Release Notes for MOBOTIX MxEasy

Document Info

Contents

These Release Notes contain a short technical description of the most important changes of MOBOTIX MxEasy.

Software Releases—Overview:

Notes

• Please download the stable customer releases of the software from http://www.mobotix.com in the Support > Software Downloads section.
• If available, MOBOTIX offers additional language packages with the customer release (see Automatic Installation of Language Packages).
• Please send an e-mail to software-feedback@mobotix.com for feedback.

System Requirements

Windows

• Windows XP SP3 or higher
• Processor with at least 2 GHz
• Minimum 1 GB RAM

Mac OS X

• Mac OS X 10.4 or higher
• Processor with at least 2 GHz
• Minimum 1 GB RAM

Linux

• Processor with at least 2 GHz
• Minimum 1 GB RAM
• The supported Linux distributions are listed in the Platform-Specific Notes of the corresponding version.

Installation of Language Packages

For MxEasy 1.4 and higher, MOBOTIX offers additional language packages. These files are named LangPack_MxEasy_V*_<language[_country]>.zip, where "<language[_country]>" is replaced by the corresponding language and, if required, the country code (for Italian, this would be LangPack_MxEasy_V*_it.zip, for Chinese (China) LangPack_MxEasy_V*_zh_CN.zip). Please make sure that the version number of the language package matches the installed version (e.g. "V1-4-1").

Unpack the ZIP file and proceed as shown below for the corresponding operating system to install the desired language.

Installation of Language Packages on Windows Machines

• Close MxEasy if the application is running.
• Open the MxEasy program folder (C:\Program Files\Mobotix\MxEasy by default).
• Create a new folder named Languages.
• Copy the language package files (MxEasy_<language[_country]>.qm and MxEasy_<language[_country]>.qm.signature) to the Languages folder.
• Copy the print template file (PrintTemplates_<language[_country]>.ts) to the Templates folder.
• Launch MxEasy and select the installed language in the Extras > Settings > General dialog.

Installation of Language Packages on Mac OS X Machines

• Close MxEasy if the application is running.
• Right-click on MxEasy.app in Finder and select Show Package Contents.
• In the Contents folder, create a new folder Languages (with a capital "L").
• Copy the language package files (MxEasy_<language[_country]>.qm and MxEasy_<language[_country]>.qm.signature) to the Languages folder.
• Copy the print template file (PrintTemplates_<language[_country]>.ts) to the Templates folder.
• Launch MxEasy and select the installed language in the MxEasy > Settings > General dialog.

Installation of Language Packages on Linux Machines

• Close MxEasy if the application is running.
• As root, open the MxEasy program folder (/opt/Mobotix/MxEasy by default).
• Create a new folder Languages (with a capital "L").
• Copy the language package files (MxEasy_<language[_country]>.qm and MxEasy_<language[_country]>.qm.signature) to the Languages folder.
• Copy the print template file (PrintTemplates_<language[_country]>.ts) to the templates folder.
• Launch MxEasy and select the installed language in the Edit > Settings > General dialog.

Version 1.4.1 (Release) of MxEasy for Linux

Creation Date: 2011-11-17

Publishing Date: 2011-11-21

Note: Please read the release notes for Version 1.4.1 of MxEasy for Windows and Mac OS X, that also apply to version 1.4.1 of MxEasy for Linux.

Platform-Specific Notes

Linux

Supported Linux distributions (32 and 64 bit computers)

• Fedora 14, 15, 16
• OpenSuse Linux 11.3, 11.4, 12.1
• Ubuntu 10.04, 11.04, 11.10

Version 1.4.1 (Release) of MxEasy for Windows and Mac OS X

Creation Date: 2011-07-08

Publishing Date: 2011-07-15

Enhancements and Improvements

Improved Support of Different Network Environments

• Bandwidth management
  In order to efficiently access cameras in networks with different bandwidths (e.g. local company network and Internet), MxEasy allows managing the required bandwidths. When using a mobile computer, for example, you can select the proper environment to adjust the access to the connection speed (slow, remote). By assigning a network bandwidth in the Preferences > Connections dialog, the application sets a bandwidth for the selected environment. This bandwidth is then used to access the live images and to get the recorded video from the camera when searching recordings. In case you would like to set different connection speeds for specific cameras, you can do so in the camera's Properties dialogs. Four levels of bandwidth are available:
  • Slow Remote
    Modem, ISDN, GPRS, EDGE
  • Fast Remote
    DSL, UMTS (3G)
  • Slow Local
    WiFi, Ethernet
  • Fast Local

    Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
• Assigning cameras to an environment
  To assign cameras to different environments, you can activate/deactivate cameras in either the Camera Management dialog or the camera list as required. You can thus hide cameras that are not available in one environment or that are not to be made available by the administrator without having to completely remove them from the system.

