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V2.1
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WiLife V2.1 User Manual

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WiLife Video Security System
User’s Guide
V2.1
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Copyright © WiLife, Inc. 2007. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means without the written permission of WiLife, Inc.
WiLife, WiLife Command Center, and WiLife Online are registered trademarks or trademarks of WiLife Inc.
Microsoft .NET Framework, Microsoft, Windows, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows Vista are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
Portions of the WiLife hardware and software have pending patents.
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Table of Contents
WELCOME TO WILIFE...................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction..............................................................................................................................................1
WiLife Video Security System Applications........................................................................................2
Overview of the WiLife Video Security System.......................................................................................2
Basic Concepts.................................................................................................................................... 2
System Components ...............................................................................................................................7
WiLife Kit Accessories...................................................................................................................... 10
User Guide Chapters ........................................................................................................................ 11
The Command Center Help System .................................................................................................... 11
GETTING STARTED.......................................................................................................................... 7
Overview...................................................................................................................................................7
System Requirements............................................................................................................................. 8
Starter Kit Contents.................................................................................................................................9
Installation Procedures ...........................................................................................................................9
Step 1 - Run the Install Wizard...........................................................................................................9
Step 2 – Complete the WiLife Setup Wizard .................................................................................. 10
Firewall Setup ................................................................................................................................... 13
Additional Cameras .............................................................................................................................. 14
Indoor Camera Focus and Aim ............................................................................................................ 16
Switching Lenses on the Indoor Camera ............................................................................................ 16
Product Support.................................................................................................................................... 17
Tip of the Day........................................................................................................................................ 17
USING THE COMMAND CENTER....................................................................................................... 18
Title Bar Controls.............................................................................................................................. 18
Hiding Command Center Screen Controls...................................................................................... 19
Main Feature Buttons ...................................................................................................................... 19
Live View ............................................................................................................................................... 20
Live Video Windows.......................................................................................................................... 20
Choose a Multiple-Camera View...................................................................................................... 20
Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel.............................................................................................. 20
Use the Camera Activity Panel......................................................................................................... 22
Switch Cameras On and Off............................................................................................................. 22
Digital Pan-Tilt-Zoom Panel.............................................................................................................. 22
Live Mode Right-Click Context Menus............................................................................................. 24
Print or Save Live Video Frames...................................................................................................... 24
Change Camera Order...................................................................................................................... 25
Delete a Camera............................................................................................................................... 25
Live Mode Hot Key Assignments ......................................................................................................... 26
Playback View ....................................................................................................................................... 27
Review Stored Video Segments....................................................................................................... 27
Play Video with Onscreen Controls.................................................................................................. 30
Use Keyboard Playback Controls..................................................................................................... 30
When the Camera Records Events.................................................................................................. 31
Playback Mode Right-Click Context Menu Options ........................................................................ 31
Protect a Recorded Video Segment ................................................................................................ 32
Unprotect Video Segment................................................................................................................ 32
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Protect and Upload Video Segments .............................................................................................. 32
Check Online Storage....................................................................................................................... 33
Print or Save Recorded Video.......................................................................................................... 34
Deleting a Video Clip ........................................................................................................................ 34
Send E-mail....................................................................................................................................... 34
Properties Dialog Window................................................................................................................ 35
Online Viewing ...................................................................................................................................... 36
Use Online Viewing........................................................................................................................... 36
Running in Background Mode ............................................................................................................. 36
Switching between Background and Active Screen Modes........................................................... 36
Exiting Command Center...................................................................................................................... 38
WILIFE PLATINUM FEATURES ......................................................................................................... 39
Online Connection Monitoring ............................................................................................................. 40
Online Video Storage............................................................................................................................ 42
Online Video Sharing............................................................................................................................ 43
Online Search & Playback................................................................................................................ 44
Purchasing WiLife Platinum................................................................................................................. 46
SETTING SYSTEM OPTIONS ............................................................................................................ 48
Overview of Command Center Settings............................................................................................... 48
Command Center Setup Tabs.......................................................................................................... 48
Camera Tab Options............................................................................................................................. 49
Launch the Camera Setup Dialog ................................................................................................... 49
Delete a Camera............................................................................................................................... 50
Recording Tab Options......................................................................................................................... 50
Learn About Motion Detection......................................................................................................... 50
Review the Recording Dialog........................................................................................................... 51
Manage Motion Detection Zones.................................................................................................... 51
Set Motion Detection Sensitivity ..................................................................................................... 52
Schedule Recording Time................................................................................................................ 52
Manage Disk Usage ......................................................................................................................... 53
Change Video Storage Options........................................................................................................ 53
Alerts Tab Option .................................................................................................................................. 54
E-mail and Cell Phone Alerts Setup................................................................................................. 55
Outgoing E-Mail Server Settings...................................................................................................... 55
Add E-mail Addresses....................................................................................................................... 56
Create Cell Phone Alerts .................................................................................................................. 56
Remove E-mail Addresses ............................................................................................................... 57
E-mail Recorded Video..................................................................................................................... 57
Desktop Notifications....................................................................................................................... 58
Setting Desktop Notifications.......................................................................................................... 59
Online Viewing Setup............................................................................................................................ 60
Verify System Requirements............................................................................................................ 60
Remote Viewing Using Cell Phones & Handhelds.......................................................................... 60
Online Dialog Screen Options.......................................................................................................... 62
Online Connection Section Descriptions......................................................................................... 63
Create Your WiLife Online Account.................................................................................................. 64
Disconnecting WiLife Online Viewing .............................................................................................. 67
Connecting WiLife Online Viewing................................................................................................... 67
Advanced Options................................................................................................................................. 68
Review the Advanced Options Dialog.............................................................................................. 68
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Find My Cameras.............................................................................................................................. 69
Rediscover Cameras ........................................................................................................................ 72
Set or Change Your Password ......................................................................................................... 72
Set Password System & Feature Locks .......................................................................................... 72
Check for Software Updates............................................................................................................ 74
Update Camera Firmware................................................................................................................ 74
Rebuild Video Segment List............................................................................................................. 75
Find Orphan Clips ............................................................................................................................. 76
System Information.......................................................................................................................... 77
Diagnostics Summary Report.......................................................................................................... 78
SCHEDULING ALERTS & RECORDING EVENTS .................................................................................... 79
Scheduling Alerts Overview.................................................................................................................. 79
Recording and Alerts Schedule Screen Overview .......................................................................... 79
Opening the WiLife Recording and Alerts Schedule Screen.......................................................... 81
Schedule Event Properties Screen Overview.................................................................................. 81
No-Show Alerts ................................................................................................................................. 82
Set Manual Alert Properties............................................................................................................. 83
Arm Event Early Properties .............................................................................................................. 83
Camera Alert Properties................................................................................................................... 84
Create a Continuous Recording Event ............................................................................................ 85
Create An Event To Turn Off Recording........................................................................................... 86
Modifying a Recording or Alert Event.............................................................................................. 86
Deleting a Recording or Alert Event ................................................................................................ 87
USING ONLINE VIEWING ................................................................................................................ 88
How Do I Access My WiLife Online Account?...................................................................................... 89
Viewing Video in Direct vs. Relayed Mode .......................................................................................... 89
Online Viewing From a PC .................................................................................................................... 90
Logging into Your WiLife Online Account ........................................................................................ 90
Using the My Cameras Page............................................................................................................ 91
View the Video for One Camera....................................................................................................... 91
View the Video for All Cameras In One Image ................................................................................ 92
View the Video for Your Cameras Using the Cycle Feature............................................................ 92
Managing Your WiLife Online Account ................................................................................................ 94
Changing Video Preferences............................................................................................................ 94
Changing Your WiLife Online Password .......................................................................................... 95
Changing Your WiLife Online Login Name ...................................................................................... 96
Changing Settings For Personal Preferences................................................................................. 97
Manage WiLife Online Page Overview................................................................................................. 98
Removing a Location or a Camera.................................................................................................. 99
Viewing Your Cameras Using a Cell Phone or Handheld..............................................................100
TROUBLESHOOTING ....................................................................................................................102
Installation Problems.......................................................................................................................... 102
Setup Problems .................................................................................................................................. 103
Video Problems................................................................................................................................... 104
Maintenance Problems ...................................................................................................................... 105
Status Lights ....................................................................................................................................... 107
CONFIGURING YOUR FIREWALL .....................................................................................................109
Firewall Basics .................................................................................................................................... 109
Internet Filters ................................................................................................................................ 109
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WiLife Firewall Requirements........................................................................................................ 109
Microsoft Firewall ...............................................................................................................................111
Norton Internet Security 2001 - 2005 .............................................................................................. 113
Norton Personal Firewall 2006.......................................................................................................... 115
Validate the Setup.......................................................................................................................... 115
Norton Internet Security 2007...........................................................................................................116
Norton AntiVirus 2007 .......................................................................................................................118
Norton 360.......................................................................................................................................... 120
ZoneAlarm Firewall............................................................................................................................. 123
McAfee Security Center...................................................................................................................... 125
McAfee Personal Firewall................................................................................................................... 127
BlackICE Firewall ................................................................................................................................ 129
Windows Live OneCare .................................................................................................................. 132
Turning Off Spam Blocking for WiLife E-mails .................................................................................. 134
AOL (AIM)......................................................................................................................................... 134
EarthLink Total Access and Web Mail........................................................................................... 134
EarthLink 5.0 .................................................................................................................................. 134
HotMail............................................................................................................................................ 134
Yahoo Mail ...................................................................................................................................... 135
GMail ............................................................................................................................................... 135
Microsoft Outlook 2003................................................................................................................. 135
Microsoft Outlook Express 6.......................................................................................................... 135
Eudora............................................................................................................................................. 135
Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5................................................................................................................. 135
Opera M2 ........................................................................................................................................ 136
SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................................................................... 137
System Computer Requirements ......................................................................................................137
Online Viewing Requirements............................................................................................................ 137
DVC-810i Indoor Camera ................................................................................................................... 138
DLC-810e Outdoor Camera ...............................................................................................................139
DLC-810c Spy Camera ....................................................................................................................... 140
Powerline Networking......................................................................................................................... 141
Wall and Ceiling Mount Installation................................................................................................... 142
SOFTWARE LICENSE AND HARDWARE WARRANTY.............................................................................143
Command Center Software License.................................................................................................. 143
Limited Product Warranty ..................................................................................................................145
REGULATORY AND SAFETY ........................................................................................................... 147
Regulatory Information....................................................................................................................... 147
Safety Information.............................................................................................................................. 147
Use with Power Conditioning Equipment...................................................................................... 150
Powerline Network Limitations...................................................................................................... 150
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Welcome to WiLife
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the WiLife Video Security System or WiLife Pro System.
As you already know, WiLife® is a robust video monitoring system for your home or small business allowing you to view live, streaming video from up to six cameras.
State-of-the-art cameras capture digital-streaming, full-color video and transmits the live feed to the Command Center software application, which provides a user interface that is both user-friendly and powerful.
For the standard WiLife Video Security System, streaming video is transmitted over the electrical wiring in your home. This technology is called HomePlug® and it creates a high-speed network for communicating with each camera without the complexity of wireless networks and without the need to run network cables.
WiLife also offers the WiLife Pro Video Security System, which is the world’s first fully-integrated, turnkey professional digital video security system. This system is perfect for the pre-wired home or small business who wants a powerful networked video security system. Using WiLife Indoor IP-Cameras and powered Ethernet, the WiLife Pro system offers the world’s easiest network setup.
There are many great features offered in all WiLife Video Security systems:
15-minute installation of the entire system. Monitor and record up to six locations in real-time. Search for, play back, and manage recorded video events. Receive e-mail alerts when a camera detects motion. Set motion detection zones for each camera. View video over the Internet or on Smart Phones.
The ability to customize camera settings is the highlight of the WiLife Command Center application. Setup controls allow you to view and modify settings for cameras, motion detection, video,
system statistics, e-mail, recording schedule, recently recorded video segments, and disk usage.
Moreover, the system's portable viewing architecture; unique capturing, storing, and reporting functionality; and ability to customize camera settings make it one of the most versatile, usable, and affordable surveillance systems in the industry today.
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WiLife Video Security System Applications
Overview of the WiLife Video Security System
WiLife has three primary components: Intelligent Cameras, Powerful Command Center Software, and WiLife Online Services.
At the center of the Command Center are components to view live camera video; search for, and play back recorded video; and tools to configure system options. These components, respectively, are Live Mode, Playback Mode, and Setup.
Basic Concepts
1. EASY SETUP
One of our first design goals was to deliver a system that you could set up in 15-minutes without having to use special tools, drill holes, run wires, or configure networking equipment. It is important to us that you have a great experience right out of the box – one that exceeds the capabilities possible even with a professionally­installed home video system.
You complete the setup process in three easy steps:
Step 1 – Install the WiLife Command Center (Software) Step 2 – Connect the USB Receiver, Ethernet HomePlug Bridge, or Powerline Injector (WiLife Pro) Step 3 – Mount Your Cameras
With these easy steps, you are up and going. Jump to the chapter on Getting Started for more details about the WiLife setup process.
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UNDERSTANDING HOMEPLUG TECHNOLOGY
One key to our system is our use of HomePlug technology. HomePlug allows you to turn your existing wiring into a powerful network capable of delivering rich, live video from around your property to your PC and from there anywhere you need it. This illustration best describes how HomePlug works to give you a fast and easy setup and a reliable video security camera network. Click here to view a full-size PDF copy.
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UNDERSTANDING THE WILIFE PRO NETWORK
WiLife Pro seamlessly integrates WiLife-engineered components of up to six WiLife IP and/or HomePlug Digital Cameras, WiLife Command Center PC software, and WiLife Online Services, into one turnkey video security system.
2. POWERFUL CAMERAS
At the heart of each WiLife Camera is an imbedded computer that actively encodes, adjusts, and manages your video feed – WiLife Cameras are the smartest surveillance cameras available. Because our cameras are so powerful, they provide you with rich features without overwhelming the CPU on your PC.
Some of the one-of-a-kind features available on the WiLife Camera include:
High-quality video imaging Digital motion detection User-definable motion detection zones Auto-image lighting management Onboard Windows Media Video encoding
The WiLife Indoor IP-Camera connects to your LAN through the
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WiLife Power Injector using standard Ethernet cable. On the Ethernet line, the camera both communicates and receives its power, making it easy to set up. Features include all of those present in the standard WiLife Camera, and also include DHCP and fixed IP-addressing and WiLife Powered Ethernet.
There are many applicable locations for WiLife Cameras. Consider these scenarios, including suggested system configurations:
Camera A new way to look
Camera 1 An Indoor Camera looks out over the driveway, has Auto Brightness
set to “On,” allowing it to automatically adjust to changing light conditions.
Camera 2 An Outdoor Camera looks out over the backyard, has a defined
Motion Detection Zone set allowing it to capture motion only along the top of the fence line.
Camera 3 An Indoor Camera monitors the front door and has an e-mail Alert
set, which will send a notification if anyone comes into the house e.g. when the kids come home from school.
Camera 4 A Spy Camera monitors the computer room where the kids study,
using the PC for research and typing papers.
Setup allows you to configure each camera differently, based on its mission.
3. POWERFUL COMMAND CENTER SOFTWARE
At the center of the WiLife Video Security System is the WiLife Command Center, the most powerful video security software available. The WiLife Command Center can manage full-motion video from six concurrent cameras, providing you with stunning live views from every camera while simultaneously recording any motion or scheduled events.
Additionally, the WiLife Command Center uses a powerful Alerts engine that communicates with your e-mail server to notify up to ten e-mail addresses or cell phones that a camera has detected and recorded motion. When the Command Center detects motion on a specific camera, the Command Center will send out an e-mail message; and at your option, you can set the Command Center to attach either a frame from the captured video or the video segment.
WiLife’s Command Center alerts are excellent news for you, but perhaps bad news for your sixteen-year-old son who wants to play around with your new sports car. Your garage camera can send you an e-mail alert if anyone gets close to the car.
Some of the great features of the WiLife Command Center include:
Monitor up to 6 cameras Automatic motion-triggered recording Easy e-mail and cell phone alerts Intuitive search and playback controls Fast video publishing and printing Intelligent disk management
The WiLife Command Center uses a portion of the disk space on your PC to store the video captured by your cameras. In the default setup, the Command Center only records video when there is motion detected by a camera or during times when you have set a fixed recording schedule. In either case, the Command Center stores each video event as a separate clip to your PC’s hard drive. Some of these clips may be only a few
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seconds long, while others could last hours. As a Setup option, you specify the maximum amount of disk space allocated to the Command Center for video file storage. Once the WiLife Command Center reaches this limit, it makes space for new video clips by removing the oldest clips. With the default camera settings, a typical home system with four cameras will use approximately 2GB of disk space per week.
4. ANYWHERE, ANYTIME ACCESS WITH WILIFE ONLINE SERVICES
The WiLife Command Center, coupled with our WiLife Online services, delivers a unique Internet services component that powers the ability for you to view live video from your cameras over the Internet and on video-enabled cell phones. At the center of WiLife Online is the WiLife Remote Viewing Service that intelligently links you to all of your cameras at each site where you have installed a WiLife system.
Features include:
Multiple-location management Password protected access control Single, multiple, and cycle camera
viewing
Selectable video quality controls Browser and cell phone access High-resolution color video
To access the video, you first create a WiLife Online user account at www.wilife.com. This is part of the normal process of registering your WiLife system. With each new WiLife setup, you register the new site with your existing account. Then, when you want to check in on your property, simply login to your WiLife Online account from a Web browser or Windows Mobile cell phone and link to the video feed.
With WiLife Online it is easy to monitor your home, office, cabin, or even grandma's house – anytime, anywhere – all from your WiLife Online account.
The following chapters describe in detail each component of the WiLife system. Two chapters in this guide describe in full each of these modules— Chapter 3: Using the WiLife Command Center and Chapter 5: WiLife Command Center Setups, which introduces you to the Command Center’s Setup dialogs.
We have also provided you with online help, support, and service pages on our website. Either way, we are committed to your success.
We are glad to share with you our passion for building great video security products. Over the next months and years, you can expect to see additional cameras, services, and software targeted at giving you a whole new way to look.
Welcome to WiLife.
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System Components
WILIFE RETAIL CAMERAS
WiLife Cameras are the smartest cameras on the market. At their core is a 400MHz processor. Using the processor, they automatically adjust the video picture for changing light conditions (auto-brightness), detect motion, and encode video using Windows Media 9 Video file format.
When WiLife cameras detect motion, they record the event and save it to the WiLife Video folder.
The WiLife Command Center supports up to six cameras.
INDOOR CAMERA
The Indoor Camera is our most flexible surveillance camera because of its 3 versatile mounting options that make for easy monitoring for nearly every location. It is our top selling product.
