Camera Calculator V2 (OLD) - Need Help? Ask Here

JH
John Honovich
Jun 14, 2016
IPVM

We are making this a 'sticky' at the top of the discussions to help anyone using the Camera Calculator.

Just ask your question in the comments.

Related, here are 2 videos to help you use the Calculator.

This is the quick / short 2 minute intro, if you have never used it:

And here is the longer, more detailed, 10 minute version:

Questions? Need help? Ask below.

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BS
Bob Schenck
Jun 14, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Is there a way to export the camera plan just showing the camera locations and not the field of view? I sometimes need to show a client the camera locations only.

Right now I copy the project and then go through and edit all the distances to zero. But I'm wondering if there is an easier way to do this.

JH
John Honovich
Jun 15, 2016
IPVM

Bob, we do not support that. In the future, we plan to add advanced options / settings to let users adjust display of the calculator / export. It probably will not be until the end of the year though as we are still working on adding more fundamentals right now.

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BS
Bob Schenck
Jun 15, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Understood. Thanks for answering!

AB
Arthur Barker
Jun 15, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Is there a way of displaying scale on the image for additional dimensioning e.g Infrastructure

JH
John Honovich
Jun 16, 2016
IPVM

Yes, we added that. Thanks for the suggestion. It's on the lower right hand side of the map now:

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SW
Steven Wirz
Jun 19, 2016

Are there plans to add a list of "favorite" cameras? Rather than scrolling thru a list of hundreds of cameras I'd like to create a list of maybe the top 10 or 20 cameras that I use and have them in a list that I can quickly pick from.

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JH
John Honovich
Jun 19, 2016
IPVM

Steven, we have this on the list of future features. It makes good sense.

It is not hard to do but it's secondary priority, so we are going to do it but probably end of this year, maybe beginning of next.

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Kevin Mundy
Jun 23, 2016
Stanford University

John are there any plans to calculate bandwidth and storage figures into this awesome calculator? I know it's a grey area but incorporated into the tool seems like a good feature. I'm sure it's come up in past posts I may have missed.

JH
John Honovich
Jun 23, 2016
IPVM

Kevin, good question.

In general, I dislike bandwidth calculators because they encourage false confidence and tend to be way off (particularly in how they automatically pick a bitrate only based on resolution and frame rate). Related: Should IPVM Do Its Own Storage / Bandwidth Calculator?

That said, at some point, we probably will add a calculator but that only allows inputting estimated average bandwidth per camera, forcing the user to have some knowledge about what their camera in their conditions is likely to do (because there is no reliable way for a calculation tool to automatically guess).

It would / will have inputs for average bitrate, continuous / motion (motion percentage time), days of storage and then an output for total storage.

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TG
Ted Glenn
Jun 27, 2016

John, are there any plans to update the Mobotix cameras/lenses available to choose from? It seems few new models and lenses are available. Many are similar fields of view but not the relevant model and therefore can cause confusion when presenting a solution based on the report.

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JH
John Honovich
Jun 27, 2016
IPVM

Ted, sure. We can do that by tomorrow. Any specific models you want to make sure are done? Let us know.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Jun 27, 2016

Same view as in google street view. You can only view angles from the original height of where the shot was taken. So if you want to place the camera on a much higher elevation, you still get the same image.

JH
John Honovich
Jun 27, 2016
IPVM

1, I think what you are asking is for the non-Google Street View images (e.g., intersection, lobby, hallway, etc.) to show elevation / downtilt. Is that correct?

If so, yes we agree. Elevation was recently released in beta and does not yet include that. We plan to add that in to the calculator in the next month.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Jun 27, 2016

Thanks for the reply John. Yes that is correct, I was referring to the elevation of the camera placement.

I tried the to the elevation parameter on the beta version to the actual height where the camera will be mounted at 25mters. It just titled the view.

I wanted to try out the extent of the fov with different camera models.

Currently I assume the the original height where your current views are based on is approximately 5 meters.

It would be interesting how you will be able to incorporate elevation and fov on different camera models, particularly PTZ cameras (e.g. Acid Q60xx-E series)

GR
Graham Reid
Jul 04, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Howdy

Are there plans to add a summary of cameras used in a plan so that reconciling the cameras planned with cameras quoted??

Cheers

JH
John Honovich
Jul 04, 2016
IPVM

Hi Graham,

We have a CSV export option that displays a summary of all the cameras in a project. See: Camera Calculator Data Export Released

Let me know if that works or if you are looking for something else.

