Quick Start Guide
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Table of Contents
Overview 3
Part 1 – Initial Setup 4
System Settings
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and Security 4
Activate a License
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Create a User
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/ Share Access via Nx Cloud 6
Connect an Nx
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Witness System to Nx Cloud 7
Configure the
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Storage Archive 8
Add a Camera
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Enable Recording
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on a Camera 10
Enable Motion
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Detection and Create a Motion Mask 11
Part 2 – Using Basic Features 12
Create a Layout
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Searching Through
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the Video Archive 13
Preview Search .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
Sm art Motion Search
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Calendar Search .......................................................................................................................................................... 16
Export Recorded
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Video 16
Create an Nx
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Cloud Account / Log in to an Nx Cloud System 17
Nx Witness Quick Start Guide
Overview
This guide is split up into two parts:
· Part 1 – Helps administrators get started with the initial setup and configuration of an Nx Witness
system.
· Part 2 – Introduces users to the most frequently used basic features in Nx Witness.
The latest version of Nx Witness can be downloaded from my.networkoptix.com.
For additional help beyond this guide, you can visit Nx Support Portal or access the Nx Witness User
Manual for detailed information about Nx Witness technology, features, system setup, and
configuration.
Please visit and engage in our support community to share your Nx Witness experience with other
community members or our team.
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Part 1 – Initial Setup
Begin the setup and configuration process after installing Nx Server and Nx Desktop.
1. Launch Nx Desktop and click on the New Server tile to begin the Nx Server setup process.
2. Click Setup New System.
3. Enter a name for your new Nx Witness system.
4. Enter a password for the Owner account.
Important: This is the system's primary account and cannot easily be changed once set. The
default username is "admin", and it is the only account with super administrator privileges.
5. View the server's information and click Finish.
System Settings and Security
The settings below affect your entire Nx Witness system. Assess each setting carefully before making
any changes.
1. Open the Main Menu and click System Administration.
2. Toggle on/off the options under System Settings as needed:
o Enable cameras and servers autodiscovery and automated camera status check – The
system continuously discovers new cameras and servers on the network and sends frequent
discovery requests to cameras for status updates. If disabled, cameras must be added manually,
and cameras will appear as if they were offline due to the lack of status updates.
Important: Multicasting must be enabled on your network for autodiscovery to work.
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o Send anonymous usage and crash statistics to software developers – Automatically sends
anonymized data about the system (e.g. cameras, server hardware, software version, crashes,
etc.) to help improve Nx Witness.
o Allow System to optimize camera settings – Configures cameras to send two streams at the
optimal resolution. Read Camera Optimization for more information.
3. Toggle on/off the options under Security as needed:
o Enable audit trail – Tracks and logs all user actions.
o Allow only secure connections – Forces all servers in the System to accept only secure HTTPS
connections. This prevents API requests, the server Web Admin interface, and other data (user
accounts, device access credentials, etc.) from being intercepted and analyzed.
§ Encrypt video traffic – If enabled, prevents your video streams (live and playback) from
being intercepted and viewed.
o Limit session duration – If enabled, users will be automatically logged out if their session
exceeds the specified duration.
o Display watermark with username over video – If enabled, watermarks will be displayed over
live, archive, and exported videos for non-admin users only.
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Activate a License
1. Open the Main Menu and click System Administration.
2. Go to the Licenses tab.
3. Enter the license key and click Activate License.
Note: Read Internet Activation of Licenses and Types of Nx Witness Licenses for more
information.
Create a User / Share Access via Nx Cloud
User Management allows you to search for and modify users and create custom roles.
Create a Local User
1. Open the Main Menu and click User Management.
2. Click New User.
3. Select the Local user type.
4. Enter credentials and select a role. Click OK.
Create a Cloud User / Share Access to an Nx Cloud System
1. Open the Main Menu and click User Management.
2. Click New User.
3. Select the Cloud user type.
4. Enter an email address and select a role. Click OK.
5. Existing Nx Cloud users will receive an email stating that they now have access to your Nx
Witness system, while new users will receive an email that prompts the user to create an Nx
Cloud account to gain access to the shared system.
