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Recording

Table of Contents
Recording
The Recording Process
Process Description: Regular Recording
Process Description: Retrigger Recording
Process Description: Stop Recording
General Settings
Description of Parameters
Storage Settings
Description of Parameters
Full image recording
Description of Parameters

Open the Recording dialog to set how the camera should store alarms (events).

MOBOTIX cameras offer three different recording modes:

The recording modes are independent of the selected encoding type (JPEG, MxPEG). In order to obtain the highest frame rate and the most efficient storage method, however, you should use the MOBOTIX MxPEG codec.

Besides the event-controlled recording, the camera can also store history images at regular intervals and independent of the other recording modes. If required, the image format can be different from the format of the live images. This would offer the possibility to store an additional megapixel image (1280x960 pixels) every ten minutes, while the camera is recording events in video/audio clips and in VGA format (640x480 pixels).

Notes

The Recording Process

The camera stores the image sequences and video clips according to event numbers. Every event will receive a new event number, provided the recording does not last longer than one minute. The current event number is displayed at the bottom left corner of the live image. The event number has six digits and ranges from 000000 to 999999.

As mentioned above, the MOBOTIX camera can use three different recording modes: Snap Shot Recording, Event Recording, and Continuous Recording. The different recording modes are explained in more detail further below.

The MOBOTIX camera can be set to automatically start, stop, and retrigger the recording of images or video clips.

Process Description: Regular Recording

  • The camera detects one of the events selected in Start Recording.

  • The camera triggers the Recording Begin (RB) event.

  • The event number is incremented by one. Exception: When using Continuous Recording, the event number is incremented every minute.

  • The camera stores the Recording Time Before Event (or Pre-Alarm Images in Snap Shot mode). This feature is not available in Continuous Recording mode.

  • In Event Recording mode, the E00000.jpg event image is saved as an additional JPEG image. This is a bit different in Snap Shot Recording mode, as the E00000.jpg is the actual alarm image.

  • For the time defined in Recording Time, the camera stores the video stream as MxPEG clips (all Post-Alarm Images in Snap Shot mode). During this time, the action symbol is displayed in turquoise: REC.

Process Description: Retrigger Recording

This feature will only be used if events have been selected in Retrigger Recording.

  • The camera detects one of the events selected in Retrigger Recording.

  • For the time defined in Recording Time, the camera continues storing the video stream (when using event recording) or the Post-Alarm Images (in Snap Shot mode).

  • The E00001.jpg event image is saved as an additional JPEG image besides the MxPEG clip file(s). Additional events are stored as E00002.jpg ...

Process Description: Stop Recording

  • The camera detects one of the events selected in Stop Recording.

  • The remaining Recording Time (Event Recording) and the remaining Post-Alarm Images (Snap Shot Recording) are ignored.

  • For the time defined in Recording Time After Stop Event, the camera continues storing the video stream as MxPEG clips (Event Recording) or the Post-Alarm Images in Snap Shot mode, respectively.

  • The Ennnnn.jpg event image is saved as an additional JPEG image besides the MxPEG clip file(s).

  • If an Recording Dead Time has been set, a new recording will not be started during this time. The remaining dead time is displayed at the bottom right corner of the live image.

  • When using Continuous Recording, storage resumes with the frame rate of continuous recording. To stop continuous recording, you can use the Terminate Recording (TR) event.

Once the last image of the event has been stored, the camera triggers the Recording End (RE) event.

Remarks

  • If an event has been selected in Stop Recording, recording will directly enter the Recording Time After Stop Event. The settings for retriggering the recording are ignored completely.

  • If an event has been selected in Start Recording, but not in Retrigger Event or Stop Event, this event will always start a new recording. The current recording is stopped and the camera records a new event. This will allow recognizing multiple events in combination with long recording times.

General Settings

Description of Parameters

Option

Parameter

 

Arm Recording

This option allows deactivating the recording functions of the camera (default: Enable) or to use the signal input (SI) to control recording.

Enabled

Recording is always armed. The REC action symbol is displayed in yellow (see Recording Mode further below): REC.

 

Off

Recording is disabled and no images or clips are recorded in the internal image storage or on the file server. The REC action symbol is displayed in gray (see Recording Mode further below): REC.

 

CS1, ..., CS5, CSL

The camera records only if the corresponding custom signal is true.