Control Mode

In order to prevent accidental misconfigurations, Release 1.4 of MxEasy introduces the concept of a control mode. For example, if you would like to prevent that the recording type is accidentally changed on a camera that is accessed via the Internet (although you would have the administration right to do so), you can explicitly set this camera to Image Mode. You can adjust the control mode in the Properties dialog for each camera and for every environment.

• Full Control
  All configuration changes are allowed.
• Image Mode
  Configuration changes are limited to image settings and PTZ.
• Viewer Mode
  Configuration changes are not allowed.

Optimized Virtual PTZ for Hemispheric Cameras

The virtual PTZ functions have been optimized to provide full support of Hemispheric cameras in Panorama display mode that are mounted to a wall. This additional display mode is also available for non-hemispheric cameras and provides a quick look around, among other advantages.

• Intuitive behavior when clicking/double-clicking
  If you would like to enlarge an image area, a simple click on the image is sufficient. Double-clicking zooms out of the image and centers the image. When clicking into the upper or lower third of a Panorama image, the camera does not zoom, but tilts the image up or down, respectively, showing the image area that had been hidden before. Clicking into the image center zooms into the image and centers it.
• "Home View" button

  Since you can change the displayed image section using the camera and application PTZ functions and also by switching to different display modes, storing a Home View provides a great way to quickly return to a stored view.
• Camera and application PTZ functions can be controlled separately
  If you would like to prevent users from changing a specific camera view (when not using Full Image Recording), you can deactivate the virtual PTZ functions of the camera. If you choose to deactivate the application PTZ functions (if the image resolution is higher than the area of MxEasy's main window), MxEasy directly controls the camera's virtual PTZ functions.

Regardless of these settings, you can continue to change the displayed image section using the mouse (click and drag to pan/tilt), the mouse wheel (zoom actions), the keyboard or a joystick. MxEasy will let you know which actions it is currently performing (application or virtual camera PTZ actions) by displaying the corresponding on-screen icons.

Improved On-Screen Handling of Event Search in the Player

The event histogram in Player mode that had been introduced in release 1.3 has been further improved in release 1.4. A toolbar provides these additional functions:

• Different display modes
  Besides completely hiding the on-screen controls, you can select different levels of display complexity by repeatedly clicking on the arrow button, e.g. to hide the event histogram.
• Selecting time ranges
  Simply click and drag with the mouse to create one or more time ranges for exporting.
• Fast exporting in Marker Mode
  If Marker Mode is activated, the application automatically selects all video sequences that are played back. To export the selected video sequences, simply click on the Export button .

Advanced Video Search in the "Recordings Browser"

The brand-new Recordings Browser (File > Browse Recordings in the menu) provides an intuitive and efficient method for searching specific events in a multi-camera system, even if the search spans longer periods of time.

The user interface of the Recordings Browser dialog has been divided into the following sections:

• Toolbar
  
  • Sources
    Allows selecting the cameras that are to be searched for events.
  • Search mode
    Using this dialog, you can narrow down the search to specific event types, such as Video Motion (VM) or you can run an offline search for motion in the stored recordings (Post VM).
  • Time range
    By setting a time range, you can narrow down the search to e.g. the last 24 hours.
  • Display options
    Use these controls to set the sort order, the sort criteria and the size of the displayed preview images.
• Search results
  Shows the search results according to the search criteria as a list of preview images.
• Player
  Double-clicking on an event image automatically opens the Player section in the lower half of the Recordings Browser and starts playing back the selected event.

Right-clicking on the selected preview image opens a context menu, which offers additional commands, e.g. for exporting the recording.

NOTE:
To provide for rapid execution of the stored searches, the events of all of the individual cameras are stored in a so-called "Event Cache" and this is stored permanently on the PC so that it is again available after program restarts. The fill of the Event Cache will take longer the more new events have occured since the last update of the cache was made (e.g. between program restarts). In particular, the very first time the MxEasy is started, it will take a considerable bit of time to fill the cache completely. The update of the cache might also affect the frame rate of cameras of the model series M12/D12/M22/D22/Q22. A currently running cache update is visualized as activity in the right corner of the lower status line, left-hand of the MOBOTIX symbol.

Other Improvements

• MxEasy Wizard with "Quick Start" option
  When adding cameras in the MxEasy Wizard, you can now select the additional Quick Start option. This setting will immediately add the selected cameras to the system (without any further prompts). The camera configuration is not changed and MxEasy applies default values for e.g. the access mode.
• Audio settings for door stations
  If door stations (T24M) are part of the current installation, you can use the Preferences dialog to allow/deny MxEasy the right to change the microphone and speaker settings of the door stations when using them with MxEasy as door intercom. Once these options have been activated in the application, you can change the values for microphone and speaker of each door station in the corresponding Camera Options dialog.
• Improvement of the Camera Sequencer

