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Updating DVR Overlays and Capturing Videos, Clips, and Photos

During inspection execution, focus on specific components while recording and capturing media to ensure inspection footage, clips, and images are automatically contextualized to the correct activity and asset.

Written by John Ennis

Why Component Focus Matters

Component focus updates the DVR overlay to display the exact component being inspected, improving traceability between:

  • Inspection activities

  • Recorded video and clips

  • Captured images

  • Inspection tasks and anomalies

When used correctly, media collected during inspections clearly reflects what was inspected and when.

Step 1 — Connect to the DVR

Before focusing on components or capturing media:

  1. Navigate to IMR → Inspection Campaign → Execution.

  2. Click Connect DVR.

Result:

Step 2 — Focus on a Component

While an activity is in progress:

  1. Locate the component in the Components list.

  2. Click Update Overlay beside the component name.

When enabled, the component name appears in the DVR overlay. This is also reflected in the DVR control bar.

Step 3 — Start Recording Video

Once the DVR is connected:

  1. Click Start Record in the DVR control panel.

  2. Recording begins immediately.

  3. The button changes to Stop Record while active.

  4. Click Stop Record when inspection recording is complete.

Recording captures the full inspection session and embeds inspection context into the DVR overlay.

Step 4 — Create Clips During Recording

Clips allow you to highlight important moments without stopping the main recording.

While recording is active:

  1. Click Start Clip when an event or observation begins.

  2. Click Stop Clip to finalize the clip.

Clips can only be created while recording is running.

Step 5 — Capture Photos (Still Images)

To capture inspection images:

  1. Click Take Image in the DVR control panel.

This immediately captures a still image from the live DVR feed.

Images are typically used for:

  • Anomaly evidence

  • Component condition snapshots

  • Documentation of inspection findings

Where your captures are saved (Digital Edge)

On a Digital Edge DVR, each capture is saved into a folder that mirrors the asset hierarchy — campaign, then date, then location, system, and structure — and the file name starts with the asset you had focused, followed by the date and time. Focusing a different asset within the same group changes the file name; starting a new asset group changes the folder.

If no asset is focused, the file is named after the asset group instead. Missing hierarchy levels are skipped, and reloading the page mid-campaign keeps the same folder. Captures taken in quick succession can no longer overwrite one another.

NETmc DVRs are unchanged.

Best Practices for Inspectors

  • Start recording before beginning inspection tasks

  • Focus on each component before inspecting it

  • Create clips for anomalies or notable findings

  • Capture still images for clear visual evidence

  • Complete tasks only after recording for that component is finished

Following this workflow ensures inspection media remains fully traceable and audit-ready.

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