Announcements¶

Flex Video can automatically announce video streams to tactical systems, enabling seamless integration with ATAK, TAK Server, Lattice, and local network discovery.

Overview¶

When a pipeline starts playing, Flex Video can announce it to:

CoT/ATAK Announcements¶

Cursor on Target (CoT) announcements allow ATAK, WinTAK, and iTAK clients to discover video streams on the local network.

How It Works¶

1. Pipeline reaches PLAYING state
2. CoT XML message is multicast to 239.2.3.1:6969
3. TAK clients receive the message and display a video marker
4. Periodic updates (every 5 seconds) keep the marker fresh

Enabling CoT¶

CoT announcements are enabled by default. To disable:

1. Go to Settings in the web interface
2. Toggle CoT Announcements off

Or via API:

curl -X PUT http://localhost:3539/flex/settings \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"cot_enabled": false}'

CoT Metadata¶

Customize CoT announcements using pipeline metadata with the cot_ prefix:

"metadata": {
  "cot_type": "b-m-p-s-p-loc"
}

CoT Type Codes¶

The cot_type field specifies the CoT event type, which determines how the marker appears in TAK applications. Common types:

Type Code Structure:

Position:    1   2   3   4   5   6   7
Example:     a - f - G - U - C - I
             │   │   │   │   │   │
             │   │   │   │   │   └─ Additional specifier
             │   │   │   │   └─ Function (C=Combat, R=Recon)
             │   │   │   └─ Unit type
             │   │   └─ Battle dimension (G=Ground, A=Air, S=Sea)
             │   └─ Affiliation (f=Friend, h=Hostile, n=Neutral, u=Unknown)
             └─ Atom type (a=Unit, b=Bits/location)

For complete type code reference, see the CoT Event Type Documentation

Viewing in ATAK¶

1. Ensure ATAK is on the same network
2. Start a pipeline with geolocation configured
3. The video marker appears on the ATAK map
4. Tap the marker to view stream details
5. Tap "Play" to open the video feed

TAK Server Integration¶

TAK Server integration provides enterprise-grade video distribution through a central server. Unlike CoT multicast which only works on local networks, TAK Server enables video sharing across subnets and the internet.

When to Use TAK Server¶

Configuration¶

TAK Server uses mutual TLS (mTLS) for authentication. You'll need a client certificate from your TAK Server administrator.

1. Go to Settings > TAK Server
2. Enter the TAK Server URL (e.g., https://takserver.example.com:8443)
3. Upload your client certificate (.p12 file)
4. Enter the certificate password
5. Optionally upload a CA truststore (if using a private CA)
6. Set a public IP if behind NAT
7. Click Save

Or via API:

curl -X PUT http://localhost:3539/flex/settings \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "tak_server_url": "https://takserver.example.com:8443",
    "tak_server_cert_base64": "<base64-encoded-.p12>",
    "tak_server_cert_password": "your-password",
    "tak_server_truststore_base64": "<base64-encoded-truststore>",
    "tak_server_truststore_password": "truststore-password",
    "tak_server_public_ip": "203.0.113.42"
  }'

TAK Server Settings Reference¶

Getting Certificates¶

1. Log in to your TAK Server admin console (https://<takserver>:8443/Marti)
2. Go to User Management > Generate Certificate
3. Download the generated .p12 file and note the password
4. If using a private CA, also download the truststore

TAK Server Metadata¶

Customize TAK Server announcements using pipeline metadata with the tak_ prefix:

"metadata": {
  "tak_alias": "Main Entrance Camera"
}

Supported Output Schemes¶

TAK Server announcements only work with RTSP streams:

Lattice Integration¶

Lattice provides cloud-based situational awareness with video streaming support. When configured, Flex Video automatically creates and updates entities in Lattice with video stream information.

For complete API documentation and ontology reference, see the Anduril Developer Documentation.

Configuration¶

1. Go to Settings > Lattice
2. Enter the Lattice host (without https://)
3. Enter your environment API token
4. Optionally enter a sandbox token for development
5. Set a public IP if behind NAT
6. Click Save

Or via API:

curl -X PUT http://localhost:3539/flex/settings \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "lattice_host": "lattice.example.com",
    "lattice_token": "your-api-token",
    "lattice_sandbox_token": "your-sandbox-token",
    "lattice_public_ip": "203.0.113.42"
  }'

Lattice Metadata Reference¶

Customize Lattice entity properties using metadata keys prefixed with lattice_. All keys are optional.