JR
John Robinson
Jul 07, 2016

This may be a double post, if so sorry, but:

On the calculator, is there a way to adjust/correct the camera order in the export? It appears to default to the order in which you added them from the beginning.

I have renamed the cameras beginning with an integer (1,2,3) which fixes the Boolean issue (ex. Camera 1, Camera 11, Camera 2) and allows them to sort correctly in the drop down camera list but when you export them they are in a completely different order and it appears to be the order in which they were added.

Makes any editing of a project get the list out of whack.

JH
John Honovich
Jul 07, 2016
IPVM

We are going to change the default sort order for exports to be alphabetical. This should make it better. I expect it done by next week and will update here.

I've also asked to make our alphabetical sorting more intelligent to recognize when there are numbers over 10 and to adjust the sorting to handle that correctly.

I think these two should help. Let me know if you have feedback or questions.

p.s. - I answered your comment in both places you asked.

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JR
John Robinson
Jul 07, 2016

Thanks, love this tool btw.

Another thought/suggestion: could you make the default scene view a simple text box that says something like "Camera preview unavailable" when there's no street view? That would dress up the scenes where street views don't exist. Right now I've got several looking at unidentifiable concrete.

JH
John Honovich
Jul 07, 2016
IPVM

make the default scene view a simple text box that says something like "Camera preview unavailable" when there's no street view?

I see the issue you have. I am trying to figure out the best way to solve it without creating a new problem.

If we default to no scene, than anyone who wants a scene has to select it for every camera. That adds a lot of work for people who do want a scene to show FoV.

One thing, off the top of my head, would be to change the default scene so that you would never get the 'unidentifiable concrete' (which comes from the default scene being an intersection and the road being in the center). Thoughts, John? Others?

JR
John Robinson
Jul 07, 2016

I mean only when there's no street view available. It appears to default to the streetview if it exists.

Just have the fall back image be the unavailable message instead of the intersection

JH
John Honovich
Jul 07, 2016
IPVM

Here's our order:

  • If street view exists, show it
  • If street view does not exist, then show the intersection
  • If a user chooses any other scene (hallway, parking lot, etc.) remember that

I think it's a problem if we ever show an 'unavailable message', by default, because this will cause everyone else who wants to have at least some image shown to give a sense of FoV to have nothing unless they manually select a scene. That said, having an option for a user to select no scene would be fine, because that would be an exception.

I may be misunderstanding you so please elaborate on what you want.

JR
John Robinson
Jul 08, 2016

Here's our order:

    • If street view exists, show it
    • If street view does not exist, then show the intersection
    • If a user chooses any other scene (hallway, parking lot, etc.) remember that

Order option number 2 should be if street image does not exist then show "street view image does not exist. Not sure why this is such a hard concept to understand.

U
Undisclosed #2
Jul 08, 2016
IPVMU Certified

I think John understands what you want. He just thinks that more people prefer a stock scene to an error message, because they are just using it to get a sense of the AOV.

@John H. What about allowing re-ordering of the "General" scenes by user? And then add a blank scene that John could move to the top?

And some might prefer an unidentifiable hallway to some unidentifiable concrete.

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JH
John Honovich
Jul 08, 2016
IPVM

We can add a 'blank' scene and let people pick that.

But the default definitely is going to be a real scene (we can improve the default scene to eliminate the 'unidentifiable concrete' as well) but most users prefer to have a scene rather than nothing by default.

The re-ordering of scenes by user is interesting and something I will add to the requests we track but am not going to commit to that now.

Also, we are in the middle of developing the mobile app so we are trying to minimize changes to the existing version until the mobile app is released.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Jul 12, 2016

How do I make the cameras stick to the map?

JH
John Honovich
Jul 12, 2016
IPVM

By stick, do you mean not move? We have a lock feature that does that:

JH
John Honovich
Jul 20, 2016
IPVM

By request, we now export cameras by alphabetical order, rather than order created. Also, we now sort correctly for 'Camera 1, Camera 11, Camera 55', etc. where before 'Camera 11' came before 'Camera 2'.

This should make exporting better. Also, the Camera List also benefits from the improved sorting.

Up next, we are going to take a new Intersection default street shot. We will do it with traffic and people in the middle of the street to eliminate the blank concrete problem solved above. We had to buy a 12MP Hikvision fisheye camera because we also wanted to get a higher resolution shot so digital zooming is crisper. Originally, all the screen preview images were taken with 3MP resolution (this was ~3 years ago), so with the new camera, the images should be sharper / better.

