Axis Camera Station User Manual

USER’S MANUAL

AXIS Camera Station

About this Guide

This guide is intended for administrators and users of the AXIS Camera
Station, and is applicable for software release 3.11. It covers the
configuration of AXIS Camera Station Server and AXIS Camera Station
Client as well as instructions for using and managing the AXIS Camera
Station on your network. Later versions of this document will be posted
to the Axis Website, as required. See also the product’s help pages.

Safety Notices Used In This Manual

Important! - Indicates a hazard that can seriously impair operation.
Do not proceed beyond the above notice until you have fully understood
the implications.

Intellectual Property Rights

Axis AB has intellectual property rights relating to technology
embodied in the product described in this document. In particular, and
without limitation, these intellectual property rights may include one or
more of the patents listed at http://www.axis.com/patent.htm and one
or more additional patents or pending patent applications in the US and
other countries.

Legal Considerations

Camera surveillance can be regulated by laws that vary from country to
country. Check the laws in your local region before using this product
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

Internet Explorer, Linux, Macintosh, Microsoft, Mozilla, 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. UPnP is a certification mark of

TM

the UPnP
independent of Sun Microsystems Inc.

Implementers Corporation. Axis Communications AB is

Axis Customer 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 software updates

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

• report problems to Axis support sta
support area visit the Axis Support Web at www.axis.com/techsup/

ff by logging in to your private

AXIS Camera Station User’s Manual
Rev. 5.6
Copyright© Axis Communications AB, 2008
December 2008 Part no. 33877

Contents

Minimum Recommended Requirements 4
Introduction 5

AXIS Camera Station Server 5
AXIS Camera Station Client 6

Workspaces 9

Start page 9
Live view 9
Recording and Playback 12
Logs 16
Configuration 17

Licenses 18

License modes 18
Registering licenses 18
License type 19
Support 19
License transition 19
Decoders 20

AXIS 295 Video Surveillance Joystick 21

AXIS Camera Station - Contents

How to... 22

Add cameras/video encoders 22
Create views 23
Add a preset position 25
Set up recording storage 26
Set up recording 26
Configure media profile settings 29
Add Inputs and Outputs 29
Set up schedules 30
Send e-mail notification on system alarm 31

Event Configuration Wizard 32

Create a rule 32
Add an I/O trigger 32
Add actions 33
Setting a schedule 34
Rule details 35

Network and Security Configuration 36

Server port configuration 36
Cameras outside of the local network 36
AXIS Camera Station Client behind a firewall 37
User permissions 39

AXIS Camera Station Service Control 40

Modify server settings 40

AXIS Camera Station Service Administration 43

Supported operations 43

Troubleshooting 44

Symptoms, possible causes and remedial actions 44

3

AXIS Camera Station - Minimum Recommended Requirements

Minimum Recommended Requirements

For best performance and stability these minimum requirements must be met.

Hardware Client PC:

• Windows Vista Business, XP Professional

• Windows Media Player 11

• CPU: Intel Pentium 4 or higher, 2 GHz
(Intel Core 2 Quad recommended for larger systems)

• RAM: 1 GB (4 GB recommended for larger systems)

• Screen: 1024 x 768

• Graphics card with DirectX 9.0c; Onboard video memory of 256 MB

Important! Use latest graphics card driver.

• Microsoft .NET runtime environment (included in installation package)

Hardware Server PC:

• Windows Vista Business, XP Professional, Server 2008, Server 2003

• CPU: Intel Pentium 4, 2 GHz (Intel Xeon recommended for larger systems)

• RAM: 1 GB (4 GB recommended for larger systems)

• Microsoft .NET runtime environment (included in installation package)

Network:

• 100 Megabit Network
(Gigabit Network recommended for larger systems)

Hard disk configuration:

• At 30 fps in VGA up to 15 cameras per hard disk

Note: Make sure to always have the latest service packs installed on your system.

4

AXIS Camera Station - Introduction

AXIS Camera Station Client AXIS Camera Station Client

AXIS Camera Station Server

Introduction

AXIS Camera Station is a complete monitoring and recording system for up to 50 cameras. It is comprised of AXIS Camera
Station Server, which handles the communication with the cameras/video encoders and recordings, and AXIS Camera Station
Client, which enables remote viewing and control from anywhere on the Internet or corporate network. AXIS Camera Station
One has all the basic features of AXIS Camera Station for one camera/video channel.

This chapter provides a brief description of AXIS
menu options. For a more detailed description of buttons and menu items, refer to the context-sensitive Help. To add your
cameras and video encoders, see How to..., on page 22 for deta

Camera Station Server and AXIS Camera Station Client workspaces, tools and

iled instructions.

