These docs are not up to date yet. The app is moving faster than we can describe it. These pages cover Watchpost 0.1.0 alpha (build 444) and may be incomplete or out of date. Details
Save device configuration files
Watchpost can request a configuration file that the device creates itself. It keeps that file whole for later use with the manufacturer’s restore tools. To inspect changes field by field, use configuration snapshots.
Device files are available for Xiongmai and directly connected Hikvision devices on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Hik-Connect, ONVIF, Dahua, HTTP cameras and network equipment do not offer this export in Watchpost. The current Android interface has no device-file screen. On Mac, the tool also depends on your build’s license.
Get a file from a device
Section titled “Get a file from a device”- Open Devices, then the device’s menu → Device Files….
- Choose Save Device File and wait for the device to respond. This reads the file without changing device settings.
- Select the saved entry. Check its date, device identity, firmware, format and size.
The file now belongs to the history inside Watchpost. To keep a separate copy, use the export action below. If saving fails, read the error and check the connection or device permissions before retrying. Hikvision configuration export requires an administrator account on the device.
On Mac, you can also select several registry rows and choose Save Device File. Watchpost processes compatible devices in turn and skips unsupported ones. Review any list of failures; success for one device does not mean every selected device produced a file.
Formats and passwords
Section titled “Formats and passwords”| Device | Saved copy | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Xiongmai | .zip, an unencrypted configuration archive |
Treat the archive as sensitive device data |
| Hikvision | .bin, encrypted with a file password |
Keep the password with your copy so you can restore it later |
Watchpost generates the Hikvision file password when requesting the export and keeps it in the Apple Keychain. This is a separate password from the device login. Choose Show… in the file details and confirm ownership through the system prompt to reveal it.
If the password is missing from the Keychain, the file details report that it cannot be used without it. A copy of the encrypted file alone does not recover the password.
Save a separate copy
Section titled “Save a separate copy”On Mac, select the entry and choose Save As…, then choose a destination. On iPhone or iPad, open the saved entry and choose Save to Files….
The exported copy contains the device’s original file. Watchpost does not add the Hikvision password to it. Save that password separately before relying on the copy for recovery. Cancelling the destination dialog leaves the entry in Watchpost.
Files inside Watchpost use its storage protection. An exported Xiongmai ZIP has no such protection. Choose where you keep and share it accordingly.
Rename or delete an entry
Section titled “Rename or delete an entry”Rename… changes the label inside Watchpost. Use it to explain when or why you took the file, for example “before replacing the recorder”.
Delete… asks for confirmation. It removes the file from Watchpost and, for Hikvision, its saved password. Copies you saved elsewhere remain. Keep the password before deleting a Hikvision entry if you still need one of those copies.
Device files and their passwords are not part of a registry export. Save copies and passwords separately when moving to another installation.
Restore with the manufacturer’s tools
Section titled “Restore with the manufacturer’s tools”Watchpost does not upload these files back to the device. Use the device’s own configuration import or the manufacturer’s software, following its requirements for the model, firmware and password. Creating a file in Watchpost does not verify that a later restore will succeed.