plugin sdk events - Genetec/DAP GitHub Wiki

About plugin event handling

Plugins can subscribe to and receive events from Security Center entities. This guide covers plugin-specific event handling patterns.

For general event and action concepts, see Platform SDK Events and Platform SDK Actions.

Event Subscription Methods

Plugins have two ways to declare which events they want to receive:

SupportedEventSubscription Property

Override SupportedEventSubscription to declaratively specify event types at the class level:

public class MyPlugin : Plugin
{
    public override List<EventType> SupportedEventSubscription => new List<EventType>
    {
        EventType.AccessGranted,
        EventType.AccessRefused,
        EventType.DoorOpenedForTooLong,
        EventType.DoorOpenWhileLockSecure
    };

    protected override void OnPluginLoaded()
    {
        Engine.EventReceived += OnEventReceived;
    }

    private void OnEventReceived(object sender, EventReceivedEventArgs e)
    {
        // Handle events
        Logger.TraceDebug($"Event received: {e.EventType} from {e.SourceGuid}");
    }

    protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
    {
        if (disposing)
        {
            Engine.EventReceived -= OnEventReceived;
        }
    }
}

When to use:

  • Event types are known at compile time
  • Event subscription does not change during plugin lifetime
  • Cleaner separation between declaration and handling

Engine.SetEventFilter Method

Use Engine.SetEventFilter() for dynamic event subscription in OnPluginLoaded():

protected override void OnPluginLoaded()
{
    // Set event filter dynamically
    Engine.SetEventFilter(new List<EventType>
    {
        EventType.AccessGranted,
        EventType.AccessRefused,
        EventType.DoorOpenedForTooLong
    });

    Engine.EventReceived += OnEventReceived;
}

When to use:

  • Event types depend on configuration
  • Event subscription changes at runtime
  • Need to add/remove event types dynamically

Event Filter Methods

The Engine provides several methods for managing event filters:

Method Description
SetEventFilter(IEnumerable<EventType>) Sets the event filter, replacing previous filters
AddToEventFilter(EventType) Adds a single event type to the current filter
RemoveFromEventFilter(EventType) Removes a single event type from the current filter
GetEventFilter() Returns the current list of filtered event types
ClearEventFilter() Clears the filter to receive all events 
// Add event type based on configuration
if (config.MonitorDoorEvents)
{
    Engine.AddToEventFilter(EventType.DoorOpenedForTooLong);
    Engine.AddToEventFilter(EventType.DoorOpenWhileLockSecure);
}

// Remove event type when no longer needed
Engine.RemoveFromEventFilter(EventType.DoorOpenedForTooLong);

// Get current filter
List<EventType> currentFilter = Engine.GetEventFilter();

SupportedEventSubscription vs SetEventFilter

Understanding when to use each approach:

SupportedEventSubscription (property override):

  • Read by the plugin host at initialization time
  • Sets the initial event filter before OnPluginLoaded() runs
  • Cannot be changed at runtime
  • Returns an empty list by default (no events)
  • Best for static, known event types

SetEventFilter (Engine method):

  • Called at runtime, typically in OnPluginLoaded()
  • Replaces any events set by SupportedEventSubscription
  • Can be modified throughout plugin lifetime
  • Best for dynamic, configuration-driven subscriptions

How they interact:

public class MyPlugin : Plugin
{
    // 1. Plugin host reads this at initialization
    //    Sets initial filter to AccessGranted, AccessRefused
    public override List<EventType> SupportedEventSubscription => new List<EventType>
    {
        EventType.AccessGranted,
        EventType.AccessRefused
    };

    protected override void OnPluginLoaded()
    {
        // 2. This REPLACES the initial filter (not adds to it)
        //    Now only receiving DoorOpenedForTooLong events
        Engine.SetEventFilter(new List<EventType>
        {
            EventType.DoorOpenedForTooLong
        });

        // 3. Use AddToEventFilter to ADD to current filter
        Engine.AddToEventFilter(EventType.DoorOpenWhileLockSecure);
        // Now receiving: DoorOpenedForTooLong, DoorOpenWhileLockSecure

        Engine.EventReceived += OnEventReceived;
    }
}

Recommendations:

  • Use SupportedEventSubscription when event types are fixed and known at compile time
  • Use SetEventFilter() when event types depend on configuration or change at runtime
  • Do not use both unless you intend for SetEventFilter() to override SupportedEventSubscription
  • Use AddToEventFilter() to extend the current filter without replacing it

Receiving Events

EventReceived Handler

Subscribe to Engine.EventReceived to receive events:

protected override void OnPluginLoaded()
{
    Engine.SetEventFilter(new List<EventType>
    {
        EventType.AccessGranted,
        EventType.AccessRefused
    });

    Engine.EventReceived += OnEventReceived;
}

private void OnEventReceived(object sender, EventReceivedEventArgs e)
{
    switch (e.EventType)
    {
        case EventType.AccessGranted:
            HandleAccessGranted(e);
            break;

        case EventType.AccessRefused:
            HandleAccessRefused(e);
            break;
    }
}

protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
{
    if (disposing)
    {
        Engine.EventReceived -= OnEventReceived;
    }
}