Note: Nx Cloud users can access a shared system by logging into Nx Desktop or the Nx Cloud
portal 17 .
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Connect an Nx Witness System to Nx Cloud
An Nx Witness system connected to Nx Cloud allows users to access all servers in the system without
directly connecting to an individual server.
Additional benefits:
· Users logged in to their Nx Cloud account on Nx Desktop can access any Nx Witness system on
the account without entering credentials.
· Easily share access to Nx Cloud systems with new users, only requiring a user email for the invite.
· View and manage your Nx Witness system from the Nx Cloud portal.
1. Open the Main Menu and click System Administration.
2. Go to the Nx Cloud tab and click Connect System to Nx Cloud.
3. Enter your Nx Cloud account 17 login and click OK.
Important: If your firewall restricts most connections by default, be sure to allow the required
FQDNs to prevent cloud-connectivity issues.
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Configure the Storage Archive
Add Storage
All accessible local and network drives should automatically be detected. Network drives can be
added manually if not detected automatically.
1. Right-click on the server and click Server Settings.
2. Go to the Storage Management tab.
3. Click Add External Storage and enter the drive's location and credentials. Click OK.
Main and Backup Storage
4. Choose which drive should be the Main drive and which drive(s) should be used as its Backup.
5. Click Backup Settings.
6. Configure the backup mode and backup quality, and select which cameras to back up.
There are three backup modes:
· On Demand – The backup begins only if the user presses Start Backup Now and continues
until completion (once all previous data is backed up) or cancellation.
· Realtime – The footage will be written to the main and backup storage simultaneously as it is
being recorded.
· By Schedule – The backup occurs on specific days of the week and at specific hours.
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Analytics Data Storage
It is not recommended to store analytics data on the Main drive as analytics data cannot be moved
and takes up large amounts of space. If you encounter a storage issue, read How to fix the Analytics
Database Storage Issue.
7. To store analytics data, hover over the desired drive and click Use to store analytics data.
Add a Camera
Compatible devices will usually be detected automatically since autodiscovery is enabled by
default, although sometimes devices will need to be searched for and added manually.
1. Right-click on the server and click Add Device.
2. In the Known Address tab, enter the camera location to search for the camera on the network. If
needed, enter the port or authorization credentials. Click Scan.
3. In the Subnet Scan tab, enter the subnet to search for the camera on the network. If needed,
enter the port or authorization credentials. Click Scan.
Authorization Credentials
Some cameras require authorization credentials before being able to access their stream. These
cameras have a lock icon next to them in the Resource Tree.
1. Right-click on a camera and click Camera Settings.
2. In the General tab, click Edit Credentials.
3. Enter the login and password. Click OK.
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Enable Recording on a Camera
1. Right-click on a camera and click Camera Settings.
2. Go to the Recording tab and enable the Recording option.
3. Select the recording schedule settings: dates/times, recording mode, FPS, and Quality. Click OK.
There are three recording modes:
· Record always – Records the stream all the time.
· Motion only – Records the stream only when motion is detected.
· Motion + Low-res – Records the stream in low resolution all the time and high resolution only
when motion is detected.
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Enable Motion Detection and Create a Motion Mask
1. Right-click on a camera and click Camera Settings.
2. Go to the Recording tab and enable the Motion Detection option.
3. Select a sensitivity level and click and drag on the video preview to create a motion mask over
the desired area. Click OK.
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Part 2 – Using Basic Features
1. Navigation Panel – Access the Main Menu, create and organize layouts, log in to Nx Cloud, and
use the context-sensitive user manual.
2. Resource Tree – Organize all servers, cameras, layouts, webpages, and other resources. Use
Keyword Search to find resources quickly. Right-click on a resource and choose Rename to
change its name.
3. Notification Panel – Access the following tabs:
o Notifications – Displays important information about the system's state and triggered event
rules.
o Motion – Displays detected motion events from cameras with recording enabled.
o Bookmarks – Displays bookmarks that were manually created or triggered by an event rule.
o Events – Displays triggered event rules.
o Objects – Displays detected objects from plugin or camera analytics. Only visible when certain
analytics are detected.