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U
Undisclosed #4
Jul 28, 2016

Are there any terms and conditions for using the Camera Calculator? For example, may I directly export a project and supply it to vendors to bid on a project?

JH
John Honovich
Jul 28, 2016
IPVM

may I directly export a project and supply it to vendors to bid on a project?

Yes, that is allowed. We may need to be more explicit about this being allowed because this question has come up a number of times.

Our position on research and testing is different since it's our 'work' whereas the projects you calculate are your work. Thanks for asking!

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Jason Neubauer
Aug 01, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Feature Request: Trimming of the view (so it doesn't show past a boundary)

Example pic shows a barn where it would be nice to trim FOV to match the building.

)

JH
John Honovich
Aug 01, 2016
IPVM

Jason, thanks.

That is a good idea. We need to think through some of the logisitics (what's the best way to allow users to edit out areas, what happens if the camera is moved, etc.).

I put this down in the queue of future features. We won't do in the next month or two because we are in the middle of rebuilding the app to support mobile (the new architecture will work for both desktop and mobile). After that is done, we will consider the implementation of this.

Thanks again!

AW
Amos Wipf
Aug 02, 2016

Any plans to add Axis Q3708-PVE to the calculator?

JH
John Honovich
Aug 02, 2016
IPVM

Amos, the Q3708-PVE is now added.

RH
Robert Henriksen
Aug 02, 2016

I just added an Axis M3007-PV camera to a project; planning on using it ceiling mounted in 360 mode, rather than wall mounted and 180 degree mode.

I was thinking I'd get a field of view shown as a circle, which I could drag to a larger or smaller radius. Instead, it's stuck on a 180 field of view, and a huge width I cannot resize, either.

Am I missing a control to change this, or is this a bug?

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Ethan Ace
Aug 02, 2016

Hey Robert, try it again in a few minutes. It had a field of view of 187 listed which kept it from flipping to the panoramic field of view circle. I changed it now and it should refresh soon.

RH
Robert Henriksen
Aug 02, 2016

Bingo! Thanks :-)

RH
Robert Henriksen
Aug 02, 2016

AB
Arthur Barker
Aug 02, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Hi john,

It would be great for the export tool to export each all camera configuration table together with each cameras individual view and resolution images just like the pictures that come up when you select 1 camera. that way you could export the whole thing into a proposal

JH
John Honovich
Aug 02, 2016
IPVM

Arthur,

Thanks, can you clarify? We have 6 export options - snapshot (just one camera), zip (each camera image one by one), csv (just data), PDF, Doc and PPT.

The PPT / PowerPoint and the Doc versions are regularly used in proposals.

Which export tool are you referring to and what do you want added? I am not sure what you mean by 'camera configuration table', so if you can elaborate on that, that would help.

JR
John Robinson
Aug 03, 2016

different issue but export related.

Experienced an issue yesterday that I haven't had a problem with before. I imported some site pictures for custom scenes and uploaded them. I arranged the picture to center the scene, (say of an office or entrance). I saved project then exported it to ppt. When I brought it up in ppt. the picture had "dropped" showing only the ceiling of the original shot. I tried redoing the project, re saving and exported to pdf and ppt and had the same issue.

This:

becomes this on export

John my project is titled "road map" if you want to access it and test what I experienced.

JH
John Honovich
Aug 03, 2016
IPVM

John, sorry about that. Thanks for so clearly explaining it. We'll review and get it fixed by tomorrow. I'll update here.

JH
John Honovich
Aug 04, 2016
IPVM

John, the 'dropped ceiling' is fixed, thanks for letting us know!

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 04, 2016

Any suggestions as to how I can add the Q6000-E on a drawing? I will be using in conjunction with the Q6045. Any thoughts would be welcome.

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John Scanlan
Aug 04, 2016
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

5, The Axis Q6000-E has been added to our database. Please let me know if you need anything else.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 08, 2016

Thanks much John. Will check it out!

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 08, 2016

John, sorry, but another question for you. I was expecting the Q6000-E to show up as a 360 deg, but it is showing a max of 152 deg, I believe. Am I missing something?

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Ethan Ace
Aug 08, 2016

I just updated the AoV to 360, that was an error on our end. It should update in the database in a few minutes for calculations.

Thanks!

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 08, 2016

Beautiful, Ethan. Thanks much for the quick response...

