How to Control a PTZ Camera from Brainsalt Hub

Last updated 27 July 2026

How to Control a PTZ Camera from Brainsalt Hub

Pan, tilt, zoom, and focus a PTZ camera directly from its NDI source window in Brainsalt Hub. You can use the on-screen overlay controls or mouse gestures without opening any additional software.

Before you start

  • Brainsalt Hub is running and connected to the network
  • A PTZ-capable camera is available as an NDI source on the network
  • The camera supports PTZ control over NDI (most NDI-native PTZ cameras do; check your camera documentation if unsure)
  • The NDI source appears in the Hub source list

Steps

1. Open the camera's NDI source window

In Brainsalt Hub, locate the PTZ camera in the source list and open it so its video feed is visible in a source window.

2. Show the PTZ overlay

Move your mouse over the source window. The PTZ control overlay appears automatically in the lower-right corner. It auto-hides after about one second of no mouse movement. Move the mouse again to bring it back.

[USER-ACTION-REQUIRED: attach screenshot of the PTZ control overlay on an NDI source window]

3. Pan and tilt the camera

Drag the center dot on the round joystick pad. The camera moves in the direction you drag. Speed increases the further you drag from the center. Release to stop.

Alternatively, use mouse gestures directly on the source window: middle-mouse drag pans and tilts the camera. Speed scales with drag distance.

4. Zoom in and out

Drag the Zoom slider (the first vertical bar to the right of the joystick). Drag upward to zoom in, downward to zoom out. Release to stop.

Alternatively, hold Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel on the source window. Hold Shift at the same time for faster zoom.

5. Adjust focus

By default, the camera starts in autofocus mode. To switch to manual focus, click the AF button (bottom-right of the overlay). The Focus slider appears as a second vertical bar below the zoom slider. Drag upward for far focus, downward for near focus.

Click AF again to return to autofocus. Turning autofocus off does not cause a focus jump — the camera stays at its current focus distance until you move the slider.

6. Store a preset position

Move the camera to the desired position, zoom, and focus. Click Store Preset on the overlay. The preset number buttons start blinking. Click a number (1–9) to store the current position in that slot.

7. Recall a preset position

Click any number (1–9) on the preset keypad. The camera moves to the stored position for that slot.

Mouse gesture reference

Gesture

Action

Notes

Middle-mouse drag

Pan and tilt

Speed scales with drag distance from press point

Ctrl + scroll wheel

Zoom

Each notch sustains the zoom briefly for a visible result

Ctrl + Shift + scroll wheel

Zoom (faster)

Longer sustain per notch

Scroll wheel (no modifier)

Tilt up/down

Suppressed while a middle-drag pan is in progress

Shift + scroll wheel

Pan left/right

Suppressed while a middle-drag pan is in progress

Options explained

Control

Description

Values / Range

Joystick pad

Drag the center dot to pan and tilt the camera. Speed is proportional to distance from center.

Continuous; release to stop

Zoom slider

Vertical speed control. Drag above center to zoom in, below to zoom out.

Continuous; release to stop

Focus slider

Vertical absolute control. Sets focus distance directly. Only visible when autofocus is off.

0.0 (near) to 1.0 (far)

Preset keypad (1–9)

Recalls a stored camera preset. In store mode, saves the current position to that slot instead.

9 preset slots

Store Preset

Arms store mode. The next preset number you click saves the current camera position. Click again to cancel.

Button (toggle)

AF

Toggles autofocus. While on, the focus slider is hidden. Turning off does not cause a focus jump.

Button (toggle)

Common Mistakes

  • PTZ overlay does not appear — The camera does not report PTZ support over NDI. Verify that your camera model supports NDI PTZ control (not all NDI-capable cameras do). Some cameras require PTZ-over-NDI to be enabled in their own web interface.

  • Preset recall does nothing — The slot is empty. Store a position into that slot first using Store Preset.

  • Focus slider missing — Autofocus is still on. Click AF to switch to manual focus. The slider appears once autofocus is off.

  • Zoom feels unresponsive with scroll wheel — You may be scrolling without holding Ctrl. Plain scroll wheel controls tilt, not zoom. Hold Ctrl while scrolling to zoom.

Tips

  • The overlay auto-hides when you stop moving the mouse. Move the mouse or hover over the overlay area to bring it back.

  • Middle-mouse drag is the fastest way to reposition the camera — it works anywhere on the source window, not just on the overlay.

  • Use Shift + scroll wheel for quick horizontal panning without opening the overlay.

  • When storing presets, the number buttons blink to indicate store mode is active. Click any blinking number to confirm, or click Store Preset again to cancel.

  • Turning off autofocus leaves the camera at its current focus distance. Adjust gradually with the focus slider to avoid losing your subject.

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