tv tools

Transcription

tv tools

Table of contents
This is a user manual, for technical notes please go to :
http://www.tvtools.info/forum
I. TV Tools: general presentation
1. Introduction
2. A multi-platform system
3. The different levels
A. Level 1: Boxes
B. Level 2: Pages
C. Level 3: Designs
D. Level 4: Schedule
4. First steps with TV tools
5. Basic usage
6. Upload a schedule on PC-Player
7. The golden rule of utilization
8. Conclusion
p06
p06
p07
p07
p08
p08
p08
p09-10
p10-11
p11
p12
p12
II. The designer
1. Introduction
2. Design toolbar
A. Layout of the toolbar
B. General presentation of the different box types
C. Standard design tools
D. The layers
3. The page management toolbar
A. Commands to manage designs
B. Page management commands
C. Commands to view pages
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p15
p15
p16
p16
p17
p18
p18
III. Box details
1. Definition of the boxes
A. General
B. Insert an image file in a box
C. Modify a box
D. Basic functions on a box
2. Box settings
A. Effects on a box
B. Multibox mode
3. The background box
A. Create a background box
B. Background box settings
C. Schedule conditions
4. The image box
A. Create an image box
B. Modify an image box
C. Image box effects and settings
D. Text and image effects window
p20
p20
p21
p21
p22-23
p24-25
p26
p26-27
p28
p29
p29
p30
p31
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Table of contents
III. Details of the boxes (continuation…)
5. The text box
A. Create a text box
B. Modify a text box
C. Editing text
D. Colour and transparency
E. Effects and settings of a text box
F. Image and text effects
G. The insert text window
H. The paragraph settings window
6. The video box
A. Create a video box
B. Video box settings
C. Read a video file in designer using VLC
7. The animation box
A. Create an animation box
B. GIF-AVI-TGA animation box settings
C. Flash (swf) animation box settings
D. QuickTime (mov) animation box settings
E. URL animation box settings
F. Settings of a VLC box
G. PowerPoint settings
8. The sound box
A. Create a sound box
B. Sound box settings
9. Container and format editor
A. The container box
B. The format editor
C. Container and RSS feeds
D. Room booking
10. Information window
11. Timeline window
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p32
p32-33
p33-34
p34-35
p36-37
p38-47
p48
p49
p49-50
p51
p52
p52-53
p53
p54
p55-56
p57
p58
p59
p59-60
p61-67
p68-74
p75-78
p79-83
p84
p85-86
IV. The scheduler
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Definition
The schedule
Designs and videos settings
Create a group
Commands
A. Overlay
B. VLC
C. Externals
6. The layout of a schedule
7. The hierarchy of schedules
8. Examples of schedules
9. Design playout conditions
10. Export a schedule and its contents
11. Network topology
12. Send a schedule to the player
13. Multi-channel management
A. Configuration of designer
B. Configuration of player
C. Create a schedule to send to the player
D. Create a special element
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p88
p89-90
p91-92
p93
p94-97
p98
p99-100
p101
p102
p103-104
p105
p106
p107-108
p109
p110-111
p112
p113
p114-115
p116-118
Table of contents
IV. The scheduler (continuation…)
14. Multi-designer / multi-channel management
15. Inter-designer exchange
A. Sending a channel which belongs to another designer
B. Manual synchronization of designers
C. Automatic synchronization of designers
D. Replacing a designer with a new PC
16. Deployment wizard
17. Pull mode
A. Configuration of PC-player
B. Configuration of PC-design
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p120-122
p122-123
p123
p124
p125-127
p128
p129
V. Multizone
1.
2.
3.
4.
Multizone: definition
Using an existing multizone configuration
Creating a new multizone configuration
Multizone: details of the properties of a zone
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p131-132
p132-133
p134
V. Interactive access point
1. Introduction
2. Codes and automation
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p136-137
VII. Maintenance, configuration options and tips
1. Player workstation maintenance
2. Player PC Control
3. Configuration options
4. Logfile editor
5. Tips and tricks
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p140-143
p144-153
p154
p155-156
VIII. Practical exercise
1. Tutorial: Create a 16/9 design
p158-164
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I. General presentation
I. 1. Introduction
TV Tools is without doubt the easiest to use communication tool available today. Whether you are a
professional or a newcomer, TV Tools allows you to compile information in a dynamic way by using
a host of multi-media resources available, such as: images, text, sound, video or animations. All
these various media are combined in an effective way to present your video graphic messages. In
addition TV Tools allows you to create high quality TV programmes instantaneously.
I. 2. A multi platform system
TV Tools is made up of a multi-platform system allowing continuous play of your TV programmes.
This multi-system setup consists of a workstation dedicated to composing designs, (made up of
backgrounds, images, videos, animated graphics or text, etc.) called "PC-designer" and a
station handling only the playout of the designs called "PC-player".
Separating these tasks has three advantages:
• Modifying a design will not interrupt the playout (which will inevitably occur if a single
workstation cumulates the two functions.)
• The "PC-designer" and the "PC-player" can be at two different locations, regardless of the
distance, as long as they are connected via phone-line, an internal or public network.
• There is also the possibility of having one "PC-designer" at the head of the multi-site network
distributing the designs, not only to a single "PC-player" but using several "Players" networkwide.
PC-designer
Preparation, audiovisual
editing, creating designs
Audiovisual sources
Scanned images
To designer
Graphical
designs
DVD / CD-Rom
and Audio CD
Network
connection
PC-player
Storage for info graphics, videos and management of playout schedules.
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I. 3. The different levels
The information is set-up in various hierarchical levels, starting with the most simple up to the
most complex level. Four levels are defined :
• On level 1 : just like a book, we have text and images which we call "Boxes".
• On level 2 : these boxes, just like the text and the images of a book, are placed on "Pages".
• On level 3 : the pages are then gathered in chapters called "Designs".
• On level 4 : finally, the various chapters are gathered in the order you wish to diffuse them,
using a synopsis or a list called: "Schedule".
I. 3. A. Level 1: Boxes
This is the basic level of TV Tools: each box contains a specific type of file and each file has its
own attributes set by the user. The following 6 types exist :
• The background box : contains a basic image (full size of the workspace) on which all other
boxes will be superimposed. This picture MUST be in RGB, never use YMCK for any kind of
format. We advice to use JPEG standard (not progressive or web).
• The text box : contains the text with its attributes, such as font size, colour and layout.
• The image box : contains an image of any size and of the following formats: bmp, jpg, or tga
and png for routed images.
• The sound box : contains a sound sample or a complete piece of music in "wav", "mp3" or
"aif" format.
• The video box : contains a digitized video sequence of the following formats: AVI, native DV,
Windows Media Video (extension wmv), QuickTime (extension mov), Divx, MPEG 1, MPEG 2
or MPEG 4.
• The animation box : allows to play graphical animations (example: animated logo…) of
the gif, avi, tga, QuickTime, Flash (swf), URL, PowerPoint and VLC formats.
Notes : The boxes do not always contain information represented in a graphical format. Certain
boxes, such as the video, sound and animation boxes (for certain file types) are displayed as a
grey box containing only the file without any graphical display.
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I. 3. B. Level 2 : Pages
A page is made up of several boxes placed on a full screen background image. Each page
complies with a time limit : you can choose at what point a box will appear and with what kind of
effect. The total display time of a page is the sum of the time attributed to each box. Each box
has a sequence number and a pausing time in order to regulate the order of appearance. Each
box has either a numerical order of display or a start and finish time for the effect : this allows
you to adjust the appearance, the length of time on screen and the disappearance of each one
and thus give rhythm to the sequence of the page. A page can be very simple and last only a
very short moment (example : a background and a text which is posted). It can also be very
complex and last much longer : a background image with several image boxes and text boxes
combined with different special effects, and maybe some video sequences following each other.
Note that a page only has one background image. On the other hand, you can combine an
unlimited number of types of box on this background image.
I. 3. C. Level 3 : The Designs
The complexity of a page is only limited by the readability of the layout. Just like somebody could
write a whole book on only one page, by writing very small and tightened, a page could contain
dozens of superimposed boxes.
As for the chapters of a book, to support the comprehension and the clarity of the message, the
designs in general contain a succession of pages dealing with the same topic or subtopics : for
example the designs "weather", "sport", "news", "reports", "horoscope", "magazine", "diary", etc.
I. 3. Level 4 : Schedule
A schedule is a list of designs following each other. The schedule is the most complex level : just
like a traditional TV programme, it displays a sequence of designs played to the public.
A schedule allows two types of playouts :
• Mode one time : the scheduler plays the designs only once in the listed order.
• Loop mode : the designs are played in a continuous loop. Arrived at the end of the last design
of the list, the scheduler instantaneously will charge the beginning of the first design and will
perpetuate a loop which will be played endlessly until the next time constraint (if it exists).
The playing of designs in loop mode allows for continued playout with a restricted number of
designs.
Time constraints :
In each one of these two modes, you can allot time constraints. You can thus compose the
playout of each one of your designs at the time of your choice. This scheduling not only makes
it possible to arrange bulks of specialised designs with well defined schedules (e.g. designs on
daily life in the morning, do-it-yourself programmes in the afternoon, shows and cultural events
in the evening) and to diffuse particular designs. For example : News flashes at every hour or
why not of a group of several designs at various hours of the day.
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I. 4. First steps with TVTools
The TV Tools suite is based on three softwares :
• The Designer : for creating and editing designs and CGI.
• The Scheduler : for create schedules based on videos and designs.
• The Player : play out the schedule content on PC-designer or PC-player.
The first step, before to start any action with TV Tools, is to verify the software is setup with
the correct language. For that, go to Scheduler then select in the menu file/options/choose
language.
1
General tab - Language choice
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I. 4. First steps with TVTools
In the second step you have to setup the working resolution (can be different than the real
VGA resolution, only the aspect ratio 4/3 or 16/9 is important). Go to Options / Configuration
choice : for 16/9 use 1024x576 and for 4/3 use 800x600.
