USER GUIDE BrightAuthor 3.8 BrightSign, LLC. 16795 Lark Ave., Suite 200 Los Gatos, CA 95032 | 408-852-9263 | www.brightsign.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 – Getting Started .................................................................................................1 What is BrightAuthor? ............................................................................................................................ 1 What Kind of Presentations Can I Create?............................................................................................. 1 What Type of Screen Layouts Can I Use? ...........................................
Creating a Multi-Zone Presentation ...................................................................................................... 30 HTML5.................................................................................................................................................. 34 Live Data, Text, RSS, and Media RSS Feeds ...................................................................................... 36 Twitter.............................................................................
Commands ........................................................................................................................................... 70 Conditional Targets .............................................................................................................................. 74 User Variables ...................................................................................................................................... 76 Chapter 5 – Interactive Events .........................
User Defined Events ............................................................................................................................ 84 Chapter 6 – Creating A BrightWall™ ................................................................................87 BrightWall Video Requirements ........................................................................................................... 87 Creating a BrightWall Presentation .....................................................................
Editing Ticker Zones ........................................................................................................................... 119 Editing Audio Only and Enhanced Audio Zones................................................................................. 121 Editing Other Zones ........................................................................................................................... 122 Customizing Template Layouts .........................................................
UDP .................................................................................................................................................... 141 Chapter 12 – Managing Your Network ...........................................................................142 Permissions ........................................................................................................................................ 142 Viewing Unit Statuses .................................................................
CHAPTER 1 – GETTING STARTED What is BrightAuthor? BrightAuthor is a software application that helps you create and publish digital-signage presentations for BrightSign players. You can play BrightAuthor presentations on any of the following BrightSign models: XD230, XD1030, XD1230, HD120, HD220, HD1020, HD110, HD210, HD210w, HD410, HD810, HD1010, HD1010w, and TD1012.
types of interactive event supported by a player depend on the connectors and inputs that player has (for example, players with a USB 2.0 port support touch screen and button board events, and players with an Ethernet port support UDP events). What Type of Screen Layouts Can I Use? You can choose from a variety of ready-to-use layout templates or create your own template. Layout templates fall into two basic categories: • • Full Screen: A slide show of media that occupies the full screen.
o Windows 7 32 or 64 bit BrightSign Player – Any of the following models: • • • • • • • • • • • • XD230 XD1030 XD1230 HD120 HD220 HD1020 HD110 HD210 and HD210w HD410 HD810 HD1010 and HD1010w TD1012 Display – Any monitor, TV, or Elo touch screen with one of the following types of inputs: • • • VGA Component (supported on HD810, HD1010, HD1010w, XD230, XD1030, and XD1230) HDMI Storage Device – Either of the following: • • • • USB Flash Drive (supported on HD810, HD1010, HD1010w, HD1020, XD1030, and XD123
logs on it. However, if you need to play media files that are 4GB or larger in size, the card must be formatted using NTFS. Card Reader/Writer – Not required if using a USB flash drive. The card reader/writer must be connected to your PC and must be compatible with your storage card. Input Device – All models except HD110. One or more of the following types of input devices: • Touch screen equipped with a touch controller that supports the standard HID specification.
Note: BrightAuthor requires the latest version of Microsoft .Net Framework. If this component is not already on your PC, BrightAuthor installs it during the installation. However, if BrightAuthor needs to install Microsoft .Net Framework, the installation may take up to 45 minutes to complete and you may need to restart your PC to complete the installation process. Step 3: Launch BrightAuthor 1. Double-click the BrightAuthor icon on your desktop. 2.
Audio files BrightSign players support the following audio formats: • AAC (LC - Low complexity profile) at Constant Bit Rate, as part of a video file (.mp4, .mov, or .ts) at 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz • • MP2 (MPEG-1 Layer 2) at Constant Bit Rate, as part of a video file (.mpg or .ts) at 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz MP3 at a Constant Bit Rate (44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, or 32 KHz at up to a bitrate of 224 Kbps) as a standalone file (i.e. not encoded as an audio track in a video file) • AC3 5.
CHAPTER 2 – SETTING UP BRIGHTSIGN UNITS Before you can create and publish presentations, you must first set up your BrightSign players. How you set up your units will depend on how you want to publish presentations to your players: • BrightSign Network: The BrightSign Network is a cloud based content-management system (CMS) that allows you to remotely schedule presentations, distribute content, assign players to groups, and monitor player health statuses.
Adding a Player to your BrightSign Network To publish and manage presentations using BrightSign Network, you must first contact BrightSign to obtain an account name, user name, and password. After you obtain your account credentials, you can create the setup files for each unit. The setup files provide details about what your network and BrightSign Network connections are, where the presentations associated with the selected group are stored, and when the presentations are scheduled. 1.
a. Specify hostname: Check this box if you want to specify a custom hostname for the player on the network. By default, the player serial number is used to generate a unique hostname. b. Use Proxy: Check this box if you want the player to connect using a proxy server. Type the address and port number of the proxy in the fields below. If you need to provide a user name and password, use this format: :@ (e.g. “admin:root@myproxy.com”). c.
of day. This is helpful if you want to limit network traffic during peak hours. Use the Start Of Range and End Of Range parameters to specify a time frame during which content downloads can occur. d. Limit health updates: Check this box if you want to limit when the player sends health updates to the BrightSign Network. This is helpful if you know a player will be powered off or otherwise disabled during a certain time of day.
• Test Wireless: The player will indicate whether or not it was able to attain an IP address over wireless. • Test Internet Connection: The player will indicate whether or not it was able to attain a connection to remote services. 8. Click Specify Firmware Update to indicate whether you want to update the firmware and to which version. The Firmware Update window is divided by BrightSign model.
d. Networked with BrightSign Network – Group: Use the dropdown list to select a BSN group for the unit. Groups allow you to publish presentation schedules to multiple units simultaneously. See Managing groups and Publishing with BrightSign Network for details. 10. Under Logging, check any of the following boxes to enable/disable logs and specify upload settings: a. Enable playback logging: Creates a log that records start and end times, zone names, media types, and file names. b.
d. Turn off the BrightSign unit by unplugging the power adapter. Insert the card or flash drive into the unit. e. Turn on the BrightSign unit by reconnecting the power adapter. Important: Do not remove the SD card or flash drive from the player.
Adding a Player to your Local Network Setting up a player for local networking allows you to With local networking, the setup files provide details about where presentations are stored and whether logging options are enabled. 1. In the BrightAuthor menu bar, click Tools > Setup BrightSign Unit. a. Under Name Specification, do the following: b. Enter a Name and Description for this unit. 2. Select whether you want to append the unit ID to the name or use only the name. 3.
a. Data Types Enabled: Use these checkboxes to determine the types of data that will be transferred using the connection. You can enable/disable both downloads (Content, Text Feeds, Media Feeds) and uploads (Log Updates). b. Connection Settings: Indicate whether the IP address is auto-generated (via DHCP) or static. If you’re using a static IP address, enter the parameters in the fields below. 6.
a. Enable network diagnostics: The player will display the network diagnostics screen during setup. • Test Ethernet: The player will indicate whether or not it was able to attain an IP address over Ethernet. • Test Wireless: The player will indicate whether or not it was able to attain an IP address over wireless. • Test Internet Connection: The player will indicate whether or not it was able to attain a connection to remote services. 7.
b. (Optional) Enable local web server: Check this box to enable the Local Web Server. You can include a username and password in the text fields below for added security. c. (Optional) Enable Update Notifications: Check this box to have the player automatically refresh the User Variables webpage whenever variable values change on the player. 9. Under Logging, check any of the following boxes to enable/disable logs and specify upload settings: a.