The camera lens sits on a bubble, which you can move to change its viewing angle. Additionally, you can adjust the focus by gently turning the lens clockwise or counter-clockwise as necessary. You should find the focus setting works for most locations.
We designed this Indoor Camera for indoor use. However, we specifically designed
it to peer out of a window to monitor the out-of-doors using the included suction cup, which you can mount to the front or the back of the camera. Indoor cameras can also sit on top a desktop, bookshelf, wall, or ceiling using the Desktop Mount or Wall Mount.
Indoor IP-Camera
Used with the WiLife Pro Video Security System, the Indoor IP-Camera connects to your LAN network through the WiLife Power Injector using standard Ethernet cable. On the Ethernet line, the camera communicates and receives its power, making it easy to set up. Just like the standard Indoor Camera, the IP-Camera is driven by a 400 Mhz processor, powering the same incredible features and also DHCP and fixed IP-addressing and WiLife Powered Ethernet.
OUTDOOR CAMERA
The Outdoor Camera is another option used with the WiLife Video Security system. Like the Indoor Camera, the Outdoor Camera uses the Command Center software and is compatible with other existing WiLife Cameras. It is unique, however, from other WiLife Cameras because it is weatherproof.
The Outdoor Camera provides the same basic benefits of all WiLife Cameras including easy installation, plug-and-play, HomePlug, and a wide range of configuration options for homes and small businesses.
The Outdoor Camera is perfect for applications where you need a
weatherproof camera. The Outdoor Camera can withstand water and temperature extremes while providing superior video surveillance. The Outdoor camera is weatherproof, so it provides you coverage of outdoor locations, such as the parking lot, driveway, front or back entrance and backyard.
Note: When mounting, install in a nearby electrical outlet that is easily accessible.
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SPY CAMERA
The Spy Camera delivers the power of professional-grade video security in a package that is easy to set up and affordable. The Spy Camera masquerades as a sleek, fully functioning digital clock, and is perfect for coverage of any area of the home or small business that requires discreet observance.
The Spy Camera can be placed anywhere on a flat surface that has an unobstructed field of view. It looks natural wherever you place it - night­table, dresser, shelf, desk, countertop, etc.
The Spy Camera provides the same basic benefits of all WiLife Cameras, including easy installation, plug-and-play, HomePlug, and a wide range of configuration options for homes and small businesses.
You'll have a powerful security camera that will go undetected by everyone. Perfect for monitoring and recording your employees, kids, the nanny or the babysitter.
CAMERA POWER SUPPLY
Component of the WiLife Indoor Master System.
The power supply connects to the camera using the provided CAT 5e cable. It serves two functions.
First, the power supply provides power for the camera. Second, it is the network bridge connecting the digital video feed from the camera to the PC that is running the WiLife Command Center.
There are a few rules you should know about using this unit.
1) Do not plug the power supply unit into a surge suppressor, a UPS, or some other
filtering unit. It can be plugged into a regular extension cord or non-surge power strip.
2) Likewise, do not connect the power supply unit or the WiLife camera into other Ethernet or Power-
Over-Ethernet (POE) hardware. The WiLife Camera and the Camera power supply operate as a pair.
3) The camera will not operate with non-WiLife POE equipment.
4) The unit is designed to be used indoors.
WILIFE ETHERNET HOMEPLUG BRIDGE
Component of WiLife Pro kits.
The WiLife Ethernet HomePlug Bridge allows you to connect your standard WiLife cameras (Indoor, Outdoor, or Spy) to the WiLife Command Center over the already existing LAN network.
The WiLife Ethernet Powerline Bridge is plugged into an outlet close to the router. Then, take the CAT5e cable supplied with the powerline bridge (or another CAT5e cable) and plug one end into the powerline bridge and the other to the router or switch.
Note: If you are planning on using your own hand-built CAT5e cable, validate the cable connections are sound by using a professional cable tester. (Warning: Mis-connected cables may cause damage to either your cameras or network equipment.)
The WiLife Ethernet Powerline Bridge is perfect for larger homes or small businesses that already have a functioning LAN network.
The WiLife Ethernet Powerline Bridge can be used with any WiLife Retail or WiLife Pro system.
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CAT 5E CABLE
FOR STANDARD WILIFE RETAIL KITS
The CAT 5e Cable carries DC power from the Camera Power Supply to the camera and provides the network connection for digital data communications to and from the camera. The cable supplied with the WiLife Indoor Camera packages was specifically selected because it was small, flexible, and unobtrusive, in comparison to a typical CAT 5e cable.
Note: You can find longer CAT 5e cable cables in our online store at www.wilife.com.
FOR WILIFE PRO KITS
The CAT5e Cable carries DC power from the WiLife power injector (single-port or six-port) to the camera and also allows for the digital data communications over the LAN to the WiLife Command Center.
Note: You can find longer CAT 5e cable cables in our online store at www.wilife.com.
PATCH CABLES
Component of WiLife Pro kits.
The patch cables provided with all WiLife Pro packages allow you to easily connect the IP-cameras plugged into the power injector to the router.
RECEIVER
Component of the WiLife Retail Master System kits.
The Receiver module provides the interface between the PC and the power line data link. It communicates with the PC via the USB. The PC sends commands to the cameras to configure and control them. It receives status from these units, as well as the compressed video streams.
The receiver is not powered by the plug.
USB CABLE
Component of the WiLife Retail Master System kits.
The USB connects the Receiver to your PC allowing the network to communicate with the Command Center application. It transfers configuration commands to the cameras and receives compressed video streams from them. Communication with the PC is accomplished using a standard USB 1.1 or 2.0 interface.
CAMERA SUCTION CUP
Component of the WiLife Indoor Master System.
Use the large suction cup to hang the Indoor camera on a window. The suction cup connects to the back or front of the camera. If you screw the suction cup onto the back, the camera's lens points into the house. If you screw the suction cup onto the front of the camera, the camera's lens can be directed to monitor a zone outside of the house.
DESKTOP MOUNT BASE
Component of the WiLife Indoor Master System.
The Desktop Mount Base included in the installation kit is used to place the Indoor camera on a flat surface such as on a windowsill, bookshelf, or any other place that is flat and stable.
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WALL MOUNT
Component of both the WiLife Retail kits and WiLife Pro kits.
Using a few screws, the Wall Mount allows you to hang the camera from a wall, ceiling, or other surface to watch a room from a discrete location.
WiLife Kit Accessories
NIGHTVISION UPGRADE KITS
Component for both the WiLife Retail and WiLife Pro Indoor Camera kits.
The Indoor NightVision 20 and 50 illuminator kits consist of an illuminator and an 80° Day/Night filter lens that can be used with the WiLife Camera to capture quality video in low-light areas or complete darkness inside your home or small business. Both IR Illuminators automatically turn on in the dark. The light they produce is not visible to the human eye, but can be seen by the camera.
Remember to verify that the illuminator and camera are in alignment (pointed at the same scene). This is easily checked by repositioning the illuminator in darkness while viewing the image on the PC.
ACCESSORY LENSES
Component for both the WiLife Retail and WiLife Pro Indoor Camera kits.
WiLife offers optional camera lenses for your Pro Indoor Camera the 54˚lens that has a smaller field of view, allowing the camera to view objects in the distance with more clarity; and the 120˚lens that is useful for increasing the viewing area for items close to your camera.
All of our lenses are easy to install into your standard WiLife Indoor Camera and the WiLife Indoor IP- Camera. All Indoor Cameras come with an 80˚lens installed.
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User Guide Chapters
We designed this manual to be the ultimate resource for learning, understanding, and using the multi-faceted features within the Command Center application to meet your personal or small business expectations.
The content of the User Guide is laid out into five chapters, the first of which you have nearly completed. Here is a brief description of the remaining chapters:
Chapters Descriptions
Ge t t i n g S tar te d Th i s c h a p t e r provides comprehensiv e installation instruction s f o r t h e C o m man d
Ce n t e r s o f t war e an d the WiLife Ca meras.
Us i n g t h e Co m m a n d Ce n t e r Ap p l i c a t i o n
Wi L i f e P l a t inum Th i s c h a p t e r introduces you to all of the platinum featu res that expand you r
Se t t i n g Ap p l i c a t i o n Op t i o n s
Sc h e d u l i n g Al e r t s & Re c o r d i n g Ev e n t s
Us i n g O n l in e Vi e w i n g
Co m p l e t e d e scr i pt ion of the great fea tures behind the Live and Playback m ode sc r e e n s . A d di tionally, this chapter in c ludes “how to” instr u c tions to assist you in l e a r n i n g the system more easily.
al r e a d y p o we r ful system with inno v ative PC and Onlin e features. Platinu m g ives yo u m o r e co n tr ol and flexibility to protect your prope r t y, family, and emplo yees, pr o v i d i n g y ou the ultimate in vide o security. Availa ble features includ e :
Digital Pan-Tilt-Zoom Scheduled Alerts No-Motion Detected Alerts
Th i s c h a p t e r introduces you to the S etup and its compr ehensive set of co n f i g u r a t ion opt ions. Here you will learn how to setu p:
Th i s c h a p t e r describes the screens a n d options that h el p you create va r ious al e r t s a n d r ec or ding events – no motion a lerts, alerts for s p e c i f i c t i m es, ca m e r a s , o r dat es; and continuous r ecording or no-recordin g e v e n t s .
Le a r n h o w t o c on figure and use you r W iLife Online Account .
Desktop Notifications
cameras motion detection video capture
Online Search & Playback Online Connection Monitoring Online Video Sharing Password System Lock
alerts remote viewing and other options
Tr o u b l e sh o o t in g We d o n o t ex pect you will have any t r o u b l e . H o w e ver , if you do have a problem,
yo u c a n f in d man y useful solutions in this chapter.
Co n f i g u r i n g Your Fi r e w a l l
Ap p e n d i c e s Fi n a l l y , w e include a few appendix c h a p t e r s t h a t c ov er other topics like: S y s t e m
Mo s t P C f ir ewa l ls automatically prompt you to allow Comm a n d C e n t e r t o a c ce ss th e n e t w o r k . Nevertheless, if you fi n d a n y p r o b l e m s thi s chapter walk s y ou th o r o u g h b oth automatic and manual co n figuration options.
Sp e c i f i c a t i o n s; So ftware License a nd Hardware Warra n ty; and Safety a n d Re g u l a t o r y
The Command Center Help System
Click on the [?] icon in the upper-right corner of Command Center in order to access the online Help System. The Help System allows you to view topics by clicking through a table of contents, by searching for them using the Search option, or by locating them via a comprehensive Index.
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2
Getting Started
Overview
The WiLife Command Center is very easy to deploy because of an installation process that we designed to be user-friendly. Depending on how comfortable you feel installing the application, you can choose to use the QuickStart instructions (found in the Installation Kit) or the comprehensive installation instructions provided in this chapter.
Once Command Center has been setup, all you need to do is plug in the cameras and you are on your way to using your security system. The Command Center application automatically discovers all the cameras throughout the home and displays the live video stream.
Installing Command Center in three easy steps:
1) Install Command Center Software
2) Complete First Run Wizard
3) Place your WiLife Camera(s)
It is that simple – 1, 2, 3 and you are done.
The following illustrations show how the WiLife Video Security System is an easy 15-minute-setup no matter which camera you are installing:
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System Requirements
Below you can find the minimum and recommended requirements for systems running cameras using the default QVGA (320 x 240) settings. Running your cameras in the higher VGA (640 x 480) mode requires additional CPU.
Requirement
1 2 3 4 5 6
CPU Speed* 2.2 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.6 GHz 2.8 GHz 3.0 GHz 3.2 GHz
Memory (MB) ** 512 512 512 768 1024 1024
Video Card (MB)
Display Resolution: 1024 x 768 or higher, 32 bit color
Hard Drive (MB): 150 MB for program and a minimum of 10 GB for video recording
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® Vista;
USB: One available USB 1.1 or 2.0 port (2.0 recommended)
Media Player: Microsoft® Windows® Media Player 9 or later
* Intel® Pentium 4 CPU speed. Dual-core and AMD processors deliver similar performance at lower clock speeds.
** Microsoft Vista requires more memory to deliver equal performance.
32 32 64 128 128 256
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition,
XP Professional, or XP Media Center Edition
Number of Cameras
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Starter Kit Contents
Before you begin the installation process, please review the contents of the kit to verify that all of the components necessary for a successful install are inside. If any of these listed items are not in the kit, please contact WiLife Customer Support for assistance.
INDOOR STARTER KIT
Command Center
Installation CD
Quick Start Guide
USB Receiver
USB Cable (6 ft.)
WiLife Indoor Camera Camera Power Supply
OUTDOOR STARTER KIT CONTENTS
Command Center
Installation CD
Quick Start Guide
USB Receiver
USB Cable (8 ft.)
WiLife Outdoor Camera
Power cord/plug
SPY STARTER KIT CONTENTS
Command Center
Installation CD
Quick Start Guide
USB Receiver
USB Cable (8 ft.)
WiLife Spy Camera
Power cord/plug
Window Decals
Installation Procedures
Cat5 Cable (8 ft.)
Camera Suction Cup
Cable Suction Cup
Cable Clamps
Post, Overhang, Wall Mount
Window Decals
Desktop Mount
Wall Mount
Window Decals
The following procedures assume that you verified that all of the components of the installation kit are accounted for and that your PC and operating system meet the system requirements described above.
Step 1 - Run the Install Wizard
Insert the Command Center PC Software CD into your PC’s CD-ROM drive. The WiLife setup menu will automatically start.
Note: If the Install Wizard does not automatically load, you can manually start the wizard by double-clicking on the setup.exe file on the CD-ROM (i.e. D:).
Click “Install Command Center Software.”
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A. WELCOME TO THE INSTALL WIZARD
The Command Center install is ready to start. Simply click the Next> button to begin.
A. IF NECESSARY, COMMAND CENTER WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE
INSTALLATION OF MICROSOFT .NET FRAMEWORK
The Microsoft .NET Framework is a collection of tools used by many software programs. Some computers already have Microsoft's .NET Frame installed as part of other applications. For those that do not yet have .NET installed, we will install it now.
The first screen you will see in the Microsoft .NET Framework Wizard is its license agreement screen, as shown in this graphic.
Complete the License Agreement by clicking on the “I agree” radio button, followed by the Install button.
The system downloads .NET Framework in preparation for the installation process. A status bar displays the progress of the .NET Framework install. The install will take several minutes.
When the .NET Framework download is complete, you will need to click the OK button to continue with the WiLife Install wizard.
B. COMPLETING THE COMMAND CENTER INSTALL WIZARD
Follow the on-screen instructions of the Command Center Install wizard. Click the Next> button to advance through the installation process.
One of the early steps is the WiLife License Agreement screen.
Please take a moment to review the license agreement. If you accept the terms of the agreement, click the “I accept the terms in the license agreement” radio button and then click Next>.
If you do not agree with the terms of the agreement, click the “I do not accept the terms in the license agreement” radio button and the installation will be terminated.
Note: A copy of the license agreement can be found in two places: 1) In this user guide; and 2) on the program CD. The filename is License.htm.
You will also have the opportunity to change the destination folder of the Command Center System. The default location is C:\Program Files\WiLife.
Step 2 – Complete the WiLife Setup Wizard
A few seconds after you start Command Center for the first time, the WiLife Setup Wizard will open. The WiLife Setup Wizard will help you set up the following:
Set disk usage options Create a remote viewing account Test your system configuration Connect the USB adapter and camera(s) Name your camera(s)
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Click Next> to begin the Setup Wizard.
SET DISK USAGE OPTIONS SCREEN
The Set Disk Usage options window allows you to set two things:
1. Location for video storage.
2. The amount of disk space allocated for Command Center video storage.
The screen lists and shows you how much Free and Used space is on your PC. If your PC already has WiLife video files stored on it, the amount saved will display in the “Existing Command Center Video” field.
The Setup Wizard automatically sets the Command Center Video Allocation at an amount that is 20% of the total free space, or to the amount of the existing WiLife video files, whichever is greater.
You can adjust the setting by moving the status bar above “Adjust Command Center Disk Allocation.”
When you have finished setting disk allocation, click Next>.
SET UP WILIFE ONLINE ACCOUNT
This screen allows you to enable remote viewing on Internet-connected machines.
What is remote viewing? It is the ability to access live video from your cameras from anywhere in the world using a Windows® Media enabled Internet browser or cell phone.
The default option on this screen is to create a new remote viewing account. If you want to create a new account, simply click Next>.
If you already have an account and want to use the existing account to view the cameras on this new network, click the radio button for “Use existing remote viewing account” and click Next>.
To skip this option, click “Do this later.”
To read more about remotely viewing online, see Chapter 6.
USE EXISTING WILIFE ONLINE ACCOUNT
This screen allows you to specify the account information to be able to log in and view the cameras on your WiLife Command Center online, using your WiLife Online account.
Simply enter in your email account name (i.e. abc@email.com) and password in the Account to Use fields. Then specify the name you want this WiLife Command Center to be known as when you log into your WiLife Online Account.
Click Next> to continue.
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TELL US ABOUT YOUR SYSTEM
This screen allows you to specify the number of cameras you are putting on the system during this install and how they are connected to the computer, i.e. via a WiLife USB Adapter, Other HomePlug Powerline Adapter, or Non­Powerline LAN.
(Typically, the answer to this last question is the WiLife USB adapter.)
Click Next> to continue.
PLUG IN YOUR POWERLINE ADAPTER
Now, you are ready to plug in the USB Receiver.
Plug the USB Receiver Module directly into a wall outlet near your PC.
Use the included USB Cable to connect the USB Receiver Module to one of the available USB ports on your PC.
Click the Next> button when you are done.
Note: The USB Receiver Module has built in surge protection and must be plugged directly into your wall outlet. It is highly recommended that you do not plug the USB Receiver Module into a surge protected power strip. Plugging the USB Receiver Module into a surge protected power strip may reduce the quality and performance of the WiLife system.
STEP 3 — PLUG IN YOUR CAMERA
With the receiver plugged into your electrical outlet, you are ready to plug in your cameras.
1) Start by installing your cameras in a location near your PC. This
makes it easier to adjust the focus if necessary. Once you have focused your camera, select a new location for the camera and use one of the convenient mounting options to place your camera on a desktop, window, or wall.
Installation Note: If mounting the camera on a window, clean the area of the window where the suction cup will be attached. Let the area dry completely before mounting camera.
The Window Mount Suction Cup has been tested and proven to hold the weight of objects heavier than the camera for extended periods of time. To ensure long term connection, however, you can spread a very small drop of vegetable or olive oil on the under-side of the cup before applying it to the window. This increases the suction power of the cup.
CAUTION: The camera should be mounted indoors or in a weatherproof enclosure. Additionally, for the Outdoor Camera, mount the camera high and at an angle so the front of the camera tilts down, allowing the sun-shield to shade the sensor. This will provide the best quality picture.