  The delays when switching from one camera to the next have been eliminated. The images of the new camera are pre-loaded to show the images without delay.
• Color indicator for password strength when setting passwords
  When setting passwords, the strength of the password is shown by color bars as you are typing.
• Support of floor mounting for Hemispheric cameras
• Setting the time zone and manual time synchronization
  The Camera Options dialog now also allows setting a time zone for every camera. If the camera is not synchronized via a timer server (NTP), you can also use the time of the local computer for manually synchronizing the camera time.
• Additional languages using the translation package
  If you would like to translate MxEasy into other languages besides the ones listed above, you can obtain a so-called "translation package". This package is provided for MOBOTIX partners who would like to provide translations into languages not supported by MOBOTIX. In order to translate the language files in the package, you need to buy a license for Alchemy Catalyst, Translator/Pro Edition (version 8.x or higher). The translation package consists of one file, which is to be translated. Once the translation has been completed, the files within the project will be exported. A batch file then creates the final format of the language files. After the language files have been copied to the correct locations within the MxEasy program folder, the new language can be selected in the application. The translation package also contains documentation, which describes the translation process in detail. Advantage of this process: The translations of older program versions can be re-used in the current package. The translation package is available upon request by sending an e-mail to translation-package@mobotix.com.

  CAUTION:
  The provider of the translation is solely responsible for the completeness and correctness of the translations generated on the basis of the translation package. MOBOTIX does not assume any responsibility and does not warrant for erroneous translations or program errors, which result from using such a translation!

Bugfixes

• MxEasy always showed the French user interface on some Mac OS X systems
  Even though the system settings had been set to English and French, the program's user interface always showed the French user interface, even if English had been placed above French in the list of languages.
• Problems when loading events from M12, D12, V12, D22M and M22M models
  Stability problems sometimes occurred when loading events from M12, D12, V12, D22M and M22M models.
• Distorted images in Sequencer mode
  When using the Sequencer, the application sometimes warped the image in the main window.
• Problems while configuring a T24M door station camera
  When adding and configuring an IP video door station, the application occasionally had stability problems.
• Instabilities in the "Camera Options" dialog
  When opening the Camera Options dialog, the application occasionally had stability problems.
• Camera Sequencer did not work in Mini Viewer
  MxEasy now correctly resumes the camera sequencer after switching to Mini Viewer mode.
• Occasional errors when reacting to camera alarms
  On rare occasions, the application did not show the alerting camera in the main window. If the application had been minimized, it did not pop up automatically, either.
• Problems with AVI export on Mac OS X
  The Mac OS X version of MxEasy did not include audio in exported video. In addition, it was not possible to export mxg files to AVI.
• Player mode: Playback
  When playing back events (forward or backward), the application did not apply the event filters, but showed all available images.
• Player mode: MxPEG clips
  When opening large MxPEG clips, the camera took some time before starting playback.
• Custom days on the cameras sometimes deleted
  Custom days on the cameras were sometimes overwritten or deleted.
• Alarm planner settings on Windows machines sometimes not stored properly
  When restarting the Windows version of MxEasy, the application sometimes lost the Alarm Planner settings defined beforehand.
• Alarm Planner: Notifications
  On cameras running software 3.5.4.x or 4.0.4.x or higher, the Alarm Planner operation mode was unable to configure the sound, e-mail and phone call notifications.
• Alarm Planner: Video Motion Windows
  In order to define the video motion windows in the Alarm Planner, the camera zoom had to be set to 1x and the image had to be centered.
• Alarm Planner: Custom Days
  If MxEasy had been in Alarm Planner operation mode or a Manual Alarm had been triggered, MxEasy sometimes deleted the custom days programs that had been defined in the Time Tables dialog of the camera's web interface.

Known Limitations

• Changing camera settings for dual images
  For dual sensor cameras, some settings, like exposure, VM or Obscure Area windows and the image resolution, can't be changed when the camera is set to deliver a dual image. To edit these settings the camera must first be switched to the left or right sensor. Furthermore the transition from the application zoom to the camera zoom doesn't work correctly for dual images.
• Integration of D14 models
  Cameras of model type D14 are not indicated with their correct designation in the camera list and the configuration of event settings may cause problems. With D14-180°-models the special 180°-functions are not yet supported and the 180°-view has to be configured in a web browser.
• Player mode: Event Control
  If you would like to jump to the next or previous event, MxEasy will also include the "pseudo events", which are generated automatically by the camera every minute. To suppress the pseudo events, use the Filter Event button.
• Player mode: Subsequent video motion detection
  In order to use the Subsequent Video Motion Detection feature, the cameras recording the video data need to run a software of 3.5.4.x or 4.0.4.x or higher.
• Player mode: Event histogram
  The event histogram is not available if MxEasy plays back MxPEG clips or file server structures.
• Manual available for version 1.1
  This version does not have a current manual. Currently, there is a manual for MxEasy version 1.1 available.

Platform-Specific Notes

Linux

MxEasy 1.4 for Linux is currently being tested and will be published here once the testing has been completed.