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 08, 2016

Looks like I have another question. When I type in "20" for PPF, the Q6000 shows a distance of 51'. However, when I manually drag the "little man" so that PPF shows 20, distance shows 100'. Am I misunderstanding the definitions of the settings in some way? I believe I have noticed this on other cameras as well so not sure if this is a misunderstanding on my part.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 08, 2016

I think I may see a potential reason for the above. Even though i have the AoV set at 360 for the Q6000-E, the app still seems to be seeing it at 180. Here is the description that comes up below the drawing:

"The Axis Q6000-E is 8MP Multi-Imager resolution, has a fixed 180.00° AoV and delivers 20.0 PPF at E wide scene, 102ft from the camera."

I have another drawing with the exact same camera and settings, but description below drawing is as follows:

"The Axis Q6000-E is 8MP Multi-Imager resolution, has a fixed 360.00° AoV and delivers 20.2 PPF at E wide scene, 51ft - 6in from the camera."

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Ethan Ace
Aug 09, 2016

This seems to be a bug. The FOV shows as 360 but the text does indeed say 180. We will look into it and fix today.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 10, 2016

Thanks very much Ethan

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Ethan Ace
Aug 10, 2016

This should be fixed now, let us know if you still run into issues.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 12, 2016

Thanks Ethan. Will check it out

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 12, 2016

Still having a weird issue. See drawing Loc 2 Low Res if you have access. On the Q6000 when I type 20 in the PPF field the app puts the field distance at 51'. When I drag the field to adjust distance, it shows 40 PPF at 51'. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong?

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Ethan Ace
Aug 15, 2016

No, it looks like you're not wrong. It's behaving the same for me. It looks like we have a bug. We'll get it fixed ASAP.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 15, 2016

I will add that the Axis Lens Calculator only shows 3ppf at distance of 51' (resolution set at 1280x720). Now I'm totally confused. I'm hoping my son can help me figure out the math:-).

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Ethan Ace
Aug 15, 2016

So the max resolution of the Q6000 is 1920x1440 on each imager. However, it's a 152° field of view on each, so there's overlap. I added a custom resolution for it to try and get it more accurate. But you are right, the Axis calculator only seems to let you calculate at the lower resolution, for some reason.

We also had a bug which was impacting how 360 PPF was calculated, which should now be fixed. Take a look (again!) and let us know.

Thanks!

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Aug 16, 2016

Thanks again, Ethan!!

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Sep 02, 2016

Is there any chance a camera model tally can be added to the last page of an export? I keep finding myself making tick marks for camera models. Wonderful tool BTW!

JH
John Honovich
Sep 02, 2016
IPVM

6, thanks. By 'tally', do you mean like a listing of all the camera models? What do you see it including?

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Sep 02, 2016

Yes Sir. It would be nice to see a listing of all camera makes/models and the number of them associated with the saved location. If there is a way to squeeze more info including resolution and focal length etc it would help as well (May help if we are placing a camera that is not on your list). This will help with quoting.

JH
John Honovich
Sep 02, 2016
IPVM

6, we have a CSV option currently that summarizes cameras, like so:

We could add something like that to the end of PDFs / Docs and PPTs.

What do you think? How would you like it to be displayed?

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Sep 02, 2016

That actually helps. I can just go down the list and tally 3MP/4MP/5MP cameras and plug them into a storage calculator.

I image something similar, but grouped by camera models. Like this pic with all Axis models x consolidated..Arecont xx and so forth.

Export Suggestion

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Sep 02, 2016

Visualize the 2nd unknown camera model as a 4MP or something other than the 3MP....again it is really just to tally cameras on the ppt and pdf print outs.

JH
John Honovich
Sep 06, 2016
IPVM

6, we will add the summary table output like we have in the CSV into the PDF, Doc and PPT output (expect that in the next month). We won't include a tally though because it seems to be too an infrequent use case but we might add it in the future with enough clear requests.

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Larry Greer
Oct 03, 2016

Created a layout using an imported jpg but on exporting to PDF it shows the camera layout jpg as a smaller almost thumbnail size over a larger satellite view. How can I correct this?

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Ethan Ace
Oct 03, 2016

Lawrence, can you email me the PDF? It'll make it easier to diagnose. ethan@ipvm.com

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #7
Oct 07, 2016

CAN I ROTATE THE IMPORTED FLOOR PLAN IMAGE?

JH
John Honovich
Oct 07, 2016
IPVM

Yes, you can rotate the floorplan image. Zoom out and try again.

Here is what it looks like:

JS
John Saunders
Oct 13, 2016
IPVMU Certified

I'm missing something that is probably obvious. When I add generic camera, the info in the top bar includes the focal length as I manipulate the view. When I choose a particular brand (e.g. Axis Q6045), this info is no longer in the top bar. Is it elsewhere and I just can't see it?

