X-Series PTZ Watch Mode (Home Position)

Home Position

This is used when Auto-Tracking is enabled. It is the location that the PTZ will return to after it tracks an object. There is no explicit setting for 'Home Position'. The Home Position is set automatically from the last position that was used prior to enabling 'Link PTZ Auto Tracking' in AI Alarm config. Therefore, if you want to set a different Home Position, simply uncheck the 'Link PTZ Auto Tracking' feature, save, move the camera to the desired position, re-enable the 'Link PTZ Auto Tracking' feature, and save again.

Watch Mode

This is used to have the PTZ automatically return to a specific preset position, tour, or pattern scan a few seconds after an operator has finished using the PTZ controls. The PTZ calls this auto position returning, 'Watch Mode'. In Watch Mode, you can have the camera return to a specific preset, tour, scan, or pattern after a set amount of time of inactivity. Time interval ranges from 15 sec to 240 sec. There is an explicit setting to enable Watch Mode and can be found in the following video tutorial. Watch Mode is only available in our speed domes and is not available for the mini-PTZ (XP-PTZ4).

What is the behavior in Auto-Tracking if both of these features are enabled?

Watch Mode takes precedence over Home Position. Therefore, if the camera auto-tracks an object, when finished, it will return to the Watch Mode position set. If you turn off Watch Mode, then the camera will return to the Home Position automatically after a tracking event has finished. So, in most cases Watch Mode is recommended. It covers both scenarios. It will always return to the preset position, tour, scan, pattern automatically after a tracking event or after an operator moves the camera and goes inactive.