2
General tab – Configuration choice
I. 5. Basic usage
From main screen of the Scheduler you can create your content via menu Go to / Designer
(or press F9 key). This function start the software which create designs. You can create new
computer graphics or update existing content.
The main features of the Designer are edit text boxes, images, videos animations (level 1)…
These boxes will be set into pages (level 2) and you can add pages into a design (level 3). Then
you will edit your schedule (level 4) into the Scheduler adding the different designs setup play
out order and time.
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I. 5. Basic usage
Once the designs and schedule are made you have to test the content on your PC Designer.
Start your scheduler then from menu Go to / Preview (F10 Key) for full screen play out. The play
out will begin from the line selected in schedule. The play out will play once the different events
undependably of conditional start. When the play out is finished the play out exit and return to
scheduler.
If you want to see the real play out, including conditional start, use the Player software instead
the Preview. Watch out to save key name file like ‘’schedule.xml’’.
Using the Player software guarantee a good play out PC Player without any trouble like bad file
name or wrong conditional start. If you have made a loop, the play out will be endless until you
press ‘’Escape’’ on your keyboard.
I. 6. Upload a schedule on PC-Player
Once the designs and the schedule made, then tested with the Player on PC-Designer you can
transfer this content to PC Player. For that, use from the menu of Scheduler Player / Send
Schedule.
You will be able to select which PC-Player
you want to upload with which schedule
(schedule.xml by default).
You can select as many PC-Player or
schedule you want. The PC-Designer will
be the organizer of your content.
After you have choose the PC-Player and the schedule, the system will upload only new data.
There is a sync database into TVTools for this. The only requirement is an IP network.
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I. 7. The golden rule of utilization
• In order to work on a box itself and not its content (ex.: create or move a box) you should use
the left mouse button on the selected icon or box. A single click on a box will select it, and
mark it with a white and black dashed line around: you can now move the box or change its
size. To increase or reduce the size of a text or image box homothetically (i.e. retaining the
height-width ratio of the box) : go to the bottom right corner of the box while holding down the
"shift" button, then move the mouse without releasing "shift". You can randomly change the
size of a box by selecting one of the borders and moving the mouse in the desired direction.
• In order to access the parameters of a box: you should place the cursor above the box and
click the right mouse button.
• To remove a box from a page: first select the box with the left mouse button and hit the "Del" key.
I. 8. Conclusion
TV Tools allows you to produce a kind of animated book, which contains not only text and images
but also dynamic elements (video sequences, animations, display and the disappearing of different
boxes with special effects and movements etc.). The smallest components of this animated book are
boxes containing specific information (e.g. text, image, sound video): thus there exists a variety of
boxes specific to each type of information.
The boxes are organised in time and position on the space of "pages". Like a book, a page
can only contain a certain limited quantity of information in order to guarantee good reading.
Therefore you will compose as many pages to hold all the information you want to pass on. The
sequence of the pages will be grouped in "designs", which will finally be played out according to
a list and sequence of play called the "schedule".
This very strict hierarchical concept allows the user to easily intervene at the different levels of
the whole system.
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II. 1. Introduction
To access the Designer from within the Scheduler, select from the top menu "Go To / Designer" (or
hit F9). The Designer is the main TV Tools screen in the PC-design : it contains the tools necessary
for setting up your designs as pages. These pages are made up of different types of boxes (e.g.
backgrounds, texts, images, sounds, videos) and each one of these boxes will appear, disappear and
temporise according to the applied conditions and attributes. The window of the Designer programme
is split up into 4 main areas :
1
a top "menu bar"
2 a "workspace" in the middle of the screen
where the different boxes composing your page
will be placed.
3
a "page management bar" at the bottom of the screen
4 and a "design toolbar" set out in a column on the
right of the screen.
1 The top menu
contains the main groups of commands and basic functions (open and save files, copy, cut, paste or delete
elements, manage pages, etc.), but also options and settings.
2 The workspace : In this area the contents of a page will be
composed. This is the only area that will be displayed during the
playout of a page or design. You can enable an Overscan zone,
which allows you to position the boxes into the visible zone of the
playout screen (Menu File/options/choose configuration).
3 The page management toolbar contains
all commands for managing pages (add, insert,
or delete a page) in a design, as well as viewing
pages (go to the beginning or end of a design,
go one page forward or backward and define
the page and the preview of the design from the
selected page on.
4 The design toolbar contains icons to
create boxes (background, text, image, video,
sound animation), text management, tools of
the work pallet (colours, pipette, front - or
background colour of a box, transparency of
a box, etc.), as well as the layer handling.
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II. 2. Design toolbar
II. 2. A. Layout of the design toolbar
This toolbox contains the main functions you need to create your designs. Above all it allows you
to create different types of box. In addition the toolbar contains principal functions to manage
text.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Icons to create boxes : There are 6 icons to create the following
boxes : background, image, video, text, animation and soundboxes.
These distinct icons allow you to obtain, classify and order the
files necessary for the design of your pages.
The standard tools of the designer applicable to all types of
box : cut, copy, paste and delete a box. Here you also find icons
for a snap-grid an Overscan-grid and the move to front or move
backwards command.
Standard text tools : font-type and -size, line spacing, character
style (bold, italics, underlined) end alignment.
Colour and transparency pallet : define front and background
colour of a text box; define transparency of text, animation and
image boxes.
Layers : allows to select what layer (number) should be visible.
II. 2. B. General presentation of the different box types
1
Icon "background box" : allows you to select images as the background of a page of a given
size. Caution : each page can have only one background.
2
"Image box" icon allows you to place images of any size on the pages. You can place as many
images as you want on the same page.
3
"Video box" icon allows inserting a video sequence on your design as full screen or in window
mode for your computer graphics designs.
4
"Text box" icon to deal with text you want to display on the pages.
5
"Animation box" icon: to add animations to your designs.
6
"Sound box" icon : allows you to create sound boxes, which will play music, to programme a
music playlist or to select an external sound source such as a radio station.
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II. 2. Design toolbar
II. 2. C. Standard design tools
Cut, copy, and paste : react directly on the
selected boxes. These functions do not work on the
"background box": to do this, use the functions in
the "pages" menu at the top of the screen.
Delete : will delete a box.
Snap-grid : will enable a snap-grid which can be
configured in the options menu of the scheduler.
This grid allows you to easily align several boxes.
Move to front and move backward : allows you to
move a selected box in front or behind another box,
independent of its appearing order.
Overscan grid : displays a dashed box around the
visible zone of the player screen. Note that any
item or part of an item outside of this box will not be
displayed during the playout. For 16/9 play out on
VGA display this function is not useful because the
entire area is visible.
II. 2. D. The layers
TV Tools does not limit the number of boxes per page.
However to simplify working with boxes that may cover
each other and to improve the visibility of a page, you
can work on 4 different layers. You can attribute a specific layer to each type of box : within the
parameter window of this box.
In the design toolbar, on the other hand, the layer menu is activated by default in the "all" mode: this
displays all 4 layers of one page. For a better display and to simplify the composition work, you can
select only one of the four layers to display.
.
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II. 3. The page management toolbar
The page management toolbar.
New design.
Selection frame of current page.
Open existing design.
Delete current page.
Save and Save as.
Preview current design.
Selection frame of current page.
Go to the end of the design.
Go to next page.
Number of selected page within the design.
Go to previous page.
Insert a page between two pages.
Go to start of design.
Add a page to the end of the design.
II. 3. A. Commands to manage designs
To open, save or create a new design you have the following 4 icons :
allows to create a new blank design.
allows to open an existing design.
save modifications of the current design.
save modifications of the current design with a new name.
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II. 3. The page management toolbar
II. 3. B. Page management commands
As each design consists of a number of pages, you can manage with the page management
toolbar :
Add a page allows you to create a new blank page at
the end of the current design.
Insert a page allows adding a new page before the
current page.
Delete a page will remove
the current page.
II. 3. C. Commands to view pages
At the bottom of the screen this toolbar displays thumbnails of the pages. These pages are
numbered by default (unless you have given your background box a page name, such as "intro").
Click on one of these thumbnails, and it will be framed by a white outline and displayed on the
work screen : This allows you to easily modify the current page and any other page of the design.
This toolbar can display 8 thumbnails at a time. A scrollbar at the bottom will make it possible to
move across all pages within a design regardless of the number of pages.
Note : If at any time you notice that the images on the page are different from those in the
thumbnails, select the "Design - Update - Thumbnails" function in the menu bar at the top of the
screen. All thumbnails will be updated.
These commands allow you to move between the pages of a
design: to go to the first page of the design in use, to the last
page, and to the preceding or following page. A counter displays you the number of the current
page with the total number of pages within the current design. Ex.: Example : 1 / 4 means that
the current page is the first of 4 pages. You can click in this counter and type in the number of
the page you want to go to, then press "Enter" to execute.
This preview button allows you to play the current design from the selected page on
within the designer. You can leave the preview at any time by hitting the "Escape" button
on the keyboard. If you hit the "Ctrl" key while clicking this button, you will have a preview of the
design identical to what will be seen on the player schedule (the design is played with the TV
Tools Player).
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III. 1. Box details
III. 1. A. General
To create a box, select the type of box you wish to create by clicking the left mouse button on the
corresponding icon of the design toolbar. These icons correspond to the 6 types of boxes
available (background box, image box, text box, video box, sound box and animation box).
III. 1. B. Insert an image file in a box
To upload an image, click the left mouse button on the image or background icon. You have two
types of file explorers. You can select the type of file explorer in the design - options menu :
• The windows explorer, which gives you access to classical file management (copy-paste,
rename, delete, move etc.).
• The TV Tools requester *: Your research will be made easy by having a small preview of all
available images including the transparent tga files. This method is very handy for a simple and
convivial use of images within TV Tools.
* The TV Tools requester window
Indicator : gives you information on the name
of the image you click on, its size in pixels and
its date. If you select a folder, only its name and
creation date will be displayed.
Folder button : corresponds to a folder. By
double clicking on it, you can open it and select
an image inside.
Image button : a thumbnail displays the images
and allows a quick research of images. To
upload an image you need to double click on it
Return button.
Cancel button.
