Axis Camera Optimization App (UI Me) Tested

By Ethan Ace, Published Aug 28, 2017, 09:52am EDT

A new Axis camera app (ACAP) called UI Me has been released, offering a number of interesting features including optimization wizards and cybersecurity checks.

This comes from the same developer who released the Axis Daybreak App that automatically adjusts day/night schedules based on local sunrise and sunset times changing throughout the year.

We tested UI Me to understand how it works and what impacts it could have for Axis users as well as to Axis competitors. Inside this note, we share those results.

Overview *****

** **** ***** *****, we **** *** ** Me ***** *** *********** its *** ********:

*** *********** ** ********* similar ** ***** **** apps *** *** ******'* web *********, ***** *****.

**** *********, ***** *** access *** ** ** UI ** ******** *** settings ** ** ***** to * ******** ***, e.g.:

****:///*****/****/

Video ************* *******

*** ***** ******* ***** snapshots ** ********* ****** of ********, ******** *** user ** **** *** ones **** **** ****.

** ** ******** *** video ******* **** **** the **** ********* ****** of **** ******* **** by ****, ******* *** user ***** *** *** they ***** ***** ****. Instead ** ******** ****** one ** *** *** looking ** *** **** video ** *** *** the ******* *** *******, these ******* ** **** automatically, ****** ** **** simpler *** ******* ** compare ******.

*** ********** ****** (*****) adjusts:

  • ******** (********* ******** ****)
  • **********
  • ********
  • **********
  • ***** *******

*** ******** ****** *******:

  • ******** *****:**** ***** ******** ****** light/dark, *** **** *** adjust ******* *****)
  • ***:***** ******* ********, ******** Capture, *** ***** **** WDR ******** ** ** off.

Cybersecurity *********

*** *** **** ******** a ***** *** ** check ****** ** *** remedy ****** ***** ******** issues, ********* ******* ********* ***** ***************. ** *** "*********" section, ***** *** *** at * ****** ******* services **** ** ***, SSH, ** *** *** enabled/disabled, ******* **** ******** and ********* *** ***, and ****, ***** *****.

Firmware ****** *******

*** ********* ***** ******* also ************* ****** ******* the ****** ** ***** latest ********, *** ** not, ******** * **** to *** ****** ******* available *** *** ******.

Limitations ** ** **

*** **** ********** ** UI ** ** **** it ***** ** **** one ****** ** * time. ***** **** ** run *** ********* ****** on ******** ******* ***** especially ***** **********.

********, ***** **** ** ******* when ******* ***** *************, since ******* **** ****** one ***** *****/********* *** degrade ***** ** ***** times ** *** ***. For *******, ********* ******** at ***** *** **** to ************ ****** *** day, ** ******** *** change ************* ********* ** weather ** *** **** (overcast, *****, *****, ***.).

*******, ** ** ** not ********** ********* ** Axis *** ** ** a ***** ******* *** the *********. ***** ********** the *** ****** ****** no ******* ** ** Me ***** **** ********** on *** **** ***** site.

Comments (7)

John Honovich

IPVM | 08/28/17 01:52pm

Axis has failed to build a meaningful app strategy. Remember, it has been 5 years since Axis declared the megapixel race over, saying:

The race for business and operational intelligence begins. With the ability to download and run applications directly at the edge, the IP camera is now the iPhone of the surveillance world

Alas, the IP camera, not Axis nor anyone else's, is anything like an iPhone.

But it could be. This UI Me app and the Daybreak app are quite useful and could be important differentiators against their lower-cost rivals but Axis has done nothing to promote, encourage or build an ecosystem to support these apps. Here is hoping that Axis makes this a priority.

Avatar

Brian Karas

IPVM | 08/28/17 02:05pm

Neat concept, but seems very impractical for any decent sized installation. Just getting the ACAP app on all the cameras alone would be pretty tedious. 

This would be much more practical as a VMS feature instead of an ACAP app.

 

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Brian Karas | 08/28/17 02:13pm

You can upload the app to multiple cameras simultaneously using Axis Camera Management. But you'll still need to configure each one individually, which could be tedious.

I think having the features of this app built into Axis Camera Management would be a strong differentiator for Axis. Provide the ability to run the hardening guide wizard en masse and launch optimization for cameras from one app instead of having to go to however many IP addresses. They aren't features I've seen on any other line.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Brian Karas | 08/29/17 03:46pm

If you use this wisely, it could be a big help.  When I have deployed large numbers of cameras, I always use configuration files for each type of camera.  All you need to do is set up the configuration once, save it (being very careful not to include unique things like IP addresses or names) and dump it out to all the other cameras of that type.  The biggest PITA is that initial setup, I always seem to miss one odd-ball setting the first time. 

I can see using this on the first camera of any given type and firmware, setting it up, hardening it and saving a generic config file to use for setting up the remaining cameras.  If Axis would just change a few things with how IP addressees and host names are assigned, I could set up hundreds of cameras in a very short amount of time.  As it is, IP addresses and host names are the things that take the longest to do now if you use config files.

Now, if you want to use it for image optimization, yes, you have to go though every camera but you would have to do that anyway because no two scenes are the same.  And I do wish Axis would allow even rudimentary image views in the management tool like the Pelco tool does.

Samuel Rodgers

In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 08/29/17 09:15pm

The new Axis firmware gives you a view of the image in all the image config screens and you can see in real-time as you adjust the image. It's firmware 7.x and higher i believe. For image adjustments, the UI me app isn't as practical as that starts to roll out and also as others have noted, you'd have to load the app onto each camera and adjust each one by one.  I do like the hardening features but again also cumbersome to have to do that on each camera and upload the app. I'd like to see that baked into the VMS to push out those settings when cameras are added.

Avatar

Lasse Sørensen

08/28/17 05:52pm

Okay.. You almost lost me there... The APP isn't a smartphone APP, but an Axis cam APP? Im aware off installing apps in a Axis cam, but you didn't mention this anywhere. And how do you reach the "new" interface, and not the old one? a special url, a program installed on my laptop or an iPhone APP ? What do I know, your clips is not showing a webbrowser or iPad framing. This is what I call a light review..

/Lasse

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Lasse Sørensen | 08/28/17 06:32pm

UI Me installs like other ACAP applications, found in the web interface under "Applications":

Once it's installed, you can click to its "Settings" for the new interface or manually type in the IP address + "/local/uime" to get to the new UI. You can also set UI Me as default in the older Axis web interface, but you cannot do that yet in the New IP Camera Web Interface (firmware 7.20+).

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