Milestone Systems
XProtect® Smart Client 2014
User's Manual
Milestone XProtect® Smart Client
2014
User's Manual
www.milestonesys.com Contents
Contents
THE MAIN WINDOW ....................................................................... 12
THE XPROTECT SMART CLIENT WINDOW ............................................................ 13
Panes ................................................................................................................................... 13
Tabs ..................................................................................................................................... 14
Views ................................................................................................................................... 14
Task buttons ....................................................................................................................... 15
Application buttons ............................................................................................................ 15
FIRST TIME USE ............................................................................. 16
INSTALL XPROTECT SMART CLIENT ................................................................... 16
Install from the management server ................................................................................ 16
Install from a DVD .............................................................................................................. 16
THE LOGIN PROCESS ......................................................................................... 17
About the Login window ................................................................................................... 17
About login authorization .................................................................................................. 19
About login to access control systems ........................................................................... 19
Log in and out ..................................................................................................................... 19
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................. 21
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ............................................ 24
WHAT'S NEW IN XPROTECT SMART CLIENT.............................. 25
QUICK GUIDE TO XPROTECT SMART CLIENT ............................ 27
THE PLAYBACK/SEQUENCE EXPLORER TAB ....................................................... 27
CURRENT VIEW ................................................................................................. 27
TIMELINE .......................................................................................................... 28
PLAYBACK ................................................................................................ ....... 28
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CHANGE TIMELINE SPAN .................................................................................... 28
COPY/PRINT IMAGE ........................................................................................... 28
ZOOM .............................................................................................................. 28
FULL SCREEN ................................................................................................... 29
GET TO KNOW THE XPROTECT SMART CLIENT ........................ 30
USER RIGHTS DETERMINE THE WAY YOU WORK ................................................... 30
View version and plug-in information .............................................................................. 30
ABOUT LIVE VIDEO ............................................................................................ 31
MANUAL RECORDING OF VIDEO .......................................................................... 32
ABOUT RECORDED VIDEO .................................................................................. 32
ENTER SETUP MODE .......................................................................................... 34
SELECT A VIEW ................................................................................................. 34
VIEW IN FULL SCREEN ....................................................................................... 35
COPY SINGLE IMAGES ....................................................................................... 35
THE BASICS ................................................................................... 36
THE LIVE TAB ................................................................................................... 36
THE PLAYBACK TAB.......................................................................................... 37
SETUP MODE ................................ ................................ .................................... 38
THE CAMERA TOOLBAR ..................................................................................... 39
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS .................................................................................... 39
SERVER STATUS AND INTERCONNECTED HARDWARE RETRIEVAL JOBS .................. 40
THE SYSTEM MONITOR TAB ............................................................................... 41
MILESTONE FEDERATED ARCHITECTURE ............................................................ 42
SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM DIFFERENCES ................................................................ 42
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GET HELP ....................................................................................... 43
DEFINING YOUR VIEWS ................................................................ 44
VIEWS .............................................................................................................. 44
About views ........................................................................................................................ 44
Private and shared views .................................................................................................. 44
Add content to views ......................................................................................................... 45
Create and manage views ................................................................................................. 48
Search for views and cameras .......................................................................................... 51
Send video between views ................................................................................................ 53
Change cameras in views ................................................................................................. 53
Swap cameras .................................................................................................................... 54
Frequently asked questions: views .................................................................................. 54
CAMERAS ........................................................................................................ 55
Add a camera to a view ..................................................................................................... 56
Camera names and colored indicators ............................................................................ 56
Virtual joystick and PTZ overlay button........................................................................... 57
Camera settings ................................................................................................................. 57
Keyboard shortcuts and overlay buttons ........................................................................ 63
Sound notifications ............................................................................................................ 63
Frequently asked questions: cameras ............................................................................. 63
AUDIO .............................................................................................................. 64
About audio ........................................................................................................................ 64
Audio settings .................................................................................................................... 64
Talk to an audience ............................................................................................................ 65
Frequently asked questions: audio .................................................................................. 66
MAPS .............................................................................................................. 67
Introduction to maps.......................................................................................................... 67
Map settings ....................................................................................................................... 71
The toolbox ......................................................................................................................... 72
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The right-click menu .......................................................................................................... 73
The Map Overview window ............................................................................................... 74
Working with maps ............................................................................................................ 74
Frequently asked questions: maps .................................................................................. 81
THE CAMERA NAVIGATOR .................................................................................. 81
About the camera navigator .............................................................................................. 82
Camera navigator settings ................................................................................................ 82
Using the camera navigator .............................................................................................. 83
HOTSPOTS ....................................................................................................... 84
About hotspots ................................................................................................................... 84
Add a hotspot to a view ..................................................................................................... 84
Hotspot settings ................................................................................................................. 84
SMART WALL ................................................................................................ ... 84
About Smart Wall ............................................................................................................... 85
View Smart Wall content ................................................................................................... 85
Add a Smart Wall to a view ............................................................................................... 85
Drag cameras onto a Smart Wall ...................................................................................... 86
Send Video from a view to a Smart Wall .......................................................................... 87
Send video from a Smart Wall to a view .......................................................................... 88
Change the layout of a Smart Wall monitor..................................................................... 88
Remove content from a Smart Wall .................................................................................. 89
CAROUSELS ..................................................................................................... 90
About carousels ................................................................................................................. 90
Add a carousel to a view ................................................................................................... 90
Carousel settings ............................................................................................................... 91
MULTIPLE WINDOWS ......................................................................................... 91
Send a view between displays .......................................................................................... 92
Frequently asked questions: multiple windows ............................................................. 93
MATRIX ............................................................................................................ 93
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About Matrix ....................................................................................................................... 93
Settings ............................................................................................................................... 94
Add Matrix content to a view ............................................................................................ 95
Manually send video to a Matrix recipient ....................................................................... 95
XPROTECT SMART CLIENT OPTIONS .................................................................. 95
Application options ............................................................................................................ 95
Panes options ..................................................................................................................... 98
Functions options .............................................................................................................. 98
Timeline options ................................................................................................................. 99
Export options .................................................................................................................. 100
Joystick options ............................................................................................................... 100
Keyboard options ............................................................................................................. 102
Alarm options ................................................................................................................... 102
Advanced options ............................................................................................................ 102
Language options ............................................................................................................ 105
USE AN HTML PAGE FOR NAVIGATION ................................ ............................. 105
VIEWING ....................................................................................... 109
DIGITAL ZOOM ................................................................................................ 109
About digital zoom ........................................................................................................... 109
Use digital zoom ............................................................................................................... 109
Frequently asked questions: digital zoom .................................................................... 110
PTZ AND 360º LENS IMAGES............................................................................ 111
360° lens images .............................................................................................................. 111
PTZ images ....................................................................................................................... 112
BOOKMARKS .................................................................................................. 114
About bookmarks ............................................................................................................. 114
The Bookmark window .................................................................................................... 114
Add or edit bookmarks .................................................................................................... 115
MANUALLY ACTIVATE OUTPUT ......................................................................... 115
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PRIVACY MASKS ............................................................................................. 116
BOUNDING BOXES ........................................................................................... 117
VIEW RECORDED VIDEO USING INDEPENDENT PLAYBACK .................................... 117
INVESTIGATING INCIDENTS ....................................................... 119
TIME NAVIGATION ........................................................................................... 119
The timeline buttons and controls ................................................................................. 119
The timeline ...................................................................................................................... 120
Playback date and time ................................................................................................... 121
Date and time navigation ................................................................................................. 121
Time selection .................................................................................................................. 121
Playback Speed ................................................................................................................ 121
Play buttons ...................................................................................................................... 121
Navigation buttons ........................................................................................................... 122
Time span .......................................................................................................................... 122
Bookmarks in the timeline .............................................................................................. 122
RETRIEVE DATA FROM MILESTONE INTERCONNECT ........................................... 122
SEQUENCE EXPLORER .................................................................................... 123
About the Sequence Explorer ......................................................................................... 123
The timeline ...................................................................................................................... 129
Navigating sequences ..................................................................................................... 129
PRINT EVIDENCE ............................................................................................. 131
TAKE A SNAPSHOT .......................................................................................... 132
SEARCH RECORDED VIDEO .............................................................................. 133
Search using the Recording Search pane ..................................................................... 133
Search using the Smart Search pane............................................................................. 134
EVIDENCE LOCK ............................................................................................. 136
About evidence locks ...................................................................................................... 136
Create evidence locks...................................................................................................... 136
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View existing evidence locks .......................................................................................... 137
Edit evidence locks .......................................................................................................... 137
Play back video with evidence locks ............................................................................. 138
Export evidence locks ..................................................................................................... 138
Delete evidence locks ...................................................................................................... 138
Evidence lock settings .................................................................................................... 139
Evidence lock filters......................................................................................................... 139
Evidence lock status messages ..................................................................................... 140
EXPORTING EVIDENCE ............................................................... 141
THE EXPORT WINDOW ..................................................................................... 141
XProtect format settings ................................................................................................. 142
Media player format settings .......................................................................................... 143
Still images settings......................................................................................................... 144
ABOUT EXPORTING STORYBOARDS .................................................................. 145
EXPORT A VIDEO CLIP, AUDIO, XPROTECT DATA OR A STILL IMAGE ..................... 145
Export items directly from the Export window ............................................................. 146
Export a storyboard ......................................................................................................... 146
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: EXPORTING ................................................... 147
EVENTS AND ALARMS ................................................................ 149
ALARMS ......................................................................................................... 149
About alarms .................................................................................................................... 149
The Alarm Manager tab ................................................................................................... 149
Filter alarms ...................................................................................................................... 152
Alarms on maps ............................................................................................................... 153
EVENTS ......................................................................................................... 154
Manually activate an event .............................................................................................. 154
WORKING WITH ALARMS .................................................................................. 154
View and edit details of an alarm .................................................................................... 154
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Acknowledge an alarm .................................................................................................... 155
Disable an alarm ............................................................................................................... 155
Ignore an alarm ................................................................................................................. 155
Print a report with alarm information ............................................................................. 156
View alarm reports ........................................................................................................... 156
Filter alarms ...................................................................................................................... 156
ACCESS CONTROL ..................................................................... 157
ABOUT ACCESS CONTROL INTEGRATION ........................................................... 157
ABOUT ACCESS CONTROL ON THE LIVE TAB ...................................................... 157
ABOUT THE ACCESS CONTROL TAB ................................................................. 158
ABOUT THE ACCESS REQUEST NOTIFICATIONS .................................................. 160
XPROTECT SMART CLIENT – PLAYER ...................................... 162
ABOUT THE XPROTECT SMART CLIENT – PLAYER ............................................. 162
QUICK GUIDE TO THE XPROTECT SMART CLIENT – PLAYER ............................... 162
WORK WITH VIEWS IN THE XPROTECT SMART CLIENT – PLAYER ........................ 162
OPEN DATABASE WIZARD ............................................................................... 163
VERIFY SIGNATURES ....................................................................................... 164
SCRIPTING ................................................................ ................... 165
SCRIPTING ..................................................................................................... 165
GLOSSARY OF TERMS................................................................ 168
INDEX ............................................................................................ 174
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The main window
Target audience for this manual
This manual is aimed at users of the Milestone XProtect Smart Client.
This manual provides detailed descriptions of XProtect Smart Client installation, configuration and use.
It also provides a number of targeted “how-to” examples, guiding users through completing common
tasks in the XProtect Smart Client .
Note that depending on the type of Milestone surveillance system you connect to, depending on your
user rights, and depending on your role in your organization, some features in the XProtect Smart
Client may not be available to you. Ask your system administrator if in doubt.
If you know that your surveillance system administrator has already configured the necessary views
for you, you may skip parts of this manual. After installing and logging in to your XProtect Smart Client,
you can proceed straight to this manual’s chapters about viewing live and recorded video. Consult
your surveillance system administrator if in doubt.
Information for XProtect Analytics Users
If your organization uses the XProtect Analytics solution, which provides an intelligent yet highly
intuitive solution for video content analysis tasks such as license plate recognition, perimeter
protection, left objects detection and more, you can view video together with analytics data in XProtect
Smart Client. Viewing of such analytics data in XProtect Smart Client is not covered in this manual.
For more information, see the separate documentation for XProtect Analytics, available from
www.milestonesys.com.
Information for XProtect Transact Users
If your organization uses the XProtect Transact add-on solution for handling loss prevention through
video evidence combined with PoS or ATM transaction data, you can view video together with timelinked transaction data in the XProtect Smart Client. Viewing of such transaction data in XProtect
Smart Client is not covered in this manual. For more information, see the separate documentation for
XProtect Transact, available from www.milestonesys.com.
Milestone XProtect® Smart Client
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User's Manual
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Copyright, trademarks and disclaimer
Copyright, trademarks and disclaimer
Copyright
2014 Milestone Systems A/S.
Trademarks
XProtect is a registered trademark of Milestone Systems A/S.
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. App Store is a service
mark of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
All other trademarks mentioned in this document are trademarks of their respective owners.
Disclaimer
This text is intended for general information purposes only, and due care has been taken in its
preparation.
Any risk arising from the use of this information rests with the recipient, and nothing herein should be
construed as constituting any kind of warranty.
Milestone Systems A/S reserve the right to make adjustments without prior notification.
All names of people and organizations used in the examples in this text are fictitious. Any resemblance
to any actual organization or person, living or dead, is purely coincidental and unintended.
This product may make use of third party software for which specific terms and conditions may apply.
When that is the case, you can find more information in the file
3rd_party_software_terms_and_conditions.txt located in your Milestone surveillance system
installation folder.
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Copyright, trademarks and disclaimer
The main window
The XProtect Smart Client provides you with access to surveillance systems. The XProtect Smart
Client must be installed locally on your computer.
In the XProtect Smart Client window (on page 13), you view live video on the Live tab of the XProtect
Smart Client, and recorded video on the Playback tab. When you select the Live tab, your XProtect
Smart Client connects to the surveillance system server, and displays live video from cameras in the
selected view.
If your computer has more than one physical display attached, you can send individual views to
separate windows (see "Multiple windows" on page 91) letting you watch more than one view at a
time.
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Copyright, trademarks and disclaimer
1. Title bar
2. Workspace toolbar (see
"Task buttons" on page
15)
3. Application toolbar
4. View (see "Views" on
page 14)
5. Position in a view (see
"Views" on page 14)
6. Tabs (on page 14)
7. Panes (on page 13)
8. Application buttons (on
page 15)
9. Timeline (see "The
timeline" on page 120)
The XProtect Smart Client window
Panes
Panes give you access to the majority of the XProtect Smart Client features. The panes you see
depend on your XProtect Smart Client configuration and on your task.
Panes can be minimized to save space and to give a better overview of the panes you use. Click the
Minimize/expand icon on the title bar of the pane to minimize or expand it.
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The main window
Tabs
The XProtect Smart Client has the following main areas:
The Live tab (on page 36) for viewing live video
The Playback tab (on page 37) for viewing recorded video
The Sequence Explorer tab (see "Sequence Explorer" on page 123) for navigating video
sequences and bookmarks
The Alarm Manager tab (on page 149) for investigating incidents and alarms
The System Monitor tab (on page 41) for viewing system information
If some of the tabs are unavailable, it is because you do not have the rights required to access all the
areas.
Views
About views
The way in which video is displayed in the XProtect Smart Client is called a view. A view can contain
video from up to 100 cameras, depending on your surveillance system. Your XProtect Smart Client
can handle an unlimited number of views, allowing you to switch between video from various groups of
cameras. Each view's layout can be customized to fit its content. To help you maintain an overview, all
views are placed in folders called groups. A group can contain any number of views and, if required,
subgroups.
Views can be private or shared with other users (see "Private and shared views" on page 44).
In addition to video, views can display web pages and still images (for example, mugshots). For some
surveillance systems, views can even display data from other applications (such as receipts from a
cash register) alongside video.
Your user settings, including information about your views, are stored centrally on the surveillance
system server, so you can use your views, private as well as shared, on any computer that has a
XProtect Smart Client installed, provided you log in with your own user name and password.
Example: XProtect Smart Client displaying a view with video from four different cameras (a 2x2 view)
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The main window
Task buttons
These are on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar and depend on which tab you are on, for example,
Setup is not available on all tabs. Examples of task buttons:
Setup: click to enter setup mode (see "Enter setup mode" on page 34)
Export: click to export video (see "XProtect format settings" on page 142)
Toggle full screen : click to toggle between full screen (see "View in full screen" on page
35) and a smaller window that you can drag to the size you want.
