Help with BI PTZ resume after moving camera via GUI manually

[marklyn]

I've used BI motion detect for years and learned much about fine tuning. But, I'm still catching shadows and leaves as well as people and cars.
So, I'm testing using the best of both worlds, using BI to manage PTZ schedules (since my Dahua cams don't do that) and I'm using the IVS in my Dahua cams to manage triggers and record to the camera and trigger BI to record.
The attachment below shows my 3 cam setups for the front of my house.
The "L" camera, my newest, is SD4A425DB-HNY (25x, PTZ, tracking)
The "M" camera, fairly new, is IPC-Color4K-T180 (dual lens, 4k, 180 degree)
the "R" camera, my oldest, is SD49225T-HN (25x, PTZ)

I've set all camera's IVS with tripwires and intrusion and so far they are doing well in catching what I care about (not leaves, shadows, etc). All have 128 or 256gb SD cards to record as a backup to my BI Onvif triggers.
I've got BI doing it's part by recording ONVIF triggers and moving the cams to their various PTZ positions during different times of the day.

My issue is that if I move the L or R camera manually via the camera GUI, BI doesn't "know" it's moved therefore the PTZ resume cycle doesn't kick in for that camera to move it to it's scheduled position.
I've tried messing with BI's Event Schedule to "search back at startup/reset" function but no luck there.
I've tried using my fixed "M" camera as some type "trigger" to move the "front" cameras to any PTZ position, then their scheduled resume would work since BI "moved" the cameras. (Front group is all 3 cams)

If I always remembered to move the camera back to the scheduled PTZ after working with it in the camera's PTZ (GUI) then this wouldn't be an issue (but I don't)
If Dahua cameras has a similar 'resume' function like BI does, this wouldn't be a problem.

Is there anything I could do in BI to accomplish what I'm after in this specific case? Is there some type of Dahua function I'm not aware of that might move the camera to a scheduled PTZ?
Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Mike A.]

I use BI to do it but in the cam look under PTZ > Scheduled Task. Auto Home after N seconds.

 

[marklyn]

I use BI to do it but in the cam look under PTZ > Scheduled Task. Auto Home after N seconds.

Good thought. My "L" Dahua camera (PTZ/tracking/25x) does have a scheduled task function, unfortunately my "R" Dahua doesn't have such a feature. It has a scheduled 'profile' feature, but I really need the scheduled task function in this camera too for it work work completely in the Dahua ecosystem. It would be nice if all of the Dahua cameras could 'talk' to each other and have some type of 'trigger' effect on each other (kind of like BI does). But they don't. Thanks for the suggestion.

On a side note, I wondered if my "R" camera SD49225T-HN could have a firmware update that had a more modern GUI but I don't see anything newer than what I have V2.800.0000000.6.R.R4.2510.9A.NR, Build Date: 2021-07-05

 

[Mike A.]

I'd be surprised if there's not an auto-home somewhere. Even a old small 4X PTZ I have has that.

Under PTZ > Function > Time Task > AutoHome?

ETA: See page 100 in the user manual here:

https://material.dahuasecurity.com/uploads/cpq/DOR/PUM0002001/Dahua_Network_Speed_Dome___PTZ_Camera_Web_3.0_User_s_Manual_V2.0.2.pdf

 

[marklyn]

I'd be surprised if there's not an auto-home somewhere. Even a old small 4X PTZ I have has that.

Under PTZ > Function > Time Task > AutoHome?

ETA: See page 100 in the user manual here:

https://material.dahuasecurity.com/uploads/cpq/DOR/PUM0002001/Dahua_Network_Speed_Dome___PTZ_Camera_Web_3.0_User_s_Manual_V2.0.2.pdf

But, auto home wouldn't work for the scenario I posted. Autohome would take the camera to a pre-set "home" location, which may not be my #1 (Day) PTZ location or my #2 (Night) location, depending on the time of day.

 

[Mike A.]

Haven't tried it but looks like you could set "Home" to be the same as whatever preset you want and it reads like AutoHome just returns to whatever it should be doing as defined by the current running time task (which can vary by time):

AutoHome refers to the time needed to automatically recover the time task in case of manually calling the PTZ to stop the time task.

e.g, If you have a Time Task sitting at a preset in the day, it should return to that after whatever time. If you have it running in some pattern at night, it should return to doing that. I believe that's how it works anyway, someone who's used it more may know better.

Outside of the cam/BI, I'm sure that you could schedule a cron job to send an API command to the cam now and then to send it back to wherever at whatever times. Also maybe using the Events schedule in BI but seems clunky.

The ultimate easiest answer I think is just to stop messing with it outside of BI. ; )

 

[marklyn]

The ultimate easiest answer I think is just to stop messing with it outside of BI. ; )

Well I really like the IVS in the camera. Maybe down the road I'll look at some of the AI technologies connected to BI but for now the IVS in Dahua cams really does it for me.

 

[Mike A.]

I do too. That's what I use mostly. But you can use IVS without manually moving the cam in the web interface.

Looking a little more, seems like you could set Time Tasks to be sitting at whatever presets during whatever day/night periods. Then set the AutoHome to be however long you want before resuming that task if moved. That should do what you want as far as two different presets. Probably might run into some conflict with it happening at the same time that BI was doing whatever its doing at some point but could set it to be an hour or something long like that just to serve as a backstop and reduce the chance of that.