JH
John Honovich
Oct 13, 2016
IPVM

John, we do not show the focal length slider when selecting a varifocal camera. The reason is because AoV angles and focal lengths do not always match up exactly, so we were concerned about reporting the wrong information

We do display the AoV because we are confident that this will be correct / accurate. We may try to do something about this in the future but not sure.

For other members, this is what John is commenting on:

UE
Undisclosed End User #8
Oct 31, 2016

How do you get NEW cameras listed in the camera selection list. Honeywell has proposed new cams that are not listed.

JH
John Honovich
Oct 31, 2016
IPVM

#8, we will add them in, just let us know what Honeywell cameras / series you want.

Also, for others: Add Your Preferred Camera Manufacturer to the Calculator

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #9
Nov 06, 2016

Can you add the Axis M3105-L, M3105-LVE, and M2025-LE to the data base?

JH
John Honovich
Nov 06, 2016
IPVM

#9, we will get those three Axis cameras added by Monday. Also, this week we will make sure all new Axis cameras are updated / added. We will respond to this thread when done.

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John Scanlan
Nov 07, 2016
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

#9, These three cameras have been added.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Nov 06, 2016

how to change the location of google maps on camera tools.

I have consistently the same map even after entering a new location.

JH
John Honovich
Nov 06, 2016
IPVM

#3, you can change the location of google maps by entering in text, selecting a location from the dropdown. It works like this:

Can you email us at info@ipvm.com with more info or a screenshot of what is wrong?

AO
Alan Osz
Nov 29, 2016

The Axis Q6000-E Mk II camera has the option to use a 6mm or 16mm lens instead of the base model lens.

Is there any chance the calculator will be updated to allow selecting these optional lenses also?

Please advise.

JH
John Honovich
Nov 30, 2016
IPVM

Alan, I added in those optional lenses. You may need to refresh to see them.

However, the calculator does not really work for the Q6000 since it is a special multi-imager camera. To support those accurately, we are going to need to make underlying changes to how we model cameras, something which we do plan to do in the first half of 2017.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #10
Dec 07, 2016

What does the dark and lighter part in the viewing angle of the camera mean?

Thanks,
B.

JH
John Honovich
Dec 07, 2016
IPVM

B, the darker spot is the camera's dead spot, i.e. area where it cannot see near the ground.

Dead spots are driven by narrower FoVs and higher mounting heights. In your case, you have a quite narrow FoV.

Here is a GIF that demonstrates the tradeoffs:

JR
John Robinson
Dec 07, 2016

Is the export feature having problems today? It worked fine Friday, but today I've tried to export a project on 2 different computers and 2 different browsers and it says Exporting 13 seconds at the top, and then preparing 0% at the bottom and it doesn't ever progress. Tried several different export formats.

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Brian Rhodes
Dec 07, 2016
IPVMU Certified

We currently are troubleshooting this issue. Will update here when fixed.

CP
Chris Powell
Dec 07, 2016
IPVMU Certified

The export is stuck at 0%. I tried both IE and Chrome.

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Brian Rhodes
Dec 07, 2016
IPVMU Certified

We currently are troubleshooting this issue. Will update here when fixed.

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Gavin Hill
Dec 14, 2016

Can we export to PPT/PDF with the Google map rather than satellite view?

Would it be possible to scale the camera icons down at certain zoom levels? I need to place 300+ cameras in a neighborhood, once I zoom out to the neighborhood extents, it's just chaos.

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John Scanlan
Dec 14, 2016
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

Gavin - You can select from map / satellite / blank backgrounds on the top left of the screen, see below. (related: you can also upload floor plans - top center)

For sizing the cameras down when zoomed in - that is something we are looking at on the roadmap as others have mentioned the same, but we do not have that ability now.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #11
Dec 14, 2016

Sorry for my ignorance here, looking for a little help with the calculator. I noticed earlier in this thread, that you are able to add images to customize the "scene view". Can someone help me with this? I have used the calculator numerous times and was never aware that you are able to customize that view.

I am aware that you can add floor plans, but to add pictures for the custom view is awesome and I would love to know how to do that.

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Ethan Ace
Dec 14, 2016

It's pretty easy, see this video:

You will need to have an idea of the angle of view of the scene if you want it accurately zoomed. See Camera Calculator Adds Personal Scenes for more details, as well.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #11
Dec 14, 2016

Thanks Ethan. I feel a little dumb for not having picked up on the "your scene" tab under the scene view. I appreciate it, sorry for bothering you with this simple task.

