Creating custom card formats - To define custom card formats that have unique data fields, you can create custom formats manually, or import them from XML files, using the Custom card format editor tool. - Security Center 5.12

Security Center Administrator Guide 5.12
Product
Security Center
Content type
Guides > Administrator guides
Version
5.12
ft:locale
en-US
Last updated
2025-05-29

To define custom card formats that have unique data fields, you can create custom formats manually, or import them from XML files, using the Custom card format editor tool.

What you should know

If you delete a custom card format that’s in use in Security Center, all credentials using that format appear as Unknown, but the credentials are still granted access at the doors.
NOTE: You must know your card’s format to enter it in the credential code field. If you do not know the format, contact the card manufacturer or your Genetec Inc. sales representative of for assistance.

Procedure

  1. Open the Access control task, and click the General settings view.
  2. Under Custom card formats, click Add an item ().
  3. In the Custom card format editor, enter the Name and Description of the custom card format.
  4. Specify the Card format type and Format length.
    • Wiegand (8 to 512 bits)
    • ABA (2 to 128 characters)
  5. Define the Wiegand fields or define the ABA fields that constitute the custom card format.
  6. If you selected Wiegand format type, you might have to add parity check bits to the format.
  7. (Optional) To enroll a range of credentials in bulk, you can designate one field as the sequence generator.
    The field designated as the sequence generator allows you to define a range of values for enrolling the credentials in bulk in the Credential management task.
  8. Enter the format string for printing the credential code.
    The credential code is the printed form of the credential data. It is an optional column available in most access control-related reports.

    The code format string defines how the system prints the credential data. To include a field in the credential code, specify the field name exactly as it appears in the card format field definition. Enclose the field name in curly brackets "{ }". Field names are case-sensitive.

    Characters outside the curly brackets are printed as they are. For example, with the format string {Facility}/{Card Number}, a credential with the field values 230 and 7455 is printed as 230/7455.

  9. To validate the new custom card format with a pre-enrolled credential, click Validate with a credential, select a pre-enrolled credential, and click OK.
  10. (Optional) Click Export to save the custom card format to an XML file.
    Exporting the custom card format to an XML file allows you to import that same card format definition to other Synergis™ systems.
  11. Click OK > Apply.
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