Application buttons
Application buttons in the toolbar let you select basic XProtect Smart Client actions. From left to right
the buttons are:
Toggle Theme: switch the XProtect Smart Client theme to dark or light
Status: access to the Status (see "Server status and interconnected hardware retrieval
jobs" on page 40) window
Help: access the help system (see "Get help" on page 43), play online video tutorials or view
version number and plug-in information (see "View version and plug-in information" on page
30)
Options: configure XProtect Smart Client settings and behavior (see "XProtect Smart Client
options" on page 95), joysticks, keyboard shortcuts, and language
Log Out: log out (see "The login process" on page 17) of the XProtect Smart Client
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First time use
First time use
Install XProtect Smart Client
You must install XProtect Smart Client on your computer before you can use it. You download
XProtect Smart Client from the surveillance system server and install it on your computer or install
directly from a DVD.
Install from the management server
Before you begin, verify that your computer meets the XProtect Smart Client's minimum system
requirements.
1. Open an Internet Explorer browser (version 6.0 or later) and connect to the management
server using the URL or IP address of that server.
2. On the Welcome page, click Language and select the language you want to use.
3. The XProtect Smart Client setup wizard starts. In the wizard, follow the installation
instructions.
The wizard suggests an installation path. Normally, you can use the suggested installation path.
However, if you have previously used add-on products, such as XProtect LPR, this path might not be
valid anymore (see "MIP Plug-ins" on page 16).
Install from a DVD
1. Verify that your computer meets the XProtect Smart Client's minimum system requirements
(see "Minimum system requirements" on page 24).
2. Insert the surveillance system software DVD, select the required language, and then click
Install XProtect Smart Client.
3. If you receive a security warning (Do you want to run or save this file?, Do you want to run
this software? or similar), accept this (by clicking Run or similar—the exact name depends on
your browser version).
4. The XProtect Smart Client installation wizard starts. In the wizard, follow the installation
MIP Plug-ins
Your XProtect Smart Client may contain a MIP Plug-ins pane. The pane is used for handling plug-in
functionality, typically for third-party applications, which can be controlled through the XProtect Smart
Client.
instructions.
On some surveillance systems, you can add more types of content to views in your XProtect Smart
Client. This may be the case if your organization uses add-on products for increasing the capabilities
of its surveillance system.
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First time use
Examples:
XProtect Transact, which is used for tracking transactions from cash registers, ATMs, etc.
linked with video recordings.
By default, in XProtect Smart Client versions earlier than 4.0a, the XProtect Smart Client is installed
in:
C:\Program Files\Milestone\Milestone XProtect Smart Client\
and plug-ins for add-on products are installed in:
C:\Program Files\Milestone\Milestone XProtect Smart Client\plugin
By default, in XProtect Smart Client version 4.0a and later, the XProtect Smart Client is installed in:
C:\Program Files\Milestone\XProtect Smart Client\
and plug-ins for add-on products are installed in:
C:\Program Files\Milestone\XProtect Smart Client\plugin
The change to the default installation path means that if you have plug-ins for add-on products for
XProtect Smart Client versions earlier than 4.0a, these plug-ins may not work with your new XProtect
Smart Client because your new XProtect Smart Client might look for plug-ins in an incorrect location.
If you want your new XProtect Smart Client to work with older plug-ins for add-on products, the
solution is therefore either:
to copy the existing plug-ins from the old default installation path for plug-ins to the new default
installation path for plug-ins
- or to change the XProtect Smart Client installation path to the old default, C:\Program
Files\Milestone\Milestone XProtect Smart Client\, during the installation of your new XProtect Smart
Client.
The login process
About the Login window
The first time you log in, you need to determine whether any views exist. Views determine how video
is displayed and are required in order to be able to use the XProtect Smart Client. One or more views
may already have been created for you, or you may need to create views yourself. Read more about
views—including how to determine if views have already been created for you—in Views (on page 14).
Your user settings (including views) are stored centrally on the surveillance system. This means that
your login can be used on any computer that has a XProtect Smart Client installed and that you can
restore views from your last log-in.
If you encounter a second dialog during login, you need additional login authorization (see "About
login authorization" on page 19) to get access to the XProtect Smart Client.
Log-in settings
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First time use
Name
Description
Computer
Select the computer running the surveillance system server.
Authentication
There are three methods of authentication (the process that verifies
that you are who you claim to be):
Not all surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system differences"
on page 42) support the use of all three authentication methods.
Windows authentication (current user): you are
authenticated through your current Windows login, and you
do not have to specify any user name or password. This is
the default authentication method.
Windows authentication: you are authenticated through
your Windows login, but you need to enter your Windows
user name and password.
Basic authentication: you need to be setup in the
surveillance system with a user name and password.
User name
Only required if the authentication method Windows
authentication or Basic authentication is selected. If using
Windows authentication, type your Windows user name. If using
Basic authentication, type the user name supplied by your
surveillance system administrator. The user name is case-sensitive;
there is a difference between typing, for example, "amanda" and
"Amanda."
Password
Only required if the authentication method Windows
authentication or Basic authentication is selected. If using
Windows authentication, type your Windows password. If using
Basic authentication, type the password supplied by your
surveillance system administrator.
Remember password
Available when using Windows authentication or Basic
authentication. Lets you store your password so you only need to
click Connect the next time you log in.
Security restrictions may apply. If in doubt, consult your surveillance
system administrator.
Auto-login
Restores the default export settings assigned to your profile. If
selected, you will automatically be logged in to the XProtect Smart
Client with your credentials from your last log-in, when you log in to
Windows. If using Windows authentication, you must select
Remember password for the auto-login feature to be available.
Security restrictions may apply. If in doubt, consult your surveillance
system administrator.
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First time use
About login authorization
When you log into the XProtect Smart Client, you may be asked for additional authorization of your
login. You need your supervisor, system administrator or someone else who has the rights to
authorize you to enter their credentials along with yours in the login form. After that, you are good to
go.
If you do not know who can authorize you, ask your supervisor or system administrator.
About login to access control systems
When you log into XProtect Smart Client, you may be asked for additional logins to the access control
systems, if they are configured to do so.
Your login controls which parts of an access control integration, for example doors, that you can
manage and operate.
If you do not know your login credentials for an access control system, ask your system administrator.
The system remembers your login credentials, so you only need to fill out your credentials the first
time you log in or if the login has failed.
Log in and out
1. Open the XProtect Smart Client.
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First time use
2. A splash screen appears for a few seconds while the XProtect Smart Client loads and then the
XProtect Smart Client login dialog appears.
3. Specify your login information, and click Connect.
Tip: If a problem occurs during login, you will receive an error message (see "Troubleshooting"
on page 21).
4. If you have logged in before, you can restore the views you last used. Depending on
configuration, the XProtect Smart Client may ask you if you want to restore the view(s) you last
used. Your options are:
o Main view: If you select this, the view you last used in the XProtect Smart Client 's main
window is restored.
o Detached views: Only available when connecting to selected Milestone surveillance
systems (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 42), and if you used views in
detached windows (see "Multiple windows" on page 91) in your last login. Select this if you
want to restore the views you last used in detached windows.
5. After a short wait, the XProtect Smart Client window opens.
6. To log out of the XProtect Smart Client, simply click the Log Out button in the XProtect Smart
Client title bar.
If you encounter a second dialog during login, you need additional login authorization (see "About
login authorization" on page 19) to get access to the XProtect Smart Client.
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First time use
Troubleshooting
If a problem or other issue occurs during login to the XProtect Smart Client, you will see one of the
following error messages:
Your user rights do not allow you to log in at this point in time. User rights may vary
depending on time of day, day of week, etc...
Issue: You have tried to log in at a time when your user rights do not allow you to log in.
What to do: Wait until you are permitted to log in. Consult your surveillance system administrator if in
doubt about your user rights.
You do not have access to any part of the application. Contact the system
administrator.
Issue: You currently have no access rights to any part of the XProtect Smart Client, and therefore you
cannot log in.
What to do: Consult your surveillance system administrator, who will be able to change your access
rights if required.
Authorization failed: You cannot authorize yourself.
Issue: You have entered your own credentials in the Authorized by: field. You cannot authorize
yourself.
What to do: You must contact the person who has authorization rights. This could be your supervisor
or your system administrator. This person must enter his or her credentials to authorize your login.
Authorization failed: You do not have permission to authorize.
Issue: You have tried to authorize a user but you do not have the rights to do so.
What to do: Ask your system administrator to check that you have the necessary rights to authorize
other users or ask someone else with sufficient rights to authorize the user.
Failed to connect. Check the server address.
Issue: It was not possible to connect to the surveillance system server at the specified server address.
What to do: Verify that you have typed the correct server address. Note that the http:// prefix as well
as a port number is required as part of the server address (example: http://123.123.123.123:80, where
:80 indicates the port number). Consult your surveillance system administrator if in doubt.
Failed to connect. Check the user name and password.
Issue: It was not possible to log in with the specified user name and/or password.
What to do: Verify that you have typed your user name correctly, then re-type your password to
ensure it does not contain errors. User names as well as passwords are case sensitive (for example,
there may be a difference between typing "Amanda" and "amanda").
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First time use
Failed to connect. Maximum number of clients are already connected.
Issue: The maximum number of clients allowed to connect to the surveillance system server
simultaneously has been reached.
What to do: Wait for a while before connecting again. If access to the surveillance system is urgent,
contact your surveillance system administrator, who may be able to extend the number of
simultaneously connected clients.
New Client available. Upgrade is recommended/required. The new version can be
downloaded from.
Issue: A new version of the XProtect Smart Client is available. This message is typically accompanied
by information about whether an update is recommended or whether it is a requirement (for example
because important new features will not work in your current XProtect Smart Client version). The
message will typically also contain information about where to download the new version from.
What to do: Follow the advice given in the message. Consult your surveillance system administrator if
in doubt.
Application is not able to start, because two (or more) cameras are using the same
name or ID...
This error message only appears in a very rare scenario, where a backed-up configuration from one
surveillance system is mistakenly used without any modification on another surveillance system. This
can cause different cameras to "fight" over the same identity, and that can in turn block your XProtect
Smart Client's access to the surveillance system. If you see such a message, you cannot correct the
problem. Instead, contact your surveillance system administrator, who will be able to handle the issue.
Some messages will appear in an orange ribbon above your views:
You no longer have permission to do this
Occurs if your time-dependent user rights no longer allow you to do something that you have
previously been able to do. This is because—when connected to certain types of surveillance system
(see "Surveillance system differences" on page 42)—your user rights may vary depending on time of
day, day of week, etc. Therefore, you may well be able to perform the action again at a later stage.
Due to surveillance system settings, your XProtect Smart Client session will expire
within the next [...]
Occurs if your current XProtect Smart Client session is about to end. When connected to certain types
of surveillance system (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 42), your rights to use the
XProtect Smart Client may depend on time of day, day of week, etc.
When that is the case, you will typically see this message a number of minutes or seconds before your
session will be closed; the exact number of minutes/seconds is defined on the surveillance system
server.
No user activity detected recently, your XProtect Smart Client session will expire
within the next [...]
Occurs if you have not used your XProtect Smart Client for a while (the exact time is defined on the
surveillance system server), in which case your XProtect Smart Client session will be closed for
security reasons.
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First time use
When that is the case, this message will typically be presented a number of minutes or seconds before
your session will be closed; the exact number of minutes/seconds is defined on the surveillance
system server.
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Minimum system requirements
Minimum system requirements
For information about the minimum system requirements to the various components of your system,
go to www.milestonesys.com/systemrequirements.
To see which DirectX version you have installed: click Start, select Run... and type dxdiag. When you
click OK, the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window opens. The version information is displayed near the
bottom of its System tab. Should the server require a DirectX update, the latest versions of DirectX
are available from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/.
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What's new in XProtect Smart
Client
What's new in XProtect Smart Client
If you have previously used the XProtect Smart Client, you may already have noticed one or more new
features in the XProtect Smart Client:
With XProtect Smart Client 2014
Protect video sequences from deletion
With the evidence lock (see "About evidence locks" on page 136) functionality, you can protect
video sequences and other data from deletion, for example, while an investigation or trial is
ongoing.
Dual login authorization
Extra layer of security that may require your login to be authorized (see "About login
authorization" on page 19) by another user.
Improved smart search
Enhanced smart search functionality (see "Smart Search" on page 126) that gives you more
search results in one go and that displays the results in the Sequence Explorer.
Search for cameras and views
New search functionality that allows you to search for specific views (see "Search for views
and cameras" on page 51) of cameras and to select the relevant view or cameras to monitor.
Improved export functionality
You can paste together sequences of evidence from the same camera or from multiple
cameras into one cohesive storyboard (see "About exporting storyboards" on page 145). You
can use the storyboard in the court of law or for internal use.
Toggle between simple and advanced playback timeline
New toggle button that allows you to switch to a more simple timeline (see "The timeline" on
page 120) when you are working with recordings in playback mode.
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What's new in XProtect Smart
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With XProtect Smart Client 2013
Multi-window handling
Use a joystick from floating windows (see "Multiple windows" on page 91)
Either individually play back a floating window or synchronize playback of multiple floating
windows
Link floating windows (see "Send a view between displays" on page 92) to the main window to
synchronize time or follow the live or playback tab
Export (see "Export a video clip, audio, XProtect data or a still image" on page 145) from
floating windows
Flexible camera view handling
Adapt the camera view layout and rearrange cameras in a view (see "Change cameras in
views" on page 53) with a simple drag-and-drop
Use the restore function to revert back to your original view layout after a temporary
rearrangement of a view
Swap views (see "Swap cameras" on page 54) in setup mode so cameras can be easily
arranged and optimized before the view is saved
With a single-click, use the snapshot function (see "Take a snapshot" on page 132) to produce
instant visual documentation of an incident or individual persons
Enhanced map navigation
Use multi-selection in the map to open multiple cameras in a floating window (see "Send
cameras from a map to a floating window" on page 75) in one operation, enabling you to find
incidents more quickly
Milestone Interconnect
Retrieve data from interconnected devices (see "Retrieve data from Milestone Interconnect" on
page 122) and see the status on the timeline (see "The timeline" on page 120)
View all retrieval jobs (see "Server status and interconnected hardware retrieval jobs" on page
40) from the Status window
View interconnected hardware (see "How elements interact with maps" on page 68) on a map
Extended PTZ control
Create (see "Manage PTZ presets" on page 113) and edit (see "Edit PTZ presets" on page
113) preset positions for pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras
Use the PTZ control and digital zoom in carousel views.
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Quick guide to XProtect Smart
Client
The Playback/ Sequence Explorer tab
Full screen
(on page 29)
Current view
(on page 27)
Zoom (on
page 28)
Timeline (on
page 28)
Copy/print
image (on
page 28)
Playback (on
page 28)
Change timeline
span (on page
28)
Quick guide to XProtect Smart Client
The Playback/Sequence Explorer tab
The Playback tab lets you view recorded video from multiple cameras simultaneously.
The Sequence Explorer tab lets you search for particular sequences and play them one at a time.
Current view
If the export contains additional views, you select them by clicking the drop down arrow to the right of
the view name. To access the left pane with more advanced features, click the icon: .
The selected camera is indicated by a blue border.
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Quick guide to XProtect Smart
Client
Timeline
The upper timeline shows activity for the selected camera (indicated by a blue border). The lower
timeline shows the activity for all the cameras in the view.
Gray: No recordings
Pink: Recordings
Red: Recordings with motion
Playback
To play, click the Play Forward button: . When you play recordings the play button changes to a
pause button: .
You can also:
Move the playback speed slider (on the left) to adjust the playback speed (left for slow motion
and right for fast motion).
Click 1x for normal speed.
Use the additional buttons to go to the previous or next image: .
Drag the shuttle slider to change the speed while you are playing the recording. Let go to
pause.
Change timeline span
The label shows you the current timeline span, for example, 1 hour. You can decrease the span to see
more details or you can increase it to get more of an overview of the videos you are watching.
Copy/print image
You can copy or print the current image from the camera toolbar. The toolbar also gives you access to
more advanced features.
Zoom
Use the zoom buttons to zoom in on a particular area of an image. The zoom indicator (in the lower
right corner) shows which part of the image that you are zoomed in on. You can drag the zoom
indicator to navigate to other parts of the image.
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Quick guide to XProtect Smart
Client
Full screen
Click to view in full screen mode. Press the Esc key to return to normal view. To view a camera in full
screen, double-click the camera. Double-click again to go back to normal view.
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Get to know the XProtect Smart
Client
Get to know the XProtect Smart Client
User rights determine the way you work
Your user rights are specified centrally by your surveillance system administrator and these determine
your ability to use particular XProtect Smart Client features.
Basically, your system administrator can restrict your rights to:
Access the XProtect Smart Client
Access each of the tabs: Live, Playback, Alarm Manager, and Sequence Explorer
Use specific features
Create views (views determine the way in which video from one or more cameras is displayed)
View video from specific cameras
The ability to use features of the XProtect Smart Client can vary considerably from user to user. Note
that when connected to certain surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system differences" on page
42), user rights may even vary depending on time of day, day of week, etc. For example, you may only
be able to view video from a particular camera during certain hours Monday-Friday, but not outside
these hours.
