How Human & Vehicle Detection Works in AdvancedX™
AdvancedX™ cameras are designed to eliminate false alerts by focusing only on what matters: people and vehicles. By default, every channel is set to Human & Vehicle Detection, meaning your system only records when a person or vehicle is detected. This helps reduce unnecessary recordings triggered by shadows, animals, or moving branches.
Before making changes, check:
- You are logged into your AdvancedX™ system.
- You have access to the Main Menu > Alarm > Detection tab.
- You need a monitor/TV and a mouse connected to the recorder to navigate.
Choose Your Starting Point
- Want to understand the different detection modes? →
- Need to adjust sensitivity with Min Pixel / Max Pixel? →
- Unsure about Motion Mode vs Static Mode? →
- Looking for real-life setup examples? →
Detection: Mode
Each channel in AdvancedX™ can be set to one of three Detection Modes:
-
Human & Vehicle Detection (Default)
- Records only when a person or vehicle is detected.
- Virtually eliminates false alarms.
-
Motion Detection
- Records when any movement is detected (including animals, trees, shadows).
- Use if you want to capture all activity, not just humans or vehicles.
-
Disable
- Turns off detection triggers.
- Useful if you want manual-only recording for that channel.
Why this helps? Choosing the right mode ensures your system records only what you need, saving storage and time during playback.
Fine-Tuning Detection: Min and Max Pixel
In , click the gear icon under for each channel. Here you can adjust how your camera responds.
View larger
-
Min Pixel & Max Pixel – Think of your camera’s “trigger zone” not just in space (near vs far) but in how big the object appears on the screen.
- Min Pixel = the smallest size an object must appear on-screen to trigger a recording.
- Max Pixel = the largest size (on-screen image) an object can have and still trigger.
- If an object appears too small (below the Min Pixel) or too big (above the Max Pixel) it might not trigger the system. This is by design—to reduce false alarms.
- Example: If Min Pixel =
64and Max Pixel =640, only objects within that size range will trigger recording. Since the sample size of the object in the image below is within the size range, it will trigger the camera.
Why this helps? Here are two easy-to-grasp situations:
-
Example 1: A huge truck far away
Even though it's a large truck, if it's far from the camera it will appear small on the screen (its image might be under the Min Pixel threshold). Because it’s “too small” as seen by the camera, it might not trigger the recording—even though we might think “truck = big = trigger”. -
Example 2: A tiny bug very close to the camera
The bug is tiny in real life, but if it's right in front of the lens it might appear large enough on-screen to meet the Min Pixel threshold — and if it’s also under the Max Pixel threshold, it could trigger a recording (even though we’d normally think “bug = too small to matter”).
So: it’s how big the object appears in the camera’s view (in pixels), not just how big it is in real life or how far away it is.
NOTE: When troubleshooting, be sure you are in a reasonable distance away from the camera. Simply waving directly in font or moving in front of the camera, specially if it is still just on a table, will most likely not trigger since the camera can't tell what is doing the movement.
Detection Modes
Two modes control how objects are analyzed:
-
Motion Mode (Default)
- Records when a moving object is detected.
- Best for people walking or vehicles driving past.
-
Static Mode
- Continuously analyzes objects, even if they are not moving.
- Example: A parked car will trigger recording until it leaves the camera’s view.
TIP: Use Detection Range to limit where detection applies. You can set it to Full Screen or customize a smaller area.
Setup Scenarios
Here are common setups to help you configure detection correctly:
Scenario 1: Record Until a Parked Car Leaves
- Set Min/Max Pixel to
match the car’s size - Change Detection Mode to
Static Mode - Use Customized Detection Range and
select the parking spot
Scenario 2: Detect a Moving Person Anywhere
- Set Min/Max Pixel to
match human size - Keep Detection Mode in
Motion Mode - Leave Detection Range on
Full Screen
Scenario 3: Detect a Moving Person Only Near Your Car
- Set Min/Max Pixel to
match human size - Keep Detection Mode in
Motion Mode - Use Customized Detection Range
around your car
Scenario 4: Detect a Person Whether Moving or Still
- Set Min/Max Pixel to
match human size - Change Detection Mode to
Static Mode - Leave Detection Range on
Full Screen
Summary & Next Steps
With Human & Vehicle Detection, AdvancedX™ gives you precise, reliable monitoring while minimizing false triggers. Adjusting detection settings like Min/Max Pixel, Detection Mode, and Detection Range allows you to fine-tune security for your unique needs.
If you’ve optimized your settings and still need help, contact Swann Support for further assistance.
FAQs
Why am I getting notification on my phone, but not a recording?
This usually happens if you missed a spot in Recording Schedule. To check this, go to
The settings below shows that it is 24/7 using Detection and not Normal which is for continuous recording. If one of the boxes is empty (e.g. first two boxes on each day), it will not record between 12am to 1am. Each boxes represents a 30-min period.
I have already set a Record Schedule and configured Detection, but there are still no recordings. What should I do?
First, confirm that your hard drive is properly detected by the system. To do this, go to
If no hard drive appears, it means the system cannot save recordings. In that case, please follow the steps in this article.
How do I stop false alerts, or why does the system sometimes miss motion events?
The system records and sends alerts based on the settings you choose. If you’re getting too many false triggers, or if it’s missing events, you may need to adjust the detection settings. Fine-tuning things like sensitivity, detection zones, and schedule can help match the system to your needs.