Cannot get ZM integrated with Home Assistant - will pay actual money to fix this

[Corvus85]

Hey all,

Straight up - I'm deadly serious about paying actual money for anyone who can help me get this working the way I want.
This problem is making me rip my hair out. This is incredibly difficult for me because I haven't ever done any programming before.

Despite this, I've managed to edit my HA config file correctly and my HA logs show no issues with ZM. However, I can't see any sensors or switches for zoneminder anywhere, even after multiple restarts.

I've got ZM and Frigate installed in Dockers on my Unraid server, and my HA is running on a VM inside that same server.
Both ZM and Frigate are working great on their own.

This is my current config.

Code: Select all

zoneminder:
  - host: 192.168.0.20:8443
    ssl: true
    verify_ssl: false
    username: XXXXXXXX
    password: XXXXXXXXX
sensor:
  - platform: zoneminder
    include_archived: true
switch:
  - platform: zoneminder
    command_on: Record
    command_off: Monitor

Basically I just want to be able to use Frigate's person/object detection as a trigger to start recording on ZM. When Frigate doesn't detect anything, all I want ZM to do is to monitor the cameras - no motion detection or recording. I don't even need to display any cameras in HA, because I've got that covered with ZMninja.

So how can I make this work? Can someone please explain in step-by-step terms?

[VicThor]

try this:

Code: Select all

zoneminder:
  - host: 192.168.0.20:8443
    path: /zm
    path_zms: /zm/cgi-bin/nph-zms
    ssl: true
    verify_ssl: false
    username: xxxxx
    password: xxxxx

camera:
  - platform: zoneminder

switch:
  - platform: zoneminder
    command_on: Record
    command_off: Monitor

[Corvus85]

try this:

Making progress.

I can now make automations using ZM switches, including getting Frigate to trigger ZM recording.
However, I have a host of new problems.

1. Zoneminder starts recording *on* detection, but I need to it record from a few seconds *before* the trigger point. Is there any way to set a pre-record and post-record time of a few seconds?

2. The ZMninja app shows the triggered event clip in the 'events list', but I can't play it back because it says 'event is still recording - showing live feed', even though it's been several hours since the event time.

I've manually set that camera from 'record' to 'monitor'. I can confirm it's not actually recording anything. I've even force closed the ZMninja app, and restarted Zoneminder. No change - it still says 'event is still recording'.

Any ideas?

[Corvus85]

Anyone??

[Corvus85]

Update: I asked the developed for ZMninja, and he said the problem is that my events on Zoneminder have no end time and that's why ZMninja thinks it's still recording.
I'm not sure why this is the case, but here's a screenshot of my events on Zoneminder.

How do I make sure events have an end time?

[Bearded_Beef]

try this:

Making progress.

I can now make automations using ZM switches, including getting Frigate to trigger ZM recording.
However, I have a host of new problems.

1. Zoneminder starts recording *on* detection, but I need to it record from a few seconds *before* the trigger point. Is there any way to set a pre-record and post-record time of a few seconds?

2. The ZMninja app shows the triggered event clip in the 'events list', but I can't play it back because it says 'event is still recording - showing live feed', even though it's been several hours since the event time.

I've manually set that camera from 'record' to 'monitor'. I can confirm it's not actually recording anything. I've even force closed the ZMninja app, and restarted Zoneminder. No change - it still says 'event is still recording'.

Any ideas?

1: Key to this would be playing with warm up frames and pre image count in the buffers tab of the camera settings.

2: I don't have this issue anymore, but I have a record button for in HA for my cameras and I had it get "stuck" once and corrupt the database. I can't help you much with this issue, but be careful and I hope you do not experience the same issue.

[tsp84]

Update: I asked the developed for ZMninja, and he said the problem is that my events on Zoneminder have no end time and that's why ZMninja thinks it's still recording.
I'm not sure why this is the case, but here's a screenshot of my events on Zoneminder.

How do I make sure events have an end time?

It says duration with a time so the events are ending aren't they? Every event that doesn't end for me doesn't have a duration, just has '-----'
Go to the 'columns' part of the events list boot strap config and select End Time so it displays that column.

[Corvus85]

try this:

1: Key to this would be playing with warm up frames and pre image count in the buffers tab of the camera settings.

1. Yes but what do these value represent? Frames? Seconds?
What values would I have to enter to start the recordings 5 seconds before the trigger, and end 5 seconds after?

[Corvus85]

Update: I asked the developed for ZMninja, and he said the problem is that my events on Zoneminder have no end time and that's why ZMninja thinks it's still recording.
I'm not sure why this is the case, but here's a screenshot of my events on Zoneminder.

How do I make sure events have an end time?

It says duration with a time so the events are ending aren't they? Every event that doesn't end for me doesn't have a duration, just has '-----'
Go to the 'columns' part of the events list boot strap config and select End Time so it displays that column.

I have no such option on mine. When I click 'columns', I see no 'end time' selection. My buttons look completely different to yours. Why?

What am I doing wrong?

[baudneo]

what version zoneminder are you running? I am on 1.36.5 and my buttons look like that

for the buffers the values are FRAMES so if you have that monitor streaming at 10 fps and want 5 seconds , that's 50 frames.

[Corvus85]

what version zoneminder are you running? I am on 1.36.5 and my buttons look like that

for the buffers the values are FRAMES so if you have that monitor streaming at 10 fps and want 5 seconds , that's 50 frames.

Thanks.
I'm running 1.36.5. Is that different to yours?
To confirm, this is the list underneath the live view of the individual monitor, right?
ie. When you click on an individual monitor and see the events list below the live view.

[tsp84]

No this is the list when you click the # of events. It's the event list not the love view with event list below it.

[Corvus85]

No this is the list when you click the # of events. It's the event list not the love view with event list below it.

Ok when I do that, I can see the 'End Time' column, but there's no data in it, just '-'. See below.
I guess that means there's definitely a problem then.

For extra information, I've got Home Assistant set to change the monitor from 'monitor' mode to 'record' mode when it detects an event.
Since it's only for testing purposes at the moment, I've manually changed the monitor state back to 'monitor' after detection.

Any ideas how to fix it?

[Corvus85]

Anyone??

Willing to make actual cash donations to whoever offers a solution! Dead serious