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TRANSCRIPT
MultiClient
User Guide
SerVision client software for PCs
November
2011
SerVision MultiClient User Guide
1
Trademarks & Copyright
Trademarks
All trademarks mentioned in this manual are the sole property of their respective manufacturers.
Copyright
SerVision Ltd., Jerusalem, Israel
www.servision.net • [email protected]
© 2011 SerVision Ltd. All rights reserved.
Notice
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. SerVision Ltd. assumes no responsibility for any
errors that may appear in this manual. Companies, names and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless
otherwise noted. No part of this document may be copied or reproduced in any form, or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of SerVision Ltd. SerVision Ltd. makes no
warranties with respect to this documentation and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for
a particular purpose.
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Table of Contents
Introduction 5
Operational Diagram 5
Supported Platforms 6
System Requirements 6
Setting Up the MultiClient Application 7
Installing the MultiClient 7
Opening the MultiClient 7
Logging in When Security Is Enabled 8
Overview of the Main MultiClient Window 9
Connecting to a Video Gateway 9
Configuring Proxy Settings 12 Configuring Dial-Up Settings 13 Using a Backup IP Address 14 Connecting to Video Gateways on the Local Network 14 Correcting Authentication Settings 15
Expanding a Video Gateway 16
Opening the Video Gateway Configuration 17
Viewing Video Gateway Properties and Statistics 19
Video Gateway Properties 19 Video Gateway Statistics 20
Sorting Connected Video Gateways 20
Closing Connections to Gateways 20
Managing Gateways 21
Saving Your Settings 23
Viewing Video 26
Viewing Live Video Streams 28
Viewing Stream Info 31 Freezing the Display 32 Saving Snapshots 32 Downloading Video from a Camera Pane 32 Zooming In or Out Digitally 33
Adjusting Camera Pane Layout 34
Viewing a Desktop in Full Screen Mode 35 Looping Multiple Cameras in a Camera Pane 36 Using Multiple Desktops 38 Viewing Video in a Separate Window 39
Adjusting Video and Audio Settings 40
Adjusting Image Quality 40 Adjusting Brightness and Contrast 41 Switching to D1 Resolution 42 Turning Sound On or Off 42
Adjusting Camera Aim and Focus 42
Keeping the Camera Controls Open 43 Controlling Pan, Tilt, and Zoom Functions 44 Changing the Camera Focus 44 Using Continuous Motion 45 Setting the Speed and Step for PTZ Actions 46 Preset Camera Locations 47
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Preset Tours 48
Viewing Recorded Video 54
Using Camera-Pane Playback Controls 55 Playing Back Recorded Video by Event 55 Playback by Time in the Recorder Desktop 57 Playback by Time in a Camera Pane 61
Downloading Video from a Gateway 61
Downloading by Event 62 Downloading by Time 63 Downloading from Multiple Cameras 65
Playing Video Stored on Your PC 67
Playing SVR Files 67 Playing Self-Playable Files 69
Exporting Recordings 71
Handling Live Events 72
Managing Event Notifications 72
Handling Message Alerts 74 Working with an Event Log Window 74
Using Activators 75
Viewing Security Devices on Maps 77
Importing Maps and Placing Devices on Them 78 Viewing Maps 80
New File Events 80
Selecting the Download Folder 81 Placing a File on a Gateway 83
Locating and Tracking Vehicles Using GPS 85
Supported Map Systems 85
Installing Map Systems 86
Installing MapPoint Maps 86 Installing Esri Maps 86
Locating Video Gateways on a Map 90
Viewing GPS Information 91 Following a Video Gateway 92 Highlighting a Video Gateway (Map Point) 92
Changing the Map View 92
Zooming In and Out of a Map 93 Displaying the Locations of All Video Gateways at Once 93 Moving to a Different Region of a Map 94 Changing the View Type 94
Viewing Live Video from a Video Gateway (Map Point) 95
Tracking Vehicles Using GPS 96
Viewing the Route of a Video Gateway 96 Downloading the Path of a Video Gateway 97 Viewing Recorded Video of a GPS Path 99 Clearing Route or Path Information from the Display 102
Using Bi-Directional Audio 103
Managing Security 104
Enabling Security 104
Managing User Accounts 106
Switching Users 108
Options 109
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Defining a Default Proxy Server 109
Setting Snapshot Properties 110
Setting Event Look and Feel Properties 111
Customizing the Display 112
Setting Video Filter Properties 114
Setting Spacebar and Double-Click Behavior 115
Selecting the GPS Map System and Settings 117
Customizing Video Notification Pop-ups 119
Configuring Pop-up Recording 120
Setting Default Video and Audio Settings 121
Setting the Default Video Quality 121 Setting Default Video Quality for a Video Gateway 122 Setting the Default Audio Setting for a Video Gateway 122
Customizing AES Encryption 122
Selecting the Interface Language 124
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Introduction 5
Introduction
SerVision video gateway units are highly advanced security systems that enable remote monitoring of sites over IP
networks. These units employ video cameras, sensors, and other devices to provide users with a broad picture of
events at monitored locations.
Video gateways can be accessed remotely using a variety of client devices: desktop or laptop PCs and mobile
devices such as PDAs and cellular phones. When you connect to a SerVision video gateway through a client device,
you can view live or recorded video from the video gateway and activate alarms and other devices that are located
on site. In addition, if the cameras connected to the video gateway have PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) features, you can
control and move the cameras remotely through the client device.
In order to connect to a SerVision video gateway through a client device, SerVision's client software must be
installed on the device. This manual explains how to install and use the MultiClient, SerVision's client application
for PCs.
NOTE: Before you can use the MultiClient to connect to a SerVision video gateway, the video gateway must
be installed and configured. Configuration is carried out using the unit's system configuration utility,
which is accessed through a web browser. You can open the system configuration utilities of video
gateways directly from the MultiClient. For additional information about installation and configuration,
please consult the guides that came with your system, or contact your vendor.
NOTE: This guide is updated from time to time. The latest version, as well as guides and software for all
SerVision client applications, are available for downloading at http://www.servision.net.
Operational Diagram
You can use the MultiClient to connect your PC to a video gateway via a LAN, WAN, or Wi-Fi network, analog or
broadband phone lines, and all cellular networks.
The following operational diagram illustrates how you can use the MultiClient to interact with a video gateway via
PC.
Figure 1: Operational Diagram
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Introduction 6
Supported Platforms
SerVision provides client software for the following platforms:
Platform Client
Software
SerVision Guide
Windows PC MultiClient This guide
Windows Mobile (Windows CE) MultiClient Windows Mobile Client (SVClientCE) User Guide
Symbian^3 SVClientS60 SVClient S60 v5 User Guide
Series 60 (S60) SVClientS60 SVClient S60 v2 User Guide; SVClient S60 v3 User Guide
Apple iPhone ISVClient ISVClient User Guide
NOTE: Software for other platforms is under development. If you want to use client software on a platform that
is not listed here, please check the SerVision website (www.servision.net) to see if it is currently
supported.
NOTE: Also under development is a software system that works in conjunction with the MultiClient to display
live video from video gateways on large panels (TV screens or computer monitors). This system is
optimized for control rooms, and can display high-resolution video streams from multiple video
gateways simultaneously on multiple video panels.
System Requirements
To use the MultiClient to access a video gateway via a PC, you need the following:
Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
Pentium 3 or higher, with a 1 GHz or higher processor
At least 256 MB of RAM
At least 100 MB of hard disk space for the application (not including the space required for video downloaded
from video gateways)
A video card and monitor that support a resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher
Note: If two monitors are connected to the PC, the MultiClient can work with both monitors at one time.
Thus, for example, you can display live video on one monitor, and a site map on the other.
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 7
Setting Up the MultiClient Application
This chapter explains how to get started using the MultiClient: how to install it, open it, and configure it to connect
to your video gateways.
Installing the MultiClient
Before you use the MultiClient application, you must install it on the PC. The installation program is located on the
CD that came with your system, but it is recommended that you download the latest version from the SerVision
website (http://www.servision.net). The installation file is called Setup-MultiClient-SV-x.x.x.x.exe
(The software version number appears in place of “x.x.x.x”.)
NOTE: If an earlier version of the MultiClient is installed on the PC, uninstall it using the Windows
Add/Remove Programs application (Windows Start Menu> Control Panel>Add/Remove
Programs) before installing the new version.
To install the MultiClient application on the PC:
1. Double-click the installation file. The setup program starts.
Note: If a Microsoft Windows Security Warning dialog box is displayed, click Run.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions.
When the installation is completed, a MultiClient application icon is placed on your desktop.
Figure 2: MultiClient desktop icon
Opening the MultiClient
Once you have installed the MultiClient, you can open it and begin working.
To open the MultiClient for the first time:
If you selected the option that launches the program at the end of the installation process, it opens
automatically. Otherwise, start the program by double-clicking the desktop icon or by selecting it in the Start
menu (Start>Programs>SerVision>SVMultiClient>SVMultiClient).
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 8
Figure 3: Main MultiClient window
Logging in When Security Is Enabled
The MultiClient security feature can be used to limit access to the MultiClient by requiring users to log in. By
default, the feature is turned off. When it is enabled, and at least one user account has been created, you can only
log into the MultiClient using an existing user name and password. (For information about enabling security and
creating user accounts, see Managing User Accounts, page 106.)
To log into the MultiClient when security is enabled:
1. Start the program by double-clicking the desktop icon or by selecting it in the Start menu
(Start>Programs>SerVision>SVMultiClient>SVMultiClient).
2. The Log In dialog box opens:
Figure 4: Log In dialog box
3. Enter your user name and password, and then click OK. The main MultiClient window opens, and the user
name is displayed in the title bar (see figure 3 above).
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 9
Overview of the Main MultiClient Window
The main MultiClient window is divided into the following areas:
Main Menu: Provides access to MultiClient controls. (Many of these controls can also be accessed in the
Control Panel or the Configuration Panel.)
Connection Panel: Displays a list of the video gateways connected to the MultiClient For more information
see Connecting to a Video Gateway, page 9.
Viewing Area: Contains Desktops in which live and recorded video is displayed in camera panes, and a
Control Panel containing layout and video controls for the camera panes. For more information, see Viewing
Video, page 26.
Activator Panel: Contains push-button controls for activators. For more information, see Using Activators,
page 75.
Configuration Panel: Provides access to various maps and configuration options.
Figure 5: Areas of the main MultiClient window
Connecting to a Video Gateway
To monitor the cameras that are attached to a video gateway, you must connect to the video gateway. You can
connect to multiple video gateways at one time. Each time you log into the MultiClient, it automatically connects to
the same video gateways to which it was connected the previous time you logged in. In addition, it saves the
connection information for all of the video gateways to which you have ever connected, so that you can connect to
them again without having to reconfigure them.
To connect to remote video gateways – video gateways that are not on the same local network (LAN) as your PC –
you must know certain information about how to establish the connection. In most cases, this means you must know
Main Menu
Connection Panel
Activator Panel
Configuration Panel
Viewing Area Control Panel
Layout controls
Video controls
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 10
the internet address and port through which the connection is to be established. If the connection will be established
via a modem over a standard phone line, you must know the phone number of the telephone line used by the video
gateway’s modem, and the port used by the video gateway for communication of this sort.
To connect to a video gateway that is on the same LAN as your PC, you do not need to know any connection
information; see Connecting to Video Gateways on the Local Network, page 14.
To connect to a remote video gateway:
1. At the bottom of the Connection Panel, click the Add button.
Figure 6: Add video gateway button
The New Gateway dialog box opens.
Figure 7: New Gateway dialog box
2. Under Connection type, select one of the following connection types:
IP: Connect to a video gateway using its IP address.
SVDNS: Connect to a video gateway using its host name.
SVPROXY: Connect to a video gateway using a proxy server.
Note: The default proxy server is defined in the Proxy tab of the Options window (see Defining a
Default Proxy Server, page 109). If the video gateway uses a different proxy server, you must manually
configure the proxy server settings for the video gateway; see Configuring Proxy Settings, page 12.
Dial-up: Connect to a video gateway that has a modem connection (for example, a PSTN modem, which
uses a standard telephone land line).
Add
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 11
3. In the IP/HOST field, enter the data relevant to your choice in the previous step, as follows:
Connection Type Video-Gateway Information
IP The IP address of the video gateway (for example, 123.111.122.9)
SVDNS The hostname of the video gateway (for example,
demo01.svvideo gateway.com)
SVPROXY The name of the video gateway on the proxy server
Dial-up The phone number of the modem connected to the video gateway
Note: For additional information, see Configuring Dial-Up Settings, page 13.
Note: If you enter the connection information for a video gateway to which the MultiClient has connected
previously, or select a video gateway from the dropdown list, all of the other configuration settings are
automatically filled in. In this case, if none of the settings need to be modified, skip to step 10 below.
4. In the Port field, enter the number of the port used by the video gateway to receive communication from client
applications (for example, 9988).
5. If you want to use a secure SSL connection or AES encryption for connections between the MultiClient and
the video gateway, under Encryption, select the relevant option.
Note: SSL and AES are not supported in all systems. To ascertain which of them, if any, your system
supports, please consult technical support. For information about customizing AES encryption, see
Customizing AES Encryption, page 122.
6. If the video gateway is configured to use the default user name and password for client connections, select
Anonymous authentication. Otherwise, enter the user name and password for client-access to the video
gateway, as they were defined in the system configuration utility of the video gateway.
Note: For dial-up connections, you can also configure the MultiClient to use an additional user name and
password; see Configuring Dial-Up Settings, page 13.
7. To save the user name and password for subsequent connections to the video gateway, select Save user name
and password.
8. If you want to add a description to the video gateway, under Gateway description, type the description. The
description is displayed in parentheses next to the name of the video gateway in the Connection Panel.
Note: When the video gateway is connected, you can modify this description in the Gateway Properties
dialog box; see Video Gateway Properties, page 19.
9. If you want to connect to the video gateway through a backup IP when a connection cannot be established
through the main network address, see Using a Backup IP Address, page 14.
10. Click Connect. The MultiClient connects to the video gateway. The name and description of the video
gateway are displayed in the Connection Panel on the left side of the main window.
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 12
Figure 8: Connection Panel
Configuring Proxy Settings
The MultiClient settings include a default proxy server IP and port number. This server is used for all proxy
connections for which no custom proxy is defined. If you want the MultiClient to use custom proxy settings for a
particular video gateway, you can configure the proxy settings of the video gateway in the New Gateway dialog
box (see Connecting to a Video Gateway, page 9).
NOTE: If you will be using a single proxy server for many or all of your MultiClient proxy connections, it is
easiest to define it as the default proxy, instead of defining a custom proxy for each video gateway
connection. For information about defining a default proxy server, see Defining a Default Proxy
Server, page 109.
To specify a custom proxy server for a specific video gateway connection:
1. In the New Gateway dialog box (see page 10), click Advanced. The Advanced Settings dialog box opens.
2. In the Advanced Settings dialog box, select the Proxy tab. The Proxy tab is displayed.
Figure 9: Advanced Settings dialog box – Proxy tab
3. Select Use custom proxy, and then fill in the IP address and port number of the proxy you want to use for this
connection.
4. Click OK. The Advanced Settings dialog box closes, and the New Gateway dialog box becomes active
again. The specified proxy is used when the connection is established.
Connected gateway
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 13
Configuring Dial-Up Settings
Some video gateways are connected to standard telephone lines via modems. To connect to a video gateway like
this, the modem connected to your PC dials the phone number of the video gateway’s modem. Basic configuration
of a dial-up setting simply entails specifying the telephone number of the video gateway’s modem and the port it
uses, as described above (see Connecting to a Video Gateway, page 9).
The basic dial-up settings can be fine-tuned as follows:
Select the device on your PC that should establish the connection (e.g., a PSTN modem).
Specify a user name and password for the dial-up connection.
Note: This user name/password set is required in some systems in order to establish the dial-up connection. It
is not the same as the user name and password that are required for all client connections to the video gateway
(see page 11, step 6). Both user name/password sets are initially defined in the system configuration utility. If
no dial-up user name and password are defined there, a user name and password are not required to establish a
dial-up connection with the video gateway.
You can fine-tune the dial-up settings of a video gateway connection when you are using the New Gateway dialog
box to configure the connection (see Connecting to a Video Gateway, page 9).