View version and plug-in information
Knowing the exact version of your XProtect Smart Client can be important if you require support or
want to upgrade your client. In such cases, you also need to know which plug-ins your XProtect Smart
Client uses.
To view this information, on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar, click Help > About.
The version of your XProtect Smart Client affects which XProtect server version it is compatible with.
The latest XProtect Smart Client is compatible with the latest server version and the previous server
version. For example, XProtect Smart Client 6.0 is compatible with XProtect Enterprise 8.0, XProtect
Enterprise 7.0, XProtect Corporate 4.0, and XProtect Corporate 3.1. However, an older version of the
XProtect Smart Client is not compatible with the latest server version, for example, XProtect Smart
Client 5.5 is not compatible with XProtect Enterprise 8.0.
The XProtect Smart Client plug-in for XProtect Analytics can only run on a 32-bit version of the
XProtect Smart Client. The plug-in cannot run on a 64-bit installation.
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Get to know the XProtect Smart
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About live video
Particular user rights may be required in order to access the Live tab. To view live video in the
XProtect Smart Client, the surveillance system's recording server must be running. Depending on your
user rights, access to viewing live video from some cameras may be restricted.
Example: Live tab displaying video from four cameras
The Live tab (see "The Live tab" on page 36) offers you numerous features, including audio (on page
64), carousels (on page 90), hotspots (on page 84), Matrix, camera shortcut menus, pan-tilt-zoom
(PTZ) (see "PTZ and 360º lens images" on page 111) control, digital zoom, events activation, output
activation, quick playback, and more.
Even though you can see live video from a camera on the Live tab, the video stream from the camera
is not necessarily being recorded. Video is normally recorded as defined by the surveillance system
server. Typically, recording takes place according to a schedule (for example, every morning from
10.00 to 11.30) and/or whenever the surveillance system detects special events (for example, motion
generated by a person entering a room, a sensor registering that a window is being opened, or
manually activating an event in your XProtect Smart Client). Typically, you view recorded video on the
Playback tab, but you can also view it on the Live tab (see "View recorded video using independent
playback" on page 117).
If title bars have been enabled in the camera properties (see "Camera settings" on page 57) in setup
mode, the title bar above the camera's image displays Recording if video is being recorded.
Tip: To maximize video from a particular position in a view, double-click the camera position. To return
to normal view, simply double-click the camera position again.
You may notice that sometimes the camera is recording for short periods only. This is because the
surveillance system server may have been configured to only record the video stream from a camera
when there is motion, when a door is open, or similar, which can lead to many short periods of
recordings.
You can therefore still select Start Recording for # Minutes even though the video stream from a
camera is already being recorded; this way you can make sure that the video stream from the camera
will be recorded without interruption for the specified number of minutes.
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Get to know the XProtect Smart
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If multiple streams have been set up on the server, you can temporarily view a different stream by
selecting this from the camera toolbar. On the camera toolbar, click More and then select a stream
from the available list.
Manual recording of video
The functionality of the manual recording feature depends on the surveillance system you are
connected to and on your user rights.
Recording while watching live video is useful if you see something of interest. On the camera toolbar
for the position in the view you want to record, select:
Start recording for # Minutes
Once started, recording will continue for the number of minutes determined by your surveillance
system administrator. You cannot change this, and you cannot stop recording before the specified
number of minutes has passed.
Start manual recording
Once started, recording will continue for the number of minutes determined by your surveillance
system administrator or you can click the icon again to stop manual recording.
Tip: You can start recording the video stream from more than one camera simultaneously, although
you must select them one by one.
About recorded video
You view recorded video on the Playback tab of the XProtect Smart Client. When you select the
Playback tab, the XProtect Smart Client connects to the surveillance system server and displays
recorded video from the cameras in the selected view. In this way, you can play back recorded video.
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Get to know the XProtect Smart
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Particular user rights may be required in order to access the Playback tab, and, depending on your
user rights, access to browsing video from some cameras may be restricted.
The Playback tab offers you numerous advanced features for browsing recorded video, including the
timeline (see "Time navigation" on page 119), smart search (which lets you search for motion in
selected areas of recordings from a particular camera), and two types of sequences browsing (either
through a simple list with a preview option or through the Sequence Explorer (on page 123)'s
thumbnail view of multiple sequences).
In addition to the video browsing features, the Playback tab also lets you listen to audio (when
connected to selected Milestone surveillance systems only), use hotspots, use digital zoom (on page
109), navigate 360° lens images (see "PTZ and 360º lens images" on page 111), print images (see
"Print evidence" on page 131), and export video evidence (see "XProtect format settings" on page
142) as AVIs (movie clips), JPEGs (still images) as well as XProtect format.
Tip: To maximize video from a particular position in a view, double-click the camera position. To return
to normal view, simply double-click the camera position again.
On the Playback tab, all cameras in a view display recordings from the same point in time (the master
time) by default . However, you can view and navigate recordings from individual cameras
independently of the master time (if this is enabled in the Options (see "Functions options" on page
98) window).
You can use independent playback to view recorded video from the Live tab or to view video
independently of the master time.
View recorded video using independent playback
You can only use this feature for ordinary single-camera positions, not for hotspots, carousels, or
Matrix positions.
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Get to know the XProtect Smart
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1. Move your mouse across the camera that you want to view recorded video for. On the toolbar
that appears, click the Independent Playback button.
The independent playback timeline appears:
2. Drag the timeline (see "The timeline" on page 120) to select the time containing the video that
you want to view.
3. If you want to view recorded video for the selected time on all the cameras in your view at
once, on the toolbar, click the View recordings from selected time on Playback tab button:
. This displays the Playback tab with all cameras synchronized to the time you have
selected.
Enter setup mode
To enter setup mode, on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar, click Setup.
In setup mode, the Setup button and panes (such as the Properties (see "Camera settings" on
page 57) pane) are highlighted in orange and different panes appear on the left side panel.
To return to the default view, click the Setup button again.
Select a view
You can select a view from the Views pane on the Live and Playback tab.
In the Views pane, select either Private or Shared views, and in the relevant view group,
select one of the available views.
If neither the pane nor the shortcut is available, check the pane's availability in the Options (see
"Panes options" on page 98) window.
If views have been assigned shortcut numbers (see "Assign a shortcut number to a view" on page 51),
you will also be able to select a view by using keyboard shortcuts (see "Keyboard shortcuts" on page
39).
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Get to know the XProtect Smart
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View in full screen
To view your XProtect Smart Client in full screen mode, on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar,
click the Full Screen button (or press F11 on your keyboard).
When you change to full screen mode, the toolbars and panes are hidden. To display them,
move your mouse to the top of the screen.
To return to the default view, press ESC or F11 on your keyboard.
Copy single images
You can copy single still images from selected cameras. Copied images can then be pasted (as
bitmap images) into other applications, such as word processors, e-mail clients, etc. You can only
copy a single image from one camera at a time.
On the camera toolbar, click the Copy to Clipboard icon to copy an image.
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The basics
The different
work areas
(see "Tabs"
on page 14)
Application
Buttons (on
page 15)
Select a
view (on
page 34)
Enter setup
mode (on
page 34)
Change
cameras in
views (on
page 53)
View recorded video using
independent playback (on page 117)
The camera
toolbar (on
page 38)
The basics
The Live tab
The tab
The Live tab offers you numerous features, including audio (on page 64), carousels (on page 90),
hotspots (on page 84), Matrix, camera shortcut menus, pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ (see "PTZ and 360º lens
images" on page 111)) control, digital zoom, events activation, output activation, quick playback, and
more.
Typical tasks from the Live tab
Send video between views (on page 53)
Take a snapshot (on page 132)
Copy single images (on page 35)
Record video (see "Manual recording of video" on page 32)
Use digital zoom (on page 109)
Create PTZ presets (see "Manage PTZ presets" on page 113)
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The basics
About
recorded
video (on
page 32)
Select a view
(on page 34)
Change
cameras in
views (on
page 53)
Search using
the Smart
Search pane
(on page
134)
Search using the Time selection (on page 121)
Recording for exporting video
Search pane
View in full
screen (on
page 35)
Enter setup
mode (on
page 34)
Export a video
clip, audio,
data or still
image (on
page 145)
About
evidence locks
(on page 136)
The camera
toolbar (on
page 38)
The timeline
(on page 120)
The Playback tab
Typical tasks from the Playback tab
View recorded video using independent playback (on page 117)
Print evidence (on page 131)
Add or edit bookmarks (on page 115)
Search recorded video (on page 133)
Take a snapshot (on page 132)
Create evidence locks (on page 136)
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The basics
Create a view
(on page 49)
Add content
to views (on
page 45)
Exit setup
mode (see
"Enter setup
mode" on
page 34)
Keyboard
shortcuts and
overlay
buttons (on
page 63)
The
Properties
pane (see
"Camera
settings" on
page 57)
Add a
camera to a
view (on
page 56)
Create and manage views (on page
48)
Setup mode
Typical tasks in setup mode
Add a map to a view (on page 74)
Add the camera navigator to a view (on page 83)
Add Matrix content to a view (on page 95)
Add a Smart Wall to a view (on page 85)
Add content to views (on page 45)
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The basics
Smart search
(on page 126)
View recorded
video using
independent
playback (on
page 117)
Change
cameras in
views (on page
53)
Send video
between views
(on page 53)
Bookmark
(see "About
bookmarks" on
page 114)
Take a
snapshot
(on page
132)
Print
evidence
(on page
131)
Copy
single
images
(on page
35)
Manual
recording
of video
(on page
32)
Use digital zoom
(on page 109)
Press these keys
To do this
ENTER
Toggle maximized/regular display of the selected position in the view.
ALT
Select a specific view item. When using ALT, you can navigate to a view item
by typing the numbers displayed on the screen. When a view item is in focus,
it is marked with a blue frame.
If you are using a PTZ (on page 172) camera or a hotspot (see "Hotspots" on
page 84), this will let you control cameras with joystick or send view item
directly to the hotspot without using the mouse.
/+<camera shortcut
number>+ENTER
Change the camera displayed in the selected position in the view to the
camera with the matching shortcut number. Example: If the required camera
has the shortcut number 6, press /+ 6+ENTER.
Camera shortcut numbers may not necessarily be used on your surveillance
system. Camera shortcut numbers are defined on the server.
/+ENTER
Change the camera in the selected position in the view to the default camera
for that position.
The camera toolbar
Keyboard shortcuts
When working on the Live and Playback tabs, a number of simple keyboard shortcuts are available.
Tip: In addition to the standard keyboard shortcuts, you can assign your own custom shortcut key
combinations (see "Keyboard options" on page 102) for particular actions in the XProtect Smart Client.
The PLUS SIGN in the following shortcuts does not indicate the key but the combination of pressing
two or more keys. For example, the keyboard shortcut /+ENTER indicates that you press the slash (/)
key and then the ENTER key.
These shortcuts cannot be used for positions in views containing Matrix content or static images.
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The basics
Press these keys
To do this
/+/+ENTER
Change the cameras displayed in all positions in the view to the default
cameras for those positions.
*+<view shortcut
number>+ENTER
Change the selected view to the view with the matching shortcut number.
Example: if the required view has the shortcut number 8, press *+ 8+ENTER.
View shortcut numbers may not necessarily be used. If view shortcut numbers
are used, you will be able to see them in the Views pane, where they will
appear in parentheses before the views' names. View shortcut numbers are
defined on the XProtect Smart Client 's Setup tab.
6 (numeric keypad
only)
Move the view position selection one step to the right.
4 (numeric keypad
only)
Move the view position selection one step to the left.
8 (numeric keypad
only)
Move the view position selection one step up.
2 (numeric keypad
only)
Move the view position selection one step down.
Server status and interconnected hardware retrieval jobs
Login information
The Login information tab of the Status window lets you view the status of the surveillance servers
your XProtect Smart Client is connected to. The dialog is useful if you are connected to a surveillance
system that supports Milestone Federated Architecture. Milestone Federated Architecture is a
parent/child setup of related but physically separate surveillance systems. Such a setup can be
relevant for, for example, chains of shops with many separate—but related—surveillance systems.
To open the Status window, click the Status button in the application toolbar:
Tip: If the button flashes red, one of more servers are unavailable. When you have viewed the status,
the button will stop flashing red even if the server(s) are still unavailable.
If servers are available, they will be displayed in blue:
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The basics
If servers are not available at the time you log in, you cannot use cameras or features belonging to
those servers. Unavailable servers are displayed in red:
The number of servers you see reflects the number of servers retrievable from the surveillance system
at the time you logged in. Particularly if you connect to large hierarchies of servers, more servers may
occasionally become available after you log in. The server list is a static representation of server
status. If a server is unavailable, it will display a reason in the Status field when you click it. To attempt
to connect to the server, click the Load Server button. The server status for that server will then be
updated. If a server continues to be unavailable for longer periods of time, contact your surveillance
system administrator for advice.
Jobs
If your XProtect Smart Client is part of a Milestone Interconnect system and you have sufficient rights
to retrieve data from interconnected hardware devices or cameras that support edge storage, you can
view the jobs created for each data retrieval request for these devices .
Each camera where retrieval has been requested is displayed as a separate job. You can view the
progress of the running jobs and you can stop the jobs from here. Related audio will automatically be
retrieved, but these jobs will not show up anywhere. Once a job has completed, the timeline (see "The
timeline" on page 120) for the device is automatically updated.
If you would like to only see the jobs you have requested, click the Only show my jobs filter.
The System Monitor tab
Use the <, > and home icons to navigate the System Monitor.
From here you can view system information and create reports on:
Management server: shows data on your management server
Recording servers: shows data on any number of recording servers in your surveillance
setup, which can be viewed per:
o Disks
o Storage
o Network
o Cameras
Failover recording servers: shows data on any number of failover recording servers in
your surveillance setup
Additional servers: shows data on log servers, event servers etc. in your surveillance
setup
Cameras: shows data on any camera in any camera group in your surveillance setup.
Each of these corresponds to a clickable, expandable area, most of which contains sub-areas. Each
sub-area represents a server. When clicked, they provide relevant dynamic data on this server.
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The basics
The Cameras bar however, contains a list of camera-groups to select from. Once a group is selected,
you can select a specific camera and see dynamic data for it.
All servers display CPU usage and available memory information. Furthermore, recording servers
also display connection status information.
Within each view, you can find a History link. Click it to view historic data and reports (to view reports
on a camera, click the name of the camera). For each historic report, you can view data for the last 24
hours, 7 days or 30 days.
If you want to save and/or print reports, click the Send to PDF icon.
Milestone Federated Architecture
If you run Milestone Federated Architecture™ (MFA) the System Monitor tab is divided into two parts.
A left pane displaying a hierarchical tree-structure representing your federated architectural setup and
on the right, a browser-based area with relevant system data for the selected MFA server.
Click any MFA server in the left-side pane to see its system data represented in the right-side area of
the System Monitor tab.
If you move away from the tab or log out of the system and come back, the System Monitor tab will
remember which server in your MFA is selected and continue to display system data from this server.
You can drag the System Monitor tab to an independent window to monitor multiple MFA servers.
Surveillance system differences
The majority of the XProtect Smart Client features are available regardless of which type of Milestone
surveillance system you connect to. However, a few features will work differently depending on the
type of surveillance system your XProtect Smart Client is connected to. If in doubt, ask your
surveillance system administrator about which type of Milestone surveillance system you connect to.
For a detailed outline of the features available on your particular system, see the XProtect Comparison
Chart on: www.milestonesys.com.
In general, Milestone recommends that you always use the latest version of the XProtect Smart Client
to ensure that you have access to all the new features and functions included in your XProtect
surveillance system.
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Get help
Get help
To access the XProtect Smart Client help system, on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar, click
Help > Help or press F1 on your keyboard.
To access online video tutorials in a browser window, on the XProtect Smart Client toolbar,
click Help > Video Tutorials.
The help system is context-sensitive, which means it automatically displays a help topic relevant to the
area you are working with. Help topic texts may contain various types of links, notably expanding dropdown links that display detailed information when you click them.
Tip: If you want to quickly collapse all texts from expanding drop-down links in a help topic, click the
title of the topic on the Contents tab.
When you print a help topic, the topic is printed as you see it on your screen. Therefore, if a topic
contains expanding drop-down links, click each required drop-down link to display the text in order for
it to be included in your printout. This allows you to create targeted printouts, containing exactly the
amount of information you want.
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Defining your views
Views
About views
The way in which video is displayed in the XProtect Smart Client is called a view. A view can contain
video from up to 100 cameras, depending on your surveillance system. Your XProtect Smart Client
can handle an unlimited number of views, allowing you to switch between video from various groups of
cameras. Each view's layout can be customized to fit its content. To help you maintain an overview, all
views are placed in folders called groups. A group can contain any number of views and, if required,
subgroups.