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III. 1. Box details
III. 1. C. Modify a box
• To move a box, click on it and keep the left button of the mouse pressed down : the box will
then follow the movement of your mouse. You can also move a box pixel by pixel with the
cursor keys, as well as 10 pixels by 10 pixels with the cursor keys while holding down the shift
key.
• To change the size of a box, you only need to place your cursor on one of the borders of the
box. The cursor will change into pointers showing the direction into which you can change the
size of the box. In order to change the size of the box by hitting the aspect ratio, click on the
lower right-hand corner, while holding down the shift key.
• To modify a box, hold down the "Ctrl" key and use the cursor keys. The box will change the
size pixel by pixel. You can also press the "Shift" and "Ctrl" key at the same time while using
the cursor keys in order to change the size 10 pixels by 10 pixels.
• You can also manually resize the text of a box by holding down the "shift" key and clicking the
lower right corner of the box with your mouse. The characters will change their size accordingly.
• You can delete a box by clicking on it with the left mouse button and hitting the "Del" button
or by selecting the delete function from the box menu in the top menu.
III. 1. D. Basic functions on a box
From the top menu "boxes" you select the following functions for boxes :
•
•
•
•
•
•
Select (Ctrl) : allows to add or remove selections to your current selected box.
Select all (Ctrl+A) : will select all boxes on the current page.
Copy (Ctrl+C) : will copy the selected box or selected text.
Cut (Ctrl+X) : will copy the selected box or text into the clipboard wile deleting it.
Paste (Ctrl+V) : will paste the previously copied or cut box next to it.
Paste (Ctrl + Shift + V) : will copy the previously copied or cut box to the exact same position.
This is very handy if you want to create a sequence of images on the same place.
• Undo (Ctrl + Z) : will undo one or more of the previous actions.
• Redo (Ctrl + Y) : will redo one or more of the previous actions.
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III. 2. Box settings
Each box has different settings. To access these settings you only need to click the right mouse
button on the corresponding box. These settings can be accessed via one or more tab windows*.
*Here you see the Background box with the parameters, conditions and interactive access point
III. 2. A. Effects on a box
• Image and text boxes can appear or disappear in various manners on the screen: in one shot
directly on its location without any transition (effect cut), or in a softer more dynamic manner by
using one of the appearing or disappearing transition effects. The following list shows the available
effects :
Move - Slide - 2D Effects (containing
an assortment of effects including
background shapes and various iris
openings) - Iris in bar mode - Slow Fly-over - Shutters - Zigzag and
some Zooms.
Note : For a text box you can use the same effects as for an image box with the exception of two
additional effects for specific text: the rolling effect (allows you to roll a text horizontally within a
text box) and scrolling effect (allows you to scroll a text vertically).
• After selecting a transition effect
you can select variants of that effect
(Example: in the "move" folder, you
can choose from 8 options to decide
on the direction in which the box will
move and the times at which it will
appear and disappear).
• You can also add a fade effect to any other effect. In order to do
this you need to select either V1 or V2 in the menu "appearing
effect" and/or "disappearing effect". This corresponds to 2 types of
fading speed. (V1 for normal speed and V2 for high speed).
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• After setting the time at which the box appears, you can set a pause timed in seconds. To do
this, use the "waiting time before disappearing" function. This time corresponds to the time the
box will be displayed at its fixed position on the screen. After this pause, the box can stay in that
place until the next page is displayed or until the disappearing effect takes place.
• The disappearing effects are identical to the appearing effects, with the exception that they will
remove the box instead of displaying it.
Window of the image box effects
Select Layer on which
the box will be placed
Folders containing sub-effects or
variants of the selected effect.
Choose from appearing and
disappearing effect.
Name of appearing effect +
direction or variant of effect.
Waiting time : For a cross fade added to the chosen
effect with two speed (V1 normal, V2 fast)
Selection of effect speed
Time in from the start in second
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III. 2. B. Multibox mode
• The multibox mode permits you to play several boxes simultaneously, while controlling the times
of appearance and disappearance individually. You can therefore precisely synchronize the boxes
with each other.
• This mode is used to make designs which are much more dynamic. In this mode the timing
control of the boxes is done in seconds, with the option of adding decimals (example : 1.5 for one
and a half seconds) so that you can have sequences between different boxes that are both very
quick and precise.
• If the design of your pages requires the use of many boxes, it will be easy to set through the
window "Timeline" in the menu "Window / Timeline" of the Designer.
By default if you do not give time of appearance and disappearance to your box, it is considered
included with the page and will appear on the screen with the effect that you assigned to the
background.
24
Type of appearing effect
This is a move effect - moving towards the
bottom right. This effect is coupled with a
transition (V1 selected).
Start time of the appearing effect
Type of disappearing effect
This is a 2D effect called star 20.
This effect is also couple
with a transition (V1 selected).
Start time of the disappearing effect
• For a more precise timing of the boxes the times can be entered with decimals. (Example : the
box will arrive on the page with a move effect "move down to the right" one and a half seconds
(1.5s) after the end of the appearing effect of the background and will disappear 6 seconds later
with a 2D star 20 effect).
• Based on the previous example, if you would like to have a second box appearing 2 seconds
after the first and have them both disappear at the same time as in the previous example, you
should enter an appearing time of "3.5" and a disappearing time of "6". In this case, the second
box will stay on screen for a total of 2.5 seconds.
25
III. 3. The background box
The backgrounds are images particularly designed to have the same size as the workspace
(Example : 800x600 (4/3 format) - 1024x768 pixels (16/9)). In the event that the selected background
image does not have the same size as the defined workspace, it will be stretched to fill the entire
workspace, without respecting the aspect ratio. There is only one background box per page on
which the other boxes will be positioned. The background box cannot be resized or repositioned.
The background images must be of the JPG format and in RGB mode (standard base format
and not in optimised format).
III. 3. A. Create a background box
In order to create a background box, you only need to click the background icon
on the design toolbar with the left mouse button. This opens, depending on
which type of requester was configured in the options menu, the Windows explorer
or the TV Tools requester. You will access directly the TV Tools / background folder,
where the library of all available background images is stored. Double-click on
the image of your choice.
III. 3. B. Background box settings
To access the background box settings, you do the same as with any other box. Click on the
background in the workspace with the right mouse button. A window opens with different settings
unique to the background box.
• A background box has only one transition
effect compared to text, image, or
animation boxes - the appearing effect.
The disappearing takes place through the
appearance of another background box
which replaces the previous one.
• However, there are a lot more effects
available than for image, or text boxes. They
are available in folders, which contain the
different effects as thumbnails. (Example :
here you see the folder Iris and its different
type of effects). To leave a folder, click on
the first top left icon represented by a left
arrow.
26
Speed of effect.
Windows of background box settings
Name of the image used in the background box
Name of the page which will be visible in the page management bar (p.14).
Name and variant of the selected effect.
Preview button will display the selected
effect with two fictitious images.
Thematic folders grouping the variants of the
background appearing effects.
Waiting time after the effect : in this example there will be a pause of 1 second
before the appearance of other boxes on the page.
Final waiting time : this is the total display time for the page. In the above
example the page will be displayed for 3 seconds. If you have other types of box
(text, images, animations, etc.) on this page which are set to display for more
than 3 seconds, the total time will be determined by default by the time of the
last box. You have the option of changing the setting in the schedule:
File/Options/Player/Playing by replacing the waiting time of the page set in
"from the start" mode with "from the end" (see options p. 130). In this case there
will be a 3 second pause after the effect of the last box on the page before
moving onto the next page.
27
III. 3. C. Schedule conditions
To each page of a design you can attribute schedule conditions, independent of other pages in
the design. Imagine that within a design, which will play daily, you want to display one or more
pages only during a certain period without having to intervene those days. In order to do this,
click on the background box conditions tab, which will give you three options :
• Give a start date and an end date of the playout. In addition you can add the exact hour for the
start and end of the playout. In example 1 the page will display from December 25th at noon
until December 31st at 20:30.
• Give a daily time slot to playout the page. Example 2 allows you to insert a page only within
the give time slot even if the design will play in loops all day long. Within example 2 the page will
only display during the day from 15:00 to 17:15.
• Allow one or more days for your playout. In example 3 your page will be played every Friday,
Saturday and Sunday. For more precise selections, this function can be combined with the start
and end date of the playout as well as with the daily playout time slot.
Example 1: Start and end date of the playout + schedule of start and end time.
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
28
III. 4. The image box
TV Tools works with 2 types of image boxes: opaque images such as BMP format and routed
images in the TGA 32 bits or PNG formats. Contrary to the background box, images contained
in image boxes can be of any size. In both cases, make sure that they are set in a resolution of
72 DPI and in RVB mode (in the file setting option, select "no" for the interlacing).
bmp image
(opaque)
TGA or
PNG image
(transparency)
III. 4. A. Create an image box
To create an image box, you only need to click the image icon on the design
toolbar using the left mouse button. You can then choose your image from the
Windows Explorer in the root or in subdirectory tvtools\images. Double click on
your image to open it. The image will be displayed at the top left of the work
area.
III. 4. B. Modify an image box
• To move a box, click the left mouse button on the box and move it while keeping the mouse
button pressed. Release the mouse button at the correct position. You can also move the box
with the cursor keys.
• To resize an image box, place the cursor on one of its borders and resize it. You can resize a
box more precisely (pixel by pixel) with the cursor keys and the "Ctrl" key held down. While
holding down the "Ctrl" and "Shift" keys, the box will resize 10 pixels by 10 pixels. When clicking
on the lower right corner while holding down the "Shift" key, the box will change its size with
correct aspect ratio.
29
III. 4. C. Image box effects and settings
• A box image has an effect of appearance and disappearance and multiple effects and sub effects.
You can also assign your timings, place a melted appearance and disappearance in addition to
other effects, and choose to place your image on one of the 4 layers available on the page. You
be able to superimpose the images while keeping the opportunity to choose and to act above
manually. By default each new image is placed on Layer 1. Choose then the number of layers you
want to see in the working area by the Intermediate icons Layers (All, 1, 2, 3 or 4) of the window
of tools.