To fine-tune dial-up settings:
1. In the New Gateway dialog box (see page 10), click Advanced. The Advanced Settings dialog box opens,
with the Dial-up Settings tab displayed. The phone number of the modem appears in the Phone number
field as it was typed in the Phone field of the New Gateway dialog box.
Figure 10: Advanced Settings dialog box – Dial-up Settings tab
2. To select a connection device, under Connect using, click the arrow and then select a device from the drop-
down list.
3. To specify the user name and password to use to connect to the video gateway’s modem, select Use a
different user name and password, and then fill in the User name and Password fields.
Note: This user name-password is defined in the system configuration utility.
4. Click OK. The Advanced Settings dialog box closes, and the New Gateway dialog box becomes active
again. The specified dial-up settings are used when the connection is established.
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 14
Using a Backup IP Address
In some cases, a video gateway has two IP addresses, one main IP and another that serves as a backup address. For
example, the video gateway may be connected to the internet by means of a high-speed ADSL cable, but also have
a cellular modem that makes it possible to connect to the video gateway wirelessly through the cellular phone
network. The provision of two connection options for a video gateway helps ensure that contact with the video
gateway is not lost due to communication failures.
If a video gateway has two IP addresses, you can configure the MultiClient to automatically connect to the backup
address if the main address is inaccessible for some reason. When you connect to the video gateway, the
MultiClient first tries to connect to the main IP address, and then, if that connection fails, it tries to connect to the
backup IP address. During a session, when the connection to the main IP address of the video gateway is lost, the
MultiClient automatically connects to the backup instead.
You can configure the backup video gateway connection when you are using the New Gateway dialog box to
configure the connection (see Connecting to a Video Gateway, page 9).
To configure a backup gateway connection:
1. In the New Gateway dialog box, click Advanced. The Advanced Settings dialog box opens.
2. In the Advanced Settings dialog box, select the Backup Address tab. The Backup Address tab is
displayed.
Figure 11: Advanced Settings dialog box – Backup Address tab
3. Fill in the backup IP address and port number of the video gateway.
4. Click OK. The Advanced Settings dialog box closes, and the New Gateway dialog box becomes active
again. The specified backup address is used when a connection cannot be established through the main
address.
Connecting to Video Gateways on the Local Network
If the PC running the MultiClient is connected to a local network (LAN) to which one or more video gateways are
also connected, you can use the auto-find feature to locate the video gateways on the network and connect to them.
In this way, you can connect to video gateways on your LAN without knowing any information about their IP
addresses or ports. (You still must know the correct user name and password for client access.)
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 15
To connect to gateways on the local network:
1. At the bottom of the Connection Panel, click the Search button.
Figure 12: Search button
The Find Gateway dialog box opens, and displays a list of all the video gateways in the network.
Note: If a Microsoft Windows Security Alert dialog box is displayed, click Unblock.
Figure 13: Find Gateway dialog box
2. To connect to a video gateway, select it and then click Connect. The MultiClient connects to the video
gateway; the name and description of the video gateway are displayed in the Connection Panel on the left
side of the main window.
Note: By default, the IP addresses of video gateways are not displayed in the Find Gateway dialog box. You
can configure the MultiClient to display the IP addresses; see Customizing the Display, page 112.
If the MultiClient has connected to this video gateway from this PC before, it uses the user name and password that
were last used successfully to connect to the video gateway. Otherwise, it assumes authentication is anonymous. If
this is not correct, correct the user name and password as explained below.
Correcting Authentication Settings
If the user name-password combination defined in the video-gateway's properties is not correct, the connection fails.
The video gateway appears in the Connection Panel, with the note, Authentication failed beside its name.
Figure 14: Incorrect user name or password
Authentication failed
Search
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 16
To correct an incorrect user name or password:
1. In the Connection Panel, double-click the video gateway. The Log In dialog box opens.
Figure 15: Log In dialog box
2. Fill in the User name and Password fields.
Note: If they are not available, clear the Anonymous authentication checkbox.
3. If you want the system to store the user name and password, select Save user name and password.
4. Click OK. The MultiClient connects to the video gateway.
Expanding a Video Gateway
After successfully connecting to a video gateway, you can expand it to display all the devices connected to it.
Figure 16: Expanded video gateway
Each device is identified by name, and a symbol indicates its type and status. The following symbols are used:
Symbol Description
Video gateway
Camera
Sensor – inactive
Sensor – active
Activator – inactive
Activator – active
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 17
Symbol Description
Audio In
Speaker
GPS receiver
File sensor (see New File Events, page 80)
To expand a video gateway:
Click the + beside its name.
Opening the Video Gateway Configuration
The MultiClient contains links that allow you to open the system configuration utility for a video gateway. The
system configuration utilities of video gateways that are connected to your local network can be opened even if the
MultiClient is not connected to them. The system configuration utilities of remote video gateways can only be
opened if they are connected to the MultiClient.
To open the configuration utility of a gateway on the local network:
1. At the bottom of the Connection Panel, click the Search button.
Figure 17: Search button
The Find Gateway dialog box opens, and displays a list of all the video gateways in the network.
Note: If a Microsoft Windows Security Alert dialog box is displayed, click Unblock.
Figure 18: Find Gateway dialog box
Search
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 18
2. Select the video gateway and then click Configure. A new browser window opens, and automatically
connects to the login page for the video gateway’s configuration utility.
Note: By default, the IP addresses of the video gateways are not displayed in the Find Gateway dialog box.
You can configure the MultiClient to display the IP addresses; see Customizing the Display, page 112.
To open the configuration utility of a connected gateway:
1. In the Connection Panel, select the video gateway.
2. At the bottom of the Connection Panel, click the Config button.
Figure 19: Config button
A new browser window opens, and automatically connects to the login page for the video gateway’s
configuration utility.
Config
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 19
Viewing Video Gateway Properties and Statistics
When a video gateway is connected, you can view its connection properties and additional information about the
unit and the connection.
Video Gateway Properties
When a video gateway is connected to the MultiClient, you can view its connection properties. These properties
include the network address of the video gateway and the port it is using for communication. If the connection is
established through a proxy server, the IP address and port of the proxy server also appear. In addition, if the
connection has a backup video gateway address, this information appears as well.
To view the connection properties of a video gateway:
In the Connection Panel, right-click the video gateway and select Properties. The Gateway Properties
dialog box opens.
Figure 20: Gateway Properties dialog box
NOTE: The video gateway description that is displayed in the Connection Panel appears in the Description
field. You can modify this field if you wish.
NOTE: You can open the video gateway’s system configuration utility through the Gateway Properties
dialog box. To do so, click Configure. A new browser window opens, and automatically connects to
the login page for the video gateway’s system configuration utility.
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 20
Video Gateway Statistics
When a video gateway is connected to the MultiClient, you can view current information about it. The data includes
information about the unit, such as its serial number, its hardware and software versions, and its memory capacity,
as well as information about its current configuration and status: its recorders, video streams, events, etc.
To view video gateway statistics:
In the Connection Panel, right-click a video gateway and then select Statistics. The Gateway Statistics
window opens.
Figure 21: Gateway statistics window
Sorting Connected Video Gateways
If the MultiClient has open connections to a large number of video gateways, you may wish to sort the video
gateways in the Connection Panel to make it easier to find them in the list.
To sort the video gateways in the Connection Panel:
In the main menu, select Gateway, and then select Sort Tree Control. The video gateways in the
Connection Panel are arranged in alphabetical order.
Closing Connections to Gateways
You can close an open connection to one or more selected video gateways at any time. You can also close the
connections to all open video gateways in a single command.
When you close a connection, you can choose to remove all information about the video gateway from the
MultiClient's cache (see Managing Gateways, page 21). If you choose to remove the information from the cache,
you will have to reenter it into the MultiClient if you want to connect to the video gateway again; the connection
information will not be displayed automatically in the New Gateway dialog box (see Connecting to a Video
Gateway, page 9).
To close a connection to selected video gateways:
1. In the Connection Panel, select the video gateways.
Note: To select multiple video gateways, select one of the video gateways, hold down Ctrl (to select
individual video gateways from the list) or Shift (to select a range of video gateways), and then left-click the
required video gateways.
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 21
2. At the bottom of the Connection Panel, click the Remove button.
Figure 22: Remove button
A confirmation dialog box opens.
Figure 23: Confirmation dialog box
3. If you want to remove the video-gateway information from the cache, select Remove data from cache.
4. Click Yes. The connections to the selected video gateways are closed and the video gateways are removed
from the list in the Connection Panel.
To close the connections to all connected video gateways:
1. In the main menu, select Gateway, and then select Remove all. A confirmation dialog box opens.
Figure 24: Confirmation dialog box
2. Click Yes. All video gateway connections are closed and all the video gateways are removed from the list in
the Connection Panel. Connection information about the video gateways is not removed from the cache.
Managing Gateways
The Gateway Cache stores information about every video gateway connection that has been defined in the
MultiClient, and gives the current status of each one. The following statuses may appear:
Connected: The MultiClient is currently connected to the video gateway.
Offline: The MultiClient is not connected to the video gateway, and is not attempting to connect, but it is
storing information about the video gateway in the cache.
Connecting: The MultiClient is currently attempting to connect to the video gateway.
Socket Error: The MultiClient attempted to connect to the video gateway, but failed because of a socket
error.
Remove
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 22
You can delete video gateways from the cache as necessary. This is useful, for example, if the cache contains
incorrect information about a video gateway, or if a video gateway is no longer in use.
NOTE: Video gateways cannot be deleted from the cache when the MultiClient is connected to them (i.e.,
when they are listed in the Connection Panel). For information about closing a connection, see
Closing Connections to Gateways, page 20.
You can sort the list of video gateways by any field, including status. This makes it possible to easily find particular
items and to identify connection problems or items that can be removed from the cache.
The cache is also useful if you want to see all the connection information that is stored for a video gateway. For
example, if you want to connect to a video gateway, and you cannot remember its IP address, you may not know
which IP to select in the New Gateway dialog box (see page 10). If you open the cache, you can see the
description of each video gateway, which can help you identify the correct one.
You can add video gateways to the cache, and edit the properties of existing video gateways in the cache. In
addition, you can connect to multiple video gateways directly from the cache.
To manage the Gateway Cache:
1. In the main menu, select Gateway, and then select Gateway Cache. The Gateway Cache window opens.
Figure 25: Gateway Cache
2. To sort the list by a particular column, click the title of the column. (Click it a second time to reverse the
order.)
3. Perform any or all of the following actions, as required:
To Do
Add a new video gateway to the cache
Click Add. The Add Gateway dialog box opens. Fill in the video gateway connection information, and then click OK. The video gateway is added to the cache.
Note: For information about filling in the Add Gateway dialog box, see page 10.
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To Do
Edit the properties of an existing video gateway
Select the video gateway and then click Edit. The Edit Gateway Info dialog box opens. Modify the properties as necessary, and then click OK. The properties of the video gateway are updated in the cache.
Note: The IP and port of the video gateway cannot be edited. If you want to modify these properties, you must add a new video gateway record.
Note: For information about the fields of the Edit Gateway Info dialog box, see page 10.
Delete one or more video gateways from the cache
Select the video gateways and then click Remove. (Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select multiple video gateways). You are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the video gateways. Click Yes. The video gateways are deleted from the cache.
Note: You cannot delete a video gateway from the cache if its state is Connected – i.e., it appears in the Connection Panel. For information about disconnecting a video gateway, see Closing Connections to Gateways, page 20.
Delete all of the video gateways from the cache
Make sure no video gateways are Connected, and then click Remove all. You are prompted to confirm that you want to remove the video gateways. Click Yes. All of the video gateways are removed from the cache.
Note: For information about disconnecting video gateways, see Closing Connections to Gateways, page 20.
Connect to one or more video gateways
Select the video gateways and then click Connect. (Use the Shift and Ctrl keys to select multiple video gateways). You are prompted to confirm that you want to connect to the video gateways. Click Yes. The MultiClient connects to the video gateways.
4. When you are finished managing the cache, click Close. The Gateway Cache window closes.
Saving Your Settings
The current MultiClient settings can be saved in a workspace file. You can use workspaces to do the following:
Back up the current settings.
Save different sets of settings for different needs, such as a daytime workspace and a nighttime workspace, or
a security manager’s workspace and a guard’s workspace
Send a set of settings via email so you that it can be opened in a MultiClient on a different PC.
Workspaces are saved on your PC in WSP file format. The first time you close the MultiClient, you are prompted to
save your workspace. You can save the workspace in the location of your choice, and name it as you wish. From
then on, when you close the MultiClient, it automatically saves your workspace in the last workspace file you used.
When you open the MultiClient, it automatically opens the workspace file in which it saved your last workspace.
If you have more than one workspace file saved on your PC, you can switch workspaces as required.
To save your workspace in a workspace file:
1. In the main menu, select File, and then select Save Workspace As. A Windows Save As dialog box is
displayed.
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Figure 26: Save As dialog box
2. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the workspace file.
3. Under File name, enter the workspace file name.
4. Click Save. The workspace file is saved.
To open a workspace file:
1. In the main menu, select File, and then select Open Workspace. A Windows Open dialog box is displayed.
Figure 27: Open dialog box
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Setting Up the MultiClient Application 25
2. Navigate to the folder in which the required workspace is stored.
3. Select the workspace file.
4. Click Open. The selected workspace replaces the current workspace in the main window.
To send a workspace file via email:
1. In the main menu, select File, and then select Send Workspace to Mail Recipient. A new mail message is
opened in your default mail program with the workspace file included as an attachment.
2. Enter the recipient information and send the message as usual. The recipient can save the attached workspace
file and then open it as described above.
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Viewing Video
You can use the MultiClient application to display video and control the cameras on any connected video gateway.
You can display video from up to 16 cameras simultaneously, view lists of detected events, and play back recorded
video. In addition, you can control the video and audio quality of a camera’s output, and you can focus, pan, tilt,
and zoom cameras that support these features.
Live video streams are displayed in camera panes in Desktops in the Viewing Area. Recorded video can be
displayed in these panes as well, or in the specially designed Recorder Desktop. You can also choose to view a
video stream in a separate window.
The Viewing Area contains nine Desktops, each of which can contain from one to 16 camera panes of various
sizes. You can select the layout you prefer for each Desktop tab, and select which video stream to display in each
pane.
Figure 28: Viewing Area
The Recorder Desktop can be opened in the Viewing Area instead of a standard Desktop. The Recorder
Desktop provides an easy-to-use graphic interface for viewing recorded video. It gives you a top-level view of the
cameras in your system, showing information about all of them in a single display and letting you select and
playback the recordings directly in the screen.
Tabs
Camera pane
Recorder Desktop tab Desktop tab Control panel
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Figure 29: Recorder Desktop
The Control Panel, located to the right of the camera panes, contains various controls that you can use in
conjunction with the camera panes and the Recorder Desktop:
Layout: Buttons for selecting the sizes and arrangements of the camera panes in the current Desktop. See
Adjusting Camera Pane Layout, page 34.
Video controls: Buttons that affect the selected camera pane, or the camera whose video stream is displayed
in it, as follows:
Button Description
Pauses play at the current frame. See Freezing the Display, page 32.
Note: Not available when play is frozen.
Resumes play when it is paused. See Freezing the Display, page 32.
Note: Only available when play is frozen.
For cameras that have microphones connected to them, turns audio on. See Turning Sound On or Off, page 42.
Note: Not available when audio is on.
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Button Description
For cameras that have microphones connected to them, turns audio off. See Turning Sound On or Off, page 42.
Note: Only available when audio is on.
For cameras that have remote focus, pan, tilt, or zoom support, provides controls for these features. See Adjusting Camera Aim and Focus, page 42; Preset Camera Locations, page 47; Preset Tours, page 48.
Downloads recorded video from the selected camera to the PC. See Downloading by Time, page 63.
Begins saving the displayed video stream in a file on the PC. See Downloading Video from a Camera Pane, page 32.
Note: Not available when recording of the displayed video stream is turned on.
Stops recording. See Downloading Video from a Camera Pane, page 32.
Note: Only available when recording of the displayed video stream is turned on.
Saves the current frame of the video stream as a JPG file. See Saving Snapshots, page 32.
Turns on digital zoom-in for the selected camera pane. See Zooming In or Out Digitally, page 33.