Adding a Player to your Simple File Network With simple file networking, the setup file provides details about your network, the web folder associated with a unit, where presentations are stored, and when to check for updates. 1. In the BrightAuthor menu bar, click Tools > Setup BrightSign Unit. 2. Under Name Specification, do the following: a. Enter a Name and Description for this unit. b. Select whether you want to append the unit ID to the name or use only the name. 3.
5. Specify the following in the Wired and Wireless tab of the Advanced Network Setup window: a. Data Types Enabled: Use these checkboxes to determine the types of data that will be transferred using the connection. You can enable/disable both downloads (Content, Text Feeds, Media Feeds) and uploads (Log Updates). b. Connection Settings: Indicate whether the IP address is auto-generated (via DHCP) or static. If you’re using a static IP address, enter the parameters in the fields below.
c. Rate Limit Network Download Traffic: Set rate limitations for downloading content. The options are divided into three categories: Outside content download window and During content download window (both of which correspond to the Limit content downloads setting in the Unit Configuration tab) , as well as During initial downloads. • Click Unlimited download rate to set no limit. • Click Default limit to use the default limit on downloads.
Important: The URL for the web folder must be identical to the web folder URL you enter when publishing presentations. See Publishing with Simple File Networking for details. e. Content Check Frequency: Set how often you want the unit to check the server for updates. f. (optional) Simple File Networking Authentication: Enables digest authentication between the BrightSign player and the web server.
d. Enable diagnostic logging: Creates a log that records timestamps, firmware and script versions, and the current presentation. e. Upload logs • On startup: Uploads log files each time the player is powered on. • At specific time each day: Uploads log files daily at the specified time. Use the dropdown lists to pick a time. • Relative URL for log handler: Type the location where you want logs to be uploaded. Click Create Setup Files. 10.
Setting up a Player for Standalone Use Standalone players are not connected to a network and must be updated manually. To change presentations/schedules, you must remove the storage card (or USB flash drive), update it on your computer, and reinsert it into the player. Updating standalone units is the only case in which you should remove the storage card after setting up the unit.
b. Use Proxy: Check this box if you want the player to connect using a proxy server. Type the address and port number of the proxy in the fields below. If you need to provide a user name and password, use this format: :@ (e.g. “admin:root@myproxy.com”). 5. Specify the following in the Wired and Wireless tab of the Advanced Network Setup window: a. Data Types Enabled: Use these checkboxes to determine the types of data that will be downloaded using the connection.
using a static IP address, enter the parameters in the fields below. 6. Select the Diagnostics tab in the Advanced Network Setup window if you would like the player to perform network diagnostics when first booting up. a. Enable network diagnostics: The player will display the network diagnostics screen during setup. • Test Ethernet: The player will indicate whether or not it was able to attain an IP address over Ethernet.
b. (Optional) Enable local web server: Check this box to enable the Local Web Server. You can include a username and password in the text fields below for added security. c. (Optional) USB Content Update Password: Enter a password in the field to enable password protection for USB content updates. This feature helps to ensure that a player will not be assigned incorrect schedules or data when updated via USB. 9.
Important: Do not remove the SD card or flash drive from the player.
CHAPTER 3 – CREATING PRESENTATIONS Creating a Full-Screen Presentation In a full-screen presentation, your images and/or videos occupy the entire screen. 1. Create a new presentation project by navigating to File > New Presentation. TIP: If you don’t see New Presentation under File, make sure you have the Edit, Publish, or Manage tab selected in the upper-left portion of the screen. 1. Specify the following in the New Project window. a. Save as: Enter a name for the presentation. b.
players do not automatically rotate landscape content to display in Portrait mode (and vice versa). You will first need to rotate video or images in the source application (e.g. Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, Adobe After Effects) before publishing them to the player. g. Monitor overscan: Select a setting to determine how the image fills the display screen. • No overscan – use full screen: Displays images/video to the edge of the video signal.
f. To change media files in the playlist without individually deleting and dragging, click File > Replace media files. In the Replace Media Files window, click Browse to select the folder that contains the files you want to add. This can be the same folder used in your Media Library or a new folder. A list of all files currently added to the playlist is displayed below Presentation Media Files. For each file you want to replace, select a new file using the dropdown lists beneath Replacement Media File. g.
When using a multi-zone template, you need to know which type of content you can include in each zone. The colorcoded key at the bottom of the template screen shows the available content types, and the color-coded templates indicate which type of content you can include in each zone of the templates. The following list describes the available content types: • • • • • • • Images : Plays images. You can include multiple Images zones. Ticker : Plays an RSS feed or pre-defined text strings.
f. Select a Monitor overscan setting to control how the image fills the display screen. • No overscan: Displays images/video to the edge of the video signal. • Overscan - action safe: Restricts the image display to an area that is compatible with most displays. • Overscan – title safe: Restricts the image display to an area that is much smaller than the image generated by the video signal. Tip: Experiment to find the overscan setting that works best with your display. g. Click Create. 2.
all files currently added to the playlist is displayed below Presentation Media Files. For each file you want to replace, select a new file using the dropdown lists beneath Replacement Media File. Note: Optionally, you can check the Preserve State Names box to preserve the names already given to media states in an Interactive Playlist rather than having media states automatically take on the names of the new media files.
• To create interactive events, see Making a presentation interactive. 5. Repeat step 4 for each zone in the presentation. 6. Click the Layout tab to add new zones or adjust the position of your zones. To add a new zone, click the Add Zone button. In the New Zone window, type a name for the zone in the Zone name text field, and select a zone type. Click OK. To adjust the position and size of zones, drag and resize in the preview in the right portion of the screen.
Note: You can display HTML5 pages in Video zones and Video or Images zones. HTML5 video content will play even if it is embedded in an Images zone. • • State name: Specify a name for the HTML5 state. HTML5 Site: Select an HTML5 site from the dropdown menu. To populate this list with sites, navigate to File > Presentation Properties > HTML Sites. • • Enable external data: Check this box if your HTML5 page uses assets from multiple locations.
Live Data, Text, RSS, and Media RSS Feeds Networked BrightSign players can display RSS feeds, including standard RSS (text) or Media RSS (feeds that contain video or images). If you have a BrightSign Network account, you can create Live Data Feeds, which are RSS feeds hosted on the BrightSign Network. You can create and edit them using BrightAuthor or the WebUI. You can also create your own static text feeds and add them to a Ticker zone like an RSS feed.
