CAM-M25-WEBCAM Help

The camera automatically opens the Live screen when you access the camera for the first time. Use this screen to change image settings, to use the softbuttons, to open the Setup Menu or to access the password-protected Admin Menu.

The Elements of the Live Screen

Hold your mouse over the elements of the user interface to see the bubble help. Click on the element to go to the description.

Elements of the Title Bar

Name	Element	Description
Camera Model	MOBOTIX M15	Displays the model of the MOBOTIX camera.
Camera Name	mega-lux	Shows the camera name as set in the Quick Installation wizard or in the Ethernet Interface dialog in the Camera name field.
Privacy Mode		Signals that the Privacy Mode is active. This mode prevents access to the camera in order to guarantee privacy. For additional information on this topic, see the Privacy Mode help page.
Open Help		Opens the online help for the current screen or dialog. If no help page is available, the Table of Contents page will be displayed.
Camera Information		Displays information on the hardware, software and the most important settings of the camera.

Screens of the Camera

Name	Element	Description
Live		The Live screen of the MOBOTIX camera displays the current images of the camera. Use the dropdown menus to access certain functions of the image controls and the camera administration or open the Setup Menu to see links to all image and event control dialogs. The Admin Menu (password-protected) contains all dialogs for configuring the camera.
Player		Use the Player screen to view and download the events stored in the internal or the external image storage of the camera. See also The Player
MultiView		Use the MultiView screen to combine several cameras in different patterns and to assign special functions (highlighting, focus on alarm, ...) for the individual cameras. See also The MultiView Screen
Guest		The Guest screen allows viewing the camera's live image, setting the frame rate within the preset limits and accessing the Live screen by clicking on the Menu link at the bottom of the page. See also The Guest Screen

Image Control Elements

Name

Element

Description

Frame Rate

Select the desired frame rate for the Live screen.

Please note that the frame rate depends to a large degree on the bandwidth of the transmission path, the selected resolution and the video codec used (MxPEG or Motion JPEG).

Note

Depending on the camera model, the maximum frame rate in the browser may be limited to 1 fps.

Function Selection

Use the image control functions to adjust the Live screen to your preferences:

Camera Selection

Select the right, the left or both image sensors, or the automatic Day/Night switch (only available in dual-lens models).

Display Mode

Depending on the camera model, you can use this option to display either different picture-in-picture views or various views of corrected (i.e. undistorted) images (see General Image Settings > Display Mode).

--vPTZ-----------------------

Installation

This command assists when configuring a camera for the first time.

Depending on where the camera has been mounted, select Wall, Floor or Ceiling.
Click with your mouse into the live image to turn the image into the desired direction.
Depending on the camera model, select Set Focus or Set North.

Load View

Select the stored view you would like to see. A view is the combination of a direction and a zoom factor.

Save View

Select the number of a view for which you would like to store the current direction and the zoom factor.

Auto Mode

This feature allows automatically moving between stored positions.

Jump N/E/S/W (only for the Ceiling and Floor mounting types): Switches between the North, East, South and West views. Corresponds to the Auto Move on softbutton.
Surround Clockwise (only for the Wall mounting type): Automatically moves through the four defined views as defined by the Set Focus command. Corresponds to the Auto Move on softbutton.
Views 1-15: Automatically loads the first 15 views that have been stored using the Save View command, one after the other.
Off: Deactivates the Auto Mode. Corresponds to the Auto Move off softbutton.

Zoom

Allows setting a defined zoom level, defining a rectangular zoom area, activating/deactivating the mouse wheel zoom (off by default) and can reset the pan/tilt features (corresponds to the Center Pan softbutton).

--Recording---------------

Recording

Use this command to activate the recording features. In addition, you can select some predefined settings for continuous recording and event recording in this section. The Add Video motion windows and Set Video motion windows allows adding a new video motion window or setting a new Video motion windows by defining a rectangle in the live image by [Shift]-click, click, respectively. In addition, you can activate full image and live image recording and show/hide the Event and Action Symbols at the bottom of the image area.

