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iCOMPEL Content Commander (iCC)
User Manual v2.0.6
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ICC-AP-1500 ICC-VM-150 0
Contact
Information
Order toll-free in the U.S. or for FREE 24/7 technical support:
Call 877-877-BBOX (outside U.S. call 724-746-5500)
www.blackbox.com • [email protected]
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iCOMPEL Content Commander (iCC) User Manual
Trademarks Used in this Manual
Black Box and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc.
Any other trademarks mentioned in this manual are acknowledged to be the property of the trademark owners.
We‘re here to help! If you have any questions about your application
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iCOMPEL Content Commander (iCC) User Manual
Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada Radio Frequency Interference
Statements
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy, and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause inter ference to radio communication. It has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class A computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC rules,
which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference, in which case the user at his own
expense will be required to take whatever measures may be necessary to correct the interference.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emis sion from digital apparatus set out in the Radio
Interference Regulation of Industry Canada.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques
de la classe A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique publié par Industrie Canada.
Disclaimer:
Black Box Network Services shall not be liable for damages of any kind, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential or cost of cover damages, resulting
from any errors in the product information or specifications set forth in this document and Black Box Network Services may revise this document at any time
without notice.
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iCOMPEL Content Commander (iCC) User Manual
Instrucciones de Seguridad
(Normas Oficiales Mexicanas Electrical Safety Statement)
1. Todas las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser leídas antes de que el aparato eléctrico sea operado.
2. Las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser guardadas para referencia futura.
3. Todas las advertencias en el aparato eléctrico y en sus instrucciones de operación deben ser respetadas.
4. Todas las instrucciones de operación y uso deben ser seguidas.
5. El aparato eléctrico no deberá ser usado cerca del agua—por ejemplo, cerca de la tina de baño, lavabo, sótano mojado o cerca
de una alberca, etc.
6. El aparato eléctrico debe ser usado únicamente con carritos o pedestales que sean recomendados por el fabricante.
7. El aparato eléctrico debe ser montado a la pared o al techo sólo como sea recomendado por el fabricante.
8. Servicio—El usuario no debe intentar dar servicio al equipo eléctrico más allá a lo descrito en las instrucciones de operación.
Todo otro servicio deberá ser referido a personal de servicio calificado.
9. El aparato eléctrico debe ser situado de tal manera que su posición no interfiera su uso. La colocación del aparato eléctrico
sobre una cama, sofá, alfombra o superficie similar puede bloquea la ventilación, no se debe colocar en libreros o gabinetes
que impidan el flujo de aire por los orificios de ventilación.
10. El equipo eléctrico deber ser situado fuera del alcance de fuentes de calor como radiadores, registros de calor, estufas u otros
aparatos (incluyendo amplificadores) que producen calor.
11. El aparato eléctrico deberá ser connectado a una fuente de poder sólo del tipo descrito en el instructivo de operación, o como
se indique en el aparato.
12. Precaución debe ser tomada de tal manera que la tierra fisica y la polarización del equipo no sea eliminada.
13. Los cables de la fuente de poder deben ser guiados de tal manera que no sean pisados ni pellizcados por objetos colocados
sobre o contra ellos, poniendo particular atención a los contactos y receptáculos donde salen del aparato.
14. El equipo eléctrico debe ser limpiado únicamente de acuerdo a las recomendaciones del fabricante.
15. En caso de existir, una antena externa deberá ser localizada lejos de las lineas de energia.
16. El cable de corriente deberá ser desconectado del cuando el equipo no sea usado por un largo periodo de tiempo.
17. Cuidado debe ser tomado de tal manera que objectos liquidos no sean derramados sobre la cubierta u orificios de ventilación.
18. Servicio por personal calificado deberá ser provisto cuando:
A: El cable de poder o el contacto ha sido dañado; u
B: Objectos han caído o líquido ha sido derramado dentro del aparato; o
C: El aparato ha sido expuesto a la lluvia; o
D: El aparato parece no operar normalmente o muestra un cambio en su desempeño; o
E: El aparato ha sido tirado o su cubierta ha sido dañada.
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Black Box Digital Signage
iCOMPEL Content Commander User Guide Version: 2.0.6
The iCOMPEL Content Commander simplifies the
creation, publication, and management of digital
signage. It enables multiple users to create and
release concurrently and supports simultaneous
publication of numerous channels. With a
browser-based user interface, the system is fully
multilingual.
Copyright © 2016. Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems - without the written
permission of the publisher.
Products that are referred to in this document may be either trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective
owners. The publisher and the author make no claim to these trademarks.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, the publisher and the author assume no
responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of information contained in this document or from
the use of programs and source code that may accompany it. In no event shall the publisher and the author be liable for any
loss of profit or any other commercial damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this document.
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Content Commander User Guide
Table of Contents
Part 1: Welcome to iCOMPEL Digital Signage 11
1.1 Overview 11
1.1.1 Standalone Display 12
1.1.2 MultipleDisplays 13
1.1.3 MultipleChannels 13
1.2 Terms You Need to Know 15
1.3 Logging On 16
1.4 Using the Web Interface 17
Part 2: Creating Digital Signage 25
2.1 Using Schedules 25
2.1.1 Creating a Schedule 26
2.1.2 Schedule Entries 26
2.1.3 Overriding the Schedule 29
2.2 Using Layouts 30
2.2.1 Manage Layout Page 30
2.2.2 Adding a New Layout 31
2.2.3 Editing a Layout 31
2.2.4 Layout Properties 31
2.2.5 Interaction Properties 32
2.3 Using Zones 32
2.3.1 The Layout Editor 32
2.3.2 Editing a Zone 34
2.3.3 Editing a Zone's Properties 35
2.4 Using Playlists 36
2.4.1 Viewing and Editing Conditional Play 37
2.4.2 Viewing and Editing Time Validity 39
2.4.3 Adding Media Item Files to a Playlist 40
2.4.4 Adding Special Items to a Playlist 41
2.4.5 Adding Foldersto a Playlist 41
Part 3: Understanding Media Types 45
3.1 Media Directly Managed by the iCC
3.1.1 Text 45
3.1.2 Newsfeeds 46
3.1.3 Clocks 47
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3.1.4 Tables 47
3.1.5 RS-232 Items 49
3.1.6 QR Codes 49
3.2 Media Run from the iCC Disk
3.2.1 Uploading Content Files 51
3.2.2 Video 53
3.2.3 Text F iles 54
3.2.4 Images and Photos 54
3.2.5 Audio 54
3.2.6 Presentations 55
3.2.7 HTML Web Pages 56
3.2.8 Adobe Flash 56
3.2.9 PDF Files 57
3.2.10 Folder Play 57
50
3.3 Media from External Sources 57
3.3.1 TV 58
3.3.2 Radio 58
3.3.3 Live Video 58
3.3.4 Multicast Video 59
3.3.5 External Web Pages 59
3.4 Media Item Properties 61
3.4.1 Movie Properties 62
3.4.2 HTML Properties 63
3.4.3 Image Properties 64
3.4.4 Text Properties 65
3.4.5 Soundtrack Properties 66
3.4.6 Newsfeed Properties 66
3.4.7 Clock Properties 68
3.4.8 PDF File Properties 68
3.4.9 Folder Play Properties 69
3.4.10 Play Criteria Properties 71
3.4.11 Advanced Properties 71
3.4.12 Ad Hoc Properties 72
3.5 Playlist Commands 73
3.5.1 Rendezvous Points and the Advance To Command 73
3.5.2 Change Layout Command 74
3.6 Colors
75
3.7 Fonts 76
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Part 4: Enhancing Your Displays 79
4.1 Playlist Displays Between Zones
4.1.1 Automatic Captioning 79
4.1.2 Displaying Video-On-Demand Using a Sub-Playlist 80
79
4.2 Using Interactivity 81
4.2.1 Designing Interactive Layouts 84
4.2.2 General Purpose Input/Output 84
4.2.3 Touch Screens 85
4.2.4 ClickOn Touch 85
4.3 Using the RS-232 Interface Port 85
4.4 Displaying Part of a Movie or Web Page 86
4.5 Changing the Screen Background 86
Part 5: Ad Hoc Content 89
5.1 Enhanced Ad Hoc Access Control
5.2 Remote Keypad Control
5.3 Additional Ad Hoc
5.4 Ad Hoc from Center
90
92
93
95
5.5 Managing Ad Hoc Items
5.6 Creating Ad Hoc User Accounts
5.7 Ad Hoc Pages
5.7.1 Managing Ad Hoc Pages
5.7.2 Editing Ad Hoc Pages
5.8 Ad Hoc Folder Play
5.9 Ad Hoc Media Folder
5.9 Changing Ad Hoc Content
5.10 Ad Hoc Theming
95
96
97
97
97
98
99
99
101
Part 6: Sharing Content Using Layout Packages 105
6.1 Layout Packages 105
6.2 Creating a Layout Package 106
6.3 Uploading and Installing a Layout Package 106
6.4 Layout Package Conflicts 106
6.5 Layout Package Information 107
Part 7: Channels and Signage Networks 111
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7.1 Publishing 112
7.1.1 Publishing Mode and Policy 112
7.1.2 Configuring the Channel 113
7.1.3 Publishing a Channel 116
7.1.4 MultichannelPublishing 117
7.1.5 Managing Channels 118
7.2 Channel Ad Hoc 120
7.3 Channel Content Servers 121
Part 8: System Status 125
8.1 System Status 125
8.2 Conditional Play Status 126
Part 9: Setup 129
9.1 Help and User Interface Options 129
9.2 Users, Roles, and Permissions 130
9.2.1 Asset-Specific Permissions 131
9.3 System Setup 131
9.3.1 Users 132
9.3.2 Roles 133
9.3.3 Date & Time 135
9.3.4 Network 136
9.3.5 TV & Radio 137
9.3.6 HTT P Proxy 139
9.3.7 Security – GeneralSettings 139
9.3.8 Security – Advanced LDAPSettings 143
9.3.9 Player Local Information 146
9.3.10 Reporting 147
9.3.11 Licensing 148
9.4 Player Setup 148
9.4.1 RS-232 Outputs 148
9.4.2 Interactivity 150
9.5 Backing Up Your iCC
9.6 Software Update
9.7 Reboot System
150
152
155
Part 10: Troubleshooting 159
10.1 Support Snap Shot 159
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10.2 Connection Troubleshooter 159
Part 11: Technical Reference 165
11.1 Playback Performance
11.2 RS-232 Technical Reference
11.3 Backup Contents
165
165
167
Part 12: Glossary 171
Index 175
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Part I
Welcome to iCOMPEL
Digital Signage
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Content Commander User Guide
Part 1: Welcome to iCOMPEL Digital Signage
Welcome to the iCOMPEL Content Commander (iCC) user guide. Here you will find comprehensive
information about how to create digital signage with the iCC and how to manage the iCC unit.
Find the subject you are looking for in the table of contents or in the PDF bookmarks. Track down the location of
specific topics with the index at the end of the guide or by using the Adobe® Reader® search facility.
If you are new to iCOMPEL digital signage, you will find it helpful to read the Overview for an introduction to the
fundamental concepts and components involved. Also familiarise yourself with the Terms You Need to Know
before beginning to create digital signage content with the iCC.
Following that, you will be ready to check through the steps for Logging On to the iCC and Using the Web Interface.
However, the more experienced may wish to go straight to the information about creating and controlling digital
displays:
Creating a Schedule – Getting started with designing and implementing your display.
l
Understanding Media Types – Understanding the different types of content you can display and how the iCC
l
manages them.
You can also find background Information on setting up and managing the iCC:
System Status – Keeping your iCC running smoothly.
l
Setup – Performing configuration and maintenance tasks.
l
Important: This user guide provides comprehensive information about all the features the iCC offers. However,
some features are only enabled if you purchase the appropriate license. Please contact your reseller or supplier
for more information.
1.1 Overview
To understand the fundamental concepts and components of a digital signage configuration, it is useful to start by
describing a very simple arrangement with a standalone display. Building on that, further illustrations will add
the extra features, including the iCC, that become increasingly relevant as your network grows more distributed
and more sophisticated.
Work through the description of these examples in turn:
l Standalone Display
l Multiple Displays
l Multiple Channels
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Part 1: Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
1.1.1 Standalone Display
The following diagram illustrates the simplest situation with a single display controlled by an individual. You might
conceive of this as a screen displaying information in the foyer of a school:
Note the significance of the highlighted features in that scenario:
l User – The person controlling the screen content and its operation (that is, you).
l Browser – You exercise control through a web browser (such as Mozilla
®
Firefox®or Microsoft®Internet
Explorer®). This remains the case for even the largest digital signage network.
l Local area network, Intranet, or Internet – In principle, you do not need to be physically close to the screen's
location. This becomes more significant as the size of the network increases.
Player – Player is the generic term for the appliance that runs the screen. Specifically, the player is the Black
l
Box Net-Top-Box. The player has to be physically attached to the screen.
l Display Screen – The equipment that displays the content you have defined. You configure the player to display
various media on selected areas of the screen at chosen times.
As you might expect, additional features are needed to support a network that includes Multiple Displays.
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1.1.2 Multiple Displays
The following diagram illustrates a more fully-featured situation where a user controls several players and their
screens. You might conceive of this as a set of screens displaying sales information on the floors of a shop. In
practice, the number of players would be much higher, which is why it is desirable – and soon necessary – to add
further components to the network:
You can see that certain features are the same: the user, the browser, and the network. Note now the significance of
the additional features, discussed clockwise as they appear:
Publisher – A Publisher is a system you configure to provide content to multiple players. This enables you to
l
display consistent content on several screens and means you only need update it in one place. Although some
player models can perform this role, in our context the publisher is specifically the Black Box Content
Commander.
l Channel – A Channel refers to both the content it contains and its originating publisher. The Channel Name (in
this case 'Channel 1') identifies the channel and is often just the name of the publisher.
l Subscriber – A Subscriber is a player that you configure to accept content from a publisher. In the diagram,
Channel 1 provides the content for all the subscriber players and their screens. Subscriber and Publisher are
referred to as Roles (the only other role is Standalone, which is the role of the player in the first diagram).
You can build on the parts already described to create a network not only of multiple displays but also of Multiple
Channels.
1.1.3 Multiple Channels
When your signage network grows to a large number of players and their screens, the quantity and variety of content
you need to manage and distribute grows accordingly.
Once again, it is useful to envision the key components in a condensed and summarised form.
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Part 1: Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
o pro
The following diagram shows how the individual network features we have discussed so far combine t
ide a
v
network infrastructure of multiple displays and multiple channels. You might conceive of this as a multisite business
with sites in different cities, maintaining a resilient network of players displaying various streams of content, and
all under centralized control:
Notice how the by-now familiar components operate in combination:
l At the center, you create and manage the flow of content for the network through your web browser.
l The iCC publishes content over multiple channels. You configure as many as you need to serve the needs
of the business, up to a maximum of 50.
l Multiple subscriber players display content from whichever channel you designate appropriate to their
function. For example, the content could be subject-based if the display is for a particular department or could
be locale-based if the display is for a particular city.
l How you group the subscriber players is up to you: you can have numerous players displaying common
content.
That picture is deliberately simplified to illustrate the essential components of a large network. Therefore, it is
worth emphasizing that the iCC can readily scale up to manage the content for even complex digital signage
networks. For example, the iCC allows you to set a bandwidth limit on a per-port basis, thereby prioritising quality
of service for different purposes (see the HTTP service settings description in Firewall for more details).
This is not to say the iCC alone can provide everything required for more specialist configurations. You may need
to add a Channel Content Server (CCS) to assist content processing if you have specific network topology
requirements (see Channel Content Servers for more details).
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Having now considered the background terms and concepts of the digital signage network, the next step is
to understand how to compose the content that you will publish through the iCC. Begin by reading the Terms
You Need to Know.
1.2 Terms You Need to Know
The iCC provides powerful facilities to help you to design, structure, and control sophisticated and effective content
display.
To understand how you use the iCC to manage display of content, it is important to understand how certain
key features relate to each other.
The following diagram illustrates the critical relationships between Schedules, Layouts, Zones, and Playlists:
To flesh out how those relationships work, consider each of those key features in turn.
