PTZ camera tours
Last modified: Thursday October 09, 2025.
Alta videos allows you to create a camera tour. This is a series of preset camera positions and movements, allowing the camera to automatically cycle through these positions at specified intervals. You can configure tours for both Alta PTZ cameras and 3rd party PTZ cameras connected through a Cloud Connector.
| Table of contents |
| Introduction |
| Create a PTZ tour |
| Setting default tours |
| Running a PTZ tour |
| PTZ permission matrix |
Any PTZ presets which perform PTZ control but no digital zoom will be available to all users. Any presets which use digital zoom will stay per user.
Task — Create a PTZ Camera tour
- Choose
Tools > 
Video view . - Open a saved view containing a PTZ camera or drag a PTZ camera to a view pane.
- Click on the presets icon located in the top right of the video view.
- Select tours from the drop down menu, then click Manage tours and add tour.
- Choose from the following Modes:
- Sequential - the PTZ tour will go to the presets in a set order.
- Random - the PTZ tour will go to each preset in a randomized order.
- To assign the Coordinates/Presets, click the drop down menu and chose Presets or Coordinates.
- If adding coordinates, move the camera to the position in the new window, change the name and click Add.
- To delete a preset - click the trashcan icon at the end. A minimum of 3 presets will be needed before the icon appears.
- Once the positions have been added, the following changes can also be made.
- Move Speed - the speed at which the camera will move between presets.
- Dwell Period - how long the camera will stay stationary at the preset position.
- You can also conduct a preview of the PTZ tour by clicking the Preview button located on the right side of the preset list.
- Click Done once all the Preset positions are set.
- To exit a PTZ tour once initiated, click the center button of the PTZ control to return the camera to the default position.
Task — Setting default tours
- Choose
Tools > Video view . - Open a saved view containing a PTZ camera or drag a PTZ camera to a view pane.
- Click on the presets icon located in the top right of the video view.
- Select tours from the drop down menu, then click Manage tours.
- From the tours listed, click the star to set the tour as default.
- Unselecting the star will remove the tour as a default.
Task — Running a PTZ tour
- Choose
Tools > Video view . - Open a saved view containing a PTZ camera or drag a PTZ camera to a view pane.
- Click on the presets icon located in the top right of the video view.
Choose the tour that you want the camera to run