Views can be private or shared with other users (see "Private and shared views" on page 44).
In addition to video, views can display web pages and still images (for example, mugshots). For some
surveillance systems, views can even display data from other applications (such as receipts from a
cash register) alongside video.
Your user settings, including information about your views, are stored centrally on the surveillance
system server, so you can use your views, private as well as shared, on any computer that has a
XProtect Smart Client installed, provided you log in with your own user name and password.
Example: XProtect Smart Client displaying a view with video from four different cameras (a 2x2 view)
Private and shared views
Views can be private or shared:
Private views can only be accessed by the user who created them.
Shared views allow many XProtect Smart Client users to share the same views. This is
possible because all views are stored on the surveillance system server. Depending on your
type of surveillance system (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 42), shared views
can be shared by all XProtect Smart Client users, or access to selected shared views can be
given to certain XProtect Smart Client users.
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Typically, only a few people in an organization can create and edit shared views. For example, the
surveillance system administrator may create and maintain a number of shared views, so users do not
need to create their own views.
Add content to views
Add a camera to a view
1. In setup mode, select the view you want to add a camera to.
2. In the Overview pane, expand the required server to view a list of available cameras from
that server.
Often, you only see a single server, but if you are connected to a large surveillance system,
you may see a hierarchy of several servers. If a server is listed with a red icon, it is
unavailable, in which case you cannot view cameras from that server.
3. Select the camera from the list and drag it to the position in the view. An image from the
camera may appear in the selected position if a connection is established. If a connection
cannot be established, just the camera name is displayed. If parts of images are black, it is
because privacy masks (on page 116) are in use.
You can specify the camera properties (such as quality, frame rate and more) in the Properties pane
(see "Camera settings" on page 57). Repeat for each camera required in the view.
If you want to add multiple cameras to a view in one go (for example all of the cameras from a camera
folder under a server), simply drag the folder to the view. This automatically adds all the folder's
cameras in the view from the selected position onwards. Make sure a sufficient number of positions
are available in the view.
You can easily change which cameras are included in your view by dragging a different camera to the
position.
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Add an HTML page to a view
HTML Pages can be used in views for a variety of purposes: company web pages, internet map
services, collection of links, e-learning pages, and so on.
Example: A company web page inserted in a view
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, click and drag the HTML Page item to the
view.
2. The Open URL window opens.
3. In the Open URL window's Open field, enter the location of the required HTML page
(example: http://www.mywebsite.com/mywebpage.htm).
- or If the HTML page is stored locally on your computer, specify its location on your computer
(example: C:\myfiles\mywebpage.htm), or click Browse... to browse for the required HTML
page.
4. Click OK.
Once an HTML page is added to a view, you can change its properties:
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1. In setup mode, select the imported HTML page in the view. In the Properties pane, change
the necessary properties.
o URL: Click New to specify a new URL or location of the HTML page.
o Scaling: Select the scaling of the HTML page. The optimal scaling depends entirely on the
content of the imported HTML page and how you want to display it.
As a rule, with a high scaling value, e.g. 1280×1024, text on the HTML page will appear
relatively small, and a considerable amount of content will be visible without the need for
scrolling. With a low scaling value, e.g. 320×200, text on the HTML page will appear
relatively large, and a relatively small amount of content can be displayed without the need
for scrolling.
o Enable HTML scripting: Only select this feature if the HTML page is a custom-made
HTML page for navigating or triggering features inside the XProtect Smart Client itself (see
examples of custom-made HTML pages in Use an HTML Page for Navigation (on page
105)).
If selected, a client script required for navigating and controlling a number of features
inside the XProtect Smart Client will be added to the HTML page. For HTML pages which
are not going to be used for such purposes, the client script cannot be used, and may even
cause the HTML page to malfunction.
o Hide toolbar: By default, a simple navigation bar is inserted above each imported HTML
page. The navigation bar has four buttons; from left to right the buttons are Back,
Forward, Refresh and Home:
If you do not want the navigation bar, you can hide it by selecting Hide toolbar.
When an imported HTML page contains links, we recommend that the links have the
target='blank' attribute (example: <a href=" otherwebpage.htm"
target="blank">Link</a>). This makes the links open in separate windows, which will help you
avoid losing view of the XProtect Smart Client window when a link opens a web page in the same
browser as the XProtect Smart Client .
Add a static image to a view
Static images can be used in views for company logos, for including photos of wanted persons, and so
on.
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In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, drag the Image link to the required position in
the view and select the static image file.
When you add an image to a view, the proportions of the image are not kept. If you want to ensure
that the image is displayed without distortion, in the Properties pane for images, select the Maintain
image aspect ratio check box.
Tip: If you include floor plans or maps in a view, consider the Map feature (see "Maps" on page 67).
The Map feature is available when connected to certain surveillance systems (see "Surveillance
system differences" on page 42) only.
Add an overlay button to a view
You can activate speakers, events, output, and more through overlay buttons which appear when you
move your mouse over individual camera positions in views on the Live tab.
Tip: In addition to activating speakers, events, etc., you can also use overlay buttons for activating
many camera features, such as focus, iris, auxiliary commands, which you were in previous XProtect
Smart Client versions only able to activate through custom keyboard shortcuts.
You can add as many buttons as needed.
1. In setup mode, in the Overlay Buttons pane, select and drag the action onto the camera
position.
2. When you release the mouse, the overlay button appears. If you want to resize the button,
drag the handles that appear.
3. If you want to change the text of the overlay button, double-click the text, overwrite it, and then
press ENTER. The text scales to the largest possible size on the button.
Create and manage views
Certain user rights are required in order to create views.
In setup mode, you can create groups and views, and specify which cameras should be included in
each view. If a top-level folder has a red background, it is protected:
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You can still access any views under the protected top-level folder, but you cannot create new views
or edit existing views under it.
Your ability to edit views and groups depends on your user rights. Basically, if you can create the view
or group, you can also edit it. Consult your surveillance system administrator if in doubt.
To create a view, you must first have a group to add it to. You can either create a new view in an
existing group or create a new group for the view. To create a view under a shared top-level folder,
you must first create a group within this shared folder.
Tip: A group can contain an unlimited number of views. You can also create any number of subgroups
if required.
Create a view group
1. In setup mode, in the Views pane, select the Private or Shared top-level folder you want to
add a group to.
2. Click Create New Group:
A new group is created named New Group.
3. Select and click the New Group to overwrite the name.
4. You can now create views within this group.
Create a view
Not all users may have access to all cameras on the surveillance system and some of the features you
include in your shared view may not be supported in earlier versions of the XProtect Smart Client.
Therefore, always make sure that the users you want to share with have the necessary rights and are
running the same XProtect Smart Client version as yourself. To check your XProtect Smart Client
version, click in the top right corner of the XProtect Smart Client window.
1. In setup mode, in the Views pane, select the group in which you want to create the view.
2. Click the Create New View button:
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3. Select a layout for your new view. You can select layouts for displaying up to 100 (10×10)
cameras in a single view. Available layouts are grouped according to their aspect ratio
(height/width relationship: 4:3 or 16:9), and according to whether they are optimized for regular
content or content in portrait mode (where the height is greater than the width).
4. Enter a name for the view by overwriting the default New View name.
Copy, rename, or delete a view or group
Important: Views can only be copied within the same session; you cannot copy views from one
XProtect Smart Client to another.
If you have a view and you want to reuse it, you can copy it. You can also copy a group of views or a
private view to a shared view.
1. In setup mode, in the navigation pane, select the view.
2. Click Copy:
Or press CTRL+C.
3. Browse to where you want to copy the view, select Paste:
Or press CTRL+V.
Tip: Alternatively, you can select and drag the view to another folder.
4. The copied view is by default named the same as the original followed by (2). To rename it,
click Rename:
Or right-click and select Rename.
To delete a view, select the relevant view, and either click Delete:
Or right-click and select Delete.
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Important: Deleting a group will delete all views and any subgroups within the group as well.
Assign a shortcut number to a view
In setup mode, you can assign shortcut numbers to views to let users select views using standard
keyboard shortcuts (see "Keyboard shortcuts" on page 39).
1. In setup mode, in the Views pane, select the view you want to assign a shortcut to.
2. In the Shortcut field, specify a shortcut number, and then press ENTER. The shortcut number
appears in parentheses in front of the view's name.
3. Repeat as necessary for other views.
Search for views and cameras
With the search function for views and cameras you can search directly for available views and
cameras. Not only by searching for names, but also by searching for description, type and keywords.
You can find an overview of common keywords if you click next to the search field.
You can see matching results for views and cameras while you type.
Views and view groups
If you have a large or complex hierarchy of view groups, the search function does not only ease the
navigation. It also adds the ability to search across the existing structure. How well this goes, depends
on your organization having worked out a well considered and consistent naming convention for views
and cameras.
The example below shows the benefit of searching instead of navigating through a complex hierarchy
when you need to get an overview of related views:
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Objects shown
in view group
hierarchy.
Same objects shown
as search result.
You can search for views that contain specific cameras or view item types. For example, if you want to
see all views that contain PTZ cameras, cameras from a certain manufacturer or views that contain
these view item types:
Finally, you can search for keywords.
Views and view groups
When you search for cameras in live and playback mode, you can view the cameras in a temporary
view that is optimized for the amount of cameras you select.
You can click a single camera to view it in a 1:1 view, or you can click the heading of the camera
results to view all discovered cameras (or the first 25). You can also select cameras manually if you
press either CTRL or Shift while clicking one or more cameras. Press Enter to view the cameras.
You cannot create new views based on temporary views.
You can search for these camera characteristics:
Map
Alarm
LPR
Access Control
Matrix
HTML
Name of camera in view
Name
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Description
Capability:
PTZ
Audio
Input
Output
Views containing a specific camera
Recording Server name or address (shows connected cameras)
TIP: Your system administrator can add free text tags in the camera description field on the
surveillance server to make it possible to group cameras and search for these tags. An example could
be that all outdoor cameras use the tag "Outdoor" in the description field. In that case, all cameras of
this type can easily be found.
Send video between views
You can send video from a selected camera position to another single-camera position in a view,
including any views you may have in floating windows or on secondary displays. This feature is not
available for hotspots (on page 84), carousels (on page 90), or Matrix (on page 93) positions.
On the camera toolbar, click More > Send Camera, select the destination view, and then
select the position in the view where you want the video for that camera to display.
If some of the camera positions are not selectable, they might be unavailable or used for
hotspots, carousels, or Matrix content.
You can also send video content to separate windows (see "Multiple windows" on page 91) or
displays.
Change cameras in views
You can temporarily change the cameras that are displayed in a view. However, this feature is for
provisionally switching cameras; it does not permanently change the view. To restore your original
view, click the reload view button on the workspace toolbar: . If you want to permanently change
the content of a view (see "Add a camera to a view" on page 45), you must be in setup mode.
You cannot change cameras if the view contains a hotspot (see "Hotspots" on page 84), carousel (see
"Carousels" on page 90), or Matrix (on page 93) content. If used from the Cameras pane, the feature
works with Smart Wall (on page 84) positions as well.
This method can also be used for dragging cameras onto Smart Wall positions, but only if used on the
Live tab.
1. Select the relevant position in the view.
2. In the Cameras pane, drag the relevant camera into the position in the view.
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Alternatively, on the camera toolbar, click More > Camera, and then select the relevant server
and camera.
The original camera is listed at the top of the right-click sub-menu and named (default). This
lets you quickly switch back to your original view.
In the Cameras pane, the list of cameras is grouped by server . If a server is listed with a red icon, it
is unavailable, in which case you will not be able to select cameras from that server.
Tip: If camera shortcut numbers have been defined, you can use keyboard shortcuts (on page 39) to
switch between cameras. If a camera shortcut number has been assigned, it appears in parentheses
in front of the camera name.
Swap cameras (on page 54)
Swap cameras
You can temporarily swap two cameras in a view by dragging one of the cameras to a different
position. The camera in that position will then exchange places with the one you swap it with. You can
only swap cameras with other cameras. This can be useful, for example, if you want to keep all your
most important cameras in a certain position in your view. If you want to make permanent changes to
your view, you must first be in setup mode.
To swap cameras, click the relevant camera title bar and drag it to the relevant position.
To restore the original view, click the reload view button on the workspace toolbar: .
Switch cameras in views (see "Change cameras in views" on page 53)
Frequently asked questions: views
Can I view video immediately without setting up views?
Yes. Many XProtect Smart Client users can view video in their XProtect Smart Client immediately,
without the need to set up views first.
Private views: If connected to certain types of surveillance system (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 42)—primarily small surveillance systems with few cameras—the surveillance
system server can automatically generate a single private view with all the system's cameras. Such a
view is called a default view. If you have access to a default view, you can begin viewing video in
your XProtect Smart Client immediately because the default view will automatically be displayed the
first time you log in to your XProtect Smart Client.
Shared views: Shared views may already have been created by the surveillance system administrator
or by some of your colleagues. If shared views already exist, and you have access to them and the
cameras they contain, you can begin viewing video in your XProtect Smart Client immediately.
Why do I need to recreate my views?
From time to time your surveillance system administrator may make changes to camera or user
properties on the surveillance system. Such changes take effect in the XProtect Smart Client when
you log in for the first time after the changes were made, and they may occasionally require you to recreate your views.
What if I cannot create private or shared views?
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Typically only a few people in an organization are able to create and edit shared views. Your
surveillance system administrator may create and maintain a number of shared views. When you log
in, the shared views will automatically be available to you, so you will not need to create further views.
How can I see which views I have access to?
Typically, your surveillance system administrator will have told you if you have access to shared views.
If not, you can quickly determine if any shared views are available to you.
On the Live or Playback tab, the Views pane will always contain a top-level folder called Private. The
Private top-level folder is for accessing private views, and its content depends upon which views—if
any—you have created for yourself.
Any other top-level folders in the Views pane are for accessing shared views. The names of these toplevel folders depend on what has been configured.
The fact that the Views pane contains one or more top-level folders for accessing shared views does
not in itself guarantee that shared views are actually available. To verify if any shared views are
available under the top-level folders, expand the folders.
How can I see which views I can edit?
If a folder has a padlock icon, it is protected and you cannot create new views or edit existing views to
it.
Can I see my views on different computers?
Your user settings, including information about your views, are stored centrally on the surveillance
system server. This means that you can use your views, private as well as shared, on any computer
that has a XProtect Smart Client installed, provided you log in to the XProtect Smart Client with your
own user name and password.
Can I add an overlay button for an action if I do not have rights to perform the action myself?
Yes. This enables you to make buttons available on shared views, where colleagues with the
necessary rights will be able to use the buttons, even if you do not have rights to use them yourself.
When you add a button for an action you do not have rights for, the button will appear dimmed in setup
mode and will not appear when you use the Live tab. Colleagues with the necessary rights will be able
to use the button on the Live tab.
What if my rights change after I have added an overlay button?
Changes to your rights will affect the way you can use any buttons and they will either appear dimmed
or available depending on whether or not you have user rights for those actions. For example, if you
add a button for an action you do not have rights to perform and then your user rights change so that
you do have the necessary rights, the button will change to available.
How do I delete an overlay button?
In setup mode, right-click the button, and select Delete.
Will overlay buttons appear in exported video?
No, if you export (see "The XProtect Smart Client window" on page 13) video, overlay buttons are not
included in the export.
Cameras
Some of the following features are only available in certain surveillance systems (see "Surveillance
system differences" on page 42).
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Add a camera to a view
1. In setup mode, select the view you want to add a camera to.
2. In the Overview pane, expand the required server to view a list of available cameras from
that server.
Often, you will only see a single server, but if you are connected to a large surveillance
system, you may see a hierarchy of several servers. If a server is listed with a red icon, it is
unavailable, in which case you will not be able to view cameras from that server.
3. Select the camera from the list and drag it to the position in the view.
An image from the camera will—provided a connection can be established—appear in the
selected position. If a connection cannot be established, just the camera name will be
displayed.
Tip: If parts of images are black, it is because privacy masks (on page 116) are in use.
You can specify the camera properties (such as quality, frame rate, etc.) in the Properties pane (see
"Camera settings" on page 57).
Repeat for each camera required in the view.
Tip: If you want to add multiple cameras to a view in one go (for example all of the cameras from a
camera folder under a server), simply drag the folder to the view. This automatically adds all the
folder's cameras in the view from the selected position onwards. Make sure a sufficient number of
positions are available in the view.
Tip: You can easily change which cameras are included in your view by dragging a different camera to
the position.
Camera names and colored indicators
If configured (in setup mode, in the Properties pane (see "Camera settings" on page 57)), the camera
title bar displays the name of the camera. When video is displayed from the Playback tab, the bar
shows the date and time of the displayed video. When you select a camera in a view, the camera title
bar changes color.
