platform sdk overview

About the Platform SDK

The Platform SDK (Genetec.Sdk.dll) is the core .NET library for building applications that connect to Genetec Security Center. It provides programmatic access to entities, events, reports, and system operations.

SDK assemblies

The Security Center SDK consists of multiple assemblies. The Platform SDK is the foundation that other assemblies depend on.

Assembly	Purpose
Genetec.Sdk.dll	Core SDK. Entity model, connection management, events, queries, transactions. Required by all integrations.
Genetec.Sdk.Plugin.dll	Hosting infrastructure for custom roles that run on Security Center servers. See Plugin SDK.
Genetec.Sdk.Workspace.dll	Components for extending Security Desk and Config Tool with custom pages, tasks, and tiles.
Genetec.Sdk.Media.dll	Video and audio playback, frame decoding, media player controls, audio recording and transmission.
Genetec.Sdk.Controls.dll	Reusable WPF and Windows Forms controls (date pickers, IP address inputs, color pickers, etc.).

All assemblies except Genetec.Sdk.dll are optional. Include only what your application needs.

The Engine class

All Platform SDK operations go through the Engine class. It manages the connection to Security Center and provides access to entities, events, and system services.

using Genetec.Sdk;

using var engine = new Engine();

// Connect to Security Center
ConnectionStateCode result = await engine.LogOnAsync("server", "username", "password");

if (result == ConnectionStateCode.Success)
{
    // Access entities
    var camera = engine.GetEntity<Camera>(cameraGuid);

    // Subscribe to events
    engine.EventReceived += OnEventReceived;

    // Run queries
    var query = engine.ReportManager.CreateReportQuery(ReportType.CameraActivity);
}

The Engine requires:

• An SDK certificate (see SDK Certificates)
• Valid user credentials with "Log on using the SDK" privilege
• Network access to the Security Center Directory

Core concepts

The Platform SDK documentation covers these topics:

Guide	Description
Entities	The object model for cameras, doors, cardholders, and 100+ other types
Entity Cache	How the Engine caches entity data locally
Transactions	Batching multiple operations for performance
Events and Actions	Subscribing to real-time system events
Report Manager	Querying historical data and entity lists
Logging	Diagnostic logging configuration

Setup requirements

Requirement	Details
SDK installation	Security Center SDK must be installed on the machine running your application
Certificate	.cert file in a Certificates folder next to your executable
License	Security Center license must include your certificate's part number
Assembly resolution	Configure runtime assembly loading (see Referencing Assemblies)
Compatibility	Runtime SDK version must be within three major versions of the server (see Compatibility)

Related guides

• SDK Certificates - Certificate requirements and configuration
• Referencing Assemblies - Assembly resolution at compile and runtime
• Compatibility - Version compatibility between SDK and Security Center