Cameras
Lokawatch supports two ways to get a camera monitoring your site: a CCTV camera on your network (RTSP or EZVIZ cloud), or your phone or laptop's own built-in camera, broadcasting straight from the browser. This guide covers both, plus editing and deleting a camera.
Adding a Camera
From the dashboard, click Add Camera on the filter row, or click any empty slot in the camera grid. You'll be asked to choose one of two modes:
- Connect a CCTV Camera — RTSP, ONVIF, or EZVIZ cloud
- Use This Device's Camera — this phone or laptop's own camera, no CCTV hardware needed
Option 1 — Connect a CCTV Camera
Before adding a CCTV camera, you need its IP address and RTSP stream URL (or EZVIZ credentials).
Finding Cameras on Your Network
Use a network scanner app on a smartphone or tablet connected to the same WiFi or LAN as your cameras:
| App | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IP Cam Viewer | iOS / Android | Scans for ONVIF cameras and shows IP + stream URLs |
| Fing | iOS / Android | Network scanner — lists all devices with IP, MAC, vendor name |
| ONVIF Device Manager | Windows | Discovers ONVIF-compatible cameras and exports RTSP URLs |
| Advanced IP Scanner | Windows | Scans IP range, identifies IP cameras by vendor |
Your camera brand's own app (Imou Life, EZVIZ, Hik-Connect) will show device information including serial numbers and stream details — helpful when filling in the add-camera form.
RTSP URL format
Most IP cameras follow one of these RTSP URL patterns:
rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.64:554/Streaming/Channels/101 rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.64:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0 rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.64:554/stream1 Connection Type: Local / RTSP
Use this for cameras on your local network (Dahua, Hikvision, ONVIF-compatible, or any camera with an RTSP feed). Click Test Connection before saving to confirm Lokawatch can reach the camera.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| RTSP Stream URL / Snapshot URL | At least one | An RTSP feed for live video, an HTTP snapshot URL for periodic JPEG frames, or both. If you only have one, Lokawatch works fine with just that. |
| Username / Password | Optional | Camera login credentials, if your camera requires authentication for its RTSP stream |
| Deployment Type | Yes | Fixed (permanently installed) or Portable (moved between locations) |
| Current Job Site | If Portable | Where this camera currently is, e.g. "Field Site Bangil" |
| Camera Name | Yes | A descriptive label, e.g. "Main Gate A" |
| Location / Zone | Location required | Where within the site this camera watches, e.g. "North Entrance" / "Zone A" |
Connection Type: EZVIZ Cloud
Use this for EZVIZ (Hikvision cloud) cameras where you access the device through the EZVIZ platform.
| Field | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| App Key | EZVIZ Open Platform developer console → Your App → App Key |
| App Secret | EZVIZ Open Platform developer console → Your App → App Secret |
| Device Serial | Printed on the camera label, or in the EZVIZ app under Device Info |
| Channel | Camera channel number — usually 1 for single-channel cameras |
| Verification Code | 6-digit code printed on the camera label (used for encryption) |
| AI Stream URL | Optional RTSP URL for AI-enhanced stream from EZVIZ platform |
Option 2 — Use This Device's Camera
No CCTV hardware needed — go live directly from a phone or laptop's built-in or connected camera, right from the browser. Useful for ad-hoc site walkthroughs, spot-checks, or temporary coverage where installing a real camera isn't practical.
Fill in the camera details
Same as any camera: name, location, zone, deployment type (this is almost always Portable), job site, and which detection rules to enforce. There's no stream URL, no credentials, no connection test — none of that applies here.
Click "Continue → Go Live"
The camera is created and you're taken straight to the broadcast screen.
Grant camera access
Your browser will ask for permission to use the device's camera. Allow it — you'll see a live preview with a red "Live" indicator once it's active.
Keep the tab open
The device sends a frame roughly once a second to Lokawatch for AI analysis, the same as any other camera. When you're done, click Stop Broadcasting.
Unlike a real CCTV camera, this only works while that specific browser tab stays open on that device. Closing the tab, locking the phone, or navigating away stops the feed — the camera will show as offline shortly after.
Going Live Again Later
The camera itself isn't a one-time session — it's saved permanently, just like any other camera, with the same name, location, and detection rules. To broadcast from it again later (next time that phone or laptop is back on site), find its tile in the dashboard grid and click Go Live.
Any device can go live from the same camera record — it doesn't have to be the same phone every time. It's the camera identity (name, rules, violation history) that persists, not a link to one specific device.
Editing a Camera
Click the pencil (edit) icon on any camera card. The edit page has two tabs:
- Settings — the same fields as the add form (connection details for CCTV cameras, or name/location/rules for a phone/laptop camera)
- Zones — draw restricted areas on this camera's view. See Zones.
Sensitivity settings (confidence threshold, cooldown) are not on this page — they live on the Detection Config page instead, alongside the per-camera rule toggles.
Deleting a Camera
Click the trash icon on a camera card. There is no confirmation prompt — the camera is removed from the dashboard as soon as you click. It stops appearing in the grid and stops being monitored.
Its past violation records are not deleted — they remain in the Violation Log, still showing that camera's name, site, and location, exactly as before.