JP
Jamie Pugh
Jan 13, 2017

Can you rotate the Google Earth image so that the buildings are squared up to the page margins? The building I want to do is sitting at a 45 degree angle on the page and so has to be much smaller than I would like to show.

JH
John Honovich
Jan 13, 2017
IPVM

Jamie, we do not support rotating the Google Earth image. It is definitely a good idea and something we want to do but there is an implementation issues blocking us for doing the markups and rotating the map at the same time. If we figure out how to solve this or there are changes in how Google maps work, we will definitely do it.

GT
Glynn Thomas
Jan 19, 2017

Hi John,

I have noticed when I use Google maps (satellite view) and compare to same area within the camera calculator, Google maps is much more recent. This is quite relevant to us being in Christchurch, New Zealand. With our earthquake in 2011, we had a lot of buildings destroyed. Your satellite image still shows some buildings under construction, where as Google maps shows these as completed. You can see the difference if you look at 'High Street Arcade, Christchurch, New Zealand'.

Can I import a screenshot from google maps (not as a floor plan)?

thanks,

Glynn

ChCh, New Zealand.

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Ethan Ace
Jan 19, 2017

Hi Glynn, unfortunately the imagery that Google supplies to API connections and what they use themselves differ. Someone once told me it was to keep someone from building an interface to Google Maps that users would want to use more than Google Maps itself, but not sure if that's 100% of the reason. 

You can definitely import a map as a "floor plan." I'd use the blank canvas mode and just import it like any other image. Just make sure you have two points measured so you can scale it. 

I will check with our developers to see if we can force a refresh of map data but I don't think it will be as up to date as Google Maps itself. Let us know if you have any other issues. 

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LS
Luie Solorzano
Jan 20, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Hi John, 

Thanks for sharing the Camera Calculator, i will definitely try it out. 

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #12
Jan 21, 2017

I used the IPVM calculator.  I manually inserted all the Mobotix specs for the thermal camera I am using into the calculator.  The resulting IPVM information showed that these cameras would "see" across a field for about 500ft distance.  I sent it to Mobotix for confirmation and their response was:  

"The calculator and your PoV’s are not taking into consideration the flat (single dimension plane) views of a camera lens.  Elevations, usable pixels on target, temperature change at distance are all factors which are not being considered.  The biggest mistake I see people do is the beyond reasonable expectations of what you can get from a single camera."
 
I used the camera height and scene height fields which gave me a default tilt angle based on all the other criteria I put in (I assume?).  By these calculations, the IPVM tool shows my view at over 400ft but Mobotix is telling me I'll get less than 200ft with these parameters.  
 
So I'm confused re: which is correct - what I came up with on IPVM or what Mobotix is telling me?  It's a huge delta so did I use the tool wrong or is Mobotix missing something?  Could it be that the IPVM tool doesn't work the same for thermal camera calculations?  I wouldn't think that would be much difference but I'm new to thermal.
 
The rest of their response is as follows.  If you have access to my project in IPVM I can give you the name of the specific file but it contains the customer name so I can't give it to you here.  Let me know how I can private message it to you.
"I can tell you right now, with the 4 cameras on the building, they will not see most of the rows past the 1st one I depicted, and even if they do, it will be a sliver in the cameras perspective.  Trying to determine temperature at those distances with just the slightest sliver of profile from the cameras perspective is not going to work."
 
"Again, those rows are very long when trying to see down the valleys.  Yes, the image will technically see that far, but that is not from the perspective of that single camera lens. Unless, we can get the cameras up 60 to 100 feet.  The view from a single camera at the height of one of your poles looking that far at a low angle, trying to see heat differential is impossible.  That is why I had to half the distance by adding cameras at both ends." 
Appreciate your help (anyone who can answer!)
JH
John Honovich
Jan 21, 2017
IPVM

The resulting IPVM information showed that these cameras would "see" across a field for about 500ft distance.

The key thing with 'seeing' is how much detail you can see.

You don't mention the specs you entered but to give you an example I inputted VGA resolution and a 20° AoV for 500' distance below:

It can 'see' presuming there are no barriers in between but it only 'sees' at 3.6ppf 'worth'. 3.6ppf is barely 'sight'.

Btw, the IPVM tool is not made for thermal cameras but this is less a thermal camera issue than the fact that seeing at 500' distance is very hard unless you have a very narrow AoV.

You can email me at john@ipvm.com to review your project.

JE
John Elliott
Jan 27, 2017

How often are the camera models updated in this software?

