Release Notes for MOBOTIX MxManagementCenter Software

Document Information

Publisher:

MOBOTIX AG

Author:

Bernd Wilhelm
Thilo Schüller

Date:

2018-02-14

Document:

release-notes_en.html

Confidentiality:

public



Contents

MOBOTIX MxManagementCenter is a completely new developed and intuitive video management system for Windows and Macintosh systems. This document contains notes for installing and operating the software as well as a short technical description of the most important system functions.

Software Releases—Overview

Release Version

Creation Date

Publishing Date

MxMC 1.7

2018-02-14

2018-02-14

MxMC 1.5

2017-07-27

2017-07-31

MxMC 1.4

2017-04-27

2017-04-28

MxMC 1.3

2016-11-11

2016-11-14

MxMC 1.2

2016-06-21

2016-06-27

MxMC 1.1.1

2015-12-17

2015-12-18

MxMC 1.1

2015-11-19

2015-11-20

MxMC 1.0.1

2015-06-29

2015-06-30

MxMC 1.0
(only for macOS)

2015-06-03

2015-06-03

System Requirements

Windows

macOS

Important Information

For more information including "Tips and Tricks" for operating MxManagementCenter, please open the document MxManagementCenter Tutorial that is available on the MOBOTIX website www.mobotix.com in the section Support > Download Center > Documentation > Brochures & Guides > Tutorials.


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Version 1.7 of MxManagementCenter

Creation Date: 2018-02-14

Publishing Date: 2018-02-14

When installing MxManagementCenter on systems with Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, please make sure that you follow the instructions in the section Important Notes for Installing on Windows Systems (MxManagementCenter 1.2).


Important Usage Notes

Enhancements and Improvements

Note

For additional information about the new features described in the following, please see the Quick Help of the application.

Integration of Cash Point Systems (POS)

From this version on, you can display and search the transaction data of Vectron cash point systems (POS = point of sale) together with the corresponding video recordings of a MOBOTIX camera in MxManagementCenter. For this purpose, MxMC now has a new Retail bar that can be pulled out of the right-hand border of the program window. This bar shows the current transaction data of a specific cash point on a continuous basis. It also allows playing back the video recordings associated with individual transactions. In addition, you can use the new Retail view to search the transaction data of the integrated cash points according to different criteria. Moreover, you can show the transactions of the search results individually or together with the data of the entire sales receipt for easy access to the corresponding video recordings.

To set up such a POS system, you basically need to follow these steps:

Note: The new views and configuration options for setting up a POS system in MxMC are only available once you have activated the appropriate license in the application (see next section).

Licensing

Industry-specific solutions and special features – such as settings up a POS system described above – require a license in MxMC. To activate the licenses in this release of MxMC, open the Windows menu and select Licenses to open this new dialog. After you have purchased the licenses from a MOBOTIX partner, you can use the activation codes to activate the corresponding licenses. The licenses activated in this way are valid for the MxManagementCenter on the current computer. Once you have activated the licenses and restarted the application, the licensed features are available.

Integration of MxThinClient

MxThinClient devices with a firmware V1.1.0.3 and higher can now be integrated into MxManagementCenter. You can use an MxThinClient thus integrated to show live streams of cameras on a monitor or TV connected to the MxThinClient via HDMI. You can add MxThinClient devices as a separate type in the device bar of MxMC; these devices are managed in the new MxThinClient Devices section of the bar.

The communication between MxMC and an MxThinClient device uses the MxMessageSystem. Besides setting up the MxThinClient in the device tree of MxMC, you also need to configure the MxMessageSystem in MxMC accordingly. To configure the MxMessageSystem, open the Settings dialog and the MxMessageSystem section. Make sure that you are using exactly the same settings for Broadcast Port and Passphrase as in the MxThinClient device. It is also required that the MxMC computer and the MxThinClient are using the same time server to stay in sync. This is a prerequisite for successful operation of the MxMessageSystem.

