Testing motion detection settings

After modifying the motion detection settings for a camera, test your new settings to make sure that you get the expected results.

What you should know

There are limitations with hardware motion detection. If motion detection is performed on the unit, then the test might not be completely accurate.

CAUTION: Light reflections on windows, switching lights on or off, and light level changes caused by cloud movement can cause undesired motion detection responses, and generate false alarms. Therefore, you should perform a number of tests for different day and night conditions. For surveillance of indoor areas, ensure that there is consistent lighting of the areas during the day and at night. Uniform surfaces without contrast can trigger false alarms even with uniform lighting.

To test your motion detection settings:

From the Config Tool home page, open the Video task.
Select the camera to configure, and click the Motion detection tab.
Under Motion zone, select one of the following test modes from the Test zone drop-down list:
- Test zone:
  The motion zone is displayed as blue overlays. The motion blocks are displayed as green overlays. The number of motion blocks is updated in real time. When the number of motion blocks reaches the Motion threshold, they are displayed as red.
  NOTE: If the camera is configured to record on motion, the recording state () will turn red when the Motion threshold is reached.
- Test all zones:
  In this mode, all motion zones are displayed at the same time, with the number of motion blocks in each displayed separately.
- View all motion:
  In this mode, the entire video image is tested for motion. All motion in the image is displayed as motion blocks (green overlays). The total number of motion blocks is updated in real time. Use this mode to test the sensitivity setting for this camera.