Version 1.3.2 (Release) of MxEasy for Linux

Creation Date: 2011-01-11

Publishing Date: 2011-01-27

Note: This Linux version of MxEasy exactly corresponds to the version for Windows and Mac OS X. Please read the release notes for Version 1.3.2 of MxEasy for Windows and Mac OS X, that also apply to version 1.3.2 of MxEasy for Linux.

Platform-Specific Notes

Linux

Supported Linux Distributions (32 and 64 Bit Computers)

• Fedora 13
• Fedora 14
• OpenSuse Linux 11.2
• OpenSuse Linux 11.3
• Ubuntu 10.04
• Ubuntu 10.10

Version 1.3.2 (Release) of MxEasy for Windows and Mac OS X

Creation Date: 2010-11-18

Publishing Date: 2010-11-19

Note: Note that you should use T24 cameras only with camera software version 4.0.4.15 or higher.

Bugfixes

• Exported AVI files on Mac OS X now also contain the audio channel of the cameras (provided the cameras recorded the audio channel in the first place).
• The Alarm Planner now shows the correct time ranges (this sometimes did not work properly on Windows installations).
• MxEasy now properly restores the Full Screen view mode after restarting the application.

Known Limitations

• Custom days on the cameras can be deleted
  Custom days on the cameras can be overwritten or deleted.
• Player mode: Event Control
  If you would like to jump to the next or previous event, MxEasy will also include the "pseudo events", which are generated automatically by the camera every minute. This also applies to the event histogram. To suppress the pseudo events, use the Filter Event button.
• Player mode: Playback
  When playing back events (forward or backward), MxEasy will not apply the event filters, but show all available images.
• Player mode: Subsequent video motion detection
  In order to use the Subsequent Video Motion Detection feature, the cameras recording the video data need to run a software of 3.5.4 or 4.0.4 or higher.
• Player mode: MxPEG clips
  When opening large MxPEG clips, the camera may take some time before it starts playing back the file.
• Player mode: Event histogram
  The event histogram is not available if MxEasy plays back MxPEG clips.
• Alarm Planner: Notifications
  Cameras, which run software 3.5.4 or 4.0.4 or higher, cannot use the Alarm Planner operation mode to configure the sound, e-mail and phone call notifications.
• Alarm Planner: Video Motion Windows
  In order to define the video motion windows, the camera zoom needs to be set to 1x and the image need to be centered. To achieve this, simply click on Zoom to Fit option of the Activate PTZ button.
• Alarm Planner: Custom Days
  If MxEasy is in Alarm Planner operation mode or you have triggered a Manual Alarm, MxEasy may delete the custom days programs that had been defined in the Time Tables dialog of the camera's web interface.
• Manual available for version 1.1
  This version does not have a current manual. Currently, there is a manual for MxEasy version 1.1 available.

Platform-Specific Notes

Linux

See Version 1.3.2 (Release) of MxEasy for Linux.

Version 1.3.1 (Release) of MxEasy

Creation Date: 2010-09-10

Publishing Date: 2010-09-22

Note: Note that you should use T24 cameras only with camera software version 4.0.4.15 or higher.

Enhancements and Improvements

• Privacy Mode button again added to the toolbar.
• Authenticate button removed from the toolbar. This function can be started from the File menu.

Bugfixes

• The live streams from the cameras could not be displayed if the cameras had been integrated via an SSL-encrypted connection.
• The Privacy Mode was not recognized properly if Zeroconf/Bonjour was not available.
• The Print Preview did not appear properly centered on the screen.
• The Print dialog did not show all images properly (live and event), if MxEasy was showing the Mini Viewer or the Camera Overview.
• The translation of the menu entries of the Mac OS X applications did not work properly.

Known Limitations

• Custom days on the cameras can be deleted
  Custom days on the cameras can be overwritten or deleted.
• Player mode: Event Control
  If you would like to jump to the next or previous event, MxEasy will also include the "pseudo events", which are generated automatically by the camera every minute. This also applies to the event histogram. To suppress the pseudo events, use the Filter Event button.
• Player mode: Playback
  When playing back events (forward or backward), MxEasy will not apply the event filters, but show all available images.
• Player mode: Subsequent video motion detection
  In order to use the Subsequent Video Motion Detection feature, the cameras recording the video data need to run a software of 3.5.4 or 4.0.4 or higher.
• Player mode: MxPEG clips
  When opening large MxPEG clips, the camera may take some time before it starts playing back the file.
• Player mode: Event histogram
  The event histogram is not available if MxEasy plays back MxPEG clips.
• Alarm Planner: Notifications
  Cameras, which run software 3.5.4 or 4.0.4 or higher, cannot use the Alarm Planner operation mode to configure the sound, e-mail and phone call notifications.
• Alarm Planner: Video Motion Windows
  In order to define the video motion windows, the camera zoom needs to be set to 1x and the image need to be centered. To achieve this, simply click on Zoom to Fit option of the Activate PTZ button.
• Alarm Planner: Custom Days
  If MxEasy is in Alarm Planner operation mode or you have triggered a Manual Alarm, MxEasy may delete the custom days programs that had been defined in the Time Tables dialog of the camera's web interface.
• Manual available for version 1.1
  This version does not have a current manual. Currently, there is a manual for MxEasy version 1.1 available.