Plug the Camera Power Supply into a nearby outlet. Then, use the included Camera Cable (8 ft. Standard Ethernet Cable) to connect the power supply to the camera.
Note: The Camera Power Supply has built in surge protection and must be plugged directly into your wall outlet. Plugging the Camera Power Supply into a surge protected power strip may reduce the quality and performance of the WiLife system.
Click the Next> button to proceed.
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NAME YOUR CAMERAS
Simply name your cameras by clicking inside the text field under each video panel and entering the desired name. Suggestions for names might be: Garage, Entryway, Foyer, Kitchen, Storage Area, Front Door, Porch, Family Area, etc.
Click Next> to continue.
Firewall Setup
It is very likely that you have one of many Firewall applications running on your computer. These applications protect your computer from unwanted network connections, which sometimes are the result of viruses. Because Command Center creates a new network using your home wiring and uses your Internet connection for e-mail and remote viewing, you will need to configure your firewall to allow these connections.
The Setup Wizard will attempt to configure the Microsoft Windows firewall used on your system.
If needed, we have provided an entire chapter titled Configuring your PC Firewall that you can use as an aid.
The most common symptoms of firewalls blocking Command Center are the inability to discover your cameras or the inability to successfully connect with WiLife Online for remote viewing.
Most firewalls will prompt you to Allow or Block access to the network by Command Center. You should always choose Allow when the program reads “Command Center.”
ATTENTION: If you are using Norton Firewall or Norton Internet Security, you must review the Norton Internet Security by Symantec section of the chapter Configuring your PC Firewall. Simply accepting the automated prompts may be insufficient.
If you are running Windows XP Service Pack 2, the Windows Security Alert screen may appear. Click on
the Unblock button to allow Command Center to run properly. (A sample screen shot of the Windows Security Alert displays below.)
If McAfee Personal Firewall Plus or Standard is running on your Windows XP, a warning message is
going to display as Command Center starts. This message is going to inform you that Command Center wants access to the Internet. You need to click "Grant Access" in order for Command Center to run properly. (A sample screen shot of this McAfee Firewall message displays below.)
If you are using other anti-virus or firewall software, similar warning messages may appear, asking you
whether you want to allow Command Center to perform certain functions. You should allow the requested permissions so that Command Center runs properly.
If you find you are having problems, reference the chapter on Configuring your PC Firewall.
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Windows Firewall Auto-Alert McAfee Auto-Alert Message
Additional Cameras
You can have up to six WiLife Cameras for each WiLife site. Currently, WiLife offers a suite of three intelligent digital video security cameras —Indoor, Outdoor, and Spy. But check our website periodically for news regarding any new cameras being released.
Adding new cameras to your WiLife Video Security network is easy.
STEP 1 – POSITION YOUR CAMERA
We make it easy for you to place your cameras anywhere in the home or office. Each starter and add-on kit, especially the Indoor camera, includes multiple mounting options—a suction cup, desktop stand, and wall mount.
Use the highly durable suction cup to mount the Indoor Camera to a window. Options on the WiLife
Camera allow you to mount the camera so that it either points outside or in. Our cameras are built with GlareShield, an anti-glare filter. It greatly reduces the glare cast from a window’s reflections.
Use the desktop stand to place your camera on any flat surface, such as a table, desk, counter,
cabinet, or shelf.
Use the wall mount to fasten the camera high on the wall or even the ceiling.
We also offer t-bar accessory mounts for easily mounting a camera from a false ceiling.
Indoor Camera Instructions
a. Select a location for your Indoor camera.
Use one of the convenient mounting options to secure your camera to a desktop, window, or wall.
Note: If mounting the camera on a window, clean the area of the window where the suction cup will be attached. Let the area dry completely before mounting the camera.
The Window Mount Suction Cup has been tested and proven to hold the weight of objects heavier than the camera for extended periods of time. To increase the suction power of the cup, spread a small drop of vegetable or olive oil on the underside of the cup before applying it to the window.
Instructions for mounting a WiLife Camera on a wall or ceiling are located in the Accessories box in the Indoor Starter Kit and Easy Add-on Camera Kit.
b. Plug the Camera Power Supply into a nearby outlet.
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Use the included Camera Cable (8 ft. standard Ethernet cable) to connect the power supply to the camera.
Note: The Camera Power Supply has built-in surge protection and must be plugged directly into your wall outlet. Plugging the Camera Power Supply into a surge-protected power strip may reduce the quality and performance of the WiLife system.
Outdoor Camera Instructions
a. Select a location for the camera.
The starter and add-on kit for the Outdoor Camera includes a mounting device that allows you to place your Outdoor camera on top of a post or hang your camera from a wall, ceiling or overhang.
b. Plug the camera into a nearby outlet.
Spy Camera Instructions
a. Select a location for the camera.
The Spy Camera can be placed anywhere on a flat surface that has an unobstructed field of view. It looks natural wherever you place it – on a night-table, dresser, shelf, desk, counter top, etc.
b. Plug the camera into a nearby outlet.
STEP 2 – IDENTIFY THE NEW CAMERA IN COMMAND CENTER
There are two choices of setup paths – a and b. So, read both before moving on with the procedure:
a. You did NOT set a custom password
If you have NOT set a custom camera password, then you do not need to do anything more. Command Center will automatically recognize the camera within 1-2 minutes.
Once the camera appears, you can change its configuration, set a name, or adjust the picture options. (See the chapter on Setting System Options for information on these settings.)
b. You did set a custom password
If you HAVE set a custom camera password, you need to complete a few additional tasks. This is necessary because new cameras are shipped with no password (different from the custom password you have set). Therefore, Command Center will not automatically identify it.
Follow these instructions to include the new camera into your Command Center system:
1) Go to the Command Center > Setup > Advanced dialog screen.
2) Click the FIND MY CAMERAS button.
3) Follow the instructions in the Find My Cameras Wizard.
Note 1: We recommend that you set a custom password because a custom camera password provides you with security from others having access to your streaming video.
Note 2: If you receive a camera from a friend or as a used item, it may have a password stored on its power supply. This will prevent you from linking with the camera. To remove the password, power up the Indoor camera and wait until the camera’s top two green status lights are flashing. Then with the end of the paper clip, gently press the reset button hidden below the reset hole near the Ethernet cable plug.
After the camera resets, it will have no password. If necessary, you may need to repeat the steps above to connect the Indoor camera.
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For the Outdoor Camera, take the paper clip and gently press the reset button hidden below the reset hole on the bottom right side of the camera’s shell (near the back). You will need to use a long paper clip to be able to reach the reset button.
For the Spy Camera, take the paper clip and gently press the reset button hidden below the reset hole, located on the back-top of the camera.
Indoor Camera Focus and Aim
The factory default settings for the WiLife Indoor Camera work great for most applications. However, if you find you need to adjust the focus of the Indoor camera, it only takes a few minutes. It is easiest to focus and adjust the camera from an outlet near your computer. The WiLife Indoor Camera has two components that allow you to adjust the camera’s viewpoint and focus: the camera eyeball and the lens.
On the back panel, you will notice an adjustable eyeball. Use this ball to change the angle of the Indoor camera’s lens.
To adjust the focus, gently adjust the lens clockwise or counterclockwise as necessary. You may find it easiest to take your camera back to your PC to do this work – saving you the trouble of walking back and forth. The following graphic illustrates how to gently twist the camera to adjust the focus.
CAUTION: The lens should screw on easily. If it is not screwing easily, DO NOT FORCE IT. This will strip the threads of the lens holder. Carefully unscrew the lens (counter-clockwise) and adjust the angle of the lens until it screws on easily – it will feel as though the threads “click” into place. Then begin your clockwise rotation to screw the lens in place. If the lens doesn’t go in easily, remove the lens and try again.
Switching Lenses on the Indoor Camera
WiLife offers optional camera lenses for your Indoor Camera — the 54˚lens that has a smaller field of view, allowing the camera to view objects in the distance with more clarity; and the 120˚ lens that is useful for increasing the viewing area for items close to your camera.
All of our lenses are easy to install into your Indoor Camera. Follow these steps.
1) Unscrew the current lens counter-clockwise and remove it from your Camera.
Note: We recommend you place this lens in a secure place where the exposed optical surfaces won’t get scratched.
2) Take the new lens from its packaging and gently screw it clockwise into the camera.
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HINT: Position the lens straight so that it is well-seated on the lens holder before you begin to screw it in. This will allow it to screw easily and straight. If needed, slightly screw the lens backwards (counter-clockwise) at first so that the threads match up.
Product Support
If you have any questions about the installation procedures, please check out the Support section of our website for the most recent information. If you still need help, contact Technical Support via our web form at http://wilife.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wilife.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php or by phone at 888-GOWILIFE (888­469-4543). For customers within the United States and Canada.
Tip of the Day
The WiLife Command Center displays a Tip of the Day dialog window. This dialog displays each time Command Center is started.
By default, the "Show tips at startup" is checked. You can un-check this box so that the tips dialog window won't display every time WiLife is restarted.
To show the Tips of the Day dialog while you are using WiLife Command Center, right-click on the Help button (?) in the Title Bar Controls — upper-right corner of the Command Center system. In the list of options, click on Tips of the Day.
There are currently approximately 30 tips that you can cycle through.
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3
Using the Command Center
Overview
The WiLife Command Center provides a powerful-but-simple interface for managing cameras, recording video, tracking alerts, and configuring remote viewing. Once you learn a few of the basic elements, most operations are easy and intuitive.
TWO OPERATING MODES: FULL OPERATION AND BACKGROUND
The Command Center application has two operating modes: Full Operation and Background. In Full Operation Mode, Command Center provides you with a complete Windows interface, making it easy to monitor and manage your video feeds.
In Background Mode, Command Center closes its Windows interface and displays a small icon in the system tray. While running in Background Mode, Command Center continues to record video on motion, using very little CPU. This allows you to use all of your normal applications, even on a minimally-configured machine. Background Mode is another great feature of the WiLife system.
TWO MAIN VIEWS: LIVE AND PLAYBACK
The Command Center Windows interface has two main views: Live and Playback. The Live View allows you to monitor and manage the live camera feeds. The Search View allows you to find, view, and manage recorded video segments.
The title bar and the main feature buttons SETUP, GO TO LIVE VIEW/GO TO PLAYBACK, and WILIFE appear in both the Live and Search Views.
View live video Play video clips
Arm e-mail alerts Protect segments
Turn cameras on/off Print images
E-mail a current image Upload Video Clips
Digital Pan, Tilt, Zoom Check Online Storage
Some Application Features
Live View Playback View
Title Bar Controls
The Command Center Title Bar in the upper-right corner of the application lets you view Help, maximize into full screen mode, minimize Command Center, or run Command Center in Background Mode.
Open Command Center
Help; Display Tips of the Day; Access WiLife web
When you click the X button, Command Center changes to Background Mode. A system message will let you know that Command Center is still running and recording in the background.
support.
Minimize to Taskbar
Show Video Display Panel in Full Screen Mode.
Close – Run in Background
SHOWING VIDEO DISPLAY IN FULL-SCREEN MODE
You can now maximize the Video Display Panel so that it displays in Full Screen Mode. To set into Full Screen mode, simply click on the “Maximize” icon located with the other Title Bar Controls.
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The Maximize icon is active from both the Live Screen and Playback Screen. (If you activate Full Screen mode while on the Playback Screen, however, there are not any playback controls. The Playback Controls are only available in standard­sized viewing mode.)
F11 Toggle between full-screen mode and
Esc, Spacebar, or Enter
FULL-SCREEN MODE HOTKEYS
normal mode.
Return to normal mode.
FULL-SCREEN MODE FEATURES
While in Full-Screen Mode, enjoy these following features:
Drag/drop re-arrange video windows. Right-click on the video windows and change camera settings. Double-click on a video to switch between full-screen mode and normal mode. Press the keys Alt + Tab to go to another app window. The video windows will be in the background.
Hiding Command Center Screen Controls
Press the keys Shift + F11 to toggle between "hide controls" and normal mode. Hide/Show Command Center controls: Main Feature buttons, Digital PTZ, Clock, and Camera Activity Panel.
Main Feature Buttons
These three buttons control some of the key functions of the Command Center application. The Setup button opens the Setup Control Panel where you control all of the configuration options. The Search/Live button switches between the Search View and the Live View. (Notice that in Live View, the middle button reads
GO TO PLAYBACK, and when in PLAYBACK View, the middle
button reads GO TO LIVE – thus allowing you to easily switch back and forth.) The WILIFE button takes you to the WiLife website, where you can login to your WiLife Online account. (See the Command Center Setup chapter to learn more about camera and program configuration options.)
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Live View
The Live View is the first screen that appears when you open Command Center. From here, you can monitor live video feeds, change screen layouts, and enable and disable cameras and e-mail alerts. This is a screen shot of the Live View, showing the components of the screen.
Live Video Windows
Command Center can display between 1 and 6 video windows depending on your choice of Viewing Modes. Each video window in the Live View displays live feeds from your cameras. The text in each video window shows the camera order (C1-C6), camera name, and camera status. If the camera is recording, the status message reads (Live/Rec) in place of just (Live).
Choose a Multiple-Camera View
Command Center allows you to select between 3 viewing modes: single­camera, quad-camera, and six-camera. Video feeds are tiled and sized to fit in the available display area. Quickly switch between multi- and single-camera views by clicking on the video window.
Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel
Use the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel to quickly arm the next alert event, immediately arm manual alerts, disable an active alert, or to access the Recording and Alerts Schedule.
The Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel is located on both the Live and Playback screens.
WiLife Icon: System Tray Note: The context menu now includes the same options that allow you to quickly arm or disarm alerts, both
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scheduled and manual.
Password Note: If you activate Password System Lock, then you can have the peace of mind that events can't be armed or disarmed without your password.
Option Description
Alerts Not Armed When you first install WiLife Command Center, the Front Control Panel will
display "Alerts Not Armed" until 1) you have set up your email server; 2) you have scheduled an alert event in Scheduler; and 3) you select "Arm Manual Alerts Now" or "Arm <name of event> Early."
Note: You do not need to create an alert event to select "Arm Manual Alerts Now." And, the manual arming of alerts is available with or without the WiLife Platinum upgrade.
Arm Manual Alerts Now If you select Arm Manual Alerts Now, then an alert will be sent each time there
is a qualified motion event. This overrides anything you may have set up in your WiLife Recording and Alerts Scheduler. Once alerts are armed manually, the Front Control Panel will display "Alerts Manually Armed."
When you select "Arm Manual Alerts Now," you can specify a delay time. This enables you to get out of the building before alerts are actually armed. Select a delay time of zero if you want arming to be immediate.
Arm <Name of Event> Early The Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel will always display the next scheduled
event in the scheduler's time-line. In the graphical image on this page, the next scheduled event is called 'Event 6.' You simply click on the Arm Early item in order to arm it earlier than it was scheduled. Once a scheduled event is armed early, the Front Control Panel will display "Alerts Armed Via Schedule." As with manual arming, you can specify a delay time before the event is actually armed.
This Alert feature is great for quickly enabling email alerts as you leave work earlier than usual, and want to turn alerts on early.
Disarm Manual (or <name of event>) Event
View Schedule The View Schedule option opens the Recording and Alerts Schedule Screen,
If you want to manually turn off all alerts, simply select the "Disarm Manual Event" or "Disarm <name of event>." Selecting this means that even if you have qualified motion events, (and scheduled alert events), no alerts will be sent. In other words, cancel any currently active alert event or turn off the active manual arming.
Note: This option does not turn off future alerts. It only terminates any alert (either manual or scheduled) that is currently active.
allowing you to define periods of time when alerts or recording events should happen. Each scheduled event specifies a start time, end time, days of the week assignments, camera assignments, and a Schedule event or recording type.
Note: Command Center does not allow you to create two scheduled events with overlapping times. Also, creating scheduled alert events is only available with WiLife Platinum. Creation of scheduled recording events is available with or without Platinum.
COLOR USES FOR CAMERA CONTROL ACTIVITY PANEL
In conjunction with Scheduled Alert functionality, the Camera Control Activity Panel uses colors to identify their status. For example, if the circle surrounding the camera's number is red, it means that qualified alerts are armed and will be sent. If the circle is gray, it means the camera is not detected.
A tool tip will give some information as to why the particular camera is or is not armed. Here are the possible tool tip messages:
Camera disabled
Alerts manually armed
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Alerts manually disabled
Alerts disabled (Email set up incomplete)
Alerts disabled (action is Do Nothing)
Alerts disabled (no active schedule item)
Alerts armed by schedule
Alerts armed for NO motion
Alerts armed for NO motion, send 1st alert
Use the Camera Activity Panel
The Camera Activity Panel allows you to monitor all your cameras at a glance. It shows you which cameras are connected, set for e-mail alerts, and recording. From this panel you can also quickly turn cameras on and off.
There are right-click menu options available for blue and red colored circles if there is an active scheduled alert (i.e. the circle is red). In this case, you can right-click and change the alert settings for a particular camera for the currently-active alert.
Blue circle indicates camera is discovered
but e-mail alerts are disabled.
Gray circle shows that the camera has not
been discovered.
Green light shows camera is streaming
video.
Red light shows Camera is recording.
ON (Yellow) Camera is ON; click to turn OFF.
(BLANK) No camera exists for this number.
Red circle indicates camera is discovered
and e-mail alerts are enabled.
Gray (no light) Camera is not streaming
video. Camera not recording to disk.
ON (Black) Camera has been detected for this camera number in the past but is not detected now.
Camera has been disabled in Live view. (No recording will take place.) Click to turn ON.
Switch Cameras On and Off
At times, you may want to easily turn cameras off. Perhaps you are having a family party in the backyard and there is no reason to record all the activity. To turn a camera On and Off, click the On/Off button below the camera number. When the button reads On – – the camera is operating normally. When the button reads Off – – the camera video feed is disabled until you click the button again.
Click On and Off
On
Digital Pan-Tilt-Zoom Panel
With Digital PTZ, you can narrow in on specific areas of your WiLife cameras viewing area.
Off
For example, zoom in on the cash register and get a close up view. The Digital Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) section increases your monitoring capability and scope by allowing you to select a camera from the WiLife Command Center Live View and digitally reposition the camera so that it pans left or right, tilts up or down, or zooms in on the scene displaying.
Digital PTZ works within the viewing area of the lens used in the camera. For example, a 120 degree angle lens has the panning and tilting range of 120 degrees; for an 80 degrees lens, an 80 degree panning radius, etc. This also means that if you are using the zoom option, you cannot zoom out past the image range of the lens. A completely zoomed out image for a 120 degree lens would show the full 120 degree image, with no options to zoom out any further.
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When you zoom in, you see a subsection of the full image. From this viewpoint, you can pan and tilt to the edges of the full image represented by the lens in the camera. The camera can zoom in or out of a picture up to 2x in both VGA and QVGA mode.