Schedule
The player is designed to run continuously. You control which Layouts are displayed on what days and at which
times by creating a Schedule. The schedule may be something like this:
l Layout A runs from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm, Mondays to Fridays.
l Layout B runs from 2.00 pm to 8.00 pm, Saturdays and Sundays.
l Layout C runs at all other times, throughout the week.
Layout
A Layout is the arrangement of individual display areas, known as Zones, that you use to compose your on-screen
display. Your layout might display video in one zone, scrolling text in another, a sequence of still images in a third
zone, with a full-screen zone behind the others showing a background color or image.
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Part 1: Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
Zones
Zones are rectangular areas, each of which can display various forms of content (known as media items). You can
design layouts with any number
which zones display which media types (for example, one for a promotional video, one for scrolling text, another for
your organisation's name or logo, and so on). You can also have zones display a mix of media types. You arrange the
media items for each zone in a Playlist.
Playlist
A Playlist contains one or several media items that you choose to display in a zone. Media items include fixed and
scrolling text, movies, images, Adobe® Flash® animations, web pages, and newsfeeds. To display a media item,
you add it to the playlist. Each zone has its own favorite playlist, which runs continuously. You can also synchronise
the display between two playlists (for example, to run a scrolling text message at the same time as a related
promotional video or image.
That examination of the key features gives a flavour of how you put together your signage display content for a
single player. However, as we have seen, using the iCC you can also easily provide the same content for groups of
players by publishing through one or more channels.
of zones, of any size, in any location, either separate or overlapping. You specify
You can also allow people local to the subscriber players to have a degree of control over the content the player
displays. The material and features that you allow local users to modify is called Ad Hoc content and they are called
Ad Hoc Users.
That brief survey of the key terms provides the foundation to start using the iCC. Other sections introduce and
describe additional terms and concepts as needed. An extensive Glossary provides definitions of the core iCC
terminology.
But now, to consider further how to use schedules, layouts, zones, and playlists to create your digital signage, refer
to Creating Digital Signage.
1.3 Logging On
During the log on process, you will need to provide the IP address of your iCC. Make a note of this before you
begin. If you do not know the IP address, restart the iCC: it displays its IP address above the progress bar
towards the end of the boot sequence.
Follow these steps to log in to your iCC:
1. Ensure that the iCC is connected to the network.
2. Open a web browser (such as Mozilla® Firefox® or Microsoft® Internet Explorer®) on a computer on the same
network as the iCC.
3. In your browser's address bar, type in the IP address of your iCC and click the 'go to' arrow or press the Enter
key.
4. When prompted, enter the username and password. The factory-set defaults for these are remote and 9999
respectively. Your iCC displays its Home page.
Security: It is strongly recommended that you change the remote account password from the factory default
as soon as possible. Also change the iCC master password and check that the security services configuration
matches your requirements (see Security – General Settings for details).
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Content Commander User Guide
That connection is secured by HTTP digest authentication, which encrypts the password. However, you should
consider adopting form-based authentication as it can be configured to give stronger security. Form-based
authentication also provides an explicit sign out when you want to end your session on the iCC.
Important: If you use form-based authentication, you will need to provide a valid SSL certificate
(as described below). It is possible to access the iCC without a valid certificate, but your browser will at
first block you and warn that the connection is untrustworthy or that there is a problem with security.
To configure form-based authentication, follow these steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Setup and select System and Security.
2. Click the Firewall tab.
3. In the HTTP Service Settings panel, from the Authentication drop-down menu, select Form-based
Authentication.
4. From the Supported Protocols drop-down menu, select HTTPS.
5.
Click the button (ignore the prompt to reboot the ICC).
6. Click the SSL Certificates tab.
7. Select Use Custom SSL Certificates for Web Server.
8. Complete the certificate details and click the
9. Click the prompt to reboot the iCC.
When you next access the iCC, you will need to do so using the HTTPS protocol. Your username and password will
be as before. To sign out of your session, click the
For the future, you might want to bookmark the Home page or add it to your favorites for easier access. If your
network is set up to provide DHCP and DNS support, you can also access the iCC using its name rather than its
IP address: the name is automatically generated in the format iCCserial, where serial is the serial number of your
iCC (for example, iCC123456).
The iCC comes ready-installed with a number of sample displays and you might find those useful to illustrate the
kinds of features you can implement.
If you need assistance at any time, click Help on the menu bar to access page-specific help or to navigate to any
other help page.
You can now begin to become familiar with the iCC user interface.
button.
prompt at the top right of the iCC display.
1.4 Using the Web Interface
You control and manage the iCC through your browser using the web-style pages of the iCC user interface.
You should become familiar with the essential features of the user interface before beginning to use the iCC.
Most important is the main Home page but you should also be aware of the generic navigation and command
features employed on other pages. What follows is a tour of the Home page followed by descriptions of those
generic features.
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Part 1: Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
The Home Page
This is the first page you see after logging onto the iCC. At its heart is this view of the current state of the iCC,
showing a summary of its operational status:
That summary is made up of Status Bars.
Status Bars
These indicate the status of key iCC operational components. Each status bar has this general
appearance:
The features to note are:
l Open/close arrow – Click the arrow to reveal more details. Click the arrow to reduce the detail.
l Name – The subject of the status report (in the above case the subject is the Network).
l Status summary – The color of the status bar icon indicates the current status (in the above case, the network
status is good).
Here are status bars that respectively indicate attention needed and problem detected:
If you click the open arrow on an attention or problem status bar, the iCC provides a description of the problem in
the information revealed. To take corrective action, click on the appropriate button to open the relevant page in the
interface.
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Content Commander User Guide
In general, opening a status bar provides you with additional information about the subject area, with a selection of
buttons to take you to the relevant pages in the user interface. For example, opening the System status bar
reveals details about the iCC system state:
Most pertinently for your use of the iCC, opening the Channels status bar reveals a summary of the channels
you have published:
As you can see, because of its importance, the iCC allocates half of the Home page display to the Channels
status summary. The iCC displays this information:
Name – The name of the channel.
l
Status – The latest publication status of the channel. When a channel starts publishing, the iCC highlights this
l
with and then with as the process progresses.
l Version – Indicates the minimum software version the player needs to display the channel's content.
To access detailed information on the channels, click the button to open the Manage
Channels page.
Generic Features: The Menu Bar
The menu bar appears on every page of the user interface. It allows you to navigate to the page you need to perform
detailed actions. Broadly speaking, each page corresponds to a particular feature such as:
l Layout design
l Playlist creation
l Channel publishing
l Managing user accounts
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Part 1: Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
The menu bar offers these top-level options (you may see fewer options depending on your configuration):
The relevant explanatory sections describe those options in detail. You can also change how you interact with the
menu bar on the Help > UI Options page. Some iCC features are only available if you enable the Detailed or
Expert option on the UI Options page. Restrictions may also apply if your iCC hardware components and
capabilities do not support certain functions or if you do not have the requisite software licenses.
To speed your access to important pages and information, the right-hand side of the menu bar includes a selection
of icons. Click the icon to access the following:
– The Home page.
– The Manage Channels page.
– The Manage Layouts page.
– The Setup icons page.
An additional icon indicates the system status and can be one of:
– Confirms there are no known issues.
– Brief description of an attention item (only shown if one is active).
– Brief description of a problem item (only shown if one is active).
Note: The iCC does not display the quick access icons if your computer screen is too small or you have
restricted the size of the browser window.
Generic Features: Tabbed Pages
Many options in the iCC user interface are split across tabbed pages:
To access the options on the tabbed page, click the tab label (for example, Add Schedule Entry).
Generic Features: Action Buttons
Numerous actions are common across different iCC pages. The user interface indicates these with icon action
buttons. Click the button to perform the indicated action:
– Delete
– Rename
– Copy
– Edit
– Drag to reorder
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Content Commander User Guide
Generic Features: Command Buttons
Some commands are common across different iCC pages. The user interface provides command buttons for
these. To execute the command, click the button. The label on the button describes the command,
or .
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Part II
Creating Digital
Signage
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Content Commander User Guide
Part 2: Creating Digital Signage
This section describes how to create your digital signs. If you are new to the iCC, see Terms You Need to
Know before you begin.
Click on the links below for more information on:
Using Schedules – Controlling what is displayed and when.
Using Layouts – Organizing the screen into different display areas.
Using Zones – Configuring the type of content displayed in each layout.
Using Playlists – Specifying the media items that play in each zone.
Understanding Media Types – Setting up and managing the different types of media.
Enhancing Your Displays – Using synchronisation, interactivity, and the RS-232 interface.
2.1 Using Schedules
The player units are designed to run continuously. You control which layouts are displayed on what days and at what
times by creating a Schedule for each channel. A schedule always contains at least one Schedule Entry, which
defines at least one player action (often, which layout to display). A schedule entry does not necessarily specify a
layout change, it could specify some other action (for example, switching the audio to mute).
The schedule entries define periods of time during which actions occur. The programme of schedule entries is based
on a one-week cycle. The Default Schedule Entry defines the layout that appears, or the actions that occur, when
no other schedule entry is active.
The player always displays the schedule with the most recent start time. Once a schedule starts running it continues
until another schedule is set to begin. If there is only one schedule it runs indefinitely.
An example schedule might contain schedule entries taking these actions:
l Playing layout X from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Mondays to Fridays.
l Playing layout Y from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
l The default schedule entry, playing layout Z at all other times.
You can temporarily interrupt a schedule by using a Schedule Override.
To access the schedules configured for a channel on the iCC:
1. On the menu bar, click Schedules.
2. Select the relevant channel from the drop-down list.
3. Click Manage Schedules.
The iCC provides these action buttons:
– Delete the schedule.
– Copy the schedule.
– Edit the schedule.
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Note: Deleting a schedule does not delete its associated layouts. If only one schedule remains, you cannot
delete it.
To create a new schedule, click the Add Schedule tab.
2.1.1 Creating a Schedule
To display content on your player units, you need to create at least one channel with its associated schedule.
You add schedule entries to a schedule to fine-tune how the player runs it.
To create a new schedule:
1. On the menu bar, click Schedules.
2. Select the channel from the drop-down list.
3. Click Manage Schedules.
4. Click the Add Schedule tab.
To create the new schedule, complete the following details and click the button:
Schedule Name Enter a unique name for the schedule.
Valid From Select the date and time when the player starts running the schedule (the default is in 24 hours time).
Valid Until Select the option that matches your requirement:
l Superseded – The player keeps playing this schedule until a more eligible schedule becomes
available.
l Date – The player keeps playing this schedule until the date and time you choose. It then plays
the next eligible schedule. If the player cannot find an eligible schedule, it continues to play this
one.
Show Layout Select the layout to display.
Conditional Play This is only enabled when you have added Player Local Information (PLI) to the player (see Player
Local Information for details).
If it is enabled, you have two options:
l Play Always – Default. The player always plays the schedule.
l Play if Player Local Information Item – The player only plays the schedule if certain conditions
are met.
If you select Play if Player Local Information Item, complete these steps:
1. Select the name of the relevant player local information from the first drop-down list.
2. Select the test to apply from the second drop-down list.
3.
Enter the value to test for in the final field (add further values by clicking the button or delete
values by clicking the button).
2.1.2 Schedule Entries
A schedule entry is a set of one or more actions for the player to perform at specified times. Schedule entries repeat
over a weekly cycle and a programme of schedule entries make up a schedule.
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Use schedule entries to specify these actions:
l Displaying a layout.
l Switching a screen on or off.
l Switching audio on or off.
l Performing Advance To commands.
Whenever you create a new schedule, the iCC automatically includes a Default Schedule Entry. The
default schedule entry has no start and end time and defines the default states when no other entry is active.
Schedule entries allow you to direct your player to perform simple or highly sophisticated sequences of actions. You
can have the player display different layouts at different times of the day and different days of the week, switch the
display on and off, or repeat actions at specified intervals.
To illustrate the use of schedule entries in more detail, here is a worked example.
With the following schedule, made up of three schedule entries, the player will:
l Turn the screen on to show the Car Showroom layout from 08:45 until 18:00 on Mondays to Fridays.
l Display the Retail layout (showing other sales offerings) for 10 minutes every hour.
l Turn the screen off at all other times.
Looking at the respective settings on the Add Schedule Entry tab reveals how you would go about specifying each
of those schedule entries.
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The first schedule entry causes the player to turn the screen off and mute the audio soundtrack (note that the Car
Showroom layout plays even though the screen is off):
The second schedule entry causes the player to turn the screen on and play the Car Showroom layout:
The third schedule entry causes the player to change to the Retail layout for 10 minutes every hour:
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To create a new schedule entry, click the Add Schedule Entry tab, complete the following details, and click the
button:
From Select the time range during which you want the player to apply the schedule entry.
00:00:00 means midnight. Set both From and Until to midnight for the player to run the schedule entry all
day. For a period that runs through midnight, add separate schedule entries: one ending at midnight, one
commencing from midnight.
On Check the boxes for the days you want the player to play the schedule entry.
Repeat Choose the option that matches your requirement:
l Perform actions for the entire period – The player performs the actions all of the time.
l During the period, only perform actions – The player performs the actions only when and for as long
as you specify. Specify the regularity with the Every options and the duration with the for options. The
Every setting must be at least 30 seconds longer than the for setting. The minimum for setting is 30
seconds.
Ad hoc
This is only enabled when you have added ad hoc schedule items to the iCC (see Managing Ad Hoc
Pages for details).
Check the User can override From, On and Repeat settings using Ad hoc Schedule Item box to allow
ad hoc users to alter those time settings.
Actions Check the boxes and select the required action you want the player to perform:
l Audio – Unmute or mute the display's sound.
l Screen – Turn the screen on or off.
l Layout – Display the selected layout.
l Advance To – Play the next item in the zones containing the selected rendezvous point.
Modify a schedule entry by clicking the button next to it on the Schedule tab.
2.1.3 Overriding the Schedule
You may need to override the current schedule at certain times (for example, to show a special event from a TV
broadcast feed). You can create a Schedule Override which temporarily replaces the current schedule. The player
stops playing the current schedule and displays a different layout.
To create a schedule override, follow these steps.
1. On the menu bar, click Schedules.
2. Select the channel from the drop-down list.
3. Click Manage Overrides.
4. Click the Add Override tab.
5. Enter a name for the override. Use a descriptive name (for example, 'Emergency Instructions').
6. Select what you want the player to do with audio and the screen.
7. Choose a layout for the player to display.
8.
Click the button.
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2.2 Using Layouts
A layout is an arrangement of various display areas, called zones. Your layout may include video in one zone,
scrolling text in another zone, and a sequence of still images in a third zone. You may also have a zone that is the
same size as the layout and contains a background image on which all the other zones are superimposed. Your
audience sees everything in your layout, so you need to take care to design layouts that are appealing and effective.
By default, the iCC names the zones for each layout on the screen in the order in which they were created – zone A,
B, C and so on. To help manage the zones, you can change the names to make them more descriptive (for
example, 'Background' or 'Main Video'). You can change the relative display positions of the zones in a layout.
Each zone can display media items of different types, according to the media player or players you enable for the
zone.
The iCC screen background is visible in any part of the layout that is not covered by a zone. You can define
the color or image for the screen background independently of any layout.
2.2.1 Manage Layout Page
The Layouts > Manage Layouts page shows all the layouts available on this iCC. A number of layouts are
provided by default and you can create new ones by clicking the Add Layout tab and following the steps in Adding
a New Layout.
For each layout, the iCC displays:
l A diagram of the layout's zones.
l The name and description of the layout.
l If applicable, the names of the schedules and channels that use the layout.
l The canvas size required for the layout.
l The names of any rendezvous points or Change Layout commands.
l A link to the layout's Ad hoc Page.
Additionally, the iCC displays an audio icon if you enable a soundtrack and a touch-screen icon if you
enable interactivity. Click on the icon to edit those properties.
Click the layout name (or the thumbnail) to open the graphical layout editor or to access the layout's properties. Click
a zone in the layout diagram to open the zone's playlist.
The iCC provides the following action buttons for each layout:
– Delete the layout (you cannot delete a layout referenced by a schedule, even if inactive).
– Rename the layout.
– Copy the layout.
– Edit the playlists for the layout's zones or edit the layout itself.
To reduce the number of layouts displayed, follow these steps:
1.
Click the button.
2. Enter all or part of the layout's name.
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3.
Click the button.
To clear a filter, click the button.
