How to synchronize profiles with light levels?

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RoadHazard
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2019 11:01 pm

How to synchronize profiles with light levels?

Post by RoadHazard »

Like a lot of cameras, my Hikvision bullet cams can automatically switch between full-color "day" mode and low-light "night" mode, based on ambient light. When they do, I'd also like Blue Iris to switch profiles so that its motion detection and sensitivity changes accordingly. But I don't see any way to do that.

Blue Iris can change profiles based on time of day and expected sunrise/sunset times, but that's not the same as the cameras' light-sensitive switchover. As a result, Blue Iris often switches profiles early or late. The cameras might switch to low-light night mode while BI still thinks it's daytime, or vice versa.

I can't find a way for the cameras to inform BI that it's time to switch. Or any other way to synchronize their switchovers. Any ideas?
MikeBwca
Posts: 1115
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2019 5:39 am

Re: How to synchronize profiles with light levels?

Post by MikeBwca »

You could accomplish this in BI by going tot he cameras 'Schedules' tab, then clicking the 'Event Schedule tab.

When adding an event and setting a time, make sure to click the 'Relative to sunrise/sunset' checkbox. This will adjust the time of the event each day.

You could turn off the day/night Auto mode on the cameras, and have BI set it at Sunrise & Sunset.

If you need to adjust the contrast/brightness, you can so it here also.
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Housewolf
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2020 3:49 pm

Re: How to synchronize profiles with light levels?

Post by Housewolf »

RoadHazard wrote: Wed Jul 29, 2020 5:28 pm Like a lot of cameras, my Hikvision bullet cams can automatically switch between full-color "day" mode and low-light "night" mode, based on ambient light. When they do, I'd also like Blue Iris to switch profiles so that its motion detection and sensitivity changes accordingly. But I don't see any way to do that.

Blue Iris can change profiles based on time of day and expected sunrise/sunset times, but that's not the same as the cameras' light-sensitive switchover. As a result, Blue Iris often switches profiles early or late. The cameras might switch to low-light night mode while BI still thinks it's daytime, or vice versa.

I can't find a way for the cameras to inform BI that it's time to switch. Or any other way to synchronize their switchovers. Any ideas?
Noob here, first post.

Could you use the same camera feed, establish it as another 'new camera', then set the object detection range to only HUGE items, so the scene change of the night/day transition creates an alert? When my old Axis cameras go from day to night it is an abrupt change, YMMV.
Then use the alert to toggle day/night settings on the original camera. Maybe use the sunrise/sunset times to set a 'window of time' to look for the transition, reducing false alerts.(And/or to determine/verify which mode to be in :idea: .)

( I am just beginning a similar project, trying to cut out alerts from various timed motion lights. )

Still learning a LOT about BI, love it so far. :mrgreen: We are leaving our Nest cams, and I am finding all the features right here. 8-)
Intel Core i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz 6.0 GB RAM 64 bit Win 7 Pro ** Reolink RLC 520, Reolink E1 Pro, Axis 221 cameras **
Blue Iris 5.4.7.11 (6/11/2021) x64 *** Location: Space Coast, Florida, USA :mrgreen:
RoadHazard
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2019 11:01 pm

Re: How to synchronize profiles with light levels?

Post by RoadHazard »

Thanks for the tips. I've been playing with the camera-specific schedule for a few weeks, and it's... not great.

Part of the problem is that Blue Iris only supports a subset of the camera's settings. For example, the camera has several settings for exposure, but Blue Iris only knows about a few of them. The camera can also change its backlight settings, but Blue Iris doesn't know anything about that and can't change that setting. And so on... The result is that Blue Iris can change *some* camera settings around sunrise and sunset, but not many of the important ones. I wind up with totally black images at night and/or washed out images in daytime.

So I'm back to the beginning. The camera works much better when it's left in automatic mode and can change its own IR LEDs, brightness, exposure, white balance, backlighting, etc. all based on light conditions. Too bad there's no way for it to tell Blue Iris that it's changed so that BI can switch to its different mask, trigger, and recording settings. :-(
MikeBwca
Posts: 1115
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2019 5:39 am

Re: How to synchronize profiles with light levels?

Post by MikeBwca »

You could send BI Support a request to add those controls.
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