Turns on digital zoom-out for the selected camera pane. See Zooming In or Out Digitally, page 33.
Selects video quality for the video stream. See Adjusting Image Quality, page 40.
Viewing Live Video Streams
Live video streams are displayed in camera panes in a Desktop. The MultiClient can display up to 16 video sources
simultaneously in a single Desktop, each in its own camera pane. You can select one or more cameras at a time in
the desktop, either by selecting individual video cameras or by selecting a video gateway.
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Figure 30: Video displayed in a camera pane
Each camera pane contains the following elements:
Camera Pane Part Description
Camera name The name of the camera
Close Stops the video display in this camera pane
Video display area Shows the video
Time Shows the time associated with the displayed video
Status Shows the current camera pane action
To view live video from a camera:
From the Connection Panel, drag the camera to a camera pane. (You may need to expand the video gateway
to display the connected cameras.) The video is displayed in the selected camera pane.
To open live video streams from multiple cameras at one time:
1. In the Connection Panel, select the cameras. (You may need to expand the video gateway to display the
connected cameras.)
Note: To select multiple cameras, select one of the cameras, hold down Ctrl (to select individual cameras
from the list) or Shift (to select a range of cameras), and then left-click the required cameras.
2. Drag the selected cameras to a camera pane. Video from each of the cameras is displayed in a different camera
pane, beginning with the selected camera pane.
To open live streams from all of the cameras connected to a video gateway:
From the Connection Panel, drag the name of a video gateway to a Desktop tab. The selected desktop is
displayed, and video from each of the cameras connected to the video gateway is displayed in its camera
panes. (For additional information about working with desktops, see Using Multiple Desktops, page 38.)
Time
Status
Camera name Close
Video display area
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You can drag cameras to any camera pane in the Viewing Area. You can also move a camera from one pane to
another by dragging it to the desired pane.
If you right-click a camera pane, a pop-up menu opens. This menu contains various controls for the camera pane.
Many of these controls can also be accessed from the Control Panel.
Figure 31: Right-click camera pane menu
In general, only a single camera pane can be selected in a Desktop at any given time. When a camera pane is
selected, its settings can be modified and the video controls in the Control Panel apply to it.
Figure 32: Selected camera pane
Selected camera pane
Video controls
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To select a camera pane:
Click anywhere in the camera pane.
Viewing Stream Info
The properties of a video stream that is currently playing in a camera pane can be viewed in one of two ways:
When the mouse pointer passes over a camera pane, the video type, video gateway name, and camera name
are displayed. Complete stream data, including information about the current video quality settings (data
transfer rates), can be viewed in the Stream Info dialog box.
Figure 33: Camera-pane information
To view the stream data:
In an active camera pane, right-click, and then choose Stream Info. The Stream Info dialog box is
displayed.
Figure 34: Stream Info dialog box
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Freezing the Display
You can freeze the video stream that is playing in a camera pane. When you freeze the video stream, the frame that
was visible remains in the camera pane. For example, if you observe a suspicious person at a location you are
monitoring, you can freeze the video to give yourself time to see them clearly.
NOTE: Once you have frozen the display, you can save the frame as a snapshot if you wish; see Saving
Snapshots below.
To freeze a video stream in a camera pane:
1. Select the camera pane.
2. In the Control Panel, click Freeze . The camera pane displays the current frame, and does not continue
showing the rest of the video stream. The Freeze button is replaced with a Resume button.
3. To resume the display of the video stream, click Resume .
Saving Snapshots
You can save snapshots – single frames from a video stream – of video frames that are displayed in a camera pane.
For example, if you observe a suspicious person at a location you are monitoring, you can take a snapshot of the
person and email it to someone who may be able to identify them.
Snapshots are saved as standard JPG files, in the snapshot folder on your PC.
NOTE: By default, the snapshot folder is in the MultiClient program folder, and is called Downloaded video
and snapshots (e.g., C:\Program Files\Servision\SVMultiClient\Downloaded video
and snapshots). For information about selecting a different snapshot folder and about modifying the
image quality setting, see Setting Snapshot Properties, page 110.
To save a frame from a camera pane:
1. Select the camera pane.
2. In the Control Panel, click Capture . The frame is saved in the snapshot folder.
Downloading Video from a Camera Pane
You can save video streams that are displayed in a camera pane. For example, if you observe suspicious activities at
a location you are monitoring, you can turn on recording of the video stream to capture the action for later
reference.
Video streams are saved on your PC as SVR files. This file format is a proprietary SerVision format. These files can
be viewed in the MultiClient in a camera pane. In addition, you can export these files to a self-playable format that
can be viewed on any PC, or to the standard WMV format that can be played by many video players; see Exporting
Recordings, page 71.
To save a video stream from a camera pane:
1. Select the camera pane.
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2. In the Control Panel, click Rec . Recording begins, and a red dot flashes in the upper right corner of the
pane. The Rec button is replaced with a Stop button.
3. To stop recording, click Stop . Recording stops, and a Save As dialog box opens.
4. Navigate to the desired directory, modify the default file name if you wish, and then save the file.
Zooming In or Out Digitally
You can zoom in on a part of the video displayed in a camera pane to see it in greater detail. This type of zoom is
performed digitally by the MultiClient and can be performed on live or recorded video streams, regardless of
whether the camera capturing the stream provides zoom controls. Three digital zoom levels are available.
When digital zoom is active in a camera pane, the mouse pointer appears as a zoom pointer ( or ). Activated
zoom controls remain active in a pane until you either switch to the reverse zoom control or turn the current zoom
control off. The MultiClient remembers the current zoom settings and controls of all of the camera panes, even
when the mouse pointer is moved to different panes.
To zoom in on or out from a region of a video stream:
1. Select the camera pane in which you want to zoom in or out.
2. In the Control Panel, under Video Controls, click Zoom In to zoom in or Zoom Out to zoom out.
3. Move the mouse over the camera pane of the video stream. Depending on which video control you selected,
the pointer appears either as a Zoom In symbol ( ) or as a Zoom Out symbol ( ).
4. Click the mouse pointer on the region of the pane you want to zoom in on or out from. The display zooms in
on or out from that point. The zoom level appears in the upper-right portion of the playback pane.
Figure 35: Level 1 zoom with Zoom-In control active
5. Click one or two more times to further increase or decrease the zoom level, if desired.
Zoom level
Mouse pointer
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To turn off the Zoom-In or Zoom-Out control:
1. Select the pane in which you want to turn off the zoom control.
2. In the Control Panel, under Video Controls, click Zoom In to turn off the Zoom-In control, or Zoom
Out to turn off the Zoom-Out control. The zoom control is turned off, and the pane remains at its current
zoom setting.
Adjusting Camera Pane Layout
Camera panes can be in the following sizes:
Quarter SIF (small)
SIF (medium-sized)
VGA (large)
For each Desktop, you can select a layout. The layout defines the number of camera panes that will be contained in
the Desktop, and their sizes. You can choose from five predefined layouts. For example, the Desktop in the figure
below contains two SIF camera panes at the top and eight QSIF panes across the bottom.
Figure 36: Camera pane layout: 2 SIF and 8 QSIF panes
To select a predefined layout:
In the Control Panel, under Layout, select the layout, as follows:
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Layout Enables You to View
16 QSIF
Up to 16 videos in small camera panes
1 SIF + 12 QSIF
1 video in a medium-sized camera pane and 12 videos in small panes
2 SIF + 8 QSIF
2 videos in medium-sized camera panes and 8 videos in small camera panes
4 SIF
4 videos in medium-sized camera panes
VGA
1 video in a large camera pane
Note: The camera pane that is currently selected when you select this option is displayed in the large camera pane.
NOTE: The MultiClient remembers which cameras are displayed in each camera pane even if the layout is
changed so that not all of the panes are visible. For example, if your layout has 16 QSIF panes open,
and you switch to a 4-SIF layout, the first four panes of the QSIF layout are displayed, but the rest of
the original layout is retained in memory. If you then switch back to a 16-QSIF layout, all of the
cameras of the original layout are displayed as before.
Viewing a Desktop in Full Screen Mode
You can view a Desktop in full-screen mode, such that the camera panes are stretched to fill the entire screen. (The
resolution of the frames is not changed.)
Figure 37: Full-screen mode
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To view a Desktop in full screen mode:
In the Control Panel, under Layout, select .
To return to normal mode, click the mouse, or press any key on the keyboard.
Looping Multiple Cameras in a Camera Pane
You can loop multiple cameras in a single camera pane. This enables you to use the same camera pane to
automatically switch the view between multiple cameras. The video from each camera is displayed in the pane for a
preset amount of time, after which the video from the next camera in the loop sequence is displayed.
To loop cameras:
1. In an active camera pane, right-click and then select Camera Loop.
The Camera Loop Settings dialog box is displayed, with the camera that was displayed in the pane listed as
the first camera in the loop.
Figure 38: Camera Loop Settings dialog box
2. To add a camera to the loop sequence, click Add. The Choose Camera dialog box opens, and lists all of the
video gateways currently connected to the MultiClient.
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Figure 39: Choose Camera dialog box
3. Expand the video gateways as necessary to display the cameras connected to them.
Figure 40: Choose Camera dialog box – expanded video gateway
4. Select the camera to add, and then click OK. The Choose Camera dialog box closes, and the Camera Loop
Settings dialog box becomes active again.
5. To add additional cameras, repeat steps 2 – 4 for each camera.
6. In the Camera Loop Settings dialog box, under Interval, specify the time to display video from each camera
in the loop, in seconds. This setting applies to all cameras in the loop.
7. To adjust the order in which the cameras are displayed, select a camera and click Up to display it earlier in the
loop or Down to display it later.
8. Click OK. The camera pane display loops through the cameras you selected.
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Using Multiple Desktops
You can use alternate desktops to create different layouts of camera panes and video streams. This is useful, for
example, if there are more than 16 cameras in your system, and you want to be able to switch between them, or if
you want to have larger views readily available of a few particularly sensitive areas that you normally monitor in
small camera panes. You can create up to nine different desktops, and switch between them as necessary. You can
also set the MultiClient to loop between them automatically, just as you can loop between cameras in a single
camera pane.
When you first open the MultiClient, the default desktop, number 1, is displayed.
To switch to a different desktop view:
Click the relevant Desktop tab.
Figure 41: Desktop tabs
To loop between desktop views
1. To the right of the Desktop tabs, click Loop . The Desktop Loop Interval dialog box opens.
Desktop Tabs
Desktop 2 tab Loop button
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Figure 42: Desktop Loop Interval dialog box
2. Select the Desktops you want to include in the loop.
3. Under Interval, specify the time to display each desktop view, in seconds.
4. Click OK. The Desktops are displayed in the Viewing Area one after the other, for the specified interval of
time, and the Loop button is displayed in green .
To turn off desktop looping:
Click Loop, or click any Desktop tab. Desktop looping is disabled, and the Loop button is displayed in blue
.
Viewing Video in a Separate Window
You can view live or recorded video in a separate, floating window, rather than in one of the fixed camera panes in
the Viewing Area. The window functions just like a camera pane that is part of the Desktop. The window
elements are identical, and the Control Panel buttons and right-click menu of a standard camera pane are available.
If you are playing recorded video in the window, the standard playback controls are also available.
To view video in a separate window:
1. From the main window, select Tools, and then select Show/Hide Separate Window. A separate camera pane
window opens on top of the Viewing Area:
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Figure 43: A separate camera pane window
2. Drag a camera or an event from the Connection Panel to the window, or drag one of the camera panes from
the Desktop to the window.
The video is played in the window:
Figure 44: Video playing in a separate window
Adjusting Video and Audio Settings
When you drag a camera to a camera pane, the video gateway transmits the video stream to the MultiClient
according to the default image quality and sound settings defined for the video gateway (see Setting Default Video
and Audio Settings, page 121). You can choose different settings for each camera pane. In addition, you can change
the brightness and contrast settings of a camera.
Adjusting Image Quality
You can adjust the image quality (the bit rate and frame rate used by the video gateway to transmit the video stream
to the MultiClient) of a camera pane. These changes only affect the camera pane in which they were made.
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To adjust image quality:
1. Select the camera pane.
2. In the Control Panel, in the Video Quality dropdown list, select the desired quality level (highest, medium,
or lowest). The image quality is set.
Figure 45: Video Quality dropdown list
Adjusting Brightness and Contrast
You can adjust the brightness and contrast settings of a camera.
NOTE: Changes to brightness and contrast affect the camera, and therefore affect all live video transmitted
from it or recorded on the video gateway after the change is made. However, if the video gateway is
reset, the brightness and contrast settings are lost, because the default settings of the camera – defined
in the system configuration utility – are used. It is therefore recommended to change these settings in
the system configuration utility if you wish them to become permanent. For additional information,
please refer to your system configuration guide.
To adjust brightness and contrast settings:
1. In an active camera pane, right-click and choose Picture Parameters. The Picture Parameters dialog box is
displayed.
Figure 46: Picture Parameters dialog box
2. Adjust the settings and click OK. The brightness and contrast of the camera is adjusted.
Note: Changes to brightness and contrast affect the camera, and therefore all live video transmitted from it or
recorded on the video gateway after the change is made.
3. Repeat step 2 as necessary until the picture quality is optimized.
Video Quality dropdown list
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4. When you are finished modifying the settings, click to close the dialog box.
Switching to D1 Resolution
If the video resolution used by a video gateway is D1 (rather than the more common VGA), the video frames are
normally converted to VGA resolution before they are displayed in the MultiClient. If you wish, you can choose to
view a live video stream from one of these video gateways in D1 resolution instead.
NOTE: D1 display can only be implemented if the video adaptor on your PC supports this resolution. If it does
not, a warning message is displayed when you try to open a video stream in D1 resolution.
To view a live video stream in D1 resolution:
1. Play the video stream in a camera pane in the Desktop (as explained under Viewing Live Video Streams,
page 28).
2. Right-click the camera pane, and then select Open in D1 Resolution. The camera pane is opened in full-
screen mode (see Viewing a Desktop in Full Screen Mode, page 35), and the video is displayed in D1
resolution.
Note: This option is only available if “D1” is selected as the video resolution in the configuration of the video
gateway.
Turning Sound On or Off
For cameras with audio capabilities (cameras that have a built-in microphone or a separate microphone linked to
them in the unit's configuration), you can listen to the audio while you view the video.
NOTE: Audio is configured using the system configuration utility; audio can only be turned on in the
MultiClient if it is enabled in the configuration of the camera. For additional information, see your
system configuration guide.
NOTE: For information about outgoing audio support, see Using Bi-Directional Audio, page 103.
To turn audio on or off:
1. Select the camera pane.
2. In the Control Panel, click Audio . The sound is turned on, and the button is replaced with an Audio Off
button.
Note: If the Audio button is not active, audio is not enabled for the camera.
3. To turn off the audio, click Audio Off . The sound is turned off.
Adjusting Camera Aim and Focus
Some cameras can be remotely aimed and/or focused. You can use the MultiClient application to control these
focusing and aiming functions. You can also use the MultiClient to configure the speed and step of the PTZ actions.
The MultiClient can remember specific aim and focus settings. Each aim/focus setting is called a preset. You can
save multiple presets for each camera, defining one for each location that you want to monitor on a regular basis.
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Then you can easily switch the view from one preset location to another. In addition, the MultiClient can be set to
automatically loop between preset locations.
All of these features are controlled in the Camera Control Panel.
To open the Camera Control Panel for a camera:
1. Select a camera pane in which live video from the camera is playing.
2. In the Control Panel, click PTZ . The Camera Control Panel is displayed, with the name of the camera
indicated in the title bar.
Figure 47: Camera Control Panel – PTZ controls
Keeping the Camera Controls Open
You can choose to keep the Camera Control Panel open until you close it, or to have it close automatically when
you click elsewhere on the screen. If it is kept open, the controls are accessible immediately when they are needed,
but the panel may interfere with your view of the Desktop.
This option is controlled by the pushpin button at the bottom of the Camera Control Panel window. The button
has two positions:
Position Description
Pushpin out When you click elsewhere on the screen, the Camera Control Panel closes.
Pushpin in When you click elsewhere on the screen, the Camera Control Panel remains open.
To toggle the pushpin:
Click the pushpin.
To close the Camera Control Panel when the pushpin is in:
Click the in the upper-right corner of the window.
