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Creating Your First Automation

This guide will walk you through the process of creating your first automation in Netsocs Synergy. We will use a simple and safe test flow: a manual trigger that waits for a few seconds and then takes an active image capture (snapshot) from a video camera.

Test Flow Objective

Create a logical rule that allows you to: 1. Start the flow manually via a test button in the interface. 2. Delay execution for 10 seconds. 3. Request a real-time image capture from a video camera and obtain the URL of the resulting image file.

Step 1: Open the Automation Editor

  1. Go to the left sidebar menu and click on the automations section (labeled as A.T.O.X).

Navigation Menu - A.T.O.X

  1. Click the + Create Automation button in the upper right corner to open a new canvas.

Create New Automation

Step 2: Add and Connect Nodes

  1. Open the node library by clicking the blue + button in the upper right corner of the canvas.

Open Node Library

  1. Add the Trigger:
  2. Go to the Triggers section.
  3. Drag the When clicked in Test Automation node onto the canvas. This node allows you to manually activate the flow for testing purposes.

Select Trigger When Clicked

  1. Add the Wait Action:
  2. Go to the Actions section.
  3. Drag the Wait node onto the canvas.

Select Action Wait

  1. Add the Capture Action:
  2. Go to the Actions section.
  3. Drag the Get snapshot node onto the canvas.

Select Action Get snapshot

  1. Connect the Nodes:
  2. Click on the circular output connector of When clicked in Test Automation and drag it to the input connector of Wait.
  3. Click on the circular continue connector of Wait and drag it to the input connector of Get snapshot.

Connect Nodes

Step 3: Configure Nodes

Each node requires configuration for the flow to function correctly.

  1. Configure the Wait Node:
  2. Double-click the Wait node on the canvas.
  3. In the Duration field, enter 10 and make sure the unit is set to Seconds.
  4. Close the configuration panel by clicking the X in the upper right corner.

Configure Node Wait

  1. Configure the Get snapshot Node:
  2. Double-click the Get snapshot node on the canvas.
  3. Make sure to click the Devices tab at the top of the selector panel.
  4. In the device tree (Object field), search for the camera you want to use. (Note: You can use any camera device available in your installation, but for this test we will select the camera SIERA PRO 9020IP-4MPX-IVS).
  5. Make sure to check the box next to the video channel of the selected camera.
  6. Close the configuration panel by clicking the X in the upper right corner.

Configure Node Get Object State

Step 4: Name and Save

  1. Click on the default title "New automation" in the upper left of the canvas and type a descriptive name (for example: Manual Camera Snapshot Test).

Rename Automation

  1. Click the Save button in the top right of the canvas.

Save Automation Button

Step 5: Test and Analyze Results

  1. With the automation saved and in an Inactive state, click the Test Automation button in the top right.

Click on Test Automation

  1. Switch to the Executions tab in the top bar of the editor to view the history.
  2. Wait 10 seconds for the execution to finish. You will see that the nodes are marked with bright green borders, confirming the successful logical execution of the flow.

Successful Execution with Green Halos

  1. To view what data the system retrieved:
  2. Double-click the Get snapshot node inside the executed flow.
  3. In the Output panel on the right side of the screen, you will see the real-time result of the call with the URL of the generated capture:

Node Output Details

{
  "url": "http://netsocs-driverhub-service:3196/public/45cb1228-2e71-4b04-815d-36092f930d6e.jpg"
}

Special Case: Accessing the Snapshot URL (Internal vs. Public Routing)

The URL returned by the node in the url field uses the internal network addressing of the installation's Docker environment: http://netsocs-driverhub-service:3196/public/45cb1228-2e71-4b04-815d-36092f930d6e.jpg

This host (netsocs-driverhub-service:3196) is only accessible internally within the Docker private container network, so an external user or their web browser will not be able to view the image using this direct address.

To view and access the captured image publicly, the internal section must be replaced by the public external routing path of your instance's domain (e.g., https://demo02.netsocs.com/):

  • Internal route (inside Docker): http://netsocs-driverhub-service:3196/public/
  • Public route (user access): https://<instance-domain>/api/netsocs/dh/public/

Therefore, the final URL to view the captured image in this example from the internet would be: https://demo02.netsocs.com/api/netsocs/dh/public/45cb1228-2e71-4b04-815d-36092f930d6e.jpg

Result

The test automation has been successfully created and validated in the Netsocs Synergy visual editor. With this conceptual foundation learned, you can now:

  • Configure automatic triggers based on real hardware events (for example, sensor state changes or alarms).
  • Design complex conditional logic using branches and date or time filters.
  • Program physical actions on your devices, such as activating relays, moving PTZ cameras, or sending alerts via messaging channels (Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.).