The camera title bar displays Live when live video is displayed, Recording if video from the camera in
question is being recorded, and Stopped if there is no camera feed and live viewing is not possible. A
camera may stop working for various reasons, for example, if it has been configured only to be
available during certain hours of the day, or because of camera or network maintenance, or a change
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in configuration on the surveillance system server. If all cameras display Stopped, connection to the
surveillance system server may be lost.
Each title bar displays up to three colored indicators:
The title bar and indicators can be configured (see "Application options" on page 95) in the Options
window.
Event indicator (the yellow indicator ): Lights up when specific events occur—defined by
the surveillance system administrator. Click inside the image to reset the event indicator. The
indicator may appear black if event indication has not been specified for the camera, or if no
specified events have occurred.
Note: This feature is only available in certain surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 42) and requires that notifications on events have been configured on the
server.
Motion indicator (the red indicator ): Lights up when motion is detected. Click inside the
image to reset the motion indicator. This indicator may appear black if no motion has been
detected.
Video indicator (the flashing green indicator ): Changes every time a new image is received
from the camera. This indicator can be turned off.
Tip: Event ( ) and motion ( ) indications can be accompanied by sound notifications (on page 63).
Virtual joystick and PTZ overlay button
If your views include 360° cameras or lenses, or PTZ devices (see "PTZ and 360º lens images" on
page 111), you can navigate the images by clicking either the arrow mouse pointer (the virtual joystick)
or the PTZ navigation buttons that appear inside the image.
The virtual joystick
PTZ overlay
Tip: If you don't want the camera toolbar to pop up when you move your mouse over the view, press
and hold the CTRL key while moving the mouse.
Camera settings
In Setup mode, in the Properties pane, you can view and edit properties for the selected camera (the
selected camera is indicated by a bold border in the view).
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Name
Description
Camera name
Displays the name of the selected camera.
To change the camera, click the ellipsis button to open the Select
Camera dialog and select a different camera. This can be useful if
you want to change the camera but keep the settings.
Live Stream
If available, select the live stream that you want to display in the
view. If multiple streams have been set up on the server, you can
select either Default or one of the available stream options. If you
select another option than Default, you will not be able to edit
Image quality or Frame rate settings.
Image quality
Determines the quality of video when viewed, but also affects
bandwidth usage. If your XProtect Smart Client is used over the
internet, over a slow network connection, or if for other reasons you
need to limit bandwidth use, image quality can be reduced on the
server side by selecting Low or Medium.
When selecting a reduced image quality, images from the selected
camera are re-encoded to a JPEG format on the surveillance
system server before being sent to the XProtect Smart Client. Reencoding takes place along the following lines:
Full: The default setting, providing the full quality of the original
video.
Super high (for megapixel): Re-encoding to an output width of
640 pixels (VGA) and a JPEG quality level of 25%.
High: Re-encoding to an output width of 320 pixels (QVGA) and a
JPEG quality level of 25%.
Medium: Re-encoding to an output width of 200 pixels and a JPEG
quality level of 25%.
Low: Re-encoding to an output width of 160 pixels and a JPEG
quality level of 20%.
Height will scale according to the width and the aspect ratio of the
original video.
Your image quality selection will apply for live as well as recorded
video, and for JPEG as well as MPEG. For MPEG, however, only
keyframes will be re-encoded when viewing live video, whereas all
frames will be re-encoded when viewing recorded video.
While using a reduced image quality helps limit bandwidth use, it
will—due to the need for re-encoding images—use additional
resources on the surveillance system server.
Tip: You can quickly reduce the bandwidth usage for all cameras in
the view by reducing the image quality for a single camera, then
clicking the Apply To All button.
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Name
Description
Keep when maximized
When you view live or recorded video, you can double-click a
particular camera position in a view to maximize it. When you do
this, video from the camera is by default displayed in full quality,
regardless of your image quality selection.
If you want to make sure that the selected image quality also
applies when video is enlarged, select the Keep when maximized
box, located immediately below the Image quality setting.
Frame rate
Select a frame rate for the selected camera. Select between
Unlimited (default), Medium, or Low. The combination of the
frame rate you select and the way your surveillance system is set
up (see "About frame rate effect" on page 62) affects the quality of
your video.
PTZ click mode
Select a default PTZ click mode for your PTZ cameras. Options are
click-to-center or virtual joystick. You can override this setting on
individual cameras by selecting a different default PTZ click mode
for the camera.
Fisheye split mode
Available only if the selected camera is a fisheye camera. Fisheye
technology allows the creation and viewing of 360º panoramic
images. The XProtect Smart Client supports up to four different
viewpoints from a single fisheye camera. The Fisheye split mode
list lets you select the required split mode:
No split lets you view a single viewpoint.
Two by two lets you view four different viewpoints at a time.
When viewed on any of the XProtect Smart Client's tabs, the
fisheye camera will appear as specified, with either one or four
viewpoints from the same image.
Tip: When you view different viewpoints from a fisheye camera, you
can navigate each viewpoint independently by clicking inside each
viewpoint, or by using the PTZ presets menu on the camera
toolbar.
Maintain Image Aspect Ratio
If selected, video will not be stretched to fit the size of the camera
position. Rather, video will be displayed with the aspect ratio
(height/width relationship) with which it has been recorded.
This may result in horizontal or vertical black bars appearing around
the images from some cameras.
If check box is cleared, video will be stretched to fit the position in
the view; this may lead to slightly distorted video, but you will avoid
any black bars appearing around the video.
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Name
Description
Update on motion
If selected, video from the selected camera will only be updated on
the XProtect Smart Client's Live tab when motion is detected.
Depending on the motion detection sensitivity configured for the
camera on the surveillance system server this can help reduce CPU
usage significantly.
When video is only updated on motion, users will see the message
No motion together with a still image in the camera's position in the
view until motion is detected. The still image will have a gray
overlay, making it easy to identify which cameras have no motion.
Sound on motion detection
When video from the camera is viewed on the Live tab, it is
possible to get a simple sound notification when motion is detected.
Sound notifications only work if video from the camera is actually
displayed in your XProtect Smart Client. Sound notifications will
therefore not work if you minimize the window containing the
camera in question. Likewise, if you maximize a camera in a view
so only that camera is displayed, it will not be possible to hear
sound notifications regarding other cameras.
Always off: Do not use sound notifications on detected motion.
Always on: Play a sound notification each time motion is detected
on the camera.
Sound on event
This feature is only available with certain surveillance systems. For
a detailed outline of the features available on your particular
system, see the XProtect Comparison Chart on:
www.milestonesys.com.
Being able to use this feature requires that notifications on events
have been configured on the surveillance system server.
Sound notifications only work if video from the camera is actually
displayed in your XProtect Smart Client. Sound notifications will
thus not work if you minimize the window containing the camera in
question. Likewise, if you maximize a camera in a view so only that
camera is displayed, it will not be possible to hear sound
notifications regarding other cameras.
When video from the camera is viewed on the Live tab, it is
possible to get a simple sound alert when events related to the
selected camera occur.
Always off: Do not use sound alerts when events related to the
camera occur.
Always on: Play a sound alert each time an event related to the
camera occurs.
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Display settings
Use default display settings: Use default settings, as defined in
the Options dialog, for showing title bar and video indicator for the
selected camera. If you want a non-default behavior for the selected
camera, clear the check box and select whether you want title bar
and/or video indicator.
Show title bar: Displays a title bar at the top of each camera
position. The title bar helps users quickly identify cameras. When
displayed on the Live tab, the title bar displays information about
detected motion and events, whether the camera is recording, etc.
See Camera names and colored indicators (on page 56).
Note: If you choose not to display the title bar, you will not be able
to see the visual indicators for motion and events. As an alternative,
you can use sound notification.
Show video indicator: Requires that Show title bar is selected.
Displays a flashing green indicator in the title bar when displayed on
the Live tab. The indicator changes state every time a new image is
received from the camera, an effect which makes it easy to see that
video is live. Often, it is evident from the video itself that it is live,
but the video indicator can be advantageous at times when not
much is happening in the camera's area of view.
Show bounding box layer: Displays bounding boxes on individual
cameras. Open the Bounding Box Providers (see "About
Bounding Box Providers" on page 63) dialog box to specify the
metadata devices to provide data to the camera.
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Video buffering
This part of the Properties pane may not be visible. To view it, go
to the Options window's (see "XProtect Smart Client options" on
page 95) Functions tab, and ensure that Setup > Edit video
buffering is set to Available.
If you require very smooth display of live video, without any jitter, it
is possible to build up a video buffer.
If possible, avoid using video buffering. Video buffering can
significantly increase memory usage for each camera displayed in a
view. If you do need to use video buffering, keep the buffering level
as low as possible.
When live video is stored in a buffer, it will display smoothly without
any jitter, but the building up of the buffer will lead to a small delay
in the display of live video. Such a delay is often not a problem for
the person viewing the video. However, the delay may become very
evident if the camera is a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, and
especially if you use a joystick to operate the camera.
Being able to control the amount of video buffering lets you decide
whether you want to prioritize smoothly displayed live video
(requires buffering and leads to a small delay) or instant PTZ and
joystick operation (requires no buffer, but may—due to the lack of a
buffer—lead to a slight jitter in live video).
To use video buffering, select Use default video buffer, then
select the required buffer, from 2 frames to 2 seconds.
Apply to All
The Apply to All button lets you quickly apply the camera settings
for the selected camera to all cameras in the view.
Effect
Unlimited
Medium
Low
JPEG
Send all frames
Send every 4th frame
Send every 20th frame
MPEG (I-frame)
H.264
Send all frames
Send all frames
Send all frames
MPEG (P-frame)
H.264
Send all frames
Do not send any frames
Do not send all frames
Do not send any frames
Do not send all frames
About frame rate effect
The effect of the Frame Rate selection can be illustrated as follows:
Example: If you set the Frame rate option to Low in your XProtect Smart Client , and your
surveillance system administrator has configured the camera to feed JPEG images at a frame rate of
20 frames per second, you will experience an average of 1 frame per second when viewing video from
the camera. If your administrator had configured the camera with a feed as low as 4 frames per
second, you would, with Frame rate set to Low in your XProtect Smart Client, experience an average
of 0,2 frames per second when viewing video from the camera.
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About Bounding Box Providers
Requires that Show bounding box layer is selected. In the dialog box, enable the metadata devices
that you want to provide data for the bounding boxes in videos from this camera. The list of devices is
defined by your system administrator.
Keyboard shortcuts and overlay buttons
Depending on your surveillance system (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 42), you can
assign custom keyboard shortcuts (see "XProtect Smart Client options" on page 95) and overlay
buttons (see "Views" on page 44) to trigger auxiliary commands (commands defined by the camera) to
the camera positions in the view. Auxiliary commands differ from camera to camera; for details, see
the documentation for the camera.
Sound notifications
Your XProtect Smart Client may have been configured to notify you with a sound notification when:
motion is detected on one or more specific cameras
- and/or -
events (on page 154) related to one or more specific cameras occur
When you hear a sound notification, special attention may be required. If in doubt about whether or
how sound notifications are used in your organization, consult your surveillance system administrator.
You can temporarily mute sound notifications for a specific camera: on the camera toolbar, click More
> Sound Notifications > Mute.
When you minimize the XProtect Smart Client window, sound notification is disabled.
To turn on sound notifications for the camera again, click More > Sound Notifications > Mute again.
The ability to mute sound notifications is not available for hotspots (on page 84), carousels (on page
90), or Matrix (on page 93) positions.
Frequently asked questions: cameras
Will I receive lots of sound notifications?
If you select Always on, the number of motion-related sound notifications will depend on the motion
detection sensitivity of the camera. If motion detection for the camera is highly sensitive, you may
receive very frequent sound notifications. The camera's motion detection sensitivity is configured on
the surveillance system server. If you select sound notifications for more than one camera, you may
also hear more notifications—again depending on the cameras' motion detection sensitivity.
What is jitter?
Jitter is small variations in the video which can be perceived by the viewer as irregular movement, for
example when viewing a person walking.
What is an event?
An event is a predefined incident occurring on the surveillance system. Depending on the surveillance
system's configuration, events may be caused by input from external sensors connected to cameras,
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Microphones
Select the microphone you want to listen to audio from.
If the Microphones list displays No microphone hardware, your
computer does not have the required hardware for playing audio
from the surveillance system. Typically, this occurs because your
computer does not have an audio card installed. If the list displays
No microphone sources, no microphones attached to cameras
are available.
Mute
Select to mute either microphones or speakers (muting speakers is
only available on the Playback tab).
by detected motion, by data received from other applications, or manually through user input. Events
are used by the surveillance system for triggering actions. Typically, most events on the surveillance
system are generated automatically. For example, detected motion can be defined as an event which
in turn triggers an action, for example, recording.
Can I change the notification sound?
By default, the XProtect Smart Client uses a simple sound file for its sound notifications. The sound
file, called Notification.wav, is located in the XProtect Smart Client installation folder, typically
C:\Program Files\Milestone\Milestone XProtect Smart Client. If you want to use another .wav file
as your notification sound, simply name the file Notification.wav and place it in the XProtect Smart
Client installation folder instead of the original file. The file Notification.wav is used for event- as well
as motion-detection notifications. You cannot use different sound files for different cameras or to
distinguish between event- and motion-detection notifications.
Audio
Support for specific audio features may vary from system to system (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 42). Access to recorded audio, or certain recorded audio features, may be
restricted depending on your user rights. Consult your surveillance system administrator if in doubt.
About audio
The XProtect Smart Client supports both incoming and outgoing audio. You can listen to live
recordings from microphones attached to cameras as well as use loudspeakers connected to cameras
to talk to audiences. When you play back recorded video, you can hear the corresponding audio if the
cameras have microphones and/or speakers attached. When you select a camera or view, the
corresponding microphone and/or speaker is also selected by default.
Tip: If your views contain maps, these maps may contain microphones and/or speakers. When this is
the case, you can listen to audio by clicking the relevant microphone or speaker element. Click and
hold down the mouse button for as long you want to listen or talk.
Audio settings
Tip: You can listen to recorded audio independently of the views/cameras you are watching. You must
specify a time in the Playback tab's navigation feature to determine what recorded audio to hear.
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Speakers
Select the speaker you want to talk through.
If the Speakers list displays No speaker hardware, your computer
does not have the required hardware for playing audio from the
surveillance system. Typically, this occurs because your computer
does not have an audio card installed. If the list displays No
speaker sources, no speakers attached to cameras are available.
If your surveillance system has speakers attached to multiple
cameras (and you have the necessary rights to access them), you
can talk through all the speakers simultaneously by selecting All
speakers from the Speakers list.
Talk
Click and hold down the mouse button for as long as you want to
talk.
Level Meter
The Level Meter indicates the level of your voice. If the level is very
low, you may need to move closer to your microphone or adjust
your audio settings in Windows. If the Level Meter shows no level
at all, check that the microphone is connected and correctly set up.
Lock to selected audio
devices
When you select a camera or view, the corresponding microphone
and/or speaker is also selected by default. However, if you want
audio for a specific camera regardless of the ones you are viewing,
you can select Lock to selected audio devices.
Example: You need to listen and talk to a crime victim through
microphones and speakers attached to camera A, but you also
urgently need to view cameras X, Y and Z, some of which are
displayed in different positions in the view. By selecting Lock to
selected audio devices, you can communicate with the victim on
camera A while viewing the other cameras at the same time.
List only devices from current
view
If your surveillance system contains large numbers of microphones
and/or speakers, the lists from which you select microphones and
speakers in the Audio pane can be very long. To avoid this, you can
limit the lists to only contain microphones and speakers relevant to
your current view by selecting List only devices from current
view.
Note that in this context, current view also includes any views you
have open as floating views and on primary and secondary displays
(see "Multiple windows" on page 91).
Talk to an audience
IMPORTANT: The surveillance system can record incoming audio from microphones attached to
cameras, even if no video is being recorded. However, outgoing audio transmitted through speakers
attached to cameras is only recorded on some surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 42).
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There are three ways of talking to audiences through speakers attached to cameras, either by using
the Audio pane, by using overlay buttons, or by using speaker functionality on maps.
Talk through speakers
1. On the Live tab, in the Audio pane, under Speakers, select the relevant speakers from the
Talk to: list. See Audio settings (on page 64) for specific information about speaker settings.
If your surveillance system has speakers attached to multiple cameras (and you have the
necessary rights), you can talk through all the speakers simultaneously by selecting All
speakers.
Alternatively, if a position in a view has an overlay button or a map with speaker elements, you
can click these.
2. Click and hold down the Talk button while you talk. Keeping the button pressed down when
you speak gives you full control over what is actually transmitted through the speakers.
Frequently asked questions: audio
Why is the Speakers list not available?