• Note that by default if you do not give effects or timing, images arrive at the same time as the
merits and with the effect of the background.
• To use imported images set them in TGA or PNG formats. The transparency of the TGA and
PNG images is automatically recognised by TV Tools.
• There is no limit in the number of images per page.
The opacity bar on the design toolbar: this allows you to set the percentage
of transparency of the images. By default the opacity of each image box is
set to 100%. The modified value will be used throughout its visibility on the screen
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III. 4. D Text and image effects window
A separate window allows you to add shadows and 3D rotations to your image boxes. To access
this window, go to the "window" menu and select "Image and Text effects" (shortcut : function
key F4).
Caution : most of these functions are in principle only applicable to text boxes. On the print
screen below those zones not applicable to image boxes are greyed out.
"Text effects" window
These 3 levels allow to adjust the space between character and
shadow, blur value (from clear to more blur) and the intensity of
the shadow (from transparent to more and more opaque).
Shadow colour.
Shadow direction.
Enable shadow.
Reset rotation values to zero.
3D Rotation
on X, Y and Z axis.
Rotate on one or more axes (possibility to combine) in combination
with the appearing and disappearing effects assigned to the
box. You can vary the number of turns in 3 speeds: V1, V2 or V3.
31
III. 5. The text box
III. 5. A. Create a text box
To create a text box, you only need to click the text icon on the design toolbar
using with the left mouse button. A rectangle with the message "New text box"
will automatically be placed in the top left corner of the workspace. This box with
a white and black dashed frame sets the borders of the text box. To modify the
text, double click on the box. The blinking text cursor will appear.
III. 5. B. Modify a text box
A text box has two modes of operation : an "edit mode" where a cursor allows you to edit the text
in the box like any other editor, and a "select mode" that allows you to work on the size and
position of the box. Change mode :
• To switch from editor mode to select mode: click once outside of the box.
• To switch from select mode to edit mode: double click the box.
• To move a text box, click on the box using the left mouse button and move it while holding down
the mouse button. Release the mouse button at the correct position. (Other shortcuts to move and
resize a box, see p.18).
• In edit mode, you can copy, cut and paste text or portions of text from another text box.
You can also import text in TV Tools from another text processing application via the Windows
clipboard.
III. 5. C. Editing text
The editing and layout of the text is done with tools dedicated to text boxes from the design
toolbar.
Select font : Drop down menu to select fonts from the
Windows "fonts" directory. The available fonts are
those installed on the designer-PC in your Windows
"fonts" directory. You can use several fonts with different attributes (e.g. size, colour) in the same
text box.
Caution : Make sure you only use True Type fonts (marked with a double 'T') in your designs,
and not screen fonts. Do not forget to install the same fonts you use on the designer, also on the
player.
32
Font Size : you can select a predefined font size between 8 and
72 points from a drop down list. You can also enter a precise
value in this field.
Line spacing : allows you to adjust the space between lines.
You can choose from between normal line spacing, 1/half, double.
You can also type the value you want to use.
Alignment : you can choose from 4 modes of alignment (left,
right, centre and justified).
Font style : you can add the following styles to your text (bold,
italics and or underlined).
III. 5. D Colour and transparency
Pipette : allows you to memorise a text or background
colour of a text box.
Text colour
Background colour :
Text box background or page background colour.
Reset transparency :
to reset the transparency of a text box.
Opacity level : allows you to set the level of transparency
to text, image and animation boxes.
Click on a text box and then on the pipette icon: the background colour and
the text colour of the selected text box will be memorised on the toolbar.
• To add colour to characters : select the character or group of words you want to add colour
to, then click the left colour box on the toolbar.
• To add colour to the background of the text box : click the second (right) colour box on the
toolbar. Remember that every new text box will have a transparent background.
• To add a uniform background colour to your page : If you do not want to have an image
set as a background box on your page but only a uniform colour, you can select the colour by
clicking on the same (right) colour box on the toolbar. This requires that no box is selected.
33
1
2
1
Character colour :
To add colour to the
selected text. You can
use different colours in
the same text box.
2
Background colour :
You can choose
between two modes
for the background
of text boxes : "fill"
or "transparent".
In fill mode you can
select a uniform colour
from the colour palette.
Colour palette : This window opens when you click on the text colour or background colour box
of the toolbar. You can enter values in R-V-B mode as colour reference. You can also add and
save your own personal colour range. To do this, define a colour and click on the button "add to
personal colours".
The button "transparent mode" of the text box : if you have previously added a colour
to the box, you can go back to the original transparency of the box by clicking this icon.
The opacity level : allows you to set the percentage of transparency of a
text box, but also of an image and animation box. By default each box is
opaque at 100%. You can set the box transparent by sliding the cursor or by typing a value in
the percentage field next to it.
III. 5. E. Effects and settings of a text box
• Like the image box, the text box has an effect of appearance and disappearance. But compared
to the boxes images, you have two specific effects text : the rolling (to make a running text
horizontally inside the box text) and the effect scrolling (to make a vertical scrolling text). In both
cases, type your text without worrying about formatting, TV Tools will automatically scrolling or
the course given the speed that you give your mailbox (slow, normal, fast or very fast). The
visibility of the text will be limited by the edges of the box: if you want to get a scrolling text on
the screen while stretching your text box from one end to another on the screen.
34
Example of rolling effect in a text box : The text will roll from right to left across the page (more
precisely : from right border to the left border of the box) regardless of its length. You can adjust
the rolling speed between slow, normal, fast and very fast.
Example of scrolling effect in a text box : This time, the text will scroll from the bottom to the top
of the page (more precisely : from the bottom border to the top border of the box). You can adjust
the scrolling speed between slow, normal, fast and very fast.
You can use supplementary settings with the rolling and scrolling effects:
Setting "1": allows you to set up a rolling sequence while the page is displayed.
Setting "2": also allows you to set up a sequence using variables, such as #FIC or #RSS.
35
III. 5. F. Image and text effects
A separate window allows you to add effects to the text such as: adding shadow, add volume to
text with extrusion, add a frame to the text box, and add images as texture on the characters or
the background of the text box. To access this window, go to the "window" menu and select
"Image and Text effects" (shortcut : function key F4).
These text effects allow for more creativity on your pages, especially if they have little content.
All modifications made to a text box can be seen directly in the edit mode.
"Text effects" window
These 3 levels allow to adjust the space between character
and shadow, blur value (from clear to more blur) and the
intensity of the shadow (from transparent to more and more
opaque).
Enable
shadow.
Activate
extrusion.
Shadow colour.
Colour and
thickness
of extrusion.
Shadow direction.
Direction of
extrusion.
Setup of image
background and letter
in center mode,
stretching or mosaic.
Select image
as background
of text box.
Select frame type
to be inserted
around the text box.
Select image for
character texture.
Enable colour
gradation.
Reset rotation
values to zero.
Select
gradient colours.
3D Rotation on
X, Y and Z axis.
Rotate on one or more axes (possibility to combine)
in combination with the appearing and disappearing
effects assigned to the box. You can vary the number
of turns in 3 speeds : V1, V2 or V3.
36
Gradient style
(linear, radial,
rhombus).
III. 5. F. Text effects
Example 1 : Apply black shadow and an extrusion colour with certain depth. In this example, the
text box stays transparent on the page.
Example 3 : Add an image as texture to
the characters ; add colour and depth of
extrusion and a frame model. Each frame
model can be colorized by selecting the
colour from the frame colour filed.
Example 2 : Apply black shadow and a
background image to the box. The format
of these images can be "bmp" or "tga" and
"png" if you want to add transparency.
When you click the open icon you go
straight to the "pattern" folder, which
contains more than 300 predefined forms.
Here you can add your own patterns,
designs, or textures. In this example, the
text box has also a rotation effect applied
to it (see previous page).
37
III. 5. G. The insert text window
TV Tools allows inserting preconfigured text by typing specific code in a text box. These codes
are available from the "insert text" window. To access this window select "insert text" from the
top menu "window" (or use function key F3 as shortcut).
The insert text window
1 To use a code in a text box, first double
click in the box to get into editing mode
(used to import text).
1
2 Then select the variable you need from
the list in the "insert text" window.
3 Click the "insert" button. Some variables
need a file outside TV tools, which you will
have to specify (such as #BDD, #CAL, #FIC,
#FIN, #HTP and #RSS).
2
3
4 Then a window will open - you must
indicate the destination of the file to be
included.
After validation the variable will move to the
text box as a code. It will only be replaced by
the related information when the page is in
reading mode.
4
38
Below is the list of automatic inserts available from TV Tools and its functions.
#NUM
Number of the page within the design (1/10)
#DAT
Full date in capitals or lower-case letters
(monday 26 october or MONDAY 26 OCTOBER)
#DAJ
Name of the day (monday)
#DAM
Name of the month (october)
#DNJ
Number of the day within the month (26)
#DNM
Number of the month (10)
#DNA
Number of the year (2002)
#DAF
Full date in figures (26/10/02)
#HEU
Exact time (15:12)
#HEH
Hour only (15)
#HEM
Minutes only (12)
#FET
Name day Saints - example : name day of Thérèse, Teresa, Aurélie
#FER
Name of Saint's day (restricted to one saint) - example : Thérèse day
#RTF"C:\fichier.rtf".
This variable allows you to insert text with different attributes (e.g. font
size, colour) created in Word, WordPad or other text editors, as a text box.
#BDD
Insert a field from a database (Microsoft Excel) into a text box.
#CAL"C:\fichier.txt"
Insert a text file linked to an automatic diary.
#CSV"C:\fichier.txt"3,2. Insert a text file with unlimited fields. Option to do the same with images.
#FIC"C:\fichier.txt"
Insert an external text file in "txt" format, with the option of taking on the
same general format (font, size, colour effects) used in the main text.
#FIN"C:\fichier.txt"2.
An advanced #FIC function which allows you to import a line into a text box.
In this example, the number "2" will display the third line of the text file
(first line corresponds to "0").
#HTP
Insert text from a page with a URL.
#RSS
Insert and set RSS flux into a text box.
