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Camera View Management & Navigation

Camera views in XProtect Smart Client are pre-configured layouts that display one or more cameras in organized arrangements. This guide covers how to effectively navigate and work with these views during daily operations.

Understanding Views

Views are organized camera layouts that help you monitor different areas efficiently. Your system administrator creates these views, but you can temporarily modify them and organize your workspace to suit your monitoring needs.

Types of Views

  • Shared views: Available to multiple users, typically created by administrators

  • Private views: Personal views accessible only to you from any computer

  • Default view: Automatically generated view showing all cameras you have access to

Opening and Switching Between Views

Opening Views

  1. From the Views pane: Click any view name to open it in the main workspace

  2. From search results: Select cameras in search results and press Enter to create a temporary view

  3. Using keyboard shortcuts: Press Alt + [view number] for views with assigned numbers

Switching Views Quickly

  • View tabs: Click different view tabs at the bottom of the workspace

  • Views pane: Click any view name to switch immediately

  • Keyboard navigation: Use Alt to show view numbers, then press the number

Working with Specialized View Items

Hotspot View Items

Hotspots display video from other cameras when you select them. You can recognize hotspots by the hotspot icon in the title bar.

Using hotspots:

  • Select any camera view to display its video in the hotspot

  • Hotspots automatically show higher quality video for detailed viewing

  • Useful for investigating incidents while keeping your main view layout

Carousels automatically rotate between different camera feeds at set intervals. Look for the carousel icon in the title bar.

Controlling carousels:

  • Pause rotation: Click Start/Stop carousel on the camera toolbar

  • Manual navigation: Use Previous camera or Next camera buttons

  • Auto-pause: Zooming in on carousel video automatically stops rotation

Note: Carousel timing starts when you open the view, so multiple windows show separate rotations.

Managing Multiple Views and Windows

Using Multiple View Tabs

  1. Open additional tabs: Click New views tab (+ icon)

  2. Select content: Choose the view you want to display in the new tab

  3. Switch between tabs: Click tab names or use keyboard shortcuts

  4. Close tabs: Click Close tab (only additional tabs can be closed)

Working with Detached Windows

Send views to separate windows for multi-monitor setups:

  1. Right-click any view in the Views pane

  2. Select "Send view to" and choose:

    • Floating window: Detached window with all controls visible

    • Primary/Secondary display: Full-screen window on specific monitors

Benefits of detached windows:

  • Monitor multiple areas simultaneously

  • Use different monitors for different purposes

  • Keep important views always visible

Syncing Time Across Windows

When investigating incidents across multiple windows:

  1. In the detached window: Click Sync time with main views tab

  2. Control from main window: Use the main timeline to navigate

  3. Both windows sync: All windows show the same time period

Temporarily Modifying Views

Replacing Camera Content

Quickly change what camera appears in a view item:

  1. Select the view item you want to change

  2. From camera toolbar: Select a different camera, or

  3. Using keyboard: Press / + [camera shortcut number] + Enter

  4. Restore original: Click Reload view or press / + / + Enter

Moving Camera Positions

Rearrange cameras within a view for better comparison:

  1. Select the camera view item to move

  2. Drag the title bar to another camera position

  3. Cameras swap positions automatically

  4. Restore original layout: Click Reload view

Sending Cameras Between Views

Share important camera feeds between different open views:

  1. Select the camera you want to share

  2. Camera toolbar: Click More > Send to window

  3. Choose destination: Select the target view and position

  4. Temporary change: Use Reload view to restore original content

Creating Temporary Views

From Search Results

  1. Search for cameras using the Views pane search field

  2. Select multiple cameras using Ctrl or Shift

  3. Press Enter to create a temporary view with selected cameras

  4. Save if needed: Switch to Setup mode to make permanent

  1. Use Views pane search: Type camera names or characteristics

  2. Select cameras: Choose individual cameras or use search keywords

  3. Create view: Press Enter to open selected cameras in a temporary view

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

View Navigation

  • Enter: Open view and maximize a camera

  • Alt + [view number] + [item number]: Select specific camera in numbered view

  • Arrow keys (2,4,6,8): Navigate between cameras in current view

  • / + Enter: Reset individual camera to default

  • / + / + Enter: Reset entire view to default layout

Multi-Window Management

  • F11: Toggle full-screen mode

  • Alt + [number]: Quick view selection when views have numbers

Camera View Status Indicators

Understanding what camera indicators tell you:

Indicator

Meaning

Motion (red triangle)

Movement detected - click camera to acknowledge

Disconnected (crossed out)

Camera connection lost

Recording (red dot)

Camera is actively recording

Connected (green dot)

Camera connected (live mode only)

Playback (play icon)

Showing recorded video

No signal (clock)

No new images for 2+ seconds

Digital Zoom in Views

Zoom Controls

  • Mouse wheel: Scroll to zoom in/out on any camera

  • Click and drag: Select area to zoom into (when cursor shows crosshairs)

  • Keyboard shortcut: Hold Shift and move mouse for zoom slider

  • Reset zoom: Double-click camera or press middle mouse button

Zoom Types

  • Digital zoom: Available for all cameras and recorded video

  • PTZ cameras: Live zoom moves camera lens and affects recording

  • Recorded video: Digital zoom only, doesn't affect original recording

Best Practices for Daily Operations

Efficient Monitoring

  • Use hotspots for investigating incidents while maintaining overview

  • Set up detached windows on secondary monitors for critical areas

  • Bookmark important views for quick access

  • Learn keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation

Incident Response

  • Open additional view tabs to monitor related cameras

  • Use temporary camera replacement to focus on incident areas

  • Send important feeds to detached windows for continuous monitoring

  • Reset views after incidents to return to normal operations

Workspace Organization

  • Arrange views logically by area or importance

  • Use consistent naming when creating temporary views

  • Keep overview views available while investigating details

  • Practice view switching to build muscle memory for emergencies

Troubleshooting Common View Issues

Camera Shows Black Screen

  • Check camera status indicators for connection issues

  • Verify camera permissions with system administrator

  • Try different view to confirm camera functionality

  • Check recording schedule - camera may not record during certain hours

View Layout Changes Unexpectedly

  • Click Reload view to restore original layout

  • Check if someone else modified the shared view

  • Verify view permissions haven't changed

  • Use keyboard shortcuts to reset individual cameras

Can't See Some Cameras

  • Check view permissions with administrator

  • Verify time-based access - some cameras may be restricted by schedule

  • Look for camera in different views - may be organized differently

  • Search for camera using Views pane search function

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