Camera name
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Controlling Pan, Tilt, and Zoom Functions
Using the MultiClient, you can change the aim and focus of a PTZ camera directly from your PC using its built-in
pan (left to right), tilt (up and down), and zoom (in and out) functions.
You can also fine-tune these features by setting their speed and step. For more information, see Setting the Speed
and Step for PTZ Actions, page 46.
NOTE: Your camera may only support pan/tilt action or zoom action. For information about your camera’s
features, see the camera documentation or contact the camera vendor.
To aim a PTZ camera:
1. In the Camera Control Panel, to zoom in or out, click or , respectively. The camera view zooms
in or out according to your selection.
Figure 48: Camera Control Panel – PTZ controls
2. To pan or tilt, click the appropriate arrow. The camera moves in the direction selected.
Camera Control Description
Pan left
Pan right
Tilt up
Tilt down
Changing the Camera Focus
Some cameras can be manually focused remotely. With these cameras, you can choose to rely on the auto-focus, or
you can choose to manually focus nearer or farther in the view frame.
PTZ controls
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To focus a camera:
In the Camera Control Panel, click the focus controls as follows:
Focus Control Description
Focus nearer
Focus farther away
Use the camera's auto-focus
Figure 49: Camera Control Panel – focus controls
Using Continuous Motion
Some TVG firmware supports continuous as well as stepped motion. For these models, when continuous motion is
selected, the aim or focus changes continuously as long as a PTZ control is held down. (Otherwise, the aim or focus
changes one step for each time the control is clicked.) The speed of camera motion is the same regardless of
whether stepping or continuous motion is used. For additional information about PTZ step and speed, see Setting
the Speed and Step for PTZ Actions, page 46.
To activate continuous PTZ motion:
In the Camera Control Panel , select Continuous PTZ. (If the video gateway does not support this feature,
you will not be able to select the checkbox.)
Auto-focus
Focus nearer Focus farther
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Figure 50: Camera Control Panel – Continuous PTZ option
Setting the Speed and Step for PTZ Actions
Every camera has a default speed (how quickly the camera moves from one point to another) and step (the distance
the camera moves with each click). You can adjust the speed and step for your camera’s PTZ and focus movements.
This can help you view desired locations more easily.
To set PTZ and focus speed and step:
1. In the Camera Control Panel, click PTZ/Focus Speed. The PTZ Speed Configuration dialog box opens..
Figure 51: Camera Control Panel – speed and step controls
Set speed and step
Continuous PTZ
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Figure 52: PTZ Speed Configuration dialog box
2. Drag the sliders to the desired speed and step for each pan, tilt, and zoom, and focus action, or type the desired
value in the field to the right of the slider.
Note: The speed and step values are relative values, with reference to the capabilities of the camera, and have
no specific units. The value range for the speed setting is 1–5, and the value range for the step setting is 1–10.
3. Click OK. The speed and step values are set.
Preset Camera Locations
You may want to view activity in the same camera location repeatedly (for example, for a frequently entered
security area). You can create preset camera locations that enable you to quickly move a camera to view these
locations.
A series of preset locations can be looped to create a preset tour. You can select the order in which the camera will
move to each preset and the amount of time the camera will remain at each location before it moves to the next one
in the preset tour.
NOTE: If an event notification is received during the viewing of a preset tour, the event notification is
displayed instead of the preset tour.
In some systems, preset locations can be linked to sensor events. The camera can then be configured to use the
sensor event as a trigger; when the sensor is activated, the camera automatically moves to a specified preset. For
example, the system can be configured such that, when a specified door opens, a sensor event is generated. This, in
turn, can aim the camera at the door and initiate video recording of the location. For additional information, please
refer to the system configuration guide for your system.
To set a preset camera location:
1. In the Camera Control Panel, use the PTZ and focus controls to set the camera to the desired location and
zoom setting, as described above (see Controlling Pan, Tilt, and Zoom Functions, page 44; Changing the
Camera Focus, page 44)..
2. Select a preset number (“Preset 1,” “Preset 2,” etc.) from the drop-down list.
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Figure 53: Camera Control Panel –preset controls
3. Click Set. The location is stored as a preset with the selected preset number.
To move the camera to a preset location:
1. In the Camera Control Panel, select the preset location from the drop-down list.
2. Click Go To. The camera moves to the preset location.
Preset Tours
A series of preset locations can be looped to create a preset tour. You can select the order in which the camera will
move to each preset location and the amount of time the camera will remain at each location before it moves to the
next one in the preset tour.
You can define multiple preset tours for a single camera. For example, you can create a standard daytime tour, a
nighttime tour, and a weekend tour.
Once the preset tours are defined for a camera, you can turn them on or off in a camera pane as necessary. You can
also edit the tour, changing the list of presets, their order, and their durations.
Creating a Preset Tour
Once you have created preset locations for a camera (see page 47), you can create a preset tour.
To create a preset tour:
1. In the Camera Control Panel, click Preset Tour. The Preset Tour dialog box opens.
Drop-down list
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Figure 54: Camera Control Panel – Preset Tour controls
Figure 55: Preset Tour dialog box – creating a new tour
2. Click New Preset Tour. The Preset tour name dialog box opens.
Figure 56: Preset tour name dialog box
New preset tour button
List of available
presets
Current preset tour
List of presets in the preset tour
Interval
Preset Tour
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3. In the text field, type a name for the preset tour, and then click OK. The Preset tour name dialog box closes,
and the name appears in the upper left of the Preset Tour dialog box.
4. From the list of available presets on the left side of the dialog box, select one or more preset locations to
include in the tour, and click Add. The presets are added to the list of presets in the tour, which appears on the
right side of the dialog box.
Note: When the preset tour is played, the presets are displayed in the order in which they appear in the list.
You can change the order by selecting a preset in the list and using the Up and Down arrows to move it.
5. By default, the interval – the number of seconds the camera remains at a given preset location – is five
seconds. You can set a different interval for each preset in the tour (minimum, 5 seconds). To do so, in the list
of presets in the tour, click the preset whose interval you want to set. Then, in the Interval field, type the
desired interval. The interval is updated in the list.
Figure 57: Setting the interval for a preset
6. Click OK. The preset tour is saved and the Preset Tour dialog box closes.
Note: If you want to save the settings without closing the Preset Tour dialog box, click Save instead of OK.
The settings are saved, and the dialog box remains open, so you can continue setting up the preset tour.
Displaying a Preset Tour
Once a preset tour has been created for a camera, you can display it in a camera pane.
To display a preset tour:
1. In the Camera Control Panel, select the preset tour from the drop-down list.
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Figure 58: Camera Control Panel – preset controls
2. Click Start . The selected preset tour is activated in the selected camera pane. A symbol appears in
the upper-left corner of the camera pane when the preset tour is running.
Figure 59: Preset tour running
To pause or stop a preset tour:
When a preset tour is in progress, the View button becomes a Stop button, and the Pause button
is activated. To temporarily pause the preset tour, click the Pause button. To stop the preset tour entirely,
click the Stop button.
Modifying a Preset Tour
You can modify the settings of an existing preset tour as necessary.
To modify a preset tour:
1. Select a camera pane that is displaying live video from the camera for which the preset tour is defined. (The
preset tour does not have to be displayed.)
2. In the Camera Control Panel, click Preset Tour. The Preset Tour dialog box opens.
Preset tour drop-down list
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Figure 60: Camera Control Panel – Preset Tour controls
3. Select the preset tour from the drop-down list at the upper left of the dialog box.
Figure 61: Preset Tour dialog box – selecting a tour
4. Click Preset tour. The Preset Tour dialog box opens, with the settings for the selected tour displayed.
Preset Tour
Select the preset tour
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Figure 62: Preset Tour dialog box – modifying a tour
5. Modify the list of presets as follows:
To add presets to the tour, select the presets in the list of available presets, and then click Add.
To remove presets form the tour, select the presets in the list of presets in the tour, and then click
Remove.
To change the interval of a preset in the tour, select the preset, and then modify the value in the Interval
field.
To move a preset up or down in the list, select it, and then click the Up and Down arrows to move
it.
6. When you have finished modifying the tour, click OK. The preset tour is modified.
Deleting a Preset Tour
You can delete an existing preset tour as necessary.
To delete a preset tour:
1. Select a camera pane that is displaying live video from the camera for which the preset tour is defined. (The
preset tour does not have to be displayed.)
2. In the Camera Control Panel, click Preset Tour. The Preset Tour dialog box opens.
3. Select the preset tour from the drop-down list at the upper left of the dialog box.
4. Click the Remove button at the top of the window. The preset tour is deleted.
List of available
presets
Interval
Selected preset tour
List of presets in the tour
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Figure 63: Preset Tour dialog box – deleting a tour
5. Click OK. The Preset Tour dialog box closes.
Viewing Recorded Video
You can play back recorded video that is stored on a video gateway. You can also download recorded video from
the video gateway to your PC, and play it back later.
Recorded video may be available on the video gateway for playback and downloading if:
A camera is configured to record all the time.
A camera is configured to record events.
NOTE: Continuous recording and event-triggered recording are configured using the video gateway's
configuration utility.
This section explains how to play recorded video that is stored on the video gateway. For information about
downloading video from a video gateway to a file, see Downloading Video from a Camera Pane, page 32, and
Downloading Video from a Gateway, page 61. For information about viewing downloaded video, see Playing Video
Stored on Your PC, page 67.
You can view video stored on a video gateway by event or by time, in a camera pane or in the Recorder Desktop.
Camera-pane viewing is optimal for viewing recorded video by event, as it allows you to select a specific event for
viewing. In addition, you may find it more convenient to use a camera pane for playback when you want to view
more than one video stream – live or recorded – at the same time. The Recorder Desktop is optimal for viewing
recorded video by time, as it contains a convenient interface for selecting and displaying the required time period. It
also provides access to the recorded video streams of all the cameras in the system in a single interface.
During playback of recorded video that is stored on a video gateway, you can make use of playback controls, such
as pause, fast forward, and rewind. You can also freeze the playback, take snapshots of video frames, and download
some or all of the recorded video to your PC. If you are using a Desktop camera pane for playback, you can use
Selected preset tour Remove button
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these features just as you would with live video playing in a camera pane. The Recorder Desktop includes its own
controls for these functions.
Using Camera-Pane Playback Controls
The Playback Control panel controls the playback of recorded video that is displayed in the currently selected
camera pane. The video may be of video that is currently stored on the video gateway, and played back by event
(see Playing Back Recorded Video by Event, page 55) or by time (see Playback by Time in a Camera Pane,
page 61), as described below, or video that is stored in an SVR file on the PC, and played back as described under
Playing Video Stored on Your PC, page 67.
To control video playback in a camera pane:
1. If the Playback Control panel is not opened, click the camera pane to open it.
2. In the Playback Control panel, use the controls as follows:
Control Function Description
Slider Drag the slider to quickly reach a desired section of the playback.
Pause Click to pause playback.
Play Click to start playback.
Reduce Playback Speed
Click to reduce the speed at which the video is played. Each click reduces speed by 2X (16X, 8X, 4X, 2X).
Increase Playback Speed
Click to increase the speed at which the video is played. Each click increases speed by 2X (2X, 4X, 8X, 16X).
Go to Previous Frame
When playback of an SVR file is paused, click to display the previous frame.
Note: This option is not available during playback of recorded video that is stored on the video gateway
Go to Next Frame
When playback of an SVR file is paused, click to display the next frame.
Note: This option is not available during playback of recorded video that is stored on the video gateway
Playing Back Recorded Video by Event
You can view recorded video of an event by dragging the event to a Desktop camera pane, just as you would with
live video.
Events are listed in the Connection Panel under the devices that detected or triggered them. Events that occurred
during the current MultiClient session are listed automatically when the devices are expanded. Events that were
recorded prior to the current session, and are currently stored on the video gateway, can be accessed by double-
clicking the date on which they occurred.
The following icons are used in the Connection Panel to indicate events:
Icon Description
Events of a particular day – expand this level to see a list of the events
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Icon Description
Motion event (motion detected in the video stream of the camera)
Sensor or activator event (device turned on or off)
Note: If an activator is linked to a camera in the system configuration, its events appear both under the camera and under the activator.
New File event – a file was downloaded from the video gateway to your PC. (See New File Events, page 80.)
The use of these icons is illustrated in the following figure:
Figure 64: Events in the Connection Panel
NOTE: In the illustration above, the two labeled activator events, under the Entrance hall camera and under the
Front alarm activator, are actually the same event. In the system configuration, the activator is linked
to the camera, so activator events appear under the camera as camera events and also under the
activator as activator events. For more information on how events are triggered, see Handling Live
Events, page 72.
To play back recorded video of an event:
From the Connection Panel, drag an event to a camera pane. The event begins playing, and the Playback
Control panel opens.
Figure 65: Playback Control panel
Activator event
Motion event
Events of the given day
Activator event
New File event
Double-click to see recorded events of the day
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To select multiple events for playback:
1. In the Connection Panel, select one of the events, hold down Ctrl (to select individual events from the list)
or Shift (to select a range of events), and then left-click the required events.
2. Drag the selected events to a camera pane. Each event is played in a separate camera pane, beginning with the
camera pane you select.
During playback, you can use the Playback Control panel to pause playback, increase playback speed, and
reduce playback speed. The Playback Control panel is not initially opened. To open it, click the relevant
camera pane. For more information, see Using Camera-Pane Playback Controls, page 55.
You can also take snapshots of video frames and download video to files. For more information, see Saving
Snapshots, page 32; Downloading Video from a Camera Pane, page 32.
Playback by Time in the Recorder Desktop
The Recorder Desktop provides an easy-to-use graphic interface for viewing recorded video that is stored on a
video gateway. While you can also play recorded video in the standard Desktop, the Recorder Desktop has a
number of features that make it the more convenient tool for viewing recorded video in many cases. In particular, it
allows you to:
Choose a date and view a graphic display of the events that were recorded by each camera connected to the
video gateway on that day
Easily switch between cameras
To view video in the Recorder Desktop:
1. At the top of the Viewing Area, click the Recorder tab. The Recorder Desktop opens in the Viewing Area.
The name of the currently-selected video gateway appears at the upper left of the Viewing Area. For each
camera connected to the video gateway, the times for which there is recorded video on the date specified in the
Date field are indicated in blue in the Timeline area.
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Figure 66: Recorder Desktop
2. To select a different video gateway, in the Connection Panel, click the video gateway. The video gateway
changes.
3. To select a different date, in the Date field, do one of the following, and then click Retrieve Records Info:
To select the current date, click . The current date is entered in the Date field.
To select a different date, modify the Date field by typing, or select one of the values in the field (day,
month, or year), and then click the arrows to the right of the field to increase or decrease their values.
4. To see markers in the timeline indicating when events were detected on the specified date, under Active Event
Sources, select the cameras for which you want to see event information, and then click Retrieve Records
Info. For each of the selected cameras, the times at which events were detected are indicated in the Timeline
area in red.
Note: Click the checkbox above the list of cameras to select or clear all the camera checkboxes.
Recorder tab
Selected gateway
Date field
Timeline area
Gateway name
Recorded video
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Figure 67: Event markers and zoom controls in the timeline
5. To increase or decrease the scale of the timeline, click the Zoom controls.
6. In the Timeline area, drag the mouse over the timeline of the camera and time period for which you want to
view the recorded video stream. The cursor becomes a cross hair and the selected time period is marked in
green. The time range shown in the Time Interval area is updated to match the area marked in green:
Note: You can fine-tune the selected time period by editing the Time interval fields after you select the range
in the timeline.
In the illustration below, a time period from 12:00:00 pm through 1:30:00 pm has been selected for the
Management Lobby camera. This time period is marked in green in the timeline, and appears in the Time
interval fields as well.
Figure 68: Selected camera and time range
7. In the playback controls, click Play . The video begins playing in the playback pane. The time currently
playing appears at the bottom left of the pane.
Camera for which events are displayed
Red event markers
Zoom controls
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Figure 69: Playback pane and controls
8. Control video playback using the following controls:
Playback Function Description
Slider Drag the slider to quickly reach a desired section of the playback.
Pause
Click to pause playback.
Play
Click to start playback.
Reduce Playback Speed
Click to reduce the speed at which the video is played. Each click reduces speed by 2X (16X, 8X, 4X, 2X).