Recording Paths and Device Tree

Exporting MxPEG clips

This release can export MxPEG clips you added to the program before in parts or as a whole, just like any other recording.

Live Recorder

In the Live and Grid views, the command bar now has a new Recorder function icon. If you click on this icon, MxMC records the live stream of the camera shown in the Live view or in the focus window of the Grid view as MxPEG clip file. In the Settings dialog, the new Live Recorder section contains the settings for the storage location of the MxPEG clip files and the maximum duration of the live recording.

Other Improvements

Bugfixes

Known Limitations


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Release 1.5 of MxManagementCenter

Creation Date: 2017-07-27

Publishing Date: 2017-07-31

When installing MxManagementCenter on systems with Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, please make sure that you follow the instructions in the section Important Notes for Installing on Windows Systems (MxManagementCenter 1.2).


Important Usage Notes

Enhancements and Improvements

Note

For additional information about the new features described in the following, please see the Quick Help of the application.

Multi-Camera Configuration

The edit mode of the device bar now allows selecting several cameras at once (using [Shift]-click or [Ctrl]-click) and right-click to open the new Multi-Camera Configuration dialog. This dialog also allows setting the most important properties for all selected cameras at once, such as the camera access data (user name and password) or the recording path.

"Active" Camera Property

By default, the "Active" property of the Camera Configuration dialog has been disabled to reduce the system load in large projects with many cameras. In addition, this property has been renamed Background Alarms. As in previous releases, activating this option will keep a permanent connection to the cameras that are currently not displayed or whose storage is not accessed. This permanent connection is used to get information about camera events to create MxMC alarms.

Notes

Performance on Large Project Data

The system behavior and the response times when working with large project data (several hundred cameras) has been improved. This is most noticeable when using the device bar on the left-hand side of the application window, e.g., when switching grids.

Bugfixes

Known Limitations


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Version 1.4 of MxManagementCenter

Creation Date: 2017-04-27

Publishing Date: 2017-04-28

When installing MxManagementCenter on systems with Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, please make sure that you follow the instructions in the section Important Notes for Installing on Windows Systems (MxManagementCenter 1.2).


Important Usage Notes

Enhancements and Improvements

Note

For additional information about the new features described in the following, please see the Quick Help of the application.

Device Bar With Extended Tree Structure for Camera Groups (Nested Groups)

Starting with MxMC 1.3, you had the option to show a device bar on the left-hand side of the window border. The displayed tree structure provides a structured overview, quick selection of elements and simplified management of the video sources. With MxMC 1.4, you can now create a tree structure with several group levels (i.e., with groups and subgroups). Distributing the cameras onto any number of nested subgroups will help to create an easily navigable tree structure even in large installations with many cameras. When using descriptive names for cameras and groups will allow the users to easily find specific cameras. To create a structure with subgroups, make sure that the lock icon is open, then drag&drop the desired cameras.

In addition, the width of the device bar can now be adjusted within a preset range.

New Features and Controls for Configuring the Grid View

To display and arrange the individual cameras of a group in the Grid and Grid Playback views, you can use several options, such as the number of cameras to be displayed, the format of the grid tiles and the scaling of the focus window.

MxMC 1.4 adds two more options to set the grid layout:

To set the grid type (Auto/Manual) and freeze the Auto Grid, make sure that the lock icon is open. Starting with MxMC 1.4, all controls for these tasks have moved from the group bar and the Group Configuration dialog to the control bar in the bottom right corner. Make sure that the window is wide enough to see these controls; if the window is too small, the controls may be hidden from view.

Per-User Settings Stored in Last MxMC Session

By default, the program looks will be the same as when you closed the program the last time. This applies to the views, selected camera group, opened sidebars and sizes as well as window positions of the program. In MxMC 1.4, this has been extended to a per-user setting of the settings. If several users are working at the same computer and login (e.g., several security persons working in shifts), every user will get the same view as when he/she logged out the last time. It is thus unnecessary to manually adjust the program settings after switching users.

