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Installation Manual | IM-20201215-TP-06 VDG Sense | Quick Start Guide  | PDF Download |
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Chapter 1 - Introduction
This manual explains all necessary steps to create a fully functional Sense installation in a relatively short time. It assumes a simple standalone or single-server, single-client setup where all components are configured and accessible via the network:
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Sense Server-Client installation:
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Chapter 2 - Installation
To install VDG sense the VDGSenseSetup.exe is required. It can be downloaded in the support section here: https://support.tkhsecurity.com/downloads/software/ website. It is a single executable installer which include all required components to install VDG Sense as server, client or standalone system. The diagram below shows the components of VDG Sense Setup.
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2.1 Versioning
After starting the VDG Sense Setup the first page the version details page. It shows version information of all included and already installed Sense components.
2.2 Standalone installation
To install VDG Sense as standalone system check both ’Client’ and ’Server’ boxes. It will install the following Sense components:
Sense Video Manager
Sense Plugin Manager
Sense Monitor
Sense Client
Sense SystemInfo
Postgres database
2.3 Client installation
To install the VDG Sense client, only select the ’Client’ checkbox. It will install the following Sense components:
Sense Client
Sense SystemInfo
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2.4 Update
The installation package VDG Sense Setup is also used to update VDG Sense to a newer (or lower) version. Use the same procedure as described in paragraph 2.2 and 2.3. IMPORTANT: an update will not remove the license or settings.
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*Upgrading/Downgrading VDG Sense
Chapter 3 -
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Starting VDG Sense client
3.1 Signing in
Installing VDG Sense as client or standalone system will put a desktop icon with the name 'Sense Client'. By double-clicking on 'Sense Client' the application will start and show the login dialog, see below.
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It contains the following items:
Server address field. Sense automatically finds available servers in the network including the local system. Either choose a server from the list or type in the Type in the IP address of the server manually.
Credential fields. The username and password can be entered in these boxes
Settings button (gear icon). For program language, autostart and autologin settings and videowall mode.
Close button (arrow icon). To close the application.
Sign In button: Sign-in on the selected server using the entered credentials
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IMPORTANT: It is adviced to change the default password for the root adminstrator account.
3.2 Menu
After signin the main application starts by showing the top menu bar. If a user with administrator rights signs-in, no layout will be shown. If a normal user signs-in either the first layout in the layoutlist is shown or the multi-layout which is configured as default.
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Eye icon: Opens left menu bar for (multi-)layout and camera selectios or go to operator mode (if in settings mode)
Tools icon: Opens left menu bar for fixed layout selection or go to operator mode (if in settings mode)
Lock icon: Sign-off or close SenseClient
Monitor icons: List of local and remote monitors
Date and time: Current date and time of Sense Client system
VDG logo: Opens ”Sense about”; displays Sense Client version and other information
Chapter 4 - License
Sense is protected by a software license key. In order to use the product a software license file is required. A Sense license only needs to be applied to the 'Sense Video Manager'. As 'Sense Video Manager' does not have a graphical user interface the license needs to be uploaded and activated using the 'Sense Client'. The license key can either reside on the license USB stick or provided by e-mail.
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4.1 Upload license
Activation is the process by which the software and license key are validated to ensure that they are used in accordance with the purchased license and services. Activation is intended to protect your end user rights as well as TKH Security’s rights as a software author. Only genuine Sense software entitles you to critical updates and technical support. You may not be able to use Sense software if it is not activated.
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Open the activation wizard by selecting the server to be activated in the Sense Client config, then click the ’Enter the license key’ button.
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When the USB stick is inserted into the Sense Client platform machine, it will automatically recognize the license key file. In the other case, you will have to browse for a license key file or enter it manually.
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When clicking the ’Verify’ button, the key parameter will be sent to the Sense Server. If verification is successful, you can use your Sense software for ten days. After ten days you need to complete the activation process to continue using Sense software.
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4.2 Activate license
4.2.1 Online activation
To activate your software you will need to provide a valid email address. Your license file will be emailed to this address (so you have a backup of the license file).
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When successfully activated the software license status changes and will be able to display more detailed license features.
4.2.2 Offline activation
To activate your software you need to save the activation file to a USB stick or drive. Click the ’Save’ button. You can also copy the contents of the activation file
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When successfully activated the software license status changes and will be able to display more detailed license features.
Chapter 5 - Configuration
Sense settings are visible after clicking the toolset icon in the topbar menu. Settings are grouped in tabs where each tab holds specific settings related to the name of the tab. Normal procedure to setup a Sense system is to work through the setup tabs from left to right, starting with the server tab and ending with user management. Configuration is normally done using the administrator account.
5.1 Servers
The server tab holds the list of servers and settings related to the selected server. From left to right you see the serverlist, the cameralist of the selected server, settings of the selected server and server statistics related to CPU, memory, network and harddisk load.
