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Affected Roles: End Users, System Administrators

Applies To: DWC-MSDG08MW, DWC-MSDG08BW, DWC-MSBD08MW, DWC-MSTE08BW

Related DW Software: DW Spectrum Client

Last Edit: November 2, 2026

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Resolution:

In DW Spectrum, face recognition events from these cameras are handled through two configurations: Installing the DW V-Class camera integration plugin and creating analytics event rules that trigger notifications when a face recognition event occurs. This article walks through both steps.

Note: Face recognition must first be enabled and configured on the camera's local web interface before DW Spectrum will receive face recognition events.

Part 1: Install the DW V-Class Plugin on the Spectrum Server

The DW V-Class plugin must be installed on every Spectrum server in the site. If the site is a merged array, repeat these steps on each server in the array.

Stop the DW Spectrum Media Server before copying any plugin files.
- Windows: Right-click the DW Spectrum Tray Assistant icon in the system tray and select Stop Server.
- Ubuntu Linux: Open the Terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T), switch to superuser with sudo su, then stop the server with: sudo service digitalwatchdog-mediaserver stop
Copy the DW V-Class plugin file into the Spectrum plugins directory. If the plugin was delivered in a .zip file, unzip it first.
- Windows plugin directory:
  C:\Program Files\Digital Watchdog\DW Spectrum\MediaServer\plugins
  - Ubuntu Linux: Open the Terminal, navigate to the directory containing the plugin file, then copy it with: cp (plugin_file_name) /opt/digitalwatchdog/mediaserver/bin/plugins
    - If the plugin requires a dedicated subfolder, copy it into the appropriate folder. For example:
      cp libdw_edge_analytics_plugin.so /opt/digitalwatchdog/mediaserver/bin/plugins/dw_edge_analytics_plugin
Restart the DW Spectrum Media Server.
- Windows: Right-click the DW Spectrum Tray Assistant icon and select Start Server.
- Ubuntu Linux: sudo service digitalwatchdog-mediaserver start
In the DW Spectrum Client, open Camera Settings for the face recognition camera, click the Plugins tab, and confirm the DW V-Class plugin appears. Enable the plugin and click Apply.

Important: In a merged DW Spectrum site, the plugin must be installed on every server in the array, not just the primary server.

Part 2: Create Face Recognition Event Rules

Event rules define how DW Spectrum responds when a face recognition event occurs — for example, by showing a desktop notification to specific users.

Right-click the camera tile and select Camera Rules from the context menu.
Click Add Rule to open the event rule editor.
Under When Event, set the event type to Analytics Event. Confirm the camera appears under Occurs At, then set Of Type to Face Recognition Event [exclusive].
Optionally configure And Caption and And Description keyword filters to narrow which recognition events trigger the rule.
Under Do Action, set the action to Show Desktop Notification and select the target users (e.g., Administrators, Power Users).
Click Apply, then click OK to save the rule.
Close the Event Rules window when all rules are configured.

Face recognition event rules are now active. DW Spectrum will display desktop notifications to the configured users when a face recognition event occurs at the camera.

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For More Information or Technical Support

DW Technical Support: https://www.digital-watchdog.com/contact-tech-support/

DW Sales: sales@digital-watchdog.com | www.digital-watchdog.com

Resolution:

Part 1: Install the DW V-Class Plugin on the Spectrum Server

Part 2: Create Face Recognition Event Rules

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