RSS Feeds 1. Select a Ticker zone in your presentation. 2. Click the RSS tab and drag the New RSS Feed icon onto the playlist. a. Select a Data Feed from the dropdown list. b. Click OK. If you need to define a new data feed, click the Add Data Feed button. To learn more about creating new data feeds, see the Setting Presentation Properties section. Note: You can include multiple Ticker zones in your presentations. To adjust the update frequency for RSS feeds, click File > Presentation Properties.
Twitter You can use your Twitter account to create a data feed from a remote source. Twitter feeds can only be created in a Ticker zone. 1. Select a Ticker zone in your presentation. 2. Click the RSS tab and drag the Twitter icon onto the playlist. 3. Enter your Twitter User Name and click Authenticate. Another window will open asking if you would like to authorize BrightSign to use your Twitter account. 4. Enter your Twitter account login information and click Authorize app. 5.
Dynamic Playlists Note: You must have a BrightSign Network account to use Dynamic Playlists. A Dynamic Playlist enables you to easily update and share content in multiple presentations. For example, if you need to add daily announcements to your presentations and you don’t want to update each presentation separately, you can add a Dynamic Playlist to all of your presentations and insert a new video announcement in the Dynamic Playlist each day.
Adding Dynamic Playlists: 1. Open a presentation project. Note: If you don’t see Open Presentation under File, make sure you have the Edit, Publish, or Manage tab selected in the upper-left portion of the screen. 2. Click the Edit tab. 3. Under the Other tab, drag the Dynamic Playlist icon to the playlist area. 4. The Add Dynamic Playlist window will open. From the drop-down list, select which Dynamic Playlist you want to link to the current presentation. Click OK.
• • • URL for video stream: Enter a valid URL for the stream. Rotation (Mjpeg only): Specify the clockwise rotation of the streaming video. Time on screen: Specify the duration (in seconds) that the stream will be played. This option is only available in non-interactive presentations. To customize the duration of a stream in an interactive presentation, use a Timeout or Media End event. Audio Stream The following players can stream audio from a remote source: AU320, XD230, XD1030, XD1230, HD220, HD1020.
a. First scanned channel: Displays the first channel detected during the channel scan (i.e. the smallest detectable channel number). b. Channel name: Displays the channel with the specified name. To use this option, you must first specify a “ScanResults.xml” file in the Specify RF channel scan file field. c. Virtual channel: Displays the channel based on its virtual number: i. Current virtual channel: Manually enter the virtual number of the channel.
4. Specify channel up and channel down event triggers if you would like viewers to be able to flip through channels like a traditional cable box. 5. Check the Overscan box if you would like to apply overscan settings to the RF video input. Tuner Scan You can use this state to perform a channel scan of the cable source while an interactive presentation is running. Use a Media End event to exit this state once the channel scan concludes. If you use another interactive event (e.g.
CHAPTER 4 – MAKING A PRESENTATION INTERACTIVE You can use BrightAuthor to create interactive presentations. Interactive presentations respond to interactive events, such as input from buttons or other GPIO devices, or from devices connected to a BrightSign communication port.
state,” and the file transitioned to is the “next state.” In this guide, creating and linking interactive events between states will be referred to as “defining events”: a. In the Event Toolbar, click the interactive event icon that corresponds to the type of event you want to define. For example, to define what happens when a user presses button 1 on a button board, click Chapter 4 – Making a Presentation Interactive .
b. Click (and hold) the file name below the thumbnail image of the current state. This media file is what the user sees before performing the interactive event you are about to define. Note: The first interactive event must begin with the Home Screen.
c. Drag the hand pointer to the thumbnail image of the media file you want to play next (the next state). d. Repeat steps a – c to define the remaining interactive events. Subsequent interactive events can start with any item and correspond to any other item in the playlist. For example, you can set the first interaction to display an image when the user presses button 1 from the Home screen.
Editing Interactive Events When creating an event with an icon from the Events tab, drag the Event icon onto the thumbnail of the media file you want to be the current state. An Event window will automatically open. Here, you can specify which media file you want to be the next state. You can further adjust how your media files transition from state to state by double-clicking the Event icons (or rightclicking and then clicking Edit).
Editing Media Properties You can edit individual files in the playlist by right-clicking and then clicking Edit. The Media Properties window will open. Here, you can view/change the State name and Current file. Use the dropdown list beside Select different file to swap the file with another in the playlist area. This is convenient for keeping the interactive events you have defined with the original file. You can also replace media files under File > Replace Media Files.
Copying, Exporting, and Importing States All states can be copied, exported, and imported. Copying or exporting a state will also copy all commands and notes attached to that state. Events that transition to or from the state will not be persevered when a state is copied or exported. • Copying: With a state selected, right-click the state and select Copy, navigate to Edit > Copy, or press Ctrl+C. You can also copy multiple states at a time by holding down Ctrl while selecting the desired states.
Media List By default, each time an item transitions to a Media List, the next file in the list will play and exit the list after a timeout (images) or when the file finishes playing (video and audio). Alternatively, you can set the list to shuffle files or cycle through every file in the list before exiting and transitioning to the next state. You can edit properties of your Media Lists under File > Presentation Properties > Media List. See Chapter 11 > Presentation Properties for details.
• • Shuffle playback: Check this box to randomize the order in which files are played from the list. Event to transition to next item: Select an interactive event that allows the user to transition to the next file in the list. After selecting the event type, you must specify a trigger. • Event to transition to previous item: Select an interactive event that allows the user to transition to the previous file in the list. After selecting the event type, you must specify a trigger.
• Populate from data feed: Select this option if you would like to populate the Media List using media files specified in a BSN Data Feed (not an MRSS feed). You will first need to add the Data Feed to your presentation by navigating to File > Presentation Properties > Data Feeds. Upon playing the presentation, the player will retrieve the media from the download URLs specified in the Value field of each item in the Data Feed (i.e. the RSS field).
Play File Play Files also combine files into a list you can view in one window (or as one thumbnail in the playlist area). However, Play Files function quite differently from Media Lists: They allow transitions to specific files within the group, rather than the list as a whole. Unlike Media Lists, which can be the end point of any interactive event, Play Files can only be transitioned to via input from BP900/BP200, UDP, Serial, Keyboard, or USB.
Make sure you use zones that match the Play File type you want to use. After setting your zone to Interactive and dragging a Play File icon to the playlist area, the Play File window will automatically open. Here you can set the following parameters for your List: • • State name: Create a unique name for the Play File. This name will show up in the thumbnail in the playlist area.
o Key: The sting that will trigger the media item to play if it is matched by the input from the BP900/BP200, UDP Input, Serial Input, Keyboard Input, or USB Input event. o Label: The label of the interactive button as it will appear in the BrightSign App. o Show in BrightSign App: . Uncheck this box if you want to hide a UDP command from BrightSign App instances that connect to the player. o File: Use the Browse button to find and select the desired media file.