--Image-----------------------

Image Size

Select the desired image size or draw a rectangle ([Shift]-click, click) in the camera's live image, then use Define Custom Image Size to create an image with the dimensions of the rectangle.

Image Program

Highlight the desired image program.

Image Quality

Sets the level of detail that is used when reading the image sensor.

Brightness

Use this parameter if you would like to brighten up the entire image area (see Exposure Settings).

Exposure Control

Select either the Visible Image Area or the Full Image Area exposure mode. The camera displays more options if you have selected the Full Image Area exposure mode. For one thing, you can use one of the predefined exposure windows to adjust the exposure control. Furthermore, you can use a [Shift]-click, click to define a rectangle in the live image and to use it as the new exposure window (Replace Exposure Window option) or to add it to the existing exposure windows (Add Exposure Window option). In addition, you can show/hide the currently used measurement windows in this exposure mode.

Color Saturation

Use this parameter to influence the color saturation of the image. The higher the saturation, the more intense are the colors. The value -10 produces a gray-scale image (see Color Settings).

Backlight Correction

This parameter (like Brightness) also is used for adjusting the brightness of an image. However, it only affects the darker portions of an image (Exposure Settings).

Sharpness

Use this parameter to set the desired value for sharpness control. A lower value results in a smoother (less crisp) image (see General Image Settings).

JPEG Quality

Select the desired JPEG quality of the generated images.

Focusing Aid

This feature provides a visual aid for properly setting the focus of a MOBOTIX camera lens.

--Audio----------------------

Speaker Volume

This parameter sets the volume of the camera speaker.

Microphone Sensitivity

This parameter sets the sensitivity of the camera microphone.

--Web Technology------------

Browser

Select how the browser gets the images from the camera:

Internet Explorer: JavaScript (default), Java, ActiveX (only for Windows)
Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox: JavaScript, Server-Push (default), Java

--Configuration--------------

Managing Settings

Use this function to load the image factory defaults, restore the image settings from flash, and to store the complete configuration (requires administrative access).

Note

Depending on the camera model, some of the listed features may not be available.

Other Elements

Name	Element	Description
Activate/Deactivate Pan/Zoom		This button allows or forbids vPTZ actions in all panorama and multi-window display modes. This includes loading and saving of views. Note The Panorama and multi-window display modes may not be available on all camera models.
Preview Quality		This button turns the preview mode on or off. The availability of this button can be toggled in the Language and Start Page dialog.
High Quality		This button opens the High Quality image program.
Store JPEG image		This button stores the current live image from the camera as a JPG file.

