Axis Camera Recorder User Manual

AXIS Camera Recorder

User’s Manual

AXIS Camera Recorder User’s Manual

About This Document

This manual is intended for administrators and operators of AXIS Camera Recorder and is applicable for software version 1.1. Later versions of the document will be posted to the Axis Web site, as required.

Previous experience of networking will be of use to the reader when installing and using this product.

Legal Considerations

Camera surveillance may be prohibited by laws that vary from country to country. Check the laws in your local region before using AXIS Camera Recorder for surveillance purposes.

Liability

Every care has been taken in the preparation of this manual. Please inform your local Axis office of any inaccuracies or omissions. Axis Communications AB cannot be held responsible for any technical or typographical errors and reserves the right to make changes to the product and manuals without prior notice. Axis Communications AB makes no warranty of any kind with regard to the material contained within this document, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Axis Communications AB shall not be liable nor responsible for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance or use of this material.

Trademark Acknowledgments

Acrobat, Adobe, Boa, Ethernet, IBM, Internet Explorer, LAN Manager, Linux, Macintosh, Microsoft, Milestone, Netscape Navigator, OS/2, UNIX, Windows, WWW are registered trademarks of the respective holders. Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Axis Communications AB is independent of Sun Microsystems Inc.

Axis Support Services

Should you require any technical assistance, please contact your Axis reseller. If your questions cannot be answered immediately, your reseller will forward your queries through the appropriate channels to ensure a rapid response.

If you are connected to the Internet, you can:

• Download user documentation and firmware updates.

• Find answers to resolved problems in the FAQ database. Search by product, category, or phrases.

• Report problems to Axis support staff by logging in to your private support area. Visit the Axis Support Web at www.axis.com/techsup/

AXIS Camera Recorder User’s Manual

Table Of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Installation Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Help & Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Devices - Quick Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Using the Monitor application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

The Administrator Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Devices - Detailed Setup Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Changing Device Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Configuring Monitors and the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Setting Image Quality and Recording Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Calibrating Motion Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Defining Motion Detection Exclude Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Setting Up and Using PTZ Preset Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

E-mail Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Scheduling Camera Activity and Alert Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Setting up Schedules - an Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

The Monitor Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Tools and options available in the Monitor window . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

The Pan/Tilt/Zoom Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Using the Recordings Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Features in Advanced Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Appendix A - Inputs and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Advanced Control with Input Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

I/O Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Introduction

AXIS Camera Recorder is a powerful and flexible surveillance solution that turns your TCP/IP-based Axis network cameras and video servers into a sophisticated digital video surveillance system - all fully controlled from your PC.

AXIS Camera Recorder provides these main features:

• Record from and view cameras at up to 30 frames per second (25 for PAL)

• Control up to 16 cameras per installation/license

• Secure image database with recovery options

• Automatic database resizing for continuous recording at low disk space

• Scheduled recording on time and/or event

• Advanced motion detection with exclude filter for image areas of no interest

• Limit recordings to images with motion, all images or no images

• Receive motion alerts via e-mail

• All system messages on-screen, in log files and optionally via e-mail

• Find specific recordings by date/time or event

• Playback of recordings in real-time, or at controllable speed and play direction

• Control of PTZ cameras

• Up to 25 PTZ preset positions per camera for fast PTZ

• Advanced input/output control

• Export single images and video sequences and print reports

Installation Guide

This installation guide will help you install AXIS Camera Recorder and configure it for your Axis Network Cameras and Video Servers. The guide also provides a brief introduction to the functionality and usage of the surveillance software.

Overview

AXIS Camera Recorder consists of two distinct software applications: Administrator and Monitor. These are described briefly below.

The Administrator application - The administrator of the surveillance

installation uses this tool when setting up the system for the first time, when new cameras are added to the system and whenever the system configuration needs to be changed. This tool is also used to configure the screen layout to use while operating the system, the recording conditions to use, etc.

The Monitor application - This application forms the main user interface and

is the core of the surveillance system. The Monitor records and displays live images from the connected video cameras and the operator uses this application for surveillance. Operators can start and stop cameras, control PTZ cameras (if installed), review recordings, create AVI files, export and print images, etc.

Notes: •The Administrator application and the Monitor application can-

not be run simultaneously - the one must be closed before the other is opened.