2.2.2 Adding a New Layout
To add a new layout, follow these steps:
1. On the menu bar, select Layouts then Manage Layouts.
2. Click the Add Layout tab.
3. Enter a name for the new layout and its overall width and height.
4.
Click the button
5.
Click the button next to your new layout in the layouts list to open the graphical layout editor.
6. Add and set the properties for the zones you require.
7.
When done, click and .
You can return to and edit your layout whenever you wish.
2.2.3 Editing a Layout
To edit a layout, click its name on the Layouts menu or on the Layouts > Manage Layouts page.
The edit layout page has these tabs:
l Zones – Displays the graphical layout editor for you to add or modify zones and their properties.
l Layout Properties – Displays options for you to set up the layout's canvas size, ad hoc page, and soundtrack.
l Interaction – Displays the interactivity options for you to configure.
l Permissions – Displays the roles that can access the layout and the users allocated with those roles. If a role
has only asset-based permissions, you can enable or disable the role's access here. See Asset-Specific
Permissions for more information.
2.2.4 Layout Properties
The Layout Properties tab allows you to configure the following details (when complete, click the
button):
Description
Layout Ad hoc Page
Optional. Enter a description of the layout. The iCC displays this on the Layout pages
underneath the layout's name.
Check this box and the iCC will automatically create an ad hoc page if you add ad hoc items to
this layout.
If you add or remove ad hoc items, the iCC will add or remove them from that ad hoc page. If you
delete all ad hoc items, the iCC deletes the ad hoc page.
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Soundtrack Check the Include Soundtrack box to enable a soundtrack for this layout.
By default, the iCC checks the Add default media to Soundtrack's Playlist box. This means that
the iCC will play the default soundtrack media. If you uncheck that box, you will need to add a media
file by opening the Soundtrack item in the layout's Playlist menu.
Check the Enable media auditing by default for all items in the soundtrack box to include data
on the soundtrack items in the media audit reports.
2.2.5 Interaction Properties
The Interaction tab allows you to define how the layout responds to touch screen, remote control, and RS-232 input
events.
Note: The player may require a license to use these options.
For each type of interaction, the iCC offers three basic actions in response:
l No default action – The layout does not respond to the interaction.
l Advance to a rendezvous point – Specify the rendezvous point and the zone from the drop-down menus. For a
touch screen event, you can also choose whether this is on press or release and can configure an on-click sound.
l Change to layout – Specify the layout to change to from the drop-down menu.
In each case, the iCC also offers timeout options for you to further refine the response. You can specify the number
of seconds that the player waits:
l After the last event – Delays the response to an interaction.
l For the first event – Provides a response if there is no interaction during the timeout period.
See Using Interactivity for details on designing and implementing interactive responses.
2.3 Using Zones
You compose layouts from defined rectangular areas called zones. Each zone can display various types of media
content. The number of zones in your layout, their size, and location is up to you.
It is common to use different zones to display different types of content (for example, one for scrolling text, one for a
promotional video, and so on). However, any zone can display any media type: you just have to enable the zone with
the appropriate media player. You can have a zone display a single item or a sequence of items. You define the items
that a zone displays in a playlist.
2.3.1 The Layout Editor
To create and manage the zones in a layout, you use the graphical layout editor. To edit a layout, click its name on
the Layouts menu or on the Layouts > Manage Layouts page.
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The Zones tab provides the graphical editor that you use to adjust the position and size of each zone in your layout:
By default, the editor displays the layout to best fit the current space on your screen. You can modify how the editor
scales and displays the layout by adjusting two options at the top of the screen:
l Designing for layout canvas size – Select a canvas size from that drop-down list that matches the size and
orientation of your output screen. Besides the standard sizes listed, you can specify a custom size. When you
save the layout, the player uses that setting to size the display it creates. In the illustration, the canvas size
selected is 3840x2160.
l
– Click for the editor to display the layout to best fit the current space on your screen. Alter the
amount displayed by clicking the or the button: each click changes what is shown by 5%. Alternatively,
click and move the slider. At 100% the display shows the layout at life size, but therefore not all of it may be
visible on your screen. In the illustration, the percentage is set to 25% so that all of a large layout can be seen in
the editor.
The editor displays each zone in a color indicating the media player enabled for the zone:
l Red – Movie player (zone B)
l Light green – HTML player (zone E).
l Light blue – Image player (zone D).
l Yellow – Text player (zone C).
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Note: The display shows the zones with a slight transparency (for example, to aid in aligning with background
images). This does not indicate how the zone appears when displayed on screen.
To select a zone, click it. The editor shows the selected zone with handles (as seen for zone E). To move the zone,
drag-and-drop it. To resize the zone, drag one of the handles.
You can also right-click a zone to open a context menu containing common functions:
When you have finished making changes to your zones, click the button. This offers these options:
l
l
– Simply saves your layout changes.
– Saves your layout changes and opens the playlist for you to edit it.
2.3.2 Editing a Zone
The graphical layout editor provides the following buttons to support your work on the layout:
l
l
l
– Click to add a zone to the layout. The iCC adds the zone for you to start sizing and positioning it.
– Click to display a list of all zones in the current layout.
– Click to toggle the Zone Properties dialog off and on. The iCC displays the toolbar for the
currently selected zone.
l
– Click to select the Save options.
The and buttons provide the detailed editing features.
Click the button to open a list like this:
The list highlights the currently selected zone (in this case, zone B).
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Perform the following actions with the Select Zone features:
l
Click the button to delete a zone.
l
Click the button to select the zone you want to size and position. This includes zones hidden by other zones.
l
Change the zone order by dragging-and-dropping the icon. This is the zone order in layers (for example, moving
the 'Background' image to the back of the layout).
Close the Select Zone list by clicking its button again or clicking elsewhere on the page.
2.3.3 Editing a Zone's Properties
Click the button to open its dialog:
You can move the dialog around the screen by dragging it by its title bar. Close the dialog by clicking its button or
by clicking the button again.
You can access and configure the properties by selecting the appropriate tab and entering the values required:
Zone
Size & Position Size and position the zone by entering specific values.
Choose from the following options:
l Zone Name – Optional. Enter a descriptive name for the zone. The ICC shows this name when
you are on a zone-specific page (such as in its playlist).
l Media – Check the relevant box or boxes to enable the zone to play that media type.
Note: If you use pixel values, the result may vary according to the resolution of the screen.
l Top, Bottom, Left, and Right Edge Offsets – The iCC offsets the position of the zone relative to
the edge of the screen.
l Width – Exact width for the zone.
l Height – Exact height for the zone.
l Aspect Ratio – Use to automatically size the zone depending on the aspect ratio of its content.
Only available if you use pixels for Width and Height and do not select the Specify custom width
and height option. First, select the type of aspect ratio needed from the drop-down list. Second,
select whether the iCC calculates the required zone size keyed to the height or to the width.
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Properties Check the box or boxes to enable the options required:
l Image – If you have enabled the zone to show images, check this box to see the first item in the
playlist in the layout editor (instead of the standard colored area). This helps preview the image and
align other zones to it.
l Design Visibility – Uncheck this box so that the zone is not shown in thumbnail views. This helps to
edit other zones that are overlapped by this zone.
l Media Audit – Check this box to enable media audit reporting for the zone. You can override this on
an item-by-item basis in the playlist. See Reporting for more details on reporting.
2.4 Using Playlists
A playlist is a sequence of media items that you choose for display in a zone. Each zone has its own playlist and runs
independently of other playlists. A soundtrack also has its own playlist.
Playlists play their content in a continuous loop. After the player plays the last item, it starts again with the first.
You can include the following in a playlist:
l Individual content files (such as images, movies, or text).
l Special items (such as newsfeeds, TV stations, and tables).
l Folders containing multiple items.
l Ad hoc Items (controlled by your local users).
To add or modify items in a playlist, you need to access its specific page. Use one of these methods to access a
playlist's page:
l On the menu bar, click Playlists and select the zone from the relevant layout.
l On the menu bar, click Layouts > Manage Layouts and click on the zone in the relevant layout diagram.
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The playlist page has these tabs:
Playlist Lists the items in the playlist (displays their type, media details, play duration, and any time validity or
conditional play settings you have configured). To see how to add, copy, or change a file-based media
item, see Adding Media Item Files to a Playlist.
The ICC may display icons to indicate the status of those items (as described in the Key panel at the
bottom of the playlist)
That default view of the playlist is called the Manage View. To open one of the additional play criteria
views, click the relevant button at the top right of the list:
l
l
To return to the Manage View, click the button.
Files & Folders
Upload Files
Specials Use to add special items to the playlist (items other than files and folders). See Adding Special Items to
Defaults Use to set the default properties for media items when you first add them to the playlist. Changing a
Permissions Use to see the roles that can access the playlist and the users allocated with those roles. If a role has
Lists the folders containing media items you can add to the playlist (also use to navigate between
folders and move files between folders). You can also add a whole folder to a playlist. See Media Run
from the iCC Disk for more information.
Use to copy files onto the iCC and to create new folders. See Uploading Content Files for more
information.
a Playlist for more information.
default value does not affect items already in the playlist.
only asset-based permissions, you can enable or disable the role's access here. See Asset-Specific
Permissions for more information.
– Conditional Play View. Use this to view and edit the conditional play configuration of playlist
items. See Viewing and Editing Conditional Play for more information.
– Time Validity View. Use this to view and edit the time validity configuration of playlist items.
See Viewing and Editing Time Validity for more information.
The iCC provides the following action buttons for each item in a playlist:
– Move the item (by drag-and-drop).
– Delete the item.
– Add a copy of the item to the playlist.
– Edit the item's properties.
2.4.1 Viewing and Editing Conditional Play
On the playlist page, click the button to open the Conditional Play View. You control whether a playlist runs
conditionally by creating and applying player local information (see Player Local Information for more information).
Use the Conditional Play View to examine and edit the conditional play properties for all the items in the playlist. If
you make changes, click the button. You can also access the conditional play for an individual item by editing
it and opening its Play Criteria tab.
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To understand the information displayed and the tasks you can perform, this illustration shows the essential features
of the view, which are described below:
The left-hand column details the player local information:
PLI Name Select the name of the PLI you want to use from the drop-down list (in this case, 'Location').
PLI Value Filter
If you want to limit the number of PLI values displayed, enter a filtering string here. The filter is case
insensitive and you can use accented characters. The iCC starts filtering the PLIs as soon as you start
typing.
Show Select how many PLI values you want displayed at a time from the drop-down list. If there are more PLI
values than that, navigate through them by clicking the Previous and Next arrows.
The illustration shows how the iCC displays each PLI value on a row. The rows span all of the playlist item columns. Use the
check boxes in the columns to select the PLI values needed to create your conditional play.
The right-hand columns detail the playlist items and the conditional play applied to them:
Item type The item type is illustrated with a thumbnail (if available) and a description. In the case of a folder, a
Media line shows the zone type needed to display its content.
In the illustration, the playlist item is a folder and the description is of its location.
If you hover your cursor over that header, the button appears: click it to edit the item's properties.
Conditional
operator
Choose the conditional operator from the drop-down list.
In the illustration, the first playlist item is set to the default, which is Always Play. That is, the item plays
regardless of any conditions you might set for other items in the playlist. In other words, this item is not
subject to conditional play.
The conditional play operators in the remainder of the drop-down list are (with reference to the
example 'Location' PLI):
l Location contains ALL of – Item plays if all of the checked values are in the PLI.
l Location contains ANY of – Item plays if any of the checked values are in the PLI.
l Location contains NONE of – Item plays if none of the checked values are in the PLI.
The illustration shows that the player would only play the second playlist item if 'Location' contains both
'Meeting Room 1' and 'Meeting Room 2'.
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Check the boxes associated with the PLI values you want to apply. To apply all of the PLI values, check
the box below the conditional operator drop-down list.
The illustration shows that the PLI values 'Meeting Room 1' and 'Meeting Room 2' will be applied to the
second playlist item.
2.4.2 Viewing and Editing Time Validity
On the playlist page, click the button to open the Time Validity View. You control the dates, days, and times
when a playlist item runs by modifying its time validity settings (see Play Criteria Properties for more information).
Use the Time Validity View to examine and edit the time validity settings for all the items in the playlist.
You can also access the time validity settings for an individual item by editing it and opening its Play Criteria tab.
To understand the information displayed and the tasks you can perform, this illustration shows the essential features
of the view, which are described below:
That view shows two playlist items, both of which are folders containing a mix of media:
l The first item plays during Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday but not on Thursday or Friday.
l The second item does not play on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday but does play on Thursday and Friday.
l Both items play on Saturday and Sunday.
In more detail, the header options are:
Filter
Start Date
Today Click to set the view's start date to today.
Previous 7 Days Click to view the previous seven days.
Next 7 Days Click to view the next seven days.
If you want to limit the number of playlist items displayed, enter a filtering string here. You can filter
on any string displayed in the Playlist Item column, including on folder path components. The filter
is case insensitive and you can use accented characters. The iCC starts filtering the playlist items
as soon as you start typing.
Click here for the iCC to open a calendar for you to select the view's start date. The view displays
the seven days starting with that date.
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The view displays each item on a row containing:
l A thumbnail of the item (if available) and a description. In the case of a folder, the description shows the zone
type needed to display its content. If you hover your cursor over the thumbnail, the
button appears: click it
to edit the item's properties.
l A calendar with blocks showing when the player will display the item. If you hover your cursor over any of the
blocks, the iCC displays a popup containing a summary of the item's time validity.
That time validity summary popup looks like this:
As you see, the popup contains a summary of the item's description and time validity. To change the time validity
setting, click the button.
2.4.3 Adding Media Item Files to a Playlist
Before you can add a media item file to a playlist, you need to upload it to the ICC. You must have enabled the zone
to play the type of media you want to add to the playlist.
To add a file to a playlist, open the playlist page and follow these steps:
1. Click the Files & Folders tab.
2. If required, navigate to the location containing the file.
3.
Click the button alongside the file you want to add.
4. Click the Playlist tab to view the updated playlist.
5. Perform any other required actions (for example, adjusting the play order or modifying the item properties).
After adding an item, you can include a copy of it in the same playlist by clicking its button.
For file-based or folder play items, you can change the item that the player uses by following these steps:
1. Open the playlist page.
2.
Click the item's button.
3. On the Media tab, click the button to the right of the media location description. The wording on the button varies
according to the media type (for example, for an image file it is the button).
4. Navigate to and click on the new file or folder.
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5.
Click the or button.
6.
Click the button. The player displays the updated playlist.
2.4.4 Adding Special Items to a Playlist
You can add special items to a playlist if supported by your ICC and the media you have enabled the zone to play.
There are two groups of special items:
l Those you need to set up in advance.
l Those you do not need to set up in advance.
The special items you need to set up in advance are:
l Video (including TV stations).
l Newsfeeds.
l Tables.
The special items you do not need to set up in advance are:
l Clocks.
l Direct text.
l External web pages.
l QR Codes.
l Interactivity actions.
l The Wait, Rendezvous Point, Advance To, and Change Layout commands.
To add a special item to a playlist, open the playlist page and follow these steps:
1. Click the Specials tab.
2.
Click the button alongside the item you want to add. (Depending on the item, you may need to enter text or
select properties first.)
3. Click the Playlist tab to view the updated playlist.
4. Perform any other required actions (for example, adjusting the play order or modifying the item properties).
2.4.5 Adding Folders to a Playlist
You can add a whole folder to a playlist. The player treats the folder as a single playlist item but plays the files within
it individually.
Before you add it, ensure that the folder contains the media items you want to use.
To add a folder to a playlist, open the playlist page and follow these steps:
1. Click the Files & Folders tab.
2.
Click the button alongside the folder you want to add.
3. Click the Playlist tab to view the updated playlist.
4. Perform any other required actions (see Folder Play Properties for information on how the player plays the
folder items).
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Part III
Understanding Media
Types
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Part 3: Understanding Media Types
Your player units can display a great many types of digital content (also referred to as media).
When creating a layout, you must specify the type of media each zone will display. This enables the zone to 'play' the
media concerned. You can configure zones to support one or more of these players:
l Movie player – For media such as video and TV.
l HTML player – For media such as web pages and tables.
l Image player – For media such as graphics and photographs.
l Text player – For media such as text and newsfeeds.
In addition to those media types, you can add audio to a layout using the Soundtrack feature (see Audio and Radio
for more details).
