Table of Contents Overview... 2 Basic Steps for Creating a Digital Sign... 2 Content Manager Interface Overview... 3 Step 1: Select a Content Type and add the file to the Content Library... 4 Step 2: Add content from the Content Library to the Network Tree... 6 Step 3: Adjust the Duration of Content... 8 Step 4: Deploy the data to the Player... 10 Appendix A: Adding a Database Connection in Content Manager... 11 Part 1: Adding the Database Connection... 11 Part 2: Mapping the Network Drive... 13 Part 3: Selecting a Monitor... 15 Appendix B: Using Live Data... 17 Version 2012.12.12 1
Overview is using Four Winds Interactive Software for the Digital Signs placed around campus. To add data to the signs, the User must have the Four Winds Interactive Content Manager installed on their computer. Overall, the basic steps to creating a Digital Sign are basic and straightforward. The software allows for you to use various types of data such as PDF files, PowerPoint presentations, Flash files, Video, RSS feeds, Images, Text, and more. Note: The Content Manager should only be installed on a machine that will be used for the signage. Do not install it on a machine that will only be used temporarily. Instructions for, Adding a Database Connection in Content Manager can be found in Appendix A. These instructions will provide step by step details for setting up the Content Manager on your computer. Basic Steps for Creating a Digital Sign 1. Select a content type and add the file to the Content Library 2. Add content from the Content Library to the Network Tree 3. Adjust the duration of content (and make other adjustments to content such as layout) 4. Deploy the data to the Player Version 2012.12.12 2
Content Manager Interface Overview 3 4 1 2 5 1. Content Type: Displays buttons that allow Users to select the type of content they want added to the Content Library. 2. Network Tree: Lists the individual signage player machines and individual sign layouts. You can expand and collapse items in the network tree. You can also right click any item to display additional context menus with commands related to that item. 3. Views: Timeline View: Displays a graphical representation of the recurrence patterns for each template, region, and content item in the network tree. This is the default view. Preview: Used to preview a sign. The view is available when a template, region, or content item is highlighted in the network tree. Click the button to launch the preview, and click the button to close the preview and return to the timeline view. Template Layout: Displays the template layout with markers showing the locations of the regions. The view is available when a template, region, or content item is highlighted in the network tree. Click the button to launch the view, and click the button to close. 4. View Pane: Displays Timeline view, Preview or Template Layout view 5. Content Library: Contains a list of all content that is available to play on the signs. Prior to adding content to the Content Library, all files should be in single shared (common) location. (Windows: \\fp1\digitalsignage; Mac: smb//fp1.uanet.edu/digitalsignage) See Appendix A, Part 2 for instructions on mapping a drive. You can also click on the Templates tab to locate a new template to use for the signage. Summarized from: http://wiki.fourwindsinteractive.com/index.php?title=content_manager_-_live_data_content Version 2012.12.12 3
Step 1: Select a Content Type and add the file to the Content Library 1. From the left frame, select the type of content that you want to add. Note: There are more Content Types available. Use the down arrow in the bottom right corner of frame to access additional types. Recommendation: Some Content Types appear better than others in the Player, therefore, some of the more recommended basic Content Types are: PowerPoint, Flash (swf files work best), Image, PDF, Feed, Text (especially for a crawl area) and Live Data. 2. For example, select PDF. (regardless of the content type, you will be returned a Properties box) Version 2012.12.12 4
3. Name: Enter a name for the content you are adding. This is the name that will display in the Content Library for you to select. 4. Duration: Enter time frame for how long you want this content to display before cycling to the next content for the particular Region. 5. URL: Click on Remember: All files that you want to add to the Content Library should be in the shared folder for your Signage. (Windows: \\fp1\digitalsignage; Mac: smb//fp1.uanet.edu/digitalsignage) Locate the file you want to add to the Content Library and click on the Open button. 6. Click on the OK button. The content should now be loaded into the Content Library and you can find it by the Name you gave it in a previous step. Version 2012.12.12 5
Step 2: Add content from the Content Library to the Network Tree After you have content loaded into the Content Library, you will need to get the content into the Region of the Sign that you want it to display in. This step will get the content from the Content Library into the desired Region of the Network Tree. Regions To here! Get content from here Remember: Content must be in the Content Library before adding to the Network Tree. Version 2012.12.12 6
1. Determine where you want the content to be placed. Depending on the Template being used, your Regions will vary. In this example there is a Main Content region, Sidebar region, and a Feed region. To see where the Regions are located, you can switch to Template Layout. Switch to Template Layout view by clicking on This view will illustrate the regions in the template which are also seen in the Network Tree. 2. Locate the file (content) in the Content Library. You will find it by the Name you gave the Content when you added it into the library. 3. Click on the file and hold the left mouse button and drag to the region, in the Network Tree, you want the content in. Release the mouse button. The content should now display under that region. Version 2012.12.12 7
Step 3: Adjust the Duration of Content After you have moved the content to the Network Tree, you may want to preview the Sign. Click on the Preview button. The sign must be active in the Network Tree to preview. You can activate the sign by clicking on any of the content under the Player name. If you do not have the Player (or a content item) in the player) active, the Preview button will be greyed out. Global Location Player Region Template Content Region Region Click on the Preview button to display the sign in the View Pane. To leave Preview View, click on the Stop Preview button. Version 2012.12.12 8
1. To adjust the content s duration, either double click on the content name or right click and select the option for Edit Source Content from the Network Tree. 2. Adjust the time in the Duration field. Note: For PDF files, you can adjust Page duration which will specify how long a given page in a multi-page PDF will display. 3. Click on the OK button. Note: Content will transition from one to the next based on the specified duration. If there is no other content, duration does not matter. If there are many pieces of content, each piece of content will display based on the duration specified. 4. Additional Duration settings can be adjusted by clicking on the to the right of the Suggested recurrence field. Click on the OK button twice to return to the main page. Version 2012.12.12 9
