multiclient - servision - pioneers in mobile video solutions

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.

sw v 1.0.1.80

doc v 3-2

http://www.servision.net/

mailto:[email protected]


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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


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



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.




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).




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).



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



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



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.



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



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.


again. The specified dial-up settings are used when the connection is established.



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.


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.)



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



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



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



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.


Viewing Video 26

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


Viewing Video 27

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.


Viewing Video 28

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.


Viewing Video 29

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


Viewing Video 30

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


Viewing Video 31

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


Viewing Video 32

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:


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:



Viewing Video 33

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


Viewing Video 34

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:


Viewing Video 35

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


Viewing Video 36

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.


Viewing Video 37

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.


Viewing Video 38

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


Viewing Video 39

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:


Viewing Video 40

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.


Viewing Video 41

To adjust image quality:


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


Viewing Video 42

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:


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.


Viewing Video 43

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


Viewing Video 44

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


Viewing Video 45

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


Viewing Video 46

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


Viewing Video 47

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.


Viewing Video 48

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


Viewing Video 49

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


Viewing Video 50

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.


Viewing Video 51

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.)


Preset tour drop-down list


Viewing Video 52

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


Viewing Video 53

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.)


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


Viewing Video 54

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


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


Viewing Video 55

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


Viewing Video 56

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


Viewing Video 57

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.


Viewing Video 58

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


Viewing Video 59

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


Viewing Video 60

Figure 69: Playback pane and controls

8. Control video playback using the following controls:

Playback Function Description


Pause

Click to pause playback.

Play

Click to start playback.





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


Viewing Video 61

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.


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


Viewing Video 62

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.


Viewing Video 63

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.


Viewing Video 64

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.




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.



Viewing Video 65



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.


Viewing Video 66

Figure 76: Download Record by Time dialog box for multiple cameras




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.



Viewing Video 67



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.


Viewing Video 68

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.)


reduce playback speed. For more information, see page 55.


Playback controls for selected camera panes



Viewing Video 69

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


Viewing Video 70

Control Function Description


Play Click to start playback.

Pause Click to pause playback.





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.


Viewing Video 71

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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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)



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.



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



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.



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:



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.



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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



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



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.



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:



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).



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.



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



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).


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.



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



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.


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.



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).




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.



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.


Using Bi-Directional Audio 103

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


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



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.



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



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.



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



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.


Options 109

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.


Options 110

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.


Options 111

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:


2. Select the Event Look and Feel tab.


Options 112

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.


Options 113

Video frame size: Choose whether video frames should be resized to fit the camera pane in which they are

played.

To set display options:


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.


Options 114

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:


2. Select the Video Filter tab.


Options 115

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:


2. Select the Space Bar Behavior tab.


Options 116

Figure 143: Options dialog box – Space Bar Behavior tab

3. Select the desired behavior.

4. Click OK.

To configure double-click behavior:


2. Select the Double-Click Behavior tab.


Options 117

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:


2. Select the GPS Maps tab.


Options 118

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.


Options 119

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:


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.


Options 120

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:


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.


Options 121

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.


2. Select the Default Video Quality tab.

Figure 149: Options dialog box – Default Video Quality tab


Options 122

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.



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.



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.


Options 123

To define a custom AES encryption key:


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.


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

POB 45205 Jerusalem 91450 Israel

Tel: +972-2-535 0000 • Fax: +972-2-586 8683

www.servision.net • [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

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