The Softbuttons

Name	Element	Description
Softbuttons		The softbuttons at the left-hand side of the screen execute certain functions, most of which can be used by users with User level access. If you have administrative access to the camera, you can assign new functions to existing softbuttons by [Shift]-clicking the desired softbutton. See also Defining Softbuttons Managing Users and Passwords
Admin Menu		Opens the Administration menu of the MOBOTIX camera, allowing you to change the most important system settings. You need a user name and password of an `admins` user group (Users and Passwords dialog) to access this menu.
Setup Menu		Opens the Setup menu with its dialogs for changing the image and event settings.
Arm & Record		This wizard arms the camera, activates event recording, the camera microphone, the MxPEG video codec, one Video Motion Detection window, the User Click event, the visual alarm and opens the MultiView screen of the camera.
Audio on		This Wizard activates the camera microphone and the audio output on the computer (only when using Internet Explorer on Windows computers).
MxPEG on		This softbutton activates the MxPEG video codec, which guarantees fast transmission of video and audio data while using as little bandwidth as possible.
MxPEG off		This softbutton deactivates the MxPEG video codec in order to produce JPEG images with the best possible quality. This is the preferred setting for webcam applications.
Open Door		This softbutton triggers the door opener (door station only).
Light ON/OFF		This softbutton button turns the lights on or off (door station only).
UC Event ("User Click")		This softbutton triggers the User Click (UC) event.
LEDs Blink		This softbutton will prompt the camera to blink with its camera LEDs for five seconds.
Play Sound (on camera speaker)		This softbutton plays back a sound on the camera speaker. For additional information on recording and using your own audio messages, see the Manage Audio Messages help page.
Play Last Event		Plays back the last event recorded by the camera.
Event List		Click on this button to display the Event List dialog. This dialog displays a list with the last 20 events with the corresponding navigation links. Click on one event link to show the corresponding event image in the player or select a date and time to list the events of that point in time.
Multiwatcher		The Multiwatcher displays the live/event images of this and other MOBOTIX cameras by means of a "proxy camera". This means that only one camera needs to be accessible from outside of the network and this camera allows you to see live images and event lists of this and other cameras within the network.
Zoom buttons		Use these buttons to control the digital zoom and the panning functions for moving the visible area within a zoomed image: 1x Zoom Switches the digital zoom off and returns to the regular camera view. This setting will deactivate the Center Pan. Zoom + Increases the zoom level (i.e. enlarges the size of the displayed objects). From zoom level `[1.1x]` on, clicking in the image will move the visible image area within the full image. Zoom − Reduces the zoom level (i.e. reduces the size of the displayed objects). Center Pan Moves the visible image area to the center of the full image, if zoom level `[1.1x]` or higher has been activated. See also General Image Settings The Best Frame Rate
Display mode buttons		These buttons control specific image features of hemispheric cameras and are thus only available on these models: Normal Image Switches to the standard display mode that allows zooming and panning. Panorama Image Switches to the Panorama display mode. Surround Image Switches to the Surround display mode. Auto Move on Activates the N/E/S/W auto mode (Ceiling and Floor mounting types), which automatically moves to the North, East, South and West views. If the mounting type has been set to Wall, this button activates the Surround Clockwise auto mode, which automatically moves to the four views that have been set using Set Focus. Auto Move off Deactivates the auto mode. See also General Image Settings

