In a previous article, we looked at the.NET Framework settings of the. In this article I want to review ActiveX controls and plug-ins. Let’s begin by reviewing what an ActiveX controls are and why Microsoft would want to provide users with a greater level of control over how Internet Explorer handles them.
Fundamentally, an ActiveX control is a small compiled (not plain-text markup like a web page) application that can be downloaded to your computer from a web page to typically do a very specific task. In the days before Microsoft implemented security zones in both Internet Explorer and Windows, ActiveX controls could be run with full access to the computer including the file system. Virus writers leveraged this situation to exploit the computer by using ActiveX controls to do everything from deleting files to sending unintended emails to everyone in a user’s address book. For an example of how this was done, see 1999 article by CNN.
ActiveX filtering could be used on Internet Explorer 11 to prevent websites from installing ActiveX controls to your system. Since these controls are necessary for playing certain games and videos, they would be affected by ActiveX filtering and the user would be unable to play the same.
While major improvements in both Windows and Internet Explorer have greatly mitigated the threat ActiveX controls were used to exploit, the basic operation of the controls remains the same. ActiveX controls still are used widely and do offer a great deal of programming power for developers. Because of this, Microsoft continues to support ActiveX controls and has built security measures into Internet Explorer to help ensure they’re used safely and effectively. It is possible to tweak Internet Explorer’s handling of ActiveX controls and it is to that topic that we now turn. Many of the options in the ActiveX controls and plug-ins section are variations on a theme but each is important.
If you have recently upgraded Internet Explorer, be sure you know how to configure security settings properly to. Allow Previously Unused ActiveX Controls Run without a Prompt The default value for this setting is Disable and for most users, this setting is adequate. Microsoft calls this setting, 'ActiveX Opt-In.' Essentially, it forces IE to prompt the user before running an ActiveX control that does not satisfy one of the following conditions:.
Controls that are commonly used and that were designed with security scrutiny will not be disabled. These controls will appear on a pre-approved list. Controls which were used in IE before. Controls which the user downloads through IE7 or IE8 will be automatically enabled during the download and install process.
Source: MSDN With this setting set to Disabled, all ActiveX controls that do not meet one of the above conditions will be disabled until the user explicitly grants the control permission to run. Allow Scriptlets The default setting for this is Disabled. Unless you’re having problems with specific web pages, this setting should be fine for most users. This setting refers to a technology support for which was phased out in Internet Explorer 5. However some older sites and some developers (not necessarily older developers) still use scriptlets and so Internet Explorer 7 needs to be able to handle them. Scriptlets technically aren’t ActiveX controls and so would, I guess, fall under the 'plug-ins' section of the heading (though they technically aren’t those either). A scriptlet uses a programming language as opposed to markup to make the web page more interactive (e.g.
Provide a drop-down box or calendar control on a web page). Automatic Prompting for ActiveX Controls The default setting is Disable. While it may seem counter-intuitive, this setting actually causes a type of prompt. Beginning In Internet Explorer for Windows XP SP2, Microsoft introduced the 'Information Bar' which is a little yellow strip that appears just under the top frame of the content window. This bar may appear during a file download or when a site is attempting to install an ActiveX control.
When this bar is activated, the file or control will automatically be prevented from downloading and the bar will let you know that. You can then choose an action by clicking on the bar. If you Enable this setting, you won’t see the yellow bar when an ActiveX control needs to be installed. Instead you’ll be prompted to either download the file or install the control. So enabling this setting actually saves a couple of steps when you want to download files or install ActiveX controls.
Because of my usage patterns, typically I change this setting to Enabled. Since I’ll be prompted, I still have the choice to refuse the file or the installation. Binary and Script Behaviors This setting is Enabled by default. This setting controls whether a web page can use specific built-in functionality in Internet Explorer called 'behaviors.'
Behaviors effectively replaced scriptlets in Internet Explorer 5.5 Source: TechNet. This setting is mostly used for zones other than the Internet Zone. Display Video and Animation on a webpage that Does not Use External Media Player This setting should be left at it's default, Disable. This setting has to do with how Internet Explorer treats that is not tagged to play in an external player like the Flash Player or Windows Media Player. Some users report problems playing Flash movies (like YouTube videos) when this is set to Disable. However, the issue seems to have more to do with the way the web page that hosts the movie is tagged rather than the Flash player or the movie itself. In general, this setting will most likely affect older web sites and shouldn't impact most current scenarios.
