[Config Support]: Home Assistant + Tapo C320WS

[dm82m]

Describe the problem you are having

What I want to achieve is, that Frigate takes a screenshot and a video if motion is detected. In case of the video Frigate should record 30sec before motion and 2mins after motion. I currently do not want to use object detection, that may come later. I have go2rtc in Home Assistant running - at the moment I use another one in Frigate (will potentially change that later on).

My current problem is that I get history data somehow but I do not see real motion events in Frigate. My expectation would be that if I go to the check menu that I see when a motion happend and what exactly happend.

Version

16.0

Frigate config file

mqtt:
  enabled: false

birdseye:
  enabled: false

detectors:
  cpu:
    type: cpu

go2rtc:
  streams:
    dima-cam_main:
      - rtsp://user:[email protected]:554/stream1
    dima-cam_sub:
      - rtsp://user:[email protected]:554/stream2

cameras:
  dima-cam:
    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/dima-cam_main
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - record
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/dima-cam_sub
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - detect

    detect:
      enabled: true

    objects:
      track:
        - person
        - dog
        - cat
        - racoon
        - squirrel
        - bird
        - fox
        - rabbit
        - skunk

    motion:
      enabled: true
      contour_area: 50

    snapshots:
      enabled: true
      timestamp: true
      bounding_box: false
      clean_copy: true
      retain:
        default: 30
        mode: motion

    record:
      enabled: True
      retain:
        days: 3
        mode: motion
      detections:
        pre_capture: 30
        post_capture: 120
        retain:
          days: 30
          mode: motion

detect:
  enabled: false
version: 0.16-0

Relevant Frigate log output

no relevant, as no error occures, I just have basic config questions

Relevant go2rtc log output

no relevant, as no error occures, I just have basic config questions

Frigate stats

No response

Operating system

Home Assistant OS

Install method

Home Assistant Add-on

docker-compose file or Docker CLI command

no relevant, as no error occures, I just have basic config questions

Object Detector

Other

Screenshots of the Frigate UI's System metrics pages

No response

Any other information that may be helpful

No response

[inkeep-ai-assistant[bot]]

Your configuration has a critical issue: you have detect: enabled: false globally, but motion detection requires object detection to be enabled.(1)

Motion detection in Frigate works by detecting movement areas (motion boxes) that then trigger object detection.(2) When you disable detection, motion detection cannot function properly to create the events you're expecting.

To fix this, you need to:

1. Enable detection and add a detect role to your camera stream:(1)

cameras:
  dima-cam:
    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/dima-cam_main
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - detect
            - record
    detect:
      enabled: True

(3)

2. Configure a detector (even a basic CPU detector works without a Coral):(3)

detectors:
  cpu:
    type: cpu

(3)

3. Adjust your recording retention for the pre/post capture times you want (30 seconds before, 2 minutes after):(4)

record:
  enabled: True
  retain:
    days: 3
    mode: motion
  alerts:
    pre_capture: 30
    post_capture: 120
    retain:
      days: 30
      mode: motion

(4)

Note that with detection disabled, Frigate cannot create the review items and events you're expecting to see in the UI.(1) Motion detection is required for object detection - setting detection to False while leaving motion enabled will result in an error on startup.(3)

**

📚 Sources:

1. Getting Started
2. Video pipeline
3. Full Reference Config
4. Recording

---

Have another question? Just tag @inkeep.

[dm82m]

based on what you wrote @inkeep I modified my config and update my initial post - please recheck

[inkeep-ai-assistant[bot]]

Your updated configuration looks much better and should now create motion events. However, there are a few points to note:

What's working correctly:

• Detection is now enabled globally with detect: enabled: true(1)
• You have the detect role assigned to your sub stream(1)
• Motion detection is enabled with motion: enabled: true(1)
• Your pre_capture and post_capture settings (30 seconds before, 120 seconds after) are configured under both alerts and detections(1)

Important clarification about events:
Since you have detection enabled but want motion-based events without object detection, you need to understand that Frigate creates "review items" based on tracked objects by default(1). With detection enabled, Frigate will attempt to detect objects in motion areas.

To see motion events in the review/events UI:
Your current configuration should work, but events will only appear when:

1. Motion is detected (via motion: enabled: true)(1)
2. The motion triggers object detection (since detect: enabled: true)(1)
3. Objects are tracked and create review items(1)

Configuration notes:

• Your snapshots configuration with mode: motion will save snapshots when motion is detected(1)
• Your record configuration with mode: motion will only keep recording segments with detected motion(1)
• The alerts and detections sections under record define separate retention policies for different types of events(1)

The configuration should now generate events visible in the Frigate UI when motion occurs and objects are detected within those motion areas.

**

📚 Sources:

1. Full Reference Config

---

Have another question? Just tag @inkeep.

[dm82m]

@inkeep but what kind of objects is frigate then detecting? as fair as I understood it is not getting all motions but only if a object is detected. so I would need to setup the objects that should be detected aswell? for me it would be important to detect at least persons and animals.

[inkeep-ai-assistant[bot]]

By default, Frigate only tracks person objects.(1) You're correct that you need to configure which objects to track if you want to detect animals as well.

To detect persons and animals, add this to your camera configuration:(1)

cameras:
  dima-cam:
    objects:
      track:
        - person
        - dog
        - cat

(1)

The available animal objects you can track include: bird, cat, dog, horse, sheep, cow, elephant, bear, zebra, giraffe, deer, raccoon, fox, squirrel, goat, rabbit, skunk, and kangaroo.(2)(3)

How it works:
Motion detection identifies areas of movement, which then triggers object detection to run on those areas.(1) If a tracked object (like person, dog, or cat) is detected within the motion area, Frigate creates a review item/event.(4) If motion occurs but no tracked objects are found, no event is created in the review interface.

So your understanding is correct - Frigate doesn't create events for all motion, only when motion leads to the detection of objects you've configured to track.(1)

📚 Sources:

1. Full Reference Config
2. Available Objects
3. Models
4. Review

---

Have another question? Just tag @inkeep.

[dm82m]

okay, I changed it again, and getting an alert now, thought that it should be no alert but more a motion event

[hawkeye217]

To be clear, Frigate does not have the concept of a "motion event". Motion detection is intentionally very lightweight and non-specific, because Frigate is designed around object detection.

The AI has given you correct advice related to object detection and saving footage before and after objects are detected.

For more on how motion and object detection work, see this page in the official docs: https://docs.frigate.video/configuration/masks/#further-clarification