Focus FIREWRITER REMOTE Reference Manual

FIREWRITER REMOTE

Reference Manual

2002 FOCUS Enhancements

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. 2

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 3

FireWriter Remote Application Software................................................................................................... 3

Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 3

Transfer Mode ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Schedule Mode ....................................................................................................................................... 4

Setup Mode............................................................................................................................................. 5

Hardware Installation ..................................................................................................................................... 6

What you will need..................................................................................................................................... 6

To Install FireWriter CG ............................................................................................................................ 6

Communications Setup................................................................................................................................... 6

FireWriter Remote to FireWriter CG connection....................................................................................... 6

Connecting your PC to the LAN ............................................................................................................ 6

Direct connection between the PC and FireWriter CG........................................................................... 6

Reference........................................................................................................................................................ 7

Setup Mode................................................................................................................................................. 7

Transfer Mode ............................................................................................................................................ 8

Auto Rename of Graphic files.................................................................................................................... 9

Project Schedule Mode............................................................................................................................. 10

Misc.......................................................................................................................................................... 14

FireWriter Software Upgrade Mode......................................................................................................... 14

Application Menu..................................................................................................................................... 14

About Menu.............................................................................................................................................. 15

Help Menu................................................................................................................................................ 15

Keyboard Operation ................................................................................................................................. 15

Build your own Ethernet Crossover cable................................................................................................ 16

2

Introduction

FireWriter Remote Application Software

Overview

FireWriter Remote is a Windows based software program that allows you to communicate via Ethernet
with the FOCUS Enhancements FireWriter Character Generator (CG) from any Windows 95/98/NT/2000
computer. FireWriter Remote
following features are included:

has features that have been designed specifically for the FireWriter CG. The

3

Transfer Mode

You can transfer copy or move projects (scripts), logos, background pictures, and fonts either as a single
file or as an entire folder directly between your PC and up to 10 FireWriter CGs. Transfer Mode allows you
to rename, move, and remove files using conventional File Transfer Protocol (FTP) commands. In addition,
you can also quickly and easily update the FireWriter CG software using the Transfer Mode.

Schedule Mode

Your FireWriter CG has a 5-event built-in scheduler that allows you to schedule projects (scripts) to
automatically play at specific dates and times. With the FireWriter Remote software you can create,
modify, and upload schedules directly from you PC to the FireWriter CG.

4

Setup Mode

You can specify the Ethernet address and password for up to 10 FireWriter CGs plus give each CG a
unique name for identification purposes.

5

Hardware Installation

What you will need

To use FireWriter Remote you will need the following:

• FireWriter Character Generator

• Video Monitor (composite video or S-video)

• Pentium PC with 32MB of memory and 1GB hard drive

• Windows 95, 98, NT or 2000 installed on your computer.

• VGA monitor

• Serial or bus mouse

• Ethernet card for the PC

• RJ-45 Ethernet cable (direct or crossover depending on whether or not you are connecting

FireWriter CG to a LAN or direct to your PC)

To Install FireWriter CG

Follow the instructions in the FireWriter CG manual and pay particular attention to the section covering
computer connections (See Chapter 23 – computer connections).

To Install FireWriter Remote Software

To install the FireWriter Remote software on your PC you will need to open the folder called package, (you
should have already downloaded this folder from the FOCUS Enhancements Website), double click on the
file called setup.exe, and follow the installation steps as they appear on your screen.

Communications Setup

FireWriter Remote to FireWriter CG connection

Before attempting to use the FireWriter Remote software for the first time you will need to enter in the
Internet Protocol (IP) address, Subnet Mask, Router Gateway, and FTP password (the password is optional
although recommended) into the I/O menu on the FireWriter CG. If your FireWriter CG and PC are to be
connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) you will need to obtain the IP address, Subnet Mask and Router
Gateway information from your network administrator. There are two ways to connect your FireWriter CG
to a PC. Over a LAN or direct between your PC and the FireWriter CG (See Chapter 23 – computer
connections in the FireWriter manual).

Connecting your PC to the LAN

Consult your network administrator for assistance in connecting your PC and FireWriter CG to the LAN.
To input the Ethernet information into the FireWriter, go to the I/O menu and start by entering the IP
address. With the exception of the last digit the FireWriter IP address must match the IP address on your
PC exactly. IE: If your PC IP address is 103.203.117 then the FireWriter IP address must be 103.203.11x.
Use the TAB key on the FireWriter to go to Subnet Mask and Router Gateway.

