Triggering the Watchman Camera: Take a Photo at the Gate on Demand

Jul 16, 2024  |  Support Resource, TrueCloud Connect

Every Watchman has a built-in camera, and you do not have to wait for an access attempt to use it. From the dashboard you can take a photo at the gate on demand, to check who is there or capture a record of the moment.

Choose the gate

In the TrueCloud Connect platform, find the gate whose camera you want to trigger and select it. As with gate control, the camera command acts on the selected device, so pick the right entry point first.

1) Take a picture: the internal camera

Click the blue Take Picture button tied to the internal camera on the Watchman device. The camera captures a photo at the gate and returns it to the dashboard. There is no visitor and no access attempt required; this is a photo on your command, useful for confirming a gate is clear or checking on something reported at the entrance.

2) External cameras: a second angle, where equipped

Some Watchman models support one or more external cameras in addition to the built-in one, for a second angle on the gate, on vehicles, or on license plates. Where a property has them, each has its own Take Picture control, so you can capture the built-in view and the external view of the same moment. Which models support external cameras, and how many, depends on the hardware; see the Watchman lineup for what each supports.

Where the photos go

On-demand photos are stored with the rest of the property’s images and events, the same place automatic access-attempt photos land. To review them alongside the full history of who came and went, use the activity log, which keeps each event with its time, date, and photo.