*Devices – VCA

Owned by Tom Polman
Last updated: Sept 21, 2022
7 min read

Configuration Article | CA-20200930-TP-04

VDG Sense | Setup | Devices | VCA

Getting started

The abbreviation ‘VCA’ means ‘Video Content Analysis’ and is the placeholder for the ObjectR Advanced algorithm which is server based algorithm. To enable VCA / ObjectR Advanced, select the camera in the ‘Devices’ tab and click the ‘VCA’ subtab. There, click “Enable VCA”. If the server has a license for ‘ObjectR Advanced’ channels the option ‘Enable VCA’ will be active.

 

VCA Configuration

When opening the VCA tab, the following screen will appear.

<Image new interface>

Located on the left side is the toolbar. With the toolbar, you can place, edit or remove rules from the camera view.

Located on the right side are the ‘VCA Settings’ & ‘Rule Settings’. Here the type of rule can be configured.

VCA Settings

The VCA settings define some of the global settings of the VCA configuration

  • ObjectR type
    This displays the used VCA type on this device. In most cases, this displays “Advanced Server-based”. This means the VCA is handled by the Sense VideoManager. In the case of Siqura PID cameras, it will display “Edge VCA”, meaning that the VCA is handled by the camera itself.

  • Active RuleSet
    This is the current active ruleset. This ruleset is used to display alarms in live video and send events to the Event Panel. While editing other rulesets, the active ruleset will not change. On first activation, this will always be the “Default” set.

  • Show detected objects
    Highlight objects detected in the video image

  • Show alarms
    Highlight objects that have triggered a rule

Rule sets

The selected ruleset is the current editable set of VCA rules. These are the rules that are displayed in the main video image in the center of the screen. There must always be a minimum of 1 rule set at all times.

  • Add
    Add a new empty rule set

  • Delete
    Remove the current selected rule set

  • Copy
    Create a new copy of the current selected rule set

  • Edit name
    Edit the rule set display name

Rule settings

The rule settings define some of the global settings of the VCA configuration

 

  • Lines / Zones / Left Object
    Use Lines, Zones or Left Object in the VCA configuration. It is not possible to use multiple rule types.

  • Trigger order

    • No order – Each drawn rule will generate an event

    • Forward (1,2..) – An event will trigger when all rules have been triggered from lowest to highest.

    • Reverse (4,3..) – An event will trigger when all rules have been triggered from highest to lowest.

    • Forward or Reverse – An event will trigger when all rules have been triggered from highest to lowest or vice versa.

    • Any order – An event will trigger when all rules have been triggered in any order.

Advanced settings:

  • Glue events
    Define multiple events in this time frame as a single event

  • Max Event Duration
    The maximum amount of time events can be glued before a new event must be triggered

  • Object Life time
    The duration an object needs to be in view before it becomes eligible for events

Display options

  • Show detected objects
    Highlight objects detected in the video image

  • Show alarms
    Highlight objects that have triggered a rule

Toolbar

The toolbar is used to place or edit the VCA rules.

 

  • Arrow

    Move cursor (default). Move rules located on the image

  • Pencil

    Anchor edit. Add or remove additional anchors to lines or zones

  • Line / Zone / Left Object

    Place a new line or zone on the video image

  • Ignore line

    Place an ignore line on the video image

  • Trashcan

    Remove the selected line or zone

  • Perspective

    Enable/Disable the perspective grid

  • Minimum Object Size

    Enable/Disable the minimum object size filter

  • Maximum Object Size

    Enable/Disable the maximum object size filter

Shape settings – Line

A detection line is a single line between two points which triggers when an object crosses it. Extra anchors can be added to provide a more flexible line.

Shape settings

 

  • Event text
    User defined text that will be used in a case of an event

  • Trigger mode
    Determines whether an object needs to touch the detection line or pass it clockwise, counterclockwise, or either of these two, to generate a trigger.

     

    • Touch

    • Pass clockwise

    • Pass counter-clockwise

    • Pass in any direction

  • Trigger point

    • Center of gravity – The line is triggered when the center of gravity of an object passes it CW, CCW, or either of these.

