Overview
Arcules Forensic Search now supports a hybrid search experience that blends traditional UI-based filters with free-form, natural language search. Prompt-based search enhances investigations by allowing users to describe and search for specific people or vehicles, providing greater flexibility.
Accessing Forensic Search
Forensic Search can be accessed from three entry points:
Left Navigation Bar – Navigate directly to Forensic Search from the main left-side menu.
Views Page – Click the Search icon in the top-right corner.
Devices Page – From the device drawer, open the video player and click the Search icon in the bottom-right corner.
Not seeing the icon? User role(s) must have the perform forensic search privilege. Learn more about roles and permissions here.
Using Prompt-Based Search
Once Forensic Search loads, begin by selecting the devices you want to search. You now have the flexibility to select multiple devices across multiple locations and Views, enabling broader investigations without needing to run separate searches.
After selecting your devices, you’ll see the familiar date selection and detection filters (People, Vehicles). Choose your time range and desired detection type. Each detection type optionally includes a color filtering option, allowing you to narrow results based on clothing or vehicle color.
Once your filters are set, you can further refine your results using free-form text in the prompt field.
For example:
You can search for People within a specific timespan and refine the results by entering a description such as “person wearing an orange shirt”
The system will return matching video results based on both structured filters and your natural language description.
Reviewing Search Results
Returned results appear as zoomed-in thumbnails, allowing for quicker visual analysis and faster identification of relevant footage. This enhanced thumbnail view helps investigators rapidly scan and validate matches without opening each clip individually.
Taking Action on Results
Once you’ve identified relevant footage, you can take action directly from the results page.
1. Export from Search Results
Click Export from the results screen.
2. Export to a Case
Select Export to Case, then choose the appropriate Case to attach the evidence.
3. Manage Evidence in Cases
After exporting, the evidence is available within the selected Case. From the Case page, you can:
Download the Case evidence package
Share with colleagues who are also using Arcules
Share externally using the External Case Sharing feature
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Availability
Q: Which deployment types support Forensic Search?
A: Support depends on the search type:
Standard detection filters (People and Vehicle detection) work with both gateway-managed devices and edge-managed devices.
Prompt-based search is supported only for gateway-managed devices with cloud analytics enabled.
Q: Is Forensic Search available for live video?
A: No. Forensic Search works only with recorded (playback) video.
Q: Is Forensic Search available in all regions?
A: Yes. Forensic Search is available to customers in the US, EMEA, and APAC.
Licensing & Cost
Q: Does Forensic Search cost extra, or is it included in my cloud subscription?
A: There is no additional cost. Cloud-based object detection is included for up to 20% of your cloud-VMS–subscribed cameras at no charge. To enable cloud detection for more than 20% of cameras, contact your integrator, reseller, or your Milestone Account Executive. Edge analytics generated directly by supported cameras do not incur additional costs.
Models & Technology
Q: What AI models are used in the cloud?
A: The models used depend on the type of search:
Standard detection filters (People and Vehicle detection) use YOLO.
Prompt-based search uses OpenCLIP.
Q: Which YOLO version is used?
A: YOLO v7.
Q: Which OpenCLIP version is used?
A: OpenCLIP ViT-H/14, trained on LAION-2B.
Cloud Requirements & Data Flow
Q: Does Forensic Search require video data in the cloud?
A: It depends on the type of search:
Standard detection filters (People and Vehicle detection): Only metadata is required. Video does not need to be stored in the cloud.
Prompt-based search: Video must be uploaded to the cloud. For gateway deployments with edge storage, cloud upload must be enabled for prompt-based searches to work.
Q: Does Forensic Search require a separate video stream?
A: No.
Cloud-based detection: Runs on the existing recorded video stream; searches are available once the data reaches the cloud.
Edge-based analytics: Use metadata generated by the camera and do not require an additional video stream.
Search Timing & Retention
Q: How long is forensic data kept, and how far back can I search?
A: Forensic data is retained for the same duration as video recordings. For example, if video retention is 30 days, forensic data is also retained for 30 days.
Q: Can I search recordings created before analytics was enabled?
A: No. Only recordings captured after Object Detection is enabled under the device’s Analytics settings and uploaded to the cloud will be analyzed and searchable.
Q: How long does it take for new recordings to become searchable?
A: It depends on the type of search:
Standard detection filters (People and Vehicle detection): Recordings become searchable as soon as metadata reaches the cloud.
Prompt-based search: Recordings become searchable once the video data reaches the cloud.
Prompt-Based Search
Q: What types of inputs are supported in the “Refine Results” field?
A: The Refine Results field supports short, visual text prompts powered by an OpenCLIP model.
Q: Are there limits on the length of prompts?
A: Yes. Prompts should be under 50 characters, including spaces, for best performance.
Q: How does object proximity affect results?
A: One detected object (Person or Vehicle) acts as the primary anchor. Anything mentioned in the prompt must be close enough to that object to be included in its bounding box.
Example: “person using laptop” — the laptop must be near the detected person. Objects elsewhere in the frame will not be returned.
Q: Are compound conditions or logical operators supported?
A: No. The system does not parse logical operators (AND / OR / NOT) or exact counts.
Q: What types of prompts are not reliably supported?
A: The system struggles with:
Actions or intent (e.g., about to steal)
Absence of items (e.g., no mask, no backpack)
Strict logical rules or precise counting (e.g., exactly three people, leftmost car)
Abstract or subjective terms (e.g., suspicious, authorized)
Q: Can Prompt-based Search be used in languages other than English?
A: Currently, English only is supported.
Q: Are there safeguards for potentially harmful prompts?
A: A: Yes. All prompts are validated in the backend before execution to ensure safe and responsible use.
Q: How can I enable this feature for my organization?
A: The feature is currently in Limited Release. To enable it, contact us via chat or reach out to the Product Management team or your Milestone Account Executive.
Search & Results
Q: Can I combine filters and prompt searches?
A: Yes. Hybrid search is designed to combine structured filters (such as date and object type) with natural language prompts.
Q: Can I preview results before exporting?
A: Yes. Results appear as zoomed-in thumbnails for quicker visual validation before exporting footage to a Case.
Workflow & Integration
Q: How does Forensic Search integrate with Cases?
A: Once you identify relevant video clips in Forensic Search, you can export them directly to a Case.
Q: Can I share search results outside my organization?
A: Yes, but only after exporting video clips to a Case. Using the External Case Sharing feature, you can share the video evidence with external users.
Usage & Privacy
Q: Can multiple users run forensic searches at the same time?
A: Yes. Multiple users can run searches concurrently.
Q: Does Milestone use customer data to train AI models?
A: No. Milestone does not perform any AI model training using customer video or metadata.
Performance & Limitations
Q: Why do I see fewer results than expected?
A: Possible reasons include:
Video outside the selected date range
The selected date range exceeds your video storage/retention limits
Filters or prompts that are too specific
Recordings not fully uploaded to the cloud
Objects mentioned in the prompt are not close enough to the detected Person or Vehicle (proximity requirement)
Q: Can I save or reuse a search query?
A: Currently, searches cannot be saved. Future releases may include saved searches for recurring investigation workflows.
Q: Can I perform Forensic Search from a mobile device?
A: Forensic Search is designed primarily for web/desktop use. Mobile is not currently supported.
Q: Can searches include audio or other sensor data?
A: No. Forensic Search supports only video and associated metadata. Audio is not analyzed.
Troubleshooting
Q: How do I report a problem with search results?
A: Contact us via chat or reach out to the Product Management team or your Milestone Account Executive.