Subscriber Discussion

ONVIF Motion With ACTi Camera On Avigilon ACC VMS?

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 09, 2018

Hi.

I am configuring an Acti E12 camera for use with acc v5. On Avigilon's pages, the camera is listed as working with onvif, but it is necessary to configure motion detection in the camera, not in acc. I feel I have configured the motion detection properly, but no events are recorded in acc.

I have enabled onvif in the camera. I have enabled the motion detection under "video" in the camera. I have made the motion detection very sensitive, and can see the detection area flashing red in the web configurator. But acc seems to ignore the motion, or the camera is not sending events.

Is there anything else I need to configure? Like events and stuff?

MM
Michael Miller
Apr 09, 2018

I haven't used Acti for a long time but I never had issues getting motion working in ACC.  I would start by looking at firmware on the camera to see if it is the latest. 

(1)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 10, 2018

Updated the firmware. Configured the acti camera again. No change. The camera see the motion, but acc does not record video while there is motion. Manual recording works fine. I'll try harassing acti and avigilon, and see what they say. 

MM
Michael Miller
Apr 10, 2018

Can you up grade to ACC 6? Or spin up a test server with ACC 6 to see if ACC6 works? Do you know how to use Wireshark?

(1)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 10, 2018

I have tried looking at the communication with wireshark. I know nothing about the onvif protocol, but I see the camera sending the server some xml with onvif words in it. What sort of packages should I look for?

I'll try installing acc6 on my laptop, and see if that works tomorrow.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 20, 2018

I have been swamped this week. I'll follow it up, and post my findings if I get time today.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 20, 2018

I installed Acc v6 in with a demo license. The camera is configured as onvif, but does not record on motion. So an acc version upgrade does not seem to fix it.

Yes, I know how to use wireshark, but do not know how onvif events are communicated between camera and vms. Any tips will be appreciated. 

Avatar
Paul Grefenstette
Apr 10, 2018

how did you add the camera initially - onvif or acti -- try searching for ip with the dropdown acti and then with onvif and see if 2 connections happen with the same camera one acti driver one onvif -- acti driver should give you an icon for configuring motion in acc if possible

 

(1)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 10, 2018

I tried finding the camera with the acti driver, but acc can not find the camera on that ip. When I switch to onvif, it finds the camera. But as Avigilon say on the webpage, motion detection needs to be configured on the camera webpage, and the driver needs to be onvif. 

Avatar
Paul Grefenstette
Apr 10, 2018

OK it's strange you can't find the camera with the acti driver -- I haven't worked with acti in ages so I am hitting a wall here but when I can't get motion to work effectively on a non avigilon camera it's usually a first gen low rez ip camera and I just move it to constant recording -- not ideal I know but at least its recording reliably.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 10, 2018

Thank you for trying though:)

These cameras are for a basement at a mall. Most of the cameras will have very little action, so having constant recording will not really be sensible. I'm pressed for hard drive space on this server as it is. It is a stop-gap measure while a larger investment is being planned, so I'm not really supposed to buy in a lot of hard drives and stuff.

DE
Dennis Eversole
Apr 11, 2018

Recommend reaching out to ACTi Tech Support at 866-410-2284, Ext 2. They should be able to help you with this.  

(1)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 20, 2018

Acti is on the case. I'll post the results.

UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Apr 20, 2018

You have to first figure out whether the support for motion events is there  on the  camera and VMS on the onvif side , because not all features may be supported on  onvif and some may be available only on propriety protocol  .  

UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Apr 20, 2018

you can also check using wireshark if the onvif based events are getting generated  , if they are getting generated the problem most probably  is on the VMS side which is not  displaying it and if you are not seeing onvif based event notification in wireshark  then the problem is on the camera side 

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 20, 2018

What does the onvif event packages look like? I have been looking through some communication between the camera and the vms, and see something that may be such events. But because I know nothing about the protocol, I can not verify if that is what I see.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 20, 2018

A compatibility page at avigilon said the camera was onvif compatible, and with motion. But the motion had to be configured in the camera webpage. I can see the camera detecting motion on the webpage, so events are at least generated internally in the camera.

UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Apr 20, 2018

A pull onvif notification will be something  like this for a line detector 

</wsnt:NotificationMessage>
<wsnt:NotificationMessage>
<wsnt:Topic
Dialect="http://www.onvif.org/ver10/tev/topicExpression/ConcreteSet">
tns1:RuleEngine/LineDetector/Crossed
</wsnt:Topic>
<wsnt:Message>
<tt:Message UtcTime="2008-10-10T12:24:57.789Z">
<tt:Source>
<tt:SimpleItem Name="VideoSourceConfigurationToken"
Value="1"/>
<tt:SimpleItem Name="VideoAnalyticsConfigurationToken"
Value="2"/>
<tt:SimpleItem Value="MyImportantFence2" Name="Rule"/>
</tt:Source>
<tt:Data>
<tt:SimpleItem Name="ObjectId" Value="19"/>
</tt:Data>
</tt:Message>
</wsnt:Message>
</wsnt:NotificationMessage>

 

(2)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 20, 2018

I am getting some packages, source tcp port 80, source ip camera, with http/xml. Seems to be called PullMessagesResponse. The vms then seems to respond with a PullMessageRequest. That is while filtering with 'ip.proto == "TCP"'.

MM
Michael Miller
Apr 20, 2018

Have you called Avigilon support?  

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 20, 2018

Acti is trying to reproduce the problem. I'll let them try first. 

MM
Michael Miller
Apr 20, 2018

From experience, I would start with the VMS.  Avigilon support is very helpful.  Also, I just looked at the ACTI model you shared and I am not sure if it is the exact same model but we have a customer running this with ACC and motion works. I think the customer has the older 1.3MP version. 

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 20, 2018

The camera was part of an old mirasys setup. I have factory reset the cameras, but am thinking it may be some checkbox that I need to check... The motion detection work well in acti NVR3.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Apr 23, 2018

Acti sent me a new firmware for the camera (v6.14.09). Motion detection now seems to work with Avigilon ACC v5. Acti told me it works with Acc v.6 as well. I don't know if it was an Avigilon error, and Acti just hacked their way around it, or if it was an Acti error. But they fixed it.

So. Great work Acti:)

(1)
UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Apr 23, 2018

Gr8 

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