Platform-Specific Notes

Linux

MxEasy 1.3 for Linux is currently being tested and will be published here once the testing has been completed.

Supported Distributions

(32 and 64 bit computers)

• Fedora 11
• Fedora 12
• OpenSuse Linux 11.1
• OpenSuse Linux 11.2
• Ubuntu 8.04
• Ubuntu 9.10
• Ubuntu 10.04

Version 1.3.0 (Release) of MxEasy

Creation Date: 2010-07-20

Publishing Date: 2010-07-22

Enhancements and Improvements

Freely Scalable Application Window

The size of the MxEasy application window is not fixed any more. You can resize the window to any size using the mouse. MxEasy stores the current window size when you close the application. Upon the next launch of the application, MxEasy again appears at the stored position.

Improved Configuration of Alarms and Recording

• Selection of operation mode for recording
  MxEasy now supports its own calendar-based configuration of events, actions and the recording options in the Alarm Planner (calendar) as well as the configuration of the camera itself using its web interface. For this purpose, MxEasy now has the Operation Mode button with the options listed below. This button always shows the current operation mode. The button to the left changes according to the selected operation mode and executes the corresponding function when pressed.
  • Switched Off
    In this mode, MxEasy deactivates all notifications and the recording functions of the camera.
  • Normal
    In this mode, MxEasy uses exactly those camera settings for events, actions and recordings that have been set using the Camera Configuration in MxEasy or in the web interface of the camera. If there are no active time table programs in the camera, these settings will always be active, i.e. these settings will not be overwritten by the time ranges defined in the Alarm Planner. In this case, clicking on the Alarm Configuration button to the left activates the configuration mode for these settings - insofar as they are supported by MxEasy.
  • Alarm Planner
    This mode uses the settings for events, triggered actions and recordings as defined in the time ranges of the MxEasy Alarm Planner. In this case, the button to the left opens the MxEasy Alarm Planner.

    CAUTION:
    In this mode, MxEasy will overwrite the configuration settings for events, actions and recordings that are visible in the web interface of the camera with the settings of the time ranges defined in the Alarm Planner!

• Improvements of the Alarm Planner (calendar)
  The Alarm Planner, which is used to define the time ranges and their event, action and recording settings, now opens in a new window. In addition, the behavior and the functions of the Alarm Planner have been improved.

Special Functions for Supporting T24M Cameras Siedle Modules

In order to support the new T24M camera model, several new functions have been added to MxEasy. On the one hand, these new functions allow using a T24M with connected Siedle modules (e.g. bell modules) with MxEasy and Grandstream IP video phones as intercoms. On the other hand, these new functions also provide for an efficient system where MxEasy is used as the audio/video intercom for a T24M.

• Camera wizard and configuration dialog for setting up door bells
  When connected to a T24M, the Camera Options dialog contains the additional Doorbell tab. When adding a T24M to the system, the Camera Wizard also shows this dialog. You can set the following parameters in this dialog:
  • Number of doorbells
  • Simultaneous or consecutive calls to the MxEasy computer (using network messages) and IP video phones:
    • When using Notify MxEasy, you need to specify the IP address of the MxEasy computer.
    • When using Voice-Over-IP Call, you can set either a SIP phone number or the IP address of the VoIP phone that is to be called (please also see the next section).
  • Special Search Grandstream IP Phones function for automatic SIP configuration:

    This function adjust the configuration of a T24M and the discovered Grandstream IP video phones so that audio/video calls can be exchanged between the T24M and the Grandstream phones. The most important settings are as follows:

    • The T24M is configured as SIP server.
    • The discovered Grandstream IP phones are configured to use the SIP server of the T24M. All phones get a unique SIP phone number and these SIP numbers are stored in the corresponding VoIP profiles in the T24M.
    • The specific MOBOTIX extensions of the Grandstream firmware are activated.
    • Quick dialing in the Grandstream phones is activated, so that lifting the handle immediately establishes the connection to the T24M.
  • Presence of a door sensor.
  • Presence of a door lock sensor.
• Phone icons active during calls
  Once MxEasy has been configured as the remote station of a T24M, pressing the doorbell button of a T24M triggers establishes a connection to the MxEasy computer. MxEasy displays a blinking bell icon in the image of the calling camera and plays a bell sound. The two new icons Pick up phone and Hang up phone allow accepting and ending calls (i.e. bi-directional audio connections), respectively. If you immediately click on the Hang up phone icon without having accepted the call first, MxEasy will reject the call. In this case, MxEasy will stop the sound and image notification without establishing a voice connection.

  Note:
  If MxEasy is minimized or hidden when a call comes in, the MxEasy application will automatically return to the top of the applications.