"metadata": {
  "lattice_title": "Entrance Camera",
  "lattice_camera_name": "CAM-001",
  "lattice_modality": "EO",
  "lattice_disposition": "FRIENDLY",
  "lattice_environment": "LAND",
  "lattice_nationality": "USA",
  "lattice_platform_type": "Video Sensor",
  "lattice_mil_std_2525_symbol": "SFGPUCSR-------"
}

Metadata Keys¶

Disposition Values¶

Disposition indicates the friend/foe classification of the entity. See the Anduril Developer Documentation for the complete ontology reference.

Environment Values¶

Environment specifies the operating domain of the entity.

Nationality Values¶

Nationality identifies the country or alliance affiliation. Common values include:

Values are case-insensitive and spaces are normalized. For the complete list of supported nationalities, see the Anduril Developer Documentation.

Modality Values¶

Modality specifies the sensor type used to capture the video stream.

MIL-STD-2525 Symbol Codes¶

The lattice_mil_std_2525_symbol key accepts a 15-character Symbol Identification Code (SIDC) following the MIL-STD-2525C standard. This enables military symbology display in Lattice.

SIDC Structure:

Position:  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15
Example:   S   F   G   P   U   C   S   R   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
           │   │   │   │   └───────────────┴───────────────────────┘
           │   │   │   │         Function ID + Modifiers
           │   │   │   └─ Battle Dimension (G=Ground, A=Air, S=Sea)
           │   │   └─ Category
           │   └─ Affiliation (F=Friend, H=Hostile, N=Neutral, U=Unknown)
           └─ Coding Scheme (S=Warfighting)

Common Examples:

For complete symbol code reference, consult MIL-STD-2525C documentation.

Using External Entities¶

When lattice_entity_id is provided, Flex Video associates the video stream with an existing Lattice entity instead of creating a new one:

"metadata": {
  "lattice_entity_id": "existing-entity-uuid-12345",
  "lattice_title": "UAV Feed",
  "lattice_modality": "LWIR"
}

Behavior with external entity:

• Video ingress is attached to the specified entity
• Entity creation/updates are skipped (entity is managed externally)
• Entity is not marked as "not live" when the stream stops

This is useful when video streams should be attached to entities created by other systems (e.g., a UAV platform publishing its own entity).

Supported Output Schemes¶

Lattice announcements only work with RTSP streams:

Complete Example¶

{
  "id": "perimeter-cam-1",
  "mode": "simple",
  "on_demand": false,
  "source": {
    "uri": "file:///dev/video0"
  },
  "encoding": {
    "width": 1920,
    "height": 1080,
    "fps": 30,
    "bitrate": 2000,
    "codec": "h264"
  },
  "output": {
    "uri": "rtsp://localhost:8554/perimeter-cam-1"
  },
  "geolocation": {
    "latitude": 37.7749,
    "longitude": -122.4194,
    "altitude": 15.0,
    "heading": 90.0,
    "is_dynamic": false
  },
  "metadata": {
    "lattice_title": "Perimeter Camera North",
    "lattice_camera_name": "CAM-NORTH-01",
    "lattice_modality": "EO",
    "lattice_disposition": "FRIENDLY",
    "lattice_environment": "LAND",
    "lattice_nationality": "USA",
    "lattice_platform_type": "Video Sensor",
    "lattice_mil_std_2525_symbol": "SFGPUCSR-------"
  }
}

mDNS Announcements¶

mDNS (Bonjour/Avahi) enables local network discovery without multicast CoT.

mDNS Metadata¶

"metadata": {
  "mdns_name": "Lobby Camera"
}

Geolocation Requirements¶

Most announcement systems require geolocation to display the video source on a map:

"geolocation": {
  "latitude": 38.8977,
  "longitude": -77.0365,
  "altitude": 100.0,
  "heading": 45.0,
  "is_dynamic": false
}

Static vs. Dynamic¶

KLV Metadata Extraction¶

For streams with embedded MISB ST 0601 metadata, Flex Video can automatically extract and update geolocation:

"klv_config": {
  "auto_extract_geolocation": true,
  "update_interval_ns": 2000000000
}

This updates the pipeline's geolocation every 2 seconds, which in turn updates all announcement systems.

Troubleshooting¶

CoT Not Appearing in ATAK¶

1. Verify ATAK is on the same network
2. Check multicast is not blocked by firewall
3. Ensure geolocation is configured
4. Verify CoT is enabled in settings

TAK Server Connection Failed¶

1. Check server URL is correct (include port)
2. Verify certificate is valid and not expired
3. Check certificate password
4. Verify network connectivity to TAK Server

Lattice Entity Not Created¶

1. Verify API token has write permissions
2. Check Lattice host is accessible
3. Ensure geolocation is provided
4. Check API response for error details

Announcements Stop Working¶

1. Check pipeline is still in PLAYING state
2. Verify network connectivity
3. Check system logs for errors
4. Restart the pipeline