The iCC provides many features for setting up and managing the media items you want to use. It is important
to understand how the iCC handles groups of media differently depending on their types and characteristics:
Media Directly Managed by the iCC (includes text, newsfeeds, clocks, tables, RS-232 outputs, and QR Codes).
l
Media Run from the iCC Disk (includes video, text files, images and photos, audio, presentations, HTML web
l
pages, Adobe Flash files, PDF files, and folder play).
Media from External Sources (includes TV, radio, live video, multicast video, and external web pages).
l
3.1 Media Directly Managed by the iCC
Some types of media are managed directly by the iCC. These include:
Text
Newsfeeds
Clocks
Tables
RS-232 Items
QR Codes
You can include a wide variety of media items as ad hoc content and they are also directly managed by
the iCC. Using ad hoc content is described separately (see Ad Hoc Content for details).
3.1.1 Text
You can display text you directly enter on the iCC. (You can also display text files: see Text Files for more details.)
Zone player type to enable: Text.
Playlist tab containing the item: Special.
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Additional notes:
Supported Format iCC
text editorial formats
Notes
The text editor offers formatting features (for example, use of bold,
italic, font size, and color).
3.1.2 Newsfeeds
You can display newsfeeds from external sources on the player.
Broadcasters or news agencies (for example, the BBC or Reuters) provide newsfeeds containing headline news or
sports reports. Providers often do not charge and usually do not require usernames or passwords. However, some
providers do define terms restricting display of their newsfeeds in digital signage networks and you must check on
this before using newsfeed content.
Zone player type to enable: Text.
Playlist tab containing the item: Special.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
RSS 0.91 and 2.0 (must say
'RSS' or 'XML' ).
Compatible newsfeeds are normally indicated by the symbol.
To subscribe to a newsfeed, follow these steps:
1. Find the newsfeed using your browser.
2. Click the link to the newsfeed or click the RSS button .
3. Copy the newsfeed's web address from the browser's address bar.
4. On the iCC's menu bar, click Media and Newsfeeds.
5. Click the Add Newsfeed tab, complete the newsfeed properties, and click the
button.
The newsfeed properties are:
Name Enter a unique name for the newsfeed.
RSS Newsfeed URL Enter or paste in the newsfeed web address. You must include the protocol (for example,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/tpeg/en/pti/pti_rss.xml).
Refresh Interval Specify how often the iCC checks for updates.
Maximum Age
Specify how long the iCC will continue to display existing items if there is no connection to the
newsfeed to obtain new ones.
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Authentication Select the required authentication style:
l No authentication required – The newsfeed does not require a username and password.
l Login with – The newsfeed requires a username and password. Enter them in the fields
provided.
Proxy Select the required proxy configuration:
No proxy required – The iCC connects directly to the internet.
l
Use proxy if configured – The iCC accesses the internet through the configured proxy. You
l
must first configure the proxy (on the Setup > System > HTTP Proxy page).
3.1.3 Clocks
You can display a digital clock on the player showing the date and time in any one of a variety of formats.
Zone player type to enable: Text.
Playlist tab containing the item: Special.
3.1.4 Tables
You can create and format tables for display on the player. Before you can add a table to a playlist, you have to create
it.
Tables are a convenient way of displaying static data. You can also use tables to hold ad hoc entries that local users
control (for example, a table showing conference center room allocations). The iCC creates tables using HTML.
Zone player type to enable: HTML.
Playlist tab containing the item: Special.
Adding and Editing an Ordinary Table:
To add a table, follow these steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Media and Tables.
2. Click the Add Table tab.
3. Enter a descriptive name for the table.
4. Enter the number of rows and columns. The maximum size is 19 rows by 39 columns. You cannot change the
size of a table after you create it.
5.
Click the button.
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The iCC displays the Tables tab with your table added to the list. Click the button next to a table to take these
actions:
Delete the table. You cannot delete a table that is in use. Check
the right-hand column to see the items using the table.
Rename the table. Enter the new name in the field and click the
button. If you decide not to rename the table,
click the button.
Copy the table. Enter the name for the copy in the field and click
the button. If you decide not to copy the table, click
the button.
Edit the table. To edit a table after creating it, follow the same
steps as described next for setting up a new table.
You need to set up your new table by following these steps:
1.
Click the table's button.
2. Click the Style tab.
3. Take whichever of these formatting steps are needed to get the effect you want:
o
Click the
o
Click the
o
Click the button for each cell whose text font and size you want to adjust. Text Properties describes the
button to change the width and color of the border.
button for each column you want to size manually.
formatting options. You can edit one cell and specify that the iCC also applies those changes to other cells.
4. Click the Values tab.
5. Edit the default text in each cell as required.
6.
Click the button.
Adding and Editing Ad Hoc Tables:
To create an ad hoc table, follow these steps:
1. Create a table as described above.
2. On the menu bar, click Media and Manage Ad hoc Items.
3. Click the Add Item tab.
4. Add a new Ad hoc Table Item that references the table.
Note: If you copy an ad hoc table, the copied table is not an ad hoc table.
To edit an ad hoc table, open the Tables page and click the table's . Make changes on the Style and Default
Values tabs as described for the Style and Values tabs above. Click the Ad Hoc tab to specify the ad hoc features.
Click the button for the cell you want to change and select the option required:
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l Default Value – The ad hoc user cannot change the cell value.
l Override with any value – The ad hoc user can enter any value in the cell.
If you set the User Interface Policy to Detailed, the iCC also offers these options:
l Override with Integer between – The ad hoc user can only enter values between the lower limit and upper limit
you specify (both inclusive).
l Override with text of maximum length – The ad hoc user can only enter text up to the number of characters you
specify.
l Override value with text matching – The ad hoc user can only enter text that matches the regular expression
you specify. In the Feedback Message field, enter the message you want the player to display to the ad hoc user
if what they enter does not match the regular expression. Information about using regular expressions is readily
available (for example, at http://www.regular-expressions.info/).
3.1.5 RS-232 Items
You can add an RS-232 output item to a playlist. When the item is reached in a playlist, the player sends a character
string to an external device through its RS-232 port (for example, to switch on a light at the start of the day). See
RS-232 Outputs for how to set up RS-232 items.
Zone player type to enable: any player type.
Playlist tab containing the item: Special.
To add an RS-232 output item to a playlist, follow these steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Playlists and select the layout and zone where you want to add the RS-232 item.
2. Click the Specials tab.
3. Check the Send RS-232 Item.
4.
Click the button.
5.
In the playlist, drag the icon to adjust the position of the RS-232 item in the playlist, as necessary.
6.
If required, click the button to change the RS-232 item on the Media tab or to set conditional play on the
Play Criteria tab.
3.1.6 QR Codes
You can create and display QR Codes using the iCC.
QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) are two-dimensional barcodes carrying content that can be read by a suitable
device. For example, a QR Code can contain a web site URL or an email address: a user scans the QR Code with a
smartphone to open that web site or to compose an email to that address.
Zone player type to enable: Image.
Playlist tab containing the item: Special.
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Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
QR Code
The iCC creates QR Codes with Level H error correction (30%)
and uses byte encoding.
3.2 Media Run from the iCC Disk
Use the Media > Files & Folders option to manage media content files on the iCC disk.
Note: You cannot create or edit files on the iCC. Create or edit files elsewhere and upload the result to the iCC.
Click the tab for the options you require:
l Files & Folders – Manage the files and folders on the iCC disk (see below for details).
l Upload Files – Copy files from your computer onto the iCC (as described in Uploading Content Files).
l Permissions – Manage the roles that can access a folder and the users allocated with those roles. If a role has
only asset-based permissions, you can enable or disable the role's access here. See Asset-Specific
Permissions for more information.
The File & Folders tab provides these file management features:
l List – Displays all the files and folders in the current location.
l Navigate – Move between folders (click on a folder name or on a link in the Folder field to open it).
l Act – Delete, move, and rename files and folders and also copy files.
Click the button next to a folder to take these actions:
– Delete the folder
– Move or rename the folder.
Click the button next to a file to take these actions:
– Delete the file.
– Move or rename the file.
– Copy the file.
Note: You cannot take any folder or file actions in the iCC system folders.
Refer to the media-specific information to see which zone player type to enable and for additional notes
on the formats supported by the iCC:
Video
Text Files
Images and Photos
Audio
Presentations
HTML Web Pages
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Adobe Flash
PDF Files
Folder Play
3.2.1 Uploading Content Files
You can upload content files to the iCC in several ways:
Using the Upload Files Tab – The iCC offers an Upload Files tab on the Media > Files & Folders page or when
l
you open a specific playlist.
l
Using FTP
Using Drag and Drop – If supported by your browser.
l
Note: Always add your content files to the Media folder or to sub-folders of the Media folder.
Using the Upload Files Tab:
You use both the Files & Folders and playlist Upload Files tabs in the same way:
1. Navigate to the folder where you want to add the file.
2. Click the Upload Files tab.
3. If required, create a subfolder:
a. Type a name for the subfolder in the Folder name field.
b.
Click the button.
c. Click the subfolder name to enter it.
d. Click the Upload Files tab.
4.
Click the button and navigate to the file you want to upload.
5.
Click the button.
6. Repeat those steps for each file.
Using FTP:
Before using FTP, make a note of the IP address of your iCC. If you do not know the IP address, consult the person
who administers your network or reboot the iCC: it displays its IP address during the process.
Note: You need to have the FTP Read/Write permission on the iCC to upload using FTP. FTP may also be
disabled on your network for security reasons. If you have difficulty using FTP, check with the person who
administers your iCC or network.
You can upload using a dedicated FTP program. A quick alternative is to use Windows Explorer (or similar
file-management program):
1. Open two copies of Windows Explorer.
2. In the first copy, navigate to the folder with the content you want to upload.
3. In the second copy, type ftp:// and the IP address of your iCC in the address bar (for example,
ftp://192.168.0.254) and press the Enter key.
4. When prompted, enter your iCC username and password. Windows Explorer now displays your default iCC
folder location.
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5. Navigate to the Media folder. Do not add or modify files in any other folder as this may render the iCC unusable.
6. As required, create further folders under the Media folder. It is good practice to create separate folders for each
layout and sub-folders for each zone (for example, media/Layout_reception/Zone_A).
7. To upload content to the iCC, drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste folders and files from the first copy of Windows
Explorer to the second copy of Windows Explorer.
Note: If the FTP page does not refresh, press the F5 key or click Refresh to update it.
When you have connected Windows Explorer to your iCC with FTP, you can also:
l Rename and delete files on the iCC.
l Download files from the iCC to your computer using drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste.
You cannot move files from one folder to another using FTP. Instead, download the file to your computer and then
upload it to the other iCC folder. Alternatively, move files using the Media > Files & Folders page.
Using Drag and Drop:
Some browsers allow you to drag files off of your computer desktop and drop them directly into a playlist or a folder
on the iCC. The following browsers support drag and drop:
Operating System Browser and Minimum Version
Windows. Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, Mozilla Firefox 6.0.2, Google Chrome 14
Mac OS X Mozilla Firefox 3.6.19, Google Chrome 14, Apple®Safari®5.0.6
Linux Mozilla Firefox 6.0.2
Note these limitations of drag and drop:
You cannot upload folders, only individual or groups of files.
l
If you upload a file to a place containing a file with the same name, the iCC overwrites the existing file.
l
If the file is for a m
l
edia t
ot enabled for the zone, you can upload the file but i
ype n
t will not appear in the playlist
until you enable its media type.
You can drag and drop a file into these locations using the method indicated:
l Playlist – Hover your cursor over the preferred position on the Playlist tab.
l Folder within a playlist – Hover your cursor over the folder on the Playlist tab.
l Folder – Hover your cursor over the preferred location on the Files & Folders tab.
l Folder within a folder – Hover your cursor over the folder on the Files & Folders tab.
To perform an upload using drag and drop, follow these steps:
1. Open the page on the iCC that is the location for the upload (either a playlist or a folder).
2. On your computer desktop, select the file or files you want to upload.
3. Hold down the left mouse button.
4. Move your mouse until the cursor is over the upload location.
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Release the mouse button. The iCC displays a green progress bar as the upload proceeds (you might not see
5.
this for small files). When the upload completes, the iCC confirms the file's name and location in that progress
bar.
3.2.2 Video
You can play various video formats with the player.
Zone player type to enable: Movie.
Note: By default, you can enable up to two movie zones. To enable more requires an additional license and the
maximum number is dependent on the player model. For best performance, only enable one movie zone per
layout on less powerful player models.
Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders.
To help you identify a particular video, the iCC displays a thumbnail image from it. That appears in the
Filename column of the Files & Folders display (and in the Media column when you add the video to the
playlist). The iCC
displays the icon if it cannot render a thumbnail.
Additional notes:
Supported Codecs Notes
H.264 Recommended. Small file size but higher CPU load. However,
supports high definition.
MPEG-1 Poor resolution.
MPEG-2 Good combination of CPU load and resolution but large file size.
MPEG-4 (ASP and AVC) Small file size but higher CPU load. However, supports high
definition.
VOB Same as MPEG-2.
WMV 9 Windows Media Video.
Supported Containers Notes
AVI Microsoft®format. Can contain a wide-range of codecs. CPU load
and resolution depends on the codecs within (see table above for
guidance).
MOV Apple®QuickTime®format. Can contain a wide-range of codecs.
CPU load and resolution depends on the codecs within (see table
above for guidance).
MPG MPEG transport stream.
MP4 ISO MPEG-4 container (subset of MOV).
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3.2.3 Text Files
You can display text files on the player. (You can also display text you enter directly: see Text for more details.)
Zone player type to enable: Text.
Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
TXT Plain text only. The player does not support the display of files
formatted by word-processor (for example, DOC or DOCX files
from Microsoft®Word or PDF files from Adobe®Acrobat®).
3.2.4 Images and Photos
You can display several image formats with the player.
Zone player type to enable: Image.
Note: Large images may take several seconds to appear and may slow down the performance of the player.
Always resize an image to match the size of the zone before uploading it.
Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
PNG Recommended. Good quality and supports transparency.
JPG Recommended. Edges can blur and does not look good when
shown on a large screen.
GIF
BMP Large file size but no loss of quality.
Can look very grainy. Only supports 256 colors but does support
transparency.
The player does not support animated GIFs. To use an animated
GIF, first embed it into an HTML page.
3.2.5 Audio
You can play various audio formats with the player.
You add audio files to a whole layout and not to an individual zone. Layout property to enable: Soundtrack.
Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders.
Additional notes:
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Supported Format Notes
MPEG-1 (layers 1, 2, and 3) Performs acceptably on all player models.
MPEG-2 (AAC) Performs acceptably on all player models.
MPEG-4 (AAC) Recommended. Good performance.
MP3 Recommended. Good performance.
Uncompressed PCM (WAV) Container. High quality but much larger file size than MP3.
WMA V1-3 Performs acceptably on all player models.
AC3 Performs acceptably on all player models.
3.2.6 Presentations
Presentations often have complex animations, timings, and graphics. To ensure the player displays a presentation
correctly, save it in the best format to ensure faithful reproduction.
Zone player type to enable:
l If saved as video – Movie.
l If saved as Adobe Flash – HTML.
l If saved as image slide show – Image.
Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
Microsoft®PowerPoint
2010 (PPT, PPTX)
®
Save as WMV video – Best option for high quality and complex
animations and transitions but files can be large.
Save as Adobe Flash – Supports animations and transitions but
complex and fast animation may appear choppy. Creates small
files.
Save as image slide show – Use if animations and transitions are
not important.
Apple®Keynote
®
Save as MOV video – Best option for high quality and complex
animations and transitions but files can be large.
Save as a Video:
To save a PowerPoint 2010 presentation as a video:
1. Select File > Save & Send > Create a Video.
2. Select the Computer & HD displays profile as this is likely to be the best for the player.
3. When prompted, choose where to save the video.
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There are also third-party products specifically for converting PowerPoint 2010 presentations to video. Other
products are more general screen capture applications, which can be useful if you want to include mouse movement
or provide a voice-over.
Save as Adobe Flash:
There are third-party products for converting PowerPoint 2010 presentations to an Adobe Flash animation with
varying degrees of complexity. For example, you can use the free OpenOffice suite to open a PowerPoint 2010
presentation and export it to an Adobe Flash file but without slide transitions or animations.