Note: Image Mode settings that would normally crop displayed images (i.e. “Center Image” and “Scale to Fill and Crop”) are not applied to the background image of a Live Text state. To get consistent performance between images and Live Text states, you will need to resize images accordingly. • • Update Live Text Data: Click this button to immediately update all RSS feeds. Size: Adjust the size of your text fields.
file in the presentation. To use this feature, Media Counters must first be enabled. Navigate to File > Presentation Properties > Variables. Then check the box labeled Automatically create media counter variables. e. User Variable: User Variables are customizable values that can be used in commands. User Variables in Live Text display the current value of the specified User Variable. Use the dropdown list to specify a User Variable for the text field.
f. RSS Feed: Select this option to display an RSS feed. Click the Update RSS URL List button to create a list of Data Feeds to use as RSS sources. You can also choose whether you would like to display only the RSS title or display only the RSS description. You can only uncheck the title or description option if you do not have that field currently selected. To edit the amount of time each RSS item is displayed, click Set Text Parameters and modify the Time to Display Each Line field. g.
field), Transparency (for background text colors), Font, and, under the Advanced tab, the Background Bitmap and Safe Text region. See Setting zone properties for details on text parameters. o o o The first text item you create will use the default text parameters set in the Edit Preferences window (Edit > Preferences > Live Text). If you create a text item while another text item is selected, the new text item will inherit the parameters of the selected text item.
• • Previous/Next: Click these buttons to quickly switch between text fields. Advanced: Click to add commands. See Adding Commands for details. As mentioned earlier, Live Text can be layered over both images or videos. Live Text Images If you want to use a still image behind your Live Text, you should add the Live Text to an Images zone. Complete the following steps for each zone you want to contain Live Text: a. Select an Images zone. Make the zone Interactive. Drag the Live Text icon from the Other tab.
d. Use the dropdown list to select the Images zone. Make the zone Interactive. Drag the Live Text icon from the Other tab. e. In the Add Live Text window, click Browse beside Background Image. Locate and select an image file taken from the video file used in the Video Only zone. f. Click Add Text Item. Adjust the Size and Position of your text field by clicking and dragging over the preview image or inputting exact numbers in the corresponding fields. g. Select your Text Type and input the desired text. h.
General: In this tab, you will select an image for your Interactive Menu and define how a user navigates it. • State name: Create a unique name for your Interactive Menu. • Background Image: Click Browse to select an image you want to act as your menu display. Important: The background image is not simply a background for the actual menu items. It must contain all images and text you want displayed in the menu. • Set as initial state: Check this checkbox to set the Interactive Menu as the Home Screen.
The Navigation section is where you define how a user navigates across the menu. Click the dropdown menu for each option (Up, Down, Left, Right, Enter, Back, Next clip, Previous clip) and select the type of event you want to utilize (GPIO Event, Serial input, etc.). A second dropdown menu or text field will appear. Specify the button or input you want to correspond to the action. Let’s say you want to define how to move Up in the menu, and you want to use a keyboard event.
• Menu Item Number: Every menu item has a unique menu item number. The first you create is 1, the second is 2, and so on. Here, you can navigate between the menu items you have created by clicking the Previous and Next buttons. Everything else in the window corresponds to the menu item you have selected here. The Menu Items section is where you can create and adjust individual menu items. • Add Menu Item: Press this button to create a Menu item. The Add Menu Item window will open.
The possible actions are Up, Down, Left, and Right. In this section, each action has a dropdown list that displays the menu item number for each created menu item. By default, None is selected for each. Selecting a number in the dropdown list will allow the user to navigate from the current menu item to the specified menu item by performing the corresponding action.
action and select 2, the user can now navigate from Menu item 1 to Menu item 2 by pressing the Down button. Remember, the buttons are whatever you previously defined in the Navigation section of the General tab. The Enter section is where you can determine what happens when a user presses the Enter button on a particular Menu item. Set the following parameters: • Play clip: Click the Browse button to select a file you want to play when the user presses the Enter button.
Although Event Handlers contain no content, you can add commands and interactive events into and out of them. For example, if you set the Event Handler as the Home Screen and define a BP900 event linked from the Event Handler to the first presentation item, the display will sit at a blank screen until a user presses the BP900 button, and then the first item will begin playing.
The primary mechanic of the Super State is that it functions as both a state and a self-contained interactive playlist. A Super State can be transitioned into and out of using any event, but clicking on it will reveal a new interactive playlist canvas contained within the original. There are several behaviors that are unique to this state: • Each Super State contains an initial state: A transition to a Super State will point to the initial state within the Super State by default.
the transition is ascending or descending through a hierarchy of Super States. • You can copy, paste, export, and import Super States: All events, states, commands, and other Super States contained within the Super State will be copied over as well. Commands Adding commands to your playlist allows you to add extended functionality to your presentations. Commands can help you control displays and devices (Display On, GPIO On, etc.
Note: There are a few other options under the Advanced tab. They will depend on the type of file you have selected. For image files, you will see a Store Image in Cache checkbox. Check this box to save the file in a cache and more readily use it in the future. For video files, you will see Video Display Mode. Depending on the type of video file, you can use the dropdown list to select 2D, 3D side-by-side, or 3D top-over-bottom. By default, 2D is selected.
• Increment: Specifies how much the volume level increases with each interaction. Select the Analog, HDMI, or SPDIF connector in the dropdown list. • Decrement: Specifies how much the volume level decreases with each interaction. Select the Analog, HDMI, or SPDIF connector in the dropdown list. • Mute: Turns the connector audio output off. Use the checkboxes to select among the Analog, HDMI, and SPDIF connectors. • Unmute: Turns the connector audio output on.
• Serial string (no EOL): Sends the specified string to the specified serial port. This command does not add a carrier return at the end of the string. • • Serial byte: Sends the specified byte to the specified serial port. Serial bytes (comma separated): Sends the specified bytes to the specified serial port in comma-separated format. • Send Plugin Message: Sends the specified string to a custom script plugin attached to the presentation. Use the dropdown menu to select a desired script plugin.
• Set Philips Volume: Sets Philips TV volume. Other: Sends various commands that are not contained within the above categories. • Pause: Pauses presentation playback for a specified number of milliseconds. • Reboot: Reboots the BrightSign player. • Set Variable: Sets a new value for the specified User Variable. • Increment Variable: Increases the value of the specified User Variable by 1. • Decrement Variable: Decreases the value of the specified User Variable by 1.
target is met. With this feature, you can change the behavior of a presentation based on a huge array of interactive and networked conditions. 1. Select the Advanced tab while creating or editing an event. 2. Click the Set Conditional Targets button. Note: This option will only be available if you have created one or more User Variables in the File > Presentation Properties window. 3. Click Add Conditional Target in the Conditional Targets window, or click a preexisting Conditional Target to edit it. 4.
8. Select Remain on current state if you want the state to remain unchanged when the interactive event is performed. 9. Select the Advanced tab to add Commands to the Conditional Target. Commands will trigger when the conditional target is met. See Adding Commands for more information. 10. Click OK to save the conditional target. User Variables There are several ways you can change the values of User Variables in an interactive presentation.
3. Expand the Advanced options and check the box labeled Assign input to variable. a. Select Specify fixed variable if you want to choose a fixed User Variable in the BrightAuthor presentation. Use the dropdown list to choose which User Variable the UDP input will modify. The UDP/serial string must be input in the form of . b. Select Input specifies variable if you want the UDP/serial input string to dynamically specify which User Variable is being modified.
