PTZ camera tours

Last modified: Friday October 10, 2025.

Alta videos allows you to create a camera tour. This is a series of preset camera positions and movements, allowing the camera to automatically cycle through these positions at specified intervals.

Task — Create a PTZ Camera tour

1. Choose Tools > Video view.
2. Open a saved view containing a PTZ camera or drag a PTZ camera to a view pane.
3. Click on the presets icon located in the top right of the video view.
4. Select tours from the drop down menu, then click Manage tours and add tour.
5. Choose from the following Modes:
   1. Sequential - the PTZ tour will go to the presets in a set order.
   2. Random - the PTZ tour will go to each preset in a randomized order.
6. To assign the Coordinates/Presets, click the drop down menu and chose Presets or Coordinates.
   1. If adding coordinates, move the camera to the position in the new window, change the name and click Add.
   2. To delete a preset - click the trashcan icon at the end. A minimum of 3 presets will be needed before the icon appears.
7. Once the positions have been added, the following changes can also be made.
   1. Move Speed - the speed at which the camera will move between presets.
   2. Dwell Period - how long the camera will stay stationary at the preset position.
8. You can also conduct a preview of the PTZ tour by clicking the Preview button located on the right side of the preset list.
9. Click Done once all the Preset positions are set.
10. To exit a PTZ tour once initiated, click the center button of the PTZ control to return the camera to the default position.

Task — Setting default tours

1. Choose Tools > Video view.
2. Open a saved view containing a PTZ camera or drag a PTZ camera to a view pane.
3. Click on the presets icon located in the top right of the video view.
4. Select tours from the drop down menu, then click Manage tours.
5. From the tours listed, click the star to set the tour as default.
6. Unselecting the star will remove the tour as a default.

Task — Running a PTZ tour

1. Choose Tools > Video view.
2. Open a saved view containing a PTZ camera or drag a PTZ camera to a view pane.
3. Click on the presets icon located in the top right of the video view.

4. Choose the tour that you want the camera to run

PTZ Permission Matrix

Action	PTZ Control	Manage PTZ Tours
Manually pan, tilt and zoom the camera
Interrupt/override active PTZ tour
Move camera to change live view
Use preset and tours
Create a new PTZ preset
Edit or delete an existing PTZ Preset
Create a new PTZ tour
Edit or delete an existing PTZ tour
Set idle timeout behaviour
Define or update the default preset / tour