Save as Image Slide Show:
To save a PowerPoint 2010 presentation as an image slide show:
1. Select File > Save & Send > Change file type.
2. Choose a supported image file type (PNG is recommended, but the player also supports JPG, TIF, and BMP).
3. When prompted, choose where to save the files and select Every Slide.
3.2.7 HTML Web Pages
You can display local HTML files on the player. (You can also display whole or part pages from a remote web site:
see External Web Pages for details.)
Zone player type to enable: HTML.
Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
HTML The player displays HTML using the WebKit browser engine for
Linux. (The Apple Safari and Google Chrome browsers also use
the WebKit engine.)
WebKit supports web pages including JavaScript®and Adobe
Flash but not ActiveX®.
3.2.8 Adobe Flash
You can display Adobe Flash files with the player.
Note: Complex Adobe Flash files may not run smoothly on less powerful player models.
Zone player type to enable: HTML.
Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
SWF The player supports Adobe Flash Player version 11.
Flash files give no indication to the player that they are finished.
You need to set a maximum duration when you add the file to a
playlist to force the player to move on to the next item.
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3.2.9 PDF Files
You can display pages from PDF files with the player.
Zone player type to enable: Image.
Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
PDF Supported version: ISO 32000-1:2008 (also known as PDF 1.7).
Earlier versions may display correctly but are not supported.
The player cannot display:
l Dynamic PDF content (such as forms).
l PDF files secured by password.
3.2.10 Folder Play
Rather than adding a number of files individually to a playlist, you can add and play an entire folder from
the iCC disk. This is known as Folder Play.
Zone player type to enable: as required by the media types in the files.
Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders.
You can configure folder play properties to control how the player plays the files:
l In sequence – Files play in file name order. Numbers come before letters and uppercase characters before
lowercase (for example, '1' comes before 'A' which comes before 'a').
l In random order – Files play in a random order (shuffle play).
Coupled with the order of play, you can also configure these properties:
l How many of the files to play.
l The number of files to jump before playing the next file.
See Folder Play Properties for more details about how to configure folder play.
3.3 Media from External Sources
You can display media running directly from external sources with the player.
Refer to the media-specific Information to see which zone player type to enable and for additional notes on the
formats supported:
TV
Radio
Live Video
Multicast Video
External Web Pages
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3.3.1 TV
You can play output from external digital TV stations with the player.
Zone player type to enable: Movie.
Playlist tab containing the item: Specials.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
Digital TV Broadcast DVB-T digital TV, where available.
The player must be set up with:
l TV antenna connected to its TV socket.
l TV tuner card tuned to the digital transmitter.
See TV & Radio for more details of tuning and setting up digital TV.
3.3.2 Radio
You can play output from external digital radio stations with the player.
You add audio to a whole layout and not to an individual zone. Layout property to enable: Soundtrack.
Playlist tab containing the item: Specials.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
Digital radio Digital radio stations, where available.
The player must be set up with:
l A TV antenna connected to its TV socket.
l A tuner card for tuning in to the stations (see TV & Radio for more details).
See TV & Radio for more details of tuning and setting up digital radio.
3.3.3 Live Video
You can output live video from various devices with the player.
Zone player type to enable: Movie.
Playlist tab containing the item: Specials.
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Additional notes:
Supported Formats Notes
Content Commander User Guide
HDMI capture
HDMI capture (analogue audio)
Component video
S-Video
Composite video
Includes output from video cameras, DVD players, set-top
boxes, and so on.
Your player must be set up with:
l The correct license.
l A TV tuner or video capture card.
l The appropriate video cable connecting the video device to
the TV tuner card.
Before the player can display the video, configure it to recognise the video source as a TV input (as described in the
TV & Radio section of the Net-Top-Box User Guide).
3.3.4 Multicast Video
As an alternative to receiving TV broadcasts directly, the player can receive multicast video (also known as Internet
Protocol Television (IPTV)) over the local network.
Note: Using multicast video requires an additional license.
Zone player type to enable: Movie.
Playlist tab containing the item: Specials.
Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
MPEG-2 Transport Stream in
UDP
Your player setup needs to include:
l An Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) network
infrastructure to support multicast streaming.
l A device to stream video onto the network.
Before the player can display the video, configure it to recognise the video source as a TV input (as described in the
TV & Radio section of the Net-Top-Box User Guide).
3.3.5 External Web Pages
You can display whole or parts of pages from an external web site with the player. See Displaying Part of a Movie or
Web Page for details of how to display only a part of a web page. See HTML Web Pages for how to display HTML
files held locally on the player.
Zone player type to enable: HTML.
Playlist tab containing the item: Specials.
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Additional notes:
Supported Format Notes
HTML The player displays HTML using the WebKit browser engine for
Linux. (The Apple Safari and Google Chrome browsers also use
the WebKit engine.) WebKit supports web pages including
JavaScript and Adobe Flash but not ActiveX.
To display a web page, the player must have live access to it at the
time. If the web page requires a username and password to log in,
include those in the URL in the format:
protocol://username:password@site.
Adding External Web Pages to a Playlist:
To add an external web page to a playlist, follow these steps:
1. Open the web page you want to link to and copy its whole URL address. (You can also sometimes use the
URL to link to a specific frame or image to display.)
2. On the iCC menu bar, click Playlists and select the zone in the layout you want to add the page to.
3. Select the Specials tab.
4. Paste the web site URL into the External Web Page field.
5.
Click the button.
6.
In the playlist, you can drag the icon to adjust the item's position or click its button to modify its
properties.
Notes:
o
HTML pages always have a white, non-transparent background.
o
Auto-refresh web pages direct the player browser to reload the page at regular intervals. Add auto-refresh
pages to a playlist with an indefinite duration to be sure that they always show the latest information.
Determine whether a page auto-refreshes by searching for the <meta http-equiv=refresh> tag in its
HTML code:
o
To keep non-auto-refresh pages current, you need to reload them periodically. To do so, add the pages to a
playlist with a fixed duration, as this forces the player to reload the page.
Saving Web Pages to Disk and Adding to a Playlist:
As an alternative to displaying a web page directly from an external source, you can save it on the iCC.
This removes the connection to the source and your files will not be updated if the source changes.
To save the HTML files, use your browser's Save function. For example, with Internet Explorer, follow these steps:
1. From the File menu select Save as.
2. Navigate to the location where you want to save the files.
3. From the Save as type drop-down list, select Web page, complete. This saves the page as well as all its
associated files (such as images). Internet Explorer saves the associated files in a folder called pagename_
files, where pagename is the name of the HTML page.
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When you have saved the HTML page and its files, add to a playlist by following these steps:
1. Upload the HTML page file and the _filesfolder with all its files onto the iCC. If you need to include other files
(for example, a JavaScript file implementing additional features) add them to the _filesfolder. See Uploading
Content Files for how to upload files.
Note: Drag-and-drop will not upload folders so you cannot use it to upload the _files folder in one action.
2. Add to a playlist as described in Adding Media Item Files to a Playlist.
3.4 Media Item Properties
There are different playlist properties for each type of media item. To edit the properties for a playlist item, click the
button alongside the item.
The iCC displays the properties on these tabs:
l Media – Location and name of the media. Can also contain ad hoc, touch screen, and item-specific properties (for
example, for clocks, newsfeeds, and folder play).
l Style – Properties specific to the media type (this tab is not shown for folder play items).
l Play Criteria – Properties controlling when the item plays (time validity and conditional play). (See Play Criteria
Properties for details.)
l Advanced – Advanced properties that apply to all media items (position and size and media audit). (See
Advanced Properties for details.)
The following table lists the generic properties you will find on the Media and Style tabs for each of the zone media
players:
Movie HTML Image Text Soundtrack
Duration O O O O
Deinterlace O
Mode O O
Letterbox Color
Subtitles O
Volume O O O
Opacity O O O O
Movie Size O
Web Page Size O
O O
Zoom O
Page Background O
Fade In O
Fade Out O
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Movie HTML Image Text Soundtrack
Text Style O
Font O
Text Color O
Background Color O
Horizontal Alignment O
Vertical Alignment O
Margins O
White Space O
Character Set O
For details of those generic properties, see the information specific to each type of media player:
Movie Properties
HTML Properties
Image Properties
Text Properties
Soundtrack Properties
Some playlist items have properties additional to the generic properties. For details of those item-specific properties,
see the information for each item:
Newsfeed Properties
Clock Properties
PDF File Properties
Folder Play Properties
Ad Hoc Properties
3.4.1 Movie Properties
The following properties apply to a zone enabled as a Movie player:
Subtitles Check the Display subtitles box to enable subtitles for the video (if available).
Duration Select the duration you require:
l Play all of the movie – The movie plays continuously.
l Play the movie for – The movie plays for the period you specify.
Volume Enter the volume as a percentage of the maximum volume.
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Deinterlace The player automatically performs deinterlacing if required. To explicitly enable or disable
deinterlacing, select Yes or No from the drop-down list.
Hardware Decode Select whether to use hardware or software decode:
l Use hardware-assisted decoding if possible – Default. If your player has graphics processing
hardware, the player uses it to decode and display the movie. This usually provides higher
performance.
l Always use software-only decoding – The player decodes and displays the movie using
software running on its CPU. For example, you might select this option if you have movies
showing in multiple zones and another movie needs the higher performance of hardware-decode.
Depending on the configuration and content of your layout, choosing one or other option for an
individual movie can require a trade-off between performance and processing resources.
Mode You can set the display mode to one of these options:
l Fit to Zone – Stretches the movie to fill the zone. This will distort the movie if the zone does not
have the same aspect ratio as the movie.
l Letterbox – Shows the entire movie and preserves its aspect ratio. The player displays the
letterbox color in any space in the zone not covered by the movie.
l Crop – Preserves the movie aspect ratio but cuts off its edges if it is larger than the zone.
Letterbox Color
If you select Letterbox as the display mode, some space may be left in the zone outside of the
movie. Use this option to select the color the player displays in that space.
Opacity To allow background items to be visible, enter a percentage to match the opacity required. 100% is
completely opaque and 1% is almost completely transparent.
Movie Size Choose the option you require:
l Use Zone Size – Display whole movie in the zone.
l Show Part of Movie – Display only a 'window' view of the movie in the zone:
o
Left edge offset – Amount to indent the window relative to the movie's left edge.
o
Top edge offset – Amount to indent the window relative to the movie's top edge.
o
Movie width – Full width of movie.
o
Movie height – Full height of movie.
Note: This is only available if you set the User Interface Policy to Detailed or Expert on the UI
Options page.
3.4.2 HTML Properties
The following properties apply to a zone enabled as an HTML player:
Duration Select the duration you require:
l Play the HTML file indefinitely – The player shows the web page always.
l Play HTML file for – The player shows the web page for the period you specify.
Volume Enter the volume as a percentage of the maximum volume.
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Web Page Size Choose the option you require:
l Use Zone Size – Display whole movie in the zone.
l Show Part of Web Page – Display only a 'window' view of the movie in the zone:
o
Left edge offset – Amount to indent the window relative to the page's left edge.
o
Top edge offset – Amount to indent the window relative to the page's top edge.
o
Web Page width – Full width of page.
o
Web Page height – Full height of page.
Note: This is only available if you set the User Interface Policy to Detailed or Expert on the UI
Options page.
Opacity To allow background items to be visible, enter a percentage to match the opacity required. 100% is
completely opaque and 1% is almost completely transparent.
Zoom Enables the Zone to zoom in on the HTML content. Smaller than 100% zooms out (to get the whole
web page in a small zone for example) or larger than 100% zoom in, to fill the zone with part of a
web page.
Page
Background
Check the HTML Page allows transparent backgrounds box to enable a transparent background
(for example, to allow view of a background zone).
Note: Enabling this prevents Adobe Flash playing correctly in the HTML zone.
Automatic Sign In Check the Customise page box to enable the player to perform an automatic sign in to the web
page. The player detects if the page requires sign in. Enter the username and password of the
credentials required.
This is an example web-page customisation achieved by applying external code to the HTML page.
Contact Black Box for more information on customisation.
Page Services
Check the Allow HTML media... box to enable access to the player page-support services for the
Black Box web APIs.
3.4.3 Image Properties
The following properties apply to zones enabled as an Image player:
Fade In You can set the image to fade in with one of these options:
l No Fade in – Image appears immediately without fading in.
l Fade In n.n seconds – Image fades in from the background. Specify the number of seconds for the
fade-in to last (default is 1.5 seconds).
l Cross fade from previous image – Image fades in as the previous image fades out. You must also
set the previous image's Fade Out option to Cross fade to next image. If no previous image is set
to cross fade, this image fades in from the background in the number of seconds you specify
(default is 1.5 seconds).
Duration Select the duration you require:
l Show image indefinitely – The player shows the image always.
l Show the image for – The player shows the image for the period you specify.
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Fade Out You can set the image to fade out with one of these options:
l No Fade out – Image disappears immediately without fading out.
l Fade out in n.n seconds – Image fades out to the background. Specify the number of seconds for
the fade-out to last (default is 1.5 seconds).
l Cross fade to next image in n.n seconds – Image fades out as the next image fades in. You must
also set the next image's Fade In option to Cross fade from previous image. If no next image is
set to cross fade, this image fades out to the background in the number of seconds you specify
(default is 1.5 seconds).
Mode You can set the display mode to one of these options:
l Fit to Zone – Stretches the image to fill the zone. This will distort the image if the zone does not
have the same aspect ratio as the image.
l Letterbox – Shows the entire image and preserves its aspect ratio. The player displays the
letterbox color in any space in the zone not covered by the image.
l Crop – Preserves the image aspect ratio but cuts off its edges if it is larger than the zone.
Content Commander User Guide
Letterbox Color
If you select Letterbox as the display mode, some space may be left in the zone outside of the image.
Use this option to select the color the player displays in that space.
Opacity To allow background items to be visible, enter a percentage to match the opacity required. 100% is
completely opaque and 1% is almost completely transparent.
3.4.4 Text Properties
The following properties apply to a zone enabled as a Text player:
Text Style Choose the option for how you want the text displayed:
l Show text indefinitely – Displays always.
l Show text for – Displays for the period you specify.
l Text moving from right to left at speed – Scrolls right-to-left at the speed you specify.
l Text moving from left to right at speed – Scrolls left-to-right at the speed you specify.
l Text moving from bottom to top at speed – Scrolls bottom-to-top at the speed you specify.
l Text moving from top to bottom at speed – Scrolls top-to-bottom at the speed you specify.
For best results, set the scrolling speed in multiples of 60 (for example, 60 or 120).
Font Select the font family you want and the size and style to apply.
Text Color
If you want text in a different color than the default, click the
alternative.
button to select an
Background Color
If you want the background in a different color than the default, click the
button to
select an alternative.
Horizontal Alignment Select the text horizontal position (only enabled for stationary and vertically-scrolling text).
Vertical Alignment Select the text vertical position (only enabled for stationary and horizontally-scrolling text).
Margins Set values to add blank space at each margin (in pixels).
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White Space Choose the option for how you want extra spaces, tabs, and new lines handled (collectively
termed 'whitespace'):
l Display spaces and new lines as entered – Display all whitespace as entered (default).
l Display multiple spaces as single space and multiple new lines as a single new line –
Ignore extra whitespace.
Note: This property is for text files only.
Character Set If necessary, select an alternative text-encoding standard.
Note: This property is for text files only.
Opacity To allow background items to be visible, enter a percentage to match the opacity required. 100%
is completely opaque and 1% is almost completely transparent..
3.4.5 Soundtrack Properties
The following properties apply to the audio playlist for layouts enabled with the Soundtrack option:
Duration Select the duration you require:
l Play all of the audio file – The soundtrack plays continuously.
l Play audio file for – The soundtrack plays for the period you specify.
Volume Enter the volume as a percentage of the maximum volume.
3.4.6 Newsfeed Properties
The iCC holds a newsfeed's properties in a number of locations. Access each group of properties by:
l
Clicking the button for the newsfeed on the Media > Newsfeeds page (see Newsfeeds for a description of
those properties).
l
Clicking the button for the newsfeed in the playlist. The iCC displays some properties on the Media tab and
some on the Style tab.
The newsfeed properties on the playlist Media tab are:
Item Type Indicates who can make changes to the setup on this page (click the Save Changes and
change Item Type button to alter this).
Ad Hoc Entry Label Enter a reference label for the iCC to use in the playlist Media column.