Note

Using the custom signals, the camera can use e.g., a signal input, the illumination at the camera itself or at an attached MX-GPS-Box as an arming switch for recording.

 

From Master

The camera records only if the master camera's recording is armed.

 

The REC action symbol in the lower right corner is displayed in yellow (see Recording Mode further below): REC. During event-controlled recording of snap shot images and events, this symbol will be displayed in turquoise (REC) and will turn yellow again once recording has been finished (REC). During continuous recording, the action symbol is always green: REC.

If Arm Recording has been switched off or deactivated temporarily, the camera will not record any events (alarms) during this time. No images will be recorded, the event number is not incremented, and the action symbol REC is gray: REC.

If the event control is completely disabled in the General Event Settings dialog (Off), the bottom part of the live image does not contain any event or action symbols.

Note

Actions and Messages are not connected to recording and the camera will execute these functions even if recording has been deactivated.

Time Table Profile: In order to arm the camera in a time-controlled manner, you need to select a Time Table Profile.

Arm Recording: Make sure that you set this option to Enable in this dialog or set it up to work with the camera's signal input (e.g. with a key switch) using the SI Closed (low) or SI Open (high) options.

Digital Signing: The camera signs the recorded data using the X.509 certificate of the camera's web server.

Activate Recording Status Symbol The camera shows a recording icon in the top right corner of the image; its color reflects the current state of the recording:

  • Red: The camera is recording continuously.

  • Red blinking: The camera is recording an event.

  • Yellow: The camera is armed, but does not record an event at the moment.

  • Green: Recording is disabled and no images or clips are recorded in the internal image storage or on the file server.

Activate Terminate Recording The function will automatically stop the recording of images or video clips if one of the selected events occur once the Time Before Terminate has been used up. Use this option if you would like freeze the stored images or image sequences and to prevent them from being overwritten.

  • Set Activate Terminate Recording to On.

  • Select the event in Termination Condition upon which you would like to stop recording.

    Note

    The selected event(s) must have been activated in the Event Settings dialog; deactivated events are shown accordingly.

  • Set the delay between the occurrence of the event and stopping all actions in Time Before Stop.

  • By clicking on the Restart Actions softbutton or the link in this dialog, you can reactivate recording. (For additional information on softbuttons, see the Defining softbuttons help page.)

If the recording has been terminated, the TR action symbol will be displayed in yellow: TR.

While the Time Before Terminate is still running, the camera displays the remaining seconds before recording is terminated in the live image and the TR action symbol is turquoise.

After that time, the camera displays a corresponding message in the live image, stops recording and the TR action symbol turns gray.

Storage Settings

Description of Parameters

Option

Parameter

Recording Mode: Snap Shot Recording

Snap Shot Recording saves single JPEG images without audio data while the Snap Shot Interval can be set between 0 milliseconds and one image every ten minutes. The advantages of this recording mode are the low storage space requirements for the single image and the long interval that can be set between images.

The factory default setting of the camera is to save event stories, which may consist of the following pre- and post-alarm images for every event:

Pre-Alarm Images

Post-Alarm Images

Images After Stop Event

50

50

50

In order to obtain higher file server performance, activate the Pack Event Story checkbox. The event image and all pre- and post-alarm images are combined in one clip file, resulting in a drastically reduced number of file operations on the file server.

In order to cover a longer period of time (up to ten minutes) with the event story, you need to define a Snap Shot Interval that is long enough.

Notes

  • The event image of a detected event (alarm image) is always stored.

  • Because of the storage space required by the pre- and post-alarm images (e.g. resolution set to 1280x960), the number of images set here may not be reached. If this happens, take one or more measures described in the following:

    • Reduce the JPEG Quality in the JPEG Settings dialog.

    • Reduce the Resolution in the General Image Settings dialog in order to reduce the amount of data that is stored for the pre-alarm images.

    • Increase the Recording Dead Time when too many alarm follow in a short period of time, since a new alarm will overwrite the pre-alarm images of the previous alarm.

    • Set Retrigger Recording to All in order to combine all events in one event folder with the same event number.

    • Reduce the number of pre- and post-alarm images and increase the value for the Snap Shot Interval.

Recording Mode: Event Recording

Note

Event Recording is only available for Secure cameras.

