CCTV Camera Planner

The Camera Placement Planner lets you upload a floorplan and quickly design a CCTV layout by placing cameras directly on the plan. You can adjust lens field-of-view, coverage distance, camera display size, and optional DORI distance rings, then export a clean PNG for quotes, proposals, or installer notes. It’s built to be simple enough for customers to use, but detailed enough to help you plan realistic coverage before you buy or install hardware.

Camera Placement Planner

Upload a floorplan, place cameras, adjust lens coverage and DORI rings, then export a plan. You can also save/load projects.

Not saved yet.

Selected Camera Settings

80°
12m
0.5×

Rotation: drag the small black knob above the camera icon (always accessible).

DORI Distance Rings

Scale tool: click two points on the plan, then enter the real distance in metres.

Camera List

Tip: click a camera on the plan or in this list to edit its settings.

What this tool does

This planner helps you map out camera locations and coverage on top of a floorplan image (or site sketch). Once your floorplan is uploaded, you can add as many cameras as you like, move them around, rotate them to face the correct direction, and tune coverage settings such as lens FoV and range. For more detailed planning, you can enable DORI distance rings (Detect / Recognise / Identify) to visualise what you can reasonably expect at different distances.

Important: how rotation works

Each camera has a small black circle (rotation knob) just above the camera icon.
Drag that black circle around to rotate the camera direction. This rotation control is designed to stay close and easy to grab — you should not need to zoom out just to reach it.

Step-by-step instructions

1) Upload a floorplan

  1. Click Upload Floorplan.
  2. Choose an image file (PNG/JPG).
  3. The floorplan will automatically fit the full canvas so you can start planning immediately.

Tip: If your floorplan looks low quality, export a higher resolution image/PDF from your architect or agent and upload that instead.

2) Set the scale (recommended)

Setting the scale makes coverage distances and DORI rings more meaningful.

  1. Click Set Scale (the ruler button).
  2. Click Point A on the plan.
  3. Click Point B on the plan.
  4. When prompted, enter the real-world distance between those points in metres (e.g., 10).

Once set, the planner calculates pixels-per-metre, improving distance accuracy for coverage and rings.

3) Add your first camera

  1. Click Add Camera.
  2. A new camera will appear centred on the plan.
  3. Drag the camera to its intended mounting position (e.g., doorway, corridor, driveway corner).

4) Rotate the camera to face the right direction

  1. Click the camera to select it.
  2. Find the small black circle above the camera.
  3. Drag the black circle around to rotate the camera.
  4. Release — the camera will stay facing that direction.

This is the fastest way to aim cameras accurately without fiddly zooming or tiny handles.

5) Adjust coverage settings (per camera)

Click a camera, then use the Selected Camera Settings panel:

  • Lens Preset: Choose a typical lens (2.8 / 4 / 6 / 12mm). This updates FoV to a sensible default.
  • Field of View (FoV): Fine-tune the coverage angle if required.
  • Coverage Range: Increase/decrease how far the coverage wedge extends.
  • Camera Display Size: Make the camera icon larger or smaller for easier positioning (this is visual only).

Each camera keeps its own settings, so you can mix wide-angle indoor cameras with narrow long-range cameras on the same plan.

6) Add DORI distance rings (optional)

DORI rings help you visualise what distances are realistic for:

  • Detect (D): A person is present
  • Recognise (R): Confirm if it’s someone you know
  • Identify (I): Identify a person (best case)
  1. Enter distances in metres under DORI Distance Rings.
  2. Select a camera — rings will appear around that camera.
  3. Adjust values per camera if you are mixing different lenses/resolutions.

Note: DORI is a planning guide only. Real results depend on resolution, mounting height, lighting, angle, and scene complexity.

7) Manage cameras (list + delete)

  • Use the Camera List to jump to a camera quickly.
  • Click Delete Selected Camera to remove the currently selected camera.

8) Export your plan

When you’re happy:

  1. Click Export PNG.
  2. You’ll get a clean image export you can attach to:
    • quotes / proposals
    • installer scope notes
    • internal job planning
    • customer approvals

Practical tips for best results

  • Plan cameras for angles, not just distance. A camera at a shallow angle down a corridor usually performs better than one pointed straight at faces in a doorway.
  • Don’t overestimate night performance: longer distance does not always equal usable identification at night.
  • Use DORI rings to guide expectations, but validate choices using real camera specs and the intended mounting height.