AXIS Camera Station Server

AXIS Camera Station Server handles all communication with the cameras that are included in the system. It also handles
recordings, events and user management in the system. Once AXIS Camera Station Server has been installed on your
computer, the Service Control allows you to start and stop the server as well as modify server settings if needed. If AXIS
Camera Station Server and any cameras in the system are separated by a proxy server, you may need to open the Service
Control to manually enter the appropriate proxy settings. See AXIS Camera Station Service Control Help for more information.

An icon in the system taskbar shows if the service has stopped
double-click the icon to open AXIS Camera Station Service Control, see AXIS Camera Station Service Control, on page 40 and
AXIS Camera Station Service Administration, on page 43.

, or is running . To modify server settings you can

5

AXIS Camera Station - Introduction

Recording Indicator

Toolbar

Menu

Links to
Work­spaces

View
Groups

Alarm log

Audio & PTZ Controls,
Camera Status

Camera
Views

Alarm procedure, Acknowledge alarm, Playback

AXIS Camera Station Client

The user interface is developed with a focus on ease-of-use and intuitive handling with navigation tools providing quick
access to cameras and recording in the system. AXIS Camera Station is divided into five areas called workspaces. They are
Start page, Live View, Recordings, Logs and Configuration.

Menu items

File

Disconnect - Disconnects AXIS Camer
becomes active.

Exit - Disconnects and closes AXIS Camera Station application.

Edit

Menu items become active in Live View for editing Views.

Add View Group - Adds a new group folder in a selected views folder.

Add Split View - Opens a dialog to add a split view to a selected group.

Add Sequence - Opens a dialog to add a sequence view to a selected group. A Sequence view automatically switches

views between chosen cameras included in your AXIS Camera Station.

Add Map - Opens a dialog to add a map to a selected group. A map is an imported image on which cameras and view
groups can be placed.

Edit View - Opens a dialog to edit the selected view, group or sequence.

Remove View - Removes the selected view, group or sequence from AXIS Camera Station.

a Station from the server. Connect to AXIS Camera Station dialog automatically

6

AXIS Camera Station - Introduction

View

Navigates to Start Page, Live View, Recordings,
Screen, Refresh Live View, and Stop Live View become active.

Actions

Record Manually -

I/O Monitoring - Opens a list of Input/Output ports available to the user in the cameras added to AXIS Camera Station

with their current status. See Add Inputs and Outputs, on page 29.

Configuration

Add/Edit Cameras - Add, edit or remove cameras in AXIS Camera Station.

Live View Settings - Set camera profiles for format, resolution, compression, frame rate and audio (if available) for live

viewing.

Recording Settings - Set up recording settings for one or more cameras for manual, continuous and motion detection.
For more options and better flexibility use Event Configuration instead.

Event Configuration - Event Configuration Wizard steps you through setting up triggers and actions in AXIS Camera
Station.

System Alarm - Enable e-mail notification on system alarms. Add and remove e-mail recipients.

User Permissions - Activate security and set user and group permissions for viewing, recording, access to input/outputs,

pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) functionality and audio.

Recording Storage - Define where to store recordings and how much of the disk to use.

I/O Settings - Add, edit or remove available I/O ports and their settings.

PTZ Settings - Add and remove PTZ preset positions.

Schedules - Add or remove time tables used in the Event Configuration Wizard and Camera Recording Settings.

Bookmarks - Play, edit and remove bookmarks.

Opens a dialog to start and stop manual recordings.

Logs, and Configuration workspaces. While in Live View menu items Full

Options

Set Master Credentials

Log Settings - Specify number of days to save logs.

SMTP Servers - Set up one or more SMTP servers to enable AXIS Camera Station to send e-mail messages.

Licenses - Add, register and activate licenses for Axis network cameras.

Install Decoders - If you are running AXIS Camera Station in Licensed version, installation of missing decoders can be

done easily through this menu item.

Customize - Customize the look of AXIS Camera Station at Startup, Playback options, where to save snapshots and the
sound played when an alarm occurs.

Help

Help

- Displays help.

Online support - Opens the AXIS Camera Station support web page in your Internet browser. Your computer must be
connected to the Internet for this menu option.

Configuration Sheet - Compiles a report in HTML format containing an overview of the system configuration. This
includes general configuration information, camera, recording, storage and event configuration settings. This report is
useful in support issues.

Server Report - If you are in need of support, this option prepares a .zip file containing parameter and log files that
should be sent to Axis Support for analysis of your system.

About - Information about this product.

For a complete description of menu items and toolbar buttons see the AXIS Camera Station Help files.

- Enter an administrator user name and password to access multiple cameras.