Note: In order to use digital pan-tilt-zoom, each camera that participates must be updated with the latest firmware. If a camera is not updated with the latest firmware, the WiLife Command Center will inform you via a warning message when you attempt to use the feature. Simply click OK to update the camera. Upon updating the firmware, your updated cameras will be automatically rediscovered.
The Pan, Tilt, Zoom section is located on the Live View screen. It includes numbered icons that represent each camera; a replica of the streaming video from the camera selected; up and down tilt buttons; left and right pan buttons; and increase/decrease zoom buttons.
The following graphic displays the components of the Digital PTZ section and applicable notes regarding how to use them:
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Live Mode Right-Click Context Menus
The WiLife Command Center provides quick access to common functions through context menus on the Video Windows and Camera Alerts buttons. To access the context menus simply right-click on the object and choose between the various commands.
The following table describes each of the options:
Option Description
Camera Settings Opens the Setup > Camera dialog, allowing you to make quick edits for the
selected camera.
Motion Detection Setup Opens the Setup > Recording dialog, allowing you to make quick edits for the
selected camera.
Email Setup Opens the Email and Cell Phone Alerts Setup, allowing you to adjust Outgoing
Mail Server (email account) settings or to add new email and cell phone addresses as recipients for alerts.
View Recording Schedule Opens the WiLife Recording and Alerts Schedule calendar, allowing you to
create or edit a scheduled event.
Print Current Frame Opens the Windows Print dialog, allowing you to select the printer you want to
print the current frame to and to print.
Save Current Frame Opens the Windows Save File As dialog, allowing you to save the current frame
as a .jpeg, .tiff, .png, or .bmp file, select the location where you want the file saved (default is WiLife), and rename the file from the default name.
Delete Camera Removes the camera from the Command Center.
Change Camera Order Allows you to change the camera number for the camera you right-clicked on.
Print or Save Live Video Frames
Using the Video Window context menu (right-click on one of the windows in the Live mode), you can choose to print or save the current image displaying in the window.
PRINT A CURRENT FRAME
When you select Print Current Frame, the Command Center uses the Windows print interfaces, which will automatically try to adjust the picture to match your printer’s capabilities. You may not get great results when printing to a black and white printer. You find these options only on the live view context menu.
SAVE A CURRENT FRAME
When choosing Save Current Frame, Command Center gives you the ability to save a current frame in four formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, and TIFF.
If you select to save the frame in JPEG format, you have the ability to select the quality setting by entering a quality figure (from 1 to 100%) or manually moving the quality bar, as shown in the graphic below.
The default name of the file represents the camera name and date. However, you can change the filename.
Command Center also remembers the last file type you selected, the directory you saved the last image to, and the quality options you selected. It will use these as defaults the next time you save a current frame and let you choose the location and filename for the image, which it stores as a JPEG.
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Change Camera Order
In the Live view, Command Center displays each camera’s “feed” in order of the camera’s number. For example, if the Live view is set to display the feed from four cameras, then the lowest camera number (i.e., camera 1) would display in the upper-left corner; camera # 2 would display in the upper-right corner; camera #3 would display in the lower-left corner; and camera #4 in the lower-right corner.
To change the camera order in Live mode, either in the 4- or 6­camera window mode, right-click on the camera viewing panel and select Change Camera Order. The Change Camera Order screen displays. In the New Camera Number field, enter the new position you want for this camera (i.e. 1), as shown in this graphic.
You can manually enter a number (1 to the number of cameras on the system) or use the increase/decrease arrow buttons to select the desired number.
The easiest way to change camera numbers is to click-and-drag a camera’s image on top of another camera’s image. This automatically changes the camera order.
In the graphic below, camera 2 is being dragged into the window for camera 1.
Delete a Camera
From time-to-time you may remove a camera from your system. Command Center, by default, saves the settings and position of this camera, expecting that you may add it back to your system. In some cases you may permanently move a camera to another location. In these cases, you may want to delete the camera from the Command Center database.
If the camera is still connected, you can use the Live Windows context menu to delete a camera. Follow these simple instructions:
1) Make sure the camera is not plugged in, to prevent it being rediscovered by Command Center.
2) Select the "Delete Camera" option.
Note: You can delete a camera from the Setup > Camera tab screen. Simply select the camera tab and then press the Delete button.
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Live Mode Hot Key Assignments
To allow you to quickly navigate or activate features on the Live Mode, the Command Center provides keyboard shortcuts. You will notice some of these features are only available through the keyboard controls.
Hot Key Description Hot Key Description
F1
CTRL-SHIFT U UPnP Search. Sends a command to
CTRL-SHIFT W DEFAULT WINDOW LOCATIONS Set all
CTRL-SHIFT R PANIC RECORD. Starts (or adds 30
COMMAND CENTER HELP. Same as hitting the "?" button.
request that the cameras announce their presence, to aid in camera discovery by Command Center.
the window positions to their default positions. (Do this if you can't find one of the windows.)
seconds to) a manual recording of all active cameras. The countdown of remaining time is shown in the info window on the Command Center front panel.
F5
CTRL-SHIFT H HIDE WILIFE. Hides WiLife, and optionally
CTRL-SHIFT M TOGGLE MODE. Alternates between Live and
CTRL-
REFRESH. Refresh all the screens of the Command Center application.
password locks it.
Playback modes.
TERMINATE MANUAL RECORD.
SHIFT-ALT R
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Playback View
Playback View allows you to find, view, and manage your recorded video segments, which Command Center stores in a database on your computer. Your cameras create these segments according to your settings. By default, each camera is set to record when motion is sensed. You can also set the camera to record continuously during specific times or inhibit recording using the Recording Scheduler. (See Recording Options in the Application Setup chapter for more details.)
Review Stored Video Segments
The Playback Navigation window provides fast access to recorded video segments using the mouse or keyboard. The Playback Navigation window consists of the following components: Window Timescale, Date/Time Header, and the navigation window, which displays the camera name and the recorded video segments captured for each camera. (Video segments will display as alternating light and dark green shaded bars to better distinguish between video segments recorded consecutively.)
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To navigate through the segments, use one of these operations:
Click on the desired date and time Click and drag the red position line to the left or right, beyond the edge of the window Click on a date in the calendar Use and to step forward and backward through video segments
See the section on Hot Key Assignments for more keyboard controls.
CHANGE DATE/TIME WINDOW TIMESCALE
To navigate using the Date/Time Header, left-click and drag your mouse on the header area above the time­lines. (This is the area with the dates and times.) Drag the time-line left or right and the whole thing moves. And you can even keep dragging beyond the limits of the time-line if you want to!
The top of the Search Navigation window displays dates and times for each time division. These divisions can be easily changed to zoom in to specific minutes of a day or zoom out to view an entire day.
Change the time focus by clicking on the timeframe guide to select your focus. A tool tip message informs you of the time division you have selected. Notice the position of the focus indicator (blue ball) in these examples:
4-hour time focus
1-minute time focus
30-minute time focus
5-second time focus
NAVIGATING WITH RED TIMELINE
A vertical red time-line shows the current position of playback. To navigate, click and drag on the time-line to the left or right until you see the time and date you want to playback. Then release the mouse button.
Notes:
You may also click anywhere on the navigation window and the red time-line will go directly to that
spot.
Use CTRL-SHIFT F and CTRL-SHIFT B to step forward and back through video segments. See Hot Key
Assignments for more keyboard controls.
You can drag the red timeline beyond the left or right edge, and the displayed time window repositions
accordingly.
You should generally stop playback before trying to drag the timeline (left or right) so that the
automatic repositioning of the displayed time window (during playback) doesn’t conflict with your manual repositioning actions.
SELECT CAMERAS TO REVIEW
When playing video segments, you can select one, several, or all cameras for review. By default, all cameras are selected. You may wish to de-select one or more cameras if you are not interested in video from those cameras in your current search. Also, de-selecting cameras can reduce the workload on minimally-configured machines, thus providing improved performance. Here are a few examples:
All cameras on
Garage camera off, others on
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To turn on or off the video for a camera, click the green icon next to the camera name.
SEEING VIDEO SEGMENT FILE DETAILS
Press the Ctrl button or move your mouse over a video segment in the playback navigation window. The system will display a tool tip that will name the directory the file is saved to; the filename; and the length of the video segment. The graphic below shows this feature.
QUESTIONS
What do the colored buttons next to the camera names mean?
A green button signifies that the camera is enabled for Playback mode. A gray button indicates the camera has been disabled for Playback mode. The green and red video
segments will not display.
These are inter-active buttons. You can turn the video for a camera On or Off from. To turn Off the video for a camera, for example, click the green button next to the camera name.
What do the colored camera names mean?
Yellow camera names represent cameras that are enabled for Playback mode. Gray camera names represent cameras that have been disabled for Playback mode.
The following graphic shows an example of this feature:
CHANGE REVIEW DATE
The Calendar allows you to more easily go to and look up recorded video clips from a specific month and specific day. The Calendar works with the Stored Video Segments window -- once you have selected a month and day, the recorded video clips will display in that section.
The current day is circled in red. Days in which video segments were recorded appear bold. You can click on any of those days to display all of the video segments in the time grid. You can also click on the month or the year to change those viewing options.
The Calendar section uses arrow buttons at the top of the calendar to navigate forward or backward through the months.
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Play Video with Onscreen Controls
Like any DVD player, the Playback Controls allow you to play, pause, adjust speed, and step-through your video segments. You use the controls by clicking on each one. If you hold your mouse over the control, Windows will display a tool tip, indicating the name of the control. Keyboard controls exist to help you review your video.
Use the following list of icons and descriptions to help you understand how to navigate through recorded video segments.
Button Description Button Description
Click to play video
Go to the start of the current segment, or if already at the start, go to the start of the previous segment
Step back
Video slow motion
(turn jog dial counter-clockwise)
Click to pause video
Go to the start of the next video segment
Step forward
Video fast motion
(turn jog dial clockwise)
Use Keyboard Playback Controls
Command Center has several keyboard shortcuts, which allow you to quickly navigate through video clips. Some navigation features are only available through the keyboard controls.
Hot Key Description Hot Key Description
CTRL-SHIFT S
-
CTRL +
CTRL-SHIFT C
CTRL-SHIFT 1-6
CTRL , , or CTRL-SHIFT B
SHIFT
CTRL-SHIFT
PAGE UP
PAUSE. Causes Pause mode (like "Stop")
INCREASE MAGNIFICATION. Increase time line magnification (shorter time span) (also works for - on NumPad)
PLAY FASTER. Like rotating the shuttle control clockwise
CENTER PLAYBACK CURSOR. Sets timeline origin so cursor is centered
ENABLE/DISABLE CAM 1-
6. Enables or disables specified camera for playback
PREVIOUS SEGMENT. Move cursor to start of next earlier recorded segment
SLIDE CHART EARLIER. Slide time chart to earlier time (chart moves right)
JUMP CHART EARLIER. Move timeline one screen earlier
NEXT DAY. Changes playback time
to first file of next day. (These also work with NumPad PgUp)
CTRL-SHIFT P
+
CTRL -
CTRL-SHIFT N
CTRL , ,
or CTRL-SHIFT F
SHIFT
CTRL-SHIFT
PAGE DOWN
TOGGLE PLAY/PAUSE. Toggles between Play and Pause modes.
REDUCE MAGNIFICATION. Reduce time line magnification (longer time span)(also works for + on NumPad)
PLAY SLOWER. Like rotating the shuttle control counter-clockwise
PLAYBACK TIME = "NOW." Set cursor time to now, and centers cursor in timeline display
NEXT SEGMENT. Move cursor to start of next later recorded segment
SLIDE CHART LATER. Slide time chart to later time (chart moves left)
JUMP CHART LATER. Move timeline one screen later in time
PREVIOUS DAY. Changes playback
time to first file of preceding day. (These also work with NumPad PgDn)
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When the Camera Records Events
When the camera detects motion within the specified zones, video segments are recorded and saved to the C:\WiLife Video folder, unless you are running in a pre-WiLife 2.0 version. Then, recorded video is saved to C:\LukWerks Video.
Of course, if you specified a different storage file location while completing the WiLife Install Wizard, then the WiLife Video folder and video files will be stored at that location. (See the graphic in this section for an example of the video storage structure for the WiLife Command Center.)
In the graphic, you will notice multiple sub-folders included in the WiLife Video folder. Each sub-folder represents a camera that has been installed on the command center. Each camera installed on the security system is given a unique MAC address. It is this address that you see listed as the name for each sub-folder.
Video files are then stored under the folder representing the camera they were captured by.
Video files are saved in the standard Windows Media 9 Video file format (.wmv) and can be played using Command Center’s Playback mode. You can also double-click on a .wmv file to play it using the standard Windows Media Player.
Playback Mode Right-Click Context Menu Options
While playing through recorded video segments in Playback Mode, you can right-click on an active video window to access the context menu.
This menu allows you to perform some operations that are not available from any other screen. These choices include options for managing segments, uploading video segment to WiLife Online account, printing and saving, and e-mailing.
Each of these operations applies to the current video segment. To manage a different video segment, click on the segment in the Playback Navigation window.
Option Description
Protect Video Segment Protect the video segment you just right-clicked on.
Unprotect Video Segment Unprotects the protected video clip you just right-clicked on.
Delete Video Segment Delete the video segment you just right-clicked on.
Protect and Upload Video Segment
Check Online Storage Opens the Online Storage Space window, allowing you to monitor the amount of storage
Print Current Frame Opens the Windows Print dialog window, allowing you to print the current frame from your
Save Current Frame Opens the Windows Save As dialog window, allowing you to save a current frame in one of
Save Current Segment Opens the Windows Save As dialog, allowing you to save the current file to another location
Upload and store important videos recorded by your cameras on your WiLIfe Online account, located on secure WiLife servers.
space you are using and/or have available on your WiLife Online account. The Online Storage Space screen also gives you access to view stored videos online and purchase more online storage.
local printer.
four formats: JPEG, BMP, PNG, and TIFF. Select the location where you want the file saved (default is WiLife), and rename the file from the default name.
on your hard drive or network.
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Send Email Opens the Email Recorded Video screen, allowing you to send the current video frame, the
first portion of the video segment, or the whole segment, along with a written message, to email recipients you can designate.
Properties Opens the Video Properties window, allowing you to see the metadata attached to the video
file. Details include the camera number, camera name, bitrate, and whether the file has been protected, triggered an alert, and was uploaded to your WiLife Online account. You can also enter your own brief description or upload it to your Platinum WiLife Online storage account.
Protect a Recorded Video Segment
The Command Center automatically deletes old files as it reaches its disk storage limit. It does this by deleting the oldest recorded video segments to make room for the new video. In some cases, you may have a segment that you want to protect for an extended period of time.
To protect a segment, navigate to the segment so that it is paused in the Playback window. Next, right-click on the video window to reveal the playback context menu and
choose Protect Video Segment. You can easily identify a protected video segment because it will show red rather than green in the navigation window. (See Managing Disk Usage in the chapter on Command Center Options for more details on disk space usage.)
Note: You can protect a video segment by right-clicking on a green video segment in the timeline and selecting Protect Video. Also, when two or more consecutive video segments are protected, the timeline will display them using two different shades of red, as is shown here.
Unprotect Video Segment
Command Center makes it easy for you to unprotect a protected video segment. To accomplish this, navigate to the protected video segment in the Playback window. When the video segment is displaying in the video window, right-click on the image representing the video clip and choose Unprotect Video Segment. The video segment will now display in the navigation window like other unprotected video clips, colored green.
Protect and Upload Video Segments
Store important videos recorded by your cameras on secure WiLife servers on the web. In fact, call it your very own WiLife video vault!
Command Center makes uploading video segments to your WiLife Online account easy. Literally right-click on the video file you want to upload and select “Protect and Upload Video Segments.” That’s it! Your video file is transferred to a safe and secure WiLife server.
Once uploaded video segments are on your WiLife Online account, you can play them from anywhere in the world, at any time; and share them with friends, family, and even local law enforcement, if needed.
The following graphic is an example of the uploading process screen that displays each time you protect and upload a video clip.
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Check Online Storage
Use the Check Online Storage option to monitor the amount of storage space you are using and/or have available on your WiLife Online account. The Online Storage Space screen also gives you access to view stored videos online and purchase more online storage.
To open the Online Storage Space screen, simply go to the Playback screen, right-click on any video clip, and choose the option “Check Online Storage.” On the right side of the screen, a pie chart will compare the space already used up with video clips (displayed in blue) with the space still available. The left side of the screen displays the exact amounts (in megabytes) of space — total amount of account storage space (100 MB), total used (8.13 MB), and total still available (91.8 MB), as illustrated in the graphic below.
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVE LINKS & BUTTONS
Upgrade Online Storage Use this option to purchase more online storage space using
the Get WiLife Service Add-ons page. Boost the storage capability of your WiLife Online account so you can store your most important video clips online and have them easily accessible from anywhere in the world and at any time.
View Stored Videos Use this option to quickly access the Video Storage page on
your WiLife Online account to view the video clips stored there.
Go to Chapter 4 and read the topic “Online Video Storage” for instructions regarding playing your stored videos.
Close Close the Online Storage Space screen.
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Print or Save Recorded Video
Printing or saving (save as) a video is simple.
1) Navigate to the segment so that it is paused in the playback window.
2) Right-click on the video window to reveal the playback context menu and choose the Print Current
Frame, Save Current Frame, or Save Current Segment option.
3) If printing, you will be asked which printer to use.
4) If saving, you will be asked to specify a location and file name for the frame or segment. If saving the
current frame, you can also specify other image file options, such as the file type, and if appropriate, the image quality or compression method.
Deleting a Video Clip
To quickly delete a video segment that you do not want to keep in your library, Navigate to the segment so that it is paused in the playback window.
1) Right-click on the desired video you want to delete. The Playback context menu options display.
2) Click on the "Delete Video Segment" option. The "OK to Delete?" window displays.
Note: If you have selected the Command Center option to require a password to delete video files (using Setup / Advanced / Manage Security), you will first be asked to provide the password.
3) Click the YES button to delete the video segment.
4) Click NO to close the window without deleting the video segment.
Navigation Timeline Note: You can also right-click on a green or red colored video segment in the timeline and select the option to delete a protected or saved video segment.
Password Note: Command Center offers password protection for the file deletion function for both Platinum and non-Platinum users. If password functionality is set, then, when the option to delete a file is attempted, you must enter a password.
Send E-mail
Note: The Mail Server must be configured on the on the Setup > Alerts > Email & Cell Phone Setup screen before you can use this feature.