Direct connection between the PC and FireWriter CG

To connect your PC directly to the FireWriter CG you will need the following hardware:

1. Ethernet card for the PC

2. An RJ-45 Ethernet Crossover cable (Refer to the MISC. section in this manual on building your
own Ethernet crossover cable)

Plug one end of the RJ-45 Ethernet crossover cable into the back of FireWriter CG and the other end into
the Ethernet card in your PC. To input the Ethernet information into the FireWriter, go to the I/O menu and
start by entering the IP address. With the exception of the last digit the FireWriter IP address must match
the IP address on your PC exactly. IE: If your PC IP address is 103.203.117 then the FireWriter IP address
must be 103.203.11x. Use the TAB key on the FireWriter to go to Subnet Mask and Router Gateway.

6

Reference

Setup Mode

Setup mode allows you to enter information that the program needs to connect and communicate with the
attached FireWriter CGs. Setup Mode allows you to enter up to 10 different FireWriter unique names and
their Ethernet communications information.

Start by clicking on the FireWriter pull-down menu and selecting which FireWriter you want to enter data
for and click on Setup.

In the FireWriter popup window highlight the name FireWriter # and type in a unique name. For example,
if you have a FireWriter in Master Control you may want to change the name to MasterControl. This is
especially useful if you have more than one FireWriter CG in your facility.

Enter the IP address and password. The password is optional but is recommended if the FireWriter CG is
going to be attached to your LAN.
Note: If you do enter a password, it must match the password in the FireWriter CG I/O menu. Finally click
on Save. Repeat this procedure for each FireWriter CG.

Keyboard operation: Use the Tab key to move forward between fields and buttons and the Shift + Tab to
move backward within the menu.

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To test the Ethernet connection, select the appropriate FireWriter from the pull-down menu and click on
Connect. If the connection was successful you should see the FireWriter CG directory structure pop up on
the right side of the program.

Transfer Mode

Transfer mode enables you to transfer files and directories back and forth between a FireWriter CG and the
PC. Click the drop-down selection window to select the appropriate FireWriter (e.g. MasterControl and
click on Connect. FireWriter files will appear in the right hand window.

FireWriter Remote provides two levels of file transfer FireWriter and All Files.

FireWriter transfer mode: At this level you will see only bugs, projects (scripts), schedules, backgrounds,
and fonts in both the FireWriter file window and the computer file window; all other files are hidden.

Note: The only directory shown in the computer window is the FireWriter directory. Clicking on either C:
or Program Files will give you the error message Directory Access Denied. To access other directories on
the computer you will need to go to All Files mode.

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To Copy a file or folder from the FireWriter to the computer (or vice – versa), select the file with the
mouse and click Copy File or Copy Folder. You do not have to select a destination because it is
automatically determined. To delete a file, select it with the mouse and click Delete. To refresh the
directory structure click on Refresh. You will find that this level is the most convenient for day to day file
backup and transfer.

All Files transfer mode: At this level you will see all files and directories on both the FireWriter CG and
the computer. As a result, it is possible to copy FireWriter CG to and from any directory or drive on your
computer. In All Files mode you will have to select a source file and destination directory for each file or
directory you wish to copy; the destination is not automatically determined.

Auto Rename of Graphic files

A unique feature of the FireWriter Remote program is that in All Files transfer mode the program
automatically renames a selected JPEG graphic file located on the computer to whatever the name is of the
selected FireWriter CG destination file.

For example: If I want to copy a JPEG file from the PC to the FireWriter Background folder I select All
Files in the program and on the computer select a JPEG graphic file named Town Hall.JPG. I then select
VID03.BGD in the FireWriter CG BKGND (background) directory and click on Copy File. The program
will automatically make a copy of the JPG graphic file, rename it to VID03.BGD and copy the file to the
FireWriter CG. This is also true when copying JPG graphic files to the Bug folder in FireWriter.

Note: Auto Rename only works in the All Files transfer mode and not in FireWriter transfer mode.

9

Project Schedule Mode

Project Schedule mode allows you to program FireWriter project(s) from your PC to FireWriter. Think of it
as a spreadsheet grid in which you must fill in the appropriate cells. The spreadsheet allows you to schedule
five different events (projects or scripts), to play at specific days of the week, date, and time of day.