7

AXIS Camera Station - Introduction

Alarm log

At the bottom of workspaces Live view and Recordings is a list of server alarms. The alarms are listed by date/time, a title and
a description of the alarm. See Alarms, on page 16, for a description of the toolbar buttons on the right-hand side of the list.

8

AXIS Camera Station - Workspaces

Workspaces

For easy navigation, AXIS Camera Station is divided into workspaces that can easily be accessed by simply clicking on the
navigation button in the toolbar or under the menu item View.

Start page

The Start page gives you a quick overview and what’s new in AXIS Camera Station.

Live view

Provides a single interface to organize and monitor Axis network cameras and video encoders on your network. From Live view
workspace you can set up view groups, record, and control the cameras’ audio and

pan/tilt/zoom.

9

AXIS Camera Station - Workspaces

Audio control in image

Digital PTZ control

Manual recording button

Master
audio
control

View groups

View groups is divided into four parts; Auto Views, My Views, Shared Views and Camera Views. For instructions on setting up
custom views in My views and Shared views see Create views, on page 23 in the How to section.

Auto Views - Live views from cameras and video encoders are automatically added here as they are added to AXIS
Camera Station.

My Views - Views can be custom designed by the current user to be viewed by the current user.

Shared Views - Views created by an administrator or operat

Camera Views - Includes a list of all the cameras and video encoders added to AXIS Camera Station. Click a specific

camera to open its Live View. For information on how to add devices to the system, see page 22.

View group types

Split Views - Set up split views in Live View to meet your needs.

Sequences - Set up sequences with a unique combination of camera views, spli

dwell times. Sequences are also called salvos.

Maps - Arrange views (camera views, split views, sequences and maps) on imported maps.

For instructions on how to add split views, sequences

and maps to My Views and Shared Views, see page 23.

or that are accessible by all users.

t views and maps, and with variable

Tools

Audio

Includes Master Volume and Mute controls for cameras with audio capability. A volume control becomes visible and active for
individually selected cameras that have audio capability.

To activate a volume control in the Live view image, place the mouse cursor over the desired camera’s live view image and an
overlay control appears.

Notes: • The audio controls will be inactive but visible in Tools and will not appear in the image if the user does not have

proper authority for audio, seeUser permissions, on page 39.

• Audio is not available in M-JPEG streams.

10

AXIS Camera Station - Workspaces

Indicator

PTZ Controls

AXIS Camera Station has two types of pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) controls; Mechanical and Digital. Mechanical
while Digital can be used for both mechanical PTZ cameras and cameras that do not have this support.

Mechanical - PTZ cameras can be controlled with the PTZ Control panel. Select a PTZ
camera by clicking in its Live View.

The camera can now be directed to move according to the bu
control. The center buttons "+" zooms the view in and "-" zooms the view out again. To direct
the camera using the mouse’s cursor, click in the image to direct the camera and use the
scroll wheel to zoom in or out.

Presets - Preset positions that were set up in
included in the drop-down list.

Digital - If the selected camera does not have mechanical
PTZ support, use the digital PTZ tool to pan, tilt and zoom in the
camera's live view and then either the zoom in or out buttons represented by magnifying
glasses. Use the navigation box that appears in the lower right-hand corner of the live view
or the red navigation box in the PTZ controls to pan and tilt in the live view image. Click on
the navigation box and with the left mouse button pressed drag the box to the desired
location in the image. It is also possible to a zoom in the image using the mouse wheel.

the camera and/or in AXIS Camera Station are

ttons clicked on in the PTZ

live view image. Click in the

is for PTZ cameras,

icking i

Note: Pan, tilt and zoom can also be achieved by cl

ing in and out with the mouse’s wheel. For information on using the AXIS 295 Surveillance Joystick see page 21.

Camera status

Information about the camera, connection and recording status.

n the image and navigating the camera with the cursor and zoom-

Area zoom

Magnify a selected area in the image. To zoom in, click in the middle of the area to be magnified, hold down the left mouse
button and draw a rectangle surrounding the area. Right-click to zoom out.

Recording indicators

Different color indicators appear in the upper right hand in the live view image to signifying recording.

• Yellow

• Red - Motion detection or event recording in progress.

• Blue - Continuous recording in progress.

- Manual recording in progress.

11

AXIS Camera Station - Workspaces

Play

Export

Thumbnail representations of recordings

Search
criteria

Lock

Recording and Playback

Recording Search

Search for continuous, manual, motion detection or event recordings from one or many different cameras in a desired time
interval. AXIS Camera Station also features 4-camera playback, which allows you to view simultaneous recordings from up to
four different cameras to get a comprehensive picture of an event

of recordings

List

To search and play recordings from the List:

1. Choose either All ca

To enable/disable thumbnail representatio

To export a recording in .asf format.

