Advanced editor and backups

Use the Advanced Editor for device settings that have no dedicated form, or to inspect the blocks behind those forms. It shows the configuration blocks Watchpost supports for the selected protocol. Changing a field edits a local draft until you review and write it.

On Mac, open Device Settings… (⌥⌘,) → Advanced Editor. On iPhone and iPad, open the device’s settings from its menu on Devices, then choose Advanced Editor. Xiongmai, Hikvision, Hik-Connect and ONVIF offer settings in the Apple apps. For the Android path and differences, see below.

Choose a block

The block list groups entries by task and shows both their names and technical identifiers. Select one, then expand its groups or channel entries to reach individual fields. On a narrow Apple screen, Blocks returns to the list.

Watchpost reads the catalogued blocks when the editor opens. Blocks the device reports as unsupported are hidden by default. Show unsupported includes them in the list; it does not add support to the device. A reading error appears separately, with Try Again.

A dot beside a block means it has local changes. A read-only block cannot be edited. Watchpost also prevents editing certain fields, such as hardware identifiers, within otherwise writable blocks. An editable field still needs the device to accept its value.

Read and edit fields

Xiongmai fields can use named choices or editors for addresses, colors, schedules and channel flags. Watchpost converts supported device formats into those controls. Hikvision and ONVIF trees keep the device’s field names and use basic value editors; their dedicated forms may offer more guidance.

Check the block and channel before editing. Numeric controls reject some invalid input, including ports outside 1–65535 where Watchpost recognizes a port field. This does not validate every restriction of a model or firmware.

The refresh button, Reload from the device, reads the selected block again. It is disabled while that block has local changes. Use Discard to drop those changes first if you want a fresh reading. Discard restores the values from the last reading; it does not contact the device or undo a completed write.

Review and write

1. Edit the selected block, then choose Apply….
2. In Write the Changes to the Device?, check the block, field paths and old and new values. Read any warning about the network or interrupted recording.
3. Choose Write to send the changes, or Cancel to return to the draft without writing.
4. Check the result in the editor. Watchpost saves a backup of the previously loaded block before sending the write, then attempts to read the block again.

If Watchpost cannot save the backup, it does not send the configuration write. Saved, restart required means the device requires a restart for the change to take effect. Other results can report a write error or values the device did not apply. If the subsequent reading fails, check the connection and read the block again when possible before relying on its displayed state.

A failed operation may have changed part of a device resource, especially a Hikvision list written in separate requests. Review the current values before retrying. Discard only removes your remaining draft.

Network changes can leave the device unreachable. A local backup cannot restore it while Watchpost has no connection; recovery may require the device’s own monitor or reset procedure. Finish or discard drafts before leaving the settings screen; they are not saved recovery points.

Restore a block from a backup

Open the block you want to restore. If you have local edits you need to keep, review them first: choosing a backup replaces that block’s draft.

1. Open the history button, Restore from a backup (with a review of the changes).
2. Choose a date and time. The menu shows up to 20 recent backups for this device and block. No backups yet means the menu has no entries for it.
3. Inspect the staged values, then choose Apply… to review the differences against the loaded block. If the values already match, there are no changes to apply.
4. Choose Write only after reviewing the result. To abandon the restore, cancel the review and choose Discard.

Choosing a backup does not write to the device. Writing the staged restore follows the normal backup and write process. It restores one block, not the entire device, and can affect every channel held in that block.

Backups use Watchpost’s storage protection. On Mac, they also appear in configuration snapshot history. Deleting a block backup there removes it from this restore menu too. A manufacturer’s configuration file has a separate restore workflow outside Watchpost.

On Android

Open the device menu on Devices and choose its settings. For Xiongmai, choose Advanced Editor from the section list. Hikvision and ONVIF open the block editor directly. Hik-Connect settings are not available on Android.

Select a block to edit its tree. The toolbar offers reload and the backup menu for writable blocks; reload is disabled while the block has edits. Use the bottom bar for Discard or Apply…, then review before Write. The backup menu also shows up to 20 recent entries and stages the chosen block before writing.

Returning to the block list can leave edits waiting in the same settings session. Check which blocks the review includes, especially when applying from the list rather than an individual block. Leaving the settings screen is not a way to preserve a draft.