CHAPTER 5 – INTERACTIVE EVENTS Interactive events can include any of the following. For all interactive events, make sure you define the next state after dragging the icon onto the current state: Event Timeout Media End GPIO Event Description Displays an item for a predetermined period of time before the next action occurs automatically. To define the length of the timeout interval, double-click the Timeout icon in the playlist area.
Event Description Continuous, you will need to specify how long the button should be pressed down ( in milliseconds) to trigger the event. BP900/200 Synchronize Sets the action that occurs when a specific BP900 or BP200 button is pressed. There are six icons: BP900A, BP900B, BP900C, BP200A, BP200B, and BP200C. See BP900 and BP200 Button Boards for details. Synchronizes content with another BrightSign player on the same network.
Event Description Advanced options. Select Input specifies variable if the name of the User Variable will be specified in the UDP input string or Specify fixed variable if you want to choose the User Variable in BrightAuthor. Serial Input Sets the action that occurs when a BrightSign player receives specific input from a device connected to the serial port. Enter the port number of the input data in the Specify port field (this parameter is set to 0 by default).
Event Keyboard Input Description Sets the action that occurs when a BrightSign player receives specific input from a keyboard. When the Keyboard Input Event window opens, enter the keyboard input that triggers the next event in the Specify keyboard input field, and then click OK. USB Input Sets the action that occurs when a BrightSign player receives input from a device connected to the USB port.
Event Zone Message Description Use this event, combined with the Send Zone Message command, to affect changes from one zone to another across multiple synchronized players with multi-zone presentations. When the Zone Message Event window opens, specify the zone message trigger. Note: The same event/trigger must be defined for each transition you want synchronized. Link Zones Works similarly to the Zone Message event, but with more limited functionality.
Event Video Time Code Description Performs commands at specific times during video playback. To define the commands and times, drag the Video Time Code icon onto the current state (video file). When the Video Time Code Events window opens, click Add Time Code, enter the Timeout interval, select the Command and Parameters from the corresponding lists, and then click OK. For more details, see Adding Commands.
Event Description times between which the interval occurs. You can also select days during which this event is active. Note: If you choose to make the timeout event Periodic throughout the day, the first event will occur at the beginning of the active period. Plugin Message Sets the action that occurs when a message is received from a custom script plugin that is attached to the presentation. Use the Plugin name dropdown menu to select an attached plugin for the event to listen to.
Click the User Events tab under Media Library. To create/edit User Defined Events, click Manage. The Manage User Events window will open. This window contains a list of all previously created User Defined Events. Complete any of the following: • Create a User Defined Event: Click Add User Event. When prompted, type a unique name for your User Defined Event. Click Add Event and use the dropdown list to select an interactive event. Repeat for each event you want included in the User Defined Event.
You can also import previously created User Defined Events into BrightAuthor or export them from BrightAuthor. Click File > Import User Events / Export User Events. If you are importing, browse to the location where the events are stored. If you are exporting, browse to a location where you want to export all User Defined Events currently saved in BrightAuthor.
CHAPTER 6 – CREATING A BRIGHTWALL™ The BrightWall™ feature allows you to easily create, publish, and edit video-wall deployments. Video walls are created by synchronizing the playback of a number of units, each connected to a different screen on the wall, over a local network connection. Simple video playlists are the only presentation type supported by BrightWall; interactive presentations are not supported.
• Screen resolution: Choose the resolution of each screen in the video wall. All video wall screens must have the same resolution. You can view all available screen resolutions on the Support Section of the BrightSign website. Note: Individual screens only support video files in landscape mode. • Monitor overscan: Select an overscan setting to determine how each video fills the display screen. o No overscan – use full screen: Displays video to the edge of the video signal.
For a Regular BrightWall Each screen in a video wall has a distinct playlist. You can switch among screens by selecting them in the Screen section. To create a regular BrightWall, you will need to add a different video file to each screen. The Media Library of a Regular BrightWall has special properties that help streamline playlist creation: • A Video with a file name in the format “VideoName_Number” appears only in the Media Library of the screen corresponding to its number.
• Adding a video with a “VideoName_Number” file name to a screen will add all other videos with the same format to their respective screen playlists. This behavior will only occur if the quantity of “VideoName_Number” files corresponds to the number screens in the BrightWall presentation. Example: A BrightWall project consists of four screens. The video is split into four files, each file representing ¼ of the entire wall: “Intro_1.mpg”, “Intro_2.mpg”, “Intro_3.mpg”, and “Intro_4.mpg”.
o Fill Screen and Centered: The video will be stretched to the height or width of the video wall (whichever length is greater). If the aspect ratio of the video wall does not match the ratio of the video content, the video will be cut off at the height or the width (whichever length is lesser). Dimensions • • Rows and Columns: Modify the height and width of the target video wall. o Number of rows: Modify the height of the video wall (in number of screens).
Interactive Use this tab to configure how players use UDP to synchronize BrightWall playback. These options pertain to advanced network configurations: For most deployments, specifying a unique Domain for each BrightWall presentation on the local network should be sufficient. • UDP Destination Address: Select Specific IP address if you want UDP packets to be sent to a certain address. Setting this field to “255.255.255.255” is equivalent to selecting the All devices on the local subnet option.
CHAPTER 7 – THE TD1012 The TD1012 is a freestanding, all-inclusive digital signage solution that you can easily place on tables, counters, or wherever signage is most needed. The TD1012’s high resolution screen and BrightSign player are built into a durable steel casing and can be powered for approximately 12 hours by the rechargeable battery. Creating presentations for your TD1012 is fundamentally similar to creating presentations for any other BrightSign player. See Creating Presentations for details.
Publishing and customizing TD1012 presentations is no different from other BrightSign units. See Publishing Presentations and Customizing Presentations for details.
CHAPTER 8 – BP900 AND BP200 BUTTON PANELS The BP900 and BP200 button panels are LED-based touch devices that allow you to add interactivity to your BrightAuthor presentations. These button panels are compatible with any BrightSign device that has a USB port: HD810, HD1010, HD1010w, HD1020, XD230, and XD1230. There are a total of six event icons: BP900A, BP900B, BP900C, BP200A, BP200B, and BP200C. The letters A, B, and C correspond to USB ports.
• Press (First Touch): Determine whether you want the transition to occur after one push of the button. • Press Continuous: Determine whether you want the user to continually press the button. Specify a repeat interval in the text field (in milliseconds). • Transition to new state: Click to specify which media file in your playlist will be the next state when the specified button is pushed.
• Advanced: Click the Advanced arrow to reveal the display options and commands section. Here you can set how you view the interactive events between states in the playlist area. Show line draws a line between the media files. Show label creates a label either to the Right or Bottom of the media file that indicates transitions from states. See Adding Commands for details on commands. d. Click OK. Repeat steps a. through c. to define the remaining button pad events.