39
Each variable in a text box can have the same attributes as normal text : font size, font type,
colour, text effects (shadow, extrusion) and appearing and disappearing effects on the text box.
Example of the automatic variable #CAL
The variable #CAL uses a file format "txt" similar to that of "Fetes.txt." You can easily create your
file linked to a calendar year from the Scheduler "Go / Calendar Editor." We will use this editor
to simulate management Daily pharmacies custody of a city. To modify this file use WordPad.
1
First stage :
"Calendar Editor" go in "File
/ New" and then select the
first row. Enter the content to
take office the date in the
area text at the bottom.
Then click on the line next to
renew the operation on all
your dates to come. Save
your file then ( "File / Save").
2 Second stage : in the Designer, double
click in a text box for switch in edit mode,
then choose the #CAL variable in the list of
the window "Insert text." To validate the
function click on "insert".
3 Third stage : specify the location of the
text file to be inserted in the Windows
Explorer. Then preview the page to verify
that the content displayed is in accordance
with the current date.
40
Example of the automatic variable #FIN
The variable #FIN is also based on a "txt" format file. Rather than inserting a block of text, you
can choose the line(s) you want to appear by giving it/them different text formats. On the other
hand, you can only insert one #FIN function at a time. You will therefore have to put the same
number of variables into the box as the number of text fields you want to display on the page. In
the following example, we simulate the automated price fluctuation of assorted floral bouquets in
a cooperative of florists.
1 First step : With WordPad, enter the list of
fluxer bouquets and their price per line into a txt
file. You only have to modify the text file to update
the playing. This will allow it to be used by
anyone, even with no knowledge of the TV Tools
system.
Caution : the first line of the text file (in this
example "Example of florists' charges") is
recognised by TV Tools as line 0. Line 1 will
therefore be "ORCHIDES".
2 Second step : Double click on the text box to
move into editing mode, then select the variable
#FIN from the list in the "insert text" window. Click
on "insert" to confirm this function.
3 Third step : Specify the destination of the
text file (in "txt" format) to be inserted simply by
clicking on it in the Windows Explorer window, as
opposite.
41
Example of the automatic variable #FIN (to follow...)
4 Fourth step : the menu opposite transforms the original text file into "txt" format in a sequence of
clickable lines. Select the line you want to insert from the list, then confirm your choice by clicking on "OK".
If you need to deal directly with the original text file, you can do so with WordPad by clicking on "Edit" at
the bottom of this menu.
• A look at the text box in editing mode or in normal
mode in the designerper.
• How the text box looks as the design is read in
designer or as it is being played.
42
Example of the automatic variable #RSS
The RSS (Really Simple Syndication) fluxes allow you to display information on an internet site
without visiting it. By giving the URL of a flux, the #RSS variable will update the contents in real
time to display the latest news.
1
First step : double click on the text box to move into edit mode, then select the variable #RSS from
the list in the "insert text" window. Click on "insert" to confirm this function.
2
Second step : enter the URL of your RSS flux in the "RSS flux settings" window.
Options to insert images from the flux into a text box.
Options to run the RSS flux in rolling, URL
address of the RSS flux to display the
description of the flux together with titles and
to select categories from within the flux when
they have been defined.
URL of your RSS flux
Display the contents of the
flux in the viewing frame.
Viewing frame with the RSS flux
Maximum number
of topics you want
to display.
A view of the flux in Internet Explorer 7.
Access to a list of examples of RSS
fluxs and to previous fluxes used.
List of the categories
linked to the RSS flux.
43
Example of the automatic variable #CSV
The #CSV variable, as its name suggests, is based on a text file in "csv" format. In the following
example we simulate a weather service optimized to function dynamically due to the csv file
updates.
1 First step : Setting up your file: above is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing the various fields
required. Put your file into CSV format (the separating punctuation must be a semicolon).
2 Second step : double click on the text box to
move into edit mode, then select the variable #CSV
from the list in the "insert text" window, then click
on "insert" to confirm the function.
3 Third step : Specify the destination of the "csv"
file to be inserted in the box by clicking on it in the
Windows Explorer window.
44
4
Fourth step : Click on the chosen line and type the number of the field you want to insert in the text box.
Line number to be displayed
5
Field number to be displayed
Fifth step : Follow this procedure for each of the text boxes on your page by following steps 2, 3 and 4.
45
6 Sixth step : To insert images linked to the csv files, open one of the images you want to use by clicking
on the box image icon (NB : it is best to make the images of identical size beforehand). Then in the
"Window/Information" menu in the space for the "name of the image" enter the #CSV command "route and
file name.csv" line number, field number.
Where to enter the csv command line.
Note : if you want to modify this command,
press "enter" to confirm.
• How the text box looks as the design is read in designer or as it is being played.
46
Each variable in a text box can have the same attributes like normal text: font size, font type,
colour, text effects (shadow, extrusion) and appearing and disappearing effects on the text box.
Notes on the use of variables :
• You can insert these variables without having to go through the menu "insert text". These
variables are entered with a preceding "#" and a three-character word. For example, the code
#HEU will be replaced with the current time in the HH:MM format (example 15:12).
• The #FET or #FER functions will take their data from a text file (in txt format) which can be
accessed at the following address : “C:\tvtools\prive\Fetes.txt”.
• Caution : if you use variables with a high text content or with text that changes at regular intervals
(as is the case with #FET and #RSS), you are advised to construct text boxes large enough or to
give the boxes movement effects (rolling or scrolling). These two effects are used in particular in the
case of heavy text loads such as in the use of the #RSS function.
• It is possible to antedate a code to get for example the date of the following day or the day
before instead of the current day. You would then write #DAF+1 for the following day or #DAF-1
for the day before. For variables not included in the "insert text" windows, you should use the
following syntax : #CAL"C:\tvtools\prive\urgences.txt"+1.
47
III. 5. H. The paragraph settings window
For a nice text layout on your pages, you can use this window which allows setting margins and
tabs for your text. To access this window, go to the "window" menu and select "Image and Text
effects" (shortcut: function key F2).
Left margin
Set margins with sliders for:
first line indent, left margin,
right margin.
First line indent
Right margin
Used first tab stop
Enable tabs: You can have 3
tab positions per text box (from
left to right).
48
III. 6. The video box
III. 6. A. Create a video box
To create a video box, click with the left mouse button the corresponding icon
on the design toolbar to open the video parameter window. You can read
video files in the following formats : AVI, DV native, Dif, Windows Media
Video (wmv), Divx, Quicktime (mov), Mpeg 1, Mpeg 2 or Mpeg 4 from the
directory tvtools\videos.
III. 6. B. Video box Settings
You can only play one video at a time on a design page. The video boxes always take priority
and will therefore automatically be displayed above other boxes. By default the video box will
open automatically in window mode and in multi box so that other boxes may be displayed
during the playing of your video. You can also give your box a size and position using the
"Information" window by selecting the link to keep the same proportions.
Video box menu window
References to time-code of the video : These allow you to know the total length of the original video, the
current position of the cursor, the time of the start and end point for a new short sequence, as well as the
duration of this new sequence. You can set manually mark in and out time codes, validate with “Enter”
Video settings : You can
provide coordinates (in pixels)
to determine precisely the
position and size of your video
window on an infographic
background. You can also cut
your video using the "crop"
function.
Managing sound : the volume
of the video, muting and
the option to reacquire the
previous sound settings
when the video box finishes.
Video control buttons :
These allow you to play and
control your video sequence
but also to insert a start point
and an end point in order to
select a certain sequence
out of the whole video. For a
more precise positioning you
have 4 scale positions at your
disposal.
Display : you can display the
video box in full screen or
windows mode.
49
III. 6. B. Video box Settings
Video control buttons
Shuttle
Allows to move fast from one place to another
within the video but also to display the sequence
between the start and end points marked with
light blue bar.
Go to the end of the video.
Play sequence button (key "S" = sequence). Play
the video sequence between start and end point.
Insert end point (key "O" = Out). Allows to define
exactly where the video ends.
Play button (key "L" = Lecture).
Pause button (key "K").
Insert start point (Key "I"= in). Allows to define
the exact start of the sequence.
Go to start of video.
You can move around in a video sequence with the left and right cursor keys : hit the cursor keys for a
short period to advance or reverse one frame at a time. To improve flexibility ; hitting the cursor key long
enough the video will advance or rewind more and more quickly with up to 4 times the normal speed.
The "J" key will play the video backwards.
Video control fields
Total length of video file.
Time code of the current cursor position.
Length of sequence
Allows you to see the timing of your video sequence
at any point from start to finish.
Time code of the end point
Scales and associated time codes. There are 4
scales, giving you greater precision just with the
movement of the cursor. These scales are very
useful, particularly when navigating through a
long video sequence.
Time code of start point.
50
III. 6. C. reading a video file with VLC in the designer
If you have problems reading video files using Windows
Media Player, you can read these files using VLC Media
Player (a universal video reader which does not require
supplementary codecs). To do this, click on the "Boxes"
menu in the Designer and select the "New" Function, then
select "Video VideoLan".
VideoLan window
Path of the video file
to be played.
Settings for the position and size of the VideoLan window on the
page. You can also choose a pre-loading colour for the video other
than black (the default colour), which blends more effectively with the
colours you use on the page.
Controlling the appearing and
disappearing times in multibox.
Video control buttons with options to cut and
play a sequence of video files.
51
III. 7. The animation box
III. 7. A. Create an animation box
To create an animation box, click the corresponding icon on the design toolbar
using the left mouse button. The Windows explorer will open the animation
directory of TV Tools. Select the file you want to use. The programme will
automatically open the settings for the selected file type. You have 5 different
setting tabs to read the most commonly used different types of animation files:
gif-avi-tga / Quicktime / Flash / URL-VLC / PowerPoint.
III. 7. B. GIF-AVI-TGA animation box settings
When using the file formats GIF-AVI-TGA for your animations, you can play the animations in
transparent mode on the background of the page. TV Tools automatically recognises a routed
animation and sets its format to transparent background.
Window of the GIF-AVI-TGA animation box
Animation effects : see details
(see next page)
Position and size of the animation : To determine the exact size
and position of the video window on the background, you can
enter coordinates in pixels or you can revert to the original size of
the animation.