• Special "Mini Viewer" view
  In order to use MxEasy as a remote station of a T24M, you can now activate the new Mini Viewer view from the View menu. By default, this view has a smaller window than the regular view. Furthermore, the view only shows the features that are required in its role as remote station of a T24M. Note that you can resize the application window to any desired size. Upon re-activating the Mini Viewer view, the last known size will be re-established. If the Mini Viewer is active, simply click on the Deactivate Mini Viewer button to return to the regular application view.

Playback of Recordings Using the Improved Player

The Player that is used to search for events and to play back the recordings of MOBOTIX cameras has been completely redesigned. To activate this mode, simply click on the Player Mode button.

• New buttons and operating logic
  The Player buttons are separated into three groups (from left to right):
  • Searching and filtering events, including the new Post VM feature
    These buttons allow searching for an event by time, activating event filters as well as the new Subsequent Video Motion Detection.
  • Navigation between events
    Apart from the known buttons for navigating to the first and last and to the next/previous events, the new Search Range button allows setting a "step width" for event navigation. Event-based navigation thus essentially becomes a time-based navigation. For example, setting Search Range to 1 day will go back one day when clicking on the Previous Image button and will try to find the event to the same time.
  • Playing back found event sequences
    This section has a new control, the Playback Speed rotating knob.. This knob allows setting the desired speed for playing back event sequences (forward and backward).

    Note:
    All settings except Single Step start the playback using the selected speed.

• Reverse playback of sequences
  Playback of the recorded event sequences can also be started backward.
• Event histogram
  As soon as the mouse is moved over the lower part of the display area, a histogram shows how the events are distributed within the visible time range. Upon first displaying the histogram, MxEasy shows the complete time range of the recordings. Next, you can enlarge any area of the time range.

Subsequent Video Motion Detection (Post VM)

As already mentioned in the description of the improved Player above, it now supports the subsequent video motion detection (Post VM). To use this function, activate the Subsequent Video Motion Detection button in the left section of the Player buttons. Next, use the mouse to draw one or more windows in the current display area. To search for any changes in these windows starting at the current time, click on the Previous Event button to look for earlier events and on the Next Event button to look for later events.

Configurable Recording Targets

The Camera Options dialog now contains the Recording tab, which allows selecting one of the available recording targets of MOBOTIX cameras:

• NFS file servers
• SMB/CIFS file servers
• External USB harddisks
• SD cards
• USB stick Flash SSD

CAUTION:
You can use this dialog to set the recording targets for the camera. MxEasy, on the other hand, still searches via the camera when looking through and playing back recorded events. The "Clip Player" constitutes an exception as it is started using the File > Open Clip menu entry. The Clip Player can play back MxPEG Clips or the contents of a MOBOTIX file server structure.

Other Improvements

• Manual available from the applications's Help menu as PDF file
  The Help > Open Manual menu entry opens the included manual (PDF file).
• Improved audio quality
  The audio quality has been drastically improved, especially when using a bi-directional (full duplex) connection to a MOBOTIX camera.

Known Limitations

• Player mode: Event Control
  If you would like to jump to the next or previous event, MxEasy will also include the "pseudo events", which are generated automatically by the camera every minute. This also applies to the event histogram. To suppress the pseudo events, use the Filter Event button.
• Player mode: Playback
  When playing back events (forward or backward), MxEasy will not apply the event filters, but show all available images.
• Player mode: Subsequent video motion detection
  In order to use the Subsequent Video Motion Detection feature, the cameras recording the video data need to run a software of 3.5.4 or 4.0.4 or higher.
• Player mode: MxPEG clips
  When opening large MxPEG clips, the camera may take some time before it starts playing back the file.
• Player mode: Event histogram
  The event histogram is not available if MxEasy plays back MxPEG clips.
• Alarm Planner: Notifications
  Cameras, which run software 3.5.4 or 4.0.4 or higher, cannot use the Alarm Planner operation mode to configure the sound, e-mail and phone call notifications.
• Alarm Planner: Video Motion Windows
  In order to define the video motion windows, the camera zoom needs to be set to 1x and the image need to be centered. To achieve this, simply click on Zoom to Fit option of the Activate PTZ button.
• Alarm Planner: Custom Days
  If MxEasy is in Alarm Planner operation mode or you have triggered a Manual Alarm, MxEasy may delete the custom days programs that had been defined in the Time Tables dialog of the camera's web interface.
• Manual available for version 1.1
  This version does not have a current manual. Currently, there is a manual for MxEasy version 1.1 available.

Platform-Specific Notes

Linux

MxEasy 1.3 for Linux is currently being tested and will be published here once the testing has been completed.

Version 1.1.0 (Release) of MxEasy

Creation Date: 2009-12-11

Publishing Date: 2009-12-11

Enhancements and Improvements

First and foremost, MxEasy 1.1 features a new look when compared to its predecessor version 1.0. The application can automatically adjust to the size of the displayed camera images. In addition, this version has been improved in many ways and many bugs have been fixed. For more information on the features described below, please consult the MxEasy 1.1 User Manual, which has been installed with the software. The newest version of this manual is also available from the MOBOTIX website.