Some surveillance systems do not support two-way audio.For a detailed outline of the features
available on your particular system, see the XProtect Comparison Chart on: www.milestonesys.com.
Can I adjust the recording volume of a microphone connected to a camera?
This feature does not exist in the XProtect Smart Client. However, you may be able to adjust the
recording volume either on the microphone or through the configuration interface of the camera device
that has the microphone attached. Consult your surveillance system administrator if in doubt.
Can I adjust the output volume of speakers connected to a camera?
This feature does not exist in the XProtect Smart Client. However, the Level Meter in the Audio pane
gives an indication of the input level which, in turn, gives an idea of the output level.
You may be able to adjust the output volume either on the speakers or through the configuration
interface of the camera device that has the speakers attached. You can also adjust your audio settings
in Windows. Consult your surveillance system administrator if in doubt.
Will other XProtect Smart Client users be able to hear what I say through speakers?
As a rule, other XProtect Smart Client users cannot hear what you say. However, if microphones are
located near the speakers you are talking through, it may be possible to hear you.
Can I talk through multiple speakers at the same time?
Yes, if your surveillance system has speakers attached to multiple cameras (and you have the
necessary rights to access them), you can talk through all the speakers at once. In the Audio pane, in
the Speakers list, select All speakers, then click and hold the Talk button when you talk.
If you have selected List only devices from current view in the Audio pane, you will not see all
speakers.
Will audio from microphones attached to cameras be recorded?
Incoming audio, from microphones attached to cameras, is recorded, even when no video is being
recorded.
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Will what I say through speakers be recorded?
The surveillance system can record incoming audio from microphones, even when no video is being
recorded. However, outgoing audio transmitted through speakers can only be recorded, played back,
and exported on some surveillance systems. For a detailed outline of the features available on your
particular system, see the XProtect Comparison Chart on: www.milestonesys.com.
Depending on your surveillance system, recordings can be used, for example, to prove that a XProtect
Smart Client operator gave an audience specific instructions through speakers.
Do I get an indication of my voice level when I talk through speakers?
Yes, in the Audio pane, the Level Meter indicates the level of your voice. If the level is very low, you
may need to move closer to the microphone. If the Level Meter shows no level at all, verify that the
microphone is connected and correctly set up.
Maps
Introduction to maps
The map feature is only available for selected surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system
differences" on page 42). A map position does not display live video, a map is always a still image.
With a map, you get a physical overview of your surveillance system. You can instantly see which
cameras are placed where, and in what direction they are pointing. You can use maps for navigation.
Maps can be grouped into hierarchies, so you can drill down through hot zones, from large
perspectives to detailed perspectives, for example, from city level to street level, or from building level
to room level.
Maps may contain elements representing cameras, microphones and similar technology. You can
view recorded video from cameras (see "View recorded video from cameras on a map" on page 76) in
a preview window when you move your mouse over a camera icon on the map. The status information
in playback mode is not based on recorded data, but retrieved from the elements' current status, as
displayed in live mode.
Map with camera elements and hot zone
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Maps do not have to be geographical maps, although they often are. Depending on your
organization's needs, photos and other kinds of image files can also be used as maps.
How elements interact with maps
You can use map elements to interact with the actual devices in the following ways:
Cameras
Place your mouse pointer over a camera on a map to see a live preview from the camera. Click the
title bar of the preview to display it as a separate floating window. You can resize the floating window
by pulling its corners. To start recording, right-click the required camera and select Start Recording
for # Minutes. Particular user rights may be required to use this feature.
A fixed camera is displayed on the map with an associated view zone that shows the camera's angle
of view. Note that the angle on the map is very likely to need adjustment to match the camera's angle
of view. To adjust the angle, simply drag it to a suitable size and position.
A PTZ camera is displayed on the map with any PTZ presets defined for the camera on the
surveillance system. The presets are illustrated as colored angles that radiate from the PTZ camera
icon. Each angle represents a particular preset. Note that the angles are very likely to need adjustment
to match the camera's preset angles. To adjust an angle, simply drag it to a suitable size and position.
If a camera has more than 25 presets, no angles are initially displayed since the angles would be too
small to be useful. In such cases, you can add required angles individually by dragging the presets
from the required camera from the Element Selector window onto the map. To go to one of a PTZ
camera's presets, simply click the preset on the map. This works in the floating preview window, on
the map itself, as well as in hotspot positions (see "Hotspots" on page 84). Alternatively, right-click the
camera, select PTZ Presets, then select the required preset.
Microphones
Place your mouse over a microphone; press and hold the left mouse button to listen to incoming audio
from a microphone, or right-click the microphone and select Listen to Microphone. You cannot use
microphones in map views in playback mode.
Speakers
Place your mouse over a speaker; press and hold the left mouse button to talk through the speaker.
You cannot use speakers in map views in playback mode.
Events
Click an event on the map (see "Alarms" on page 149) to activate it, or right-click the event and select
Activate Event. When left-clicking an event, the mouse pointer briefly changes to a lightning symbol
to indicate that the event is being activated.
Alarms
Click an alarm on the map (see "Alarms" on page 149) to view it, or right-click the alarm and select
Activate Alarm. Right-click to acknowledge the alarm.
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Attention needed—when an element requires attention, but is still working; for
instance when a server is running out of disk space. Note that the device in question
is not necessarily included on the map. The default display color is yellow.
Not operational—when there is an error on the element, for example if a server
cannot connect to a microphone or speaker. The default display color is orange.
Alarms—when an element has an alarm attached to it. The default display color is
red.
Output
Click an output on the map to activate it, or right-click the output and select Activate Output. When
you click an output, the mouse pointer briefly changes to a lightning symbol to indicate that the output
is being activated.
Hot zones
A hot zone is usually colored, so it is easy to recognize. Click a hot zone to go to the sub-map
associated with the hot zone, or right-click the required hot zone and select Go to Sub-map.
If the hot zone appears with a dotted outline, no map is associated with the hot zone.
On some surveillance systems, maps from several different servers may be in a map hierarchy. This
can mean that when you click a hot zone, the sub-map is unavailable because its server is
unavailable. Servers can become unavailable because of scheduled maintenance or network
problems. Contact your surveillance system administrator if the problem persists.
A hot zone can point to a map that you do not have access rights to and the XProtect Smart Client will
inform you about this. Because user rights can be time-based, you might not be able to access a map
that you could previously. This can be because you do not have access during certain hours of the day
or certain days of the week. Contact your surveillance system administrator if in doubt about your user
rights.
Plug-ins
Plug-in elements are available only if used on your surveillance system. Examples of plug-in elements:
access control systems, fire detection systems, etc.
Interconnected hardware
Because interconnected hardware that is part of a Milestone Interconnect system is offline at times,
you may often see error statuses on the interconnected hardware element on a map.
Status visualization
Status visualization is a feature that graphically displays the status of elements added to a map. When
a map is fully operational and in the normal state, no visual status indication is presented. The Status
Visualization window lets you define the visual appearance of maps' status indication.
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Disabled/status unknown—when an element has been disabled on the
surveillance server, or when it is not possible to obtain status information from a
server. The default color is purple.
Ignore status—when an element has a status that does not need attention, for
example, if you are already aware of what the issue is. The default color is blue.
The status of a map mirrors the status of all elements on the map. Up to four names of affected
servers can be listed in the map title bar. In cases where an unavailable server causes disabled
elements on the map, but the server itself is not included on the map, the map is displayed in the not
operational state, even though the map only contains disabled elements. If the unavailable server is
included on the map, the map is simply displayed with the disabled/status unknown. Status
information is also available in the Map Overview.
Example of map with status visualization
Change the appearance of status visualization
1. In setup mode, select the map. Right-click the map and select Status Visualization.
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Description
Home map
Displays the map that forms the basis of the particular map view.
The field is read-only, but you can change the map by clicking the
selection button to open the Map Setup window.
Change Background
Change the map, but keep the elements on the map in their relative
positions to each other.
Rename Map
Edit the name of your map.
Icon size
The Icon size drop-down list lets you select the size of new
elements added to the map, ranging from Tiny to Very large. You
can re-size icons on the map by pulling the sizing handles in the
corners of the icons.
Show name
The Name check box lets you enable/disable whether names of
elements are displayed when adding new elements.
Tip: If you have added an element to the map and the element
name is not displayed on the map, right-click the required element
and select Name. If you do not want the element name displayed,
right-click the name and select Delete Text. Icon size drop-down
list lets you select the size of new elements added to the map,
ranging from Tiny to Very large. You can re-size icons on the map
by pulling the sizing handles in the corners of the icons.
Allow pan & zoom
Select to allow pan and zoom on the map in live mode.
2. In the Status Visualization window, click the Color box to launch the Color Selection tool,
and select a color for the status visualization line, then click the Color box again to fill the
Color box with the selected color.
3. Select a line format from the Line list.
4. Select line thickness from the Width list.
5. To define how fast the status visualization flashes, select a speed from the Indication Speed
list.
6. In the Properties pane, select Status Visualization to enable showing status visualization in
live mode.
Tip: The status visualization applies to all maps, you do not need to define the status visualization
appearance for each individual map.
Your status visualization settings may take some time to load and display correctly if you connect to a
very large surveillance system with many maps. On complex systems, it can take 30 seconds or
longer to correctly update status visualization.
Map settings
In setup mode, you can use the Properties pane to adjust a number of settings for individual maps.
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Auto maximize map
Select to automatically maximize the map to full screen in Live
mode when the XProtect Smart Client has not been used for the
number of seconds defined in Timeout. The maximum number of
timeout seconds is 99999.
On mouse over
Select to display a live video preview when you move the mouse
over a camera.
Use default display settings
Select to define that the preview window looks the same as your
other views. Clearing this check box lets you define the Title bar
and Video indicator settings for previews.
Title bar: select to display a title bar with the name of the camera.
Video indicator: select to display the video indicator (see "Camera
names and colored indicators" on page 56), which flashes green
when the image is updated. You can only select Video indicator if
you have also selected Title bar.
Status visualization
Select to graphically display the status of the elements (see "Status
visualization" on page 69) added to a map.
Enable status details support
When selected, you can see status details on cameras and servers
in live and playback mode.
Automatically change map on
alarm
Select to automatically change the map in the preview when you
select an alarm to display the map for the camera that the alarm
relates to.
Only show on hover
Select to only show camera view zones and PTZ presets when you
move your mouse over the camera, view zone or preset. This
setting is useful if you have several cameras on a map with
overlapping view zones or several presets. The default value is to
show view zones and presets.
Camera
Selecting either Camera, Server, Microphone,
Speaker, Event, Interconnected hardware or
Output opens the Element Selector with a list of
Server
Microphone
Speaker
The toolbox
The map toolbox consists of a number of tools for configuring the map. Selecting either Camera,
Server, Microphone, Speaker, Event, or Output opens the Element Selector with a list of cameras,
servers, microphones, speakers, events, and output, allowing you to place these elements on the
map.
Toolbox icons
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Event
cameras, servers, microphones, speakers, events, or
output, allowing you to place these elements on the
map.
Output
Interconnected
hardware
Hot Zone
Activates the hot zone drawing tool, allowing you to
place hot zones on the map.
Text
Opens the text tool, allowing you to place editable text
boxes on the map.
Plug-in
Opens the Element Selector with a list of plug-ins (if
used in your organization), allowing you to place a
plug-in element on the map.
Color Picker
Opens the color selection tool, and activates the color
picker, allowing you to use a color already existing on
the map.
Color Fill
Opens the color selection tool, allowing you to change
the color of texts, backgrounds, hot zones, etc.
Selector
Activates the selector tool, allowing you to select
elements on the map and pan and zoom the map.
Map Overview
Opens the Map Overview, allowing you to navigate
between different maps.
The right-click menu
By right-clicking maps or map elements on the Setup tab, you get access to a shortcut menu.
The right-click commands
The content of the shortcut menu differs depending on which map element you right-click. Different
features are available from shortcut menus when maps are viewed in setup mode.
Remove [...]: Lets you remove the selected element or map.
Center Map Here: Centers the map around the clicked position
Zoom In
Zoom Out
Zoom to Standard Size: Zooms the map to the standard size it was set up with
Home: Lets you quickly jump to your home map
Back: Lets you quickly return to the previous map
Forward: Lets you quickly go to a map you have viewed earlier in this session
(From a PTZ camera preset) Go to Preset [preset]: Lets you direct the camera to an
predefined preset.
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(From a camera) Live Preview: Lets you see a live preview from the selected camera.
(From a camera) View Zone: Lets you toggle on and off a fixed camera's view zone that
shows the camera's angle of view.
The shortcut menu that appears when you right-click the map also displays other features, such as
Home Map Setup, Toolbox, Map Overview, Element Selector, Font Selection, Color Selection,
and Status Visualization.
Shortcut menus for individual elements (see "How elements interact with maps" on page 68) may have
other content.
In addition to the common right-click menu items, the right-click menus of events and output also
feature Select Icon Type, which lets you select whether the event icon or output should be displayed
as a lamp, a door, a gate or a switch. Changing the event/output icon to something more adequate to
the actual event/output helps end users more quickly get an overview of the actual contents of the
map.
To display status details, right-click the required element and select Status Details. Status details are
displayed in a separate, floating window.
The Map Overview window
The Map Overview window provides you with an overview of the map hierarchy set up in the XProtect
Smart Client. To open the Map Overview window, right-click the map and select Map Overview or
click the icon on the map title bar.
A plus sign (+) next to a map indicates that the map could have one or more sub-maps attached to it
as hot zones. Clicking a map in the Map Overview immediately displays the selected map in the view.
Content in the Map Overview may take some time to load if you are connected to a very large
surveillance system with many maps.
Working with maps
If you are connected to a surveillance system that supports Milestone Federated Architecture, you can
only add maps from the surveillance system server you logged in to. Milestone Federated Architecture
is a parent/child setup of related but physically separate surveillance systems. Such a setup can be
relevant for, for example, chains of shops with many separate—but related—surveillance systems.
See the XProtect Comparison Chart on www.milestonesys.com for information about which
surveillance systems support Milestone Federated Architecture.
Add a map to a view
You can add existing maps or create new ones.
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, drag the Map item to the required position in
the view.
2. In the Map Setup window that appears, select either Create new map or Use existing map.
A triangle next to a map name indicates that the map could have one or more sub-maps and
all related sub-map(s) with all added elements will automatically be included.
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3. In the Name field, enter a name for the map. The name will be displayed in the map position's
title bar.
Tip: If you leave the Name field blank and click Browse..., the Name field will automatically be
filled out with the image file name when you select an image file.
4. Click Browse... to browse for the image file to be used as a map.
5. Click Open to select image file.
6. Click OK.
Send cameras from a map to a floating window
To view all the cameras (a maximum of 25 in one view) on a map simultaneously in a floating window:
1. On the Live tab or the Playback tab, select the map that contains the cameras you want to
view in a floating window.
2. At the top of the map title bar, click the Send all cameras to floating window icon: .
The floating window displays a maximum of 25 cameras in the view.
If you have more than 25 cameras on a map, when you click this button, it will not always be the same
cameras you see.
Change the background of a map
If you need to update the map but want to keep all the information on it, you can just replace the map
background (if you have the necessary map edit rights). This allows you to keep all your cameras, and
other elements in their relative positions on a new map. Select Change map background, by rightclicking the map or in the Properties pane.
Remove the map
Right-click the map in the view, and select Remove Map. This will remove the entire map, including
added elements representing cameras, microphones, speakers, etc. The map is only removed from
the view. The image file will still exist on the surveillance system, and can thus be used for creating a
new map.
You can also remove a map through the Map Overview.
Add and remove elements from maps
1. In setup mode, right-click the map and select Toolbox.
2. In the toolbox, click the required element icon to open the Element Selector window.
3. You can use the filter to quickly find a required element: type a search criterion to narrow down
the list of displayed elements to fit your search criterion.
4. Select the element and drag it onto the map.
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Tip: You can use the selector tool from the toolbox to select and move elements on a map, or to pan
the map.
Removing elements
To remove an element, right-click the unwanted element (camera, hot zone, server, event, output,
microphone, or speaker) and select Remove [element].
Move elements
To move an element, click and drag it to a new position on the map.
Rotate elements
To change the orientation of an element, select it and place your mouse over one of the element's
sizing handles. When the mouse pointer changes appearance to a curved arrow, click and drag the
element to rotate it.
Tip: If your map has a color that makes it difficult to see the elements on the map, try creating a text
box and fill it with a color that makes it stand out from the map. Add the required elements to the map,
then drag them into the text box.
View recorded video from cameras on a map
You can view recorded video from cameras in a preview window when you move your mouse over a
camera icon on the map. The status information in playback mode is retrieved from the camera's
current live status.
