Go ONVIF Tutorial: Building VMS Software with use-go/onvif

A hands-on, progressive tutorial for building Video Management System (VMS) software in Go using the use-go/onvif library. Each section builds on the previous one, taking you from basic camera connectivity to real-world multi-service VMS patterns.

Who Is This For?

• Go developers who want to integrate IP cameras into their applications
• Engineers building video surveillance or monitoring systems
• Anyone working with ONVIF-compatible devices (cameras, NVRs, encoders)

Prerequisites

• Go 1.21+ installed (download)
• Access to an ONVIF-compatible IP camera or NVR on your network
• Basic understanding of Go modules, HTTP, and XML/SOAP concepts

Quick Start

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/your-org/go-onvif-tutorial.git
cd go-onvif-tutorial

# 2. Copy the environment template and fill in your camera details
cp .env.example .env.local

# 3. Edit .env.local with your camera's IP, port, username, and password
#    CAMERA_IP=192.168.1.100
#    CAMERA_PORT=80
#    CAMERA_USER=admin
#    CAMERA_PASS=your_password

# 4. Run the first example to verify connectivity
cd 01-setup
go run main.go

Environment Setup

Create a .env.local file in the project root with your camera credentials:

CAMERA_IP=192.168.1.100
CAMERA_PORT=80
CAMERA_USER=admin
CAMERA_PASS=your_password
CAMERA_XADDR=http://192.168.1.100:80/onvif/device_service

Security Note: .env.local is listed in .gitignore. Never commit real camera credentials.

Learning Roadmap

Follow the sections in order. Each one introduces a new ONVIF service and builds on concepts from earlier sections.

flowchart TD
    A[00 - Concepts] --> B[01 - Setup & Connection]
    B --> C[02 - Device Management]
    C --> D[03 - Discovery]
    C --> E[04 - Media Service]
    E --> F[05 - PTZ Control]
    E --> G[06 - Events]
    E --> H[07 - Imaging]
    E --> I[08 - Recording]
    F --> J[09 - Real-World Projects]
    G --> J
    H --> J
    I --> J

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#	Section	What You Will Learn
00	Concepts	ONVIF architecture, SOAP basics, WS-Security, profiles overview
01	Setup	Connecting to a camera, creating a Device client, verifying ONVIF support
02	Device Management	Querying device info, capabilities, system date/time, network settings
03	Discovery	WS-Discovery multicast probing, finding cameras on the network
04	Media	Media profiles, stream URIs, snapshot URIs, video encoder configs
05	PTZ	Pan-Tilt-Zoom control, presets, continuous/relative/absolute moves
06	Events	PullPoint subscriptions, motion detection events, event filtering
07	Imaging	Brightness, contrast, focus, exposure, white balance settings
08	Recording	Profile G recording, playback, recording jobs, track configuration
09	Real-World Projects	Camera manager and stream monitor — combining everything together

Project Structure

go-onvif-tutorial/
├── 00-concepts/          # ONVIF theory and background
├── 01-setup/             # Camera connection basics
├── 02-device-management/ # Device service operations
├── 03-discovery/         # WS-Discovery
├── 04-media/             # Media profiles and streaming
├── 05-ptz/               # PTZ control
├── 06-events/            # Event handling
├── 07-imaging/           # Image settings
├── 08-recording/         # Recording and playback
├── 09-real-world/        # Full VMS examples
│   ├── camera-manager/   #   Multi-camera management tool
│   └── stream-monitor/   #   Stream health monitoring
├── docs/                 # Additional documentation
│   ├── specs/            #   ONVIF specification references
│   ├── troubleshooting.md
│   └── camera-compatibility.md
└── internal/
    └── config/           # Shared configuration loading

Resources

• ONVIF Official Website
• ONVIF Specifications
• use-go/onvif Library
• Troubleshooting Guide
• Camera Compatibility Notes

License

This tutorial is provided for educational purposes.