Migration Guide · 2026

Switching from IPVM SDT or CCTVDesignTool to CCTVplanner: 2026 Migration Guide

A practical, 5-step guide for CCTV designers moving from IPVM System Design Tool or cctvdesigntool.com to a free, EU-hosted, browser-based alternative. Typical project: 15-30 minutes start-to-deliverable.

Why integrators move tools in 2026

Three triggers dominate: (1) procurement filters EU-host or NDAA §889 — research / news tools hosted in the US fail; (2) team multilingual rollout — English-only UIs slow adoption; (3) free-tier ceiling forces upgrade on every small project. CCTVplanner addresses all three with EU hosting (DEFENSAR), 22 UI languages including RTL Arabic, and a permanent 6-camera free tier.

If none of those friction points apply to you, your existing tool is fine. This guide is for the case where one or more does.

The 5-step migration

1. Export the floor plan from your current tool

From IPVM SDT: File → Export → choose DXF or PDF (PDF is the most reliable). From cctvdesigntool.com: their Project → Export → PDF or PNG. If you only have the source CAD or a printed plan, you can skip this and use the original file directly. The goal of this step is to get a flat representation of the building's outline + dimensions you can drop into the new tool. Estimated time: 1 minute.

2. Import into CCTVplanner

Open https://cctvplanner.io in your browser. No install required. Click New Project, drop the file (DXF, PDF, PNG, JPG all accepted). Full DXF geometry import is preserved: BLOCK, INSERT, SPLINE, ELLIPSE, HATCH and DIMENSION entities all come across. For PDF/PNG, set the scale once by clicking a known dimension (e.g. a doorway, a parking bay). Estimated time: 2 minutes.

3. Re-place your cameras

Open the camera catalog (sidebar Cameras tab). 65,000 models from Hikvision, Dahua, Axis, Bosch, Hanwha, Pelco, Uniview, Vivotek, Avigilon, Honeywell, and others. Filter by manufacturer or paste a model name. Drop cameras onto the plan in roughly the same positions as your previous design. Set mounting height (1-20m), tilt (0-60°), focal length. FOV cones, DORI rings and obstacle shadows render in real time as you drop and tweak. Estimated time: 15-25 minutes for a 20-camera site.

4. Add cabling, mounts and accessories

Switch to the Topology tab. Drop one NVR, daisy-chain switches, route the cabling along structural paths. The graph computes cable lengths per route, PoE budget per switch, total system power draw. Carry brackets, mounts, conduit and accessories into the BOM. Estimated time: 5-10 minutes for a typical site.

5. Export the deliverable

Click Export → PDF. The output is multi-page: cover, floor plan per zone, camera schedule, cable schedule, equipment list, elevation views, cost estimate, GDPR DPIA worksheet (Art. 35) — auto-generated, customer-ready. Optionally export DXF for the electrical contractor. The Premium plan adds white-label PDF with your branding. Estimated time: 1 minute.

Common migration pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

Forgetting to re-set scale on PDF import: PDF/PNG floor-plan imports have no inherent scale. Click two points on a known dimension (door, parking bay, corridor) and enter the real-world distance. If you skip this, DORI rings and FOV cones will be wrong by the scale ratio.
Picking a model that doesn't exist in your country: Our catalog is global. Filter by NDAA §889 status (US federal projects), by IP/IK rating (school corridors), by manufacturer (regional supply chains). 171 flagship models surface with full metadata.
Ignoring obstacle-aware FOV: If your previous tool rendered flat 2D FOV cones, you may be used to ignoring rack rows and walls. CCTVplanner clips the cone against obstacles in real time — drop the rack/wall geometry and watch the shadow zones surface. Many sites have 2-3 dead zones the flat-cone tool hid.
Cancelling the old subscription too early: Keep the old account active during the 2-4 week parallel pilot — you may need to reference old projects, especially during handover or audit. Once the team is comfortable in CCTVplanner, then cancel the renewal.

Read the full comparison: IPVM Alternative · CCTVDesignTool Alternative · JVSG Alternative

Frequently asked

Can I import an IPVM SDT project file directly?

Not as a native project import — IPVM's project format is proprietary. The practical path is the 5-step guide above: export the floor plan as DXF/PDF/PNG, import that, re-place cameras using CCTVplanner's catalog. For a typical 20-camera site this takes 15-30 minutes. Most installers find the re-place step surprisingly fast because the DORI overlay and obstacle-aware FOV cone make verification immediate.

Can I import a cctvdesigntool.com project directly?

Same answer — no native project import (their format is also proprietary), but the floor-plan-export → re-place pattern works the same way and takes 15-30 minutes per site. The Free tier in CCTVplanner is large enough (6 cameras, 1 project) to test the workflow before committing.

Do my old projects stay accessible in the original tool?

Yes. Migrating to CCTVplanner doesn't delete your IPVM or cctvdesigntool.com projects. Keep your old account active during transition (cctvdesigntool.com Free Starter never expires; IPVM stays accessible as long as the subscription is active). After 1-2 months of new projects being designed in CCTVplanner, you can cancel renewals.

What about per-camera spec metadata — bitrate, lux, IP/IK?

CCTVplanner exposes datasheet-verified bitrate, lux, IP/IK, ONVIF profile, NDAA §889, and environmental class on 171 flagship models. The remaining 64,829 cameras carry the core specs (resolution, focal length, sensor size, lens type) needed for DORI / FOV / range math. New flagship models land within weeks of public datasheet release.

Will my existing PDF deliverable template translate?

CCTVplanner's PDF template is opinionated — multi-page with floor plan, camera schedule, cable schedule, equipment list, elevation views, cost estimate, DPIA worksheet. Customisable on the Premium plan (€8.33/mo): your logo, brand colour, contact block, optional sections. If your old tool had a wildly different PDF structure, you'll get used to ours quickly because the layout is conventional.

How long does a full migration take in practice?

Per project: 15-30 minutes for re-design (DXF/PDF import is fast; camera re-placement is the main work). Across a team: most integrators run a parallel pilot for 2-4 weeks (new projects start in CCTVplanner; existing projects stay where they are) before fully cutting over. Active rollouts have moved 80-100 cameras of accumulated work inside a single afternoon for an experienced operator.