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! 🚀