Background : To select type
of texture on the page.
Sequence mode : you can
choose between playing the
animated sequence once
or in a loop over a specific
period of time (in seconds).
If no value is entered, the
animation will play until the
end of the page.
Preview animation
Paste at the end. This function allows pasting the last image of the
animation onto the page until the whole page disappears. This prevents
that an animation will suddenly disappear.
52
Animation box effects sub-menu window
Appearing and disappearing
effects allow you to define
the used effects with the
possibility to choose from 4
speed variants (slow, normal,
fast, very fast).
Start time :
Allows you to coordinate the
timing of your animations on
the page with the appearing
and disappearing effects.
III. 7. C. Flash (SWF) animation box settings
Like the GIF-AVI-TGA formats, the flash animations can be in transparency mode on the page
and can be resized. Be careful not to have any interaction enabled in the animation, which would
cause the animation to pause and wait for a mouse click. The great advantage of vectorized flash
animations is the fact that they can be resized without lost of quality. On the other hand, flash
animations cannot have an appearing or disappearing effect (only cut).
Position and size of the
animation : you can enter a
precise size and position of
the animation on the page.
You can also resize the box,
once placed on the page,
with the mouse.
Flash (SWF) animation box windows
Sequence animated mode :
you can choose between
playing the animated sequence
once or in a loop (for the
number of seconds you want)
or for the duration of the
page. You can also specify
whether it should be solid or
transparent.
Animation control button :
It allow you to play and replay
your animation sequence.
Time Management : You can play several Flash animations at the
same time using multi box mode, with the possibility to give time of
appearance and disappearance tenth of a second.
53
III. 7. D. Quicktime (MOV) animation box settings
Quicktime animations generate video files with the extension MOV. You can add transparency in
alpha when selecting the "million plus" encoding with the "animation" codec. The Quicktime
animations can have the same moving effects and transitions as the GIF-AVI-TGA animations.
There are two additional effects : one to inverse the video frames, the other to preload the
animation should it be shorter than 30 seconds.
Quicktime animation box window
Information and visualisation of
position and size of the animation :
file name and location, length of
animation, information about images.
Position and size of the animation : You can enter exact
coordinates in pixels to determine position of the animation,
define the exact size or you can revert to the original size of
the animation.
Background : if you want
to use solid or transparent
animation on the page.
Sequence mode : you can
choose to play the animation
once or in a loop for a
predefined period of time.
Inverse frames :
to inverse the video
frames directly in TV Tools.
Animation effects
Paste at the end. This function allows
pasting the last image of the animation
onto the page until the whole page
disappears. This prevents that an
animation will suddenly disappear.
Preload : to load the animation before playing it.
54
III. 7. E. URL animation box settings
You can integrate URL boxes into your design pages. To do this, use the right-hand mouse
button to click on the "animation" icon, then on the "URL" tab. Next enter the full address of the
page to be displayed in the URL space. You have the option to view part of the web page (to
avoid including advertising banners, for example…) by cropping an area from within the page.
To do this click on "Adjust". You can have several URL boxes on your page at the same time
using multibox mode.
URL : Insert the URL of
desired page into this
field.
Crop zone window. As
indicated, you can adjust
the visible area with the Ctrl
+ cursor keys and change
the size with the cursor
keys. The adjustment of the
visible area and size can be
done pixel by pixel or ten
pixels by ten pixels when
hitting the "shift" key at the
same time.
Note : to avoid errors in the size and positioning of your URL, you can view it in the
designer in the same VGA size as the player by clicking on "ctrl+eye icon".
55
III. 7. E. URL animation box settings
• Static Mode : the URL box does not update itself, but can be enlarged or reduced while retaining its
proportions.
• Dynamic mode : the same as static mode, but the URL updates itself (all frames - Caution: this mode uses
a lot of resources).
• "via Internet Explorer" allows the reframing of the URL, but without enlarging or reducing of the reframed
area, unlike the two previous modes. On the other hand, this area is updated with each display of the page.
Option to give the URL box a scrolling effect by adjusting the scrolling speed.
You can change the image of your URL
box to benefit from the appearing and
disappearing effects of the image boxes.
Coordinating the display of several URL
boxes on the page in multibox with the
appearing and disappearing times of the
URL on the page. The URL appears and
disappears in "cut".
Resolution of the player : ideally you will
operate in the designer working area using
the same proportions as those to be
displayed, so that the URL boxes will be
identical in size and position from editing
to broadcasting.
Set position and size of the URL box, as
well as the display time on the page (in s).
56
III. 7. F. VLC box settings
You can play videos by streaming using VLC Media Player (universal video reader which does
not require supplementary codecs) - Supported fluxes: http / mms / rtsp / udp multicast... To do
this click on the URL-VLC tab in the animation box settings then enter the URL of the flux you
want to play.
URL : type as a prefix the variable "vlc:" followed by the URL address of your video flux.
Setting the position, size and duration of the
VLC box on the page.
Timing the appearing and disappearing
effects of the VLC box. The box appears and
disappears in 'cut'.
57
III. 7. G. PowerPoint animation box settings
If you have "Microsoft Office PowerPoint" installed on the Editor and Player, you can insert "ppt"
files into your TV Tools designs. You can resize the PowerPoint animations and use the multibox
mode. Click the right button on the "animation" icon in order to select within the windows explorer
the "ppt" file, ideally saved in the "videos" directory of TV Tools.
Caution : this mode only works with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 and higher.
PowerPoint file name.
Set position and size of the
PowerPoint box as well as the
display time on the page (in s).
Multibox settings to display
several "ppt" on the page,
as well as time settings in
second.
1 To correctly display your
PowerPoint file in the windows
and to remove the scroll bars,
edit the file in PowerPoint ; go
to the "Slide Show" / "Set up
Show" menu. Select the option
"Browsed by an individual
(window)" (see picture aside)
and deselect the option "Show
scrollbar".
2 Hit the F5 key to display
the slide show, right click on
the top menu and deselect
the "Web" option. Deselect
the "Web" function. Now save
the file.
58
III. 8. The sound box
III. 8. A. Create a sound box
To create a sound box, click the corresponding icon on the design toolbar with
the left mouse button - a window "Sound settings" will appear. a "sound settings"
window will appear. You can read sound files in the following formats : wav, mp3
or aiff. There will automatically be a transition of 1 second between sounds
(computer graphics to video and vice-versa) in order to chain sounds less hard
than cut.
III. 8. B. sound box settings
Sound box settings window
Sound play list :
list of sounds or sound
directories to be played.
New : will delete
the contents of
the playlist.
Settings :
tab to access
sound box
playout
parameters.
Duration : total time
of all sounds and music
in the playlist.
Sound list : list of
all sound files within
sound directory of
TV Tools.
Add directory : allows
you to select a folder
containing sound.
59
Sound settings
selected : name
and playout of
sound, length.
Volume : sound volume
of the sound box in
percentage. By default
leave the value set to "0".
III. 8. The sound box
Sound box settings window
Stop mode of sound : you can choose from between 4 possibilities :
1. Never stop : the sound will never stop and will even continue to play on the next designs should they not
have any sound. However, it will stop as soon as there is another sound box on a following design.
2. Stop at end of page : the page will be displayed until the sound finishes playing.
3. Stop at end of design (most commonly used) : gives sound to the whole design while keeping the timing
of the pages. In the event that the duration of the sound exceeds the duration of the design, the sound will
simply fade out at the end in order to give priority to the page timing.
4. Wait for the end : provides sound for the entire design. gives sound to the whole design and will continue
playing on the last page if the duration of the sound exceeds the length of the design.
Replay sound already started : The sound can be restarted
or continue playing at the same position should a video with
sound be inserted on a page.
Read mode : If you have selected several sounds to
be played, you can choose to play the sounds in a loop
or randomly. You can also define the sound box as the
"default sound". In this case, this sound will be played
during all the designs with the "activate default sound
management" option set. If you want to combine
a "make this sound the default sound" sound box
with other boxes in the same design (music and
commentary, for example) : select the "always in the
background" function, then give the volume level of
your sound (as a percentage).
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Management of the default background sound :
allows managing the default sound by activating
or cutting it on the current design.
You can also activate the in-line of the PlayerPC's sound card, in order to use for example a
"radio station" as source. Selectable to the whole
designs except videos or only the designs without
sound.
III. 9. Container and for mat editor
III. 9. A. The "container" box
We have seen that TV Tools allows you to import and display text and graphic files with the
assistance of variables such as #FIC (inserting a rough text file into a text box), #FIN (inserting a
line from a text file) or #CSV (displaying the contents of a file (text or an image path) as the lines
and columns of an Excel file). You might need to use a large number of text boxes containing
these types of variables. To simplify this procedure, TV tools has "container", not only to include
boxes in the models, but also to manage your data dynamically with the "format editor".
Container : example 1
Let's take a simple database with a csv file in which we
have several settings. In this example we are using the
Moroccan weather service covering several cities such
as Casablanca, Marrakech, Tanger, etc. For each piece
of meteorological information on a city we have 3 fields:
the name of the city, the weather (cloudy, sunny, etc.),
and then the temperature.
In the design editor of TV Tools, in a new design, go to the top menu bar and select the
"Boxes/New/Container" function. A transparent box entitled "Container" will appear on your page
with a warning "You do not have a valid RecordSet configure your container, do you want to
create a RecordSet ? "confirm" yes ".
1
A new window titled "Settings
database will open. In the menu
called "basic type" choose the
heading "fichier.csv”.
2
Click on the "open" menu
"filename" then indicate where
the path is stored your file (in
this example : c: \ tvtools \ misc
\ test.csv).
3
N.B : Fields of different Records
are separated by default with
the semicolon (";").
4
Click OK to confirm.
61
To check your settings, a message Warning
will open for you propose to test your data. Click
"yes".
5
6 Two new windows will open. The window
"RecordSets" which displays a list of recordsets
our "RecordSet1" we just build. .
You can combine several recordsets in the same
design.
