Cameras + motion sensors, same canvas
Design CCTV with PIR motion detection in one drawing
Place cameras and PIR sensors on the same map. FOV cones and detection patterns render together, so the coverage gaps are obvious. One BOM, one Cat6 estimate, one alarm cable estimate, one UPS spec.
Three reasons integrators combine PIR + CCTV
Camera-only systems miss too much. PIR-only systems give no evidence. Together they cover where the other one fails — and the designer needs to see both on the same map to verify the coverage.
PIR triggers recording, camera captures evidence
Outdoor PIR fires on motion → NVR alarm input switches the camera channel to motion-record at higher bitrate. PIR catches the trigger faster than camera-only motion detection (no encoding latency); camera holds the evidence.
PIR positions the PTZ before the intruder arrives
Beam barrier breach or perimeter PIR → PTZ preset moves to face the breach point. By the time the intruder is 5 m past the line, the PTZ is already framed on them. Faster than tracking by motion blob in the camera image.
Coverage gaps where the camera can't see
Cameras have FOV cones; PIRs have detection patterns. They're not the same shape, and they don't cover the same blind spots. Designing them together — on the same map, at the same time — exposes the gap a camera-only or PIR-only plan would miss.
Four detection geometries on the camera map
Each PIR draws its own coverage shape on the same SVG layer as the camera FOV cones. Translucent fills show overlap as a darker patch — exactly where double coverage exists, and where the gap is.
Wedge PIR
12 m × 90° wide cone from a wall sensor — same shape as a wall-mount camera FOV but typically wider.
Ceiling 360°
Full circle below the sensor — covers the dead zone directly underneath a panoramic camera.
Beam barrier
A line of detection between two devices — guards a driveway or fence line a long camera shot would miss.
Curtain / boundary
Narrow vertical slot at windows + doors — catches breaches a perimeter camera can't see inside the building.
One BOM, both subsystems
The BOM dialog has a Detection tab when sensors are placed. Group by manufacturer / model, with quantity, pattern, power draw and IP rating. The alarm cabling section adds 15 m per PIR home-run (wired), 30 m per beam pair (TX + RX, billed once on TX side), and 2× the fence perimeter for any future fence-tension product attached to a Fence entity. Battery-operated SL TNR wireless beams contribute zero metres.
Frequently asked
Can I really design cameras and PIRs in the same project?
Yes. Drop a camera, drop a PIR, drop another camera — all on the same canvas. Each draws its own coverage geometry: camera FOV cones, PIR wedges, beam lines, ceiling-PIR circles, fence overlays. They render simultaneously so you see the combined coverage and the gaps.
Do I have to use Optex sensors or can I use Bosch / Honeywell / etc.?
Optex is the first preconfigured catalog (16 SKUs from the manufacturer datasheets). Bosch, Honeywell, Risco, Pyronix, Hikvision PIR series are on the roadmap. Until then, you can place a generic PIR with any range / hfov / pattern manually — the renderer doesn't care if the model is in the catalog.
Does the BOM include both cameras and PIRs?
Yes. One CSV with cameras + NVR channel count + PoE switch budget + Cat6 cable + outdoor PIRs + alarm cable + UPS. The UPS recommended VA rating includes the detection subsystem power draw, not just camera power.
How do I wire a PIR to the NVR's alarm input?
In the BOM's alarm cabling section we estimate 15 m of 2-core 0.5 mm² cable per PIR home-run to the alarm panel (or NVR alarm input on units that have them). Per-channel mapping (e.g. "PIR-3 → NVR alarm input 7") is on the Phase 4 roadmap and exports to the project notes today.
Can I see PIR detection overlap with camera FOV?
Yes — both render on the same SVG layer with translucent fills, so any overlap shows as a darker patch. A combined coverage heatmap (showing where both PIR and camera cover the same ground, vs only one or the other) is the next iteration.
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Related: Perimeter intrusion design · Optex Design Tool · Open the designer