The Project Scheduler is divided into 5 programmable fields: Status, Project, Day/Date, Time and Time
Mode. To edit any one of these fields place the cursor inside the desired field and double click the left
mouse button. You can now make the necessary changes to this field.

Status field – The Status field is used to turn the event on or off. Double click in the Status field, click

on the pull-down menu and select either on or off. Turning the event on tells FireWriter to play the selected
project at its pre-selected Day/Date and time.

Project field – The Project field allows the operator to select which of one of the 30 available projects

to play. To select a specific project double click in the Project window, click on the pull-down menu and
using the mouse highlight the desired project number.

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Day/Date field –

day of the week, or a wild card (*) character (see Note), that allows for multiple day of the week selections.
To type in a specific date double click in the Day/Date field and highlight the month, day, or year and type
in a new value. To select a specific day of the week double click in the field, click on the pull-down menu
and highlight a specific day.

Time field –

window allows you to enter a specific time based on a 12 or 24 hour clock.

In this field you have the option of either typing in a specific date (e.g. 01/01/02), a

When you double click in the time field a separate Timer window pops up. The Timer

Time Mode field – The Time Mode field is used to quickly identify the time mode (12 or 24 hour) of

FireWriter. When you first load the project scheduler you should change this field to reflect the correct time
mode of FireWriter (see FireWriter Instruction Manual Chapter 18 – Clock and Date Features). The Time
Mode field also indicates the Month/Day or Day Month configuration of (see FireWriter Instruction
Manual Chapter 18 – Clock and Date Features). To set the time mode double-click in the field, click on the
pull-down menu and make the proper selection.

NOTE:

You can make a project automatically repeat the trigger event every hour, every day, etc. To do this, use
wild card characters for some of the digits in the time and date. The wild card character is the asterisk (*).
The selected project is triggered when the time and date set equal the actual time and date; wild card
characters match any digit. For instance, if the tens digit of the hours setting is a wild card, a trigger will
occur every ten hours. To use wild-card characters, place asterisks (Shift + *) within the time and/or date
you type in.

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The Scheduler button activates the project scheduler. Click on the Scheduler button to open up the
Schedule folder on the PC and enable use of the project scheduler. If no schedule files (. CFG) exist in the
schedule folder you will need to transfer them from the FireWriter to the schedule folder on the PC.

The Edit Scheduler button is used to load a FIREWRITER scheduler into the project scheduler. Highlight
a schedule in the Schedule folder on the PC and click on Edit Scheduler. With the schedule loaded you can
now modify the individual fields.

12

Upload Scheduler – Once the schedule has been modified you can click on the Upload Scheduler button to
transfer the schedule to FireWriter. You must be connected to the FireWriter before attempting the transfer.
The projects will now be automatically triggered at their appropriate dates and times.

13

Misc.
FireWriter Software Upgrade Mode

With the FireWriter Remote software you can automatically upgrade your FireWriter CG software. To do
this perform the following steps:

NOTE:

The new software must already exist on your PC in order to perform the following steps. You can get the
download instructions from the FOCUS Enhancements Website using the following URL:
http://www.focusinfo.com/ and click on the FireWriter CG picture. It’s also a good idea to verify the
current version of the FireWriter software. To do this hit the CONTROL + SHIFT + V keys on the
FireWriter keyboard. This will display the current software version number.

• Connect to the FireWriter you wish to upgrade.

• Click on All Files mode.

• Click on Software Mode.

• Highlight the new software upgrade file on the PC.

• Click on the Copy Software button.

• Click on Disconnect (once the software has been transferred).

NOTE:

Once the Copy File has been completed and you have properly disconnected the FireWriter Remote
application from the FireWriter CG you will need to recycle the power on the FireWriter CG. To verify that
the new software was properly loaded hit the CONTROL + SHIFT + V keys on the FireWriter keyboard.
This will display the current software version number.

Application Menu

The application menu allows you to exit the FireWriter Remote application. You can also exit the
application by clicking on the Close button located at the top right hand corner of the application window.

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About Menu

Clicking on the About Menu brings up the FireWriter Remote application version number.

Help Menu

The Help Menu brings up a brief description of the FireWriter Remote program.

Keyboard Operation

Use the Tab and Shift Tab keys to navigate around the various menus and buttons within the application.
Use the Up and down arrow keys to select an item from a drop-down menu.
Use the CONTROL + E keys to quickly close the application.

15

Build your own Ethernet Crossover cable

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