CHAPTER 9 – PUBLISHING PRESENTATIONS After you create and save a presentation, you’re ready to publish it to your BrightSign player or players. There are four ways to publish a presentation: • • • • Local Storage BrightSign Network Local Networking Simple File Networking The method you use to publish should depend on several factors, such as whether your player is networked, what kind of network you have access to, and how many players you have.
b. Click Local Storage (below the Publish tab). c. Click Browse under Presentations to navigate to and select the folder where your presentations are stored. 3. Create schedules for each presentation you wish to publish: a. Select a presentation from the list in the Presentations section. b. Drag the presentation to a time slot during which you want it to play. c. Click and drag the selection handles to adjust playing time within one day.
g. If you would like to interrupt a scheduled presentation with another presentation, drag and drop the new presentation into an occupied timeslot (you can also schedule an overlap in the Schedule Presentation window). A Schedule Conflict window will appear, providing the following options: • Keep existing events, cancel new event: Cancels the new schedule presentation action.
to schedule the new presentation in an empty timeslot. If you schedule the presentation in an occupied timeslot, the Schedule Conflict window will appear again. • Remove existing events, use new event: Completely removes the presentation currently occupying the timeslot. • Interrupt existing events with new event: Schedules an interrupt in the presentation currently occupying the timeslot.
updated with incorrect schedules or data. When the USB Content Update Password window opens, select one of the following: • Keep Password: Leaves the current content update password for the player unchanged. • Set New Password: Changes the content update password for the player. Enter the new password in the field. • Clear Password: Removes the content update password. This allows USB updates to be published to the SD card without restrictions. 6.
c. Click Publish. When the Publish complete window opens, click OK. 9. Update your BrightSign player: a. Turn off the BrightSign player by unplugging the power adapter. b. Insert the storage device from step 4 into the player. c. Turn on the player by reconnecting the power adapter. d. Leave the storage device in the player. Note: If an SD card is already in the player and you are updating it via USB, you don’t need to turn off the player.
b. Click BrightSign Network (above the calendar). c. Under Selected Group to Schedule, use the dropdown list to specify the group to which you want to publish. 5. Create schedules for each presentation you want to publish: a. Select a presentation from the Presentations dropdown list. b. Drag the presentation to a time slot during which you want it to play. c. Click and drag the selection handles to adjust playing time within one day.
f. If prompted, indicate whether you want to replace the existing schedule and then click OK. g. Repeat steps b through e for each presentation you want to schedule in an empty timeslot. If you drag and drop a new presentation into an occupied timeslot, the Schedule Conflict window will appear, providing the following options: • Keep existing events, cancel new event: Cancels the new schedule presentation action.
• Remove existing events, use new event: Completely removes the presentation currently occupying the timeslot. 6. (Optional) Specify debugging and firmware preferences: a. Under Debugging, use the checkboxes to enable/disable serial debugging and system log debugging. b. Click Specify Firmware Update to indicate what firmware version you want the player to be updated to. The Firmware Update window is divided by BrightSign generation.
d. If you want the presentation to be a recurring event, double-click the highlighted presentation name in the calendar. In the Schedule Presentation window, set the following parameters: e. f. g. h. • • Presentation: Specify which presentation you want to schedule. Active all day, every day: Check this box if you want the presentation to play 24 hours a day. • Event time: Specify the time during the day when you want the presentation to play by using the dropdown lists beside Start and End.
• Remove existing events, use new event: Completely removes the presentation currently occupying the timeslot. • Interrupt existing events with new event: Schedules an interrupt in the presentation currently occupying the timeslot. The date field will be split into two columns: The left column shows the primary scheduled presentation in blue; the right column shows the interrupting presentation in green.
4. (Optional) Specify debugging and firmware preferences: a. Under Debugging, use the checkboxes to enable/disable serial debugging and system log debugging. b. Click Specify Firmware Update to indicate what firmware version you want the player to be updated to. The Firmware Update window is divided by BrightSign generation. In the section that corresponds to your player model, select a firmware version or Do not update and then click OK.
c. (Optional) Under Logging, check any of the following boxes to enable the corresponding logs: • Enable playback logging: Creates a log that records start and end times, zone names, media types, and file names. • Enable event logging: Creates a log that records timestamps, state names, zone names, event types, and event data. • Enable state logging: Creates a log that records current and last state names, timestamps, and media types.
• If you use FTP to transfer files to your web folder, publish to a folder on your computer and then use FTP software to copy the files to your web folder. g. Click Publish. When the Publish Complete window opens, click OK. Publishing with Local Networking Publishing a presentation with a local network lets you distribute your presentation to BrightSign players without using an Internet connection.
• Event time: Specify the time during the day when you want the presentation to play by using the dropdown lists beside Start and End. • • Recurring Event: Check this box if you want the presentation to recur during specified times. Recurring pattern: Specify the frequency for the recurrence. If you click Daily, you can specify Every day, Every weekday, or Every weekend. If you click Weekly, you can view a checklist of every day of the week.
presentation to play. If you want the presentation to stop recurring at some point, click End by and use the calendar to specify the date. If you don’t want the presentation to stop, click No end date. e. Click OK. The adjustments made will be represented in the calendar. f. If prompted, indicate whether you want to replace the existing schedule and then click OK. • Keep existing events, cancel new event: Cancels the new schedule presentation action.
• Save: The .bsfw update file is not deleted after the update is applied. The device will only reboot once the storage device containing the update file is removed. 5. Publish the presentation: a. Under Publish, select a BrightSign player. You can publish to multiple players at once by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking each player. • If publishing to a new player, click New unit. Then click the button. The Add BrightSign Unit window will open.
• Publish each screen in a subfolder of a parent folder: The project and media files for each screen will be published in separate subfolders of the specified parent folder. Use this option if you don’t want to immediately go through the process of publishing to all of the the target SD cards while in BrightAuthor. This option is also useful if you’d like the entire BrightWall presentation contained in a package that can be easily transported between directories, computers, etc.
CHAPTER 10 – CUSTOMIZING PRESENTATIONS This chapter will describe the different ways you can customize your presentations. Setting Zone Properties Whether you’re creating a single-zone or a multi-zone presentation, you can customize the settings for each zone. 1. 2. 3. 4. Open a presentation project by clicking File > Open Presentation. Click on the Edit tab and then the Playlist subgroup. Below Zone in the upper-left portion of the screen, click the zone whose properties you want to change.
o Scale to fit: Scales the image to fit the zone. The image is displayed as large as possible with the correct aspect ratio. • • o Scale to fill and crop: Scales the image to completely fill the zone while maintaining the aspect ratio. o Scale to fill: Scales the image to fill the zone without maintaining the aspect ratio. Initial volume (Audio): Set the initial volume for audio files (0-100). Initial volume (Video): Set the initial volume for video files (0-100).
HD120, HD220, HD1020, XD230 • View mode: Use the dropdown list to specify a setting for videos. o Scale to fit: Scales the video to fill the screen without maintaining the aspect ratio. The video may appear stretched. o Letterboxed and centered: Centers the video and adds black borders on the top and bottom. The aspect ratio is maintained. • o Fill screen and centered: Centers the video and fills the screen. The aspect ratio is maintained.