•In order to achieve the best performance and most reliable operation, it is recommended that the surveillance PC is not used for other demanding software applications or unnecessary purposes.

•The Monitor application and cameras must be running to record

images. There will be no video surveillance if the Monitor application is closed!

Installation Guide

System Requirements

Before installing, you should be aware of the various requirements that will apply for your application, and in particular for the desired frame rate. The values shown below are obtained from real-life tests.

Minimum Processor Requirements for Frame Rates

NTSC/PAL Cameras 10 fps, medium compression 10 fps, high compression

1 camera P4, 1,0 GHz P4, 1,0 GHz

4 cameras P4, 1,0 GHz P4, 1,0 GHz

8 cameras P4, 1,8 GHz P4 1,0 GHz - P4, 1,8 GHz

16 cameras P4, 3,06 GHz P4, 1,8 GHz

NTSC/PAL Cameras 25 fps, medium compression 25 fps, high compression

1 camera P4, 1,0 GHz P4, 1,0 GHz

4 cameras P4, 1,8 GHz P4, 1,8 GHz

8 cameras P4, 3,06 GHz P4, 3,06 GHz

16 cameras N/A N/A

Approximate Total Frame Rates for Various Configurations

NTSC/PAL Cameras

1 camera 25 25 25

2 cameras 50 50 50

4 cameras 80 90 100

8 cameras 65 140 170

16 cameras 50 160 200

P4 1,0 GHz, Medium compression

P4 1,8 GHz, Medium compression

P4 3,06 GHz, Medium compression

RAM

In general, the better the PC’s processor, the better the frame rate. The amount of RAM available is of less importance for the frame rate, but is important for AXIS Camera Recorder’s overall performance. The amount of RAM required is dependent on the number of cameras in use. For up to 8 cameras - use 512 MB, and for 9-16 cameras - use 1024 MB.

UPS

Whilst not absolutely essential for operation, using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for the computer running AXIS Camera Recorder is

recommended.

highly

Installation Guide

Hard Disk Space

The amount of disk space required can be roughly calculated from the table below. Always add a further 5-10% disk space as a safety margin.

Average File Size Stored Images Disk space (GB)

15 KB 60 000 1

15 KB 150 000 2.1

15 KB 600 000 9

25 KB 60 000 1.8

25 KB 150 000 3.9

25 KB 600 000 15

35 KB 60 000 2.1

35 KB 150 000 5.2

35 KB 600 000 21

Axis Network Camera and Video Server Requirements

The Axis cameras and video servers used with AXIS Camera Recorder must be installed with the firmware release 2.34 or later. The following network cameras are supported: AXIS 205, AXIS 2100, AXIS 2110, AXIS 2120, AXIS 2130, and the AXIS 2420. Supported video servers; AXIS 2400, AXIS 2400+, AXIS 2401, AXIS 2401+, AXIS 2411.

Software Requirements

Item Notes

Operating System Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, or XP Professional, or NT 4.0 (SP3 or

later). Using the operating system’s latest Service Pack is highly recommended.

Protocols, API’s, Software

Incompatible software FTP-Server: already included in AXIS Camera Recorder. Do not run other FTP

Important!

The Windows computer used for AXIS Camera Recorder must be NTFS-formatted.

TCP/IP support. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher.

servers on the same port number or change the default port number used by the AXIS Camera Recorder FTP-Server.

Installation Guide

Installation

Step 1 - Locate your License Code

To install the full retail version of AXIS Camera Recorder a valid license code must be entered. This code can be found on the product label in the software retail box. The license code starts with “ACR” and is followed by a combination of letters and numbers. A license code is not required to install the Demo version of the program.

Step 2 - Connect Devices

Connect your Axis cameras/video servers to your Local Area Network. Consult the product documentation for more information.

To verify that the camera/video server is properly installed on your network, connect to it from a standard browser. If you cannot connect using a browser, you will not be able connect from AXIS Camera Recorder.

Step 3 - Install the Software

Insert the AXIS Camera Recorder CD into your computer’s CD drive. The installation program starts automatically if Auto-Run has been enabled. Otherwise, run the program acr.exe from the CD’s root directory.

If a previous version (or the demo version) exists on the system, the installation program will recommend that the earlier version is removed. After doing so, the installation program must be started once more for the actual installation.

