Create rules for sensors

Last modified: Tuesday January 17, 2023.

Create a rule to alert your operators when the value or state from a sensor changes. This could be when, for example, the temperature exceeds or drops below a predefined limit, or when the state of a water detector changes when water is detected in a sump.

Prerequisites

To use PresetDate & Time settings, make sure you have configured them before creating the rule.

Task — Create the sensor rule

1. Choose New tool > Rules.
2. Click Add.
3. Type a name for the rule.
4. Click .
5. Set the Level of importance.
   High importance rules prioritize the alarms displayed in Video view when a rule is triggered.
6. Click Next.
7. Select the type of sensor you want to trigger an alert.
   The available options depend on the sensors you have connected to your Alta Video deployment, and could consist of any of All sensors, Disruptive Technologies, Halo, or Generic.
8. Depending on your chosen sensor types, define the parameters for each detection.
9. When you have defined your required sensor detections, click Next.
10. Select the sensors to be used in this rule.
    Use Search to help find the required cameras in the list.
    
11. Click Next.
12. Specify your required Date & Time and RULE ACTIVATION settings.
    If you have predefined them, use Templates to simplify adding the same date and time parameters to multiple rules.
13. Click Next.
14. Select your required actions. Select from:
    • Pop-up — when triggered, pops up a notification in Alta Video that includes a thumbnail view of the camera view that triggered the rule.
      To receive notifications on the Alta Video mobile app, check Also send a push notification on the mobile app.
    • Email — when triggered, an email message is sent to the defined user or group of users.
    • External link— when triggered, Alta Video automatically creates a shared external link that can be embedded in an Email or Webhook notification.
    • Webhook — when triggered, enables notification via a webhook to your preferred communication system.

    Alarms are only shown to operators that have access to the cameras that trigger the rule.

To configure Advanced settings:
1. Click Advanced settings.
2. To record more video at the end of the alarm, specify the Additional recording time.
3. To merge similar alarms, specify the Merge similar alarms within time.
4. Select how the triggered rule should behave. To trigger an alarm that shows in the Alarms tool, select Security Alarm (default). To trigger as an event that shows in the Events tool, select Security Event.
5. Click Done.
15. Choose to require your operators to acknowledge the triggered rule.
16. Click Done.