Note:
Most of the features described below require a camera software version 3.5.2.x or higher (for M12, D12, D22M, M22M, D24M, Q22M cameras) or 4.0.2.x or higher (for Q24M, D24M, M24M cameras). If cameras with older software are added to the system, MxEasy will display a message box to alert the user of this fact. In such a case, some of the features described below will not be available.

Changes to the User Interface and the Application Window

• Changed buttons, hideable toolbars
  The buttons arranged around the display area have been redesigned from the ground up. When selecting a different style from the Tools > Style menu, the buttons also change. In addition, you can choose to hide all buttons by deactivating the View > Layout > Toolbars menu entry.
• Different layouts and program window sizes
  The size and arrangement of display windows within MxEasy can be adjusted by selecting options from the View > Layout menu entry or the Camera Overview and Layouts button. The available sizes are automatically adjusted to the main window used for displaying the cameras. The remaining elements of the application window are arranged in a sensible manner.
• Overview layout has changed
  The Camera Overview and Layouts button now shows an overview with all cameras added to MxEasy, that does not contain any additional controls (i.e. checkboxes). To control which cameras are shown in the standard view, open the View > Camera Management menu entry.
• Enlargement of the application
  Click on the View > Maximize and View > Full Screen menu entries to enlarge the application window. Maximize will show the application frame and menu bar, Full Screen will hide these application elements. Press the [Esc] key on your keyboard to return to the standard view.

Improved MxEasy Assistant (Mounting Position and Display Mode Selection for Hemispheric Cameras)

• Improved Camera List
  The camera list, which shows all cameras on the network that are found by MxEasy and which can be integrated into the system, has been improved.
• Support of Hemispheric cameras
  When adding Hemispheric cameras to MxEasy, the wizard shows an additional dialog. You can set the mounting position and the desired display mode (e.g. Panorama) for the Hemispheric camera.

Extended Support of PTZ and Hemispheric Features

• PTZ actions in the application and in the camera
  When executing digital (virtual) zoom actions, MxEasy now differentiates between application and camera zoom. If the camera image has a higher pixel resolution than the available display area in the MxEasy main window, the application itself will execute the zoom actions. In application zoom mode, the image keeps sending unchanged images and MxEasy continues to zoom into the image until one display pixel corresponds exactly to one pixel of the camera image. If you continue to zoom into the image, MxEasy switches to camera zoom and the camera delivers a zoomed image. Different icons in the upper right corner of the image (a rectangle and a camera icon) will show, which zoom is used at the moment.
• Setup of Hemispheric cameras
  When setting up Hemispheric cameras, you can set the mounting position, the Panorama and Horizon correction directly in MxEasy. To make these adjustments, activate the function toolbar by clicking on the Image Formats and Views and use the corresponding buttons.

Definition of Network Environments

Defining different network environments allows adding the same set of cameras with different IP addresses to MxEasy. Switching the environment will use a different set of camera IP addresses without having to change the IP addresses individually for each camera. When using a laptop, for example, you can create two different environments - one for the camera network on the LAN and one for accessing the same cameras remotely via the Internet using a DynDNS service. To define different network environments, click on the File > Environment > Edit Environments.

Playback and Export of Recorded Data (with Preview) for AVI, MxPEG Clips and File Server Structures

• Export of audio/video data
  MxEasy now provides features for exporting the recorded audio/video data into different formats: AVI, MxPEG clips and MOBOTIX file server structure. To define the clips you would like to export, make sure that the Player Mode has been activated, then click on the Event Search button and highlight the desired range in the Select Event by Time dialog. Once the range has been set, you can add it to the export list by clicking on the Add Clip to Export List button.
• Playback and export with post PTZ actions
  When playing back recordings, the same PTZ actions and views are available as when viewing live camera images. This means that you can play back the original full images of a Hemispheric camera e.g. as Panorama images and with a zoomed image section. Just as when viewing live camera images, you can use the features of the Image Formats and Views button to select post-PTZ functions and view modes. If desired, you can use the selected view mode also when exporting the audio/video data.
• Playback of MxPEG clips and MOBOTIX file server structures
  In order to play back MxPEG clips or file server structures, click on the File > Open Clip menu entry to open the desired format.

System Shutoff – Privacy Mode

The new Privacy Mode button in the upper toolbar now provides a function to "switch off" the complete camera system. Since this system does not have a physical switch, the "system shutoff" had to be implemented by a software function. Once this switch has been activated, the cameras will not allow any access to live images or recordings; even the system administrator does not have any means to access the cameras. MxEasy accomplishes this by replacing all passwords on the cameras by an admin password that is generated at runtime and by completely blocking public access. The cameras are signaling this operating mode by a special (new) blinking pattern: two specific LEDs are flashing simultaneously every three seconds. On Q24M, D24M and M24M cameras, both LEDs will flash green, even the second LED, which only blinks red otherwise!