 

[marklyn]

I do too. That's what I use mostly. But you can use IVS without manually moving the cam in the web interface.

Looking a little more, seems like you could set Time Tasks to be sitting at whatever presets during whatever day/night periods. Then set the AutoHome to be however long you want before resuming that task if moved. That should do what you want as far as two different presets. Probably might run into some conflict with it happening at the same time that BI was doing whatever its doing at some point but could set it to be an hour or something long like that just to serve as a backstop and reduce the chance of that.

Gonna think on that. Not sure I want two different time schedules (one in BI and one in the camera), but will look at it. Thanks.

 

[Mike A.]

Yeah, two different things to keep up with and seems prone to conflict at some point.

 

[looney2ns]

This works.
Note the area circled in red.

 

[marklyn]

This works.
Note the area circled in red.

View attachment 170322

Except that doesn't work as I described in the original post. If you move the camera using the camera's GUI, BI doesn't "know" it's moved so the resume doesn't work. If you move the camera, in any kind of way, via BI, then it of course would work.

 

[dubber]

I have been using this feature via Cam GUI to make cam return to Home preset

PTZ>Idle Motion> Enable> Set the Interval and desire preset so PTZ return after X idle time

 

[marklyn]

Ok guys. come one, please read in the original post what I'm trying to do.
I have two ptz schedules set for my camera in BI. One is a "day" schedule where my cam points "this way"
One is a "night" schedule where my cam points "that way".
If I move the camera via the GUI (not through BI) then BI doesn't know to resume what whatever time of day I moved the cam.
If I use the idle motion, it may return to "that" way instead of "this" way depending on what time of day the camera is moved via the GUI.
All of the trigger functions are via IVS on all 3 cams. BI just takes care of my day and night ptz schedule.
If I turned motion detection recording off on my middle cam (180 degree view), through BI, , could I maybe tell BI to move the other cameras in some way, even minor, to then allow them to resume and go to their scheduled PTZ position via BI.
Looking for a creative way to add a 'resume' functionality via BI in place of Dahua cams that don't have such a feature.

 

[wittaj]

What version BI are you on?

Mine will return back based on what is in BI even when I am in the camera GUI moving it around, sometimes to my chagrin when I am in the camera GUI moving it around and leave it stationary to watch the action and it spins back to the preset after X minutes LOL, so I will move it a bit or zoom in and out to keep it there.

 

[Mike A.]

I thought that I remembered mine doing the same but it doesn't after testing it.

The only way that I can see to do it is as above. Either in something scheduled in the cam or through some event scheduled/triggered in BI or some other program. If you can generate some event in BI, then you could send an API command to send it home.

 

[marklyn]

What version BI are you on?

Mine will return back based on what is in BI even when I am in the camera GUI moving it around, sometimes to my chagrin when I am in the camera GUI moving it around and leave it stationary to watch the action and it spins back to the preset after X minutes LOL, so I will move it a bit or zoom in and out to keep it there.

I'm on the most stable one 5.7.7.8 I always just use the stable releases.
That's odd to me about your scenario when mine does not. I've tried it on two of the cameras and it won't return to the scheduled PTZ, unlessI use BI to do "something" with the camera. Even using the PTZ to move it one mouse click.
You're moving the cam with the cam GUI (not BI PTZ commands) and it goes back to preset after a pre-determined time.
I'll check my settings for the 10th time. Maybe I missed something.

 

[marklyn]

I thought that I remembered mine doing the same but it doesn't after testing it.

The only way that I can see to do it is as above. Either in something scheduled in the cam or through some event scheduled/triggered in BI or some other program. If you can generate some event in BI, then you could send an API command to send it home.

That is kind of what I was after by using my middle (fixed) camera. Maybe I could set it up as the spotter cam and the next time it triggers it could move the other two cameras. Even if it moved them to each of the respective 'home' position, then maybe the resume command within BI would work. (thinking out loud).

 

[wittaj]

I'm on the most stable one 5.7.7.8 I always just use the stable releases.
That's odd to me about your scenario when mine does not. I've tried it on two of the cameras and it won't return to the scheduled PTZ, unlessI use BI to do "something" with the camera. Even using the PTZ to move it one mouse click.
You're moving the cam with the cam GUI (not BI PTZ commands) and it goes back to preset after a pre-determined time.
I'll check my settings for the 10th time. Maybe I missed something.

Yes, I am in the camera GUI - I remote in, which as you know doesn't have live sound using RDP, so if I am looking around live with the PTZ, I go to the camera GUI because I have an external mic hooked to it so that I can see and hear what is going on live and I prefer the camera GUI if more than just a quick look.

I am on BI 5.5.6.21and it will revert back to the preset if I don't maintain some movement on it by panning a little left right or little zooming.

 

[marklyn]

Yes, I am in the camera GUI - I remote in, which as you know doesn't have live sound using RDP, so if I am looking around live with the PTZ, I go to the camera GUI because I have an external mic hooked to it so that I can see and hear what is going on live and I prefer the camera GUI if more than just a quick look.

I am on BI 5.5.6.21and it will revert back to the preset if I don't maintain some movement on it by panning a little left right or little zooming.

very interesting. Wonder why mine doesn't do that. Which preset does yours go back to, one set up as home or one that you were just on and manually moved the camera from?