Knowledge Base

Enable a Privacy Mask for Axis Cameras

What Is a Privacy Mask?

You can make a privacy mask to mask a specific area covered by your cameras so that you can use them effectively without compromising privacy. If, for instance, your usability lab is in a room with windows you can use this functionality to make sure that you do not film people in the corridor walking past the room.

Axis also has a newer technology in their latest cameras that allows you to do real time blurring. You can use this feature to blur faces, for instance in a medical setting in which you otherwise need consent from patients. The functionality only works with newer Axis cameras with firmware 10.11 or higher. The standard M5525 PTZ cameras work with firmware version 8.40.

Make a Privacy Mask

The steps below explain how to make a privacy mask for Axis cameras.

1. Open Google Chrome or another web browser and enter the camera's IP address.
2. Login with the following credentials:
   • Username: root
   • Password: [use default password provided by Noldus IT]
3. Click Settings in the bottom right of the screen and open the Privacy mask.
4. If the camera is a Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) camera, put the camera in the position in which it will be most likely used.
5. Click + to add a new mask. A mask with the name Mask 0 is created.
6. Stretch the mask to cover the area you want to mask.
7. Select Properties and then select the color you want the mask to be.
8. Repeat steps 5–7 to define another mask for the same camera. This is useful with PTZ cameras that change position during recording or in case the area to be masked cannot be covered well with one rectangle.
9. Repeat steps 1–7 for all the cameras you want to mask.

Specify Event Settings

You can use HTTP commands and a programmable button to switch a privacy mask on and off, move the camera to its home position, or mute/unmute the camera audio. Follow the steps below to make the appropriate settings. Please note that programmable buttons work with HTTP commands, not with HTTPS commands.

Define Recipients

1. Open Google Chrome or another web browser and enter the camera's IP address.
2. Login with the following credentials:
   • Username: root
   • Password: [use default password provided by Noldus IT]
3. Click Settings in the bottom right of the screen, open the System tab, and then click Events.
4. Click Recipients, then Add, and enter the camera information:
   • Type: HTTP
   • URL: http://<camera IP address>/axis-cgi/param.cgi
   • User name: root
   • Password: [use default password provided by Noldus IT]
5. Click Test. You will receive a notification that the upload was successful. Click OK.
6. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for every camera you want to mask. The cameras you added will be listed under Recipients.
7. If the camera is a PTZ camera, add a recipient to move the camera to the home position with the following details:
   • Type: HTTP
   • URL: http://<camera IP address>/axis-cgi/com/ptz.cgi
   • User name: root
   • Password: [use default password provided by Noldus IT]

Define Action Rules

Create a Mask On Rule

1. Open the Action Rules tab, click Add, and create a rule to turn on the mask.
2. Give the rule a logical name, for instance, Camera 1 Mask On.
3. From the Trigger drop-down lists select Input Signal, Digital Input Port, and 1.
4. Select Yes under Active.
5. In the Actions section, from the Type drop-down list select Send Notification.
6. From the next drop-down list select the camera that you want to control.
7. Click Add to create the first Send notification with the appropriate details.
8. Click OK and create the second Send notification using the following details:
   • Name: Image.IO.Overlay.MaskWindows.M0.Enabled
   • Value: yes
9. Click OK to save the rule.

Create a Mask Off Rule

1. Copy the Mask On rule to create a Mask Off rule: in the Action Rules list select Camera 1 Mask On and click Copy.
2. In the new Action Rule change the name to Camera 1 Mask Off.
3. Click No under Active, then click OK.

Create a Rule to Move the Camera to the Home Location

Copy the Mask On rule and change the following details to make it a rule to move the camera to the home location:

• Name: Camera 1 Move Home or a similar name.
• Under Actions, from the second drop-down list under Type, select Camera 1 Move.
• Remove the second custom parameter and add a new one with the following details:
  • Name: gotoserverpresetname
  • Value: Home
• Click OK to save the rule.

Create a Rule to Mute the Camera Audio

Copy the Mask On rule and change the following details to make it a rule to mute the audio:

• Name: Camera 1 Mute Audio or a similar name.
• Under Actions, remove the second custom parameter and add a new one with the following details:
  • Name: AudioSource.A0.InputGain
  • Value: Mute
• Click OK to save the rule.

Create a Rule to Unmute the Camera Audio

Copy the Mask Off rule and change the following details to make it a rule to unmute the audio:

• Name: Camera 1 Audio On or a similar name.
• Under Actions, remove the second custom parameter and add a new one with the following details:
  • Name: AudioSource.A0.InputGain

Source: Viso 12 Setup Manual - Privacy Mask for Axis Cameras, Noldus Information Technology