Adjusting Image Settings

Let's make sure the image looks great. This page covers the essential image settings you'll use in almost every setup: exposure, white balance, and focus. We'll start with the defaults and work from there.

tip

Before adjusting image settings, make sure the lighting in your space is set up the way you want it. The easiest lighting to work with is flat lighting, evenly dispersed light throughout the scene. Adjusting image settings before your lighting is finalized will likely require re-adjusting later.

Starting from Defaults

We recommend resetting all image settings to their factory defaults before making adjustments. This gives you a clean baseline to work from.

Using the On-Screen Display (OSD)

1. Press [Menu] on the IR remote to open the OSD.
2. Navigate to Restore Defaults using the arrow keys.
3. Press [Enter] to confirm.

Using the SimplTrack3 Web UI

1. Log in to the SimplTrack3 Web UI.
2. From the Dashboard view, click the Image button in the bottom left corner of the web UI.
3. Click the Default button to revert all advanced settings to factory defaults.

You can also reset individual setting groups (Exposure, Color, Focus) from their respective tabs by clicking the Default button on each tab.

Optional: Establish Preset 0: (For Advanced Users)

Preset 0 serves as a reference point for the camera and can provide a baseline for creating additional camera shots. A wide, centered view is recommended because it gives you a predictable starting point and makes it easier to locate subjects before moving to a tighter shot.

Using the SimplTrack3 Web UI (Recommended)

1. Open the SimplTrack3 Web UI and locate the live preview and PTZ controls.
2. Zoom out to a wide view of the room.
3. Pan and tilt the camera toward the center of the primary shooting area.
4. Adjust the exposure, white balance, focus, and other image settings until you are satisfied with the image.
5. Locate the Preset Control section and select Set.
6. Type 0 as the preset number and press Enter on your keyboard to confirm the selection.
7. Select Call, enter 0, and confirm that the camera returns to the expected position and image settings.

Using the IR Remote

If you do not have access to the SimplTrack3 Web UI, you can establish Preset 0 with the IR remote:

1. Use the arrow and zoom buttons to create a wide, centered view of the primary shooting area.
2. Adjust the camera's image settings through the on-screen display as needed.
3. Press [PRESET], followed by [0], to save the position and image settings.
4. Press [HOME] to recall Preset 0 and confirm that the camera returns to the expected position and image settings.

Focus Settings

Setting	Options	Description
Auto Focus	Off / On	Enables or disables automatic focus. When Off, use the manual Focus +/– buttons on the PTZ Control tab.
PT Assist	Off / On	When enabled, the camera automatically triggers a brief autofocus adjustment after a pan or tilt movement completes. Helps maintain sharp focus when reframing.

Exposure Basics

Exposure controls how bright or dark the image appears. The SimplTrack3 offers several exposure modes, but for most setups, you'll want to start with Auto.

Exposure Modes

Mode	When to Use
Auto	Default. The camera automatically adjusts Iris, Shutter, and Gain. Best for most setups.
Manual	Full control over Iris, Shutter, and Gain. Use when you need precise, consistent exposure.
SAE (Shutter-Priority Auto Exposure)	You set the shutter, and the camera adjusts the iris. Useful when you need to control motion blur.
AAE (Aperture-Priority Auto Exposure)	You set the iris, and the camera adjusts the shutter. Useful when you need to control the depth of field.
Brightness	Optimized for low-light conditions. The camera prioritizes brightness.

Quick Exposure Adjustments

If Auto exposure is close but not quite right, try these adjustments without switching to Manual mode:

• Exp-Comp (Exposure Compensation): Enable Exposure Comp (Off / On) to apply compensation, then use Exposure Level (-7 to 7) to adjust brightness up or down.
• Backlight (BLC): Toggle Off / On to improve exposure for subjects in front of bright backgrounds.
• Gain: Adjusts signal gain (0-14) to increase brightness in low light. Higher values brighten the image but can introduce more visible noise.
• Anti-Flicker Mode: Set to Closed, 50 Hz, or 60 Hz. Match your local power frequency to reduce visible flicker.

White Balance Basics

White balance ensures colors look natural under different lighting conditions. The wrong white balance can make your image look too warm (red) or too cool (blue).

White Balance Modes

Mode	When to Use
Auto Mode	Default. The camera automatically adjusts white balance based on the scene.
Manual Mode	Manual control for color balancing. Use when you need consistent matching in controlled lighting.
In-Door Mode	Optimized for typical indoor lighting conditions.
Out-Door Mode	Optimized for outdoor lighting conditions.
One Press WB	Performs a one-time white balance lock based on the current scene.
VAR Mode	Sets a specific color temperature for consistent white balance.

Color Tab White Balance Controls

Setting	Options / Range	Description
Red Gain	0 to 255	Fine-tunes the red channel relative to the selected white balance mode.
Blue Gain	0 to 255	Fine-tunes the blue channel relative to the selected white balance mode.
Green Gain	-7 to 7	Fine-tunes the green channel relative to the selected white balance mode.
WB-Sensitivity	Low, Middle, High	Controls how aggressively auto white balance responds to scene changes.
Color Temperature	2800-6500	Only adjustable in VAR Mode.
One Push	Button	Triggers a one-time white balance lock in One Press WB mode.

Fine-Tuning the Image

Once exposure and white balance are dialed in, you can fine-tune image quality using the Image and Advanced tabs.

Image Tab Settings

Setting	Range	Default	What It Does
Luminance	0-14	5	Controls overall image brightness.
Contrast	0-14	7	Controls the difference between light and dark areas.
Hue	0-14	7	Shifts the overall color hue.
Saturation	0-14	7	Controls color intensity.
Sharpness	0-11	4	Controls edge definition in the image.
DRC	0-5	0	Dynamic Range Control for balancing detail in bright and dark areas.

Advanced Tab Settings

Setting	Options / Range	Description
Digital Zoom	Off, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8	Enables digital zoom beyond optical zoom. Higher values reduce image quality.
2D Noise Reduction	0-7	Reduces image noise using 2D spatial filtering.
3D Noise Reduction	0-7	Reduces image noise using temporal filtering. Higher values may soften motion detail.
Image Orientation	Off / Flip / Mirror / Flip & Mirror	Adjusts displayed image orientation.
Preview Window Settings	PTZ / Reference	Selects which feed appears in the Dashboard live preview.

Setting the Resolution & Frame Rate

There are two ways to change the SimplTrack3's resolution and frame rate.

Method 1: Using the IR Remote

1. Press the Menu button.

2. Navigate to the System menu.

3. Scroll down to the Video Format, then use the left and right arrow keys to select the resolution and frame rate. Options Include:

• 1080p 60/50/30/25, 720p 60/50

Method 2

1. Enter the camera's IP address into a web browser and log into the Web UI using your credentials.

2. Click Audio & Video.

3. Click the Video Format drop-down at the top of the page and select your resolution and frame rate. Then click Apply.