Increase Playback Speed
Click to increase the speed at which the video is played. Each click increases speed by 2X (2X, 4X, 8X, 16X).
To take a snapshot:
During playback, click Capture . The frame that is currently displayed is saved in JPG format in the
snapshot folder. For additional information about saving snapshots, see Saving Snapshots, page 32.
To exit the Recorder Desktop:
Click any other Desktop tab.
Playback pane
Playback controls
Current playback speed
Slider
Time
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Playback by Time in a Camera Pane
You can view recorded video in any Desktop camera pane by selecting the time period for which you want to see
the video.
To view recorded video by time:
1. In the Connection Panel, right-click a camera and choose Play Record by Time. The Play Record by Time
dialog box is displayed. The current date is circled in red.
Figure 70: Play Record by Time dialog box
2. Select a start time and date, and an end time and date (or choose a start time and date, and then, below the
calendar area, choose a duration).
Note: To select the current date, at the bottom of the calendar, click Today.
3. Click OK. A Choose Window message appears.
Figure 71: Choose Window message
4. Click a camera pane in which to play the video. Playback begins, and the Playback Control panel opens.
During playback, you can use the Playback Control panel to pause playback, increase playback speed, and
reduce playback speed. For more information, see Using Camera-Pane Playback Controls, page 55.
You can also take snapshots of video frames and download video to files. For more information, see Saving
Snapshots, page 32; Downloading Video from a Camera Pane, page 32.
Downloading Video from a Gateway
If a video gateway is configured to record video, either continuously or when an event takes place, the video is
stored on the video gateway’s storage media. You can download and recorded video that is stored on a video
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gateway to your PC. Recorded video can be downloaded by event or by time. Up to three hours of video can be
downloaded at one time.
NOTE: Recorded video from GPS-equipped mobile video gateway units can also be downloaded by selecting
start and end points in a GPS map. For additional information, see Viewing Recorded Video of a GPS
Path, page 99.
Video can be saved in one of three formats:
SVR: A proprietary format used by SerVision. This format is optimized for SerVision systems. It is
recommended to use this format if you plan to play the recorded video back in the MultiClient. (Files in this
format can be converted to EXE or WMV later if they are to be played without the MultiClient; see Exporting
Recordings, page 71.)
EXE: A self-playable video file – a proprietary SerVision format that packages the video with software that
plays it in a window. (Files in this format can also be played in the MultiClient; see Playing Self-Playable
Files, page 69.)
WMV: A standard Windows Media Video file, which can be played by many applications, including the
Windows Media Player.
Downloading by Event
You can download video of any event that is listed under a camera in the Control Panel.
To download a recorded event:
1. In the Connection Panel, right-click the event and choose Download Event. The Download Event dialog
box is displayed, and the start and end times of the event are displayed in the upper portion of the dialog box.
Figure 72: Download Event dialog box
2. To download a longer or shorter segment of video, change the Start time and End time values, or the
Duration values, as necessary.
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Note: When a camera records video continuously, you can change the viewing segment to include more than
the recorded event. If the camera is configured only to record events, this extended recording time is limited to
the pre- and post-event recording time configured in the system configuration utility.
3. Under Save as, enter a path and file name for the downloaded file or click Browse to navigate to the desired
location. The default folder is in the MultiClient program folder, and is called Downloaded video and
snapshots (e.g., C:\Program Files\Servision\SVMultiClient\Downloaded video and
snapshots). The default file name consists of the date, start time, video gateway name, and camera name.
(e.g., 2006Oct24 15-28-04 Libby's HVG Entrance Hall Motion.svr).
4. Under File Type, select a format for the video you are downloading.
5. Click OK. Downloading begins, and a progress dialog is displayed.
Figure 73: Download progress dialog box
After successful downloading, “Download complete” appears in the title bar.
6. If you want to play the event in a camera pane, click Open, and then select the camera pane in which to
display the video. The video is played. For additional information about playing downloaded video in a
camera pane, see Playing Video Stored on Your PC, page 67.
Downloading by Time
You can download recorded video from a specified camera and time period to a file on your PC.
To download video by time:
1. In the Connection Panel, right-click a camera and choose Download Record by Time. The Download
Record by Time dialog box is displayed.
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Figure 74: Download Record by Time dialog box
Note: Alternatively, if video from the camera – live or recorded – is displayed in a camera pane, select the
camera pane and then, in the Control Panel, click Save . The camera pane does not have to be playing the
video you want to download when you do this. The Download Record by Time dialog box opens. Follow
the instructions below to download the video.
2. Select a start time and date, and an end time and date (or choose a start time and date, and then, below the
calendar area, choose a duration).
Note: To select the current date, at the bottom of the calendar, click Today.
3. Under Save as, Enter a path and file name for the downloaded file, or click Browse to navigate to the desired
location. The default folder is in the MultiClient program folder, and is called Downloaded video and
snapshots (e.g., C:\Program Files\Servision\ SVMultiClient\Downloaded video and
snapshots). The default file name consists of the date, start time, video gateway name, and camera name
(e.g., 2006Oct24 15-28-04 Libby's HVG Entrance Hall Motion.svr).
4. Under File Type, select a format for the video you are downloading.
5. Click OK. Downloading begins, and a progress dialog is displayed.
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Figure 75: Download progress dialog box
After successful downloading, “Download complete” appears in the title bar.
6. If you want to play the recording in a camera pane, click Open, and then select the camera pane in which to
display the video. The video is displayed. For additional information about playing downloaded video in a
camera pane, see Playing Video Stored on Your PC, page 67.
Downloading from Multiple Cameras
You can download video from multiple cameras at one time, as long as all the cameras are connected to the same
video gateway, and the time period for which you want to download the video is the same for all of the cameras.
The video from each camera is saved in a separate file. Only SVR format is supported.
To download video from multiple cameras:
1. In the Connection Panel, right-click a video gateway and choose Download Video. The Download Record
by Time dialog box is displayed.
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Figure 76: Download Record by Time dialog box for multiple cameras
2. Select a start time and date, and an end time and date (or choose a start time and date, and then, below the
calendar area, choose a duration).
Note: To select the current date, at the bottom of the calendar, click Today.
3. Under Cameras, select the cameras from which you want to download the video. To select all of the cameras,
click Select All.
4. Under Folder, enter a path for the downloaded files, or click Browse to navigate to the desired location.
5. Click OK. Downloading begins, and a progress dialog is displayed.
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Figure 77: Download progress dialog box
After successful downloading, “Download complete” appears in the title bar.
6. If you want to play the recording in a camera pane, click Open, and then select a camera pane in which to
display the video. Video from one of the cameras is played in the pane you select, and video from the other
cameras is played in adjacent camera panes. All the streams are played simultaneously in synchronized
fashion. A single Playback Control panel controls the playback from all of the cameras. For additional
information about playing downloaded video in a camera pane, see Playing Video Stored on Your PC,
page 67. For information about the Playback Control panel, see page 55.
Playing Video Stored on Your PC
Video that was downloaded from a SerVision video gateway is stored in files in SVR, EXE, or WMV format. If the
downloaded video is in SVR format, you can only play it by using the MultiClient application. If it is in EXE
format, it can be played on any PC simply by opening it, and can also be played in the MultiClient. If it is in WMV
format, it can be played in a variety of video players.
NOTE: For information about downloading video from a video gateway to a file, see Downloading Video from
a Camera Pane, page 32, and Downloading Video from a Gateway, page 61. For information about
exporting an SVR file to a self-playable EXE file or a WMV file, see Exporting Recordings, page 71.
Playing SVR Files
SVR files can only be played in the MultiClient.
You can select multiple SVR files for playback. If the files you select contain video records from multiple cameras
that all have the same date, start time, and duration, you can play the video from these files in synchronized fashion.
(For example, if they were downloaded at one time – see Downloading from Multiple Cameras, page 65.) In this
case, the playback controls affect all of the files at once. For example, if you click Pause, playback of all of the files
is paused.
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Figure 78: Synchronized playback of two SVR files
To play video from an SVR file in the MultiClient:
1. In the main menu, select Tools, and then select Play Downloaded Video. A File Open dialog box is
displayed.
2. Select the files to play.
Note: To select multiple files, select one of the files, hold down Ctrl (to select individual files from the list) or
Shift (to select a range of files), and then left-click the required files.
Note: You can also select SerVision EXE files; they can be played in the MultiClient just like SVR files. To
see them in the list of files in the File Open dialog box, under Files of type, select All Files.
3. Click Open. A Choose Window message appears.
Figure 79: Choose Window message
4. Click the camera pane in which to play the video. The video playback begins, and the Playback Control
panel opens. If you selected multiple files, playback of the first file begins in the selected camera pane, and
playback of the other files begins in the camera panes following it. (If there are not enough camera panes
available for all of the selected files, the excess files are not played.)
During playback, you can use the Playback Control panel to pause playback, increase playback speed, and
reduce playback speed. For more information, see page 55.
Selected camera pane
Playback controls for selected camera panes
Selected camera pane
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If the files have the same date, start time, and duration, the playback controls affect all of the selected camera
panes. Initially, all of the camera panes are selected. To select a single camera pane, click its title bar. To
select multiple camera panes, hold down Ctrl and click their title bars. You cannot select multiple camera
panes unless they are playing downloaded video from SVR files and have the same date, start time, and
duration.
You can also take snapshots of video frames when the recorded video is playing. For more information, see
Saving Snapshots, page 32.
Playing Self-Playable Files
Self-playable files are automatically played in a Player window when you open them. Alternatively, you can play
them in a camera pane in the MultiClient, just as you would play an SVR file (see Playing SVR Files, page 67).
To view self-playable downloaded video on any PC:
1. Navigate to the self-playable file and double-click it. The video stream is displayed in a Player window.
Figure 80: Player window
Information about the current playback status appears in the Status area. The slider in the progress bar
indicates the current playback position. If VMD events were detected by the system during the time included
in the video stream, a timeline of events is displayed above the progress bar. In this timeline, the times at
which events were detected are indicated in red.
Information about the recording is displayed in the Record info area at the bottom of the Player.
2. Control video playback using the following controls:
Timeline of events
Record Info area
Progress bar
Playback controls
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Control Function Description
Slider Drag the slider to quickly reach a desired section of the playback.
Play Click to start playback.
Pause Click to pause playback.
Reduce Playback Speed
Click to reduce the speed at which the video is played. Each click reduces speed by 2X (16X, 8X, 4X, 2X).
Increase Playback Speed
Click to increase the speed at which the video is played. Each click increases speed by 2X (2X, 4X, 8X, 16X).
Go to Previous Event Click to go back to the beginning of the previous event.
Go to Next Event Click to go forward to the beginning of the next event.
Go Back by Frames When playback is paused, click to go back one frame.
Go Forward by Frames
When playback is paused, click to advance one frame.
Enlarge Click to increase the size of the playback pane.
Reset Size Click to return the player pane to normal size (available when the pane is enlarged).
To take a snapshot:
During playback, click Snapshot. The frame that is currently displayed is saved in JPG format in the folder in
which the self-playable file is stored.
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Exporting Recordings
You can transform saved SVR files into EXE or WMV format, both of which can be viewed on any PC (see
Downloading Video from a Gateway, page 61).
To export a video file:
1. In the main menu, select Tools, and then select Convert Downloaded Video. The Convert Downloaded
Video dialog box is displayed:
Figure 81: Convert Downloaded Video dialog box
2. Under Source, click Browse. Navigate to the SVR file you want to export, and select it. The file name and
path are inserted in the Source field. In addition, the same file name and path are inserted into the Destination
field, and the file type that is selected under Save As is appended to the file name. (For example, if C://2011Aug31 23-55-49 SerVision-Demo-Server (demo01.svgateway.com) Management
Lobby - PTZ Camera Motion.svr were selected under Source, C:// 2011Aug31 23-55-49 SerVision-Demo-Server (demo01.svgateway.com) Management Lobby - PTZ Camera
Motion.svr.exe might be inserted under Destination.)
3. Under Destination, modify the default name and path of the converted file as required.
4. Under Save as, select the desired file format: EXE for a self-playable file or WMV for a standard windows
video file.
5. Click OK. The video in the source file is converted to the selected format and saved in the specified
destination file. When the process is completed, a confirmation message appears.
Figure 82: Confirmation message
For information about viewing self-playable files, see Playing Self-Playable Files, page 69.
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Handling Live Events
An event is triggered when some kind of defined activity is detected by a video gateway in the video stream from a
camera or the behavior of a sensor. For example, a video-motion-detection (VMD) event is triggered when motion
is detected in the video stream, and a sensor detection event is triggered when a sensor circuit is closed or opened.
The exact occurrences that trigger events depend on how the video gateway is configured. The following types of
events can be triggered:
Video Motion Detection (VMD): Motion was detected in the field of view covered by a camera.
Sensor: A sensor was activated or deactivated.
Activator: An activator was turned on or off.
New File: A file is placed on the video gateway for downloading by the MultiClient. (This feature is only
available in some systems. In these systems, it is only implemented if it is activated in the system
configuration.)
NOTE: For additional information about event reporting in the MultiClient, see Playing Back Recorded Video
by Event, page 55.
The MultiClient can be configured to use a variety of visual and audio techniques to notify you of events when they
are triggered. For example, it can play a siren sound, or open a new video window and display live video from the
site of the event. You can also manually open a live video stream from the site when the MultiClient notifies you
that an event has been triggered (by dragging a camera to a camera pane; see Viewing Live Video Streams, page 28).
NOTE: Event notifications and certain types of event handling can be performed by the video gateway as well.
For example, the video gateway can be configured to send an e-mail message or to begin recording
video when an event is triggered. These types of event handling are configured in the system
configuration utility. They are not related to the notifications described in this section.
When the MultiClient notifies you of a security event, you can choose from a number of additional features that can
help you deal with that event:
Turning an alarm or other activator on or off (see Using Activators, page 75)
Viewing the location of the device that triggered the event on a map of the site (see Viewing Security Devices
on Maps, page 77)
Viewing the location of the video gateway on a map, by means of a GPS device (mobile units only; see
Locating and Tracking Vehicles Using GPS, page 85)
Managing Event Notifications
Within the MultiClient, you can receive the following types of notifications when an event is triggered:
Sound notification: When an event occurs, a sound is played.
Video display: When an event occurs, the video stream from the camera linked to the event is displayed.
Event log: When an event occurs, an event log opens and displays information about the event. A live video
stream from the camera linked to the event, or recorded video of the event, can be opened from the event log.
If any of the notification options are selected, and the MultiClient window is minimized when an event occurs, the
MultiClient icon in the Windows taskbar flashes to notify you of the event. It continues to flash until you open the
window.
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If the MultiClient pops-up a video stream in a Desktop or in a new camera pane window, a yellow frame flashes
around the camera pane to identify the new video stream.
To set event notifications:
1. In the Configuration Panel (below the Viewing Area), click Events . The Event Notification
Configuration dialog box opens:
Figure 83: Event Notification Configuration dialog box
2. Under Event, select the type of event for which you want to configure the notifications:
Motion Begin: A VMD event was triggered by a camera.
Sensor ON: A sensor or activator was activated.
Sensor OFF: A sensor or activator was deactivated.
Video Lost: The video gateway stopped receiving a video signal from a camera.
3. For each device in the list, select the sound and video notifications you require for the specified type of event.
Use the scroll bar below the list to view all the options. Choose from the following options:
Sound: Play a sound.
Note: The system is configured to use a default sound file. You can select a different sound file; see step
4 below.
Sound Speech: Activate a voice announcement of the type of event and the name of the video gateway.
For example, “Sensor on on Third Floor.”
Video Popup: Display live video in a Desktop camera pane from the camera linked to the event.
Video Full Screen: Switch the current Desktop to VGA mode, and display live video from the camera
linked to the event.
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Video Separate Window: Open a separate camera pane window and display live video from the camera
linked to the event in it.
Siren Alarm: Display an alert message and play a siren alarm. Play the siren alarm sound file
continuously until the user closes the alert message.
Note: The system is configured to use a default sound file. You can select a different sound file; see step
5 below.
Smart Popup: Open an Event Log window containing a description of the event and providing various
options for handling the event. See Working with an Event Log Window, below.
Popup Record: Display live video from the camera linked to the event in a Desktop camera pane. In
addition, record video of the event in an SVR file. Optionally, close the video stream and stop recording
after a specified period of time. See Configuring Pop-up Recording, page 120.
