ShowVideo

This Activity is used to display a camera in WinGuard.

Note: That it is only used when the camera shall be shown on an internal monitor of WinGuard. When the camera should be shown on an external monitor, use the ShowVideoExternal Activity (supports archive) or the Video.In.Device/Video.Out.Device Functionalities (no archive) instead.

See also VideoCommunication for better conceptual overview.

Objects

Props

The following Properties need to be updated by the Extension. The Properties should always represent the current state of the video. An AOP server (application), like WinGuard, reads these Properties and updates itself accordingly.

For example, the adapter receives the command to play the video at speed 8, but its hardware only allows a speed of 2, then the adapter can set the speed to 2 or ignore the request. The AOP server (application) then reads the result and update its UI or other systems.

Streams

The ShowVideo Activity supports choosing between different source streams. The stream list indicates the available streams. The information about the streams can be provided during the automatic data supply using the Property Streams:

To configure this data, the Object must contain a Property with id="Streams" and kind="cam_stream".

<Object id="Camera">
    <Property id="Streams" type="object[]" kind="cam_stream" />
</Object>

Alternatively, if something needs to be defined individually, all required Properties must be fully specified. They are nested within the outer Streams Property.

<Object id="Camera">
    <Property id="Streams" type="object[]">
        <Property id="Id" type="string" />
        <Property id="Name" type="string" kind="localize" />
        <Property id="Mode" type="string[]" >
            <Option value="Live" />
            <Option value="Archive" />
            <Option value="Analysis" />
        </Property>
        <Property id="Width" type="int" />
        <Property id="Height" type="int" />
    </Property>
</Object>

Operations

All changes on a running video are requested by the different Operations. After execution, the Extension must always update the Properties of the Activity.

Play

Operation to seek to requested archive time, to change playback speed or to change stream.

Although all Properties are optional, only certain combinations of Properties are valid. For a better overview, the following table shows which parameters are used in which situation.

When the speed is set additionally, the video should be played at the given speed. When the stream is set additionally, the video should be shown in the given stream.

When showing a live stream, the Play Operation is used to request a switch into archive mode. The initial Play Operation for the switch is a seek that includes at least a time and speed.

GoLive

Operation to show the current live video.

Step

Operation to go one step further or backwards in the video. After the execution of this Operation, the video should be paused by default. To do so, the speed Property of the Activity needs to be set to 0.

SetBrightness

Operation to set the brightness value of the video image. The Operation is triggered by changing UI brightness control of the video manager.

SetContrast

Operation to set the contrast value of the video image. The Operation is triggered by changing UI contrast control of the video manager.

SetSaturation

Operation to set the saturation value of the video image. The Operation is triggered by changing UI saturation control of the video manager.

ExportImage

Operation to export a snapshot at a specified timestamp of the video.

To enable this Operation, the App Settings App.CanExportImages and App.ExportImageExtensions have to be set in the Module XML.

Tip: To determine if a received ExportImage Operation was triggered for live video or archive video, check the Activity URL that is sent along with the Operation. The adapter knows whether the Activity is in live or archive mode (e.g., by checking the Time Property).

Properties

Result

The ImageData can be returned directly or via out-of-band transmission.

ExportVideo

Operation to export a video recording.

To enable this Operation, the App Settings App.CanExportVideos and App.ExportVideoExtensions have to be set in the Module XML.

Properties

Result

The VideoData can be returned directly or via out-of-band transmission.

Module XML example

<Settings>
    <Setting id="App.CanExportImages" type="bool" value="1"/>
    <Setting id="App.CanExportVideos" type="bool" value="1"/>
    <Setting id="App.ExportImageExtensions" type="string[]" value="[&quot;png&quot;]">
        <Option id="png"/>
    </Setting>
    <Setting id="App.ExportVideoExtensions" type="string[]" value="[&quot;mp4&quot;]">
        <Option id="mp4"/>
    </Setting>
</Settings>

<Objects>
    <!-- Camera -->
    <Object id="Camera">
        <Property id="CameraName" type="string" address="1" />
        <Property id="Streams" type="object[]" kind="cam_stream" />
        <Activity id="myshowvideo" role="Source" />
        <Event id="Alarm" reset="1" />
        <Event id="Fault"/>
    </Object>   
</Objects>

<Activities>
    <!-- Show video -->
    <Activity id="myshowvideo" type="ShowVideo">
        <Property id="Time" type="time" optional="1" />
        <Property id="Speed" type="double" optional="1" />
        <Property id="Stream" type="string" optional="1" />
        <Property id="StartTime" type="time" optional="1" />
        <Property id="EndTime" type="time" optional="1" />
        <Property id="StreamList" type="string" optional="1" />

        <ObjectRole id="Source">
            <Property id="SourceType" type="int">
                <Option id="Invalid" value="0" />
                <Option id="Object" value="1" />
                <Option id="File" value="2" />
            </Property>
            <Property id="Source" type="value" optional="1" />
        </ObjectRole>

        <ObjectRole id="Destination">
            <Property id="HWND" type="int" />
        </ObjectRole>

        <Operation id="Play">
            <Property id="Time" type="time" optional="1" />
            <Property id="Speed" type="double" optional="1" />
            <Property id="Stream" type="string" optional="1" />
        </Operation>
        <Operation id="GoLive" available="Time!=null AND StartTime==null AND EndTime==null">
            <Property id="Stream" type="string" optional="1" />
        </Operation>
        <Operation id="Step">
            <Property id="Direction" type="string">
                <Option value="Forward" />
                <Option value="Backward" />
            </Property>
            <Property id="Frames" type="int" optional="1" />
            <Property id="ms" type="int" optional="1" />
        </Operation>
        <Operation id="ExportImage">
            <Property id="Format" type="string" />
            <Property id="Time" type="time" />
        </Operation>
        <Operation id="ExportVideo">
            <Property id="Format" type="string" />
            <Property id="StartTime" type="time" />
            <Property id="EndTime" type="time" />
            <Property id="Stream" type="string" optional="1" />
        </Operation>
    </Activity>
</Activities>

Workflow

When WinGuard wants to switch on a camera on one of its monitors, it triggers the start of a ShowVideo Activity via activity.Start IPC call. The initial Activity Properties supplied via activity.Start indicate whether the streaming session should start in live or archive mode.

ShowVideo Activities are never created/ended independently by the adapter.

The streaming session is controlled via ActivityOperations (e.g., Play, Step, GoLive, etc.). The adapter should update the Activity Properties continuously to reflect its current state.

This Activity is running until the camera is switched off or the corresponding monitor in WinGuard is closed. This is triggered via activity.End IPC call.