Event recording stores MxPEG Clips (M00001.jpg, M00002.jpg, ...; max. ten seconds recording time each) that can also contain audio data (provided that Record Audio Data has been activated). One of the advantages of this recording method is the efficient recording method that results in a high increase in server performance (e.g. up to 100 cameras can record on a single standard PC (P4, 3 GHz)). On the other hand, this method also allows storing lip-synchronous audio (sound) data of the camera.

Frame Rate: The MxPEG clips can be recorded with the maximum Event Frame Rate available from the Live image, but not with a frame rate lower than one image every five seconds. Audio data from the camera is always recorded with the same quality, regardless of the frame rate.

The Recording Time Before Event is limited to five seconds. Additional events during the recording are saved as JPEG images (E00001.jpg, E00002.jpg, ...).

Multiple Events: If the recording of one event exceeds five minutes or if the storage space for one event exceeds 40% of the internal image storage, the camera will split the event. The recording will then be resumed with a new event number.

Notes

  • In Event Recording mode, the camera will trigger the Recording Begin (RB) event when starting a new recording.

  • The Recording End (RE) event is triggered once the recording has been finished (including retriggered − i.e. prolonged − recording).

Recording Mode: Continuous Recording

Note

Continuous Recording is only available for Secure cameras.

Continuous recording stores MxPEG Clips all the time (M00001.jpg, M00002.jpg, ...) that can also contain audio data (provided that Record Audio Data has been activated). The advantage of this recording mode is a continuous recording with reduced frame rate and permanent audio recording where the camera automatically increases the frame rate if it detects an event.

The event number is incremented every minute and thus stores 60 seconds of video and audio data in one event folder. The first event image is E00000.jpg is usually an image that is stored every minute. If the camera detects an event in Continuous Recording mode, it will not increment the event number. The camera will only store an additional event image and will optionally increase the frame rate (up to the max. frame rate).

Frame Rate: The MOBOTIX camera can use two different frame rates for recording. In order to avoid huge amounts of video data when nothing is happening, the camera can record with a lower frame rate (Continuous Recording Frame Rate). In case of an event (alarm), the camera will use the Event Frame Rate to store the event with a highest quality. Similar to Event Recording, audio data from the camera be recorded with the same quality, regardless of the frame rate.

Notes

  • In Continuous Recording mode, the camera will trigger the Recording Begin (RB) event only if one of the events selected in Start Recording is detected.

  • Similar to Event Recording, the Recording End (RE) event is triggered once the recording has been finished (including retriggered − i.e. prolonged − recording).

History Recording (HR)

This feature allows recording history images at individual frame rates besides the event-controlled recording mechanism. The history images are saved as JPEG images (E00000.jpg) with their own event number.

During active recording, no additional history image is stored.

If a Time Task event (TT) is to be used to trigger a history recording, the TT event must be unselected in the lists of events starting, retriggering, or stopping event recording.

Image Profile for History Images: History images can use a different image format. Open the Image Profiles to define new image formats or to edit existing ones.

Full image recording

Description of Parameters

Option

Parameter

Activate Full Image Recording

If this option is activated, the camera records the entire sensor image. If not, it records only the visible section of the live image. This means that you can record the entire sensor image, while the live image shows a zoomed and panned image section. This also allows examining the parts of an image or video that had not been visible in the live image section on display at the time of the recording.

Note

Depending on your camera model, this feature may not be available!

Image Size

Controls the resolution (size) of the recorded video stream (or of the JPEG images in Snap Shot recording).

Note

The HD (1280x720) and Full HD (1920x1080) resolutions available in the live image and in the image profiles are not available for Full Image Recording. Since these resolutions do not have an aspect ratio of 4:3 (letterbox), full image recording would clip parts of the image at the top and the bottom of the image.

JPEG Quality

This parameter allows using a different JPEG quality for full image recording than for the live image, for example.

Text Display, Date and Time, Comment

These parameters allow showing different text messages in the images for full image recording than for the live image, for example.


Storing the Configuration

Click on the Set button to activate your settings and to save them until the next reboot of the camera.

Click on the Factory button to load the factory defaults for this dialog (this button may not be present in all dialogs).

Click on the Restore button to undo your most recent changes that have not been stored in the camera permanently.

Click on the Close button to close the dialog. While closing the dialog, the system checks the entire configuration for changes. If changes are detected, you will be asked if you would like to store the entire configuration permanently.


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