User Management With Extended Security Options

In the user management dialog (opened using the button in the top left corner of the program's header bar), the section for entering the user password has been expanded by options to enhance data security:

  1. Password expiration
    You can set the password to expire – never, after one or two weeks or after one, three or six months. After that, the user will have to create a new user password at the next login.
  2. Prompt user to enter a new password at next login
    You can force a new user to change the standard user credentials and to apply the new extended security settings. This is done by setting an option for new users to change the password upon their first login.
  3. Force higher password complexity
    The third new security feature applies to the complexity of the password. Using this option, you can force the user to define a password that follows these requirements:

    As soon as the password complexity requirements have been fulfilled, the frame around the text field changes from red to green.

Improved Format for Project Data

Starting with MxMC 1.4, the project data are stored in a different format (data covers, cameras, groups, etc., but not the user-sepcific settings, such as window positions, etc.). This change has resulted in better performance when loading project data and has also resolved other problems in the same area. Project files created via the File > Save Project as menu command now have the .interchange file name extension instead of .configuration.

The following applies to existing MxMC installations and the corresponding project data:

Other Improvements

Bugfixes

Known Limitations


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Version 1.3 of MxManagementCenter

Creation Date: 2016-11-11

Publishing Date: 2016-11-14

When installing MxManagementCenter on systems with Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, please make sure that you follow the instructions in the section Important Notes for Installing on Windows Systems (MxManagementCenter 1.2).


Important Usage Notes

Enhancements and Improvements

Note

For additional information about the new features described in the following, please see the Quick Help of the application.

Tree Structure of Integrated Cameras, Groups and Clips for Administration and Navigation

Starting with MxMC 1.3, you can show a device bar on the left-hand side of the window border. The displayed tree structure provides a structured overview, quick selection of elements and simplified management of the video sources.

The device bar serves the purpose of main navigation and information tool (as an alternative to the camera and group bar) and it is very helpful especially when handling a larger number of cameras and groups. It can be used to accomplish the following tasks (among other things):

The device bar has two different modes: a selection mode for selecting cameras, clips, groups, and the views as well as an edit mode for changing the properties of cameras and groups. Note that the new device bar also replaces the camera management that had been accessible from the Live view. The Camera Management icon has been removed from the control bar in this view.

Note

This release does not yet support nested groups (i.e., groups within groups). This will be possible using release 1.4 of MxManagementCenter.

Other Improvements

Bugfixes

Known Limitations


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Version 1.2 of MxManagementCenter

Creation Date: 2016-06-21

Publishing Date: 2016-06-27

When installing MxManagementCenter on systems with Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, please make sure that you follow the instructions in the section Important Notes for Installing on Windows Systems.


Important Usage Notes

Enhancements and Improvements

Note: For additional information on the new features described in the following, see the document MxManagementCenter 1.2 Tutorial under www.mobotix.com/other/Support/Tutorials/MxManagementCenter or the integrated quick help of the program.

Event Histogram

You can now activate a histogram at the left-hand side of the Playback and Grid Playback views. This histogram shows the frequency distribution of the selected events and cameras/groups within the selected time span. By default, the histogram shows all event types of the current camera or the camera in the focus window (when in the Grid Playback view). Using the sliders at the right-hand border of the histogram, you can select the event types and the cameras that will be examined. The three icons at the bottom right of the histogram allow selecting the display precision, the examined time span and setting a filter for the recorded events. The histogram hence provides a quick overview on how many and which events occurred on one or more cameras. In addition, you can quickly re-position the cursor for examining the times where many events occurred: Simply click into the histogram area to find the recordings closest to that point in time.

Note: The database with the data required for displaying the histogram is stored on the SD cards of the individual cameras. To use this feature, however, the SD card needs to be formatted using a camera with software release 4.3.4.83 or higher and the camera needs to run a software release 4.4.0.31 or higher.