In the Playback mode, right-click on any video panel and select the option “Send Email” from the list of options. The E-mail Recorded Video window displays. This screen allows you to distinguish what type of e-mail you are sending and to whom you will send it. These are your options:
Send selected still frame, first 10 seconds
of video, or the entire video segment
Select or enter which e-mail addresses to
send video
Add a comment for the e-mail
The E-mail Recipient(s) section works like the E­mail Alert list on the E-mail Setup screen, with Add/Edit/Remove buttons. By default, the E-mail recipient(s) list displays the addresses entered in E-mail Alert list, found on the E-mail tab screen of Setup. If you add and/or modify the list of addresses in this dialog window, the system
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remembers it and keeps these addresses for the next time you send video via e-mail.
Note: Adding or deleting a recipient to or from this list does not alter the list of email recipients that has been set up in the Setup > Email tab screen.
ADDING AN EMAIL ADDRESS
1) Click the ADD… button. The Add Email Recipient screen
displays.
2) Click the E-mail Address radio button.
3) Enter your e-mail address in the available field.
4) Click OK. The e-mail address is added to the list of E-
mail/cell phone addresses.
Note: You can send a video to a cell phone by clicking the Mobile Phone radio button and entering the cell phone number in the appropriate text boxes.
If your cell phone provider is not shown in the drop-down list, you can always enter your full cell phone email address in the upper section of the form, under Email Address. For example, you could enter ‘8015551212@mobile.mycingular.com’ as the destination email address.
EDITING AN E-MAIL ADDRESS
1) In the E-mail Recipient(s) window, click on the e-mail address you want to modify.
2) Click the Edit… button. The Edit E-mail Recipient window displays, with the address you want to modify
showing in the text field.
3) Modify the address and then click OK. The modified address is added to the list.
REMOVING AN E-MAIL ADDRESS
1) In the E-mail Recipient(s) window, click on the e-mail address you want to delete, so that it is
highlighted.
2) Click the Remove… button. The e-mail address is removed from the list of e-mail recipients.
Properties Dialog Window
When the cameras record video, the video is saved as a Windows Media Video file (.wmv). WiLife Command Center automatically applies metadata to each video file in order to make them more self-documenting and definable from other video clips.
Details written to the video clip include the camera name, bitrate, and whether the file has been protected, triggered an alert, and was uploaded to your WiLife Online account.
Though the default title of the video clip is the camera name and the date/time it was recorded, you have the ability on this screen to enter a new title and add unique notes about the video clip in the available Description panel.
Many of these attributes display when the file is opened in the Windows Media Player.
Note: Many of these metadata flags can be used as search criteria, using the Online Search and Playback tool.
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Online Viewing
With WiLife Online, you can monitor nearly-live video feeds from all of your WiLife Command Center sites over the Internet to Windows Mobile-enabled cell phones, Internet Browsers, and other devices that support Windows Media 9 Video. You may have set up this feature when you ran the Setup Wizard. If you did not set it up at that time, please complete these steps to activate:
1) Connect your Command Center PC to the Internet using a high-speed service like DSL or Cable
Broadband.
2) Go to Setup > Online. Click on the link that says ‘Create a WiLife Online account.’ Then follow the
steps outlined in the WiLife Setup Wizard to create a new WiLife Online account.
3) Setup the Online Viewing options on the Command Center Setup > Online dialog.
Additionally, you can register several sites – your second home, the office, and grandma’s house – with your account. This allows you to quickly check all of your WiLife installations.
Once you have configured your PC and online account, you are ready to enjoy online viewing. Online viewing lets you monitor your property from anywhere and at anytime.
Use Online Viewing
When you enable Online Viewing, the WiLife Command Center PC becomes a video server ready to publish video through the secure WiLife network over the Internet to you, wherever you are. WiLife intelligently creates the most efficient path through your local routers to your remote device. You connect to your video feed by going to www.wilife.com and logging into your WiLife Online account – using your username and password (or PIN for cell phones). Once connected to your account, you select the site and cameras you want to view. The WiLife server then routes a live video feed to your device. For more information, please go to the chapter Online Viewing.
Running in Background Mode
As mentioned earlier, Command Center has two operating modes: Full and Background. While running in Full Mode you have full access to the complete Windows interface.
In Background Mode, Command Center runs silently in the background and displays an icon of the Indoor Camera in the system tray.
Switching between Background and Active Screen Modes
From the active screen mode, you can also tell Command Center to run in Background Mode using one of two methods:
1) Click the close box – – in the upper right-hand corner of the screen
2) Click the Command Center icon in the system tray and choose Hide Command Center
In Background Mode, Command Center continues to record video, but uses only a small amount of system resources. This allows you to use all of your normal applications on a minimally-configured machine. Background Mode is another great feature of the WiLife system.
From Background mode, the simple way to show Command Center is to double-click on the WiLife icon in the system tray. You can also open the full user interface by right-clicking on the Command Center icon and choosing the option Show Command Center (as shown).
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SYSTEM TRAY RIGHT-CLICK OPTION DESCRIPTIONS
Option Description
Sh o w C o m m an d Ce n t e r
Hi d e C o m m a n d Ce n t e r
[S c h e d u l e d Al er ts Op t i o n s ]
Di s a b l e A l l No t i f i c a t i o n s
Mu t e A l l S oun ds En a b l e o r d isa ble all sounds.
Ex i t Clos e down the WiLife Com mand Center.
Di s p l a y th e W iLi fe Command Center for u s e .
If t h e W i L i f e Command Center is displa yed, this option clos e s t h e C o m m an d Center to t h e s y s t em tray. The Command Ce n ter is still running i n t h e b a c k ground.
Yo u c a n chan ge the current state o f the Command Center a l e r t s s y s t e m fro m the ri g h t - c l i c k o pt ions displayed h e r e .
Th e t h r e e r ight-click menu option s in this section will always be the sam e options di s p l a y i n g in the Scheduled Alerts s ection of the Live s creen in Command Cen ter. Th e o p t i o n s available here and they’ r e f u n c t i on s so l el y depend on whether y ou have al e r t s c r ea t e d and whether an alert is currently armed, or w h e t h e r m a n ua l a lerts ar e c u r r e n t l y ar med, etc.
Fo r m o r e i n f ormat ion regarding th ese options, see th e to pic “ Alerts Sch eduler Front Co n t r o l P a n e l.”
En a b l e o r d isa ble all notification o ptions.
LED DESCRIPTIONS
Take a look at the WiLife icon in your system tray. The three little LEDs on the left side are dynamic, giving the user some informative clues as to what WiLife is doing, even if it’s minimized.
Top LED Middle LED Bottom LED
At l e a s t o n e camera is st r e a m i n g v i d eo.
At l e a s t o n e camera is re c o r d i n g v i deo.
No c a m e r a s ar e streaming vi d e o .
Yo u a r e c o nne ct e d to WiLife On l i n e , b u t n o bo dy is viewing.
So m e o n e i s viewing Command Ce n t e r o n l in e.
Yo u a r e n o t conn ected to WiLife On l i n e .
Th i s L ED is always on as it si g n i f i e s t h at W iLife is “On.”
ICON TOOL TIPS
You can move your mouse over the WiLife icon in the system tray to see details such as whether any cameras are streaming video, recording, connected to WiLife Online for remote viewing, or being remotely viewed.
The graphic depicted in this section shows an example of the tool tip.
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Exiting Command Center
The WiLife Command Center does not, of course, record when your computer is not running. If you shutdown your computer while Command Center is running, you will see a message reminding you that you are closing Command Center as well.
To exit Command Center, follow these steps:
Click on the Command Center icon in the system tray Choose Exit from the menu
Remember that clicking the close box – – only closes the Windows interface, and Command Center will continue to run in Background Mode.
Note: If you have a password assigned to your system, you will need to enter your password before exiting. The following graphic is an example of this password screen.
Note: If you want to remotely view your cameras online, you MUST HAVE the WiLife Command Center running.
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4
WiLife Platinum Features
WiLife Platinum expands your already powerful video security system with innovative PC and Online features.
WiLife Platinum allows you to better protect your property, family, and employees by providing you with desktop notifications, powerful alerts, and increased accessibility to your cameras and recorded video files on the Internet anywhere in the world, at any time.
Power up with Platinum and increase the monitoring power of your WiLife System Command Center. With access and power like this, you’ll never go back to monitoring the old fashioned way.
Scheduled Alerts No-Motion Detected Alerts
Use a simple calendar to schedule times to turn email and cell motion alerts on or off. For example, arm your system Monday through Friday at 10:00 PM and disarm at 6:00 AM.
Intelligently monitor an area where you expect
motion. If there is no motion, the system alerts you. Now you can be notified immediately whether the kids come home from school on time.
Desktop Notifications Password System Lock
Let WiLife notify you when there is motion on your cameras with a popup window on your PC. Notifications display a thumbnail image of the event and optionally sound an alert tone of your choice.
Digital Pan-Tilt-Zoom Online Connection Monitoring
Scan and zoom within the current viewing area of your camera. Now you can focus in on the door, cash register, or other home and business targets from your WiLife Command Center.
Online Video Storage Online Camera Management
Keep your important video safe. Store protected video clips securely in your online account where you have the perfect tools to review, organize, and share.
Online Search & Playback Online Video Sharing
Go beyond live Internet viewing. Access your recorded video at anytime, anywhere. Use easy search tools to locate and view video by date, time, and site - with up to the minute availability.
Keeps the snooping eyes and tampering fingers
of employees or kids off the entire Command Center or individual features while you are away. Lock access using your private system password.
Remotely supervise your system by receiving an
email or cell phone message if your Command Center, PC, or cameras go offline. Now you can take action fast.
Control cameras through WiLife Online where you
can remotely adjust options such as resolution, motion sensitivity, and even arm/disarm alerts.
Share select video clips with friends, family,
employees and even local law enforcement. Simply upload the segment and list the email addresses for nearly instant distribution.
Whenever you attempt to use a Platinum-specific feature, the WiLife Command Center is going to display a popup message that educates you about the Platinum feature you selected to use and displays a link where you can get more information about Platinum and subscribe.
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Whenever you attempt to use a Platinum-specific feature, the WiLife Command Center is going to display a popup message that educates you about the Platinum feature you selected to use and displays a link where you can get more information about Platinum and subscribe.
Upgrading to WiLife Platinum is easy. Simply log in to your WiLife Online account, follow the link to Upgrade Subscriptions, and sign up for WiLife Platinum. Once you finish, the new features are immediately enabled without the need to download software or enter complex license keys.
This chapter highlights the Platinum features found at WiLife Online.
Online Connection Monitoring
Online Connection Monitoring gives you the power to supervise your WiLife Command Center remotely by receiving email and mobile phone messages whenever your WiLife Command Center or cameras go offline or online.
With this feature, you can:
Have your own personal security supervisor. Be informed of command center status via connection messages. Get a jump start on a potential camera or site issue. Know immediately when and why a camera or a site goes offline.
HOW IT WORKS….
1) Log in to your WiLife Online Account.
2) Click on the Connection Monitoring tab.
3) Create an E-mail or Mobile Phone alert, specifying which device
you want to be alerted when it goes offline or online – the WiLife Command Center or a camera(s).
Note: Your ability to create alert notifications is nearly limitless. The feature allows you to create as many alert recipients as you want. The screen lists all of the e-mail and mobile phone recipient alert records you create.
4) Edit or delete alert recipient records.
The following graphic illustrates the functions capable with the Connection Monitoring Platinum feature:
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Online Video Storage
Have you wanted an easily accessible, secure storage facility on the Internet for your most important video files? WiLife has made it possible! Online video storage. Easy accessibility. Secure storage server.
Plus, uploading video files is faster than counting to three. Literally right-click on the video file you want to upload and select “Protect and upload.” That’s it! Your video file is safe and secure in your very own WiLife video vault!
Online Video Storage allows you to:
Store important videos recorded by your cameras on WiLife servers. Play stored files from anywhere in the world, at any time. Share selected video clips with friends, family, and even local law enforcement. Manage the stored video files remotely.
HOW IT WORKS…..
1) From the Playback screen in your WiLife Command Center, right-click on a valuable video file and
select “Protect and Upload Video Segment.” The file is then uploaded to your online video storage account.
2) From your WiLife Online account, remotely view all of your uploaded video files on the Storage page.
3) Click the Play icon for the desired video clip to view the whole clip.
4) Click the Share icon for the desired video clip to send it via email.
5) Delete video clips by checking the desired video clips and then clicking the Delete button.
This graphic illustrates the functions available on the Storage page.
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Online Video Sharing
WiLife Platinum gives you the ability to share video files you’ve stored online with friends, family, employees, and even local law enforcement. We call it Online Video Sharing and it’s so easy to do!
Online Video Sharing allows you immediate access and ability to:
Share fun videos! Help substantiate or refute a claim. Help solve a crime. Create your very own security-minded community with
friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
HOW IT WORKS….
1) Whenever you find a must-see-and-share video on the
Storage tab, simply click on the Share button for the desired video file.
2) Enter the e-mail addresses of the parties you want to see the
video.
3) Type an introduction for the video (up to 200 characters
long).
4) Click Send.
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Online Search & Playback
Go beyond live Internet viewing. You can now search for and play video clips from your WiLife Command Center online! Thanks to WiLife Platinum.
Access your recorded video from a site anywhere and at
any time.
Using a user-friendly search tool and numerous search
criteria options, find video by date, time, site, or camera.
Create and save custom searches. Play full video clips.
You can remotely view the video clips at any one of your WiLife Command Center sites using the Online Search and Playback page on your WiLife Online Account.
The Online Search and Playback page allows you to browse through video clips or complete a more advanced search. The page is simple enough to use that you can wade through video until you find something interesting to watch as you move forward or backward along the timeline of recorded video clips on each Command Center site. The Search options are robust enough that you can locate videos of a particular interest based on criteria you specify on a whim or using a previously saved search or quick search. It's perfect for situations where you have a pretty good idea of what you are looking for.
Complete a quick search. The Search and Playback feature uses "smart" search functionality, allowing you to not only save and store multiple custom searches, but change them as well. Add more search criteria to saved searches. In fact, add flags or highlights regarding what is interesting about the video clip (unusually large size, unusually long duration, and video on either side of such a hit).
Search using criteria based upon the start date/time & end date/time of the video clip; the length of motion; video "rank"; whether an alert was triggered; protected clips; file size; duration of video clip; Command Center site; and specific cameras.
Regarding searching for videos, you can search using a Quick Search or an Advanced Search.
Quick Search Options Advanced Search Options
- Today's videos
- This Weeks Videos
- High Motion Videos
- Larger Videos
- Longer Videos
- Alerted Video
- Start Date/Time
- End Date/Time
- Amount of Motion (below average, average, above average, top 20%)
- Size
- Duration
- Alerted
- Protected
SEARCH FUNCTION NOTES:
The search results automatically include surrounding video clips that were recorded right before and
after the video clip resulting from the search, regardless of search results. This is true for the camera(s) involved in the search.
You can save a search for future use. (If you save a search, you will be required to give the search a
name.)
An Automatic Update property exists so WiLife Online updates the list of video clips from your
Command Center. Choose between 5, 10, or 30 minutes, etc. updates.
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SEARCH RESULTS
Video search results can be displayed using two display modes -- text-grid view (default), which includes a header and can be sorted by each column; or by thumbnail tile view, which includes details of the video when you mouse-over the thumbnail. You can switch views without performing a second search.
Options available for search results displayed in
text-grid view include:
- Check box to allow multiple video clip selection.
- Play button to play a single file.
- Play checked files.
- "More" icon on list retrieves thumbnail, title, description, or other available information about the recording.
- "Nearby/Related Recordings" allows you to get the next 5 and previous 5 videos (within 5 minutes), temporarily (same camera), spatially (all/selected cameras) or both.
Options available for search results displayed in
thumbnail view include:
- Thumbnail of each video (large size).
- Page rankings.
- "More" icon on list retrieves text display with the duration, size, "rank," amount of motion, date/time, alerted and protected.
- "Nearby/Related Recordings" allows you to get the next 5 and previous 5 videos (within 5 minutes), temporarily (same camera), spatially (all/selected cameras) or both.
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Purchasing WiLife Platinum
To purchase WiLife Platinum:
1) Click on the “Get WiLife Platinum Now! Click Here!” button in the left panel. (This button is accessible from any screen on your WiLife Online Account pages.) The Buy WiLife Services page displays.
Note: You can also access the purchase page buy clicking on the “Purchase Now!” link from the Connection Monitoring, Online Storage, or Remote Playback pages; or by clicking the “Purchase Now!” link displaying at the end of each Platinum Feature description on your My Account page.
2) In the Choose Subscription dropdown field, select the WiLife Service you want to purchase (i.e. WiLife Platinum). If you have more than one site, they will all be listed in the Choose Subscription section and a dropdown field will exist for each site.
Once you choose your subscription service, the details of the purchase are printed to the cart, as shown below. Details about the subscription purchase include: the name of the service item (WiLife Platinum), cost, renewal date, number of Platinum upgrades, and amount of additional storage space.
3) Click “Continue to Add-ons.”
4) The Buy WiLife Services Add-ons page allows you to purchase additional storage space, upwards of 500 MB, 2 GB, or 10 GB. To purchase an add-on, click on the “Add to Cart” link representing the desired option.
For this exercise, let’s add an additional 500 MB of storage space to our order. Notice that the Cart is updated to show the add-on, new total, and new storage amount:
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Other Cart Options
Click the Change link to change the Subscription option.
Click the Remove link to remove the Add-on item.
5) Click “Go to Billing Information” to continue.
6) Complete all of the required Payment and Billing Information fields and then click “Continue with Order.”
7) The cart now displays your billing information, displaying an Edit link that allows you to edit the information, if you find it inaccurate.
8) Click “Complete Purchase.” A printable version of your order displays on the screen. Click “View printable version” icon to view and print your order.
9) Click the “Return to WiLife Online” button to return to your My Cameras page.
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5
Setting System Options
The default configuration of your WiLife Command Center provides you with all of the basic features activated so that you have a fully-functioning video security system running in minutes. However, the Command Center lets you change the settings to enable additional features like e-mail alerts, desktop notifications, and online viewing. You can also upgrade to WiLife Platinum.
You find these options in the Command Center’s Setup dialog, by clicking the SETUP button from the Live or Playback screens.
Overview of Command Center Settings
Using Setup is simple and intuitive. Simply click on the SETUP button on the main window. You find this button next to the GO TO LIVE or GO TO PLAYBACK button. Additionally, you can right-click on one of the video windows and choose one of the options we display. That too will take you into Setup.
Setup is like any other tabbed dialog in modern Windows applications. It consists of a title bar and various tabs that show feature-specific fields and buttons, allowing you to set and modify camera and system settings. Additionally, you may view information and statistics regarding the cameras, network, and system.
Command Center Setup Tabs
Setup is divided into five tabs— Camera, Recording, E-mail, Remote, and Advanced. To further introduce you to these tabs, here is a table that describes each one:
Tab Screens Descriptions
Camera View and edit camera properties such as brightness and contrast for the selected
camera. Here you can perform these and other operations:
• Changing camera names
• Adjusting video quality attributes
• Deleting cameras
• Changing the camera display order
Recording Manage camera motion detection, define fixed recording schedules, and control
and monitor disk allocation and usage.