    • Bottom center – The line is triggered when the bottom center of an object passes it CW, CCW, or either of these

  • Min/Max object Size

    • Minimum object size – The minimum pixel size of an object before it can trigger this rule (0 – 414720px)

    • Maximum object size – The maximum pixel size of an object before it can trigger this rule (0 – 414720px). When set to -1px, maximum size is ignored.

Note: Center of gravity and Bottom center do not apply to trigger mode Touch (they are ignored in this mode).

Shape settings – Zone

A zone shape is initially drawn as a box, but anchors can be added to allow for more complex shapes

Shape settings

 

  • Event text
    User defined text that will be used in a case of an event

  • Detect Delay
    The time to elapse after the events described below, before a trigger is generated.

  • Trigger mode
    Determines whether an object needs to touch, be inside, enter, or exit the zone to generate a trigger.

     

    • Touch

    • Inside

    • Enters

    • Exits

  • Trigger point

    • Center of gravity – The zone is triggered when the center of gravity of an object enters or exits the zone.

    • Bottom center – The zone is triggered when the bottom center of an object enters or exits the zone.

  • Min/Max object Size

    • Minimum object size – The minimum pixel size of an object before it can trigger this rule (0 – 414720px)

    • Maximum object size – The maximum pixel size of an object before it can trigger this rule (0 – 414720px). When set to -1px, maximum size is ignored.

Note: Center of gravity and Bottom center do not apply to trigger modes Touch and Inside (they are ignored in these modes).

Shape settings – Left Object

A Left Object shape is initially drawn as a box, but anchors can be added to allow for more complex shapes. A Left Object functions similarly as a Zone, but with a longer Detection delay, and only triggering on stationary objects in the zone.

Shape settings

 

  • Event text
    User defined text that will be used in a case of an event

  • Detect Delay
    The time to elapse after the events described below, before a trigger is generated.

  • Trigger point

    • Center of gravity – The zone is triggered when the center of gravity of an object enters or exits the zone.

    • Bottom center – The zone is triggered when the bottom center of an object enters or exits the zone.

  • Min/Max object Size

    • Minimum object size – The minimum pixel size of an object before it can trigger this rule (0 – 414720px)

    • Maximum object size – The maximum pixel size of an object before it can trigger this rule (0 – 414720px). When set to -1px, maximum size is ignored.

Shape settings – Ignore Line

The ignore line is a single line between two points which can be placed to suppress the triggering of an event for a limited amount of time. An ignore line suppresses all triggers from all objects.

Shape settings

  • Ignore time
    After the ignore line is touched or completely covered (see below), the event is suppressed for the number of seconds set here.

  • Trigger mode
    Set the condition for this rule to trigger

    • Touch – Ignore time countdown starts when an object touches the ignore line.

    • Completely cover – Ignore time countdown starts when an object completely covers the ignore line.

Perspective & Minimum/Maximum Object Size filter

The perspective shape is used to establish the perspective of the scene. To make calculations of the perspective correction as accurate as possible it is best to draw it in a part of the scene that shows the perspective, the bottom line and the top line of the shape must run parallel.

The Minimum object size shape defines the minimum size of the object before it can trigger an event. It is recommended to make the size of the minimum size box approximately 20% smaller than the object which need to be detected.

The Maximum object size shape defines the maximum size of the object before it can trigger an event. It is recommended to make the size of the maximum size box approximately 20% bigger than the object which need to be detected.

If used in combination with the Perspective shape the Minimum and Maximum object size shape will be perspective corrected. These filters are global and apply to all shapes.

Each shape can also have its own minimum and maximum object settings (see above). An object must meet both the shape settings and the global filters before an object will trigger an event.

Placing shapes

To place a shapes

  1. Click on the Line/Zone or Ignore line button in the toolbar

  2. Drag the shape to the desired position

  3. Resize the shape by draging one of the anchors

  4. Add additional anchors by either using the Anchor Edit tool or double clicking on position on the shape

  5. Remove unwanted anchors by either using the Anchor Edit tool or double clicking an anchor to remove it.

 

To remove a shape

  1. Select the shape you wish to remove

  2. Click the Trashcan icon in the toolbar