Note: This article is no longer relevant as the freely available NDI® Access Manager can serve these same purposes and more... to find out more about using NDI® Access Manager please view our other Knowledge Base article on that topic
Understanding NDI® Access Manager
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If you are unable to resolve you're network configuration issues and need a temporary solution, PTZOptics has created a tool to make creating static PTZOptics NDI® assignments as easy as possible.
Note: To ensure you are using the latest version of the PTZOptics NDI JSON generator please visit the following page https://ptzoptics.com/json
What is this tool?
The PTZOptics™ NDI® JSON Generator is a tool that can be used to easily create a static entry for a PTZOptics™ NDI®|HX™ source as a temporary solution.
When to use this tool?
This temporary solution is meant for use with a network that is not properly configured for mDNS and thus prevents automatic discovery of the PTZOptics™ NDI®|HX™ sources.
Please see our articles on solving mDNS issues for Ubiquiti™ and TP-Link™ networking equipment for a permanent solution. Don't forget, when troubleshooting with NDI™ we have a helpful guide to assist with NDI® Troubleshooting.
How to use the tool?
The tool is very simple to use and requires you to have the tool / html file on the PC you are using with NDI®, a PTZOptics™ NDI®|HX™ source and a network.
Adding Sources
Open the PTZOptics™ NDI® JSON generator *.html file
Read all notes and instructions available on the main interface of the page
Click the “Browse” button and navigate to the default directory of your NDI® JSON file
Windows Default Directory: C:\ProgramData\NewTek\NDI® (hidden by default)
Mac OS X Default Directory: /Users/Systems/.newtek/
Note that if you have changed the default installation location of the NDI® tools these default directories may not be accurate for you.
Select the *.json file in this directory typically titled “ndi®-plugins.v1.json” and click “Open”
Note that If you have never made a static entry into your JSON file, either manually or using NDI®Access Manager, you will see no entries made and be provided a warning that no sources currently exist.
Click on the “Add Source” button
Enter a name for the PTZOptics™ NDI®|HX™ Source under “Name”
Note that when naming a static entry you can supply a simple name such as “Camera 1” or you can create a group of cameras with unique names under the group title by naming sources as such “Auditorium A (Camera 1)” using the “( )” where the group title is “Auditorium A” and the sub selection will be “Camera 1”
Enter the static IP address for the PTZOptics™ NDI®|HX™ source under “IP Address”
Repeat steps 5 - 8 for as many static entries as you wish to make and when finished simply click the “Save Json” button which will download the new JSON file to your default downloads directory
Manually copy and replace the original *.json file located in the directory you used for Step 3 with the new file that has been saved to your default downloads directory
Note that the file name MUST be exactly the same as the original JSON file or the NDI® Tools will fail to use the new file.
You should now be able to launch NDI® Studio Monitor, or any NDI™ compatible Production Software, and immediately see your static entries.
Deleting Sources
Open the PTZOptics™ NDI® JSON generator *.html file
Read all notes and instructions available on the main interface of the page
Click the “Browse” button and navigate to the default directory of your NDI® JSON file
Windows Default Directory: C:\ProgramData\NewTek\NDI (hidden by default)
Mac OS X Default Directory: /Users/Systems/.newtek/
Note that if you have changed the default installation location of NDI® Tools these default directories may not be accurate for you.
Select the *.json file in this directory typically titled “ndi-plugins.v1.json” and click “Open”
You should now see any static NDI® entries that have been made listed
Click on the “Delete Source” button next to any static entry you wish to remove
Repeat step 6 for as many static entries as you wish to remove and when finished simply click the “Save Json” button which will download the new JSON file to your default downloads directory
Manually copy and replace the original *.json file located in the directory you used for Step 3 with the new file that has been saved to your default downloads directory
Note that the file name MUST be exactly the same as the original JSON file or the NDI® Tools will fail to use the new file.
You should now be able to launch Studio Monitor, or NDI® Production Software, and immediately see the changes made to your static entries.
Warnings & Suggestions
It is highly recommended to make a backup copy of your original json file before replacing the file. This way if anything becomes unstable you can always return the system to the original state with a simple copy and replace. For convenience, you can save the original copy in the same directory as the new file, just change its name until you need to reuse it.
This tool has been designed for use with cameras that have been assigned a static IP; if you are using this with cameras using DHCP if / when they change their IP address your static entry will no longer function. As a result we highly suggest only using this tool with cameras that have been given a static IP on your network.
If you have made a static entry for a DHCP assigned camera and the camera changes its IP or you have a camera that has been disconnected from the network, you may cause Studio Monitor, or related NDI® Production Software, to crash upon attempting to connect to the now non-existent source.
If you are using a mix of the PTZOptics™ NDI® JSON Generator, NDI® Access Manager and NDI® Studio Monitor note that you MAY see the same PTZOptics™ NDI®|HX™ source show up as three (3) separate instances.