Allowed Choices Select which newsfeeds the ad hoc user can choose:
l All Available Newsfeeds – User can choose from any of the newsfeeds you have added.
l Only Selected Newsfeeds – User can choose only from the newsfeeds you check.
Default Newsfeed Select the default newsfeed from the drop-down list.
Fields Select whether to display components of the newsfeed other than the content:
l Title – Newsfeed title.
l Description – Newsfeed summary description.
Customization Status Indicates the newsfeed selection status.
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The newsfeed properties on the playlist Style tab are:
Content Commander User Guide
Item Selection
Choose the properties that specify how you want the iCC to choose from and sequence the
newsfeed articles:
l Play all Items – Play all of the articles.
l Play only the first n items – Play just this number of articles.
l Play all Items in groups of n items – Jump this number of articles before playing the next
article.
l Select items sequentially – Play articles in title order. Numbers come before letters and
uppercase characters before lowercase (for example, '1' comes before 'A' which comes
before 'a').
l Select items at random – Play articles at random (shuffle play).
Item
Synchronization
If you need to synchronise between zones, select the appropriate option for your
synchronisation strategy:
l Slave - track changes to Master – The media shown in this zone is controlled from a
master zone.
l Master – This zone controls the media shown in a slave zone.
You may want to show the headline in one zone and the details in another zone: see
Playlist Displays Between Zones for how to keep the displays aligned.
Text Style Choose the option for how you want the text displayed:
l Show first Newsfeed item indefinitely – Displays always.
l Show each Newsfeed Item for – Displays for the period you specify.
l Text moving from right to left at speed – Scrolls right-to-left at the speed you specify.
l Text moving from left to right at speed – Scrolls left-to-right at the speed you specify.
l Text moving from bottom to top at speed – Scrolls bottom-to-top at the speed you specify.
l Text moving from top to bottom at speed – Scrolls top-to-bottom at the speed you specify.
For best results, set the scrolling speed in multiples of 60 (for example, 60 or 120).
Font Select the font family you want and the size and style to apply.
Text Color
If you want text in a different color than the default, click the
button to select an
alternative.
Background Color
If you want the background in a different color than the default, click the
button to
select an alternative.
Horizontal Alignment Select the text horizontal position (only enabled for stationary and vertically-scrolling text).
Vertical Alignment Select the text vertical position (only enabled for stationary and horizontally-scrolling text).
Margins Set values to add blank space at each margin (in pixels).
Opacity To allow background items to be visible, enter a percentage to match the opacity required.
100% is completely opaque and 1% is almost completely transparent..
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3.4.7 Clock Properties
The iCC holds a clock's properties in the playlist's Media and Style tabs.
The clock properties on the Media tab are:
Display Content Select the overall date and time format.
Day of Week Format Select the positioning and format of the day.
Date Format Select the sequence of date components.
Year Format Select a 2 or 4 digit year display.
Month Format Select a month name or number display.
Time Format Select whether to use the time format for the locale (defined on the player Setup > Player >
International page) or the one you specify here.
Hour Format Select whether to use 12 hour or 24 hour clock.
Time Zone Select the required time zone from the drop-down list.
The clock properties on the Style tab are:
Duration Select the duration you require:
l Show Clock indefinitely – The player displays the clock all the time.
l Show Clock for – The player displays the clock for the period you specify
Font Select the font family you want and the size and style to apply.
Text Color
Background Color
Horizontal Alignment Select the clock's horizontal position.
Vertical Alignment Select the clock's vertical position.
Margins Set values to add blank space at each margin (in pixels).
Opacity To allow background items to be visible, enter a percentage to match the opacity required.
If you want text in a different color than the default, click the
alternative.
If you want the background in a different color than the default, click the
select an alternative.
100% is completely opaque and 1% is almost completely transparent.
button to select an
button to
3.4.8 PDF File Properties
With one addition, PDF files have the same properties as images (see Image Properties for details).
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The addition is an option to select the pages you want the player to display. To select the pages you want displayed,
take these steps:
1. Add the PDF file to the playlist.
2.
Click the PDF file's button.
3. Open the Media tab.
4. Enter the required setting in the PDF Pages to be shown field.
Depending on the setting, the player will display pages in sequence, repeatedly, in groups, and in a different order
than they appear in the file. If you have more than one PDF file in a folder play, the settings apply to all those PDF
files. This table contains example settings to illustrate the flexibility available to you (note the use of commas and
hyphens to delineate page selections):
Example Setting Pages Displayed
1- All pages from page 1 to the end. This is the default setting.
10- All pages from page 10 to the end.
15 Page 15.
1,5,7 Pages 1, 5, and 7.
1-3,6-9 Pages 1, 2, 3 and 6, 7, 8, 9.
3-5,3-5 Pages 3, 4, 5 and 3, 4, 5.
1-5,7-3 Pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, 6, 5, 4, 3.
7-2 Pages 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
-1 All pages in reverse order (page 1 last).
3.4.9 Folder Play Properties
The iCC displays folder play properties on the Media tab. Besides the folder play properties, this contains
properties for all of the player types enabled for the zone.
You can customie how long the player plays movie, HTML, and SWF (Adobe Flash) files. Specify the length of play
by adding the string -duration-xjust before the file extension (where x is the duration in seconds). For example,
the player would play the file logo-intro-duration-17.swf for 17 seconds. This customisation has no effect
if you add the file into a playlist individually.
The following specific properties apply to folders in a playlist:
Media Check the box to enable the relevant media player for the zone.
Management Check the Management box to enable ad hoc management of this folder.
If the ad hoc user places files in the indicated ad hoc media folder, the player plays them instead
of those in the current folder. If there are no suitable files in the ad hoc media folder, the player
plays the files in the current folder.
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Item Selection Choose the properties that specify how you want the player to choose from and sequence the
files:
l Play all Items – Play all of the files.
l Play only the first n items – Play just this number of files.
l Play all Items in groups of n items – Jump this number of files before playing the next file.
l Select items sequentially – Play files in file name order. Numbers come before letters and
uppercase characters before lowercase (for example, '1' comes before 'A' which comes
before 'a').
l Select items at random – Play files at random (shuffle play).
If you choose a property other than Play all items, the player plays files in the sequence you
have chosen. To do that, it records which files it played and when (in other words, retains the
current state of play). Folders in different playlists run through their sequence independently.
However, you may went to ensure that the player synchronises the order of folder play between
different playlists. That is, have the player restart each folder play sequence from the beginning.
To do so, add a Folder Play Reset item to the playlist at the point where you want that to
happen. Select Folder Play Reset from the options on the Specials tab. Combine folder play
reset with the rendezvous point and advance to features to create the synchronised play you
require.
Item Synchronisation If you need to synchronise between zones, select the appropriate option for your
synchronisation strategy:
l Slave - track changes to Master – The media shown in this zone is controlled from a master
zone.
l Master – This zone controls the media shown in a slave zone.
See Playlist Displays Between Zones for more details.
You can combine folder play properties to create complex sequences to meet specific requirements. For example,
you may wish to set up a playlist that showed a sequence of music videos in a fixed order, and between each video
show two randomly selected advertisements followed by a corporate logo for a fixed time.
To create this sequence of folders, follow these steps:
1. Create three folders on the iCC as follows:
o Music
o Advertisements
o Logo
2. Upload videos into the Music folder. Rename the video files as necessary to create the play order you want
(for example, 'A Summer in the city.mpg, B Be my girl.mpg', and so on).
3. Upload the advertisements into the Advertisements folder.
4. Upload the logo into the Logo folder.
5. Create a playlist as follows:
o Add the Music folder to the playlist (set to play all items sequentially).
o Add the Advertisements folder to the playlist (set to play only the first two items randomly).
o Add the logo image as an individual file (set duration 10 seconds).
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3.4.10 Play Criteria Properties
All media items have the properties present on the Play Criteria tab.
The following properties apply to any zone:
Time Validity To control when the player shows an item in a playlist, check the relevant boxes and set the times
you require:
l Date Range – Select the dates during which you want these settings to apply (for a single day,
set both dates the same).
l Days – Select the days you want the item to appear.
l Time Period – Select the period during which you want the item to appear.
Examples when you might choose to use this property:
l To play adverts only on certain days of the week.
l To show a traffic report only after 5.00 pm.
Points to note:
l Outside the times you specify, the player skips the item when its turn comes in the playlist.
l The player continues to play the item even if the valid time expires before the item ends.
Conditional Play This is only enabled when you have added player local information to the player (see Player Local
Information for details).
If it is enabled, you have two options:
l Play Always – Default. The player always plays the item.
l Play if Player Local Information Item – The player only plays the item if certain conditions are
met.
If you select Play if Player Local Information Item, complete these steps:
1. Select the name of the relevant player local information from the first drop-down list.
2. Select the test to apply from the second drop-down list.
3.
Enter the value to test for in the final field (add further values by clicking the button or
delete values by clicking the button).
4.
Click the button.
3.4.11 Advanced Properties
All media items have the properties present on the Advanced tab.
Other than the Media Audit property, the iCC only displays the Advanced properties if:
l You have set the User Interface Policy to Detailed or Expert on the UI Options page.
l You have previously enabled the property.
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The following properties apply to any zone:
Position and Size To override the position and size of a zone, select the Use custom position and size radio button
and set the values you require:
l Top edge offset – Amount to move the zone relative to the screen's top edge.
l Left edge offset – Amount to move the zone relative to the screen's left edge
l Width – Width for the zone.
l Height – Height for the zone.
This property is not applicable to soundtrack items.
Media Audit To change whether the player collects media audit data to send in its reports, check the relevant
radio button:
l Inherit the zone's media audit setting – The player collects or does not collect the data
depending on the setting in the zone's properties.
l Disable media auditing – Disables data collection even if it is enabled in the zone's properties.
l Enable media auditing – Enables data collection even if it is not enabled in the zone's properties.
3.4.12 Ad Hoc Properties
The iCC displays ad hoc properties on the Media tab.
You can apply the following properties to directly entered text, newsfeeds, radio, TV, and tables that you have set
to be customizable or ad hoc:
Item Type
Ad Hoc Entry Label The label used to refer to this item on the layout's Ad hoc Page.
Ad Hoc Item Name
Click the button to save any existing changes to the item
and to open the page to select the item's type:
l Content of this item is controlled by the Layout Designer
l Content of this item can be customised using this Layout's Ad hoc Entry Page
l Use an existing Ad hoc Item
l Create and use a new Ad hoc Item
Unique identifier for the ad hoc Item on the iCC. (Only for ad hoc items that you cannot
customize.)
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Properties dependent
on media type
The iCC displays some properties that are dependent on the type of ad hoc item: l
Directly entered text:
o Ad Hoc Input – Options to format the text and specify allowable ad hoc user input.
o Default Text – Enter default text to display.
o Customisation Scope – Either Local (customised text displays only on the ad hoc user's
local iCC) or Remote (customised text displays on players that are subscribers to the ad
hoc user's iCC).
l Newsfeed:
o
Allowed Choices – Whether you allow the ad hoc user to select all or a subset of the
available newsfeeds on the player.
o
Default Newsfeed – Select the default newsfeed to display.
o
Fields – Whether to display newsfeed with or without title or description.
l TV and radio:
o
Allowed Choices – Whether you allow the ad hoc user to select all or a subset of the
available stations on the player.
o
Default Station – Select the default station to play.
o
Subtitles – Whether or not to display subtitles (if available).
l Tables:
o
Table – Name link to the Ad Hoc tab of the Media > Tables page for configuring the
table.
Customisation Status Indicates if this item is currently displaying its default value or if it has been overridden by an ad
hoc user.
Used By Layouts Lists the layouts that use this ad hoc Item. (Only for ad hoc items that you cannot customise.)
3.5 Playlist Commands
You can use the following playlist features to alter the display sequence and appearance:
l Rendezvous Points and the Advance To Command
l Change Layout Command
3.5.1 Rendezvous Points and the Advance To Command
Each playlist displays a sequence of items that operate independently. Even if two playlists contain items of exactly
equal lengths, you cannot rely on their display being completely synchronized. Instead, if you want to achieve
synchronization between playlists, you need to use a combination of Advance To commands and Rendezvous
Points.
An Advance To command in a playlist causes the player to start displaying an item in another playlist. You specify
the item to display by placing a matching rendezvous point at an appropriate place in the other playlist. If the receiving
zone's playlist contains the rendezvous point, the player immediately starts playing the playlist item after the
rendezvous point.
To link the two together, the Advance To command refers to the rendezvous point by name. You can select whether
the player passes the Advance To command to a single zone or to all zones in the current layout. Therefore, by
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placing the same rendezvous point in several zones, you can trigger actions in all of them with a single Advance To
command.
You can also use the Advance To mechanism to initiate player actions as a result of user interactions, such as
motion sensor, pressure mat, or touch screen events (see Using Interactivity for more details).
To add a rendezvous point to a playlist, follow these steps:
1. Click the Specials tab.
2. In the Rendezvous Point field, enter a name. You can enter any text for the name (but not starting with the string
auto_) and names are not case-sensitive.
3.
Click the button.
4. Make sure the rendezvous point appears immediately before the item you want the player to synchronize with the
other playlist.
5. If required, repeat to create additional rendezvous points in other playlists.
6. Add the Advance To command.
To add an Advance To command to a playlist, follow these steps:
1. Click the Specials tab.
2. From the Advance To Rendezvous Point drop-down list, select the relevant rendezvous point name.
3.
Click the button.
4. Make sure the Advance To command appears immediately before the item you want the player to synchronize
with the other playlist.
5. If you want the Advance To command to target only a specific zone:
a.
Click the button.
b. Select the zone from the drop-down list.
c.
Click the button.
Note: If you want to change the Advance To command to point to a different rendezvous point or to different
zones, click the button and alter your selection.
3.5.2 Change Layout Command
Unlike the Advance To command, the Change Layout command launches a different screen layout with its own
arrangement of zones.
If you want to implement a simple change of the layout, then the Advance To command brings a quick result.
However, it is difficult to implement a complex change using the Advance To command. The Change Layout
command displays a different layout entirely, but it does take longer to refresh the screen.
To add a Change Layout command to a playlist, follow these steps:
1. Click the Specials tab.
2. From the Change Layout drop-down list, select the new layout you want to use.
3.
Click the button.
4. Make sure the Change Layout command appears in the right place in the playlist.
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Note: If you want to change the Change Layout command to point to a different layout, click the button and
alter your selection.
3.6 Colors
Use the Media > Colors page to set the colors the iCC applies to fonts, backgrounds, and other items.
When you create a new layout or a new table, the iCC automatically creates new color items:
l For layouts, the color items are for the text foreground, the text background, and the letterbox background.
l For tables, the color items are for the text foreground and text background.
The iCC names color items in the format Layout name: Color item. For example, if you create a new
layout named 'Holidays', the iCC creates the following color items for it:
l Text foreground – Holidays: Text
l Text background – Holidays: Background
l Letterbox – Holidays: Letterbox
You can modify the properties for these color items as needed.
You define a Color Item by a unique name, a colour value, and an opacity setting. If you change the colour value
or opacity setting, the iCC updates all the items that use the color. Click the button to apply your changes. You
can define more than one color item with the same color values.
Click the tab for the option you require:
l Colors – Listing the color items and their characteristics. Click the button to delete a color (you cannot
delete it if it is in use). Click the button to:
o Modify a color – The settings are as described for the Add Color tab. Click the
button to
enable your modifications.
o Access the Used By tab – Lists which layouts are using the color.
l Add Color – Adding a new color manually.
To add a new color, complete the following details and click the
Name
Color Value
Enter a unique and meaningful name for the color. This does not have to be in Layout name: Color item
format followed by the iCC.
Specify the color using either separate RGB values or a single hexadecimal value. On a Windows PC,
you can find the RGB values for a color you want to use by following these steps:
1. Click Start and select All Programs > Accessories > Paint.
2. Open a file containing an image that uses the target color.
button:
to select a pixel of the target color.3. Use the Color Picker tool
4. Click the Edit Colors tool
.
5. Read off the RGB values at the bottom right of the Edit Colors display.
Opacity To allow background items to be visible, enter a percentage to match the opacity required. 100% is
completely opaque and 1% is almost completely transparent..
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3.7 Fonts
The iCC offers a collection of standard fonts that are suitable for most purposes.
To view the installed fonts:
1. On the menu bar, click Media and Fonts.
2. Click the Font Families tab.
The Font Families tab shows details of all the fonts available on the iCC (including those you install). The Font
Files tab lists the files for any fonts you install.