• o Fill screen and centered: Centers the video and fills the screen. The aspect ratio is maintained. Audio Output: Enables or disables the Analog, HDMI, and SPDIF audio outputs for the zone. o Pass through: Supplies the un-decoded audio signal through the HDMI/SPDIF connector. Use this option if the zone audio (for example, AC3 Dolby Digital) is being decoded on an external device. o Stereo: Supplies the decoded audio signal through the HDMI/SPDIF connector.
• • Transparency: Set the transparency of the Background text color in Ticker or Clock zones. Font: Click Browse and set a font for text in Ticker or Clock zones. You can use any TrueType font. Click Reset to System Font to reset the font.
• Background bitmap: Click Browse to navigate to and select a file for a background image. Click Yes or No to determine whether you want to stretch the image to fill the zone. You can add a background bitmap to Ticker or Clock zones. • Safe text region: Define the location (X,Y fields) and size (Width, Height fields) of the text region within the zone. Editing Audio Only and Enhanced Audio Zones Audio Only zones allow you to play audio files using a standard or interactive playlist.
Editing Other Zones The settings in the Edit Zone window correspond to the type of zone you have selected. Here is a list of all the settings you can edit for other types of zones: • • Images zone: Image mode. Clock zone: Rotation, foreground text color, background text color, transparency, font, background bitmap, and safe text region. • Background Image zone: You cannot click Zone Properties for a Background Image zone.
• Make two or more zones the same size by pressing Ctrl+Click to select the zones you want to resize. On the menu bar, click Format > Make same size and select a resize option. • Align two or more zones by pressing Ctrl+Click to select the zones you want to align. On the menu bar, click Format > Align and then select an alignment option. • Center two or more zones by pressing Ctrl+Click to select the zones you want to center.
Tip: You can layer zones on top of each other. For example, you can place a Ticker or Clock zone on top of a Video Only zone, and then edit the transparency in the Ticker or Clock zone to control how much of the underlying video is visible. • • Remove an unwanted zone by clicking it in the preview image and then pressing Delete on your keyboard. Rename a zone by clicking it in the preview image, and then typing in the Name text field on the left side of the screen.
Note that importing networked User Variables to a new presentation does not import any Data Feeds to which those variables are linked. If you would like to import networked User Variables, you will need to recreate the feeds in the Presentation Properties > Data Feeds tab and reassign them to the variables. Import/Export User Events These actions allow you to transfer User Defined Events between presentations. This is useful when creating multiple presentations that use many of the same or similar events.
• Date: Use the Edit field to customize the date format on the player (refer to the chart of terms for different abbreviation styles). Use the Preview date button to see an example of how the date format will look. You can also customize how months and days are displayed in both Short and Long form. • Time: Use the Edit field to customize how time is displayed on the player (refer to the chart of terms for different measurements).
Networking Check the boxes to enable/disable the following: BrightSign Network, Local Networking, Bonjour, and Simple File Networking. Note: If you are publishing with Local Networking and are not seeing your BrightSign players on the network, disabling Bonjour can help.
Backups • Automatically backup BrightAuthor presentation files: Check this box enable automated saving of BrightAuthor presentation files. Specify how often you want a backup to occur. • Backup a maximum of this number of backups: Specify how many backup copies of a single presentation can exist. Once this limit is reached, BrightAuthor will begin overwriting backup copies beginning with the oldest file.
5. Once the scan is complete, the channel settings will be written to the internal registry of the player (i.e. the nonremovable storage). You can now use the RF In state to tune to any virtual channels that were detected in the channel scan. Publishing Channel Scan Results If you are connecting multiple XD1230 players to the same cable source, you can transfer the results of a channel scan from one player to another during the setup process. 1.
CHAPTER 11 – PRESENTATION PROPERTIES You can edit a range properties that apply to an entire presentation. These are based on your current default property settings. To change the default settings, see Setting default properties. To edit presentation properties, open a presentation project and navigate to File > Presentation Properties. Main Set any of the following: • Connector type: Use the dropdown list to indicate the type of connector you are using for your display (HDMI, VGA, or Component).
• RF channel scan file: Choose an RF channel scan XML file to associate with the presentation. All RF In states in the presentation will use this channel scan file. If you specify a different channel scan file in an RF In state, the RF channel scan file in Presentation Properties will change as well. Note: A player can only contain a single RF channel manifest at any one time.
Buttons Use the dropdown list to select the type of button panel you wish to configure. Click Automatically configure which buttons are enabled or Specify which buttons are enabled and check the boxes to manually enable buttons. Repeat for each button panel you plan to connect to the player. Audio Set any of the following: • Set the Minimum Volume and Maximum Volume for the Audio output (0 – 100). • Set the Minimum Volume and Maximum Volume for the HDMI audio output (0 – 100).
• Inactivity timeout (seconds): If you checked Yes above, type a number in the text field to specify the period of inactivity before Media Lists restart. Autorun If you would like to specify a different autorun file for the presentation, click Select custom Autorun. Click Browse to locate and select the autorun file. Click Add Script Plugin to add a custom script to your BrightAuthor presentation. Script plugins are custom pieces of BrightScript code that extend the functionality of BrightAuthor.
Image Cache A list of all media files in your playlist is displayed here. Check the boxes to store certain files in an image cache for faster loading. Variables Use this tab to configure the device web page, enable Media Counters, and create User Variables. Device Web Page Display The device web page allows you view and edit User Variables over your local network. In order to display a standard or custom device web page, you must first enable the Local Web Server during player setup.
• No device web page: Choose this option if you would like to enable the Local Web Server but do not want the User Variables webpage to be accessible. • Standard device web page: The default device web page lists all User Variables and their default/current values on a sparsely formatted page. • Custom device web page: This option allows you to use a device web page with custom appearance, formatting, and functionality. See the Creating a Custom Device Web Page tech note for more information.
• Default Value: This is the value of the User Variable if it is not modified. Whenever a User Variable is reset (via the Reset Variable command), it will return to this default value. • Access: Select Shared to make the User Variable accessible to other presentations scheduled on the player. If two presentations use a variable with the same name, the value of the variable with the Shared attribute will be used for the variable with the Private attribute. • Type: There are three types of User Variable.
For example, if you add a Set Volume command to your presentation and use a static value like 50, the volume will always be set to 50 when the command occurs. If you use a User Variable instead, the volume will be set to the current value of the variable, which could be any value based on Set Variable commands and any number of other factors. To utilize a User Variable in a command, first add the desired command (see Adding Commands for details).
however, the presentation will fail to display any content if it is published in this state. • Url: Enter the web address of the RSS or MRSS feed into this field. If you want the presentation to retrieve a feed from an RSS formatted text file on the SD card, use the “file:///path” URL format (e.g. “file:///filename.xml”). • Live Data Feed: If you have a BrightSign Network subscription, you can easily publish RSS feeds to the BrightSign Network servers.
HTML Sites Use this tab to add HTML5 sites to your presentation. You must add sites in this tab before you can use HTML5 states in the Interactive Playlist. Click the Add HTML Site button and specify the following: • Enable application cache: Check this box if you want to enable the application cache for HTML5 sites. This allows the player to cache remote HTML content on the local storage. Note that an HTML5 site must be configured properly for caching to work.