4. To select a different sound for “Sound” notifications, click Sound File, and then browse to the WAV file you
want to hear as a “Sound” notification.
5. To select a different siren sound for “Siren Alarm” notifications, click Siren File, and then browse to the
WAV file you want to hear as a “Siren” notification.
6. Click OK. The notifications are set as you configured them.
Handling Message Alerts
When an event is configured to generate a Siren Alarm notification, instances of the event cause the Message Alert
window to open.
Figure 84: Message Alert window
The Message Alert window lists all the siren alarms that occurred during the current MultiClient session. The last
one, which is selected, is the one that set off the alarm. The siren continues to be sounded until you close the
window by clicking Stop or .
Working with an Event Log Window
When an event is configured to generate a Smart Popup notification, instances of the event cause the Event Log
window to open. The Event Log lists all the events that occurred during the current MultiClient session. The top
one in the list is the one that caused the Event Log to open.
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Figure 85: Event Log window
To view live video from the camera linked to an event:
Select the event, and then click Live stream. A live stream from the camera opens in one of the camera panes
in the current Desktop. Your user name is inserted in the Event Log under User Name.
You can configure whether the live stream should be closed automatically after a specified period of time, and,
if so, how long that time period should be; see Customizing Video Notification Pop-ups, page 119.
To view recorded video of an event:
Select the event, and then click Play event. Recorded video from the camera that is linked to the event opens
in one of the camera panes in the current Desktop; video from the time when the event was triggered is
displayed. Your user name is inserted in the Event Log under User Name.
Note: If the video gateway was not configured to record the video from this camera, the event cannot be
played.
To delete an event from the list:
Select the event, and then click Delete.
To delete all of the events from the log:
Click Clear.
Using Activators
You can use the MultiClient to remotely operate an output activator that is connected to the video gateway. For
example, when an event is triggered, you can open or close a gate, turn on lights, turn an alarm on or off, etc.
NOTE: The video gateway configuration can include automatic activation and deactivation of activators when
certain events are triggered. For example, when a sensor detects a gate opening, an alarm can be turned
on automatically by the video gateway. This is not related to the manual control of activators that is
described in this section – for example, turning on an alarm when you see an intruder in a live video
stream.
Activators can be turned on or off in the Connection Panel. In addition, you can attach activators to the buttons in
the Activator Panel at the lower left of the MultiClient window. Once they are attached, you can switch them on or
off simply by clicking the buttons.
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To turn an activator on or off:
In the Connection Panel, right-click the activator and then select Activate or Deactivate.
Note: You may have to expand the video gateway to display all connected devices before you can do this.
To attach an activator to an activator button:
From the Connection Panel, drag the activator to the button in the Activator Panel.
Note: You may have to expand the video gateway to display all connected devices before you can do this.
Figure 86: Activator Panel
To turn on or off an activator that is attached to a button:
Click the activator button.
To detach an activator from an activator button:
Right-click the activator button and then select Remove. The activator is detached from the button.
To view information about an activator that is attached to an activator button:
Right-click the activator button and then select Activator Info. The Activator Info dialog box opens, and
displays information about the activator, including information about the last event triggered by the activator.
Figure 87: Actviator Info dialog box
Activator attached to button
No activator attached to button
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NOTE: If the activator is linked to a camera in the system configuration, the name of the camera appears under
Video source. If the camera recorded the last event triggered by the activator, you can view the video
of the event by clicking the Play Last Event button, and then clicking the camera pane in which you
want to view the video. For additional information about playing event recordings, see Playing Back
Recorded Video by Event, page 55.
To select a different activator to attach to a particular button, do one of the following:
Option A:
Drag the required activator to the button.
Option B:
1. Right-click the activator button and then select Activator Info. The Activator Info dialog box opens.
2. Click Reassign. The Event Sources dialog box opens:
Figure 88: Event Sources dialog box
3. Expand the video gateway to which the required activator is connected, and then select the activator.
4. Click OK. The selected activator is attached to the button.
Viewing Security Devices on Maps
You can use the MultiClient Maps feature to see the locations of cameras when an event is triggered.
To set up a map, you import a map of your site and drag camera, sensor, and activator icons on to the map. The map
you import can be a GIF, JPEG, or BMP file. Once you have devices placed on a map, you can view video streams
by clicking the relevant icons in the map. You can also turn activators on and off in the map. When an event is
detected, the label of the relevant icon on the map turns red.
You can import multiple maps into the MultiClient. For example, you can have a separate map of each floor in your
building. Whenever the Map window is open, events cause the relevant maps to open automatically. For example,
you may have two maps, “Main Floor” and “Basement,” with the “Main Floor” map displayed in the window. If an
event is triggered by a sensor located in the basement, the “Basement” map is automatically displayed, with the
sensor label highlighted in red.
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TIP: If two computer monitors are connected to your PC, you can view the Map window on one monitor
and the main MultiClient window on the other.
Importing Maps and Placing Devices on Them
You can import maps of your facility and place icons on them to indicate where the devices connected to your video
gateways are located.
To import a map of your site:
1. In the Configuration Panel (below the Viewing Area), click Maps . The Map window is displayed.
Figure 89: Map window
2. Click Add Map. The Add Map dialog box opens:
Figure 90: Add Map dialog box
3. Under Name, enter a map name.
4. Click to browse to the graphic file (JPG, BMP, or GIF) of the map to add.
5. Click Open. The map is listed under Map list in the upper left of the Map window.
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To place cameras, sensors, and activators on the map:
1. In the Map list, double-click an imported map. The map is displayed in the Map area.
2. In the Available spaces list at the lower left of the window, expand the video gateways as necessary, and then
drag the devices to their appropriate locations on the map. The following figure shows a map with cameras,
sensors, and activators in place.
Figure 91: Map window displaying cameras and sensors
The following detail shows how the icons representing the various devices look:
Figure 92: Map window: detail
Activator (active)
Camera
Sensor
Activator (inactive)
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NOTE: You can choose to display or hide the device labels. For additional information, see Customizing the
Display, page 112.
Viewing Maps
When you have the Map window open, you can quickly and easily identify the location of an event. You can also
view live video from the site, and turn activators on and off.
To view a map:
1. In the Configuration Panel (below the Viewing Area), click Maps . The Map window is displayed.
2. In the Map list, double-click a map. The map is displayed in the Map area, with the devices that were placed
on it indicated by icons.
To view live video from a camera on a map:
In the Map area, double-click the camera, or a sensor or activator that is linked to the camera. A camera pane
window opens, and the video stream from the camera is displayed in it.
Figure 93: Camera pane window
To turn an activator on or off on a map:
In the Map area, right-click the activator, and then click Activate or Deactivate.
New File Events
Some systems allow you to make use of the video gateway to transfer files between client devices. In these systems,
a user can place a file on a video gateway, and any user who connects to the video gateway through a client
application, such as the MultiClient or the SerVision cell phone client, automatically receives a copy of that file. For
example, if a delivery truck has a mobile video gateway installed on it, you could use this feature to transmit order
forms from your PC to the PDA of the truck driver.
If this feature is available in your system, and it has been activated in the system configuration utility, a File Sensor
“device” appears in the Connection Panel under the video gateway.
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Figure 94: File Sensor device with New File event
When the MultiClient is connected to this video gateway, it monitors the video gateway for new files. If a new file
is placed on the video gateway, the MultiClient downloads the file to the PC. A New File event appears below the
File Sensor in the Connection Panel, and a New File notification appears on your screen.
Figure 95: New File notification
To open a file that was downloaded from a video gateway:
1. In the Connection Panel, right-click the video gateway, and then select Explore file folder. A Windows
Explorer window opens, and displays a list of the files that were downloaded from the video gateway.
2. Double-click the file. The file is opened.
Figure 96: Downloaded files in Windows Explorer
NOTE: The original file name is modified by the video gateway – an identification number is inserted into the
name.
Selecting the Download Folder
The first time the MultiClient connects to a video gateway that has a File Sensor, it creates a special folder for
downloaded files, C:\Files. Within this folder, it creates a separate folder for each video gateway that has a File
File Sensor
New File Event
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Sensor. The name of each folder is composed of the IP address and port of the video gateway. For example, if the IP
address of the video gateway is 192.168.44.33, and the port used by the video gateway is 9988, the folder is
C:\Files\192.168.44.33-9988. When the MultiClient downloads a file from a video gateway, it places the file
in the appropriate folder.
You can select a different location for the download folder. For example, you could choose to place the download
folder in C:\Security System Downloads instead of C:\Files. The name of the download folder itself cannot
be changed – it will always be composed of the IP address and port of the video gateway.
To set the download folder for a video gateway:
1. In the Connection Panel, right-click the video gateway, and then select File list. A Files window opens, and
displays a list of the files that were downloaded from the video gateway. The current location of the download
folder appears under Folder.
2. Click Browse. The Files dialog box opens. The location of the current download folder appears under Folder.
Figure 97: Files dialog box
3. Click Browse. The Select folder dialog box opens. The location of the current download folder appears
under Current Folder.
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Figure 98: Select Folder dialog box
4. Navigate to the desired location, or, under Current Folder, type the location.
5. Click Select. The folder is moved to the new location. If the specified location did not already exist, it is
created. The Files dialog box becomes active again, and the new location of the download folder appears in it
under Folder.
6. In the Files dialog box, click Close.
Placing a File on a Gateway
If file transfer is enabled on a video gateway, you can place a file on the video gateway, and it is automatically
downloaded to all the client devices – MultiClient, Cell Phone client, or PDA client – that connect to the video
gateway. The MultiClient does not have to be installed on the PC from which you upload the file to the video
gateway.
To place a file on a video gateway:
1. In Windows Explorer, in the Address field, type \\ and the IP of the video gateway. For example,
\\192.168.1.44.
2. Press Enter. A login dialog box opens:
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Figure 99: Login dialog box
3. Fill in the user name and password fields. (Use the same user name and password you would use to connect to
the video gateway through the MultiClient.)
4. Click OK. A connection is established with the video gateway, and its shared folders are listed in Windows
Explorer.
Figure 100: Shared folders on the video gateway
5. Navigate to the files folder.
6. Copy the file you want to upload from your PC and paste it in the files folder. The file is uploaded to the
video gateway, and will automatically be downloaded to any clients that connect to the video gateway.
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Locating and Tracking Vehicles Using GPS
If you have mobile video gateways with GPS receivers, you can see the locations of the video gateways on a map.
The location of each GPS device connected to the MultiClient is indicated on the map with an icon and a callout
identifying the video, the longitude and latitude of its current location, and the speed and direction in which it is
traveling. You can zoom in and out of the maps to see more or less details about the locations of the video
gateways.
Figure 101: GPS map (Google Maps)
Supported Map Systems
The following map systems are supported:
Google Maps
Microsoft Live
OpenStreetMap
Microsoft MapPoint
Esri (.shp)
Google Maps, Microsoft Live, and OpenStreetMap are installed automatically with the MultiClient at no additional
cost. However, they are downloaded as needed from the internet. As a result, they are only available if the PC is
connected to the internet, and they may take a short while to download. Microsoft MapPoint maps and Esri maps
are stored on the PC and do not require an internet connection.
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Full display of recorded GPS information, including routes and speed data, is only supported by Microsoft
MapPoint and Esri maps. In order to access this information, you must purchase and install one of these
applications on the machine on which the MultiClient runs (see Installing Map Systems below).
Some of the map systems offer additional viewing options. Google maps also let you choose between a map view, a
satellite view, and a combined map-satellite view. Microsoft Live supports 2D, 3D, map view, and aerial view.
For information about how to select the map system to use, see Selecting the GPS Map System and Settings,
page 117.
Figure 102: Microsoft MapPoint map
Installing Map Systems
Google Maps, Microsoft Live, and OpenStreetMap are installed automatically with the MultiClient. MapPoint and
Esri maps require additional installation.
Installing MapPoint Maps
In order to use Microsoft MapPoint maps, you must purchase the MapPoint application and install it on the PC on
which the MultiClient is running. It is automatically incorporated into the MultiClient if it is installed on the PC.
Installing Esri Maps
Support for Esri maps is provided free of charge, but you must supply your own maps. Before you can use Esri
maps in the MultiClient's GPS map system, you must install an additional application on your PC. This application
is supplied with the MultiClient free of charge. In addition, you must store the maps you require on the PC and load
them in the MultiClient.
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Multiple Esri maps can be loaded at one time. For example, you can load a map that contains the boundaries of
countries and regions, another map that contains roads, and a third that contains bus stops and train stations. The
maps are layered in the display, so that the information contained in all of them is visible at the same time.
Once maps are loaded, you can add labels to them, if they are equipped with labels. You can select a color for each
type of label you add.
The maps and labels you select are automatically reloaded every time you open the GPS Maps window (unless you
switch to a different map system and then go back to using Esri maps again).
The list of layers that are currently loaded, and the layer controls, are at the lower-left of the GPS Maps window.
Figure 103: Esri layer controls and labels
Setting up Esri Support
In order to use Esri maps, you must install an ActiveX control, as follows.
To set up Esri support:
1. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder in which the MultiClient is installed (usually,
C:\Program Files\Servision\SVMultiClient).
2. Double-click the MapWinGISCXOnly.exe file. The setup program opens.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Managing Map Layers
You can load one or more Esri maps. Each map is treated as a layer. Because multiple maps can cover the same
area, it is important to load them in the correct order. Background maps should be loaded first, and those that add
details should be loaded later on. Otherwise, the background maps may obscure the features of the detailed maps.
Maps are initially layered in the order in which they are added. In the list of loaded layers, each new map you add is
placed above those you have already added. Thus, the maps are loaded in the order in which they appear in the list
Loaded Layers
Layer Controls
Label
Vehicle icon
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of loaded maps, but from the bottom of the list to the top. You can change the load order of the map layers later on,
as necessary.
To load Esri maps:
1. Make sure Esri maps are selected in the MultiClient Options (see Selecting the GPS Map System and Settings,
page 117).
2. In the main MultiClient window, in the Configuration Panel (below the Viewing Area), click GPS . The
GPS Maps window is displayed.
3. At the lower left of the window, under Layers, select Add. A file selection dialog box opens.
Figure 104: File selector dialog box for Esri map files
4. Navigate to the map file you want to load, and then click Open. The map file appears in the list of loaded
layers and the map layer appears in the map pane.
5. Repeat the previous steps as required to load additional Esri maps. If multiple maps cover the same region,
they are all displayed simultaneously, as layers.
To change the load order of the map layers:
In the list of loaded map layers, select the name of a map, and then select Up or Down to change its position in
the load order. The maps are reloaded in the new order.
To deactivate a map layer but leave it in the list:
In the list of loaded map layers, clear the checkbox beside the map layer. The map remains in the list, but is
not included in the display in the map pane.
Note: To reactivate the map, select the checkbox again.
To remove a map layer from the list:
1. In the list of loaded map layers, select the name of the map, and then select Remove. You are prompted to
confirm that you want to remove it from the list.
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2. Select Yes. The map is removed from the list and from the map pane.
To remove all loaded maps from the list:
1. In the list of loaded maps, select Remove All. You are prompted to confirm that you want to remove all of the
maps.
2. Select Yes. The maps are removed from the list and from the map pane.
Managing Labels
You can add any sets of labels that are available in any layer of map. You can choose a different color for each set
of labels. For example, you can choose blue for street names and green for the names of regions like cities or
countries.
To add labels to Esri maps:
1. In the GPS Maps window, under Layers, select Labeling. The Labeling dialog box opens.
Figure 105: Labeling dialog box
2. Under Layer to Label, select the layer to which you want to add the labels.
3. Under Field to Use, select the field in the selected layer that you want to label.
4. The currently selected label color is displayed under Label Color. To change this color, click Change Color.
A color-selector dialog box opens. Select the desired label color, and then click OK.
5. Under Align Text, select the alignment for the label text: Left, Right, or Center.
6. Under Reverse Text, select False to display the text of each label left-to-right, or True to display it right-to-
left.
7. Click Label Shapes. The labels are added to the map pane.
8. Repeat the preceding steps to add additional labels to the map.
9. When you have finished adding the required labels, click Close. The dialog box closes.
To remove all labels from the map:
1. In the GPS Maps window, under Layers, select Labeling. The Labeling dialog box opens.
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Figure 106: Labeling dialog box
2. Click Clear all labeling. All labels are removed from the map pane, and the dialog box closes.
Locating Video Gateways on a Map
The current locations of all GPS-equipped video gateways to which the MultiClient is currently connected can be
seen in the MultiClient's GPS Maps window.