Export Enhancements

Action Log (User Log)

When creating a new MxMC project, the program automatically creates a file that logs all significant actions of the current user. To view this log, open Window > Action Log in the menu; this dialog also allows filtering by search text and exporting the displayed log as a PDF file.

Configurable Alerting

The Alarms option in the Camera Configuration dialog has been extended by additional settings. You can now define individual sets of event types for each camera, which will prompt MxMC to alert the user. In addition, the entire alerting mechanism can now be scheduled. For this purpose, you can define weekly schedules and assign them to individual event types. An alarm will apply red color to the event images, the alarm bar and the alarm info bar in the display windows of a grid. if activated, an alarm message will pop up.

The alarm bar contains the new Alarm filter slider. Use this slider to show all event images in the alarm bar (default) or only the event images that have also been activated as alarms.

Important: The alerting mechanism is a program setting that is individual to each installation; it is not a general setting that is stored in the camera. This means that events can occur, which will not trigger an alarm. On the other hand, there is no alerting without an event, since they are used as alarm triggers. Independent of the current alarm settings, you can always access all recorded events of the integrated cameras using the (Grid) Playback and Research views in MxMC.

Connection Monitoring (Lost Connection Detection)

The connections to all cameras that have been integrated into MxMC and are active are monitored constantly; a warning dialog will list the lost connections. The program indicates lost connections by showing a red exclamation mark in the top right corner of the program window. Clicking on the icon will show detail information on the cameras with lost connections. In the Monitoring section of the MxManagementCenter > Preferences dialog (Mac) or the File > Preferences dialog (Windows), you can select different options for the audio-visual alarm indicators. In addition, the program can add current snapshot images of all cameras that will be shown automatically for the corresponding camera if that connection is disrupted. This means that even in case of vandalism or theft of a camera, you will always have meaningful images at hand.

Post VM (Post Video Motion Detection)

Using this new feature, you can search recordings retroactively for changes in the images. To do so, click on the new Plugins icon in the Playback or Grid Playback views and select Post Video Motion detection from the context menu. Use this dialog to set the search options and to define one or more search windows in the video image. Next, play back the recording in any direction and with the desired speed. If the plugin detects a change in the defined search windows that fits the specified criteria, playback stops. You can repeat this process as often as you like, until you have found the image with the change you looked for (e.g., a missing object).

Performance Improvements

This version of MxManagementCenter can display a lot more camera live images at the same time in one or more grids as the predecessor version. This is especially true if the integrated cameras are triggering many events on a regular basis that have to be processed by MxMC. Depending on the hardware and the same number of detected events, MxManagementCenter can now show up to twice the number of live cameras with unlimited frame rate on a grid than its predecessor.

Other Improvements

Bugfixes

Important Notes for Installing on Windows Systems

If you intend to install this version on Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 systems, you need to make sure that the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 package has been installed.

Please observe the following hints:

Known Limitations


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Version 1.1.1 of MxManagementCenter

Creation Date: 2015-12-17

Publishing Date: 2015-12-18

Important Usage Notes

Enhancements and Improvements

Exporting With Direct File Server Access

If direct file server access has been defined for browsing and playing back recordings, exporting will now also use the direct file server access. Until now, the data for exporting had been handled via the camera, which also provided the actual data. Using the direct file server access perceptibly increases export speed.

Note: Currently, the progress indicator does not show a fully completed export when using direct file server access. The indicator stops at 99%, although the exported file has been written completely. If the indicator stops, you can cancel the export. Next, you can manually add the exported file to the application (using drag&drop) for playback.

Alarm Handling

Using the new Alarms option in the Camera Configuration dialog, you can set up MxMC to interpret new events received by individual cameras as alarms. An alarm will apply red color to the event images, the alarm bar and the alarm info bar in the display windows of a grid. if activated, an alarm message will pop up.