Step 4: Deploy the data to the Player When you have finished creating a Sign or you have made changes, you will need to deploy the new data to the Content Player. 1. From the Network Tree, right click over the Player name. 2. Select the option for Deploy. 3. Select the button for Save Changes. Version 2012.12.12 10
Appendix A: Adding a Database Connection in Content Manager Follow these instructions prior to the first time you are entering into the Content Manager. You will no longer need these instructions once you have established the Database. Note: The Content Manager should only be installed on a machine that will be used for the signage. Do not install it on a machine that will only be used temporarily. Part 1: Adding the Database Connection 1. Start the Content Manager program. You will receive email with links to install the software. 2. Open the File menu and select Open. 3. Click on the New button and then Database Connection. Version 2012.12.12 11
4. Select Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server and then click on the Next button. 5. Enter the following information for the database connection: a. Select or enter a server name: sqlmb2 b. Enter information to log on to the server: Use Windows NT Integrated Security c. Select the database on the server: signage 6. Click Test Connection to verify that all settings are correct. 7. Click on the plus to the left of signage on sqlmb2 to expand it. Select the option for The University of Akron and click Open. Version 2012.12.12 12
Part 2: Mapping the Network Drive You will use these instructions to map the network drive to the common folder where other users of Four Winds Interactive Digital Signage store content for display on the monitors across campus. Windows XP 1. Open My Computer. 2. Select from the menu Tools, Map Network Drive. 3. In the Drive field, use the drop down to select a drive. Select any available drive, other than Z. 4. In the Folder field, enter: \\fp1\digitalsignage 5. Click on the Finish button. 6. You will now have a shared folder for putting content into for usage in the Content Manager. Version 2012.12.12 13
Windows 7 1. Click on Computer button on desktop. 2. Click on the Map network drive button. (at top of window) 3. In the Drive field, use the drop down to select a drive. Select any available drive, other than Z. 4. In the Folder field, enter: \\fp1\digitalsignage 5. Click on the Finish button. Version 2012.12.12 14
Part 3: Selecting a Monitor You would only use this section if you need to change the monitor due to using a specified monitor (your computer) to learn how to use the system and you need to change the Player to the actual monitor you will be sending your displays to. 1. Right click over the Player in the Network Tree and select the option for Properties. 2. The Properties box displays: Use the button in the Computer name field to find the new Player. Version 2012.12.12 15
3. Find the Player in Select Computer box. 4. Click on the OK button. 5. Click on the OK button again. Version 2012.12.12 16
Appendix B: Using Live Data Live Data is a versatile Content Type that can be used to create signs for external data that should be displayed in lists. Lists can include dated items or just lists of important items. The data can be stored in files such as Excel spreadsheets. You can also use RSS feeds, other file types, as well as other third-party products. This type of content works well when using an Excel spreadsheet because you are able to continually add information to the spreadsheet to update the display without going into the Content Manager. Once the data is loaded into the Content Manager you are able to customize the display of the data (location of fields, font color, font size, etc.) and sort and filter. 1. From the left frame, select Live Data. Version 2012.12.12 17
2. The Properties box displays. 3. Name: Enter a name for the content you are adding. This is the name that will display in the Content Library for you to select. 4. Duration: Enter time frame for how long you want this content to display before cycling to the next content item for the particular Region, in the Network Tree. 5. URL: Click on Remember: All files that you want to add to the Content Library should be in the shared folder for your Signage. Locate the file that you want to add to the Content Library and click on the Open button. Version 2012.12.12 18
6. In the Data Format field, use the drop down and select the data type from the list. Note: In this example, an Excel spreadsheet was used. The spreadsheet, could look as basic as the following: The data will be pulled from the list and displayed on the Signage. The spreadsheet can be updated and the new data pulled when the Update interval has passed. 7. Click on the OK button. The content should now be loaded into the Content Library and you can find it by the Name you gave it in a previous step. Version 2012.12.12 19
8. Drag the Live Data item from the Content Library to the region of the signage in the Network Tree. 9. When you place it in the region, it will not display in the preview yet. You need to format the layout before the content will show. Right click over the content and select the option for, Edit Source Content Layout. 10. The Layout Properties box displays: Header Band: Great for Titles Note: Make a band bigger by dragging and dropping the Band borders. Detail Band: Place Data Fields here Version 2012.12.12 20
11. You can add a title by putting a Static Text frame in the top band. You can drag and drop the wall of each band to make them larger or smaller. Make the top band larger and then click on the Static Text data field in the top left and drag to the top band. You can add your own text. To format text, right click over the box. 12. Add the fields from the spreadsheet to the layout. You can either drag the field from the Data Fields frame to the bottom band or you can use the Markup Text field and type the field name exactly as it shows (case and space sensitive). The Markup Text tool works well if you want to incorporate more than one piece of data into a single field. If you use Markup Text you need to enter the field name with the following format: {field_name} (where field_name is the actual field name and it is case sensitive) Version 2012.12.12 21
13. You can make this band larger by dragging the frame. You can get an indication of how many rows of data will display by looking at the bottom of the box when making the field larger (by dragging and dropping). At the current band size, up to 10 rows of data will display 14. When you are finished adding and formatting the fields, click on the OK button. The data will preview in the region you added the Live Data to. If you need to make adjustments, right click over the Live Data in the Network tree and select Edit Source Content Layout again. Version 2012.12.12 22