JH
John Honovich
Jan 27, 2017
IPVM

How often are the camera models updated in this software?

John, we add models every week. For example, we have a few hundred cameras this month.

If there are models missing, just post a reply in the comments here or email us at info@ipvm.com

NT
Nick Tinsley
Jan 29, 2017

This is a very cool tool

TW
Tom Whitten
Feb 07, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Very useful...

TM
Tom McVey
Feb 07, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I did a project and it keeps using an indoor picture on the exported pdf.  I checked and camera 1 is showing in the project the correct picture but exported it shows a different one.

RH
Robert Henriksen
Feb 09, 2017

Hi, Geovision's refreshed their vandal dome line w. H.265 & looks like new lenses, combined super low lux & WDR Pro features into each one. Any chance you could add these to the calculator (and perhaps review one or more)?

Thanks!

 

GV-VD2712, GV-VD4711, GV-VD5711

 

Avatar
John Scanlan
Feb 22, 2017
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

Robert - these cameras have been added.  Thank you.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #13
Feb 13, 2017

Here are some updates that would be applicable to Avigilon cameras:

12.0-H4F-DO1-IR - Should be a fisheye 360 view by default.  Shows as a wall mount (180 degree) currently.

Add the new H4SL series

Quad/Tri-head units - Not certain of a good way to show these but a single 90 degree 12MP camera is not what the unit is.  Is there a way to show a 9 megapixel (3x3MP) unit as 270 and a 12 megapixel (4x3MP) imager as a 360?  Won't cover circumstances where the imagers are tigher clustered FOVs or where one imager is facing down the Z axis, but I think this may cover most situations.

Avatar
John Scanlan
Feb 22, 2017
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

U13 - Thank you.  The 12.0-H4F-DO1-IR FoV is corrected and the H4 SL line cameras (~15 models) have been added.

The calculator currently does not support multi-imager cameras like you are explaining.  We are aware of it and it may be a future feature.  Please let me know if you have any other questions - I am happy to help.

U
Undisclosed #14
Feb 15, 2017

The CSV function returns an error when exporting a floor plan with 17 cameras

 

DB
David Blaser
Feb 15, 2017

: Camera Calculator

 

I get an error when trying to export a CSV from the calculator. The floor plan has 17 camera's.

Avatar
Ethan Ace
Feb 15, 2017

Hi David, sorry about that. Could you email me a permalink to your project at ethan@ipvm.com and I'll investigate.

Thanks!

(1)
DR
David Rockwell
Feb 15, 2017

Is there a way to rotate the google earth image?

Avatar
Ethan Ace
Feb 15, 2017

No, there isn't. Google doesn't allow it in their API right now. If they do in the future, we will consider adding it, as it's been requested multiple times.

What you can do to get around it right now is take a screenshot of the Google map image rotated how you'd like it, then import it as a "floorplan" to the calculator. We have some other users who have done that.

Hope that helps!

U
Undisclosed #15
Feb 20, 2017

OK guys, long-time user (and big fan!) of the calculator here, but I'm having some items pop up that I'm hoping are either on the roadmap to be resolved or waiting on me to say something since maybe I'm the only one having the issue. :)

First, and probably most annoying, when I upload a floor plan and lock it, every time I click the floorplan and drag around to move around the drawing, I get this popup. Sometimes, it will pop up 30 times repeatedly, despite me only clicking once or twice. Sometimes I can click where the "Select Camera" button is and it will go away long enough for me to click the button -- other times it doesn't matter if I click, it stays there and I just have to wait for it to disappear before I can click "Select Camera". This occurs in Google Chrome, which I use almost exclusively. Current version is 56.0.2924.87.

Second, I'm wondering if there is any plan to update the multi-sensor/multi-imager support across multiple brands. Examples -

  • I select Avigilon 12W-H3-4MH-DP1, and I get a single camera output despite this being an adjustable 4-sensor camera.
  • I select Arecont AV12276DN-08, and I get a 180-degree camera output despite this being an adjustable 4-sensor camera.
  • I select Arecont AV20175DN-28, and I get a 360-degree camera output despite this being an adjustable 4-sensor camera (the same concept as the AV12276DN, just in a 20MP version...).
  • I select the Axis Q6000-E Mk II, and I get a single camera output despite this being an adjustable 4-sensor camera.

I use these cameras considerably, and I'm always having to select 4 independent cameras to make it work. Having the ability to actually configure these as they are designed would be a huge bonus for me.

Thanks!

Avatar
Ethan Ace
Feb 22, 2017

Hey #15, thanks for the kind words, sorry for your issues.