Message Distribution Using MxMessageSystem

From this release onward, you can define special hyperlinks to send messages using the MxMessageSystem of the integrated cameras and their MxBus modules. The hyperlinks are defined using the following syntax:

mxmsg://<camera IP address>/<message>
 or
mxmsg://<camera name>/<message>
 instead of when using regular URLs
http://<camera IP address>/<URL>

Note that you can only use IP addresses and names of cameras that have already been integrated into MxMC and that have also been activated.

Example:
mxmsg://10.17.143.93/OpenGarageDoor

Bugfixes

Known Limitations


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Version 1.1 of MxManagementCenter

Creation Date: 2015-11-19

Publishing Date: 2015-11-20

Important Usage Notes

Enhancements and Improvements

Direct File Server Access

For browsing and playing back recordings, the program can now access the data directly on the file server using SMB/CIFS (e.g., a NAS system). This includes direct access to the data stored in MxFFS archives or in the classical MOBOTIX folder/file structure. As a result, the playback of recordings is independent of the camera and – most often – a lot faster than when accessing the data via the camera.

To use the direct file server access, the corresponding file server paths are defined in the File > Preferences > Recording Paths dialog. Next, these paths are assigned to the individual cameras in the Camera Configuration dialog. Depending on the setting, MxMC will access the recordings either via the camera or directly on the defined file server. When playing back the recordings from the file server, the Player now shows an additional > icon below the image. It is used to browse the recordings to a maximum of 30 seconds before and after the current image.

Several Languages Supported

The user interface and the integrated quick help of the program are available in the following languages: English, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.

If available, the program will automatically use the same language as the operating system. If the language is not present, English or the second system language will be used. Note that you can manually select other languages in the File > Preferences > General dialog.

Grid View With Option for Performance Optimization

The Group Configuration dialog (right-click on a group or the Camera Management icon) now allows setting a maximum frame rate. Doing so will limit the live cameras that are displayed in the grid tiles to the specified frame rate. Depending on the number and the frame rates of the cameras, this will result in a significant reduction of processor load in the application. Likewise, the required bandwidth used for transferring the images from the cameras to MxMC will drop. This means that you can show even more cameras at the same time. Note that this setting does not affect the focus window of a grid.

Grid Export

When exporting recordings from a grid, you can now select individual cameras after starting the export.

Joystick Calibration, Axis Adjustment and Behavior

To calibrate a joystick and to adjust its axes and its behavior, open the File > Preferences > Joystick PTZ dialog and change the settings as desired.

Known Limitations


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Version 1.0.1 of MxManagementCenter

Creation Date: 2015-06-29

Publishing Date: 2015-06-30

Important Usage Notes

Enhancements and Improvements

Windows Support

As opposed to release 1.0 of the software, this release also supports Windows systems with Windows Vista or higher (32 and 64 bit).

OpenGL and Image Quality Settings

The Preferences dialog, General section contains two new options:

In addition, release 1.0.1 contains many error corrections and smaller improvements as compared to release 1.0.

Known Limitations


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MxManagementCenter Version 1.0 − Mac OS X Only

Creation date: 2015-06-03

Publishing date: 2015-06-03

Content

The MOBOTIX MxManagementCenter is a completely newly developed, intuitive video management system for Windows and Macintosh systems. This document describes how to install and use the software and includes a brief technical description of the essential system functions as well.

Important Notes

The First Program Start and a Demo Configuration

Main Functions

The MxManagementCenter is a video management software with a focus on a simple and intuitive interface. Full screen display of a camera via mouse click, multi-monitor support, a clear representation of events and alarms, the control of door stations as well as the execution of many actions by "drag and drop" are just some examples of the many program functions.

Main Functions

Out of the above already mentioned many possibilities for viewing and control of cameras and door stations of your video surveillance system, the most important functions are the following ones:

Notes for Operation

Known Limitations


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