We have officially released the new version of X-Series Network Manager software that has support for object detection.
The software version is 3.2.4.
Those that have automatic updates enabled will get a notification in the software.
For now, AI is only available for users running Windows software.
We are currently working on the demo video. Hopefully, we will have the video on our website soon.
Not all computers are compatible with AI. It has to do with the processor in the computer.
You can check compatibility by going to the About panel.
There, they will see one of the three messages:
AI Engine is installed.
AI Engine is supported.
AI Engine is not supported.
If AI Engine is not supported, you can still use the software like before.
When you install the software the AI features will not be available yet.
AI requires a separate installation of AI Object Detection.
When the new software is started it will check for updates and if the computer is compatible, you will get an update notification as green arrow down on the toolbar. The notification bubble will say “AI Object Detection is available for your software” with Download button next to it.
Click on Download. Once downloaded, click Install.
Disclaimer:
Like any AI object detection, AI is not 100% accurate.
It is possible for it to misidentify an object or miss an object. Often time it is related to the quality of the picture and how clearly the object is visible. Night images are more susceptible, especially fast-moving vehicles without clear illumination of the outlines.
= Using AI : Profiles =
Go to Menu->Notifications. If AI is successfully installed, you should see AI Object Detection category with Edit button next to it. Click Edit to configure the software to react to AI messages.
Object Detection is configured through Detection Profiles. The profiles tell the software how to react to objects detected in a picture.
In each profile you can:
Select which cameras are processed using this profile.
Add detection targets and define actions for those targets.
If the you want to detect a vehicle, Add new target and select “Vehicle”. Once the target is selected. Then you can choose what actions the software should perform when a vehicle is detected. “Otherwise” category at the bottom of the screen provides a way to specify actions when none of the created above targets are recognized.
If a particular target is added twice, actions selected under both targets will be performed. By adding the same target multiple times and selecting “Limit to time of day” the user can perform different actions for the same target depending on the time of day.
= Using AI: Detection Zones =
If a camera selected on one of the AI profiles, the control panel (side panel with check status, and other buttons) for that camera will have a new button “Detection Zones” located right above Settings button.
Detection zones allow you to specify where an object should be to be recognized by the software. It is controlled by “Zones of Interest” and “Zones of Suppression”. If no zones are defined, an object detected anywhere in the image will be recognized.
If you place a Zone of Suppression onto the image and an object overlaps the zone, the object will be ignored (suppressed) and the software will not react to its presence. If you add a “Zone of Interest”, the object will have to overlap the zone to be recognized by the software.
“Suppressed Targets” suppress specific target of specific size in at a specific location in the image. For example, you your mailbox or your garden gnome is frequently recognized as a “person”, you can click on “suppress” button (red arrow down) to have it suppressed.
Important!
Zones do not control where motion in the camera is detected but rather how the software will react to the pictures. The camera will still take pictures the same way it did before regardless of AI zone configuration. Once the picture is received from the camera, only then the software will use the zones to determine if an object (provided one is present) should be recognized or ignored.
