VisualDVR

With the release of VisualSoft Suite 11 we are introducing some new VisualDVR hardware bringing extra functionality and a totally new look to the VisualDVR software. This new version of VisualDVR is the “2023 Edition”.

The new hardware and software use a single video I/O card with eight 3G-SDI connections providing four digital HD/SD inputs and four digital HD/SD outputs. The continued use of analogue signals, in and out, is supported using converters that we can supply with any system.

The new software allows video streaming to distribute your camera views, with video overlay around your ship via the network. These streams can be viewed using a new companion application, the “VisualDVR Network Player” – one of two new video players in version 11.

Recording can now use either H.264 or H.265, each in an MP4 file. Streaming output uses H.264.

The new software uses a simplified interface, with standard looking toolbars and menus. The configuration tools provide advice and feedback as you go, guiding you to make choices that best suit your video signals. Those video signals are auto-detected so that you are guided towards matching the recording resolution and frame rate to that of the camera – but still with flexibility to override that if you want.

The new system allows you to switch your video inputs without any need to restart software or hardware. In most cases you could even switch cameras in the middle of a recording.

VisualDVR 2023 Edition comes with a redesigned overlay configuration tool making overlay setup and configuration simpler and more intuitive, with easy control of fonts, decimal precision, etc.

For systems without the new hardware, we have retained the older, long established VisualDVR application, which will now be known as the “Legacy Edition”. When you run VisualDVR, it will detect the installed hardware and automatically run either the new look 2023 Edition, or the original Legacy Edition. In the coming months, some of the older hardware, and specifically the HD/SD systems using Vitec VMC-7440 cards will be migrated to take advantage of the improved look and extra functionality of the 2023 Edition.

VisualDVR Storage Manager

The VisualDVR Storage Manager is a companion application for use with the VisualDVR 2023 Edition. It lets you monitor and manage the copying of recorded videos, whether they are copied using VisualArchive or with the built in Auto-Copy of VisualDVR itself. As shown below, it’s easy to see what went where when it was copied. The Storage Manager displays recordings grouped into Projects, Sub-Projects, and Datasets, just as they are in the offline applications – but without the need to copy them first. If you want an extra copy of a file, a Dataset, a Sub-Project, or even an entire Project, just drag and drop what you want onto a target box for the destination drive. The same simple drag and drop process can trigger extra copies by VisualArchive or by VisualDVR, and can also convert black-box recordings into normal recordings before then copying them to an offline location.

VisualDVR Network Player

The VisualDVR Network Player is another new companion application for the new VisualDVR 2023 Edition. From VisualDVR you can stream video outputs on the network, with the video overlay applied.  The Network Player can auto-detect these streams and display them with up to four video windows.

VisualDVR Player

The VisualDVR Player can be used with either the new 2023 Edition DVR or the older style Legacy Edition DVR. It runs on the same PC as the VisualDVR software and allows you to play up to four video channels without any need to copy or reorganise the videos before doing so. Like the VisualDVR Storage Manager, the Player will display the recordings grouped into Projects, Sub-Projects and Datasets, just as they are in the offline applications – but without the need to copy them first.

VisualEdit and VisualReview

In both VisualEdit and VisualReview we have introduced new options for the display of the Time Slider bar at the top of screen. While recording, VisualDVR has always shown you the volume of the audio signal, and in the new VisualDVR 2023 Edition we now record that volume level as a small data file. The recorded volume can then be displayed as an audio level graph in the background of the Time Slider. This will let you jump quickly to areas where the online inspection engineer commented on something of interest. 

Figure 1: Time Slider bar with audio level

We have also added an option to switch from the Time Slider bar to a new KP Slider bar.  The KP Slider bar can be shown with a fixed KP direction, either always increasing or always decreasing from left to right, or it can be shown “as recorded” so that it switches to match the survey direction of the loaded data, with the start KP to the left. Using the “as recorded” option ensures that the vertical location marker always moves from left to right during video playback, just like the Time Slider.

Figure 2: KP Slider bar

New Branding

VisualSoft Suite 11 adopts FET’s new branding style with the new colours used within the new and updated applications, and in redesigned application icons.

System Requirements 

Please note that VisualSoft Suite version 11 is only supported on Windows 10.  
It cannot be installed on Windows 7 or older.