To view video gateways in the GPS Maps window:
1. In the Configuration Panel (below the Viewing Area), click GPS . The GPS Maps window is displayed.
A list of GPS-enabled video gateways connected to the MultiClient appears on the left side of the window.
2. In the list of video gateways, select the checkbox beside the video gateways whose locations you want to see
on the map. Icons indicating the locations of all the selected video gateways are displayed on the map.
Note: The shapes of the icons vary depending on the map system you are using.
Note: If you are using Esri maps, and no maps are loaded, the map pane is blank. Load the required maps as
described under Managing Map Layers, on page 87.
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Figure 107: Icons and information callouts (OpenStreetMap)
Viewing GPS Information
Information about a video gateway, including its location and the speed and direction in which it is currently
moving, is displayed in a callout beside its icon (see figure 107). Each map system handles the callouts slightly
differently, as follows:
Google Maps: Callouts for all visible icons are displayed automatically. Only one callout is displayed at a
time. If multiple icons are visible at one time, the callout display cycles from icon to icon. You can close a
callout by clicking the x in its upper-right corner. It will be displayed again the next time the MultiClient
receives GPS information from the video gateway.
Microsoft Live: Callouts are not automatically displayed. To open a callout, place the mouse cursor over the
vehicle icon. To close the callout, move the mouse away from the icon. If multiple icons are visible at one
time, you can only view one callout at a time.
OpenStreetMap: Callouts for all visible icons are displayed automatically. If multiple icons are visible at one
time, the callouts are displayed simultaneously. You can close a callout by clicking the x in its upper-right
corner. It will be displayed again the next time the MultiClient receives GPS information from the video
gateway.
MapPoint: Callouts for all visible icons are displayed automatically. If multiple icons are visible at one time,
the callouts are displayed simultaneously. When you close a callout, it is not displayed again until you reopen
it. To open a callout, right-click the vehicle icon and then select Show Information, or click the icon to select
it, and then double-click it to open the callout. To close a callout, click the x in the upper-right corner of the
callout, or right-click the vehicle icon and then select Show Information.
Esri: Callouts are not automatically displayed. You can open and close the callouts whenever you wish. Only
one callout can be open at a time. To open a callout, place the mouse cursor on the vehicle icon. To close a
callout, click the x in the upper-right corner of the callout, or place your mouse cursor on another vehicle icon
to open its callout.
Icon
Information callout
Selected video gateway
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Following a Video Gateway
You can choose to have the location of a selected video gateway automatically displayed in the center of the map.
As the video gateway moves, the map moves as well. This is called "following a server."
To follow a video gateway:
In the GPS Maps window, in the list of GPS-enabled video gateways, right-click the video gateway and then
select Follow the server. The GPS icon of the video gateway in the list is highlighted in green.
Figure 108: "Follow the server" turned on
To stop following a video gateway:
In the list of GPS-enabled video gateways, right-click the video gateway and then select Stop Following the
server. The position of the video gateway is no longer automatically placed in the middle of the map, and the
GPS icon is no longer highlighted in green.
Highlighting a Video Gateway (Map Point)
In MapPoint maps, you can highlight the icon of a vehicle to make it easier to see.
Figure 109: Highlighted vehicle icon
To highlight a vehicle icon:
Right-click the icon, and then select Highlight.
Changing the Map View
In all of the map systems, you can zoom in or out and move the map to display hidden areas. In MapPoint and Esri
Maps, the system can automatically set the display such that you can see the locations of all of the video gateways
at once. In Google and Microsoft Live, you can also choose alternative views, such as aerial or satellite views.
Highlight
Highlight
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Zooming In and Out of a Map
You can change the map resolution, zooming in or out to see more or less detail. In MapPoint and Esri maps, you
can also zoom in on a selected region.
To change the map resolution in any type of map:
Click Zoom In or Zoom Out.
To zoom in on a region in a MapPoint map:
1. Drag the mouse to select the area on which you want to zoom in. A rectangle marks the selected region.
Figure 110: Selecting an area to zoom in on (MapPoint)
2. Click inside the selected area. The display zooms in on the selected area.
To zoom in on a region in an Esri map:
1. Under Cursor Mode, click . The cursor appears in the map pane as a .
2. Do one of the following:
Click a location. The map is zoomed in one zoom step, and the selected location appears in the center of
the map pane.
Drag the mouse to select the area on which you want to zoom in. A dotted line marks the selected region
(see figure 111). When you release the mouse button, the display zooms in on the selected area.
Figure 111: Selecting an area to zoom in on (Esri)
Displaying the Locations of All Video Gateways at Once
In MapPoint and Esri maps, the system can select a zoom setting and display region that allow you to
simultaneously see the locations of all the video gateways that are currently connected to the MultiClient.
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To set the resolution such that all video gateways appear on the map:
Click Locate objects. The display is zoomed out as necessary to make all video gateway icons visible at one
time.
Moving to a Different Region of a Map
You can move the map to view hidden portions. In all of the supported map systems, you can move the map by
dragging it. In some of the systems, you can also move the map using other controls.
To move to a different part of any type of map:
Drag the mouse to display other regions of the map. When you release the mouse button, the hidden regions of
the map appear.
Note: In Esri, make sure the cursor appears as a before you drag the mouse. If it doesn't, under Cursor
Mode, click .
Moving Around in a Microsoft Live or OpenStreetMap
Microsoft Live and OpenStreetMap also have navigational controls in the map pane.
To move to a different part of a map in Microsoft Live or OpenStreetMap:
At the upper-left corner of the map pane, click the arrows in the navigational control – in Microsoft Live
or in OpenStreetMap.
Moving Around in a MapPoint Map
MapPoint maps also provide navigational arrows at the sides and corners of the map pane. In addition, they allow
you to center the map on any vehicle icon. That is, you can select a vehicle icon and the map will automatically be
moved in such a way that the vehicle's location is at the center of the map pane.
To move to a different region:
1. Place the cursor along the edge of the map on the side towards which you want to move the display. Position
the cursor in the center of the map edge to move straight in one direction, or in a corner of the map to move
diagonally. The cursor becomes an arrow ( ) pointing towards the relevant direction.
Figure 112 : Arrow
2. Click the left mouse button. The map display is moved in the relevant direction.
To center the map on a selected vehicle icon:
Right-click the icon, and then select Zoom To.
Changing the View Type
Google Maps and Microsoft Live offer different map views:
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Google Maps offer map, satellite, and hybrid (composite map and satellite) views.
Microsoft Live offers 2D, 3D, map view, and aerial view. In addition, in aerial view, you can choose to
display or hide labels in the maps.
The controls for Google Maps are located in the upper-right corner of the map pane; the controls for Microsoft Live
are located in the upper-left corner of the map pane. Click an option to select a view.
Figure 113: 2D aerial view with labels in Microsoft Live
NOTE: In Microsoft Live, you may have to download and install an application in order to use the 3D view
options. If this is necessary, you are prompted to do so when you first select one of these options.
Viewing Live Video from a Video Gateway (Map Point)
In MapPoint maps, you can open a live video stream from a video gateway and view it in a separate camera
window.
NOTE: Only video from camera #1 can be viewed in this way. To view video from any camera, open the
stream from the main MultiClient window (see Viewing Live Video Streams, page 28).
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Figure 114: Live video playing in a separate camera window
To view the route taken by a vehicle:
Right-click the vehicle icon, and then select Play Live Stream. A window opens, and live video from camera
#1 is streamed in it.
Tracking Vehicles Using GPS
When you have a GPS device connected to a mobile video gateway, and you are using MapPoint or Esri maps, you
can track the past movements of vehicles in which mobile video gateways are installed; past locations can be
plotted on the GPS map, so that you can follow the path of the video gateway. You can also view and download
video from the video gateway by selecting starting and ending points from the location markers on the path.
Viewing the Route of a Video Gateway
In MapPoint maps, you can see the route that was taken by the vehicle before it reached its current location. The
route is indicated by dots showing the past locations of the vehicle. All locations that were received by the
MultiClient since the GPS Maps window was last open are indicated on the map.
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Figure 115: Route markers
To view the route taken by a vehicle:
Right-click the vehicle icon, and then select Route. Route markers are added to the map.
To view GPS information about a point in the route:
Click the marker to select it, and then double-click it. An information callout opens.
Downloading the Path of a Video Gateway
You can download a list of the locations of the mobile video gateway at specified periods of time. In both MapPoint
and Esri maps, you can view the locations plotted on the GPS map, so that you can follow the path of the video
gateway.
To view the path followed by a vehicle:
1. In the main MultiClient window, in the Connection Panel, right-click a GPS device and choose Play GPS
Records.
Figure 116: Play GPS Records
The Play Record by Time dialog box opens.
Route marker
Information callout for selected
route marker
Current location of vehicle
Selected route marker
Information callout for current location of vehicle
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Figure 117: Play Record by Time dialog box
The current date is indicated by a red circle.
2. Select a start time and date and an end time and date (or choose a start time and duration).
Note: To select the current date, at the bottom of the calendar, click Today.
3. Under Camera, select the camera whose video you want to link to the path. When the path is displayed, if you
choose to view or download video of the path (see Viewing Recorded Video of a GPS Path, page 99), the
video will be from this camera.
4. Under Interval, specify the amount of time between each location marker, in seconds. For example, if you
specify 300, GPS location information is downloaded for each five-minute interval following the start time.
5. Click OK. A Downloading GPS Data dialog box appears, and illustrates the download progress. When the
download is completed, the dialog box closes.
Figure 118: Downloading GPS Data dialog box
6. In the Configuration Panel (below the Viewing Area), click GPS . The GPS Maps window is
displayed. Dots indicate the location of the video gateway on the path at each time interval.
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Figure 119: Detail of a GPS map indicting a vehicle path and the current location of a vehicle
Note: In addition to the location markers illustrating the path of the selected video gateway, icons indicating
the present locations of all GPS devices currently connected to the MultiClient also appear on the map, as they
would if no path information was displayed (see Locating and Tracking Vehicles Using GPS, page 85).
7. To see the time and GPS coordinates of a location marker, place the cursor on the marker. A callout containing
the information appears near the marker.
Viewing Recorded Video of a GPS Path
When location markers indicating the path of a mobile video gateway appear on a MapPoint or Esri map, you can
view and download recorded video from the video gateway by selecting starting and ending points from the location
markers on the path.
NOTE: The recorded video is downloaded from the camera you selected when you downloaded the GPS path
data (see page 98, step 3).
To download video from a selected portion of a GPS path:
1. Click Start Download. A message appears, asking you to select the desired start point of the video. In Esri
maps, the cursor is also displayed as .
Figure 120: Selecting the start point (MapPoint)
Note: The Start Download button becomes the End Download button. Click End Download at any time to
cancel the download process.
Current location of a video gateway
Details about a location on the path
Location markers of
path
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2. Click the location marker of the desired start point. The location marker turns blue, and another message
appears, asking you to select the end point of the video recording.
Note: If two location markers overlap in the map, when you click the marker, a Select a Place dialog box
opens, and lists the alternative locations. Select the desired location, and then click OK.
Figure 121 Select a Place dialog box
3. Click the location marker of the desired end point. The GPS Maps window closes, and the Choose Playback
or Download dialog box appears.
Figure 122: Choose Playback or Download dialog box
4. To view the selected video in the MultiClient Desktop immediately, select Playback. The GPS Maps window
closes, and the main MultiClient window is displayed.
In the main MultiClient window, click a camera pane in which to play the video. The video playback begins,
and the Playback Control panel opens.
During playback, you can use the Playback Control panel to pause playback, increase playback speed, and
reduce playback speed. For more information, see page 55.
5. To download the video and save it in a file on the PC, select Download.
The Download Record by Time dialog box is displayed, with the start time and end time defined based on
the start and end points you selected.
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Figure 123: Download Record by Time dialog box
6. Enter a path and file name for the downloaded file, or click Browse to navigate to the desired location. The
default folder is in the MultiClient program folder, and is called Downloaded video and snapshots (e.g.,
C:\Program Files\Servision\SVMultiClient\Downloaded video and snapshots). The default
file name consists of the date, start time, video gateway name, and camera name. (e.g., 2007June10 13-18-
35 Demo-Car Camera #1.svr).
7. Click OK. Downloading begins, and a progress dialog is displayed.
Figure 124: Download progress dialog box
After successful downloading, “Download complete” appears in the title bar.
8. If you want to play the recording in a MultiClient camera pane, click Open, and then select the camera pane in
which to display the video. The video is displayed. For additional information about playing downloaded
video, see Playing Video Stored on Your PC, page 67.
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Clearing Route or Path Information from the Display
When you no longer want to see route or path information that is displayed in the map pane (as a series of dots),
you can remove it from the display.
To remove path information from a map:
Click Clear Path.
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Using Bi-Directional Audio
The MultiClient supports both incoming and outgoing audio. That is, the MultiClient can play sound that was
captured by microphones connected to video gateway units, and, for units that support bi-directional audio, the
MultiClient can also transmit sound to video gateway units for broadcast through the units' speakers.
All TVG models (HVG, MVG, UVG, CVG-M, and CVG) support bi-directional audio. (SVG units do not currently
support it.) This means that TVG units can be used for two-way communication:
Users on-site can speak into microphones connected to a TVG unit and can be heard by users connected to the
unit via the MultiClient.
Remote users connected to a TVG unit via the MultiClient can speak into a microphone connected to the PC
and be heard by users on site through the speakers of the TVG.
This section explains how to use the MultiClient to transmit sound from a remote PC to the speakers of a TVG unit.
For information about using the MultiClient to hear sound through the speakers of the PC, see Turning Sound On or
Off, page 42.
To broadcast sound from the MultiClient to the speakers of a TVG unit:
1. Connect a microphone to the PC.
2. In the Connection Panel, expand the video gateway so that the speaker appears in the list of devices
connected to the video gateway.
3. Double-click the speaker. A dialog box with a Push to Talk button opens.
Figure 125: Push to Talk button
4. Hold down the Push to Talk button and speak into the PC’s microphone. Your voice is heard from the
speakers of the TVG unit to which you are connected.
Note: The sound is broadcast from all of the active speakers connected to the video gateway: the internal
speaker, the external speaker (if one is connected to the unit), or both. Speakers must be activated in the unit's
configuration utility.
5. To pause audio transmission, release the Push to Talk button.
6. To close the audio connection, click the in the upper-right corner of the dialog box. Outgoing audio
transmission is turned off and the dialog box closes.
Speaker
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Managing Security
Access to the MultiClient can be controlled by the use of password authentication. Authorized users can have varied
levels of access.
All users are authorized to do the following:
Select video and sound settings
Open cameras in camera panes
Move cameras (pan, tilt, and zoom)
View cameras in full screen mode
Change desktop and layout modes
View the site map
If security is enabled, users require specific permissions for all other activities. The first user to open the
MultiClient after security is enabled is automatically given full permissions. Additional users are only given the
most basic authorization; a user who is authorized to manage users can then configure the permissions as required.
Enabling Security
The security feature can be enabled at any time. Once it is enabled, it cannot be disabled.
To enable security:
1. In the main menu, select User, and then select Enable security. A confirmation dialog opens.
Figure 126: Confirmation dialog
2. Click Yes. A warning message appears, telling you that the MultiClient is going to close.
Figure 127: Warning message
3. Click OK. The MultiClient closes.
4. Open the MultiClient again. You are prompted to define a user name and password.
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Figure 128: First user login prompt
5. Click OK. The Add User dialog box opens:
Figure 129: Add User dialog box
6. Enter a user name and password. (Type the password a second time in the Confirm password field.)
7. Click OK. The user account is created, and the main MultiClient window opens. The name of the user is
displayed in the title bar.
Figure 130: Main MultiClient window with user name in title bar
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Managing User Accounts
Users who are authorized to manage user accounts can perform the following user account management tasks:
Adding users
Removing users
Changing user passwords
Setting user permissions
User accounts are managed in the Manage Users dialog box.
