Distinguishing between motion events and alerts

[tuvow]

I have a few Dahua cameras and one Axis camera setup with Blue Iris. Right now all ONVIF events are a trigger event in Blue Iris which lead to an Alert within BI (Alerts are set to "when this camera is triggered"). I noticed that some NVRs are able to distinguish between motion events and alert events. I do want all motion events to be annotated in the timeline for quick scrubbing, but I don't want each motion event to turn into an alert. As an example, within one view I have a public road and a private drive way. I would like to register the motions on the public road as a motion event, but the motions on my driveway as alerts for me to review and show up in the BI iPhone app.

Does BI support distinguishing between motion and alert events and if yes, how could I configure BI to process the IVS rule for the public road as just a motion event and the IVS rule on the private driveway as an alert?

 

[wittaj]

Takes a little bit of work and isn't plug-n-play, but it is possible.

Here is how it is done.

Under the ONVIF Triggers comes up all of the camera events it listens to. Each one corresponds to something in the camera - motion detection, SMD, IVS tripwire, IVS intrusion, etc.

There is no need to figure out which is what if you are just using IVS rules, so you can turn all of those off.

Instead, either keep track of what each IVS rule is named (IVS-1, IVS-2, etc.) or rename each rule in the camera GUI to what it is - driveway and public for example.

Then simply hit the + sign and in the Contains block put in the name of the IVS rule (IVS-1 or if you renamed it something else) and then in the memo you put down what it is for.

As they populate, they will show up in the Listen for:

Then you go into the alerts tab and the stuff you put in the Memo field can be used for the required AI:

Use the "New zones/sources only (additive)" option if you are going to have several IVS rules being used in one camera and want to be able to do something with each rule separately. So in your case you would have an alert that alerts you for driveway but an alert that is just on the timeline for roadway.

The "New zones/sources only (exclusive)" option is a cool feature if you want to primarily use IVS rules for triggering your alerts, but you want to use BI motion to capture wildlife and other things. Prior to this option, you would need to use a clone because if the motion triggered first, then the IVS wouldn't trigger. Now you can use one camera and this trigger option and the object can trigger BI motion first and if it then triggers IVS, it will alert you of the IVS trigger.

 

[jrbeddow]

Takes a little bit of work and isn't plug-n-play, but it is possible.

Here is how it is done.

Under the ONVIF Triggers comes up all of the camera events it listens to. Each one corresponds to something in the camera - motion detection, SMD, IVS tripwire, IVS intrusion, etc.

There is no need to figure out which is what if you are just using IVS rules, so you can turn all of those off.

Instead, either keep track of what each IVS rule is named (IVS-1, IVS-2, etc.) or rename each rule in the camera GUI to what it is - driveway and public for example.

Then simply hit the + sign and in the Contains block put in the name of the IVS rule (IVS-1 or if you renamed it something else) and then in the memo you put down what it is for.

As they populate, they will show up in the Listen for:

Then you go into the alerts tab and the stuff you put in the Memo field can be used for the required AI:

Use the "New zones/sources only (additive)" option if you are going to have several IVS rules being used in one camera and want to be able to do something with each rule separately. So in your case you would have an alert that alerts you for driveway but an alert that is just on the timeline for roadway.

The "New zones/sources only (exclusive)" option is a cool feature if you want to primarily use IVS rules for triggering your alerts, but you want to use BI motion to capture wildlife and other things. Prior to this option, you would need to use a clone because if the motion triggered first, then the IVS wouldn't trigger. Now you can use one camera and this trigger option and the object can trigger BI motion first and if it then triggers IVS, it will alert you of the IVS trigger.

Ironically. I finally got around to setting this up yesterday on one of my cameras, based on your original postings of these instructions on Feb.7th this year, shortly after BI 5.8.5 was released.
So far, I'd have to call it a qualified/partial success. I have a few IVS rules (Intrusion box and tripwire) in the camera for my side of the driveway, as well as a separate set of both rule types for the sidewalk. The IVS names always start with either Driveway or Sidewalk, which allows for (filtering) recording only on the sidewalk, and recording and alerts on the driveway. However, finding the ideal settings is proving elusive: the "additive" setting you mentioned generates way too many alerts for each event (as it treats each rule trigger as a separate event and Pushover alert even for one person crossing the driveway). I haven't had time yet to experiment with the "exclusive" setting: have you successfully used that in this scenario without the multiple alert problem? The trouble in the past (with BI motion detection and CPAI) has always been in getting alerts for activity that starts and lingers on the sidewalk before moving onto my property. I have had some success with using the "New alerts only" setting in combination with a delay timer in the action settings, and I may have to revisit that again. Or, use the other timer that prevents multiple actions (in my case, Pushover alerts) in any given (somewhat arbitrary) 20 or 30 second period.
Your thoughts and suggestions?

 

[wittaj]

Ironically. I finally got around to setting this up yesterday on one of my cameras, based on your original postings of these instructions on Feb.7th this year, shortly after BI 5.8.5 was released.
So far, I'd have to call it a qualified/partial success. I have a few IVS rules (Intrusion box and tripwire) in the camera for my side of the driveway, as well as a separate set of both rule types for the sidewalk. The IVS names always start with either Driveway or Sidewalk, which allows for (filtering) recording only on the sidewalk, and recording and alerts on the driveway. However, finding the ideal settings is proving elusive: the "additive" setting you mentioned generates way too many alerts for each event (as it treats each rule trigger as a separate event and Pushover alert even for one person crossing the driveway). I haven't had time yet to experiment with the "exclusive" setting: have you successfully used that in this scenario without the multiple alert problem? The trouble in the past (with BI motion detection and CPAI) has always been in getting alerts for activity that starts and lingers on the sidewalk before moving onto my property. I have had some success with using the "New alerts only" setting in combination with a delay timer in the action settings, and I may have to revisit that again. Or, use the other timer that prevents multiple actions (in my case, Pushover alerts) in any given (somewhat arbitrary) 20 or 30 second period.
Your thoughts and suggestions?

Yeah, that is why I went with the exclusive to use IVS for pushover alerts and BI Motion for just triggering of things I may want to playback later. I will get the occasional double trigger, and I have used the delay timer as well on another camera.

Every field of view and situation is so unique that there isn't a one size fits all, and for some situations, the clone may still be the best option.

 

[jrbeddow]

Yeah, that is why I went with the exclusive to use IVS for pushover alerts and BI Motion for just triggering of things I may want to playback later. I will get the occasional double trigger, and I have used the delay timer as well on another camera.

Every field of view and situation is so unique that there isn't a one size fits all, and for some situations, the clone may still be the best option.

Yeah, I'll do anything and everything I can to avoid the use of clone cameras: I find them to be an abhorrent kludge solution at best (at least for me, perhaps there are a handful of places where there is no other way).

Edit: To clarify, yeah clones are an easy way to fine tune the alerts, but unless you want to double/triple the storage requirements (which kills the advantages of clones), the alerts generated from clones don't directly link to UI3 accessible video from Pushover alerts, which is a no starter for me (WAF would be very low).