• Set motion detection sensitivity
• Create and modify motion detection zones
• Schedule specific recording times
• View disk usage
Alerts Setup and edit e-mail account information, define e-mail and cell phone recipients,
and activate desktop notifications for each camera.
Online Enable Online Viewing and enter your WiLife Online user account information.
Advanced Add a new camera to the system, display and edit advanced properties, passwords,
and view system information.
• Add a new camera to the system or get help finding undiscovered cameras
• Change your system password
• Update system software and firmware
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Camera Tab Options
Use the Setup Camera dialog to view and modify properties for each camera— e.g. define a name, flip the display orientation, and adjust the image quality. You will find the default image settings work for most conditions. However, adjusting these options when conditions require is easy and straightforward.
Launch the Camera Setup Dialog
From the main Command Center screen click the SETUP button and choose the Camera tab to modify the camera settings:
Dialog Item Usage
Camera Buttons
Camera Name
Text Color Click to change the color of the text shown on
Text Location Click one of 9 positions within the box to set
Auto Brightness
Brightness +/-
Contrast +/- Slide the bubble toward the + or – to adjust
Flip Image Check to flip image vertically when camera is
Mirror Image Check to flip image horizontally like a mirror.
Advanced Options
Camera Information
Delete Camera
Click the camera buttons 1-6 to select the camera you wish to adjust.
Set the name to display on the video screen and setup camera button.
the video image.
the screen location for the name.
Check to allow camera to automatically adjust image brightness and contrast with changing conditions.
Slide the bubble toward + to brighten and toward the – to darken the image.
image contrast.
mounted upside down.
Set advanced options for the camera. (See the “Advanced Options” topic below for details.)
View the Powerline adapter network settings and Powerline networking conditions for your cameras.
Click button to remove the selected camera from the list of active cameras in Command Center. However, it does not delete any stored video clips.
ADVANCED OPTIONS
The advanced camera options allow you to change camera resolution, frame rate, and other options. We expect that you will rarely need to change these settings. Command Center writes these advanced options to the WiLife Camera for processing. Thus, when changing Advanced Options, remember to click the Apply button.
The most common advanced option to adjust is Resolution, increasing it to 640 x 480. At the higher resolution you get a sharper image, but remember that to use this setting with live viewing, you will need a machine that matches or exceeds our Recommended Computer specifications. Using an underpowered PC with either higher resolution or higher bit rates may result in video that appears jerky. With some power outlet locations (for the camera), the higher resolution and bitrate settings may not work fully so some experimentation is sometimes required.
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Here is a brief review of these options:
Option Description
Resolution The Resolution dropdown option allows you to set VGA or QVGA resolution. By
default, your cameras are set at QVGA (320 x 240) resolution and 15 frames per second (fps). You can experiment with your camera resolution and frame rate to produce the ideal results given the capabilities of your PC. Choosing higher a resolution requires a faster CPU and Video Card to smoothly render live and stored video to the screen.
Frame rate The Frame Rate option allows you to choose video capture speeds between 15
fps (frames per second) and 5 fps. Choosing a higher frame rate requires a faster CPU and Video Card to smoothly render live and stored video to the screen.
Bit rate The Bit Rate option allows you to specify the speed at which the picture is
transferred. Higher bitrate means bigger file size and generally better video quality while lower bitrate means lower file size but worse video quality.
Camera order Change the order in which this camera displays in the Setup program and on
the live video feed.
Enable Motion LED Check this box to enable the front red LED on the camera. When activated, the
red LED will blink when the camera senses motion.
Delete a Camera
Setup > Camera > Camera # > DELETE CAMERA button.
When you unplug a camera from your system, the Command Center retains the settings of the camera (password, name, position, etc.), allowing you to move your camera to other needed locations around your home or office. In all, the Command Center anticipates that you will return the camera to the system. If you are permanently removing a camera from the system, you can free the camera position by deleting the camera using the Delete Camera command.
Here are the steps:
1) Open the Setup program.
2) Click on the Camera tab.
3) Click on the camera button for the camera you want to delete.
4) Click on the DELETE CAMERA button and click the YES button to confirm delete choice.
Note: Deleting a camera will remove all of your local camera configuration options. However, it does not delete any of the stored video clips recorded by that camera.
Recording Tab Options
The Setup > Recording tab allows you to manage the recording of live video from your cameras to your PC hard drive. It allows you to manage motion detection, schedule recording times, and manage disk usage.
Learn About Motion Detection
By default, each camera automatically records video any time it detects any motion. Recording only motion has the advantage of saving disk space. WiLife Cameras also allow you to change from “entire image” motion detection, to individually defined zones. These smart cameras have the capability of detecting motion in up to 16 regions – which we call motion zones. This is useful if you want to eliminate detection along the road and limit it to the parking lot only. Motion detection works by comparing the difference between consecutive frames of video and calculating if any scene changes have been detected.
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Each time the camera detects motion it alerts the Command Center software and records the event and a few prior frames. Once motion is detected, the system records uninterrupted until 5-seconds after the motions stops. This could create seconds or minutes of compressed video.
Review the Recording Dialog
From the main Command Center screen click the SETUP button and choose the Recording tab to modify your recording and disk usage settings:
Dialog Item Usage
Camera Buttons
Detection Sensitivity
Display of Zones
Clear All Zones
Clear Selected Zone
Enable Entire Image
Schedule Recording Time
View Disk Usage
Click the camera button 1-6 to select the camera you wish to adjust.
Slide the bubble toward the [–] to reduce or toward the [+] to increase the motion sensitivity for the selected camera.
Check to see zones on the live view of each camera during motion detection.
Click button to delete all motion detection zones for the selected camera.
After clicking within one of the detection zone, click this button to delete the chosen zone. You can also simply press the Delete key.
Click to set the entire image as one complete zone. (Default)
Click button to open the Recording & Alerts Schedule Screen to schedule recording times, armed alerts, or times cameras are to be disabled.
Click button to review current disk usage or to change the video storage location.
Manage Motion Detection Zones
SETUP > Recording
When you have the Setup > Recording dialog open, Command Center enters a special mode that allows you to select and draw motion zones directly on the Live Video image. You must be in Live Mode to access the full functionality when working with motion zones.
To manage detection zones for a camera, follow these instructions:
1) Click on the Setup button and choose the Recording tab.
Creating and deleting individual zones now is an interaction between the open setup dialog and the
live video window.
a) To create a new zone, hold down your left-mouse button on one corner of the region and drag the
mouse across the screen to the opposite corner of the zone. (If you decide that you do not like the zone you are creating, you can hit the ESC key before you let go of the mouse.)
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b) To delete a single zone, left-click anywhere in the zone and then press the Delete key or click the
Clear Selected Zone button.
c) To delete all zones, click the Clear All Zones button. d) Finally, to detect motion anywhere on the image, click the Enable Entire Image button.
Note: Remember, you can create up to 16 motion zones per camera.
Set Motion Detection Sensitivity
Setup > Recording > Motion Detection section > Sensitivity Slider.
Use the Sensitivity slider on the Setup > Recording tab to adjust the level of motion sensitivity for each camera. The setting ranges from 0 to 100 sensitive. 100 is the most sensitivity. You can adjust the sensitivity to meet your needs. A very low number will tell the camera to only detect the motion of large objects (a person or car). A high number will increase the sensitivity allowing you to capture the motion of small objects like pets or even a passing cloud.
In our graphic below, the motion detection sensitivity level is set to 50.
Schedule Recording Time
Setup > Recording > Recording section > SCHEDULE RECORDING TIME.
The Command Center allows you to schedule recording events for each camera. These events have two types: Set Continuous Recording and Turn Cameras and Recording Off.
During Continuous recording schedules, Command Center records video from the selected camera even when there is no motion. Turn Cameras and Recording Off schedules disable both Motion and Continuous recording, although you can still monitor live video.
To activate the Recording Schedule dialog, click the SCHEDULE RECORDING TIME button on the Setup > Recording tab.
See Chapter 6: Using the Scheduler for more information.
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Manage Disk Usage
The Command Center Disk Usage dialog allows you to view and change the disk allocation rules. The adjustable options include the Video Path and Max Allocation. You can also view the free disk space, current usage, and discard date among other statistics. You open the Command Center Disk Usage dialog by clicking on the VIEW DISK USAGE button on the Setup > Recording dialog.
This graphic shows a screen shot of the Disk Usage dialog. A description of each field is also included:
Dialog Item Usage
Video Path (adjustable)
Browse Button (…)
Free Disk Space
Max Allocation
Current Usage
Discarding From
Command Center Disk Usage Per Camera
The path where Command Center stores video files. The default value is C:\WiLife Video.
The browse button allows you to navigate and pick another video storage directory.
The amount of free space on the drive Command Center is using to store video files.
The max amount of space you allow to Command Center for storing video files. The number is in megabytes. The gray calculations shows the percent of the disk drive allocated for video storage use.
Current usage shows the megabytes in current use for video files. The gray calculation shows the percent of the maximum allocated in use.
Discarding From shows the date of the oldest file and the one Command Center will delete if it needs to recycle space to make room for a new clip.
Here you can review a detailed list of the storage and files in use by each camera.
Change Video Storage Options
Setup > Recording > Recording section > VIEW DISK USAGE button.
Command Center allows you to store captured video segments in any directory you wish. Once you have chosen a directory, Command Center allows you to specify the maximum space you want to allocate for video. By default, when you choose a path, Command Center will guess at a reasonable maximum disk allocation, which you can change.
To change the storage directory,
1) From the Setup dialog, click on the Recording tab.
2) Click the VIEW DISK USAGE button.
3) Either enter the path for the video files or click the browse (…) button and navigate to the path.
4) Finally, set the amount of disk space you wish to allocate to video files in this directory.
Note: If you reduce the amount of disk space allocated to video files to a number less than that currently in use, Command Center will slowly reduce the space used as new recordings are created.
5) Click the APPLY button to apply the changes.
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Alerts Tab Option
With the WiLife Command Center, you can receive e-mail and cell phone alerts (messages) when a camera detects motion. You have the option of receiving one of three message types: simple text-only, text and one frame of video, or a video clip. In any case, this e-mail alert option allows you to know when your cameras are capturing motion.
You set e-mail alerts on the Command Center Setup > Alerts dialog, which allows you to configure e-mail alerts.
Note: For WiLife Platinum users, when an email alert message is sent to you or an email recipient, that message includes a link that takes you to your WiLife Online account so you can see the video that triggered the alert.
The following graphic is a screen shot of the Alerts dialog:
Dialog Item Usage
Camera Buttons
E-mail & Cell Phone Setup
Schedule Email & Mobile Alerts
Set Manual Alert Properties
Desktop Notifications (WiLife Platinum)
Click the camera button 1-6 to select the camera for which you are managing alerts.
Select the type of alert action you want a camera to send when it detects motion. The options include—do nothing; send a text message; or send a frame of the captured video.
Check to turn on e-mail alerts for the selected camera. Uncheck to turn the alerts off.
Select the type of alert action you want a camera to accomplish during an alert event— do nothing; send a text message; send a frame of the captured video; or send an excerpt from the beginning of the video segment.
Set the minimum length of motion necessary to trigger an alert, the minimum time between alerts, or the maximum frequency you want alerts to be sent.
With WiLife Platinum, activate desktop notifications that notify you when there is motion on your cameras. Desktop notifications display as popups on your PC's desktop and display a thumbnail image of the event and play an alert tone.
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E-mail and Cell Phone Alerts Setup
SEND ALERTS USING ACCOUNT
Enter the account information for the e-mail server you will use for sending alert notifications. Information required to enable this option is your e-mail address, account username, account password, and outgoing mail server address.
Note: Go to Outgoing Email Server Settings for a list of the more popular web email service providers that includes the addresses for each. If you don't find your email service provider listed, please contact them to get the address for the Outgoing/smtp mail server.
SEND ALERTS TO SECTION
Enter e-mail and cell phone recipient addresses for those you want alerts sent.
ADD/EDIT/REMOVE BUTTONS
Use the Add... button to add email and cell phone addresses as recipients for alert notifications.
Use the Edit... button to edit the email and/or cell phone address selected in the Recipient panel.
Use the Remove button to remove email addresses from the list of e-mails.
TEST ALERTS SECTION
After you have entered the values specifying your local e-mail account information (mail server name, account name, account password, e-mail address) and added the e-mail addresses in the Send E-mail to list, press the
TEST button to send a test message to each of the addresses.
When you click the TEST button, Command Center shows ‘Sending’ on the button’s face.
If Command Center successfully connects to your server, it displays a message asking you to check your e-mail to see if a test message arrived successfully. If Command Center was unable to send the test message, it will provide you with an error message indicating the type of problem.
Note: Sometimes, the process of sending and delivering the test message can take a few minutes, depending on your e-mail provider.
Outgoing E-Mail Server Settings
In order to have your WiLife Command Center properly relay e-mail alerts and notifications to you and those addresses you've configured to receive notifications, you need to configure the Outgoing Email Server with the outgoing mail server address of your email provider (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail or else).
The following table lists the settings you can use to complete the Outgoing Email Server field:
Email Server Provider Outgoing Email Server Address
Google Gmail smtp.gmail.com
Yahoo! Mail smtp.mail.yahoo.com
Hotmail mx1.hotmail.com
MSN smtp.email.msn.com
EarthLink smtpauth.earthlink.net
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Email Server Provider Outgoing Email Server Address
Netscape smtp.isp.netscape.com
Lycos smtp.mail.lycos.com
Xmission mail.xmission.com
Comcast.net smtp.comcast.net
AOL smtp.aol.com
CompuServe smtp.compuserve.com
NetZero smtp.netzero.com
SBC Global smtpauth.sbcglobal.net
Add E-mail Addresses
Setup > Alerts > Email and Cell Phone Setup.
The WiLife Command Center makes adding email address easy. If you want a specific email account to be notified when detection on a camera is captured, follow these simple instructions:
1) Click the SETUP button.
2) Click the Alerts tab.
3) Click on the button "Email and Cell Phone Setup."
4) Click the ADD button. The Add Email Recipient screen
displays.
5) Click the Email Address radio button.
6) Enter the desired email address in the available field.
7) Click OK. The email address is added to the Recipients panel on the Email and Cell Phone Alerts
Setup screen.
Note: You can enter up to 10 email and cell phone addresses.
Create Cell Phone Alerts
Most modern cell phones and cell phone providers support messaging. You can send alerts to your cell phone just like e-mail messages. The trick is determining the e-mail address for your phone. The typical format for these e-mail addresses is ##########@yourprovidersaddress.com, where ########## is your cell phone number. Here are a few examples for different cell phone providers.
Provider E-mail Address
Cingular ##########@mobile.mycingular.com
Sprint ##########@messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile ##########@tmomail.net
Nextel ##########@page.nextel.com
Verizon ##########@vtext.com
AT&T ##########@mmode.com
For example, if my cell phone number is (123) 555-7890 and my cell phone provider is Sprint, my alert e-mail address is 1235557890@messaging.sprintpcs.com.
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Because of limits in many cell phone messaging systems, most will not send you video frames or video clips.
To set up the WiLife Command Center to send alerts to your cell phone, follow these easy steps:
1) Click on the SETUP button.
2) Click the Alerts tab.
3) Click on the button "Email and Cell Phone Setup."
4) Click the ADD button. The Edit Email Recipient screen displays.
5) Click the Mobile Phone radio button.
6) Enter the full cell phone number in the available fields.
7) Click the drop down arrow and select the mobile phone provider you use.
8) Click OK. The cell phone number is added to the panel of Email/cell phone addresses.
Note: You can enter up to 10 email and cell phone addresses.
Remove E-mail Addresses
Setup > Alerts > Email and Cell Phone Setup.
To remove an email address from the Recipients list, follow these tasks:
1) Click the SETUP button.
2) Click on the Alerts tab.
3) Click on the button "Email and Cell Phone Setup."
4) In the Recipients panel, highlight the email address or cell phone number you want to remove.
5) Click the REMOVE button. The email address is immediately removed.
E-mail Recorded Video
It will not surprise you that the cameras will capture humorous or entertaining video once in a while. From WiLife, it is easy to email a clip to a friend.
In Playback mode, you can right-click on a displayed video image, and select “Send Email.”
A dialogue window displays, allowing you to:
Select what you want to send (first frame, first portion of the segment, or the whole segment). Select who you want to send the email to -- your normal Email Alerts recipients (as before) or to
different email addresses.
Enter a personal message, such as “Hey, check out these doorbell ditchers!”
Note: Before you can use Email functions, you need to configure your email server in the Setup > Alerts tab screen. Once you have defined an email server, and assigned email addresses, Command Center will send an alert to the specified email addresses with video is captured.
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Desktop Notifications
Desktop Notifications allows you to set unique PC alerts that include thumbnails of a video clip, text, and even a distinguishing sound so that you not only see the notification but you hear it as well.
Desktop notifications display whenever an important WiLife Command Center event occurs such as a camera was lost/found, a scheduled event was started/stopped, an online viewing session was started/stopped, or motion was detected by a camera.
Note: You can enable/disable desktop notifications from the WiLife Command Center Software icon in the system tray.
Desktop notifications are set up on the Advanced > Alerts tab. See Setting Desktop Notifications for details.
Here are three examples of the notifications that will appear on the desktop.
New Camera Discovered Camera Not Detected
When a camera is discovered by your Command Center, the notification will display and give you details such as what type of camera was detected, the firmware version, and its MAC address.
Motion Detected
When a camera detects motion, the notification will display and relay the camera's name and display a thumbnail of the recording as well as the date/time stamp the camera detected motion.
When a camera is no longer detected by Command Center, the notification will display and relay the camera's name so you know exactly which camera to check on.
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Setting Desktop Notifications
The following graphic shows and describes the fields applicable to desktop notification functionality:
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Online Viewing Setup
Online Viewing allows you to view live video from your cameras anywhere and at anytime. If you did not set up Online Viewing during the Setup Wizard, first create a “WiLife Online” account at www.wilife.com/register. Learn more by reading the chapter Using Online Viewing later in this user guide.
Verify System Requirements
Before beginning the setup, confirm that your system meets our recommended requirements. Unlike a minimal WiLife setup, remote viewing consumes more resources and requires a high-speed internet connection to perform well.
MACHINE CONFIGURATION
For remote viewing, confirm that your machine matches or exceeds the recommended configuration.