The second window "Settings Container"
you can choose the type of display different
recordings of your base 4 types of organization :
high (fixed lines one below the other), width
(fixed lines one behind the other) or providing
them with the movement functions rolling (from
right to left) and scrolling (lines scrolling upward).
Here we choose width, OK then "OK".
7
62
La fenêtre de récapitulation des paramètres de Container s’ouvre avec vos préséléctions : Le
“RecordSet1” est activé dans la liste des jeux d’enregistrements ainsi que l’organisation de vos
données en hauteur.
Choisissez la taille verticale
en pixels pour la mise en forme
de chacun de vos enregistrements.
Entrez par exemple : 40 pixels.
8
Puis cliquez sur le bouton
“Créer page modèle”.
9
Séléctionnez les champs
texte à faire figurer dans votre
page depuis la liste “RecordSet1”
puis cliquez sur le bouton
“Ajouter”. Si vous désirez ajouter
la totalité de vos champs texte,
cliquez sur le bouton “Aj.tout”.
Puis validez par OK.
10
N.B : Si vous utilisez des
chemins vers des images dans
un champ de votre fichier csv,
sélectionner ce champ et
cliquez sur le bouton “Aj.Image”
pour inclure une boîte image de
référence dans la page modèle.
La fonction “Créer une page modèle” permet de créer
automatiquement une seconde page dans cette émission sur
laquelle seront disposés les variables des différents champs
dans un gabarit (sous forme de boîte texte #BDD).
63
11 Move all the variables #BDD in the template of the container materialized by the frame dotted
white and gray. In this example the size width of the fixture will match the size of the box
"Container" (here placed on the 1st page) against the arrivals will be 40 pixels (height Specified
in step No. 8). You can also provide text different attributes (height, Police, color, etc. ...) in
different boxes texts #BDD.
This process will allow of
inlay on the first page
content of the page model
in the area of the Container
box.
Depending on the size of
your container box, TV tools
will play as many times page
as necessary to display all
records. More your container
box is small, more there will
be pages to play.
On the first page manually expand the container box to play all records at once on the page.
Give time to your page, and then click the icon "eye" to preview your design.
12
Corresponds to the #BDD variable "town".
Corresponds to the #BDD variable "temperature"
arranged in decreasing order.
Corresponds to the #BDD variable "weather".
64
We are going to leave the previous example in order to create a variant with two invisible pages
instead of one. This will allow us to have a display alternated with two different kinds of line.
Container : example 2
1 Go to the "Container" box
settings by double clicking
with the left mouse button.
Select the "multiple model
pages, taken alternatively"
function. Enter "2" in "number
of page used as model"
and "3" in the space "then
construct with page". Close
the window.
2 We are going to colorize
the background text boxes
with variables #BDD rather
than let them transparent.
On the second page give
different to each 3 texts by
checking boxes in the window
"Information" they have all the
same height (here : 40 pixels).
65
Go to the top
menu "Pages/Copy"
then Pages/Paste
in Add to get a 3rd page
3
O n t h e 3 r d pa g e , g i v e
different attributes (colours,
fonts, background colour of
text box, etc.) to the 3 #BDD
variables.
4
5 Reduce the box container
on the first page. In this
example we are going to do a
kind of display only 3 records
per page.
We have already defines a
vertical size of 40 pixels within
the parameters of the box
container. With the help of the
window "information", give
then a size of 120 pixels
height for the box container.
66
In this example, the box container will distribute as many recordings as multiple of 40 pixels.
Example : 3 recordings for a size of 120 pixels or 4 to 160 pixels. Note if the size of the tin
container is not a multiple of 40 it will be played only whole number of records : for example
3 records to a size of 140 pixels. This will not cut visual content.
6
Return to the first page of the design to display it with the "eye" icon.
Corresponds to the model of the 2nd page in
"invisible" mode with the 3 #BDD variables.
Corresponds to the model of the
3rd page also in "invisible" mode.
Container : Example 3
This time we are going to display images to replace the #BDD variable "weather". For best effect
we will use the format editor to match the images (cloud.tga, sun.tga and rain.tga) with the words
(cloud, sun and rain) contained in the "weather" column of our csv file. Go back to
step 11 of the first example
On page serving as a model (page 2) delete the text box with the variable #BDD "weather"
and replace it with a box image to choose from : "cloud.tga", "sun.tga" or "rain.tga" (in this
1
example: "cloud.tga"). Then place the image in the template.
67
III. 9. B. The format editor
2
Go to the "Window/Format Editor" menu, select "is the same" in the "value of field" function,
then type "cloud" in the text space opposite.
Next select the image you want to match with the word
"cloud" (here it will be the image called "cloud.tga") by
clicking on the open icon.
3
Confirm your operation by clicking on the IMP tab
(implement) : your instruction will then be included in the
list of instructions.
4
Using the same procedure, create two other
instructions by clicking on the "New" tab and matching the
word "sun" to the image "sun.tga" and "rain" to "rain.tga".
5
Save your "format" file in xml in the top menu "Format / Save as" for example using the name
"testContainerEx1.xml".
6
68
7
Save your "format" file in xml in the top menu "Format / Save as" for example using the name
8
In the space reserved on behalf of the image of the window "information", enter the formula
#BDD (format = testContainerEx1)"weather";"c:\tvtools\images\Nuage.tga" before the name
of the image to call the file format.
Then click on "update" to validate this operation.
Display of the images connected with the "csv" file and obeying the instructions of the format file
Note : if the value of the field does correspond to one of the format instructions, this will become
the default image (here "cloud.tga") to be used by the model.
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We are going to complete the previous example by adding instructions for the temperatures.
Let's assume we want to display automatically temperatures below 24° in red and temperatures
above or equal to 28° in green.
1 In the window "RecordSets," click on button
"Edition" to open the window "database
parameters, then click on the tab "Sort data."
Choose the "Temperature" in the column "fields of the database", validate your choice with the
arrow button "1 Sort field" and then check the "reverse order". This manipulation will have a
display in descending order of temperatures of different cities.
2
Warning: activate your sorting data by clicking the green button on the tab. Then close window
with "OK" and then "Close".
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We have to proceed with sorting temperatures, we still have to provide conditions colour
temperatures. For this we will define a new format.
3
Above all, create a new text box on your page typing "#Format" with police and the color
you want, here in white. Then open the editor formats and made a copy and paste the text into
the slot "default".
4 Choose "is greater or equal"
to "value field, then type "28"
in the text there.
5 Copy and paste another
style text with the "#Format",
here green, from a text box.
6
Click on "Refresh" (updated) to insert the model format in the list of conditions.
Click on "New" to a new model format and make the same manipulations with the times
"is less than" to field value, followed by "24" location text and copy and paste text "# Format" in
red this time.
7
Save your file "format" xml in the top menu "Format / Save as" under the name
"testContainerEx2.xml". Then exit the format editor.
8
71
9
Replace page on the variable model #BDD "temperature" by the following formula :
#BDD (format = testContainerEx2) "temperature". To facilitate the operation using the window
"Information" for entering your text and then click on the icon replace.
Replace text icon
Back on the first page of your issue, double-click on the box Container. Then click on "Setting
data" button "field types."
10
72
11
To enable TV Tools to apply the format instructions to the temperatures, you must first convert
the text in the original csv file into decimal numbers. To do this, click on the Temperature line,
then go to the "convert a text field into" menu and select "Whole number". This operation will
be applied to all the other records in the csv file. Confirm with "OK" then "Close".
A display of the temperatures complying
with the instructions of the format file "testContainerEx2.xml".
Note : The values between 24° and below 28° will be in the default format colour - in this example
white.
73
12
Leaving this example, we are going to change the type of display of these various pieces of
information with a rolling effect of the elements (town, temperature, weather images). To do this,
go to the "Container" box settings on the first page and in organisation select the "rolling" mode.
Assign a horizontal size to an element (here a value of "500" pixels), making sure that none
of the elements are cut from the display. Select the "automatically adjust width" square so that
13
the elements can correctly follow one behind the other. Also check that the #BDD variables on
the 2nd page appear in the container's new structure.
14
For a better display, you can put a text box with a transparent background colour behind the
Container box. You can see the elements rolling across for the duration of the page by clicking
the eye icon.
Scrolling direction
74
III. 9. C. Container and RSS flux
Along the same lines, we are going to use a RSS flux by adapting its graphic form in TV Tools
through the use of the Container box.
Create a new issue with a tin container on the first page. Approve a "yes" for the creation of a
RecordSet.
1
Choose "RSS Feed" on the menu in the basic type, then click the button "Choose / Edit" to
determine your feed URL.
2
You can enter or copy
and paste the URL of your
3
RSS feeds. Determine also
its options (number of
subjects, use a rolling, and
display the description...).
Validate by then "OK." Back
on the window "Settings
database, confirm also by
"OK" to to open the window
"Settings Container."
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4 Choose a type of organization "rolling", a size horizontal an element to "400" pixels and check
the "automatic left adjust" function.
Select the "create page model" and give the number "2" to the page that will serve as a
model. Validate by "Close".
5
6 Add the text fields you
want to insert a model page.
Then validate "OK".
76
7
Stretch container inside the box on the first page so that it takes all width of the screen.Then
click the "Edit" window RecordSets. In this way, we will determine conditions for the feed by
imposing only the most recent feed of the day during the last four hours. To do this click on the
"Filter Data".
8
Activate the tab with the "green button" then select "PubDate" and confirm with the arrow to
insert it in the "1st filter field".
Select the "dating from - to x hours" tab and type "4" to ensure that the flux will only be used
if it is less than four hours old. Confirm with "OK".
9
77
10
In the container structure framed with grey and white dots, place two text boxes with
#BDD"Title" (corresponding to the title of the RSS flux) and #BDD"Description" (corresponding
to the description of the RSS flux) in the fonts and colours of your choice.
We will replace the text box #BDD
"Enclosure" by any image (which will
11
serve as a reference size). Then in the
window "information" enter variable
#BDD "Enclosure"; before the location
and name of the image used. Confirm
with "enter".