4. Timeline – Playback controls are to the left (Play/Pause, Last/Next Frame, Last/Next Video
Segment), and stream toggles are to the right (Live, Sync, Thumbnail, and Calendar). Recorded
video appears as a solid green bar. If the Motion tab is open, motion recordings appear as red
segments. If the Bookmarks tab is open, bookmarks appear as blue segments.
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5. Viewing Grid – Displays up to 64 items (e.g. cameras, webpages, etc.). Items are easily
adjustable (drag-and-drop to move) and can change dynamically in size depending on the
number of items on the Viewing Grid.
Create a Layout
1. Click on the plus (+) icon on the Navigation Panel to create a new tab.
2. Drag and drop items onto the Viewing Grid and configure them to your needs.
3. Right-click on the newly created tab and click Save Layout.
Searching Through the Video Archive
Drag the position slider on the Timeline to select a segment of time. The position slider shows the
time currently being displayed on the selected camera or all cameras on the Viewing Grid if the
SYNC button is active.
Zoom in or out of the Timeline to show smaller or larger time intervals using the mouse scroll wheel
or the +/- buttons on the upper left portion of the Timeline.
Preview Search
1. Select a camera on the Viewing Grid.
2. Click and drag the position slider on the Timeline to highlight the desired segment of recorded
video.
3. Right-click the highlighted segment and click Preview Search.
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4. Your selected time segment will automatically be divided into several equal time segments. A
new Layout will be created, and these smaller time segments will be displayed with thumbnails
for each time segment.
5. Click on a Preview Search Thumbnail to see the corresponding archive time segment highlighted
in the Timeline.
6. Preview Search thumbnails can be divided into smaller time segments by right-clicking on the
desired thumbnail and choosing Preview Search. The smallest time segment that Preview Search
will process thumbnails for is 10 seconds.
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Smart Motion Search
To search for motion events in the archive:
1. Go to the Notification Panel and click the Motion tab, or hover over a camera on the Viewing
Grid and click the Smart Motion Search icon.
2. Apply the following filters:
o Area (required) – Click and drag over the camera to define the Smart Motion Search area. This
limits the results to motion events that occurred within a specified zone of the camera's stream.
o Camera (required) – Limits the results to motion events from the selected camera.
o Time (optional) – Limits the results to motion events that occurred within the selected time
interval: Last day, Last 7 days, Last 30 days, and Any time.
3. View the search results in the Notification Panel.
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Calendar Search
Search for and view archive video by filtering via a camera's archive recording date/time:
1. Click on the Calendar icon to the right of the Timeline.
2. Select one or more dates to view recordings from that day.
3. Select one or more times to view recordings from that hour.
Note: Hold the CTRL key while selecting dates/times to choose more than one.
Export Recorded Video
1. Select a camera on the Viewing Grid.
2. Click and drag the position slider on the Timeline to highlight the desired segment of recorded
video.
3. Right-click the highlighted segment and click Export Video.
4. Select the file type and export location. Click Export.
Note: Read Exporting Video for more information.
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Create an Nx Cloud Account / Log in to an Nx Cloud System
Create an Nx Cloud Account
1. Open the Nx Cloud account registration webpage.
2. Enter your registration information and click Create Account.
3. An activation email will be sent to you. Open the email and click Activate Account.
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Log in to the Nx Cloud Portal
The Nx Cloud portal homepage displays tiles, and each tile represents a cloud-connected system to
which the user has access.
1. Open the Nx Cloud portal homepage and click Log In.
2. Enter your Nx Cloud account credentials and click Log In.
3. Click on a tile to access the following webpages for the selected system:
o View – Use the Resource Tree to view live and archive footage.
o Settings – Manage users, system and security settings, activate licenses, enable recording,
create a motion mask, etc.
o Information – Use the Health Monitoring tool to check to see if the system is in good shape
and displays information such as the performance of the system and if any errors have occurred.
Log in to Nx Cloud on Nx Desktop
1. Click the Nx Cloud icon on the Navigation Panel.
2. Enter your email and password. Click Log in.
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