Requirement
1 2 3 4 5 6
CPU Speed* 2.2 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.6 GHz 298 GHz 3.0 GHz 3.2 GHz
Memory (MB) ** 512 512 512 768 1024 1024
Video Card (MB)
Display Resolution: 1024 x 768 or higher, 32 bit color
Hard Drive (MB): 150 MB for program and a minimum of 10 GB for video recording
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® Vista;
USB: One available USB 1.1 or 2.0 port (2.0 recommended)
Media Player: Microsoft® Windows® Media Player 9 or later
* Intel® Pentium 4 CPU speed. Dual-core and AMD processors deliver similar performance at lower clock speeds.
** Microsoft Vista requires more memory to deliver equal performance.
32 32 64 128 128 256
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition,
XP Professional, or XP Media Center Edition
Number of Cameras
NETWORK REQUIREMENTS
Requirement Description
Network Speed Uplink and downlink speeds of 150kpbs or faster, per installation (DSL,
Connection Type Always-on broadband connection
Remote Viewing Using Cell Phones & Handhelds
WiLife provides remote viewing using Windows Mobile cell phones, handhelds, and web browsers. The common requirement for a compatible web browser is support for Windows Media Player 9. The common requirement for the cell phone is also support for Windows Media 9. Usually you can find these phones labeled as Windows Mobile or Windows Smartphones.
WiLife is compatible with a wide range of Microsoft Windows Mobile cell phones and wireless handhelds. Of course, these devices require Internet access either through a cell service provider or wireless Internet hub, depending on your device.
Cable Modem, T1)
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Note: Cell phone users should subscribe to an unlimited data plan to ensure cost effective access.
Examples of Compatible Cell Phones
An e x t e k S P 2 3 0
As u s P 5 3 5 , P 52 5, P505
Au d i o v o x P P C 6601; PPC 5050, PPC 4100; SMT 56 0 0
Ci n g u l a r 8 5 2 5 ; 8125; 3125;
Do p o d S t r T rk S 300
E- t e n M 6 0 0; P300B
Gi g a b y t e GS mar t
Go t i v e H 4 1
GS M K C r y p t oph one
Hi t a c h i P o cke t PC phone
HP i P A Q h w 6 500 series; h6300 series
HT C M t e o R ; T y T N; Universal; Wiza r d; Blue Angel; Ty p h o o n ; A ma deus; Magician
iM a t e S m a r t Fl i p; SP5; SP5m; K-JAM; J A S J A R
Mi c r o s o f t / F l extronics "Peabody"
Mo t o r o l a Q ; i930; CN620; MPx, M Px100 & MPx220
Ne o n o d e N 1
02 X D A ; X Phone
Or a n g e S P V C6 00; C550
Pa l m T r e o 7 0 0w
Pa n t e c h P H -S 8000 T
Qo o l L a b s AD A
Sa m s u n g B l a ck Jack; SCH-i730; SCH-i6 0 0 ; S G H - i 3 0 0
Sh a r p W - Z e ro 3
Si e m e n s S X 6 6
Si e r r a W i r e l ess Voq Phone
Sp r i n t P CS V is ion; Power Vision;
T- M o b i l e Dash; MDA; SDA
Ve r i z o n X V 6 7 00
Examples of Wireless Handheld Devices:
Ab o v e - N e t T o p100P
Ac e r n 2 0 s e r i es
As u s M y Pa l A7 30 W
De l l A x i m X 51v ; X51; X50v; X50; X30
HP i P A Q h x 2 4 00 series; hx2700 se ries; hx3700 se r i e s ; h x 47 00 series
i- m a t e P D A 2
In t r i n s y c C ar bonado;
Ju n i p e r S ys te ms Archer Field PC
Le n o v o E T 9 60
Mi t a c M i o A2 01
MP 2 S o l u t i ons MR T300
Ol y m p u s " T o u gh D igital Assistants"
To s h i b a e 8 0 5 ; e400/e405; e750/e755; e 8 0 0 / e 8 0 5
BROWSER
Common Requirements Windows Media Player 9 or later
Browsers Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 5.5 or later
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Online Dialog Screen Options
Once you have created your WiLife Online account, you are ready to setup individual sites such as the Home, Office, or Vacation Home. You use the Setup > Online dialog to configure the site options:
Dialog Item Usage
Username
Location Displays the name for this location. You can
Connect Only active if this site is disconnected from the
Disconnect Only active if this site is connected. Click to
Online Status
WiLife Platinum
Displays the username for your WiLife Online account. Click the Change link to edit your account settings.
have many sites attached to your remote viewing account. Click the Change link to edit your account settings.
online account. Click to re-connect, allowing you to have remote access to your camera images from the Internet and Smart Phone.
disconnect.
Displays the status of your online connection and remote streaming ability. This section has a link to your WiLife Online Account where you can view live video from your cameras and use the features of WiLife Platinum.
The WiLife Platinum section displays the status of Platinum and the used/available ratio of online video storage. Click the View Stored Videos link to access the videos you've uploaded to your WiLife Online account.
SCREEN NOTES
In the Online Connection section, notice that the Online Status will display “Connected” when it completes the link to the online servers. If the connection becomes broken, the Remote Viewing Status line will display a message, such as “Disconnected—Account Unknown.” In this case, recheck your account info and review the troubleshooting guide for possible reasons and solutions.
Here are some frequent questions that may be of help:
Will I have to pay to use online viewing? No. The standard remote viewing functionality is a free
service.
Is there a time limit for viewing video? It depends on your Internet capability and firewall settings.
WiLife automatically determines how to stream video to you in the most direct way. If the Command Center cannot find a direct path, we direct the video feed through WiLife’s network. We call this “Relayed Mode” and there is a three­minute time limit.
If the Command Center finds a direct path, you are
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connected via “Direct Mode.” In Direct Mode, there is no time limit. You can view a video feed for any length of time.
Cell phone viewing is limited to 3 minutes.
There are answers to more questions available in our Knowledge Base/FAQ (http://wilife.custhelp.com/cgi-
bin/wilife.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php) and Tips & Tricks
(http://www.wilife.com/Support/TipsAndTricks.aspx)
Online Connection Section Descriptions
Setup > Online tab > Online Connection Section
The Online Connection section of the Online tab screen allows you to check the status of your online connection and streaming video. The following screen shot is an example of this feature.
ONLINE STATUS INDICATORS
The Online Status field specifies whether or not you’re currently connected to our WiLife servers. For Online status, there are four primary indicators: Disconnected, Attempting Connection, Connected, and Disconnecting.
Indicators Descriptions
Disconnected Command Center is currently disconnected from remote viewing.
Attempted Connection Command Center is attempting to enable remote viewing.
Connected Command Center is connected and available for remote viewing.
Disconnecting Command Center is disconnecting from remote viewing.
There are also indicators that will display in the event of an error. The following table lists these indicators and describes the meaning of each.
Indicators Descriptions
Unknown Site Command Center has attempted to register cameras without first registering the
site.
Account Already Exists The specified remote viewing account already exists. Please select another
account.
Account Not Verified This WiLife remote viewing account has not been verified. Please check your email
to verify this account.
Account Unknown Unknown remote viewing account. Please verify that your email address and
password are correct, and remember that the password is case sensitive.
See Knowledge Base topic WiLife Online Setup for more information.
Data Error Command Center cannot connect to WiLife at this time. Please try again later. If
this error persists, contact your network administrator. Possible causes include firewall software, antivirus software, or a virus. Make sure you have installed all updates and patches and that your firewalls are configured to allow Werks to access the Internet.
See the Knowledge Base topic WiLife Online Data Error
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Communication Error Command Center cannot connect to WiLife at this time. Please try again later. If
this error persists, contact your network administrator. Possible causes include firewall software, antivirus software, or a virus. Make sure you have installed all updates and patches and that your firewalls are configured to allow Werks to access the Internet.
See the Knowledge Base topic WiLife Online Communication Error.
Invalid Serial The supplied serial number is invalid.
Connection Test Failed Command Center has failed to establish a direct connection with the backend.
Service Response Camera Not Registered
Unknown Error An unknown error has occurred. Please check your event log and/or contact WiLife.
One or more of the cameras being updated has not yet been registered
Service-oriented indicators include Service Response Not Authorized, Service Response Expired, Service Response No Registered Product, Service Response Disk Full, Service Response Limit Reached, Service Response Not Implemented, etc.
STREAMING STATUS INDICATORS
The Streaming Status field specifies whether or not someone is actively viewing your cameras.
Indicators Descriptions
Active - Direct Mode Someone is actively/currently viewing your live cameras in Direct mode - the
streaming video feed is channeled directly to you because your system’s firewall settings aren't blocking the stream and the Internet capability is powerful.
Active - Relay Mode Someone is actively/currently viewing your live cameras in Relay mode - the
streaming video feed is channeled through WiLife’s network to you.
Inactive - No Client Nobody is actively viewing your live cameras.
Create Your WiLife Online Account
Note: Skip this step if you set up Online Viewing during the Setup Wizard!
Note: To create your online account, you will need Internet access.
1) Click on the Setup button.
Note: To create your online account, you will need Internet access.
2) Click on the Online tab screen.
3) In the WiLife Online Account section, click on the link (Create a WiLife Online account).
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4) When the WiLIfe Setup Wizard screen displays, validate that the option "Create new remote viewing
account" is selected. Click Next>.
5) Fill out the fields with basic account and site information -- first/last name and location name. Click
Next> to continue.
The next screen in the Wizard requests the details that will help you securely login in and manage your WiLife Online account. The following table explains each field:
Field Name Description
E-mail
Password
Confirm Password
Security Question
Security Answer
I want to be notified of WiLife software
Your e-mail address doubles as your account name.
We recommend you create a password using at least 7 characters, one of them being a number. Punctuation characters are allowed.
Re-enter the password that you entered in the Password field.
Create a security question that you can use to unlock your account should you ever forget your password. For example: “my first dog’s name.”
Enter the answer to your security question. For example: “Rocky.”
Leave this checkbox marked to receive e-mail about software or
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and product updates
I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
6) When you have completed filling out the form, click Next>.
camera updates. Remove the checkbox if you don’t wish to receive any notifications.
Click this checkbox after you have read the Terms of Use page and Privacy Page. This checkbox must be marked to complete your registration.
7) You have completed creating your online account. Click Finish.
Notice that the WiLife Online Account section of the Online tab screen is populated with your account's username and password:
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Disconnecting WiLife Online Viewing
Setup > Online Tab > Clicking Disconnect
To disable Online Viewing:
1) Click on the Setup button.
2) Click on the Online tab.
3) Click Disconnect.
Connecting WiLife Online Viewing
Setup > Online Tab > Clicking Connect
1) Enable WiLife by following these steps:
2) Click on the Setup button.
3) Click on the Online tab.
4) Click Connect.
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Advanced Options
The Advanced dialog includes tools that assist you in maintaining the cameras and the application. These tools range from changing passwords to checking for software and firmware updates. Tools would be a more fitting title for the dialog.
Review the Advanced Options Dialog
Here we take a quick peak at the Advance dialog:
Dialog Item Usage
Find My Cameras
Rediscover Rediscover initiates a search for cameras that you
Manage Security
Check for Updates
Update Camera
Rebuild Video List
Find Orphan Clips
About Here you can inspect the current version number
System Info Displays information about the configuration of
Diagnostics Displays comprehensive configuration and status
This feature allows the application to find any newly added cameras, even if you have set a password for your current system.
may have lost due to computer or other problems. This feature can also be used as an alternate way to "clean out" or delete any cameras that you no longer have or expect to find.
Keep the snooping eyes and tampering fingers of employees or kids off the Command Center by locking individual features or the whole system while you are away. Lock access to stored video files, camera & recording settings, arming/disarming alerts, digital pan-tilt-zoom, and more. Your private system password is the key that locks/unlocks key features.
Search our online update service for new releases of software or camera firmware.
Update cameras with the most recent firmware version.
Rebuild Video List compares the Command Center Video database with the available video files to ensure every file is recorded in the database. You may want to perform this operation if you suspect the video database is corrupt.
This option looks under the currently selected video path (e.g. the default C:\WiLife Video) for any video files that are not currently associated with a camera.
for your Command Center installation and review system information and diagnostics. This is helpful when contacting support.
your system such as hardware configurations, computer components, and software, including signed drivers and unsigned drivers. Quickly find the information that support technicians need to resolve a system problem.
details for your WiLife Command Center application. Also, create a diagnostics report to send to WiLIfe technical support.
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Find My Cameras
SETUP > Advanced tab > FIND MY CAMERAS
The Find My Cameras Wizard automatically attempts to find all of the cameras on your network, including any new cameras you may have just plugged in. What makes the Wizard wonderful is the fact that it also helps walk you through situations in which Command Center cannot find a camera.
Follow these instructions to include the new camera into your Command Center system:
1) Go to the Command Center > Setup > Advanced dialog screen.
2) Click the FIND MY CAMERAS button. The Wizard displays.
3) Enter the number of cameras you expect the Wizard to find. For these instructions, we want Command
Center to find 2 cameras. In the Connection Method section, tell Command Center how your computer is connected to your cameras. (This is usually through the WiLife USB Adapter. However, if it is connected through a different HomePlug powerline interface, or a standard network LAN in your home, select those options.)
4) Click Next>. The Plug In Your Cameras screen displays.
5) Click Next>. The Wizard tests the configuration of your computer such as the powerline adapter,
operational firewalls, and other network adapters. The following graphic is an example of the main Wizard screen, in which all tests are run from.
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6) Click Next > when the test is complete. The Search for Cameras screen displays.
Cameras that have been discovered will display with active LED marks. Un-discovered cameras will display with gray LEDs.
7) When Command Center has successfully found the number of cameras you told it to look for, it will
display the "Name My Cameras" screen. On this screen, you can enter or edit the name of each camera. Click Next> when you have finished naming your cameras.
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8) When you have completed the wizard, the last screen of the Wizard displays. Click Finish to close.
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Rediscover Cameras
Setup > Advanced > Find Camera section > REDISCOVER button.
On rare occasions, you may lose a camera due to powerline problems, bad weather, or even static electricity. Rediscover restarts the camera search process to locate cameras on the network that have a password matching your password (if you have set a password). This may be a convenient way to "delete" multiple cameras from your system, since all cameras are deleted, and then those which are detected are again added to your system.
Note: When cameras are rediscovered, they may have different camera numbers than you have previously assigned. Remember, you can easily change these camera numbers by simply dragging the camera images to the desired window position in Live mode.
To start this procedure, follow these simple tasks:
1) Click on the SETUP button. The Command Center Setup Program displays.
2) Click on the Advanced tab.
3) In the Find Camera section, click on the REDISCOVER button. A popup message displays.
4) Click YES if you wish the system to rediscover the cameras. Click NO to exit out of the procedure
without rediscovering the cameras.
Set or Change Your Password
Setup > Advanced > Manage Security button.
The WiLife Command Center uses passwords to secure communications links between cameras, the USB receiver, and the Command Center. When the Command Center has a password, unauthorized access to your cameras and video is prevented. This fact is especially true for apartment dwellers whose Command Center may be sharing a power grid with other apartments. If there are multiple Command Center systems sharing a single powerline grid, then cameras that haven’t been assigned a password can be picked up by other Command Center installs that are running on the Command Center's default password, or have been password protected.
To change the password, follow these steps:
1) Go to the Setup > Advanced dialog.
2) Click the Manage Security button.
3) Enter the current password, if you are changing the
existing password.
4) Type your new password in both the New and Re-enter
fields to confirm the password.
Note: Write this password down it is a difficult process to clear a forgotten password. If you do forget you password, review the Troubleshooting topic “I have forgotten my local WiLife password” for instructions.
5) Click Accept Changes to accept the new password.
Set Password System & Feature Locks
Keep the snooping eyes and tampering fingers of employees or kids off the Command Center by locking individual features or the whole system while you are away. Lock access to stored video files, camera & recording settings, arming/disarming alerts, digital pan-tilt-zoom, and more. Your private system password is the key that locks/unlocks key features.
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The Password System Lock feature exists on the same screen as the Change Password function located on the Setup > Advanced tab screen.
To access, click the Manage Security button.
Note: If you are not subscribed for WiLife Platinum, the Access Control section is grayed out. Thus, the “Exit Command Center” function is the only one available under the non-Platinum running Command Center, which requires a password --if a password is set-- to exit Command Center.
Similarly, if you are running WiLife Platinum, but no password is set, the Access Control section is also grayed out.
If any of the settings in the Access Control section are checked, Command Center will require the user to enter a password in order to gain access. The following table describes each setting:
Option Description
Exit Command Center
Show Command Center
Setup Options
Playback Video
Arm/Disarm Alerts
Digital Pan/Tilt/Zoom
Deleting a Video File
The user will be asked for a password whenever they exit the Command Center.
The user will be asked for a password when they attempt to open the Command Center from the system tray.
The user will be asked for a password in order to access the Setup screens that include functions such as the Setup forms, Disk Usage form, the E-mail Configuration form, and Calendar. It also prohibits you from deleting cameras.
The user will be asked for a password when they try to enter Playback mode (from the Live mode).
Password lock dialog displays when user attempts manually arming or disarming alerts.
The user will be asked for a password when they start a Pan/Tilt/Zoom session.
The user will be asked for a password when they attempt to delete a video file.
WAIT "X" MINUTES TO LOCK
Each time the user successfully enters the password, Command Center auto-authenticates for a number of minutes, as specified on the control panel above (“Wait X minutes to lock"). So if he has entered 10 minutes, then he won’t be bugged for the password unless he doesn’t use Command Center for 10 minutes. Command Center resets the 10-minute timer every time he clicks the mouse or hits a key in Command Center.
When 10 minutes of inactivity expires, an event is fired that is supposed to back out of anything that is active that the user has protected. For example, if Playback Video is checked, it will put Command Center into Live mode. If a camera is selected for PTZ, it will un-select it. If Setup Options is selected, it will close any of the following forms (if open): Setup form, Disk Usage form, email configuration form, Command Center schedule form, Camera Alert Properties form, Event Arm Early Properties form, Event Properties form, and Manual Alert Properties form.
For example, just to be sure you understand, they won’t even be bothered to do that if they have entered their password for some other reason, and it hasn’t timed out yet. So maybe they entered it to view the setup panel, and then decided to go into playback. They won’t be bothered again unless it’s been idle for 10 minutes.
Also, every time you “hide’ the Command Center it automatically zeroes out the timer, so you don’t leave any time “on the meter” so that someone else could walk in right after you hide Command Center, and find that there’s still five minutes of time on the timer.
ACCEPT CHANGES
You can change your password, or edit any of the Access Control options, or both, by clicking “Accept Changes.”
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Note: If you are not subscribed for WiLife Platinum, the Access Control section is grayed out. Thus, the “Exit Command Center” function is the only one available under the non-Platinum running Command Center, which requires a password --if a password is set-- to exit Command Center.
Similarly, if you are running WiLife Platinum, but no password is set, the Access Control section is also grayed out.
You can change your password, or edit any of the Access Control options, or both, by clicking “Accept Changes.”
