XProtect Smart Wall

You can create any number of video walls. Configuring a video wall is a two-step process. First, you do the main part of the configuration in XProtect Management Client. Then, if you want operators to manually push content onto the video wall, you add a Smart Wall controlClosedA graphical representation of a video wall that allows you to control what is displayed on the different monitors. to dedicated views in XProtect Smart Client. See also Smart Wall control (explained).

In XProtect Management Client:

  1. Create the Smart Wall definition and set the general properties, including the name and the properties of the view items. See also Create Smart Wall definitions.
  2. Add the Smart Wall monitors, set their size and position relative to the physical monitors of your video wall. See also Add Smart Wall monitors and Position Smart Wall monitors . The Smart Wall control in XProtect Smart Client matches these settings and shows how the monitors are organized, for example next to or below each other.
  3. (optional) Create the empty presetsClosedA predefined layout for an individual monitor in XProtect Smart Client. Presets contain predefined settings that determine which cameras are displayed, and how content is structured on each monitor on the video wall. that are required to define the monitor layout and add the default cameras at a later stage. See also Create presets for your Smart Wall.

  4. (optional) For each monitor, select a preset, define its layout, and add the default cameras. See also Define monitor layout and add cameras.

    When to use presets? If you want operators to push cameras and views onto the Smart Wall manually, presets are not required. However, if you plan to use rules to automatically change what is displayed on the video wall, you must define presets.

In XProtect Smart Client:

  1. Allow operators to push content onto the video wall, then create the views you need, and add the Smart Wall control. See also Add Smart Wall controls to views.

    With the Smart Wall control you can drag-and-drop or send cameras, entire views, and other types of content to individual monitors.

  2. Enable operators to change the view layout of individual monitors that are defined in XProtect Management Client. See also XProtect Smart Wall.
  3. Enable operators to change the presetsClosedA predefined layout for an individual monitor in XProtect Smart Client. Presets contain predefined settings that determine which cameras are displayed, and how content is structured on each monitor on the video wall. already associated with a monitor. See also Change the Smart Wall preset.

Create Smart Wall definitions

To configure a Smart Wall definition, you must first create it in XProtect Management Client. Repeat the following steps for each Smart Wall definition that you want to create:

  1. In XProtect Management Client, expand Client and select Smart Wall.

  2. In the Smart Wall pane, right-click Smart Wall Definitions and select Add Smart Wall. A window appears.

    Add Smart Wall instance in XProtect Management Client.

  3. Specify the settings for the Smart Wall.
  4. In the General View Item Properties settings, specify if you want system status information and title bars to appear above the cameras in the Smart Wall.
  5. Click OK. The Smart Wall definition is added to the Smart Wall pane.
  6. Next, add the Smart Wall monitors. See also Add Smart Wall monitors .

Add Smart Wall monitors

When you have created your Smart Wall definition, you must add the Smart Wall monitors that your video wall consists of and specify the monitor settings.

You have created at least one Smart Wall definition. See also Create Smart Wall definitions.

Steps:

  1. In the Smart Wall pane, right-click your Smart Wall definition and select Add Monitor. A window appears.

    Add a monitor to a Smart Wall.

  2. Configure the size and aspect ratio of the monitor, so that it matches one of the physical monitors on the video wall.

    • Empty preset - control what happens in XProtect Smart Client when a preset is already applied, and the operator applies an empty preset:

      • Preserve - keep what is currently being displayed

      • Clear - replace the current content with the empty preset

    • Empty preset item - control what happens in XProtect Smart Client to individual preset items when a preset is already applied, and the operator applies a preset with empty preset items:

      • Preserve - keep what the preset item is currently displaying

      • Clear - replace the preset item with the empty preset item

    • Element insertion - control what happens in XProtect Smart Client when an operatorClosedA professional user of an XProtect client application. drags a camera onto an item in the preset:

      • Independent - replace the camera already in the preset item with the new camera

      • Linked - push the content from left to right from where you inserted the new camera

  4. Click OK to save your changes.
  5. Keep adding Smart Wall monitors until the number equals the number of physical monitors.
  6. Next, position the monitors. See also Position Smart Wall monitors .

Position Smart Wall monitors

When you have added the monitors to your Smart Wall definition, you must position the different monitors to match the setup of the physical monitors on the video wall.

Example of a Smart Wall overview.

The picture in the example shows the Smart Wall control in XProtect Smart Client. The four monitors are laid out sequentially in two rows - starting with Monitor 1 and ending with Monitor 4.

You have added the monitors to your Smart Wall definition. See also Add Smart Wall monitors .

Steps:

  1. In the Smart Wall pane, select your Smart Wall.

  2. In the Properties pane, click the Layout tab.

  3. Click the Edit button. A window appears.

    Position the monitors in your Smart Wall.

  4. Drag and drop the monitors to position them, or use the arrows.
  5. Click Increase the size of your Smart Wall monitor. or Decrease the size of your Smart Wall monitor. to zoom in or out.
  6. If you have not already specified the size and aspect ratio of the monitors, you can do it now.
  7. Click OK to save your changes. The positioning and sizing of monitors are visualized in the Smart Wall control in XProtect Smart Client.
  8. Next, add presetsClosedA predefined layout for an individual monitor in XProtect Smart Client. Presets contain predefined settings that determine which cameras are displayed, and how content is structured on each monitor on the video wall.. This is a requirement for specifying the layout of Smart Wall monitors and adding cameras to your monitors. See also Create presets for your Smart Wall.

Create presets for your Smart Wall

With presets, you configure what your video wall or specific monitors show when used with a specific preset. Create as many presets as you need.

Steps:

  1. In the Smart Wall pane, select your Smart Wall.
  2. In the Properties pane, click the Presets tab.

  3. Click Add New. A window appears.

    Add presets to your Smart Wall.

  4. Enter a type and possibly also a description.
  5. Click OK to save your changes.
  6. Repeat the steps above for each preset that you want to add.
  7. Next, add layout and cameras to the monitors. See also Define monitor layout and add cameras.

Define monitor layout and add cameras

To control what is displayed on the individual monitors, you must define a layout, for example 2x2, and then possibly add cameras. In the following example, there are four cameras. Operators can always change these cameras manually in XProtect Smart Client.

Presets can also be empty with only the layout defined. This is useful, for example if you want operators to only push cameras manually to the video wall.

For each monitor that you want to add cameras to, a preset must be in place. See also Create presets for your Smart Wall.

Steps:

  1. In the Smart Wall pane, select the monitor that you want to add cameras to.
  2. In the Properties pane, click the Presets tab.
  3. Click Edit. A window appears.

  4. Click . An additional window appears.

    Add layout and cameras to your Smart Wall monitors.

  5. Select a layout and click OK. The layout appears on the right-hand side of the first window.

  6. From the Device Groups or Recording Servers tab, drag the cameras onto the preset items - one by one. You can also leave preset items empty.
  7. Click OK to save your changes.
  8. Repeat the steps above for each monitor that you want to configure.
  9. Now you can start using your Smart Wall in XProtect Smart Client.

You must also configure the operators' user rights for using XProtect Smart Wall. See also Specify user rights for XProtect Smart Wall.

Activate Smart Wall definitions

To view Smart Wall content in XProtect Smart Client, first you must activate your Smart Wall definitions. You can also do this in XProtect Smart Client.

Steps:

  1. In the Smart Wall pane, select the Smart Wall definition that you want to activate.

  2. Click Activate. The preset is applied to the Smart Wall monitors that it is linked to.