To open the Manage Users dialog box:
In the main menu, select User, and then select Management. The Manage Users dialog box is displayed:
Figure 131: Manage Users dialog box
To add new users
1. In the Manage Users dialog box, click Add. The Add User dialog box is displayed.
Figure 132: Add User dialog box
2. Enter a user name and password. (Type the password a second time in the Confirm password field.)
3. Click OK. The user is created, and the user name is listed in the Manage Users dialog box.
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To remove a user:
1. In the Manage Users dialog box, select the user to remove.
2. Click Remove. The user is deleted.
To change a user password:
1. In the Manage Users dialog box, select the user.
2. Click Password. The Change Password dialog box is displayed.
Figure 133: Change Password dialog box
3. Enter the new password.
4. Type the new password a second time in the Confirm password field.
5. Click OK. The password is updated.
To set user permissions:
1. In the Manage Users dialog box, select the user.
2. Click Permissions. The User Permissions dialog box for the selected user is displayed.
Figure 134: User Permissions dialog box
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3. Select or clear the desired permissions. A description of each category appears under Description when you
click it.
4. Click OK. The permissions are set.
Switching Users
If multiple users are defined for the MultiClient, a new user can log into the MultiClient without closing and
reopening it.
To switch users:
1. In the main menu, select Users, and then select Switch User. The Switch User dialog box opens:
Figure 135: Switch User dialog box
2. Fill in the user name and password of the user who is logging in.
3. Click OK. The previous user is logged out and the new user is logged in.
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Options
This section discusses advanced settings and options you can use to customize the MultiClient:
Default proxy server: Define a default proxy server (page 109).
Snapshot settings: Select the snapshot folder and the snapshot image quality (page 110).
Event look-and-feel properties: Select some options related to how the MultiClient treats events (page 111).
Appearance: Set various display options (page 112):
Video-filter properties: Set whether a video filter should be used to smooth the video display (page 114).
Spacebar and double-click behavior: Select the action performed when you press the spacebar and the
action performed when you double-click the mouse (page 124).
GPS maps: Select the map system to use for GPS tracking of mobile video gateways, and choose how often
GPS information should be downloaded (page 117).
Video-notification pop-ups: Customize some of the behaviors of video notification pop-ups (page 119).
Pop-up recording: Select the storage folder and recording length for recordings that are generated by the
event notification system (page 120).
Default video and audio settings: Set default video quality and choose whether audio should be turned on or
off by default (page 121).
AES encryption: Set a custom AES encryption key (page 122).
Language: Select the interface language (page 124).
NOTE: The Database option is not currently in use.
Defining a Default Proxy Server
If you will be using a single proxy server for many or all of your MultiClient proxy connections, it is useful to
define it as the default proxy server. The default proxy server settings are used for all proxy connections for which
you do not specify another proxy server (see Configuring Proxy Settings, page 12).
To define the default proxy server:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens, with the Proxy tab
displayed.
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Figure 136: Options dialog box – Proxy tab
2. Fill in the IP address and the port number of the default proxy server.
3. Click OK. The specified proxy server is set as the default proxy server.
Setting Snapshot Properties
Snapshots are saved as standard JPG files. You can select the snapshot folder, in which snapshots from video
streams are saved, and the image quality. For information about saving snapshots, see Saving Snapshots, page 32.
To set the snapshot folder and image quality:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Snapshot tab.
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Figure 137: Options dialog box – Snapshot tab
3. To change the snapshot folder, in the Snapshot folder field, type the name and path of the folder, or click
Browse and navigate to the folder.
4. To set the quality of snapshots, under Snapshot quality, move the slider as desired. Snapshot files can range
from approximately 5 KB to 150 KB.
5. Click OK.
Setting Event Look and Feel Properties
You can set the duration of video recorded before an event (the "pre-alarm") and after an event (the "post-alarm")
that is included in the playback of the event. For example, if an event is triggered a 3:51:08, the pre-alarm is five
seconds, and the post-alarm is ten seconds, playback of the event will begin at 3:51:03 and end at 3:51:18.
In addition, you can specify whether sensor-on and sensor-off events that were triggered by the same sensor, one
after the other – in other words, two events that seem to be the start and end of a single event – should appear in the
MultiClient as a single event.
NOTE: This feature is not supported by all video gateway models.
To set event look-and-feel properties:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Event Look and Feel tab.
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Figure 138: Options dialog box – Event Look and Feel tab
3. Under Pre-alarm time, set the seconds of video to be played before an event.
4. Under Post-alarm time, set the seconds of video to be played after an event.
5. If you want to treat sensor-on and sensor-off event pairs a single events, select Unify sensor events.
Note: Changes to this setting only take effect when new connections to video gateways are established, or
after the MultiClient is restarted.
6. Click OK.
Customizing the Display
You can customize the following display options:
Display of devices in maps: Set whether the descriptions of cameras, sensors, and activators are displayed in
maps.
IP address display: Set whether video gateway IP addresses are displayed in the Find Gateway dialog box.
Camera pane text display: Select the color of text labels that are superimposed on the camera pane display –
to indicate status information ("Playing," "Resuming stream," etc.), the date and time, etc., and specify
whether GPS speed data should be displayed.
Time format properties: Set the format in which time is displayed. In long format, the date and time are
included, while short format only includes the time.
Sorting of devices: Define the order in which devices should be listed under each video gateway in the
Control Panel. By default, the sorting is in ascending order by device number (e.g., Camera 1, then Camera
2). Sensors and activators are sorted as one list, while cameras are sorted as a separate list.
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Video frame size: Choose whether video frames should be resized to fit the camera pane in which they are
played.
To set display options:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Appearance tab.
Figure 139: Options dialog box – Appearance tab
3. To display device descriptions in maps, select Show description for markers on Maps dialog.
4. To display the IP addresses of video gateways in the Find Gateway dialog box, select Show IP for servers
found through Find Gateway dialog.
5. To change the color of text displayed on camera panes, under Video Window Text Color, select the desired
color in one of the following ways:
To select a color of your choice, click Change Color. In the Color dialog box, select the desired color,
and then click OK.
To select the default text color, click Set Default.
The selected color appears in the rectangle to the left of the Change Color button.
6. To change the format of the date and time display, under Time Format, select the desired format.
7. To specify the order in which devices are displayed under each video gateway, under Service List Sort, do the
following:
In the first field, select Ascending to sort the devices in ascending order, or Descending to sort them in
descending order.
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In the second field, select Sort by Service ID to sort by the device number (e.g., Camera “1,” Camera
“2”), or Sort by Service Description to sort by the device name (e.g., “Back Door,” “Front Door”).
In the third field, select Case sensitive to treat upper-case letters differently from lower-case letter (e.g.,
“Gate Sensor” is treated as different from "gate sensor"), or Case insensitive to treat upper- and lower-
case letters identically.
Figure 140: Case -sensitive sorting
Figure 141: Case -insensitive sorting
8. Under Video Frame Size, select one of the following:
Fit to window: Stretch the video frame as necessary to fill the camera pane in which it is displayed, even
though this may distort the picture to some extent.
Original size: Do not stretch the video frame at all; display it in its original size.
Keep aspect ratio: Stretch the video frame to fill the camera pane as much as possible without distorting
the original proportions.
9. Under GPS Data on Video Window, specify whether you want to display GPS speed information in the
camera pane when video from a mobile video gateway is displayed, and, if so, what units you want to use.
Select one of the following options:
None: Do not display speed information in the camera pane.
Speed in Km/Hr: Display speed information in kilometers per hour.
Speed in MI/Hr: Display speed information in miles per hour.
10. Click OK.
Setting Video Filter Properties
You can enable an internal video filter that will smooth the display of live video in SIF and QSIF modes (in VGA,
this filtering is automatic). This option uses a great deal of CPU processing, and thus may cause a slowing down of
other processes.
To set video filter options:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Video Filter tab.
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Figure 142: Options dialog box – Video Filter tab
3. To enable filtering, select Use Video Filter.
4. Click OK.
Setting Spacebar and Double-Click Behavior
Spacebar presses and mouse double-clicks can be configured to quickly activate camera pane options such as
snapshots and instant recording.
To configure spacebar behavior:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Space Bar Behavior tab.
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Figure 143: Options dialog box – Space Bar Behavior tab
3. Select the desired behavior.
4. Click OK.
To configure double-click behavior:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Double-Click Behavior tab.
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Figure 144: Options dialog box – Double-Click Behavior tab
3. Select the desired behavior.
4. Click OK.
Selecting the GPS Map System and Settings
The MultiClient supports five GPS map systems:
Google Maps
Microsoft Live
OpenStreetMap
Microsoft MapPoint
Esri
You can choose which map system to use in the GPS Maps window. In addition, you can choose how often the
MultiClient should retrieve GPS location and speed information. This information is retrieved from video gateways
only when the GPS Maps window is open and the video gateways are selected in it.
For additional information about using GPS maps, and about the map systems, see Locating and Tracking Vehicles
Using GPS, page 85.
To select the GPS map type:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the GPS Maps tab.
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Figure 145: Options dialog box – GPS Maps tab
3. Under Map Type, select the map system you want to use.
4. Under GPS Position Update Interval, specify how often the MultiClient should retrieve location information
from video gateways, in seconds. Range: 5–60.
Note: This setting is only implemented for new video-gateway sessions. If a video gateway is already
connected to the MultiClient when you change this setting, you must close and reopen the connection to the
video gateway in order for the change to be implemented.
5. Click OK. A message appears, telling you to restart the MultiClient.
Figure 146: Restart message
6. Click OK. The message closes.
7. Close the MultiClient, and then open it again. The new GPS map setting is implemented; the next time you
open the GPS map, the selected type of map will be used.
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Customizing Video Notification Pop-ups
As explained above (see Managing Event Notifications, page 72), live video can be played in various ways when an
event is triggered. You can customize the behavior of two of these options:
Smart Popup: You can choose whether a live video stream that is opened from the Event Log should
continue to play indefinitely or be stopped automatically after a specified period of time.
Note: If you select this option, a warning message is displayed to the user five seconds before the stream is
closed. The user can select Cancel to keep the stream open.
Video Separate Window: You can choose whether this window should be opened on top of all other
windows on the computer desktop.
To customize the behaviors of the Smart Popup and Video Separate Window notifications:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Smart Pop Up and Separate Video Window tab.
Figure 147: Options dialog box – Smart Pop Up and Separate Video Window tab
3. If you want live video streams to be closed automatically, under Smart Pop Up, select Enable automatic
termination of stream. Then, under Live stream duration, enter the number of seconds that the live stream
should play before it is closed.
4. If you want separate video windows to be placed on top of all other open windows on the screen, select
Separate Video Window is a top-most window.
5. Click OK.
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Configuring Pop-up Recording
As explained above (see Managing Event Notifications, page 72), if the Pop-up Record notification option is
selected (see page 74), live video is automatically played in a camera pane and recorded in an SVR file when an
event is triggered. You can specify the folder in which the recordings should be stored, and how long both the live
playing and the recording of the video should continue after the event was triggered.
NOTE: A warning message is displayed to the user five seconds before the stream is closed. The user can
select Cancel to keep the stream open and continue recording. In this case, playing of the stream and
recording continues until the user stops it.
To configure Pop-up Recording:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Popup Recording tab.
Figure 148: Options dialog box – Popup Recording tab
3. Under Save to Folder, click Browse to open the Browse for Folder dialog box. Navigate to the folder in
which you want to save recorded video for the Pop-Up Record notification, and then click OK.
4. Under Length, specify how long the video from the site should be played and recorded.
5. Click OK.
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Setting Default Video and Audio Settings
When a new video gateway is added to the MultiClient, its video quality setting is automatically set to the default
setting defined in the MultiClient options, and audio is automatically set to On.
You can modify the default video quality setting as necessary. Any changes you make to this setting only affect
video gateways that are added to the MultiClient after the change is made. The MultiClient saves the existing video
quality settings of all video gateways that are already included in its cache. The default audio setting cannot be
changed.
Once a video gateway has been added to the MultiClient, you can set default video and audio settings for it at any
time. These settings are applied whenever you drag a camera to a camera pane. (You can modify these settings
manually for each camera pane after you drag the camera to the pane; see Adjusting Video and Audio Settings,
page 40.)
When you set the default video quality setting, choose a quality profile based on the bandwidth of your connections.
Selecting a higher quality profile than your bandwidth can handle may cause video loss in the playback. When this
occurs, the word “GAP” is displayed in the playback window. This indicates that you should select a lower-quality
video mode.
Setting the Default Video Quality
You can choose one of three video quality settings as the default for your MultiClient: highest, medium, or lowest.
All three settings are for color video; black and white display can be selected for individual video gateways or
camera panes, but it cannot be selected as the default.
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Default Video Quality tab.
Figure 149: Options dialog box – Default Video Quality tab
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3. Select the required quality setting.
4. Click OK.
Setting Default Video Quality for a Video Gateway
You can select a default video quality setting for individual video gateways after they are added to the MultiClient.
You can choose between three video quality profiles in color mode, or you can force black and white display.
To set default video quality settings:
1. In the Connection Panel, right-click a connected video gateway. A pop-up menu appears.
Note: To select multiple video gateways, select one of the video gateways, hold down Ctrl (to select
individual video gateways from the list) or Shift (to select a range of video gateways), and then left-click the
required video gateways. When all of the video gateways are selected, right-click the last video gateway you
selected to open the pop-up menu.
2. In the pop-up menu, do one of the following:
To select a video quality profile in color mode, select Default Video Quality, and then select Highest,
Medium, or Lowest.
To force black and white display, select Black and White.
Setting the Default Audio Setting for a Video Gateway
You can change the default audio setting for individual video gateways.
To set the default audio setting:
1. In the Connection Panel, right-click a connected video gateway, and then select Default Audio.
2. Select Off to turn audio off by default, or On to turn it on.
Note: To select multiple video gateways, select one of the video gateways, hold down Ctrl (to select
individual video gateways from the list) or Shift (to select a range of video gateways), and then left-click the
required video gateways. When all of the video gateways are selected, right-click the last video gateway you
selected to open the pop-up menu.
Customizing AES Encryption
If you are using AES encryption for connections between the MultiClient and one or more of your video gateways
(see Connecting to a Video Gateway, page 9), you can choose to either use the default encryption key or to set a
custom encryption key. Setting a custom encryption key increases the security level of the encryption. However, if
you set a custom encryption key for the MultiClient, you must also set the encryption keys on each of the video
gateways to which it will connect using AES; the keys on both ends must match.
You can only set one custom encryption key for the MultiClient at any given time. Thus, all video gateways to
which the MultiClient will connect using an AES-encrypted connection must use the same key.
When you define a custom encryption key, you can optionally add a description for the key. For example, you can
write a hint to remind you of what the key is, or give it a name so that everyone in your organization knows which
key to use. Once you define a key in the MultiClient, it is hidden from view, so be sure to make a note of it so that
you can enter it correctly in the relevant video gateways.
In addition, when you define a custom encryption key, the MultiClient automatically generates a checksum value
from it. The checksum has no direct functionality for the encryption process. You can use it to quickly check that all
the MultiClients in your system are using the same key; all MultiClients use the same algorithm to generate the
checksum, so you can be sure the keys are all identical if they all have the same checksums.
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To define a custom AES encryption key:
1. In the Configuration Panel, click Options . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Encryption tab.
Figure 150: Options dialog box – Encryption tab
3. Select Use custom AES key. The Set new key button becomes active.
4. Click the Set new key button. The Custom AES key dialog box opens.
Figure 151: Custom AES key dialog box
5. Under Key, enter the custom AES key you want to use. The key must be in ASCII hex, and can either contain
128, 192 or 256 bits.
Note: Each character uses 4 bits. Thus, for example, a 128-bit key would contain 32 characters.
6. Under Description, enter a description for the key (optional).
7. Click OK. The dialog box closes. The description appears under Key description in the Encryption tab of
the Options box, and the checksum value that was generated from the key appears under Checksum.
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Options 124
Figure 152: Custom key defined
8. Click OK. The key you defined will be used for all AES-encrypted connections between the MultiClient and
video gateways.
To clear a custom AES key and use the default key instead:
In the Options dialog box, in the Encryption tab, clear the Use custom AES key checkbox, and then click
OK.
Selecting the Interface Language
You can select the language of the MultiClient interface.
To select an interface language:
In the main menu, select Language, and then select the desired language.
MultiClient User Guide
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