If you want to use a font that is not available on the iCC, you must add your own font files. The iCC supports
TrueType® (TTF or TTC) and OpenType® (OTF) format font files. The new font is published in a channel and picked
up by every subscriber. However, a subscriber has to reboot before being able to display the font.
To add a font file, follow these steps:
1. On the menu bar, select Media and Fonts.
2. Click the Add Font File tab.
3.
Click the button and navigate to the font file you wish to add.
4.
Click the button.
5.
Click the button.
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Enhancing Your
Displays
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Part 4: Enhancing Your Displays
You can enhance your digital sign display in various ways:
Playlist Displays Between Zones
Using Interactivity
Using the RS-232 Interface Port
Displaying Part of a Movie or Web Page
Changing the Screen Background
4.1 Playlist Displays Between Zones
You can synchronize the display between playlists in useful and sophisticated ways using rendezvous points
and Advance To commands.
Examples include:
l Displaying video or images in one zone and related text captions in another zone (for a method to achieve this, see
Automatic Captioning).
l Displaying a selection of videos or images in response to ad hoc user input (for a method to achieve this, see
Displaying Video-On-Demand Using a Sub-Playlist).
You can achieve further complex and powerful results with other of the rendezvous point and Advance To command
mechanisms:
l An Advance To command executed in any currently playing playlist (including in the same playlist).
l An Advance To command delivered over the player's Ethernet port in the form of an XML message posted to the
HTML TCP port.
l An Advance To command in a schedule entry or in an ad hoc page.
l A change in binary input lines on the RS-232 port initiating an Advance To command.
l An event on an attached touch-sensitive screen initiating an Advance To command.
4.1.1 Automatic Captioning
To implement synchronisation between zones, you need to designate one playlist as the Master Playlist and one or
more other playlists as Slave Playlists. You add rendezvous points to each slave playlist and the identically named
Advance To command in the master playlist. When the master playlist reaches the Advance To command, the
player forces the slave playlists to start playing the first item after the rendezvous point.
To have the player perform automatic captioning, you have to use files with corresponding file names. For example,
to display captioning for a video file called Marketing_Highlights_01.mpg, you would need to create a file
called Marketing_Highlights_01.txt containing the text captions.
To set up automatic captioning between the zone playing the video and the zone playing the captions, first set up the
video zone:
1. Upload all the videos into one folder on the iCC.
2. Open the video zone's playlist page.
3. Click the Files & Folders tab and navigate to the video folder
location.
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4.
Click the folder's button.
5. Click the Playlist tab.
6.
Click the folder's button.
7. From the Item Synchronisation drop-down list, select Master.
8. In Movie properties, select the Duration option Play the Movie File Indefinitely.
9.
Click the button.
Second, set up the captioning zone:
1. Upload all of the text files into one folder on the iCC. (This can be the same folder that contains the videos.)
2. Open the captioning zone's playlist page.
3. Click the Files & Folders tab and navigate to the text folder location.
4.
Click the folder's button.
5. Click the Playlist tab.
6.
Click the folder's button.
7. From the Item Synchronisation drop-down list, select Slave - Track Changes to Master.
8. In Text properties, select the Text Style option to Show Text File Indefinitely.
9.
Click the button.
4.1.2 Displaying Video-On-Demand Using a Sub-Playlist
You can use the Ad hoc mechanism to configure the player to show videos on-demand (in response to a button-click)
by using a series of Advance To commands. The same mechanism can also be used to set up images or any other
media type to be displayed on-demand. You do this using sub-playlists.
You can create a loop, or sub-playlist, by inserting both a rendezvous point at the beginning of a sequence of items
and an Advance To command at the end of the sequence in the same playlist. This means that the player displays
the items in the sequence in a continuous loop until another Advance To command breaks out of the loop.
To illustrate that mechanism, here is a sequence of items in a playlist:
Rendezvous Point: Start
o
Default Movie item
o
Advance To: Start
Rendezvous Point: Option1
o
Option1 Movie Item
o
Advance To: Start
Rendezvous Point: Option2
o
Option2 Movie item
o
Advance To: Start
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That playlist sequence might run like this:
1. The player plays Default Movie item in a continuous loop created by the Advance To command and rendezvous
point Start.
2. An Advance To command Option1 arrives from an ad hoc page.
3. The player starts playing the item after rendezvous point Option1 and this is Option1 Movie Item.
4. At the end of Option1 Movie item, the player processes the Advance To command Start.
5. The player therefore returns to rendezvous point Start and plays the Default Movie Item again in a continuous
loop.
To create a sub-playlist loop, follow these steps:
1. Click on a zone to edit its playlist.
2. Click on the Specials tab.
3. Type the name of the loop into the Rendezvous Point text box (use as descriptive a name as possible).
4.
Click the button to add the rendezvous point to the playlist.
5. Add the items that must appear in the sub-playlist in the usual manner. If you want a sub-playlist to play just once,
insert an image at the end with an indefinite duration.
6. In the Specials tab, select the rendezvous point by name from the Advance To Rendezvous Point list and
click the button.
7. Make the layout live by adding to a schedule and clicking the button.
You are now able to switch between playlists by adding Advance To commands to an ad hoc page:
1. Select Media > Manage Ad hoc items, and click the Add Item tab.
2.
Select the Advance To type, enter a name, and click the button. Repeat to add an Advance To command
for each rendezvous point.
3. Select Media > Design Pages > Manage Ad hoc pages, and click the Add Pages tab.
4. Create a new page with a name such as 'Movie control'.
5.
Click the button and add the ad hoc items for each rendezvous point to the ad hoc page.
6. In the Properties tab, select the users who are allowed to call the commands.
7.
Click the button.
4.2 Using Interactivity
You can configure the player to respond to inputs from an external source. External inputs are known as Events and
they may be caused by:
l Someone pressing or releasing a defined area on a USB touch screen.
l Someone passing a detector or stepping on a pressure mat that generates a general purpose input/output (GPIO)
signal (received through the player unit's RS-232 port or adapter).
l Someone pressing a button on a remote keypad (infrared controller).
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The way you configure the player to respond may include:
l Executing a Change Layout command.
l Executing an Advance To command.
Those responses are known as Actions and you can configure the player to take them immediately or after a
timeout. Together, the combination of an event and an action is known as an Interaction.
For all events (or timeouts), you can have the player take one of these actions:
l Change to a specified layout.
l Advance to a rendezvous point.
l Ignore the event for this zone or layout and pass it to another zone or layout.
Additionally, for touch and GPIO events, you can have the player take one of these actions:
l Touch and GPIO events – Take no action.
l Touch event – Pass to a web page. If the zone supports HTML, the player can pass a touch event to the currently
showing web page. If there is no web page, the player takes no action.
Playlist and Layout Interaction:
To provide detailed control, you can specify behaviour that differs at the playlist and at the layout level:
l Playlist:
o
Process the interaction if someone touches the currently playing item.
o
Keep the interaction process active awaiting other events. You can implement complex behaviour by defining
multiple interaction actions in the same playlist.
l Layout:
o
Process the interaction if there is no playlist action (that is, the layout action is a default).
o
Process the interaction if someone touches anywhere on the screen.
You will find it easier to review layout interaction behaviour because the ICC displays all layout components
at once.
To configure touch actions for a playlist, you must either:
l Include an On Touch Advance To command in the playlist.
l Include an On Touch Change Layout command in the playlist.
l Play an HTML page in the zone.
To add items, click on the playlist's Specials tab and select those required. You can include more than one On
Touch Advance To or On Touch Change Layout commands in the playlist. Each On Touch command overrides
the previous one. This allows you to have the player change its response to touch events throughout the playlist.
If you enable touch for a zone that is displaying an HTML page, the player passes touch events to the HTML player
for handling. You can use this to allow a user to navigate through web pages using links embedded in the displayed
HTML page.
Note: To use HTML navigation, either omit On Touch playlist items or use On Touch Screen Event Perform
No Action (found on the playlist's Specials tab) to deactivate existing On Touch items. Otherwise, On Touch
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items will take precedence over the HTML player. Then, the player only passes Left Mouse Button Up and
Down events to the HTML player.
To configure touch actions for a layout, on the menu bar click Layouts and select the layout you want to configure.
Click the Interaction tab and select the touch screen actions in response to a touch screen event. The settings
include:
l Whether a touch response is required for this layout at the layout level or not.
l Whether the touch response is a Change Layout or Advance To command.
l Whether it is the touch or release operation that causes the action.
l The period after which the layout will revert to another layout in the absence of a touch event.
Interaction Processing:
The way the player processes an event depends upon:
l The source (touch screen, GPIO, or remote keypad).
l The currently active interactions.
The player processes interactions for touch screen events as follows:
1. Creates a list of zones showing items directly underneath the touched screen location.
2. Processes that list in depth order, starting with the top zone.
3. If a zone has an active touch action, and that is not to pass the event to another zone, the player performs the
specified action and stops processing.
4. If no zone has an active touch action, the player performs the touch action defined for the layout.
The player processes interactions for RS-232 input events as follows:
1. Creates a list of all zones showing items coincident to the RS-232 input.
2. Processes that list in depth order, starting with the top zone.
3. If a zone has an active RS-232 input action, and that is not to pass the event to another zone, the player performs
the specified action and stops processing.
4. If no zone has an active RS-232 input action, the player performs the RS-232 action defined for the layout.
The player processes a remote keypad button event as follows:
1. Creates a list of all zones showing items coincident to the remote keypad button event.
2. Processes that list in depth order, starting with the top zone.
3. If a zone has an active remote keypad button action, and that is not to pass the event to another zone, the player
performs the specified action and stops processing.
4. If no zone has an active remote keypad button action, the player performs the remote keypad action defined for
the layout.
Passing Touch Events to HTML Pages:
If the current zone supports HTML, the player can pass touch events directly to the currently showing HTML page.
Using this technique, you can build rich interactive applications using stored HTML content. However, you cannot
create interactions with external web sites.
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When developing such HTML applications, you will likely require a large number of files. In order for the ICC to keep
track of these files during channel publishing and layout package creation, follow these rules:
l Initiate the application from a single HTML file (you can redirect from here to other files as required). Add that file to
the playlist.
l Place all additional files in a single subdirectory named [pagename]_files, where [pagename] is the name of
the initiating HTML file (without its extension). Locate that subdirectory in the directory containing the initiating
HTML file.
4.2.1 Designing Interactive Layouts
You can design layouts that respond to user input in various ways:
l Send an Advance To command to play a specific item or start a playlist.
l Change the current layout.
l Change the size and position of a zone.
l Display hidden zones.
l Send a signal to another device through the RS-232 port or adapter.
You might find the following general guidance helpful when developing interactive layouts.
Develop a Storyboard:
Advance planning is particularly important when designing a layout that smoothly offers choices and options to users.
A storyboard is a plan based on a series of sketches of individual scenes. Storyboarding is very effective technique
when designing interaction sequences. You can create a storyboard with sketches of screen layouts or simply with a
flowchart. The important point is to detail all possible outcomes at each stage of interaction.
Provide Material for Optional Actions:
You must make sure that you have collected and uploaded all the media files you require for any possible scenarios
controlled by interaction events. Before you start implementing your interaction events, create playlists for zones that
include all the necessary Advance To commands and rendezvous points.
Trade-Offs Between Display Change Methods:
You can change the display in response to an interaction either by changing the size and show/hide properties of a
zone or by using a Change Layout command. Each method has advantages and disadvantages:
Method Advantages Disadvantages
Change zone size and show/hide
properties
Use Change Layout command Resets all media players Slower, visible transition
Very fast transition Continues using existing media
players
4.2.2 General Purpose Input/Output
The player can respond to changes in voltages generated by a GPIO device such as a motion sensor or a pressure
mat. The player receives those inputs through its RS-232 port or adapter. It can also send output signals. For more
details see the RS-232 Technical Reference.
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Control-Line Inputs:
The player RS-232 interface has four input lines that can receive binary events such as contact closure or signals
from other devices. The available lines are:
l Clear To Send (CTS).
l Data Carrier Detect (DCD).
l Data Set Ready (DSR).
l Ring Indicator (RI).
The lines do not affect the operation of the RS-232 Send and Receive strings.
Include an RS-232 input item in a playlist and configure it to issue an Advance To or Change Layout command.
Use those commands to change the media played by the player. This is triggered when the player detects a line
transition generated by a user action.
Control Line Outputs:
The player can control the output state of the RS-232 DTR and RTS lines. Create RS-232 output items to change one
or both RS-232 outputs and optionally transmit a string of characters. Give the RS-232 output items unique names to
clarify their purpose.
4.2.3 Touch Screens
The player includes support for touch screen input from users. These features allow you to configure the player to
respond to those user inputs (for example, by executing Advance To or Change Layout commands). Connect an
overlay touch-screen panel to the player through its USB port.
4.2.4 Click On Touch
You can configure the player to play an audio file when someone touches an interactive screen.
To play an audio file, click the layout's Interaction tab and enable Click on Touch. The player does not play a sound
when the setting is No Click on Touch.
Specify these items:
l Volume – Express volume as a percentage of the Master Volume level. (You can specify the Master Volume
level on the Audio page in the Setup menu.) If this entry is blank, the player uses 75% of the Master Volume
level.
l Actions – Check the audio file's Use sound button. If necessary, navigate to the location of the file using the
folder display.
4.3 Using the RS-232 Interface Port
If you require the player to control equipment through an RS-232 interface, use its built-in RS-232 port or the USB to
RS-232 adapter, whichever is appropriate for the player model.
Considerations for sending RS-232 strings at specific events or playlist positions:
l Define the strings by expressing their byte values as separated hexadecimal pairs (for example, 3A 3B 3C 0D
0A).
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l Create the strings in accordance with the needs of the attached device.
l The state of the RS-232 control lines does not affect transmission of RS-232 strings.
Considerations for receiving RS-232 strings:
l The player reports the most recently received string in the Items tab on its Setup > Player > RS-232 Outputs
page.
l The state of the RS-232 control lines does not affect reception of RS-232 strings.
4.4 Displaying Part of a Movie or Web Page
You can configure a movie or HTML item in a playlist to display only a part of its output.
This is useful if you want to:
l Show a specific area of a movie or web page without resizing it.
l Crop a movie designed for a 16:9 (widescreen) format to a 4:3 (standard) format. This avoids resizing the zone,
which would alter the aspect ratio and distort the image.
To display only part of a movie item, modify the values for its Movie Size property (see Movie Properties for details).
To display only part of an HTML item, modify the values for its Web Page Size property (see HTML Properties for
details).
4.5 Changing the Screen Background
When switching between layouts, you can have the player display a colored background or image. It can also
display this background in any areas of a layout that are not covered by zones.
Note: Setting the color to black is not recommended because it makes fault-finding more difficult.
To change the screen background, follow these steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Media and Screen Background.
2. Select either Solid color or Image:
o If you select Solid Color, then click the
o If you select Image, then browse the file system for an image. If you want a splash screen effect, set the
Layout Activation option to Activate new Layout after and select the delay from the drop-down list.
3.
Click the button.
button to select a color.
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Part V
Ad Hoc Content
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Part 5: Ad Hoc Content
The Ad hoc feature allows you to delegate limited control of content to staff local to the display. This is particularly
useful where several players share the same channel but also need some customised content. The people at each
location can make those changes with a quick and easy, browser-based operation.
Local control of content is important in a wide range of application areas:
l In an office, a secretary or office administrator can display welcome messages for visitors or display staff
information.
l On a university campus with multiple displays, different information may need to be delivered to different faculties
about upcoming events, room allocations, and so on.
l In the retail sector, store information and special offer details will vary from branch to branch.
l In health care, patient information and other details will vary in different hospitals or GP practices in the same
health authority area.
As the content designer, you delimit how much access is allowed at each site. You retain control of the key display
elements to maintain a consistent appearance and uniform identity for your organisation.
The ad hoc environment consists of these components:
l Ad hoc user – The person, usually at the display location, who has limited access and can update or change only
the content items you specify.
l Ad hoc entry – Is where ad hoc users log in through their browser, access pages that are available to them, and
make their changes.
l Ad hoc media folders – Contain all the media files that the ad hoc user can use when updating or changing
content.