The Image Area

Name	Element	Description
Image Area		The image area shows the live images of the camera as well as logos, texts and symbols of the camera. In addition, you may choose from the following options: If the digital zoom has been activated, you can move the visible image area by clicking with the mouse (panning). If you have activated the Mouse Wheel Zoom settings in the vPTZ Settings dialog, you can use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the image. If you are using MxManagementCenter, MxControlCenter, MxEasy or the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in for Internet Explorer, you can also use a joystick to control these features. By using a [Shift]-click, click, you can define windows for several features of the camera (video motion detection, obscuring image areas, ...) as described in the Graphically Entering Image Areas topic.
OnScreen Control	or	The OnScreen Control provides for convenient configuration of the Panorama, Double Panorama and Panorama/Focus display modes (if available). This control allows panning, tilting and zooming the camera's image to find the optimum image section for your purposes. Moreover, the trapezoid correction allows adjusting the skewed (vertical) lines on the image that are common for this type of lens.
Logo		The functions for managing image files, logo definitions and creating image profiles will enable you to use graphic files stored on the camera or from other URLs as logos with transparent areas or as watermark in every image of the camera. Using several logos will allow you to display these logos as banners at a definable interval. If you are using Time Tables, you can also activate/deactivate the logos in a scheduled manner.
Text Display	WWW.MOBOTIX.COM	Open the Text and Display Settings dialog to change the text that is displayed in the top left corner of the image area. Using variables and placeholders for dynamic image texts, you can display the current temperature within the camera or text received via the serial interface in every image, for example.
Date Display	5/1/2015 CEST 10:01:22	Open the Text and Display Settings dialog to change the date and time information that is displayed in the top right corner of the image area.
Event Symbols	000807 UC VM PI	Open the Text and Display Settings dialog to change the symbols that are displayed at the bottom of the image area. The event symbols in the lower left corner of the image area show the event number (in this case 000807) and the symbols for the activated sensors at the time of the recording. In this image, PI (PIR sensor), VM (Video Motion Detection) and UC (User Click) had been activated. If an event occurs, the corresponding symbol (e.g. VM) is displayed in red.
Action Symbols	REC FS	Open the Text and Display Settings dialog to change the event symbols that are displayed at the bottom of the image area. The yellow symbols in the lower right corner of the image area show all actions that are active on the camera. In this case, REC (Storage) and FS (File Server storage) are active. If one of the actions is carried out, it is displayed in blue (e.g. ST); a failed action is shown in red (e.g. FS). Deactivated messages are shown in gray (e.g. EM in the detail view of the Action Group Overview using Time Tables). If a Time Table Profile has been selected in General Event Settings to control the Arming of the camera, `off` is appended to the displayed action symbols if the time table has deactivated the camera's arming switch. Caution If General Events > Arming has been set to off, event/action symbols and error messages are not displayed in the image. For failed actions, an error message will appear above the symbols. Open the Text and Display Settings dialog to deactivate the error messages in the image. See also Abbreviations Used in the MOBOTIX Camera
Archiving Status	AS07%/42h	Open the Text and Display Settings dialog to change the symbols that are displayed at the bottom of the image area. If Archiving is activated, the archive status symbol AS is displayed to the left of the action symbols. This symbol shows two values that show the archiving status separated by /. The value to the left shows the space used of the internal camera storage as a percentage value. The value to the right shows the estimated time available to bridge an archive failure before data is lost, based on the available capacity of the internal camera storage. The time unit at the end shows either minutes, (m), hours (h), days (d) or years (y). If the camera detects a problem while archiving, the symbol color changes from yellow to red (AS07%/42h).
Error Icon		The camera displays the error icon in the upper left corner of the live image, if the camera detects a possible hardware error. Please proceed as follows if this icon appears. First, check the camera image (live image and recording) for abnormalities, such as image errors or artifacts. Next, check the System Messages for critical messages (magenta text color) concerning hardware defects and follow the instructions (if applicable). Create a complete Camera Report of your MOBOTIX camera and the send the report to the MOBOTIX support team (for further information, please go to the MOBOTIX website www.mobotix.com and open the Support section). In order to deactivate the error icon in the meantime, you can add the following text in the configuration of the MOBOTIX camera: SECTION imageimprover_extend error_symbol_live_display=0 ENDSECTION imageimprover_extend Next, save the modified configuration in the permanent storage and reboot the camera.

The Image Programs of the MOBOTIX Camera

The image programs are selected using the pull-down lists above the camera's live image (Quick Controls) in the browser. These programs adjust the relevant parameters of the MOBOTIX camera to the application scenario; any basic configuration should thus begin by selecting one of the image programs.

In a webcam scenario, for example, moving objects can become blurred when illumination fades, i.e. the camera can use longer exposure times when the scene gets darker so as to provide images with good exposure for as long as possible.

If fast images are required, the camera should use a maximum (longest) exposure time of 1/60s in order to obtain a high frame rate. Likewise, the camera should use the MxPEG codec instead of the JPEG codec, since MxPEG will only transfer the changed portions of the image, resulting in higher image rates and reduced network loads.

Note

In order to check or change the settings performed by the different image programs, open the corresponding dialogs in the Setup Menu.

