docs/LIVE_SESSION_QUICK_START.md

# Quick Start: Live Session Recording

## 30-Second Setup

### What You Need

- ✅ USB camera connected
- ✅ Logged into NETRA
- ✅ Any detection model selected

### Record a Session

```

1. Open "Live Camera" tab

2. Check 1+ detection models (required)

3. Click "🎬 Start Camera"

   → Recording starts automatically

   → See "Recording live session..." message

4. Let it run 30+ seconds (or as long as needed)

5. Click "⏹️ Stop Camera"

6. Click "Yes" to confirm

7. Done! ✅ Session saved

```

### Find Your Sessions

```

Same "Live Camera" tab:

↓ Scroll down to "🎯 Recent Detections"

↓ See thumbnails of your recorded sessions

↓ Most recent at top

↓ Click to view or download

```

---

## What Gets Saved

| Item           | What It Is                                      |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **MP4 Video**  | Full recording with AI overlays (boxes, labels) |
| **Thumbnail**  | First frame as preview image                    |
| **Duration**   | How long you recorded (in seconds)              |
| **Detections** | Count of all detected objects                   |
| **Alerts**     | Count of triggered alerts                       |
| **Timestamp**  | When session was created                        |

---

## Where It's Stored

After you stop recording:

```

Server:  webapp/processed/sessions/user_[yourID]/

         ├── session_20260503_120000_abc.mp4    ← Your video

         ├── preview_20260503_120000_abc.jpg    ← Thumbnail

         └── ... (more sessions)



Database: LiveSession table records all metadata

Persistent: Survives logout/login

```

---

## Common Actions

### "How do I download a session?"

```

1. Find session in Recent Detections

2. Right-click thumbnail or video link

3. Select "Save video as..."

4. MP4 downloads to Downloads folder

```

### "Where are my old sessions?"

```

1. Login to NETRA

2. Open "Live Camera" tab

3. Scroll to "Recent Detections"

4. ALL your sessions appear there (newest first)

5. Sorted by date recorded

```

### "Can I share a session?"

```

Currently: No direct share feature

Workaround: Download MP4 and email/upload manually

Future: Cloud sharing coming soon

```

### "How much disk space?"

```

Per hour of recording:

  640x480:   ~300 MB

  1280x720:  ~600 MB

  1920x1080: ~1.2 GB



Monitor: webapp/processed/sessions/ folder size

```

### "Why do I see timestamp error?"

```

Fixed! ✅

Error was: "Invalid isoformat string: '2026-05-03T09:06:30.890Z'"

Cause: Browser timezone format

Solution: Now handled automatically

Action: Just use normally, no action needed

```

---

## Status Indicators

### While Recording

- ✅ "Recording live session..." (green/info badge)
- ✅ Detections shown in real-time
- ✅ Camera feed visible

### When Saved

- ✅ "Session saved!" message
- ✅ Thumbnail appears in Recent Detections
- ✅ Session shows: Duration ⏱️, Detections 🎯, Alerts 🚨

### If Critical

- 🚨 RED "CRITICAL INCIDENT" badge
- 🚨 Means: weapons, violence, or anomalies detected
- 🚨 Flag for immediate review

---

## Troubleshooting

### Session Not Recording

```

Check:

1. ✓ USB camera connected and working?

2. ✓ At least one model selected?

3. ✓ Browser showing "Recording live session..."?

4. ✓ Free disk space available?



If no "Recording" message: See browser console (F12)

```

### Session Doesn't Appear in Recent Detections

```

Try:

1. Refresh the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)

2. Logout and login again

3. Wait 5 seconds for database to sync

4. Check Recent Detections scroll area

```

### Video Plays but Looks Wrong

```

If no overlays (boxes/labels):

  - Recording might have been cut short

  - Ensure camera runs fully before stopping



If stutters/lags:

  - Normal for slow internet/old computer

  - MP4 still fully saved and playable



If won't play:

  - Browser might not support MP4

  - Try different browser (Chrome recommended)

  - Or download and play with VLC player

```

### Sessions Take Up Too Much Space

```

Cleanup:

1. Go to webapp/processed/sessions/

2. Sort by date modified

3. Delete old user_[id]/ folders

4. Keep recent ones you need



Tip: Compress old sessions first:

  - Right-click folder → Compress to ZIP

  - Move ZIP to external drive

  - Delete original folder

```

---

## Tips & Tricks

### Best Practices

- ✓ Record full sessions (don't stop/start repeatedly)
- ✓ Run 1-2 minute test first to verify recording works
- ✓ Clean up old sessions monthly
- ✓ Download critical recordings as backup

### Performance Tips

- ✓ Close other tabs/apps for smoother recording
- ✓ Use 640x480 for fast recording, 1920x1080 for detail
- ✓ Check "Processed Sessions" folder size periodically
- ✓ Archive sessions older than 30 days

### Security Tips

- ✓ Keep login password strong
- ✓ Logout when done (others can see sessions if logged in)
- ✓ Don't record sensitive areas without consent
- ✓ Delete recordings not needed for compliance

---

## What's Different from Before?

### Before

- ❌ Live camera only for monitoring
- ❌ No recording available
- ❌ Detections only in gallery, not saved

### After

- ✅ Auto-records every session
- ✅ Full MP4 with all overlays
- ✅ Persistent storage
- ✅ Download anytime
- ✅ Survives logout/login
- ✅ Detections metadata preserved

---

## System Requirements

- Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
- Camera: Any USB camera (webcam, IP camera, etc.)
- Storage: 500 MB - 1 GB per hour recommended
- Internet: Needed for upload, optional for playback (local)

---

## Quick Reference

| Need             | How To                                      |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Start recording  | "Live Camera" → "Start Camera"              |
| Stop recording   | "Stop Camera" → Confirm                     |
| View sessions    | Scroll to "Recent Detections"               |
| Download video   | Right-click thumbnail → Save                |
| Delete session   | Delete folder in webapp/processed/sessions/ |
| Find old session | Login → Live Camera → Recent Detections     |

---

## Support

- 📖 Full guide: See LIVE_SESSION_RECORDING.md
- 🔧 Technical details: See LIVE_SESSION_IMPLEMENTATION.md
- 🐛 Issues: Check browser console (F12 → Console tab)
- 💾 Disk space: Monitor webapp/processed/sessions/

---

**🎬 Ready to record? Start the camera now!** 🚀