Add rich web content to the Smart Client with a browser component that is always up to date and widely compatible with the modern web, popular IoT platforms, and more.
The Web Content plugin uses the Microsoft Edge WebView2 runtime which means it will always be kept up to date without the need to upgrade the plugin. And because it is a Microsoft Edge browser, it will work with whatever content you need it for.
- Evergreen browser based on Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. Browser stays up to date even if the plugin does not.
- Runs in Background when enabled. Your browser session isn't lost if you switch views and come back.
- Isolate browser sessions for improved security. Each browser instance can use its own "profile" reducing the risk of exposing data between instances.
- Remember the last address instead of always navigating to the configured home address on startup.
- Automatically clear history when the client is closed if you don't want to leave sensitive browser history on disk.
- Hide the toolbar or even just the address field to minimize misuse of the browser or simply regain some of that precious screen real estate.
- Easily mute unexpected audio from a browser in a previous view that is no longer displayed. If a background browser should start playing sound, you'll see a notification with the name of the web page and a button to mute that browser instance.
The Web Content plugin stores its WebView2 browser profile in
%APPDATA%\SmartClient.WebContentData, keyed to the XProtect login identity you used to sign
into Smart Client, not merely to the Windows account. Different XProtect users therefore start with
separate, fresh browser profiles — they do not inherit each other's browsing history, cookies or
saved credentials on the same machine.
Important — the Windows account is the security boundary. WebView2/Chromium encrypts protected browsing data (cookies and saved passwords) with Windows DPAPI, which is tied to the Windows logon. Two different XProtect accounts on the same Windows account are separated but not cryptographically isolated from each other. To keep two XProtect identities fully private, log each into Smart Client under a distinct Windows account.
If multiple operators intentionally need to share a single WebContent profile (for example a shared control-room operator), they must log into Smart Client as the same XProtect login identity on the same Windows machine account. Using different XProtect identities will give each a separate profile even on a shared Windows account.
See docs/adr/0001-browser-profile-per-xprotect-user.md for the full decision and the security
analysis.
Download and run the CascadiaWebContentPlugin installer.
The installer is not currently signed and your browser will warn you about the file is potentially unsafe. You can validate the file hash against the SHA256 hash.
Click Keep, and if your browser asks again, click Keep anyway. The installation experience will improve when I get a code signing certificate setup.
The installer is very simple and has no options. Acknowledge the license, and then it will install the Microsoft Edge
WebView2 Runtime if necessary, and place the plugin files in C:\Program Files\VideoOS\MIPPlugins\CascadiaWebContentPlugin\.
- Open a new Smart Client instance (plugins are only discovered during startup) and login.
- Click the Setup button at the top right.
- Select an existing view, or create a new view.
- Locate Cascadia Technology > Web Content in the System Overview side panel, and drag it into the view.
- With the new Web View selected, scroll to the bottom of the side panel where you'll find the properties.
- Update the Home address, and any other options as needed.
- Click the Setup button again to exit setup mode.
No license is required when used with XProtect Essential+, or when connected to any XProtect VMS using a test license.
Under all other circumstances, a 30-day evaluation license will automatically be applied and a site license can be purchased from the Cascadia Technology Store. Make sure to provide your XProtect VMS (or OEM) Software License Code when placing the order.
Once you have purchased a license from the Cascadia Technology Store, I must manually add a site license for the plugin to your software license code. You will receive a confirmation email when this has been completed.
To apply the license to your VMS, perform a normal online (or offline) license activation using Management Client on a system where the plugin is installed.
Important: The Web Content Plugin must be installed on the same system where Management Client is used to perform the activation, otherwise the Management Client won't include a license request from the plugin during the activation process.
You will find a software build of materials, also known as an SBOM (S-bomb), in the _manifest subdirectory of the
plugin installation path at C:\Program Files\VideoOS\MIPPlugins\CascadiaWebContentPlugin\_manifest\spdx_2.2\. In this
folder you will find the SBOM file manifest.spdx.json in SPDX:2.2 format, along with manifest.spdx.json.sha256 which
is a SHA256 hash of the SBOM file.
These files are generated using Microsoft's sbom-tool and the same tool can be
used to validate your own software installation. To do so, you would install sbom-tool per Microsoft's documentation
and then run the following command.
dotnet sbom-tool validate -b C:\Program Files\VideoOS\MIPPlugins\CascadiaWebContentPlugin\ -o .sbom-validation.txt -mi SPDX:2.2
Or, if the sbom-tool command is installed globally on PATH you can drop the leading dotnet cli command name.
sbom-tool validate -b C:\Program Files\VideoOS\MIPPlugins\CascadiaWebContentPlugin\ -o .sbom-validation.txt -mi SPDX:2.2