Selectable Image Programs of the MOBOTIX Camera

Fast:

This image program prepares the camera for delivering live images as fast as possible. This means that the image quality is set to Fast, the camera will use the MxPEG video codec, JPEG quality is set to 40% and the maximum exposure time is set to 1/60s. Please note that the highest image rates will only be reached using either Internet Explorer on Windows computers with installed MxPEG ActiveX plug-in or when using MxManagementCenter, MxControlCenter or MxEasy.
Security Application:

This is the preferred image program for security applications. It uses Normal image quality, the MxPEG codec, a JPEG quality of 60%, a maximum exposure time of 1/5s and the exposure program -2 to avoid blurred rendering of moving objects as much as possible when the illumination decreases.
Quality:

This image program constitutes a good compromise between high-quality and fast images as illumination decreases. It uses Normal image quality, the MxPEG codec, a JPEG quality of 60% and a maximum exposure time of 1/5s.
High Quality:

This image program puts higher priority on high image quality even when illumination decreases. It uses Fast image quality, the MxPEG codec, JPEG quality is set to 80% and the maximum exposure time is set to 1/5s. By using the +1 image program, moving objects may shown a little blurriness when illumination gets lower, but image quality is better.
Webcam:

Image quality is the key factor for webcam applications. This image program hence uses High image quality, the JPEG codec for creating full JPEG images with a JPEG quality of 80%. The other settings (Night Improvement: Off, maximum exposure time: 1/1s, minimum average brightness Off and the image program +2) allow generating sufficiently bright images for as long as possible; even though the longer exposure times may lead to moving objects that are blurred.

The MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in for Internet Explorer

If you are using Internet Explorer (from version 5.5) on a Windows computer (from Windows 2000), you can use the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in for viewing the live camera images. This plug-in allows you to combine the advantages of MxPEG with the browser-based user interface:

Lower bandwidth requirements due to MxPEG video compression
Smooth movements in the video stream thanks to high frame rates
Audio channel of the camera available on the local computer
Additional scaling functions in the browser
Panning (moving the visible image area within the full image) with activated digital zoom by clicking in the image.

Note

If fast movements occur in the image, you may see tiles in the image if MxPEG is activated. If you prefer better image quality, you should deactivate MxPEG as described in High Resolution and Quality.

Prerequisites for Using the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in

Make sure that the following prerequisites are fulfilled if you intend to use the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in:

MOBOTIX camera model IT or higher
Windows computer from Windows 2000
Installed Internet Explorer from Version 5.5
Administrator or Power User access on the local computer (for installing the plug-in)
Suitable security settings in Internet Explorer to install and to execute ActiveX plug-ins. In Internet Explorer, open Tools > Internet Options > Security (tab) and make sure that the following settings are active for the current security level:
- Execute ActiveX controls that are safe for scripting: Activate or Prompt
- Execute ActiveX controls and plug-ins: Activate or Prompt
- Download signed ActiveX controls: Activate or Prompt
Access to the camera with a user or admin login as described in Managing Users and Passwords.

Installing and Running the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in

Proceed as outlined in the following:

Start Internet Explorer and enter the address of a MOBOTIX camera (from software version 2.0).
Open the image controls, select the Browser option and set ActiveX as value.
You will be asked if you would like to accept the installation of the signed ActiveX plug-in. Click OK to install the plug-in.
Click on the MxPEG on button on the user interface or activate MxPEG in the JPEG Settings dialog to use the advantages of MxPEG video encoding.

Notes

Right-click in the image area to check if the ActiveX plug-in is running. You should now see the context menu explained in the Options of the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in section, not the standard context menu of Internet Explorer.
If you have completely closed Internet Explorer, you will need to restart the plug-in the next time you would like to access the camera by again selecting the Browser and ActiveX options in the image controls.

Options of the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in

If the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in has been installed, right-clicking the image will display a context menu with the following options:

