# TimestampCondition

Specifies time limits for matching records, based on the record timestamps.

This parameter accepts a comma-separated list of conditions to match records in the `Input0` track with records in the other input track(s).

Each side of a condition must be an expression of the form `RecordTime [+/- optional constant]`, where `RecordTime` is:

- `startT` - the start time of a record from track `InputT`
- `peakT` - the peak time of a record in track `InputT`
- `endT` - the end time of a record in track `InputT`

In the following example, a record in the `Input1` track must start after the record in the `Input0` track, but must start not more than two seconds after the end time of the record in the `Input0` track.

        TimestampCondition=start1>start0, start1<=end0+2s

Some ESP engines compare a track `Input0` with multiple other tracks (`InputN`, where `N>=1`). In this case, you can specify different conditions for each `InputN` track. In the following example, a record in the `Input2` track must start after the record in the `Input0` track, but must start no more than ten seconds after the end time of the record in the `Input0` track:

        TimestampCondition=start1>start0, start1<=end0+2s, start2>start0, start2<=end0+10s

To specify the same conditions for every `InputN` track (where `N>=1`), you can use the labels `startX`, `peakX`, and `endX`. This means that the following two examples are equivalent:

        TimestampCondition=start1>start0, start1<=end0+2s, start2>start0, start2<=end0+10s
        TimestampCondition=startX>start0, start1<=end0+2s, start2<=end0+10s

For each track `InputN`, where `N>=1`, there must be at least one lower limit for the timestamps (for example `startN >= start0 + t`), and at least one upper limit (for example `startN <= start0 + t`). The "Then" (`AndThen`, `AndNotThen`, and `AndThenAny`) ESP engines automatically enforce a lower limit (`startX>=start0`), so only an upper limit is required. The conditions that you specify are combined together with the AND operator, so a matching record must meet every condition.

NOTE: This parameter is used only when you process video. When you process images or documents, this parameter is ignored and records are considered to be related only if they are associated with the same page.

Type: | String
Default: | `startX >= start0, startX <= start0` (unless you set MinTimeInterval or MaxTimeInterval in which case those values are used).
Required: | No
Configuration Section: | TaskName
Example: |
    TimestampCondition=startX>start0, start1<=end0+2s, start2<=end0+10s
See Also: |

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