Check for Software Updates
Setup > Advance > Application Updates section > CHECK FOR UPDATES button.
Command Center will compare the software and firmware version dates recorded on your PC with the latest versions available online. If your PC shows an older date for either one or both of them, Command Center will offer to download and install the latest version using the Software Manager Wizard.
To check and download new Command Center updates: Go to the Setup > Advanced tab and click the Update Camera button. The Software Manager Wizard opens
and checks for newer versions of the software.
If the Software Manager finds a newer version, you will be prompted to download and install the update. Click Next > to continue with the install. To complete the update, simply follow the downloading instructions for the Software Manager and then the install instructions for the WiLife Install Wizard.
Note: If you have Command Center running, you may be asked to shut it down before starting the installation process.
Update Camera Firmware
Setup > Advance > Application Updates section > UPDATE CAMERA button.
This feature updates the selected camera with the most recent firmware version currently downloaded to your PC's hard disk. Firmware versions are typically downloaded as part of an overall software update (see Check for Software Updates topic). Command Center automatically keeps track of which camera firmware is appropriate for different camera types such as the Indoor and Outdoor Cameras.
To download new firmware updates:
1) Go to the Setup > Advanced tab screen and click the Update Camera button. The Update Camera
Firmware screen displays.
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2) After the system checks for new firmware updates, it will notify you if an update for your cameras is
available.
3) Check the “Select” checkboxes next to the cameras you wish to update.
4) Select the firmware file using the Browse button. We encourage you to update to the version
defaulted by the system, as that will always show the latest file.
5) Click the Update Cameras button and wait for the process to complete. While Command Center is
loading the new firmware, the Update Camera Firmware screen gives you a status of the update process.
Note: Each time Command Center starts up, it automatically checks the firmware versions on your cameras and the available local firmware files. If it finds that new firmware is available, it will prompt you to update your cameras. As a result, you do not need to worry about manual checking for new camera updates.
Rebuild Video Segment List
Setup > Advanced > Video Maintenance section > REBUILD VIDEO LIST button.
This operation rebuilds your video database by examining each file in your Command Center Video Directory. You may want to perform this operation if you suspect your video database has become corrupt by some hard disk or computer failure. The obvious sign of a corrupt database is missing video segments in the Playback window. This process may take a long time to complete if you select to rebuild the list for all cameras.
To rebuild your video database follow these steps:
1) Go to the Setup > Advanced dialog.
2) In the Video Maintenance section, click on the REBUILD VIDEO LIST button.
Note: Recording and Playback will halt during this operation. This procedure may take a long time.
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3) Each camera will indicate the recommended action to be taken for the files associated with that
camera. Most commonly, it simply indicates that No Action is required. If some problems have been discovered, Command Center may suggest that you execute a Repair or Rebuild operation. Repairs are recommended if there are only a limited number of minor issues. Otherwise, a Rebuild will be suggested. Repairs are relatively fast, but Rebuild operations can take a long time, especially if you have many hundreds of thousands of files. You can change the action by right-clicking on the "Action to Take" setting for each camera. The actions available are:
4) Click Perform Actions to start the rebuild process.
Note: Recording and Playback will halt during this operation. This procedure may take a long time if all cameras are selected.
Find Orphan Clips
Setup > Advanced > Video Maintenance section > FIND ORPHAN CLIPS button.
This is a rarely needed and used tool. It searches the current video path (e.g. the default C:\WiLife video) for any video files that are not currently associated with a camera. This is possible if you have recently removed or changed cameras. If a camera has been removed from your Command Center system, the video files are still stored on your computer's hard disk. But they can't be viewed in Playback mode unless Command Center has a camera object to associate with these orphan video files. This function allows you to create a camera object, even if the physical camera which captured those files is no longer in your Command Center system.
To use this tool, follow these instructions:
1) Go to the Setup > Advanced dialog.
2) Locate the Video Maintenance section and click the FIND ORPHAN CLIPS button.
If Command Center finds any of these “orphaned” video files, it reports its findings to you, prompting you to allow Command Center to create a camera to associate with these stored video files.
If Command Center doesn’t find any orphaned video files (most common), a message displays informing you of this fact. Click OK to close out of the message.
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System Information
The System Information screen collects and displays information about the configuration of your system such as hardware configurations, computer components, and software, including signed drivers and unsigned drivers. When support technicians troubleshoot your system configuration, they require specific information about your computer. You can use System Information to quickly find the information that these technicians need to resolve a system problem.
System Information saves data files in a native (.nfo) format. You can also open .cab and .xml files in System Information. When you open .cab files, you can view the contents of those files by using the Tools menu.
UNDERSTANDING SYSTEM INFORMATION
System Information is a support tool that you can use to quickly locate information about your computer and its operating system. The category tree in the left pane contains items in a folder view that is similar to Windows Explorer. The details pane on the right side of the window displays information about the items that you select in the category tree.
USING SYSTEM TOOLS
The System Information screen offers tools that helps technical support troubleshoot your operating system. These tools are accessible from the menu option Tools.
Tools Description
Net Diagnostics
System Restore
File Signature Verification Utility
DirectX Files
Network Diagnostics scans your system to gather information about your hardware, software, and network connections.
Undo harmful changes to your computer and restore its settings and performance to an earlier time or restore point without causing you to lose recent work such as saved documents, e-mail, or history and favorite lists.
Help maintain the integrity of your system by digitally signing critical files so that any changes to these files can be quickly detected.
This tool reports detailed information about the DirectX components and drivers installed on your system. It lets you test functionality, diagnose problems, and change your system configuration to work best. This tool also tests files, components, and drivers related to the desktop display, sound, music, input, and the network.
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Dr. Watson
A program error debugger that helps technical support troubleshoot program errors for computers running on a Windows Operating System.
Diagnostics Summary Report
The Diagnostics Summary screen displays comprehensive configuration and status details for your WiLife Command Center application such as error tests, WiLife Online status, disk usage, powerline USB adapter, powerline performance, bandwidth test, cameras, motion detection, and email notifications. These details are used by WiLife technical support staff to better troubleshooting problems.
Also, create a diagnostics report to send to WiLIfe technical support. Clicking the Send Info to Support will compile the diagnostics report (WiLIfeSupportInfo.ZIP file).
Diagnostics Compiling Note: While the diagnostics information is being collected, video from your cameras will be temporarily disabled.
Installation Note: Log files were created during the installation process in order to collect troubleshooting information. These files are included in your system's diagnostics summary.
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Scheduling Alerts &
Recording Events
Scheduling Alerts Overview
The Scheduled Alerts feature gives you the ability to easily create scheduled events which cause
recording to take place, or which arm email or cell phone alerts during selected periods of time. Scheduled Alerts makes your Command Center a notification tool -- turn email and mobile phone alerts on or off at certain times, day and night. Events will automatically be armed at the times you scheduled.
Alerts are created using the Recording and Alerts Schedule calendar, a simple click-drag-and-release interface, which allows you to view your Command Center schedule and modify or create new schedule events. The calendar displays only one week – each event scheduled occurs every week.
With Scheduled Alerts enabled, your WiLife Command Center will notify you based on the motion sensed by your cameras, using one of three options: a simple text-only message; a text message that includes one frame of video; or a video clip. You can also create “no motion” alerts that will notify you that an expected event did not occur.
Functions of Scheduled Alerts also include the following:
Set a user-configurable Delay time when arming events manually, or when arming the next event early.
For example, set the "delay before activated" time at five minutes. This allows you to get out of the building before alerts are armed.
If a recorded video clip caused an e-mail or cell phone alert, Command Center will flag the video
segment. This flag is stored in the .wmv file's metadata and can be used as a search criterion on the Online Search and Playback page of your WiLife Online account.
A link will display in the e-mail alerts that open your WiLife Online account and allow you to view the
video that triggered the alert.
Recording and Alerts Schedule Screen Overview
The Recording and Alerts Schedule Screen allows you to create, edit, or delete recording and alert events using a simple click-drag-and-release calendar. The calendar displays only one week – each event scheduled occurs every week.
There are four types of recording and alert events you can schedule.
Events Description
Arm Alerts
No Motion
Continuous Recording
Turn Recording & Alerts Off
Create an event that arms alerts during a specified period of time, for specified cameras, and on specific days. Email and mobile phone alerts will be sent during these time periods.
Create an alert event in which an alert will be sent if no expected motion has occurred during the time period. Perfect for situations that have to happen, such as the kids walking into the house after returning home from school or an employee arriving on time to open the store.
If this event type is selected, the user can further indicate whether he wants to be notified by the first qualified motion event during this interval or the last.
This causes Command Center to turn recording on during the time period.
This selecting causes that no recording (even with motion) will occur during the time period.
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There will also be no alerts sent, but this would be the case anyway. It might better be named (Turn Motion-Based Recording Off).
HOW DO I CREATE AN EVENT?
Create an event by clicking and dragging from the start to the stop time. This creates the event, and opens an edit dialog where you can view and edit the properties of the item. You can bring up this same dialog by double-clicking on any existing item. And if you right­click on an item, a context menu allows you to edit the item or delete the item.
You can also just click and drag an event to move it to a different time or date. Select the “top” or the “bottom” of the item to change the start or stop time by dragging the top or bottom of the item up or down.
Note: Command Center does not allow you to create two scheduled events with overlapping times. Also, creating scheduled alert events is only available with WiLife Platinum. Creation of scheduled recording events is available with or without Platinum.
MENU OPTIONS
Use the menu options to help you quickly manage your scheduled events.
Options Description
Save
New Event
Edit Event
Delete Event
Save all modifications to the Scheduler. The Save button will be active after you make a change to a scheduled event.
Create a new event. Clicking on it opens the Schedule Event Properties Screen, allowing you to set event properties such as the start/end time, day(s) of the week, the event type, which cameras are affected, and the type of action you need each camera to accomplish during this time period.
The New Event button will be active if you click on a time block that has not been scheduled/assigned to an event.
Edit the selected event. Clicking on it opens the Schedule Event Properties Screen, allowing you to modify event properties. The Edit Event button will be active if you click on a previously created event.
Delete the selected event. The Delete Event button will be active if you click on a previously created event.
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RIGHT-CLICK OPTIONS
The WiLife Recording and Alerts Schedule screen offers right-click options that make it easy for you to schedule immediate events that only require you to set the details for the time period. Create any four event types -- Arm Alerts, No Motion, Continuous Recording, or Recording Off.
KEY TO COLORED EVENTS
The Recording and Alerts Schedule Screen uses four colors to represent the types of events scheduled.
Colors Event Type
Black
Red
Green
Gray
Recording is turned off
Armed motion alert
Continuous recording
No motion alert
Opening the WiLife Recording and Alerts Schedule Screen
The quickest access to the WiLife Recording and Alerts Scheduler screen is from the Live and Playback screens, using the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel, as shown in this graphic.
Simply click on the dropdown menu and select the option View Schedule.
You can also access the Recording and Alerts Scheduler screen through the Setup > Alerts > Schedule Email & Cell Phone Alerts button.
Schedule Event Properties Screen Overview
The Schedule Event Properties dialog screen displays whenever you first create or edit a specific schedule event. You can also get here by right-clicking on an event, or by double-clicking on an event, or
by selecting an event and then clicking the Edit button at the top of the schedule.
The Schedule Event Properties dialog screen allows you to change the properties of the event, such as the start/end time, day(s) of the week, the event type, which cameras are affected, and the type of action you need each camera to accomplish during this time period.
You can also:
Delete the Event. Change the name of the Event. Edit the start and stop times. Change the day(s) for the Event. Change which cameras are involved in the Event. If you click “All Cameras” then the item remembers that it affects all cameras, even if you add or
delete cameras later on. If you un-check All Cameras, then you can individually select or deselect cameras to be affected.
If the Schedule Item Type is No Motion, an additional item shows up on the dialog allowing the user to request an alert on the first motion in this time interval.
The following graphic describes the fields and functions of the Schedule Event Properties screen:
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No-Show Alerts
The No-Show detection alerts feature allows you to intelligently monitor an area where you expect motion. And if there is no motion, Command Center alerts you. This feature is perfect for situations that have to happen, such as the kids walking into the house after returning home from school or an employee who should arrive on time to open the store.
If this event type is selected, you can further indicate whether he wants to be notified by the first qualified motion event during this interval or the last.
To create a No-Show Detection Event:
1) Click the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel > View Schedule. The Recording and Alerts Schedule
Screen displays.
2) On the Scheduler calendar, create an item by clicking and dragging from the desired start time to a
stop time, where you release the mouse button. The Schedule Event Properties Screen displays.
3) Select "Report No Motion."
4) Select "Send alert on first motion during interval" if you want to be alerted as soon as motion is
detected. Using an example, if you were creating a "No Motion" event in order to verify the kids return home from school, you would check this option. If you do have motion, but the box is not checked, you will not get an alert at all.
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5) Specify the camera(s) you want involved with this event and set camera alert properties for each
participating camera by double-clicking on the camera line or clicking the Edit button. (The Camera Alert Properties screen allows you to specify the type of message you want to receive, the length of time between motion alerts, and the number of alerts.)
6) Click OK to save your new "No Motion" alert event. The Recording and Alerts Schedule Screen will
display the new event. Its color is gray.
Set Manual Alert Properties
Setup > Alerts > Set Manual Alert Properties
The Manual Alert Properties screen allows you to view, set and edit alert properties for each camera on the network message type, length of motion filter, and frequency of alert notifications. These properties tell Command Center how to send alert notifications when you manually activate them in the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel. You can also edit camera properties by clicking on the Edit button.
Use the illustration below as a guideline for completing the screen:
Arm Event Early Properties
The "arming an event early" feature is accessible from the Live and Playback screens via the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel.
Using the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel, you can also immediately arm manual alerts, disable an active alert, or access the Recording and Alerts Schedule.
If an alert has not been armed, the Front Control Panel will display "Alerts Not Armed," as shown in the graphic on this page.
Simply select the option "Arm Manual Alerts Now" (which activates alerts until you manually turn them off) or "Arm <name of scheduled event> Early." Alerts are now armed.
The functions you can expect from the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel are described below:
ALERTS NOT ARMED
When you first install WiLife Command Center, the Front Control Panel will display "Alerts Not Armed" until 1) you have set up your email server; 2) you have scheduled an alert event in Scheduler; and 3) you select "Arm Manual Alerts Now" or "Arm <name of event> Early."
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Note: You do not need to create an alert event to select "Arm Manual Alerts Now."
And, the manual arming of alerts is available with or without the WiLife Platinum upgrade.
ARM <NAME OF EVENT> EARLY
The Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel will always display the next scheduled event in the scheduler's time­line. In the graphical image on this page, the next scheduled event is called 'Event 6.' You simply click on the Arm Early item in order to arm it earlier than it was scheduled. Once a scheduled event is armed early, the Front Control Panel will display "Alerts Armed Via Schedule." As with manual arming, you can specify a delay time before the event it actually armed.
This Alert feature is great for quickly enabling email alerts as you leave work earlier than usual, and want to turn alerts on early.
DISARM <NAME OF EVENT> EVENT
If you want to manually turn off all alerts, simply select the "Disarm <name of event>."
Selecting this means that even if you have qualified motion events, (and scheduled alert events), no alerts will be sent. In other words, this is the master “Stop” switch for any alert that may be active.
Note: This option does not turn off future alerts. It only terminates any alert (either manual or scheduled) that is currently active.
OTHER FEATURE RELATED NOTES
WiLife Icon: System Tray Note: The context menu now includes the same options that allow you to quickly arm or disarm alerts, both scheduled and manual.
Password Note: If you activate Password System Lock, then you can have the peace of mind that events can't be armed or disarmed without your password.
Camera Alert Properties
The Camera Alert Properties screen helps you specify camera settings for alert events -- message type, length of motion required before sending an alert, and the frequency of alert notifications.
The Camera Alert Properties screen is accessible from the Schedule Event Properties Screen > Event Properties section. Simply double-click on the camera line or click the “Edit” button to open the screen.
Use the illustration below as a guideline for completing the screen:
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Create a Continuous Recording Event
Continuously record for a set time and on specific days, if desired, even if there is no motion on the camera.
To create a Continuous Recording event, follow these instructions:
1) Click the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel > View Schedule. The Recording and Alerts Schedule
Screen displays.
Note: The Recording and Alert Schedule Screen is also accessible through Setup > Recording tab > SCHEDULE RECORDING TIME.
2) On the Scheduler calendar, click and drag from the desired start time to a stop time, where you
release the mouse button. The Schedule Event Properties Screen displays.
Note: You can also open this screen by right-clicking on a desired time block and select the option "New Recording Event Off."
3) In the Name field, enter the desired name for the event.
4) Enter the Start and End times for the event.
5) Specify the days of the week you want the event to run on.
6) Select "Set Continuous Recording."
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7) Specify camera event properties for each camera by clicking on a camera line or clicking on the Edit
button.
8) Click the OK button to save the properties for the event. You will notice the new event displays in the
color black.
Create An Event To Turn Off Recording
Disable recording at set times and on specific days, even if there is no motion on the camera.
To create an event that turns off recording, follow these instructions:
1) Click the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel > View Schedule. The Recording and Alerts Schedule
Screen displays.
Note: The Recording and Alert Schedule Screen is also accessible through Setup > Recording tab > SCHEDULE RECORDING TIME.
2) On the Scheduler calendar, click and drag from the desired start time to a stop time, where you
release the mouse button. The Schedule Event Properties Screen displays.
Note: You can also open this screen by right-clicking on a desired time block and select the option "New Recording Event Off."
3) In the Name field, enter the desired name for the event.
4) Enter the Start and End times for the event.
5) Specify the days of the week you want the event to run on.
6) Select "Turn Recording and Alerts Off."
7) Click the OK button to save the properties for the event. You will notice the new event displays in the
color black.
Modifying a Recording or Alert Event
From time to time, you may need to modify a recording or alert event. Changing the properties of an event are very similar to creating one.
1) Click the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel > View Schedule. The Recording and Alerts Schedule
Screen displays.
Note: The Recording and Alert Schedule Screen is also accessible through Setup > Recording tab > SCHEDULE RECORDING TIME.
2) Double-click on the event you wish to modify. The Schedule Event Properties Screen opens.
Note: You can also right-click on the desired event and select the option "Edit Event."
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3) When you have made the desired modifications, click the OK button.
Deleting a Recording or Alert Event
Over time, you will need to delete a recording or alert event.
1) Click the Alerts Scheduler Front Control Panel > View Schedule. The Recording and Alerts Schedule
Screen displays.
Note: The Recording and Alert Schedule Screen is also accessible through Setup > Recording tab > SCHEDULE RECORDING TIME.
2) Right-click on the desired event and select the option "Delete Event."
Note: You can also double-click on the desired event. This opens the Schedule Event Properties Screen. To delete the event from this screen, simply click the button Delete Event and then click OK.
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