Creating and Modifying Guard Tours
To avoid frustration and confusion, remember that a Tour can only be edited or deleted if it is not currently being viewed.
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Creating a new tour |
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Changing the order of cameras |
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Removing a camera |
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Editing a tour |
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Deleting a tour |
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Displaying a tour in the viewer |
Creating a New Guard Tour
To create a new Guard Tour, click the New Guard Tour button in the toolbar at the top of the Guard Tour List. The detail card of the tour will expand and the Guard Tour will be automatically in Edit Mode, allowing the user to enter a name for the tour and to mark it as public (if other users may use it as well). Cameras may now be added to the tour as explained below. Note that PTZ pre-set positions can be use as virtual cameras in Guard Tours.
Note that the Edit button is a toggle — you press it both to enter and to leave edit mode.
Adding Cameras to a Guard Tour
Cameras may be added to a Guard Tour which is in edit state as follows:
- Drag a camera from a viewer, the Camera List or a map and drop it on the Guard Tour, or on the Guard Tour Tab. It is thus possible to put the Guard Tour in edit mode, go to the Camera List and drag cameras from the list to the Guard Tour Tab.
- All Camera Detail Cards (e.g. in the Camera List) will contain an Add to Guard Tour button if a Guard Tour is in edit mode. For example you may put a Guard Tour in edit mode, right click on a map camera and add it to the Tour by clicking the Add to Guard Tour button. (Cameras may also be dragged from a map to a Tour which is in edit mode.)
- PTZ cameras can have Presets added to Guard Tours. This is done by taking control of the PTZ, clicking on its Preset drop-down button, and dragging a Preset onto the Tour. Important: see the note below on using PTZ Presets in Guard Tours.
- You need not use a PTZ preset if you don't care which position the PTZ is in when the Guard Tour reaches it (e.g. if all the Tour does is to show whether the camera is active or not). In such a case simply drag the PTZ viewer onto the Guard Tour, which will display "- current pos - " in the PTZ Preset column. You do not need to be in control of the PTZ to do this.
Note on Using PTZ Presets in Guard Tours
Please note that while use of Presets will greatly ease the use of PTZs in Tours, this also implies careful consideration: what to do if different Guard Tours use different Presets on the same PTZ?
The solution we have implemented is that whichever Guard Tour currently has control of the camera keeps that control for as long as that Guard Tour is viewing a preset. Once that Guard Tour has moved on, other Guard Tours can use the camera. Not doing so would mean that the camera could end up spinning around as different Guard Tours try to take control of it in quick succession.
By the same token, a Guard Tour will not move a PTZ if someone is currently controlling the PTZ.
Camera Timings
Camera timings are in seconds, and be changed for any camera in a Guard Tour. Put the Guard Tour in edit mode and enter new timings directly in the appropriate field in the list of cameras. The default timing is 30 seconds per camera. You can also set all cameras to the same timing in one step. Some people may refer to this as the dwell time or camera cycle time.
Ordering Cameras in a Guard Tour
If a Guard Tour is in edit mode, the cameras may be ordered by moving the selected camera up or down in the list, using the two buttons on the right of the list. Click the Remove Camera button to remove a camera from the Guard Tour.
Editing an Existing Guard Tour
A Guard Tour must be in Edit Mode to be able to modify it — click the Edit Guard Tour button to activate this mode. Only one Guard Tour can be in edit mode at any time and it will be indicated by the "edit" icon in the Guard Tour header. Putting a Guard Tour in Edit Mode will take any other editable tour out of this mode. Whilst in edit mode, all the options apply as described above for a new Guard Tour: Cameras may be added, removed, ordered or the name or visibility (public or private) of the Guard Tour may be changed.
Taking a Guard Tour out of Edit Mode
A Guard Tour will be taken out of edit mode if:
- The Edit Guard Tour button is clicked again (released)
- Any other tour is selected in the Guard Tour List
- Edit Mode is activated for another Guard Tour — only one tour may be edited at a time.
Deleting a Guard Tour
In the case of a public Guard Tour (which may be in use by another user), the Guard Tour will be deleted from the server and will not be available to any users who log in after the deletion. Current logged in users who have the Guard Tour in their lists will be able to use it until they log out.