You will next be asked to accept the product license agreement. This agreement is also supplied in printed form with the product. If you do not accept the license agreement, select No and the installation will terminate. Otherwise, select Yes and the installation will proceed.

Enter your name, company name and the product’s license code. Enter the whole license code, including the hyphens. Do not include any blanks. Complete the installation process by following the on-screen instructions.

Important!

The license code for AXIS Camera Recorder will be needed again if you ever need to re-install the software. The code should therefore be treated as a valuable item and stored in a safe place.

Installation Guide

If a demo version of AXIS Camera Recorder was already installed, it will be necessary to remove the image databases. This can be done either by uninstalling the demo version or by clearing each camera database from within the new version of the AXIS Camera Recorder software. See also Setting Image Quality and Recording Conditions, on page 18.

Step 4 - Configure for First Use

After installing the software, it must be configured for your cameras and/or video servers. You will also need to configure the screen layout for the Monitor application. This is done by using the Administrator application. Please see Devices - Quick Setup, on page 10, for more information. See also The Administrator Application, on page 13, for a more detailed explanation of the Administrator functionality.

Help & Support

The Administrator and Monitor applications are both supplied with context-sensitive help for all the available functionality.

Help is obtained by clicking the question mark icon in the program's active window (or in some windows the Help button). The cursor changes to a “What's this?" cursor and you can then click on the item you need help with.

If you have questions or problems that are not addressed in this manual, contact your Axis dealer or visit the Axis support web at: www.axis.com/techsup/

Please remember to register your software at www.axis.com

Devices - Quick Setup

This short description will help you set up your first device, without going into too much detail. It is assumed that the software has already been successfully installed.

1. Start the Administrator application and click the Add Device… button. The Device Setup Wizard starts.

Add Device

Monitor Manager

Figure 1 - The main Administrator window.

2. Enter the IP address of the Axis camera/video server.

3. Click Next and enter the administrator password for the device.

4. Click Next to auto-detect the device. If successful, the device type and MAC address (S/N) will be shown.

5. Click Next and give the device a descriptive name.

6. Click Finish to return to the Administrator. The new device will now be shown in the Device Manager window.

Devices - Quick Setup

Now that a device has been added we will add the camera to the Monitor application and configure its layout.

1. Click the Monitor Manager button in the Administrator.

Figure 2 - The Monitor Manager window.

2. Select a Layout Size (e.g. 2x2 = 4 cameras) and click on one of the monitor windows. The selected monitor window turns light grey.

3. Select a camera for the active monitor window. An image from that camera will be shown in the monitor window.

4. Click the OK button to exit the Monitor Manager.

Important!

The steps described above determine how cameras are displayed in the Monitor application. If a camera is not configured for display here, it will not Monitor application.

appear in the

Click the Exit button to close the Administrator. It is not possible to run both applications at once, so the one must always be closed before opening the other.

Devices - Quick Setup

Using the Monitor application

1. Now open the Monitor application. You should now see the image from your camera. If not, the camera was not properly added to the Monitor manager. Go back to the previous page and add the camera again.

2. Click the Manual button. This enables the Start, Start All and Stop All buttons.

3. Click on the monitor window for the camera - this makes it the active monitor window.

4. Now press the Start button to start fetching images from the camera. The Start button turns into a Stop button.

5. Click the Exit button when finished.

If you have problems setting up your first device, please see The Administrator Application, on page 13, which describes in more detail how to:

• Change image quality and compression for a camera

• Change the recording conditions for a camera

• Calibrate motion detection

• Set up PTZ preset positions

• Enable e-mail alerts

• Start and stop cameras automatically, at preset times (Scheduling)

The Administrator Application

The Administrator application is used when setting up the system for the first time, when new cameras or video servers are added to the system, and whenever the system configuration needs to be changed. It is also used to configure the layout of the Monitor application, which recording conditions to use, etc. The Administrator is started from the Program Menu.

Figure 3- The Administrator window, showing several configured cameras

and video servers.

The main window provides the following buttons:

• Monitor Manager - Set up the screen layout and positions for cameras, etc. See Configuring Monitors and the Layout, on page 17.

• Scheduler - Control when cameras start and stop and when alerts are sent. See Scheduling Camera Activity and Alert Periods, on page 29.

• General Settings - Set up log files, screen updating and e-mail. See General Settings, on page 27.

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