You can use digital zoom and PTZ controls from the camera preview if the camera supports
this. In the preview window, either click the More button and select digital zoom or use the PTZ
(see "PTZ images" on page 112) controls that appear. If you have PTZ presets set up for a
particular camera, you can activate the preset by selecting the preset in the preview.
To view all the cameras (a maximum of 25 in one view) on a map simultaneously in a floating
window, click the Send all cameras to floating window icon at the top of the map title bar:
.
If you have more than 25 cameras on a map, when you click this button it will not always be
the same cameras you see.
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Add a hot zone to a map
1. In setup mode, right-click the map and select Toolbox (see "The toolbox" on page 72).
2. In the toolbox, select the Hot zone tool:
3. Move the mouse pointer onto the map. The mouse pointer now displays the hot zone icon and
a small white cross to indicate that hot zone drawing is enabled.
To draw the hot zone, click the map where you want to start drawing the hot zone. The starting
point is now indicated by a large blue dot—also known as an anchor—on the map:
The hot zone drawing tool makes straight lines only; if you want a rounded hot zone border,
you must use several small straight lines.
4. Click the hot zone starting point to complete drawing the hot zone. The hot zone is now
outlined with a dotted line, indicating that no sub-map has been attached to the hot zone.
Tip: You can alter the outline of a hot zone by pulling the hot zone anchors.
5. To attach a sub-map to the hot zone, double-click the dotted hot zone to open the Map Setup
window.
You can change the color of the hot zone using the color tool. Using different colors for hot zones
helps users differentiate between adjacent hot zones.
If you are connected to a surveillance system that supports Milestone Federated Architecture (see
"Surveillance system differences" on page 42), for technical and performance reasons, a maximum of
20 hot zones on a single map can point to maps from other surveillance system servers than the one
to which you are logged in. There is no such limit for hot zones pointing to maps belonging on the
server to which you are logged in. Milestone Federated Architecture is a parent/child setup of related
but physically separate surveillance systems. Such a setup can be relevant for, for example, chains of
shops with many separate—but related—surveillance systems.
Change the appearance of map elements
1. You can change the color of texts, backgrounds, hot zones, etc. on maps to differentiate map
elements from each other.In setup mode, right-click the map and select Toolbox..
2. Select the element that you want to change.
3. In the toolbox, select the color fill tool . This will open the Color Selection window.
Tip: Use the color picker tool to use an existing color from the map.
4. Only relevant for text elements: Select whether you want the color change to apply to text or
background.
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5. Select the color from the color palette—you can see a preview of the selected color in the
EXAMPLE box.
6. Click the map element to fill it with the new color.
Adjusting Gradient
Use the Gradient slider to adjust how the element color fades from left to right.
Dragging the slider to the far right will make the element color fade instantly. Dragging the
slider to the far left will make the element color almost not fade at all.
Drag the Gradient slider to the required level, then click the map element to apply color and
gradient.
Adjusting Opacity
Use the Opacity slider to adjust the transparency of the color fill.
Dragging the Opacity slider to the far right will make the color completely transparent, while
dragging the Opacity slider to the far left makes the color completely solid.
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Drag the Opacity slider to the required level, then click the map element to apply color and
opacity.
Advanced Color Change
You can fill map elements with any color you like. Click the Color Selection window's
Advanced button to access the advanced color selection options.
Use the color slider to select the main color shade, then drag the color circle to select the
required tone.
- or -
Type the hexadecimal color code in the Hexadecimal notation field.
Edit and rotate labels on a map
All elements on a map have a label, making it easy to identify them.
If you have a great number of elements on a map, it can be difficult to have enough room for all the
labels. You can edit the name of the devices, by selecting the label and then typing in a new (shorter)
name for the device.
When you rename a label, you are only changing the label on the map, not the name of the camera or
element in the system.
You can also make sure your labels don't overlap by rotating them. To rotate a label on a map:
Select the label and place your mouse over one of the sizing handles. When the mouse
pointer changes appearance to a curved arrow, click and drag the label to rotate it.
Another way to save space on a map is to select only to show view zones and PTZ presets on hover
(see "Map settings" on page 71).
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Add/edit text on a map
You can insert text anywhere on the map, for example, to inform users of maintenance situations.
1. In setup mode, right-click the map and select Toolbox.
2. In the toolbox, select the text tool:
3. In the Font Selection window, edit your text settings.
Tip: You can always edit your text settings; click the required text box and select the text tool
from the toolbox, then change the text settings for the selected text box.
4. On the map, click where you want to place the text.
5. Type your text. Press ENTER on your keyboard to make the text box expand downwards.
Tip: You can use the color fill tool to change the text color and background.
Tip: You can move the text box around; select the selector tool, grab the text box on the map and
move the text box.
View status details
Status details are available for cameras (for example, resolution, image size, and bit-rate) and servers
(for example, CPU usage, memory, network usage).
To display status details, right-click the required element and select Status Details. Status
details are displayed in a separate, floating window.
If you see the error message "Event Server has insufficient access rights to the recording servers,"
you will not be able to view status details from recording servers. The error message relates to the
Event Server service, which handles map-related communication on the surveillance system. The
Event Server service is managed on the surveillance system server. Contact your surveillance system
administrator, who will be able to handle the issue.
Zoom and auto maximize
If the map is larger than the view area in the XProtect Smart Client, or if you have zoomed in on the
map, you can pan the map to see otherwise hidden areas. Click the map anywhere outside of added
elements, and the map centers on the clicked spot. Pan the map by clicking and dragging the map in
any direction.
To use the zoom function on a map, right-click the map and select Zoom In or Zoom Out as
required. Or use the Zoom to Standard Size function to zoom back to normal size.
Tip: Alternatively, use your mouse's scroll wheel to zoom; scroll up to zoom in, scroll down to zoom
out.
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If Auto maximize map is enabled and your map position in the view is part of a view with several view
positions, the map is automatically maximized to full screen after a period of time as defined in setup
mode in the Properties pane. To revert to the original view, double-click the map anywhere outside of
any added elements.
Frequently asked questions: maps
Which image file formats and sizes can I use for maps?
You can use bmp, gif, jpg, jpeg, png, tif, tiff, and wmp file formats for maps.
Image file size and resolution should preferably be kept under 10 MB and 10 megapixels. If you use
larger image files, this can cause low performance in the XProtect Smart Client. You cannot use
images larger than 20 MB and/or 20 megapixels.
Maps are displayed in the XProtect Smart Client on the basis of the graphic file's properties, and
adhering to Microsoft standards. If a map appears small, you can zoom in.
Can I change the background of a map but keep the cameras in their relative positions?
Yes. If you need to update the map but want to keep all the information on it, you can just replace the
map background (if you have the necessary map edit rights). This allows you to keep all your
cameras, and other elements in their relative positions on a new map. Select Change map
background, by right-clicking the map or in the Properties pane.
The camera navigator
This feature is only available for selected surveillance systems. For a detailed outline of the features
available on your particular system, see the XProtect Comparison Chart on: www.milestonesys.com.
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About the camera navigator
The camera navigator allows you to see several cameras in relation to each other, for example, as
they are laid out according to a floor plan. This can be useful if you would like to follow someone or
something from one camera to another, for example, to follow suspects as they move around a
building. By setting up your cameras according to their location on a map or floor plan, you can
navigate from one camera to the next from a single view.
On the Live and Playback tabs, you can see the video from the current camera in the camera
navigator view, with thumbnail views of all the nearby cameras sorted according to proximity on the
pane on the right. When you point to any of the other cameras, either in the main view or the pane on
the right, the camera is shown highlighted in red. You can click directly on the camera icons or in the
pane on the right to change from one camera to the next.
You can base your views on several maps that link to each other through hot zones, allowing you to
follow movement from a camera on one map to another camera on a sub-map, just as you would a
person moving from one floor to another or outside your building. The Sub-Maps pane gives you
access to the cameras set up on maps that are linked via hot zones on a map.
When you click from one camera to the next, a Back button appears next to the Home button above
the camera preview pane. This lets you click back through your camera selection or home to your
default camera view. In the Sub-Maps view, you can also click Up to a previous map or Home to your
default view.
Camera navigator settings
In the Properties (see "Camera settings" on page 57) pane, you can specify these settings for the
camera navigator.
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Name
Description
Home map and camera
Displays the map and default camera that your camera navigator is
based on. You can change these settings, by clicking the button
to open the Select Home Map and Camera window.
Maximum camera indicators
Select the maximum number of cameras that you want to include in
your main view. Each camera is shown with a camera icon . You
can display an unlimited number of cameras.
Camera indicator orientation
Select Relative to selected camera if you want to display the
location and orientation of the cameras as seen from the camera's
perspective
or
Select Relative to map if you want the location and orientation of
the cameras to always reflect the layout of the map as seen from
above.
The selected camera is always the centered one.
Maximum preview cameras
Select the maximum number of cameras that you want to display in
your preview pane. Only the cameras that are visible on the screen
will use your system's resources. The maximum number of cameras
that you can display is 20.
Note that the more cameras that you preview, the more of your
system resources they will take up.
Using the camera navigator
Before you can use the camera navigator, you must set up a map (see "Add a map to a view" on page
74) and add cameras to it. When you have added the camera navigator to a view (see "Add the
camera navigator to a view" on page 83), you can define properties (see "Camera navigator settings"
on page 82) for how you want the camera navigator to display the views.
Add the camera navigator to a view
1. In setup mode, set up a new view.
To get the most out of the camera navigator and to be able to see the camera views in the
pane on the right, select a 1 x 1 view.
2. In the System Overview pane, select and drag the Camera Navigator onto your view.
3. In the Select Home Map and Camera window that appears, select the map that you want to
base your navigation on.
4. Click the camera that you want to select as the default camera whenever you open the
Camera Navigator, and then click OK.
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Hotspots
About hotspots
A hotspot lets you view magnified and/or higher quality video from a selected camera in a dedicated
position in a view. Hotspots are useful because you can use a low image quality and/or frame rate for
cameras in the view's regular positions and a high image quality and/or frame rate for the hotspot. This
saves bandwidth on your remote connections.
There are two types of hotspots:
Global hotspots, which display the selected camera regardless of whether the camera is in the
main window or in a secondary display
Local hotspots, which only display the selected camera of the local display
It is a good idea to have a hotspot in one of the view's larger positions, for example, the large position
in a 1+7 view: .
If a position in one of your views contains a hotspot:
When you click a camera in a view, the hotspot position updates with that camera's feed
The title bar displays the hotspot icon:
When you view live or recorded video, you can double-click a hotspot (or any other camera position in
a view) to maximize it. When you do this, the video in the hotspot is displayed in full quality, regardless
of your image quality selection. If you want to make sure that the selected image quality also applies
when maximized, in Setup mode, in the Properties pane, select Keep when maximized.
Add a hotspot to a view
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, click and drag the Hotspot item to the required
position in the view.
Tip: Note that the position now displays a hotspot icon: to indicate that it is a hotspot.
2. Specify the properties for the hotspot (see "Hotspot settings" on page 84) in the Properties
pane. To save bandwidth, you can specify a low image quality for the other positions in your
view and a high quality for the hotspot.
Hotspot settings
In the Properties (see "Camera settings" on page 57) pane, you can specify the settings for the
hotspot. The Live Stream, Image Quality, Frame Rate, and Maintain Image Aspect Ratio settings
apply to all cameras in the hotspot.
Smart Wall
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About Smart Wall
This is an add-on product. It is only available for selected surveillance systems (see "Surveillance
system differences" on page 42). Your user rights may restrict your access to certain features.
A Smart Wall lets you easily manage collections of wall-mounted monitors (monitor walls or video
walls), often used by command centers, city surveillance operators, traffic control centers, and so on.
A Smart Wall on a shared monitor provides an excellent overview. You can quickly share important
video from your view to your organization's Smart Wall by dragging your entire view (or a camera from
a map) directly onto the Smart Wall display.
Example of a Smart Wall setup
Events defined on the server can also trigger that one or more cameras are shown on the Smart Wall.
For example, if a door is opened, the Smart Wall can be configured to display the nearest cameras.
You do not need to set up or configure a Smart Wall, it is available from the Live and Playback tabs
(depending on your user rights).
View Smart Wall content
You can view Smart Wall content on all the Live and Playback tabs. However, the Smart Wall monitor
only displays live video even if you are viewing recorded video in your XProtect Smart Client. Similarly,
if you drag XProtect Smart Client views or cameras from maps onto a graphical representation of a
Smart Wall, the actual Smart Wall monitors will also only display live video and not recorded video.
In the Views pane, expand Smart Walls, expand the required Smart Wall folder, then select
the relevant monitor.
User rights may in some cases prevent one or more cameras from being displayed on Smart Walls or
in your XProtect Smart Client.
Tip: If your organization uses Smart Wall, your XProtect Smart Client views may contain positions in
the view with graphical representations of Smart Walls. Such positions have a number of advantages,
such as the ability quickly to display important video on your organization's Smart Walls by dragging
entire XProtect Smart Client views, or single cameras from maps, directly onto the graphical
representations of Smart Walls.
Add a Smart Wall to a view
1. In setup mode, select a new or existing view. Wide layouts are especially suitable for
displaying Smart Wall content.
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2. In the System Overview pane, drag the Smart Wall link to the relevant position in the view.
3. The position in the view now contains a graphical representation of the Smart Wall.
If your organization has more than one Smart Wall, select the relevant Smart Wall from the
Smart Wall menu that appears at the top of the graphical representation.
If the relevant Smart Wall has several presets (predefined settings determining which cameras
are displayed as well as how content is structured on each monitor in the Smart Wall), select
the relevant preset in the Preset menu.
The Smart Wall and Preset menus also appear on the Live and Playback tabs, so users can
afterwards select different Smart Walls and/or presets if required.
If the Preset menu shows Select Preset... after you have made a selection, your setting is applied.
However, note that other users may have changed the preset manually or that predefined rules on the
surveillance system may have changed it automatically.
Tip: The bottom of the 1+1+2 view provides a wide position ideal for displaying Smart Wall content.
The 1×3 view is capable of graphically representing three different Smart Walls at the same time.
Drag cameras onto a Smart Wall
To display relevant cameras on your Smart Wall, drag (click and hold down the mouse button)
the camera from the Live tab, in the Cameras pane onto a monitor in the graphical
representation of a Smart Wall.
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If your organization uses the Map feature, you can display relevant cameras on your organizations'
Smart Walls by dragging the cameras from the map onto the graphical representation of the Smart
Wall. You can also drag cameras from maps in other views, such as floating views or views on
secondary displays.
In the Cameras pane, the list of cameras is grouped by server . If a server is listed with a red icon
it is unavailable, in which case you will not be able to select cameras from that server.
Send Video from a view to a Smart Wall
On the camera toolbar, click More > Send to Smart Wall, select the Smart Wall, select the
monitor, and then select the position on the monitor.
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Send video from a Smart Wall to a view
Just as you can send video between views in the XProtect Smart Client (see "Send video between
views" on page 53), you can also send video from individual monitors in a Smart Wall to views in your
XProtect Smart Client.
In the graphical representation of the Smart Wall, right-click the relevant monitor, select Send
View To, and then select the destination (Primary Display, Secondary Display, or Floating
Window).
Change the layout of a Smart Wall monitor
There are several ways of changing the content and layout of monitors in a Smart Wall:
You can send a camera from an existing XProtect Smart Client view, private as well as shared,
to a Smart Wall. Right-click the camera in the view, select Send to Smart Wall, the Smart
Wall, the monitor, and then the relevant position in the view.
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You can quickly display an existing view (private or shared) from your XProtect Smart Client on
a monitor on a Smart Wall by dragging the view from the Views pane directly onto the monitor
in the graphical representation of the Smart Wall.
In the graphical representation of the Smart Wall, right-click the required monitor, select
Change View Layout, select the display format (4:3 or 16.9), and then select the view layout.
Select a different preset for the Smart Wall (note that this may affect all monitors in the Smart
Wall).
Remove content from a Smart Wall
You can quickly remove video (the entire monitor content or individual positions in a view) displayed
on Smart Wall monitors, for example, video containing sensitive information from the Smart Wall.
Remove the entire content of a monitor
In the graphical representation of the Smart Wall, right-click the monitor and select Clear
View. This will remove all video from the monitor while keeping the monitor's layout.
Remove video from a position in a view
In the graphical representation of the Smart Wall, right-click the position on the monitor and
select Remove from View. This will remove video from the position in the view while keeping
the monitor's other video content and layout.
What is displayed on a Smart Wall can be changed manually by other users or automatically
by predefined rules on the surveillance system. Therefore, even though you can manually
remove content from the Smart Wall, the content may reappear on the Smart Wall later.
Contact your surveillance server administrator if certain content should be prevented from
appearing on Smart Walls.
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Carousels
About carousels
A carousel is used for displaying video from several cameras, one after the other, in a single position
in a view. You can specify which cameras to include in the carousel as well as the interval between
camera changes. Carousels are displayed with the carousel icon on the toolbar: .
