and removing Sites.

General Settings

Use the General settings to set your local Client preferences. Any changes you make will only affect this copy of
the Client software.

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

1.

In the top-right corner of the Client, select > Client Settings....

2. In the General tab, make any required changes:

100 Client Settings