What are the two ways to perform forensic searches using Bosch camera metadata in Milestone XProtect?

Question

What are the two ways to perform forensic searches using Bosch camera metadata in Milestone XProtect?

Answer

There are two methods to search Bosch camera metadata in Milestone XProtect:

Method 1: Proprietary Bosch Forensic Search (via SmartSuite)

• Available after installing Bosch SmartSuite for Milestone XProtect.

• Uses Bosch proprietary VCD metadata.

• Allows searching for:

  • Attributes (e.g., person, vehicle, clothing colors, PPE, gun detection)

  • IVA tasks (e.g., line crossing, object-in-field, loitering)

• Supports advanced IVA Pro licenses like Appearance, PPE, and Visual Gun Detection.

• Ideal for use cases requiring combined attribute + IVA task searches.

Find the latest version of SmartSuite for Milestone XProtect here.

Method 2: Native XProtect Centralized Search (via ONVIF Metadata)

• Built into Milestone XProtect—no additional plug-in required.

• Uses ONVIF metadata for cross-brand compatibility.

• Allows searching for camera-detected attributes only (no IVA tasks).

• Supports attributes from IVA Pro licenses such as:

  • Buildings, Traffic, Perimeter, Appearance (everything except for hats), PPE (only hard hat, no safety vest), License Plate Recognition (LPR), Make and Model Recognition (MMR), LPRX.

• Best for use cases involving license plate recognition or vehicle make/model searches.

• This is the preferred search in case of XProtect federated systems.

For native search, ensure metadata attributes are enabled under the Management Client > Metadata tab. Full explanation about this method here.  

Key Differences:

Tip: For Bosch cameras, set metadata type to “Bosch Binary & ONVIF” in the Management Client to enable both methods.