CAUTION:
To return to the standard mode, you can either deactivate the Privacy Mode in MxEasy or you can login at the cameras from the browser interface. When activating the Privacy Mode, make sure that you are making a note of the automatically generated admin password or that you are assigning your own password.

Other Improvements

• Echo cancellation
  Thanks to the fully integrated echo cancellation, you can play back the sound from the camera microphone on the computer speakers and at the same time send an announcement from the computer microphone to the camera speaker.
• Deactivating the OpenGL hardware acceleration
  By default, MxEasy uses OpenGL commands to accelerate the display of the graphics and the camera's video images, since all modern graphics adapters support these commands. As OpenGL commands may cause problems on some computer systems, you can deactivate OpenGL in the Settings dialog, General tab.

Bugfixes

• Support of ATI graphics adapters
  MxEasy version 1.0 caused problems on some systems with ATI graphics adapters when displaying graphical elements and camera images.
• Playback of recordings sometimes instable
  When playing back recorded camera data (audio and video), various problems occurred, such as timeouts, display of wrong timestamps, abrupt player stops, etc.
• Support of https/SSL Connections
  You can now add cameras to MxEasy, which are using https/SSL connections.

Known Limitations

• Player mode – playback does not work backwards
  Playing back recordings backwards continuously is not possible with this version. It is only possible to go back one event at a time by clicking repeatedly on the corresponding button.
• Player mode – event handling
  When playing back the events of a continuous recording, MxEasy will also show the "pseudo events" generated automatically every minute. Is is currently not possible to show only the "real" events, such as video motion detection (VM), microphone, etc.

Platform-Specific Notes

Mac OS X

This version only runs on Mac OS X computers with Intel processor and OS X 10.4 or higher.

Linux

MxEasy version 1.1 is also available as a Linux application. Supported distributions (32 and 64 bit computers):

• Fedora 11
• Fedora 12
• OpenSuse Linux 11.1
• OpenSuse Linux 11.2
• Ubuntu 8.04
• Ubuntu 9.10

Version 1.0.4 (Release) of MxEasy

Creation Date: 2009-03-20

Publishing Date: 2009-03-23

Enhancements and Improvements

• Automatic software updates for camera software
  From this version on, MxEasy also checks the software of the managed cameras and notifies the user if a newer version is available.
• Defining of Video Motion windows improved
  
  • You can define reference windows by pressing the Alt key while dragging a frame.
  • You can add or single nodes of a video motion polygon window by pressing the Shift key.
• Crop marks for quick definition of video export range
  When exporting recorded video data, crop marks allow defining a start and end position of the ranges that are to be exported.

Bugfixes

• Problems sometimes occurred when changing the network configuration or the access data of cameras already managed by MxEasy.
• When restoring a previously saved camera configuration, problems sometimes occurred if the access data had been changed in the meantime.
• The time server setting was not transferred properly when initially setting up cameras.
• The stylesheets of the skin definitions had been missing in the Windows installations.

Version 1.0.3 (Release) of MxEasy

Creation Date: 2009-03-06

Publishing Date: 2009-03-06

Welcome to MxEasy

This release is the first publicly available version of the new MOBOTIX MxEasy. MxEasy provides for quick setup, configuration and use of a video security system with up to 16 MOBOTIX cameras. It is thus the correct choice for all small and compact camera networks. The application finds all existing MOBOTIX cameras and automatically conducts the initial configuration of the devices. You do not need any deeper knowledge of network technology to connect and operate your MOBOTIX cameras.

The configuration of the cameras is facilitated thanks to the intuitive user interface of MxEasy. In most of the cases, it is not required to use a web browser to configure the cameras.

This version is available for Windows computers and Mac OS X systems.

System Requirements

Windows

• Windows XP SP3 or higher
• Processor with at least 2 GHz
• Minimum 1 GB RAM

Mac OS X

• Mac OS X 10.4 or higher
• Processor with at least 2 GHz
• Minimum 1 GB RAM

Important Notes

• Minimum firmware version of the cameras for full functionality: 3.4.5.4.
• Many features (operating mode, alarm planner, etc.) will be switched off if only one camera does not have the minimum firmware version.
• MxEasy currently only fully supports the recording on the internal SD/CF storage media of the MOBOTIX cameras. Although you cannot use MxEasy to set up recording on file servers, MxEasy can play back the data recorded on the file server via the camera.

Known Limitations

• Post image creation features such as distortion correction of live and recorded full sensor images of a Q22M camera with L11 lens as well as other post-processing features are not yet available.
• Q22M: You can only define hidden (obscured) areas in the Full Image display mode.
• Systems with ATI graphics adapters may experience problems when displaying graphical elements and video images.
• Reconfiguring cameras to use DHCP may not work properly.
• Make sure that you restart MxEasy after adding/changing information on a proxy server.

Platform-Specific Notes

Mac OS X

• Audio messages to the camera are currently not supported.
• AVI export is not supported.