360° lens cameras cannot be included in a carousel.
You can maximize a carousel by double-clicking the carousel position. When you do this, video from
cameras included in the carousel is by default displayed in full quality, regardless of your image quality
selection. This default cannot be overridden for carousels.
Place your mouse over the carousel toolbar to access the carousel buttons that let you copy the
current carousel image to your clipboard, take a snapshot, pause or play the carousel, or step forward
or backward in the camera sequence.
You can use digital zoom and PTZ controls from a carousel if the camera supports this. When you use
the PTZ (see "PTZ images" on page 112) or digital zoom controls that appear, the carousel pauses
automatically.
Add a carousel to a view
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, click and drag the Carousel item to the
position in the view.
2. In the Carousel Setup window, on the left, click to expand the servers and then click to
select the camera you want to include in the carousel. Click Add. Repeat for each camera you
want to include in the carousel.
If a server has a red icon , it is unavailable, in which case you will not be able to view a list of
cameras from that server.
3. To determine the sequence the cameras appear in the carousel, in the Selected cameras list,
select the camera and move up or down .
4. Enter the number of seconds each camera appears in the carousel, either with a common
default or individually for each camera.
5. Click OK to close the Carousel Setup window.
If you want to adjust your carousel settings, click Setup, and in the Properties pane on the
left, click Carousel Setup to open the Carousel Setup window and make the necessary
changes to your settings.
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Carousel settings
In the Properties (see "Camera settings" on page 57) pane, you can specify the settings for the
carousel. The Live Stream, Image Quality, Frame Rate, and Maintain Image Aspect Ratio settings
apply to all cameras in the carousel.
Multiple windows
This feature is only available for selected surveillance systems. For a detailed outline of the features
available on your particular system, see the XProtect Comparison Chart on: www.milestonesys.com.
You can send individual views to separate windows or displays, while keeping the main window of the
XProtect Smart Client in the background, so you can watch several views simultaneously. The
selected camera or item is always displayed with a blue border.
You can send any view to:
A primary display to show the view in a separate full-screen window on your computer's main
display with the main window hiding behind it.
A secondary display to show the view in a full-screen window on another monitor (if available).
A floating window to show the view in a small separate window. You can use any number of
floating windows and you can resize these to suit your needs.
The primary and secondary display show the window in full screen with the tabs and controls hidden.
To display the tabs and controls, click the Full screen icon: .
The floating window shows the selected view, with the Live and Playback tabs. You can select a new
view from the toolbar by clicking the dropdown button. You can toggle between displaying the floating
window as a full-screen with no tabs and as a smaller floating window with tabs by clicking the Full
screen icon: . You can also choose to link the floating window to the main window to synchronize
time or to follow the Live or Playback tab.
Your view setup is stored in the XProtect Smart Client, so next time you log in, you can reuse it.
However, this only applies to the computer on which you set it up. If you want to use multiple windows
with the XProtect Smart Client on more than one computer, you must configure your multiple window
setup on each computer.
Primary display
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Example of a view sent to the Primary display. While you are viewing the separate full screen window, the main XProtect
Smart Client window is hidden behind it.
Secondary display
Example of an 8×8 view sent to a Secondary display. In this example, the main XProtect Smart Client window is available on
the left display.
Floating window
Example of a view sent to a Floating window. The main XProtect Smart Client window is immediately available behind the
floating window.
Send a view between displays
1. In the Views pane, right-click the relevant view (or in the Cameras pane, the camera in the
view).
2. Click Send View To and then select where you want your view to display.
If more secondary displays are available, they will be numbered.
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3. Click Link window to synchronize your view in the floating window with that of your main view.
If you link the floating window, the corresponding timeline is not displayed in your floating
window but is included in the timeline on the main window.
4. To close a separate view window, click the Close button in the right corner of the window:
If a view is sent to Primary Display or a Secondary Display the title bar is hidden. To display
the title bar and get access to the Close button, move your mouse to the top of the view.
Any hotspots, carousels, Matrix positions, still images or HTML pages included in the view will work as
usual in a floating window.
Frequently asked questions: multiple windows
How many secondary displays can I use?
In the XProtect Smart Client there is no limitation. However, the number of secondary displays you can
use depends on your hardware (display adapters, etc.) and your Windows version.
I want to close a view sent to Primary Display or a Secondary Display; where is the Close
button?
In order to allow the maximum possible viewing area, the title bar of a view sent to primary display or a
secondary display is hidden. To show the title bar, and get access to the Close button, move your
mouse pointer to the top of the view.
I watch the same carousel in two different windows; why are they out of sync?
A carousel changes cameras at a specific interval, configured in setup mode. Example: With an
interval of 10 seconds, the carousel will show Camera 1 for 10 seconds, then Camera 2 for 10
seconds, etc. The timing begins when you start watching a view containing the carousel. When you
later begin watching the same carousel in another view, perhaps even in another window or another
display, the timing for that instance of the carousel begins. This is why the carousel appears to be out
of sync: in reality, you are watching two separate instances of the carousel. For more information, see
Carousel properties (see "Carousel settings" on page 91).
Matrix
The ability to add Matrix content to views is only available when connecting to selected surveillance
systems (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 42). Matrix is only available if Matrix has been
configured on your surveillance system, and you have the required user rights.
About Matrix
Matrix is a feature that lets you send or receive video from any surveillance system camera to any
monitor (known as a Matrix recipient) on a network. A typical Matrix configuration automatically
presents live video on the required Matrix recipient when a defined event occurs, for example, when
motion is detected or when another user wants to share important live video. Provided Matrix has
been configured on the surveillance system server, you can include Matrix content in your XProtect
Smart Client views. When a particular event occurs, or another user wants to share video with you,
live video will automatically appear in your Matrix views.
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Name
Description
Window index
Change the Matrix position's ranking by choosing a different
number. You can only choose a number in the range that
corresponds to the number of Matrix positions in your view. 1 is the
primary position in which video from the newest event is always
shown, 2 displays video from the previously detected event, 3
displays video from the event detected before the event in position
2, and so on.
Connection Settings...
Lets you specify the TCP port and Password for transferring
Matrix-triggered video from the surveillance server to the XProtect
Smart Client view. This is only available when Matrix position 1 is
selected; other Matrix positions inherit the connection settings
specified for position 1. By default, the TCP port used for Matrix is
12345. Consult your surveillance system administrator about which
port number or password to use.
Viewing Matrix content
The event or the camera used in the Matrix setup depends entirely on the Matrix configuration on the
surveillance system server or on what other users want to share with you. You cannot control this in
the Smart Client. However, you can add Matrix content to as many positions in the view as required,
so you can watch live video from several Matrix-triggered sources at the same time.
A Matrix position is displayed with a Matrix icon on the toolbar: . You can maximize a Matrix by
double-clicking it.
A view can contain several Matrix positions. This lets you watch live video from several Matrixtriggered sources at the same time. If your view contains several Matrix positions, the positions are
always ranked—one of the positions will be the primary Matrix position, another the secondary, and so
on. When the first Matrix-triggered live video stream is received, it is automatically presented in the
primary Matrix position. When the next Matrix-triggered video stream is received, a first-in-first-out
principle applies: the previously received video stream is transferred to your view's secondary Matrix
position, and the newest video stream is presented in your primary Matrix position, and so on. The
Matrix positions’ ranking is applied automatically: the first Matrix position you add is the primary Matrix
position, the next one you add is the secondary one, etc. You can change this ranking in setup mode,
see Matrix properties (see "Settings" on page 94).
On the Playback tab, Matrix positions display video from the cameras with which the Matrix positions
were last used on the Live tab. You can, of course, play back this video using the Playback tab's
navigation features.
Settings
In setup mode, in the Properties (see "Camera settings" on page 57) pane, you can specify the
settings for Matrix positions.
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Add Matrix content to a view
1. In setup mode, in the System Overview pane, drag the Matrix item to the position in the view
where you want to add Matrix content. A blue border appears indicating that the position in the
view has Matrix content.
2. When you select a Matrix position, you can specify its properties in the Properties pane.
When viewing live or recorded video, you can double-click a Matrix position (or any other
camera position in a view) to maximize it. When maximized, video from cameras in the Matrix
position is displayed in full quality by default, regardless of your image quality selection. If you
want to make sure that the selected image quality also applies when maximized, select Keep
when maximized.
3. Repeat for each Matrix position you want to add.
Manually send video to a Matrix recipient
You cannot send video to a hotspot (see "About hotspots" on page 84) or carousel (see "About
carousels" on page 90).
1. Select the view.
2. On the camera toolbar, click More > Matrix, and then select the relevant Matrix recipient.
XProtect Smart Client options
The Options window lets you control which features and elements, for example, language selection,
joystick setup and keyboard shortcut setup, you want to use on each of the XProtect Smart Client
tabs.
Open the Options window by clicking the Options button in the application toolbar:
Application options
Application options let you customize the general behavior and look of your XProtect Smart Client.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client to
follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings are server-controlled, in which case,
configuration on the server decides whether you can override the settings.
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Name
Description
Application maximization
Select how the XProtect Smart Client reacts when you maximize it
by clicking the Maximize/Restore button in the application toolbar.
If you select Maximize to full screen, the XProtect Smart Client will
cover any Windows task bar on your screen when maximized.
Maximization is not the same as full screen viewing (see "View in
full screen" on page 35).
Camera error messages
Select how the XProtect Smart Client displays camera-related
message texts. These can be displayed as an overlay on top of the
camera image or on a black background. You can also choose to
hide such messages completely.
Server error messages
Select how the XProtect Smart Client displays server-related
message texts. These can be displayed as an overlay or hidden
completely.
Default for video indicator
Select whether to show or hide the flashing green video indicator
on the camera title bar. The indicator changes state every time a
new image is received from the camera, which makes it easy to see
that video is live.
You can override this setting on individual cameras by adjusting
camera properties (see "Camera settings" on page 57) for the
camera(s) in setup mode.
Default for camera title bar
Select whether to show or hide the camera title bar. The title bar
displays the name of the camera and the colored indicators (see
"Camera names and colored indicators" on page 56) signifying
events, detected motion, and video.
You can override this setting on individual cameras by adjusting
camera properties (see "Camera settings" on page 57) for the
camera(s) in setup mode.
Show current time in title bar
Select whether to show or hide the current time and date (of the
computer running the XProtect Smart Client) in the title bar.
Show in empty view positions
Select what to show if there are empty positions in views, for
example, you can select a logo or have just a black background
displayed.
View grid spacer
Select the thickness of the border between camera positions in
views.
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Name
Description
Default image quality
Select a default for the quality of video viewed in the XProtect
Smart Client. Note that image quality also affects bandwidth usage.
If your XProtect Smart Client is used over the internet, over a slow
network connection, or if for other reasons you need to limit
bandwidth use, image quality can be reduced on the server by
selecting Low or Medium.
You can override this setting on individual cameras by adjusting
camera properties (see "Camera settings" on page 57) for the
camera(s) in setup mode.
Default frame rate
Select a default frame rate for video viewed in the XProtect Smart
Client.
You can override this setting on individual cameras by adjusting
camera properties (see "Camera settings" on page 57) for the
camera(s) in setup mode.
PTZ click mode
Select a default PTZ click mode for your PTZ cameras. Options are
click-to-center or virtual joystick. You can override this setting on
individual cameras by selecting a different default PTZ click mode
for the camera.
Start mode
Select how the XProtect Smart Client opens after you have logged
in. Options are full-screen mode, window mode or your last used
mode.
Start view
Select whether the XProtect Smart Client displays a view
immediately after you have logged in. Options are: the view you last
used, no view, or that you decide after you have logged in.
Hide mouse pointer
Lets you select whether you want the mouse pointer to be hidden
after a period of inactivity. You can specify how much time you want
to elapse before hiding the mouse pointer. The default option is
after 5 seconds. Options are:
Never
After 5 seconds
After 10 seconds
After 20 seconds
After 30 seconds
If you move the mouse after a period of inactivity, it is enabled
immediately.
Snapshot
Specify whether you want the snapshot feature to be available or
unavailable. A snapshot is an instant capture of a frame of video
from a camera at a given time.
Path to snapshots
Specify the path indicating where you want your snapshots to be
saved to.
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Name
Description
Live > Camera playback
The ability to play back recorded video from individual cameras on
the Live tab.
Live > Overlay buttons
The ability to view and use overlay buttons on the Live tab for
activating speakers, events, output, moving PTZ cameras, clearing
indicators from cameras, etc.
Panes options
The Panes options let you specify whether you want a pane to appear on a particular tab.
Some panes may contain functionality which may not be available to you, either because of your user
rights or the surveillance system (see "Surveillance system differences" on page 42) you are
connected to.
The Mode column displays where the pane is available, the Function column lists the name of the
pane, and the Setting column lets you specify whether you want the pane to be available or
unavailable.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client to
follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings may already be server-controlled, in which
case configuration on the server decides whether you can override the settings.
Functions options
The Functions options let you specify the functions (for example, playback on the Live tab) that you
want to display on a particular XProtect Smart Client tab.
The Mode column displays where the pane is available, the Function column displays the name of
the function, and the Setting column lets you specify whether or not you want the pane to be
available.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client to
follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings are server-controlled, in which case
configuration on the server decides whether or not you can override the settings.
Functions:
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Name
Description
Live & Playback > Bookmark
overlay button & view position
toolbar
Select whether you want to add quick or detailed bookmarks (see
"About bookmarks" on page 114) from the view position toolbar or
through ready-made overlay buttons on the Live and/or the
Playback tab. Note that enabling/disabling this option on the
Playback tab will control whether or not the corresponding button is
enabled on the Sequence Explorer tab.
The bookmark feature is only available if connected to certain
surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system differences" on
page 42). Depending on your user rights, access to adding
bookmarks from some cameras may be restricted. Note that you
may be able to view bookmarks even though you may not be able
to add them, and vice versa.
Live & Playback > Print
The ability to print from the Live and Playback tab. Note that
enabling/disabling this option on the Playback tab will control
whether or not the corresponding button is enabled on the
Sequence Explorer tab.
Live & Playback > Bounding
boxes
The ability to show bounding boxes on live video on the Live tab or
on recorded video on the Playback tab on all cameras. Bounding
boxes are used for, for example, tracking objects.
The bounding box feature is only available if connected to certain
surveillance systems (see "Surveillance system differences" on
page 42) and to cameras that support metadata. Depending on
your user rights, access to bounding boxes from some cameras
may be restricted.
Playback > Independent
playback
The ability to play back recorded video from individual cameras
independently on the Playback tab, where all cameras in a view
otherwise by default display recordings from the same point in time
(the playback time).
Setup > Edit overlay buttons
The ability to add new or edit existing overlay buttons in setup
mode. Note that in order to add overlay buttons, the Setup tab's
Overlay Buttons pane must also be made available (you manage
this on the Options dialog's Panes tab).
Setup > Edit video buffering
The ability to edit video buffering as part of the camera properties
(see "Camera settings" on page 57) in setup mode. Note that in
order to edit video buffering, the Setup tab's Properties pane must
also be made available (you manage this on the Options dialog's
Panes tab).
Timeline options
The Timeline options let you specify your general timeline settings.
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Name
Description
Incoming audio
Select to show or hide incoming audio on the timeline
Outgoing audio
Select to show or hide outgoing audio on the timeline.
Bookmarks
Select whether to show or hide bookmarks on the timeline.
Motion indication
Select whether to show or hide motion indication on the timeline.
All cameras timeline
Select whether to show or hide the timeline for all cameras.
Playback
Select whether or not to skip gaps during playback.
Name
Description
Export to
Select the path you want to export to.
Privacy mask
Select whether or not privacy masks are available on export.
Media player format
Select whether or not you can export in media player format.
Media player format - video
texts
Select whether you want video texts to be optional, required or
unavailable when you export in media player format.
XProtect format
Select whether or not you can export in XProtect format.
XProtect format - project
comments
Select whether you want project comments to be optional, required
or unavailable when you export in XProtect format.
XProtect format - device
comments
Select whether you want device comments to be optional, required
or unavailable when you export in XProtect format.
Still image export
Select whether or not you can export still images.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client to
follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings are server-controlled, in which case,
configuration on the server decides whether you can override the settings.
Export options
The Export options let you specify general export settings.
If available, the Follow Server column lets you specify that you want your XProtect Smart Client to
follow the server's recommended settings. Certain settings may already be server-controlled, in which
case, configuration on the server decides whether you can override the settings.
Joystick options
Even though joystick control is supported for a large number of PTZ cameras, not all PTZ cameras
may be joystick-controlled.
When a new joystick is detected by the XProtect Smart Client, a default pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ)
configuration for the joystick is added automatically. However, the Joystick options let you customize
the setup for all your XProtect Smart Client joysticks.
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