However, if you're having problems playing media embeded in a web page, you might try setting this to Enabled temporarily to see if that solves the problem. Download signed ActiveX controls / Download unsigned ActiveX controls These two settings default to Prompt and Disable respectively. We looked briefly at the role code signing plays in.
These settings specify whether code being downloaded that does not have a certificate signed by a Trusted Certificate Authority such as Verisign, should be allowed to run. In this case, the settings refer specifically to ActiveX controls. Since ActiveX controls are binary files, it is a good idea to be careful when downloading unsigned ActiveX controls. Even so, typically I change the setting for downloading unsigned ActiveX controls to Prompt.
I’ve found that many valid developers choose not to sign their code. Disabling this setting has caused some valid sites to simply not work properly. Initialize and Script ActiveX Controls not Marked as Safe for Scripting / Script ActiveX Controls Marked Safe for Scripting These setting default to Disable and Enable respectively and most users should go with the defaults. Web pages containing script like javascript can interact with and use interfaces in ActiveX controls. Some controls are considered safe and others unsafe. A developer can make the control safe by modifying the way the control is built during development.
Using these default settings, if Internet Explorer determines a control has been programmed as a safe control, it will be allowed to interact with script. Otherwise it will be prevented. In some instances I change the first setting to Prompt if I’m having trouble with a control on a page.
Run ActiveX Controls and Plug-ins This defaults to Enable which is best for most users. Changing this setting to Disable will not disable running all ActiveX controls. Controls which have been previously approved (use the 'Manage add-ons' interface on the 'Programs' tab to manage these controls–see Image1) will still run. All other controls will not. That brings us to the end of our tutorial. Resources.
Images.
Help Language: en The Live Screen of the MOBOTIX Camera The camera automatically opens the screen when you access the camera for the first time. Use this screen to change image settings, to use the softbuttons, to open the or to access the password-protected. The Elements of the Live Screen Hold your mouse over the elements of the user interface to see the bubble help.
Click on the element to go to the description. Element Descriptions Elements of the Title Bar Name Element Description Camera name Shows the camera name as set in the Quick Installation wizard or in the dialog in the Camera name field. Open Help Opens the online help for the current screen or dialog. If no help topic is available, the page will be displayed.
Camera Information Displays information on the hardware, software and the most important settings of the camera. Screens of the Camera Name Element Description Live The screen of the MOBOTIX camera displays the current images of the camera. Use the to access certain functions of the image controls and the camera administration or open the to see links to all image and event control dialogs. The (password-protected) contains all dialogs for configuring the camera. Player Use the screen to view and download the events stored in the internal or the external image storage of the camera.
See also: Multi View Use the screen to combine several cameras in different patterns and to assign special functions (highlighting, focus on alarm.) for the individual cameras. See also: Guest The screen allows viewing the camera's live image, setting the within the preset limits and accessing the screen by clicking on the Menu link at the bottom of the page. See also: PDA The screen displays the camera's current image for low-resolution devices (PDAs/MDAs and mobile phones). If you would like to see a list of events on your PDA and download event images, open the. See also: Image Control Elements Name Element Description Frame rate Select the desired frame rate for the Live screen. Please note that the image rate depends to a large degree on the bandwidth of the transmission path, the selected resolution and the video codec used (MxPEG or Motion JPEG).
See also: Function selector Use the image control functions to adjust the Live screen to your preferences: Image Sensor Select the right, the left or both image sensors, or a picture-in-picture ( RiL or LiR) display (only available in dual-lens models). Image Size Select the desired image size in pixels. JPEG Quality Select the desired JPEG quality. Brightness Select the desired image brightness. Backlight Correction Select the desired correction level for a backlight situation in order to brighten dark image areas. Color Saturation Select the desired color saturation. Sharpness Select the desired sharpness of the images.