I've filed the floorplan lock as a bug. It shouldn't be popping up like that, or at least that much.

As far as multi-imager support, it's on the roadmap. We know it's not ideal right now, and we're figuring out how to more accurately represent it. It's been requested multiple times, and with more than just Arecont selling repositionable multi imagers, now, it's becoming more of an issue. 

Avatar
Bobby Mancia Jr.
Feb 21, 2017
MIZELA CORPORATION • IPVMU Certified

Hi John, I need help on a project I am working at. My client wanted PTZ camera vertical view underneath. I do not know how to adjust the camera calculator to show the picture.

Avatar
John Scanlan
Feb 25, 2017
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

Bobby, thanks for the idea!  The calculator does not support this, but we just added this feature to the pipeline.  I will update here when I have an ETA for -90° support.

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Justin Gant
Feb 21, 2017
7PiXL

Hello, first time using this tool and I'm having an issue. 

When I export a project sometimes the google maps image is missing, sometimes its there? I've attached a screenshot. 

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John Scanlan
Feb 22, 2017
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

Justin - To help you I would like to look at your project.  Please send a permalink to jscanlan@ipvm.com. Thank you.

Avatar
Justin Gant
Feb 23, 2017
7PiXL

Email sent, thanks!

Avatar
Justin Gant
Feb 24, 2017
7PiXL

Hey John, did you receive the email?

Avatar
John Scanlan
Feb 24, 2017
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

I do not have anything from you, but I just looked you up / emailed you - please reply with the permalink and I will look at it ASAP.  Thanks!

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #13
Mar 02, 2017

Is there a way to make the floorplan is locked message stop popping up as the user pans around?  Also, if there was a way to lock all cameras that would be great as well.

Avatar
John Scanlan
Mar 02, 2017
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

U13 - We have not had this requested before and most users position / aim / optimize the camera before locking them.  I am not confident this feature will make the cut - however "lock all cameras" is added to possible future features.  I will reply here with any update on that.

I was unable to recreate the floor plan message.  Can you email a permalink to jscanlan@ipvm.com?

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #16
Mar 02, 2017

What does the blacked out area represent on the field of view of a particular camera?

 

Avatar
John Scanlan
Mar 02, 2017
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

That is the blind spot, where the camera is unable to see (affected by factors like focal length, tilt) illustrated below:

(2)
TG
Ted Glenn
Mar 06, 2017

I am pricing several projects using Dahua IPC-HDBW2421R-ZS. Could this be added to the list please? The client has seen my calculations using the 3MP equivalent and of course now wants to see them based on this 4MP model. Also, is there an easy way to replace the 3MP model with the 4MP model across my current calculations or will I have to them one by one?

 

Thanks!!! 

PR
Philip Render
Mar 19, 2017

Please advise why I cannot edit my labels? When i add it cannot be edited?

SB
Sal Bonetto
Mar 24, 2017
CannonDesign

I'm having trouble with the floor plan feature. Everytime I try to add a floor plan I get an error message.

 

Also how often are the manufacturer camera models updated. There are Pelco models that are not included in the drop down menu.

JH
John Honovich
Mar 24, 2017
IPVM

I'm having trouble with the floor plan feature. Everytime I try to add a floor plan I get an error message.

This relates to file size. Later today, we will increase the max floorplan file size supported (this relates to moving to the new infrastructure). So either shrink the file size or wait until later today. I'll post an update when done.

Also how often are the manufacturer camera models updated. There are Pelco models that are not included in the drop down menu.

We update models every week and add hundreds of models monthly. As for the Pelco models, which are they? We will add them.

SB
Sal Bonetto
Mar 24, 2017
CannonDesign

What is the maximium file size the system is capable of supporting?

 

The IBP121-1 through IBP521

Opetera IMM12027  270 degree camera.

JH
John Honovich
Mar 24, 2017
IPVM

Maximum file size right now is under 1MB. By the end of today, we aim to increase the server file limit significantly.

We will get the IBP environmental bullets added and will email you by Monday

The 270 degree camera we cannot support currently since it is a special FoV. We plan to add it later this year.

JH
John Honovich
Mar 24, 2017
IPVM

Andrew, the 20 Pelco IBP cameras have been added to the Calculator. You may need to force refresh the calculator page to re-load the updated model lists but they are in.

U
Undisclosed #21
Jul 20, 2017

What is the current maximum file size now?

JH
John Honovich
Jul 21, 2017
IPVM

The current maximum file size for uploading floorplans is 12MB.

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