Option	Values	Description
Zoom	1x / 2x / 4x Center Pan	Use these options to control the digital zoom and the panning functions for moving the visible section within a zoomed image. The functions are the same as for the zoom buttons.
Default View	Set Default View / Load Default View	Use these options to control the functions for moving the visible section within a zoomed image (panning). The functions are the same as for the zoom buttons.
Scale image	0.5x / 1x / 2x	Scales the image of the ActiveX plug-in to the desired size.
Audio from camera	−	Activate this option to listen to the audio channel of the camera. If the camera's microphone is deactivated, this entry is shown in gray and cannot be selected. If this is the case, open the Speaker and Microphone dialog and activate the microphone.
Audio to camera	−	Activate this option to listen to the audio channel of the camera. If the camera speaker is deactivated, open the Speaker and Microphone dialog and activate the speaker.
Change access level	−	Changes the access level used by the ActiveX plug-in to access the camera. User access can use all functions of the ActiveX plug-in, Guest disables the audio functions and the zoom controls. If a password has been assigned for the `user` or the `guest` level, the plug-in will again ask for login credentials to access the camera. This authorization is required for security reasons and cannot be circumvented.
About MxPEG ActiveX	−	Displays information about the version of the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in.

The Best Frame Rate

Depending on the camera application (e.g. bandwidth of the data connection), the frame rate requirements may vary greatly.

Fast Images

For security applications that require fast images, you should use a Windows computer (from Windows XP) and Internet Explorer (from version 6) in conjunction with the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in, MxManagementCenter, MxControlCenter or MxEasy for viewing the live camera images. Furthermore, you should provide a data link with sufficient bandwidth for the camera's images.

Set the following parameters to the values listed below:

Use the image controls to set these parameters:
- Resolution: 320x240
- JPEG Quality: 80%
- Sharpness: 0-2
Right-click in the image area (this will show the context menu described in Options of the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in) and select the Scale image > 2x option.
Select a Frame rate of 25 fps.
Click on the MxPEG on button on the user interface or activate MxPEG in the JPEG Settings dialog.

High Resolution and Quality

If the frame rate is not the most important criterion of an application, you can set the focus on image quality:

Use the image controls to set these parameters:
- Resolution: 640x480 or 1280x960
- JPEG Quality: 70%
- Sharpness: 4 (default)
Click on the MxPEG off button on the user interface or deactivate MxPEG in the JPEG Settings dialog.
Adjust the frame rate to the other factors of the application (especially the available bandwidth) and to your preferences:

The Focusing Aid of the Camera

This feature provides a visual aid for properly setting the focus of a MOBOTIX camera lens. The focusing aid is especially useful when settings up a lens of a MOBOTIX D15, D25 or when exchanging a MOBOTIX standard lens for a tele lens of a MOBOTIX M25, for example.

To activate the focusing aid, select the Focusing Aid Quick Control and set the value to Enable; the focusing aid will be displayed in the live window. The camera displays a rectangle with a white and black border. This is the image area used by the camera to determine the best focus of the lens (focusing window). The focusing window can be tuned to the area to be focused by using Shift-Click. In addition, the camera shows a green bar. This bar shows the best focus value obtained in the focusing window so far. When changing the focus of the lens, the green bar grows as the focus improves. If the focus decreases again, a red bar appears. The focus of the lens is set to the best value if the red bar covers as little as possible of the green bar or disappears at all.

Notes

Under some circumstances it is not possible to make the red bar vanish completely. The focus of the lens is nevertheless set to the best value if the red bar covers as little of the green bar as possible.
For best results when setting image sharpness you should use full image display mode, high image quality and 1x Zoom!
In addition to the visual focusing aid, you can activate the audio output: The pitch of the tone corresponds to the level of sharpness. This can help you to focus the lens without having to see the camera image.

The Live Screen of the MOBOTIX Camera

The Elements of the Live Screen

Elements of the Title Bar

Screens of the Camera

See also

See also

See also

Image Control Elements

See also

Note

Note

See also

Other Elements

Note

The Softbuttons

See also

See also

See also

The Image Area

Caution

See also

The Image Programs of the MOBOTIX Camera

Note

Selectable Image Programs of the MOBOTIX Camera

The MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in for Internet Explorer

Note

See also

Prerequisites for Using the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in

Installing and Running the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in

Notes

Options of the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in

The Best Frame Rate

Fast Images

High Resolution and Quality

The Focusing Aid of the Camera

Notes

Store Configuration