Exposure Window Select one of the predefined exposure windows to adjust the exposure control. Exposure Correction Select the desired f/stop correction (± two f/stops). Zoom Control Select the desired zoom level. Selecting a zoom level of 2x or higher will allow you to save the currently displayed image section as default view or to load the saved view.
Browser Select how the browser gets the images from the camera: Internet Explorer: JScript, Java, (Windows only) Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox: Server-Push, JScript Managing Settings Use this function to load the image factory defaults, restore the image settings from flash, and to store the complete configuration (requires administrative access). See also: Status display Displays the current status of the camera: Black:Normal state of the camera. Yellow blinking: The camera switches from one state to another (e.g. From the left to the right image sensor). Green: A process has been completed successfully (about one second). Red: A process could not be completed successfully (about one second).
The Softbuttons Name Element Description Softbuttons The softbuttons at the left-hand side of the screen execute certain functions, most of which can be used by users with User level access. If you have administrative access to the camera, you may assign new functions to existing softbuttons by Shift-clicking the corresponding softbutton. See also: Zoom buttons Use these buttons to control the digital zoom and the panning functions for moving the visible section within a zoomed image: 1x Zoom Switches the digital zoom off and returns to the regular camera view. This setting will deactivate the Center Pan. 2x Zoom Switches the image display to 2x zoom level.
This zoom level is available for all image sizes (resolutions). From this zoom level on, clicking in the image will move the visible image area within the full image. 4x Zoom Switches the image display to 4x zoom level. This zoom level is available for all image sizes except 1280x960. Center Pan Moves the visible image area to the center of the full image, if zoom level 2x or higher has been activated. Set Default View Sets the current image area and the zoom level as default view.
If are used to control exposure, the window's current position will also be saved. Load Default View Loads the image area and the zoom level that had been saved using the Set Default View button. Note: If you would like to load the default view you just saved using Set Default View and any exposure windows even after the next reboot, make sure that you. See also: The Image Area Name Element Description Image area The image area shows the live images of the camera as well as logos, texts and symbols of the camera. In addition, you may choose from the following options:.
If the has been activated (2x and higher), you may move the visible image area (panning) or set the default view. If you are using the Internet Explorer and ActiveX is allowed on your system, using the reduces the bandwidth and offers additional functions while maintaining the browser-based user interface. Using Shift-click and another click with the left mouse button, you may define windows for several features of the camera (,.) as described in the topic. Logo The functions for, and will enable you to use graphic files stored on the camera or from other URLs as logos with transparent areas or as watermark in every image of the camera. Using several logos will allow you to display these logos as banners at a definable interval.
If you are using, you may also activate/deactivate the logos in a scheduled manner. Text display Open the dialog to change the text that is displayed in the top left corner of the image area. Using and, you can display e.g. The current temperature within the camera or text received via the serial interface in every image. Date display Open the dialog to change the date and time information that is displayed in the top right corner of the image area.
Event Symbols Open the dialog to change the symbols that are displayed at the bottom of the image area. The event symbols in the lower left corner of the image area show the event number (in this case 000807) and the symbols for the at the time of the recording. In this image, PI (PIR sensor), VM (Video Motion) and UC (User Click) had been activated. If an event occurs, the corresponding symbol (e.g.
VM) is displayed in red. Action symbols Open the dialog to change the event symbols that are displayed at the bottom of the image area. The yellow symbols in the lower right corner of the image area show all actions that are active on the camera. In this case, ST (Storage) and REC (File Server storage) are active. If one of the actions is carried out, it is displayed in blue (e.g. ST); a failed action is shown in red (e.g.
Deactivated messages are shown in grey (e.g. EM) when setting Enable Message Profile to off or when using to deactivate the messages). If a profile has been selected in Arming to activate or deactivate the camera, off is appended to the displayed action symbols. Attention: If Arming has been set to off, event/action symbols and error messages are not displayed in the image. For failed actions, an error message will appear above the symbols.
Open the dialog to deactivate the error messages in the image. See also: The MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in for Internet Explorer If you are using Internet Explorer (from version 5.5) on a Windows computer (from Windows 2000), you can use the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in for viewing the live camera images.