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5.1.1 Add via find
Click ’Find’ in the lower left corner of the screen to open the find dialog. After a few seconds it shows the list of all servers found in the local network on all NIC’s. Select the server(s) and click ’Add’ to add selected server(s) to the configuration and close the dialog.
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5.1.2 Add manually
To add a server press ’+’ in the lower left corner of the screen. Enter the server address in the dialog which appears. On a standalone system the localhost server (127.0.0.1) is automatically added to the list. In a server-client configuration the server is also automatically added to the list after login.
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5.2 Devices
A list of Sense-compatible devices can be found here: https://support.tkhsecurity.com/compatibility-list/camera/
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General: basic settings which are needed to connect to a camera
Advanced: advanced configuration options like multicast (if available)
PTZ: settings to configure PTZ
Live: fullscreen view to help focus the camera
5.2.1 Add via find
Click ’Find’ in the lower left corner of the screen to open the find dialog. After a few seconds it shows the list of all devices found in the local network on all NIC’s, including intercom servers and IO devices. Select one or more cameras and click ’Add’ to add selected devices to the configuration. It will also close the dialog.
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5.2.2 Add manually
Click ’+’ in the lower left corner of the screen to add a new device to the list.
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After all configuration fields are configured correctly, click ’Apply’ in the lower right corner of the screen. After a few seconds you should be able to see a live video. If not please review the settings again.
5.3 Layouts
The ’Layouts’ tab is used to configure all (multi)layouts. Layouts are required in operator mode to display live or recorded video or to handle (video)events. They can be custom designed to fit the needs of the operator. The layout manager is a floating menu which is used to create, delete and modify (multi)layouts and panels.
A layout consists of panels where each panel has a specific function. For instance a panel can be used to display live video, recorded video, for playback controls, display a map or to manage events. The complete list of panel types can be found in the ’Type’ list in the panel section of the ’Layout Manager’.
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5.3.1 Live layout
Click ’New’ in the ’Layouts’ menu of the ’Layout Manager’ to create a new layout. The following dialog will appear:
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The icon in the lower left corner of each panel identifies the type of panel. A panel for live video uses a camera icon as identifier. After selecting a panel its properties are shown in ’Panels’ section of the Layout manager. To assign a deviceto the selected panel select the camera in the ’Device’ list of the panel properties.
5.3.2 Playback layout
Click ’New’ in the ’Layouts’ menu of the ’Layout Manager’ to create a new layout. The following dialog will appear:
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This layout is composed of 4 playback-panels in the upper half of the layout and controls to actually playback recorded video in the lower half of the layout. The panel to display recorded video uses a triangle icon as identifier. To assign a camera to the selected panel select the camera in the ’Devices’ list of the panel properties.
5.3.3 Multi layout
A ’Multi Layout’ is a group of layouts with a pre-defined monitor selection. It is used to quickly assign several layouts at once to different monitors. They are also used to define the default layouts to be displayed based on which user logs in. User Management is explained in the next paragraph. To create a multi-layout click ’Edit’ in the ’Multi-Layout’ menu of the layout manager, a dialog will appear:
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NOTE: a layout only can be assigned once per multi layout. When finished click ’Close’ to close the dialog.
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5.4 User Management
Sense User Management provides the administrator with the ability to control the access level of users logged in to Sense. Access to cameras, servers, layouts and several other functions can be limited to groups of users. In Sense this is called a ’User Group’, it holds the privileges of users assigned to the group.
5.4.1 Users & Groups
The Users & Groups is used to manage all user related settings in Sense. On the left side of the screen is the list of user groups. User groups can be added, removed or modified using the buttons below this list user groups. On the right side of the screen are the privileges which can be assigned to the groups, divided by subtabs.
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The end result could look like this:
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5.4.2 Configure Autologin
Sense Client can be configured to launch automatically on Windows startup after windows login and to automatically sign in to a Sense Server. Click on the gear wheel in the lower left corner of the dialog to open the settings.
On the left side of the screen the default server, username and password can be entered. On the right side the program language, videowall mode and the automatic startup/sign-in option can be selected. In normal operation the videowall mode does not need to be selected and is beyond the scope of this guide.
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Chapter 6 - Operation
Click following link to see the video manual: https://support.tkhsecurity.com/downloads/manuals/
Live mode or ’Home’ is accessed by clicking on the ’Eye’ icon on the upper left corner of the screen of the first monitor. This icon is also used to open the menu where Layouts can be selected. See below for a screenshot of a multi-monitor setup. The left monitor shows a layout with live cameras and the right monitor shows a layout for playback. These are the layouts which are created in ’Setup’ mode.
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6.1 Live Menu
The Live menu is accessed by clicking on the ’Eye’ icon on the upper left corner of the screen of the first monitor.
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Camera Sequences: Contains camera sequences for the currently logged in user.
6.2 Tools Menu
The tools menu is accessed by clicking on the ’Toolbox’ icon on the upper left corner of the screen of the first monitor.
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Video Tags: Opens the Video Tag dialog
6.3 Live
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This layout contains 4 live panels where each panel has the following features:
Record icon: in lower left corner, indicates panel is live panel. Red means video is recorded, grey means video is not recorded.
