Use PTZ camera controls

Last modified: Thursday July 10, 2025.

You can control a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera directly from the Video view tool.

Task — Control a PTZ camera in Video view

  1. Choose Tools Tools > Video view Video view.
  2. Open a saved view containing a PTZ camera or drag a PTZ camera to a view pane.
  3. Hover over the PTZ camera video pane to see and interact with the virtual joystick and zoom control.
    1. You can only control one PTZ camera at a time.
  4. To use keyboard controls or an external game controller or joystick, click ptz control toggle button.
    1. Selecting keyboard controls, an external game controller, or a joystick turns off the virtual controller. To turn the virtual controller back on, click ptz control toggle button.
    2. Switching between virtual or physical controls applies to all PTZ camera feeds in the video view.

Task — Install an Avigilon Joystick for the first time

When using your Avigilon Joystick for the first time, it may be necessary to initiate gamepad mode before it can be used to control your PTZ cameras.

  1. On the Avigilon joystick, press and hold the button and the 5 button simultaneously.
  2. With the buttons held, plug the Avigilon Joystick USB into your computer.
  3. Release the buttons.

The Avigilon Joystick is now in gamepad mode and can be used to control your PTZ cameras.

Keyboard, game controller, and joystick controls for PTZ cameras

When connecting an Avigilon Joystick to your deployment, the joystick may not function until a button has been pressed. Press any button on the device to activate the joystick.

ControlKeyboardGame controllerJoystick
Zoom inWLeft analog stick
Zoom outSLeft analog stick
Tilt upUp arrowRight analog stick
Tilt downDown arrowRight analog stick
Pan leftLeft arrowRight analog stick
Pan rightRight arrowRight analog stick
Next presetn/aR1/RB

To see a full list of keyboard and game controller controls, open Alta Video > Profile > Profile > Controls.

Calibrate and adjust PTZ camera settings

You can adjust the PTZ settings for each camera to increase or decrease the sensitivity of the camera movement in response to your control movements.

  1. Choose Tools Tools > Devices Devices.

  2. Select the required cameras and click Edit settings in the side panel.

  3. Open the Video tab and click Video adjustments.

  4. Find PTZ calibration.

  5. Manually adjust the pan, tilt, and zoom steps to increase or decrease movement sensitivity as required.

  6. If required, invert the horizontal or vertical panning.