This plug-in allows you to combine the advantages of MxPEG with the browser-based user interface:. Lower bandwidth requirements due to MxPEG video compression. Smooth movements in the video stream thanks to high. Audio channel of the camera available on the local computer (not for Web or Basic models). Additional scaling functions in the browser.
Panning (moving the visible image area within the full image) with activated digital zoom by clicking in the image. Note: When fast movements occur in the image, you may see tiles in the image when MxPEG is activated. If you prefer better image quality, you should deactivate MxPEG as described in.
See also: Prerequisites for Using the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in Make sure that the following prerequisites are fulfilled if you intend to use the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in:. MOBOTIX camera model IT or higher. Windows computer from Windows 2000. Installed Internet Explorer from Version 5.5.
Administrator or Power User access on the local computer (for installing the plug-in). Suitable security settings in Internet Explorer to install and to execute ActiveX plug-ins. In Internet Explorer, open Tools Internet Options Security (tab) and make sure that the following settings are active for the current security level:. Execute ActiveX controls that are safe for scripting: Activate or Prompt.
Execute ActiveX controls and plug-ins: Activate or Prompt. Download signed ActiveX controls: Activate or Prompt. Access to the camera with a user or admin login as described in. Installing and Running the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in Proceed as follows:. Start Internet Explorer and enter the address of a MOBOTIX camera (from software version 2.0). Open the, select the Browser option and ActiveX as value.
You will be asked if you would like to accept the installation of the signed ActiveX plug-in. Click OK to install the plug-in. Click on the MxPEG on button on the user interface or activate MxPEG in the dialog to use the advantages of MxPEG video encoding. Notes:.
Right-click in the to check if the ActiveX plug-in is running. You should now see the context menu explained in the section, not the standard context menu of Internet Explorer. If you have completely closed Internet Explorer, you will need to restart the plug-in the next time you would like to access the camera by again selecting the Browser and ActiveX options in the.
Options of the MxPEG ActiveX Plug-in If the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in has been installed, right-clicking the image will display a context menu with the following options: Option Values Description Digital zoom 1x / 2x / 4x Center Pan Set Default View Load Default View Use these options to control the digital zoom and the panning functions for moving the visible section within a zoomed image. The functions are the same as for the. Scale image 0.5x / 1x / 2x Scales the image of the ActiveX plug-in to the desired size. Audio - Activate this option to listen to the audio channel of the camera. An error message will alert you if the camera's microphone is deactivated. If this is the case, open the dialog and activate the microphone.
Change access level - Changes the access level used by the ActiveX plug-in to access the camera. User access can use all functions of the ActiveX plug-in, Guest disables the audio functions and the zoom controls. If a password has been assigned for the user or the guest level, the plug-in will again ask for login credentials to access the camera. This authorization is required for security reasons and cannot be circumvented. About MxPEG ActiveX - Displays information about the version of the MxPEG ActiveX plug-in. The Best Frame Rate Depending on the camera application (e.g. Bandwidth of the data connection), the frame rate requirements may vary greatly.
Fast Images For security applications that require fast images, you should use a Windows computer (from Windows 2000) and Internet Explorer (from version 5.5) in conjunction with the or the for viewing the live camera images. Furthermore, you should provide a data link with sufficient bandwidth for the camera's images. Set the following parameters to the values listed below:.
Use the to set these parameters:. Resolution: 320x240. JPEG Quality: 80%. Sharpness: 0-2. Right-click in the image area (this will show the context menu described in ) and select the Scale image 2x option. Select a of 25 fps. Click on the MxPEG on button on the user interface or activate MxPEG in the dialog.
High Resolution and Quality If the frame rate is not the most important criterion of an application, you can set the focus on image quality:. Use the to set these parameters:. Resolution: 640x480 or 1280x960. JPEG Quality: 70%. Sharpness: 4 (default). Click on the MxPEG off button on the user interface or deactivate MxPEG in the dialog.
Adjust the frame rate to the other factors of the application (especially the available bandwidth) and to your preferences: Storing the Configuration Using the controls of the Live screen to adjust the camera configuration will keep these changes until the next reboot of the camera, it will not automatically store them permanently. If you have administrative access to the camera, you should. Other Languages:, ©2001-2018, Germany.