Audio icon: next to recording icon, only visible if there is audio available in the videostream (panel should be selected to hear the audio).
Camera name: next to recording icon, the camera name.
Motion detected: next to camera name, indicates current motion percentage.
Digital zoom: hold left mousebutton or scroll and move cursor over the videopanel.
Double click on panel: switch panel to full screen or switch camera to ’Target panel’.
Green focus ring: currently selected panel, used for camera selection.
6.3.1 PTZ controls
The live control panel is needed to control PTZ domes. This panel can be pre-configured in a layout, but it will also automatically appear after double-clicking on a videopanel with a PTZ device; the camera will be displayed in fullscreen mode including the dome controls. PTZ commands are sent to the camera which is currently selected (which has a green border).
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 | Focus near. |
 | Focus far. |
 | Switch auto focus/auto iris on. |
 | Zoom in. |
 | Zoom out. |
 | Open iris. |
 | Close iris. |
 | Go to preset 'Home'. |
 | Go to preset 1. |
 | Rotate 180 degrees. |
 | Save the current position of the dome as a preset. |
 | Go to the selected preset in the list. |
 | Opens the preset dialog to give each preset a name. |
6.4 Playback
Below is an example of a playback layout that has been created for an operator.
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Double click on a panel to go to fullscreen playback or to display a camera on a designated target panel. Double click again to return the previous layout.
6.4.1 Playback control options
For creating a playback layout, it is needed to create a layout that contains one or multiple panels of the type ‘Playback’ and a control panel to start/stop the playback. There are two types of playback controls available. By default when creating a playback layout or when switching to fullscreen playback, the timeline panel is used.
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 | Playback backwards. For streaming codec video only I-Frames are played back. |
 | Stop playback. |
 | Playback forward. |
 | Opens the export image dialog, explained in section 6.3.3 on exporting images. |
 | Quick option to go to a specific date |
 | Motion detection |
 | Option to visualize motion detection, vca events or audio on the timeline panel |
Option 2: Alternatively, there is the playback controls panel as a legacy option with the more classic control buttons and slider.
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 | Go to the beginning of the recordings of the cameras visible in the layout. |
 | One minute backwards |
 | One frame backwards. |
 | Playback backwards. For streaming codec video only I-Frames are played back. |
 | Stop playback. |
 | Playback forward. |
 | One frame forwards. |
 | One minute forwards. |
 | Go to the end of the recordings of the cameras visible in the layout. |
 | Opens the date time search panel. |
 | Set export range, explained in section 6.3.2 on exporting video. |
 | Enable audio playback and set playback speed to realtime (panel should be selected to hear the audio). |
 | Opens the export image dialog, explained in section 6.3.3 on exporting images. |
 | Opens the export video dialog, explained in section 6.3.2 on exporting images. |
6.4.2 Export Video
Recorded video (and audio) can be exported to different media: CD/DVD, hard drive, USB stick or network share. A single export can hold video of multiple devices from multiple servers in the same time range. The video itself is exported in Sense format, it is not transcoded to a generic codec. The export comes with a program called ’Sense Player’ which is used to playback exported video. To open the ’Export Video’ dialog press the export video button in ’Playback Controls’.
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Servers: List all available servers. Select server to display cameras from that server in the cameralist.
Cameras: List of cameras from the selected server. Select camera and press ’>’ button to add camera to list of cameras for export.
Start and end time: Start and end time of the export. These can be modified regardless whether the range of the trackbar is used or not.
Reset date and time: Reset time range to initial values.
Full date/time range: Set time range to beginning and endtime of all recorded video of selected cameras.
Include Sense Player: Include software to playback the exported video, on by default.
Export location: Destination of the exported video. Click ’...’ to select the path. The free space of the export location should be large enough to hold the exported video.
There are two three ways to define the time-range of an export; The easiest option is the timeline:
Timerange using timeline:
Click on the time indicator and hold the mousebutton to select the timerange. This timerange can be changed dynamically, it can be moved, enlarged or shrinked to fit the timerange you wish to export.
After selecting a time windows, the Export image icon will change into a movie export icon (see image below)
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Other options are using the playback controls trackbar or using the start/endtime edit box in the video export dialog:
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Timerange using dialog:
Video can also be exported manually without using the trackbar to define the time range. When opening the export video dialog it will use the current playback time (position of thumbtracker) and set the start time with current time minus 5 minutes and end time to current time plus 5 minutes. The camera(panel) which has focus will automatically be added to the list of export cameras.
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6.4.3 Export Image
Single images or snapshots can be exported from recorded video to a PDF document which can be stored to any windows storage location (like a USB stick). The PDF report contains information about the exported image and comments which can be entered in the Export Image dialog. To create a report select the playback panel with the image that should be exported and click the ’Disk’ button in the ’Playback Controls’ (see section 6.3.1 on playback controls), it will open the dialog as shown below:
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