You can delegate local responsibility for several different types of content:
l Text
l Tables
l Newsfeeds
l TV channels, radio stations, and streaming TV
l Folders
You can allow ad hoc users to update customisable content you have added to a playlist or update content they
create in the layouts you have allowed them to access.
As well as giving such access to content, you can also allow ad hoc users to:
l Change complete layouts.
l Change display schedules.
l Perform schedule overrides.
l Synchronise content.
You can also delegate control of a channel to an ad hoc user. In this case, you designate certain items as Ad
hoc from Center. This allows the ad hoc user to update those items on the iCC and in turn that updates
each subscribing player.
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The ad hoc system is secure: no ad hoc user can make changes unless you specify the customisable item and give
the user permission to access it.
5.1 Enhanced Ad Hoc Access Control
Generating ad hoc content is quick and easy. As the content designer, you can build-in ad hoc content during
implementation of your design. Alternatively, you can work with an existing design and allocate ad hoc content as
required. Whichever route you choose, the overall time taken for generating display content is minimised. Ad hoc
users can be working with the system productively with minimum delay.
Automatic Ad Hoc:
By default, the iCC enables automatic ad hoc for all newly-created layouts. You can control whether it is disabled or
enabled with the Layout Ad hoc Page setting on the layout's Layout Properties tab.
Automatic ad hoc makes creating content easier, as it eliminates many of the configuration and setup tasks. The
layout automatically creates a single ad hoc page, which contains all ad hoc playlist Items in the layout. As you
add or remove ad hoc items, the iCC automatically adds or removes them from the layout ad hoc page.
You have full control over ad hoc pages, including specifying which users are or are not authorized to make
changes. However, you cannot add or remove existing ad hoc Items or reference ad hoc items in other layouts.
Therefore, automatic ad hoc is unsuitable if you want multiple layouts to use the same ad hoc item.
Manual Ad Hoc:
Manual ad hoc gives you complete responsibility for creating and managing all ad hoc pages and the items within
them. You need to add ad hoc items to one or more playlists and one or more ad hoc pages, as required.
You must create an ad hoc item before you can add it to a playlist. Similarly, you must create an ad hoc page and add
one or more ad hoc items to it before it can be used by ad hoc users.
In manual ad hoc mode, you can create ad hoc pages that contain ad hoc items added to multiple layout playlists. For
example, this is useful if you want to show the same ad hoc welcome message on multiple layouts.
Creating Ad Hoc Content as You Build Your Design:
Create your layout in the normal way:
1. On the menu bar, click Layouts and Manage Layouts.
2. Click the Add Layout tab.
3.
Enter a name for the layout and click the button.
4.
Locate your new layout on the Layouts page and click its button.
5. Create the zones you require and enable them to play the ad hoc media items you want to add.
6.
Click the button and select Save all changes and edit Playlist from the drop-down list.
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You can now add ad hoc items. The way in which you do this depends on the type of ad hoc item you want to add:
Text 1. On the playlist's page, click the Specials tab and enter the text you wish to be displayed.
2. Check the Content of this item can be customized using this Layout's Ad hoc Entry Page box.
3.
Click the
4.
Click the
o
Local – Only for the individual subscriber.
o
Remote – For all the subscribers to this channel.
button.
button and set the item's Customization Scope:
Tables You should have already created and formatted the ad hoc table you require.
1. On the playlist's page, click the Specials tab.
2. From the Table Item drop-down list, select the table you want.
3.
Click the button.
4.
Click the table's button.
5.
Click the button.
6. Check the Use an existing Ad Hoc Item button and select the table from the drop-down list.
7.
Click the button.
Newsfeeds You should have already configured the newsfeed you require.
1. On the playlist's page, click the Specials tab.
2. From the Newsfeed drop-down list, select the newsfeed you want.
3. Check the Content of this item can be customized using this Layout's Ad hoc Entry Page box.
4.
Click the button.
5.
If you want to further configure the item's ad hoc options, click the button.
TV and Radio
Stations
You should have already added the TV and radio stations. For radio, you must enable the layout's
soundtrack.
1. On the playlist's page, click the Specials tab.
2. Take the action appropriate to the type of station you want::
o
TV – From the Live Video drop-down list, select the station you want.
o
Radio – From the Live Radio drop-down list, select the station you want.
3. Check the Content of this item can be customised using this Layout's Ad hoc Entry Page box.
4.
Click the button.
5.
If you want to further configure the item's ad hoc options, click the button.
Converting an Existing Design to Ad hoc Content:
You can create ad hoc content after you have completed a design. To create ad hoc content in an existing design, the
process is the same as in each case above. You need to disable Automatic Ad Hoc in the Layout Properties tab.
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Creating Ad Hoc Pages:
When ad hoc users log on, their Home page displays the Ad Hoc Pages you create. Ad hoc users cannot access
any other player user interface pages. You design the ad hoc pages to display only the text fields ad hoc users can
change or the commands they are allowed to issue.
To create an ad hoc page:
1. On the menu bar, click Media and select Design Pages > Manage Ad hoc Pages.
2. Click the Add Page tab
3. Enter a name for the page. Use a name that will be easily recognizable by your ad hoc users.
4.
Click the button.
5.
Click the page's button.
6.
Select the item you require from the drop-down list and click the button.
7.
To add more ad hoc items, click the Add Item tab again. Rearrange the order of items using the and
buttons.
8. Click the Properties tab. Add any instructive text in the User Guidance Message field.
9. Click the Permissions tab. Check that the enabled roles are those you want to have access to ad hoc content.
Make any necessary changes.
10.
Click the button.
5.2 Remote Keypad Control
For convenience and ease of use, ad hoc users can control their local player using an infrared remote keypad. This
enables them to change content at the touch of a button instead of having to access the player by their browser.
The remote keypad has the following controls:
l Volume (up and down) – Adjusts the master volume level in 10% divisions.
l Station (up and down) – Controls the ad hoc TV and radio stations played. The user can scroll up and down the
station list.
l Programmable buttons (A, B, C, and D) – Each can be programmed to correspond to a specific rendezvous
point or layout.
When the user presses a button, the player displays a status message at the top right of the screen.
To allow ad hoc users to control the display with the remote keypad, take these steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Layouts and select the one the remote keypad will control.
2. Click the Interaction tab.
3. For each button, check the action required:
o
No default Button Action – Check for the player to take no action when the user presses this button.
o
When button is pressed Advance to Rendezvous Point – Check to assign a rendezvous point to this
button. Choose the zones you allow the ad hoc user to control.
o
When button is pressed change to Layout – Check to assign a layout to this button. Ad hoc users press
this button to switch the display to that layout.
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To allow ad hoc users to choose TV or radio stations, take these steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Media and Manage Ad hoc items.
2. Click the Add Item tab.
3. From the Add Ad hoc Item of Type drop-down list, select TV or Radio.
4.
Enter a name for the item and click the button.
5. In the Ad hoc Item property Allowed Choices, select one of:
o
All Available TV or Radio Stations – Allows ad hoc users to select from any TV or radio station configured
on the player.
o
Only Selected TV or Radio Stations – Allows ad hoc users to select from the TV or radio stations you
choose.
5. Select the default TV or radio station from the Default TV or Radio Station drop-down list.
5.3 Additional Ad Hoc
Additional Ad Hoc features allow for greater customisation of layout content. This is particularly useful in a
channel, where a network of players all play the same content.
Using additional ad hoc, multiple players in a channel can each show different content, controlled by ad hoc users
locally. This allows an organisation to maintain a consistent appearance or brand image across a number of sites,
while allowing local users to upload their own content and change the layouts and playlists to which they have been
given access.
The content types that can be used with additional ad hoc include:
l Folder play
l Layout
l Schedule
l Schedule override
l Advance To
Folder play allows you to add a folder to a playlist and give ad hoc users permission to upload their own content into
the folder. For example, different GP practices with players in the same channel could carry different local information
about late night dispensing chemists.
Layouts allow the ad hoc user to select a layout for a specific time slot in the schedule. Typically, if an organisation
published a channel with a layout for each department, an ad hoc user in each department could select the right
layout for that location.
Schedule allows the ad hoc user to set the time when a layout should appear on the display. For example, if a lunch
hour layout has been scheduled, but times vary at different locations, local ad hoc users can set their times
accordingly.
Schedule override allows the ad hoc user to display one of a selection of predefined layouts and not have this
interrupted by any other layout changes in the schedule. For example, this can be used to show a special TV event or
display an emergency message without interruption.
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Advance To allows the ad hoc user on-demand control in several areas, including content selection. For example,
this might be useful in a foyer where the player is showing a corporate video in a continuous loop. The Ad hoc
Advance To command allows a local user to switch to live TV if required.
The following two procedures describe:
l Setting up an ad hoc schedule override.
l Setting up an ad hoc Advance To command .
Ad Hoc Schedule Override:
To set up an ad hoc schedule override and make it available to ad hoc users:
1. On the menu bar, click Schedules.
2. Select the channel name and Manage Schedules.
3. Click the Add Override tab.
4. Enter a descriptive name for the override.
5. Select the audio, screen, and layout options from the drop-down lists.
6. Click the button.
7. On the menu bar, click Media and Manage Ad hoc items.
8. Click the Add Item tab.
9. Enter a name for the override in the Add Ad Hoc Schedule Override field and click the button.
10. In the Allowed Choices panel, select one of the following:
o
All Available Schedule Overrides – Allows ad hoc users to select from any schedule overrides configured
on the player.
o
Only Selected Schedule Overrides – Allows ad hoc users to select only from the schedule overrides you
select.
11. Select the appropriate Customisation Scope option:
o
Local – Customisation applies on the individual player.
o
Remote – Customisation applies on each player in the channel.
12. Click the button.
Ad Hoc Advance To Command:
To set up an ad hoc Advance To command:
1. On the menu bar, click Help and UI Options.
2. Select the User Interface Policy as Detailed or Expert.
3. Click Playlists and select the layout and zone to locate the Advance To command.
4. Click the Specials tab.
5. Add a rendezvous point to the playlist and give it a name.
6. Add one or more media items to the playlist.
7. Click the Specials tab
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8. Select the Advance To item that has the same name as the rendezvous point you created and add it to the
playlist. This causes the playlist to loop back to the start again, regardless of what may follow.
9. Add a second rendezvous point to the playlist.
10. Add one or more ad hoc media items to the playlist.
11. Add the Advance To command that has the same name as the second rendezvous point to the playlist. This
causes the playlist to loop continuously through the ad hoc media items. If you want to revert back to the original
media items, omit this step.
12. On the Manage Ad hoc Items page, create an ad hoc Advance To item and select the names of the two
rendezvous points you have created.
13. Add those ad hoc Advance To items to an ad hoc page.
14. Log in as an ad hoc user and browse to the ad hoc page you have created.
15. Select the Advance To command that you wish to test and click the button. If the player is playing the
playlist, it will jump to the point in the playlist under the selected rendezvous point.
5.4 Ad Hoc from Center
The Update from Center feature allows ad hoc users to make changes on an iCC that will be updated to the
channel's subscribers. The ad hoc users on the iCC can only change the content on the ad hoc page you create.
You can use the Update from Center feature with ad hoc text and schedule override items. When you create an
ad hoc from center item, you set its scope as one of:
l Local – Default. Ad hoc text items behave as normal. Ad hoc users can log in and change the contents for
each player.
l Remote – Ad hoc items will only be visible to ad hoc users on the iCC. Changing the ad hoc item on the iCC
causes updates to all subscribers too. To restore the original schedule, select Default Schedule from the Ad
hoc page.
Subscriber players may not normally check for updates often enough if the ad hoc from center changes are
frequent. Therefore, you can configure the subscriber players to check for update from center items more
frequently. On the subscriber, the Channels > Manage Subscription page offers the Update From Centre Poll
Interval option. This determines how often the subscriber polls for update from center items and changes
accordingly. The subscriber player checks for normal updates and for updates from center independently.
5.5 Managing Ad Hoc Items
The ad hoc items page allows you to create, delete, and set properties for ad hoc items. Reach that page from the
menu bar by clicking Media and Manage Ad hoc Items.
To create an ad hoc item, click the Add Item tab. Select the item type from the drop-down list or select one of the
other types displayed and enter a unique name for it.
To delete an ad hoc item, click the . button. If the iCC does not display the item's button, it is in use and
cannot be deleted. To see which items are in use, click the button and look at the Used By Layouts and Used
by Ad hoc Pages information.
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When you add an ad hoc item, you can also set a range of properties, depending on the item. The ICC
supports these item types:
l Advance To
l Layout
l Newsfeed
l Schedule
l Schedule override
l Text
l TV
l Radio
When you add an item, you have to select one of these Allowed Choices options:
l All Available – Permits the ad hoc user to choose any of the defined items.
l Only Selected – Permits the ad hoc user to choose only those items you select.
In addition, for schedule override and text items, the iCC offers you the Customisation Scope option. Use this to
select where those ad hoc items can be customised and displayed:
l Local – Customization applies on the individual player.
l Remote – Customization applies on each player in the channel.
Text also has its own set of ad hoc options. Use these to control what an ad hoc user can enter in the Default Text
and Ad hoc User pages:
l Rich text – No validation is performed.
l Plain text – An ad hoc user cannot customise the text colour or styling.
l Integer between – Enter the lower and upper integer limits (both inclusive) for ad hoc content. This option is only
shown if you have set the User Interface Policy to Detailed.
l Plain text of maximum length – Limits the maximum length of plain text. This option is only shown if you have
set the User Interface Policy to Detailed.
l Plain text matching – This option is only shown if you have set the User Interface Policy to Detailed.
l Regular Expression – The ad hoc content must match the regular expression that you provide. There are many
web sites and books that provide information about using regular expressions. For example: http://www.regular-
expressions.info/javascript.html.
l Feedback Message – Enter a message to display if the ad hoc user text does not match the regular expression
you provided.
l Default Text – Enter the default text to use until an ad hoc user makes a change on the Ad hoc Data Entry page.
Your default text must be compatible with the ad hoc input mode you have selected.
l Customisation Status – Indicates if the ad hoc user has overridden the default value or not.
5.6 Creating Ad Hoc User Accounts
If you want a user on a subscriber player to update ad hoc channel content, you must create an account for
them on the subscriber with the ad hoc and any other required permissions. If you want a user on an iCC to be
responsible for
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ad hoc from center content, you must create an account for them on the iCC allocated with a role that has the
Edit Ad hoc Content and any other required permissions.
5.7 Ad Hoc Pages
When ad hoc users access the iCC using their browser, they only see the pages you have created for them. The
ICC does not allow ad hoc users access to any other pages in the iCC user interface. The iCC displays ad hoc
pages with the text fields you have allowed ad hoc users to change or the commands you have allowed them to
issue. You can give ad hoc users access to the ad hoc media folder, which contains all the items that they can
choose from when updating or changing content.
By default, the iCC enables ad hoc pages for all layouts when you create them. This means that when you add
customizable or ad hoc items to a layout, the iCC generates an ad hoc page for that layout containing all the
customizable and ad hoc items within it.
You can also create ad hoc pages that are not directly associated with a specific layout.
5.7.1 Managing Ad Hoc Pages
To manage ad hoc pages, you must have your user interface policy set to Detailed or Expert. To do so, follow these
steps:
1. On the menu bar, click Help and UI Options.
2. In the User Interface Policy section, select Detailed or Expert.
3.
Click the button.
To open the manage ad hoc pages screen, click Media on the menu bar and select Design Pages >
Manage Ad hoc Pages. The iCC displays the Ad hoc Pages and Add Page tabs.Ad hoc Pages:
The ICC provides the following action buttons for each ad hoc page:
– Delete the ad hoc page.
– Edit the ad hoc page to manage its items, properties, and permissions.
If the iCC does not display the page's
ad hoc pages, only disable them on the Layout Properties tab.
Add Page:
To create an ad hoc page that is not associated with a specific layout, follow these steps:
1. In the Add Ad hoc Page Name field, enter a unique name for the page.
2.
3.
Click the
Click the
button. The iCC displays the Ad hoc Pages tab with the new page listed.
button next to the page to configure its items, properties, and permissions.
button, it is in use and cannot be deleted. Also, you cannot delete layout
5.7.2 Editing Ad Hoc Pages
The edit ad hoc page lists all the items you have added to the page that an ad hoc user can change.
Note: Click the Ad hoc Entry Page link at the top of the page to navigate to the Data Entry page.
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