Aligning a Camera

Owned by Isabelle Avery (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jul 11, 2022 by Charlotte Dakin-Norris
4 min read

Introduction

This page covers Camera Alignment.

Contents

Overview

It is necessary to align the camera to the radar data and Map/Background Image through aligning the camera to the Home Position, so that tracks are followed by the camera accurately.

Choosing a Home Position

  1. When you added a Camera to the PPI Display, you will have also chosen and placed a temporary Home Position (a star graphic).

     

  2. The criteria for this temporary Home Position are:

    • An object with a known latitude and longitude.

    • Within the camera's field of vision.

    • At least half the distance of the radar data's radius.

    • Visible on the radar data.

    • Stationary.

    • Passing similarity to shape of a human.

    • Passing similarity to size of a human.

    • Small trees, posts, fitted amenities etc.

  3. If your temporary Home Position object does not conform to these, use Ctrl+Click+Drag to move the temporary Home Position Icon to an object more suitable. Turning on the raw radar data will help identify suitable objects for a Home Position on the PPI Display.

  4. Next, enable the Config Function, and select the Camera Viewer in the Configuration Tree. If you don’t an application to see the camera video you will need to add a camera viewer - see .

  5. In the Configuration Panel, select Align:

     

  6. The Viewer window will show the factory rest position for the camera (likely the ground directly beneath):

     

  7. The Configuration Panel will be in Edit mode allowing you to make adjustments.

  8. Change the Home Zoom Factor to 100%.

     

  9. Next, use the Offset Pan Controls to toggle the camera left-right, up-down until your Home Position object is squarely in the centre of the Viewer. The object should sit a fifth of the screen up from the bottom border of the Viewer, at the centre of the crosshairs. The degree intervals between toggles can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the Pan Delta and Pan Tilt, under Offset:

     

  10. In this example, the temporary Home Position object is a small tree. Once the object is found and centred, change the Home Zoom Factor back to 20%.

     

  11. Select Save. Your camera is now aligned.

  12. Now, you can move the Home Position Icon by selecting Edit on the Configuration Panel and Ctrl+Click+Drag on the PPI to whatever you want in the camera's field of vision e.g. an area that could benefit from being observed while the camera is idle; a gate, a door, a road entrance etc. Then click Save.

     

The camera always returns to the Home Position when not in use. Once the camera has finished tracking or is no longer being controlled manually by a user through the Viewer Navigation Control, it will return to the Home Position after a configurable period of time called the Dwell Timeout. This can be configured in the camera Advanced Settings; .

Indefinite Dwell

The Home Position is a wide-view rest position for broad surveillance, but at times a more specific, zoomed in rest position might be useful instead - for instance, if a security risk is suspected at a particular point in the camera's field of vision. In this instance, an Infinite Dwell can be applied - the Home Position is temporarily repositioned and zoomed in for precise surveillance. As usual, if a target or anything more interesting appears, the camera will focus on that until it has left the Detection Area, after which the camera will return to the Infinite Dwell position.

In order to apply an Infinite Dwell:

Right Click on the PPI where you would like the Infinite Dwell to watch.

 

Safety is everything.