2. Select the Start and End date under Time Interval. To search for all recordings, clear the start and end date fields
by clicking in the field and pressing the delete key.

3. Click Search and a list of found recordings appears.

4. Double-click on the list item or select the item by clicking on it and click the play button to view. To view more
than one recording at the same time, select the desired recordings, while holding down either the Shift or the Ctrl
key and click the play button.

Export selected recordings

1. Click Browse

2. Check Include setup file for codecs, if the setup file for the decoder should be sent with the file.
Note: This option is not available for Demo or AXIS Camera Station One versions.

3. Check Create playlist if a playlist for Windows Media Player should be created.

meras or Selected and click Cameras to find recordings from one or more specific cameras.

n

pictures go to Options > Customize > Recording Search.

to navigate to the place to send the recording, or select Burn recording(s) to CD-R/CD-RW.

12

AXIS Camera Station - Workspaces

Toolbar

Search
criteria

4. Check Add digital signature if a digital signature should be included. Select Include AXIS File Signature Tool to
include a signature tool to verify the digital signature.

5. Click Export.

To export part of a longer recording, using the timeline function, zoom in on the portion of the recording or under Time
Interval enter the desired start and end time of the recording and click the search button again and then click Export.

AXIS File Signature Tool is used to verify that recording files have not been tampered. Open the tool from Start > All
Programs > AXIS Camera Station 3 > AXIS Camera Station Tools. For more information, see the AXIS File Signature Tool

Help.

Timeline

The search results can also be viewed in a timeline presentation. Follow the
and click the Timeline

tab.

recording search steps under List of recordings

Recordings are color coded:

• Red - Motion detectio

• Yellow - Manual recording

• Blue - Continuous recording

Timeline toolbar

A toolbar appears at the top of the search dialog wit

Play - Play selected recording.

Export - Export to an .asf file. See Export selected recordings, on page 12.

Zoom in - Zoom in o

Zoom out - Zoom out of an area in the timeline.

Select zoom area - To zoom in on a perio

timeline.

Pan left/right - Pan or move

Playback will also start by double-clicking the recording. To view recordings from more than one camera, select the desired
recordings by clicking on the rows, while holding down either the Shift or the Ctrl key and click the play button.

n recording

h buttons to navigate the results.

n an area in the timeline.

d of time, click this button and then select the desired time in the

left and right in the timeline.

13

AXIS Camera Station - Workspaces

Audio control

Navigation box

Smart search Snapshot Bookmark

Playback

How to start playback:

1. To start recordings from a specific time click at the top of the timeline.

2. A red

3. Click the play button to start playback.

A timeline appears at the bottom of the view with the camera's name, date and time of the

Playback control panel includes the following buttons from left to right:

• Play/Pause - Starts, resumes and pauses playback

• Stop - Stop playback

• Step Back - Step to previous frame in selected recording

• Step Forward - Step to next frame in selected recording

• Playback speed - Set playback speed

• Jump to previous recording's start

• Jump to next recording's start

• Master Mute - Mute audio for all recordings

• Master Volume Control - Volume control for all recordings

In Playback mode you can pan/tilt/zoom by clicking in the image and scrol
You

can also click and draw a rectangle to magnify a selected part of the image, see Area zoom, on page 11. A navigation box
appears in the lower right-hand corner to use to navigate around the image. If audio was included in the recording a volume
control appears in the playback

line appears that can be placed at a desired point in time.

recording

ling in and out by scrolling with your mouse wheel.

image.

14

AXIS Camera Station - Workspaces

Playback toolbar

During playback the following toolbar buttons become active:

Return to recording search - Click this button to return to the recording search results.

Smart search

With Smart search you can search for motion in a specific area in recordings. This is especially useful when searching
continuous recordings.

Click the Smart search button in the toolbar, a Smart search next button will appear in the playback panel, a motion window
will appear in the image and a sensitivity slider will appear in the lower right-hand corner

1. Drag and size the motion window to the desired area of the image.

2. Adjust slider to the proper sensitivity. A high value indicates high sensitivity to motion.

3. Click the Smart search next button to jump to the place in the recording where motion takes place.

Save selected snapshot to file - Open a dialog to save the selected snapshot as a .jpg image t

Zoom in

Zoom out

Show bookmarks - Open the bookmarks list. Click on a bookmark to start playback. Right-click to edit or remove a

bookmark.

Add bookmark - Create a new bookmark. Bookmarks can be placed anywhere in a recording; playback will start from

the bookmarked time.

o file.

Recording details

To obtain information of the recordings under the Timeline tab, right-click on the recording to
open a Recording Details dialog. Information provided includes starting and ending date/time,
playback, export and save image buttons.

15