• Access: Select Shared to make the User Variable accessible to other presentations scheduled on the player. If two presentations use a variable with the same name, the value of the variable with the Shared attribute will be used for the variable with the Private attribute. • Plugin Script: This is an advanced feature: You may optionally choose to have the feed parsed by a piece of customized BrightScript code.
Switch Presentations Use this tab to publish additional presentations to the SD card along with the primary presentation. You can use the Switch to Presentaiton command to switch to another presentation while a presentation is running. Files Use this tab to publish additional files to the SD card along with the presentation.
CHAPTER 12 – MANAGING YOUR NETWORK You can use BrightAuthor to manage your BrightSign Network and local networks. Permissions Administrators of BrightSign Network accounts can create separate accounts with access to their BrightSign Networks. These accounts (called User Accounts) can be assigned to roles with various sets of permissions in both the BrightSign Network WebUI and in BrightAuthor.
4. Right-click a unit to Remove the unit, Show all units, Specify a username and password, or view Info. Clicking Info opens the Unit Properties window. Here, you can view the unit ID, IP address, BrightSign model, firmware version, and autorun version.
BrightSign Network – You can view the activity status of all units in your BrightSign Network, the groups to which units are assigned, the scheduled presentations for each group, the last connection time for each unit, and the frequency with which each unit connects to the network. 1. 2. 3. 4. Sign in to BrightSign Network by clicking Tools > Sign in to BrightSign Network. Click the Manage tab. Click Status (below the Manage tab).
Viewing Presentations The Presentations tab allows you to see all presentations uploaded to the network, as well as which groups the presentations belong to, which presentations are active, and when they were last modified. 1. 2. 3. 4. Sign in to BrightSign Network by clicking Tools > Sign in to BrightSign Network. Click the Manage tab. Click Presentations (below the Manage tab). Click the arrow beside a presentation to view which groups are currently using the presentation.
5. (Optional) Sort the list of presentations by clicking the column you want to use as the sort criteria. For example, to sort by name, click the Name column. Click again to switch between ascending and descending order. Viewing your Library Viewing your library lets you see all the content you’ve uploaded to your BrightSign Network. 1. Sign in to BrightSign Network by clicking Tools > Sign in to BrightSign Network. 2. Click the Manage tab. 3. Click Library (below the Manage tab).
• Sort the list: You can adjust the list of dynamic playlists by clicking the column you want to use as the sort criteria. For example, to sort by name, click the name column. Click again to switch between ascending and descending order. Using Advanced Tools Advanced tools let you remotely control units on your BrightSign Network or set up a USB flash drive to retrieve device data and perform device actions.
specified data or perform the specified actions (e.g. reboot the player). The Advanced Tools window is divided into three tabs: the Setup USB Drive tab, as well as the Update Autorun and Unit Control tabs, which are only available if you have a BrightSign Network account. Complete the following steps to set up a USB flash drive: 1. Click Tools > Advanced. 2. Click the Setup USB Drive tab.
Complete the following steps to update the autorun on players linked to your BrightSign Network account: 1. Sign in to BrightSign Network by clicking Tools > Sign in to BrightSign Network. 2. Click Tools > Advanced. 3. Click the Update Autorun tab. A list of all your groups is displayed here. Check the checkboxes and then click Update now to update the Autorun version for those groups. Note: Visit this FAQ to learn how to distribute custom autorun scripts using the BrightSign Network.
Variables webpage, which allows you to modify User Variables using a web browser or the BrightSign App. Both features are enabled during the player setup process. Follow these steps to connect to the Diagnostic Web Server and User Variables page using a web browser: Note: Your PC or mobile device must be connected to the same local network as the BrightSign player. 1. Power off the BrightSign player. 2. Remove the SD card and USB drive (if applicable). 3. Power on the player and wait several minutes.
CHAPTER 13 – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS For additional Frequently Asked Questions, go to http://support.brightsign.biz/forums. Can I use BrightAuthor with the HD600 or HD2000? No. Currently, BrightAuthor only supports the following BrightSign players: XD230, XD1030, XD1230, HD110, HD120, HD210, HD210w, HD220, HD410, HD810, HD1010, HD1010w, HD1020, and TD1012. Can I open the autoplay.xml file using BrightAuthor? No. The autoplay.xml file that is generated when you publish a presentation is a playlist file.
Why does BrightAuthor take a long time to process my folder? If the folder you selected has a large number of images and videos, the Media Library may take a few minutes to update. Please be patient. Why can’t BrightAuthor locate my files when I try to publish my presentation? If you copy a presentation project from one computer to another, or move or rename files used in a BrightAuthor project, BrightAuthor cannot locate the files, and you will receive an error message when you try to publish.
APPENDIX A – REMOTE CONTROL PROTOCOLS Currently, BrightAuthor only supports the NEC remote control protocol. If you’d like to send or receive IR commands using Pronto Hex Code (PHC), you will need to use a custom script plug-in (see the BrightSign GitHub™ page for more details). Complete the following steps to set up your BrightSign player to communicate with an IR transmitter or receiver: 1. Create an Interactive Presentation. 2. Define either a Remote Input event or a Send IR Remote command. 3.
BRIGHT 4. Repeat the above steps for each remote input you want to define.
APPENDIX B – CHANGE LOG Version 3.5 April 11, 2013 • Revised Chapter 2 > Setting up a Player for Standalone Use Chapter 8 > Publishing with Local Storage to include information about publishing with USB drives and using password protection for these content updates. • Added additional information about using Portrait Orientation to Chapter 3 > Creating a Full-Screen Presentation. • • Revised the explanation in Chapter 4 > Event Handlers to include new Stop Playback functionality.
• Created a new chapter, “Chapter 10 – Presentation Properites” to house descriptions of all tabs in the Presentation Properties window. • • • • • Revised Chapter 10 > Variables to reflect User Variable system overhaul. Revised Chapter 10 > Autorun to describe new BrightAuthor plugin feature. Made several changes to Chapter 4 > Commands to reflect changes to the UI. Added new section, Chapter 3 > Audio Streams, to reflect new audio streaming feature.
• • Expanded the explanation for enabling a proxy server in Chapter 2 > Setting up BrightSign units. Added a description of Simple File Networking Authentication to Chapter 2 > Setting up BrightSign units. July 18, 2013 • • Added several caveats concerning using RSS feed URLS in MRSS states (and vice-versa). Added descriptions for the new Enable Update Notifications option to each publishing method section in Chapter 2.
• Added additional information to Chapter 9 > Importing and Exporting about importing User Variable sets that contain networked user variables. • Added notes to several sections concerning file formatting for SD cards. Version 3.8 January 27, 2014 • Added a new chapter that covers the process of creating BrightWall video wall presentations: Chapter 6 – Creating a BrightWall.
• Added description of new firmware update options in Chapter 9 > Publishing with Local Storage, Publishing with Simple File Networking, and Publishing with Local Networking. • • • Documented new functionality for limiting Twitter feeds to a number of most recent tweets in Chapter 3 > Twitter. Documented new background screen color functionality in every section of Chapter 2. Documented new Advanced Network Setup > Unit Configuration > Specify hostname option in every section of Chapter 2.