EventReceivedEventArgs Properties

Property Type Description
EventType EventType The type of event received
SourceGuid Guid The entity GUID that generated the event
Timestamp DateTime When the event occurred (UTC)
GroupId Guid Context identifier for grouping related events
Event Event The underlying Event object with additional data

Specialized Event Args

Cast EventReceivedEventArgs to specialized types for specific event data:

private void OnEventReceived(object sender, EventReceivedEventArgs e)
{
    if (e is LicensePlateReadEventArgs lprEvent)
    {
        Logger.TraceDebug($"License plate read: {lprEvent.Context} at {lprEvent.SourceGuid}");
    }
    else if (e is CustomEventReceivedEventArgs customEvent)
    {
        Logger.TraceDebug($"Custom event: {customEvent.CustomEventId}, Message: {customEvent.Message}");
    }
    else if (e is AlarmTriggeredRoutableEventArgs alarmEvent)
    {
        Logger.TraceDebug($"Alarm triggered: {alarmEvent.AlarmEvent.AlarmGuid}");
    }
}

Receiving Actions

Plugins can also receive actions sent to them or their owned entities.

ActionReceived Handler

protected override void OnPluginLoaded()
{
    Engine.ActionReceived += OnActionReceived;
}

private void OnActionReceived(object sender, ActionReceivedEventArgs e)
{
    Logger.TraceDebug($"Action received: {e.ActionType}");

    switch (e.ActionType)
    {
        case ActionType.TriggerAlarm:
            HandleTriggerAlarm(e);
            break;

        case ActionType.Custom:
            if (e.Action is CustomAction customAction)
            {
                HandleCustomAction(customAction);
            }
            break;
    }
}

protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
{
    if (disposing)
    {
        Engine.ActionReceived -= OnActionReceived;
    }
}

Threading Considerations

Event handlers are called on the engine thread, making it safe to perform Engine operations directly:

private void OnEventReceived(object sender, EventReceivedEventArgs e)
{
    // Safe to access Engine directly - we're on the engine thread
    var entity = Engine.GetEntity(e.SourceGuid);

    Logger.TraceDebug($"Event {e.EventType} from {entity.Name}");
}

Offloading Long-Running Work

For operations that take time (network calls, file I/O), offload to a background thread:

private void OnEventReceived(object sender, EventReceivedEventArgs e)
{
    // Capture event data
    var eventData = new EventData
    {
        EventType = e.EventType,
        SourceGuid = e.SourceGuid,
        Timestamp = e.Timestamp
    };

    // Process on background thread
    Task.Run(async () =>
    {
        // Long-running operation (network, database, etc.)
        await SendToExternalSystemAsync(eventData);

        // Queue entity updates back to engine thread
        Engine.QueueUpdate(() =>
        {
            ModifyPluginState(new PluginStateEntry("LastEvent",
                $"Processed {eventData.EventType} at {DateTime.UtcNow}"));
        });
    });
}

Complete Example

public class AccessMonitorPlugin : Plugin
{
    private readonly ConcurrentQueue<AccessEvent> m_eventQueue = new();
    private CancellationTokenSource m_cancellation;
    private Task m_processingTask;

    // Declaratively specify supported events
    public override List<EventType> SupportedEventSubscription => new List<EventType>
    {
        EventType.AccessGranted,
        EventType.AccessRefused,
        EventType.DoorOpenedForTooLong,
        EventType.DoorOpenWhileLockSecure
    };

    protected override void OnPluginLoaded()
    {
        Engine.EventReceived += OnEventReceived;
        Engine.ActionReceived += OnActionReceived;

        ModifyPluginState(new PluginStateEntry("Status", "Monitoring access events"));
    }

    protected override void OnPluginStart()
    {
        // Start background processor
        m_cancellation = new CancellationTokenSource();
        m_processingTask = Task.Run(() => ProcessEventsAsync(m_cancellation.Token));
    }

    private void OnEventReceived(object sender, EventReceivedEventArgs e)
    {
        // Quick processing on engine thread
        var accessEvent = new AccessEvent
        {
            EventType = e.EventType,
            SourceGuid = e.SourceGuid,
            Timestamp = e.Timestamp
        };

        // Queue for background processing
        m_eventQueue.Enqueue(accessEvent);
    }

    private void OnActionReceived(object sender, ActionReceivedEventArgs e)
    {
        Logger.TraceDebug($"Action received: {e.ActionType}");
    }

    private async Task ProcessEventsAsync(CancellationToken cancel)
    {
        while (!cancel.IsCancellationRequested)
        {
            if (m_eventQueue.TryDequeue(out var accessEvent))
            {
                try
                {
                    await SendToExternalSystemAsync(accessEvent);
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    Logger.TraceError(ex, "Failed to process event");
                }
            }
            else
            {
                await Task.Delay(100, cancel);
            }
        }
    }

    private async Task SendToExternalSystemAsync(AccessEvent accessEvent)
    {
        // Send to external system
        await Task.Delay(10); // Simulated network call
    }

    protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
    {
        if (disposing)
        {
            Engine.EventReceived -= OnEventReceived;
            Engine.ActionReceived -= OnActionReceived;

            m_cancellation?.Cancel();
        }
    }
}

public class AccessEvent
{
    public EventType EventType { get; set; }
    public Guid SourceGuid { get; set; }
    public DateTime Timestamp { get; set; }
}

See also

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