View the design. The RSS flux will play out with the images contained in the flux, whose size
is determined by the image on the model page (here 100x75 pixels).
12
78
III. 9. D. Room Booking
Managing and Booking Resources (GRR) is an application linked to Containers in TV Tools.
It is particularly adapted to the organisation and reservation of rooms.
1
Room booking, step by step installation : http://www.tvtools.info/forum/
Link : Tips and tricks / How To Do
Link : ROOM BOOKING, step by step installation
2
Set up your room planning with GRR.
3 In the composer made a new issue with a box "container" on the first page by creating a RecordSet.
Approve a "yes".
79
4 Select "connection system
of data types. Then enter
connection settings as below:
Driver={MySQL ODBC 3.51
Driver};myserver;port=
3306;Database=grr;User=
admin;Password=password;
Option=4; Give the name
and password of your SQL
server, not those of the GRR
users.
Enter the maximum
number of records per page
(here : "4").
5
For TV tools that can assign schedules rooms, it is necessary to convert the text of origin
dates by clicking on the "types of fields." Select the line "start_time" then in the menu "convert
6
of a text field into" choose the word "date". Do the same operation for the line "end_time." This
manipulation will apply to all other Registrations.
7
Make conversion type "Date 2007-10-31 14:30" to "HH:mm". Validate 7 then "OK".
80
8 Back on the main window "parameters data, "click OK
to confirm your information. A window offers then check
your data.
You can also click on "Test" of the window "parameters
data" to check good use of any type of database.
9
In the window "Settings Container" choose a provision in height and vertical size of 52 pixels.
10 Then click on "create page model" to add the "name" (which fits the description of the theme
of the room), "start_time" and "end_time" (corresponding to time to start and end of the event
taking place in the hall). Validate "OK".
81
11
If we did not record some day, as a precaution we will add a 3rd page in the program with just
a text box "free room". Back on the first page and double-click on the box Container then indicate
"3" in the case "if no take-up. "
12
On the second page of the issue set correctly 3 boxes in the texts gauge container and then
set your color text and background box (if necessary). In this example we'll make boxes in light
grey color from a height of 50 pixels to have a separation of a pixel on the top and bottom of
each record.
We still have to set the PC-player assigned to the room in the File menu / Options / players /
Identification from the Schedulerr.
13
82
Below is an example of ongoing programmes taking place in all rooms. We have here two
recordings one below the other among the possible 4 records per page (see setting parameters in
the number of entries per page : Step 5).
Note : You have 4 types of pre-formatted design in C:\tvtools\designs\Room Booking
demonstrating the following options :
-
Running display in all the rooms.
Running display in the room associated with the player.
Static design in all the rooms.
Static design in the room associated with the player.
83
III. 10. Infor mation window
III. 10. Information window
To fix or adjust the size of the different boxes more precisely you can use the "information"
toolbar where you can enter the values. To access this toolbar, go to the "window" menu from
the top menu and select "information" (or use function key F1 as shortcut).
You can enter the size of your text, image, animation and video boxes and position them up to
the exact pixel on your page.
Information window
Chain : When you enter by hand a value in either X
or Y, TV Tools automatically calculates the second
value while maintaining the proportions of the image.
Position X - Y : Box position
coordinates on the page.
Original size : Allows to restore the original size of the box
(before modifications).
Name : name and location on the
hard disk of the file used by this
box. You can replace the file used
by this box with another by clicking
on the icon "open".
Size X - Y : Corresponds to the size coordinates of the
selected box. You can enter your own values.
84
11. The Timeline Window
III. 11. The Timeline Window
The "Timeline" window allows you to manage with ease all the boxes that make up a page in the
visual form of a timeline. To use it, go to the "Window" menu and click on "Timeline". Then click
on the background box of your page to get a thumbnail view of all the various boxes. You can
arrange them in order of appearance: from the first to the last box or inversed by clicking on
"Time +" or "Time -"; but also according to their position by layer: from front to back or inverse
by clicking on "Layer +" or "Layer -". The first line of the timeline corresponds to the background
box of the page.
Timeline Window
Display thumbnails according to their
layer position on the page.
Display thumbnails in order of their
appearance on the page.
To increase precision you can increase
the scale of the timeline.
You can manage the timing of the page
with two modes. In "Auto-end" mode the
default time of the page is determined by
the total appearance time of the various
boxes on the page. Alternatively you can
enter a value (in seconds) to fix a time
limit to the page.
Box order
number.
Sequence in "multibox"
management mode.
Displaying the instructions of the
sequence (start and end dates for the
sequence / hours and days).
Every boxes without appearing and
disappearing times and with no effects
will be attached to the background and
will be allocated the same appearing
effects.
85
III. 11. Timeline Window
III. 11. Timeline Window
The "Timeline" Window is an essential tool, which allows the efficient setting of the various
boxes on your page, especially in multibox mode. It is aimed in particular at the management
of timing and appearing and disappearing effects (using the right mouse button on the timing
display and the thumbnail effects). You have the option of grouping several boxes (press "ctrl"
to select several) and applying the same appearing and/or disappearing time to all of them.
You can also increase or decrease the time settings of this group, while maintaining the same
time intervals between boxes (press "ctrl").
To make your page more readable, you can make the boxes
visible or invisible by right clicking on the "eye" icon.
Appearing and disappearing times for the
boxes on the page. To change them,
move the white vertical line with the right
mouse button, or double click on the
value, also with the right mouse button,
then enter the value in the window and
confirm.
1
Possibility to act on more than one box
by using the "shift" or "Ctrl" key. Each
selected line appears in light blue colour.
By default if you work on the timing of the
boxes, they will all have the same start or
end time. However if you want to keep
the original time intervals between the
boxes you should hit the "Ctrl" key.
Thumbnail of the box
with information : name
and size, as well as its
transparency level.
Icon + name of appearing and
disappearing effect of the box.
To access these settings right
click on the visual of the effect.
86
IV. The scheduler
IV. 1. Definition
The Scheduler allows you to compose the playout list of your designs. You can play each design
independently in the Designer in "reading" mode. The schedule will provide you with a complete
list of designs or daily videos. In principle, the schedule will automatically be renewed every 24
hours. Taking into account the internal clock of the PC player, TV Tools updates the schedule on
the PC player each day at midnight.
The scheduler can play designs or videos in two ways :
• In time sequences : The user can define the exact hour of the playout for one or more designs
(computer graphics or videos).
• In loops : Several designs are played in a loop. This loop will be repeated endlessly unless
there is another time constraint. If this is the case, TV Tools will interrupt the loop in order to play
the designs in the time sequence. The time sequences thus have priority.
Conclusion : The scheduler allows a combination of these two modes (time sequences and
loop) and allows you to design the playout of your designs according to your best requirements.
You can imagine a series of designs interrupted by other designs at specific hours to add
attractiveness to the playout of your designs and this even with a limited number of file content.
Note : At the end of a time sequence, two things can happen :
• A loop is scheduled after it : this one will be executed in loops until the next interruption.
• There is no loop after it : in this case the preceding loop will be executed in a loop until the next
interruption.
88
IV. The scheduler
IV. 2. The schedule
When starting up the Scheduler, the user will get to the last modified schedule. If you want to
start the designer through the scheduler : use the "go to" function in the drop down menu at top
of the screen, then select "Designer".
To manage schedules, the scheduler has the following toolbar at you disposal :
New schedule
Send a schedule to the player
Open existing schedule
Preview schedule
Save schedule
Print schedule
Save schedule as
You have also the following tabs available :
1
Design tab : to get a list of all available designs in TV Tools. In order to select a design to be
inserted in the current schedule, double click on it and it will be added to the schedule layout
(window to the far left of the screen) one after the other.
Video tab : gives a list of all videos available for the playout. By clicking on a video in the video
menu or a video already in the layout of the schedule, the parameters of that file will be displayed
in the file parameters zone. You do not only have access to the information of the video files but
you can also insert new start and end points in your video sequences.
2
Group tab : to simplify long schedules with many loops, it is suggested to use groups in order
to prevent multiple insertions of long design lists. A group represents a sub-schedule containing a
sequence of designs or videos.
3
Commands tab : this tab contains several commands like overlay (text, logo, hour,
design and clear), which allow different types of graphical overlays on the videos played
in the schedule.
4
89
IV. The scheduler
Scheduler window
Current time
Window selection of
play out hour of a file
(right button). Validate
time by pressing "enter"
key.
Tabs to access the files
for designs, videos,
groups and commands
File name of schedule
Group window
Allows you to compose your
groups of designs or videos.
Save them as "xml" files :
they will then be immediately
available by clicking in the
"Groups" tab.
Schedule file name
Parameters window of selected files gives
information on playout start and end time of an
element inserted in the schedule ; the total time
and the different settings for designs, videos,
groups and commands.
Schedule layout window
- Those Designs and videos that are
part of a loop are marked with a vertical
white line.
- To define the playout time of a design,
select the design (highlighted with light
blue horizontal bar), and move it in the
composition window of the Schedule with
the right mouse button. A menu called
"Insert" will open, choose the "At xx:xx "to
enter the time of play out of the element..
90
IV. The scheduler
IV. 3. Designs and videos settings
Design settings window
Playout start time of the
selected design within
the current schedule.
Edit button opens the selected design
in the designer.
Name of the design.
Trashcan button deletes
selected design from schedule.
Duration of the design.
Loop button plays a design
or a design group in a loop.
Playout end time of the
design in the schedule.
Play once button plays
the selected design in
the schedule.
Design thumbnails
Allows you to view
different pages of
the selected design.
Select design gives the number
of pages in the design and the
last date of modification.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 3. Designs and videos settings
Playout start time of the
video in the schedule.
Video settings window
Trashcan button
deletes selected video from the schedule.
Name of the video.
Duration of the video.
Loop button plays a video
or a group of videos in a loop
in the schedule.
Playout end time
of the video in
the schedule.
Play once button
plays the selected video
once in the schedule.
Preview of the video.
Time code of start point.
Zoom value for cursor position
(3 zoom values are available).
Duration of the video
between start and end point.
Time code of
the current
cursor position.
Time code of
the end point.
Total length of the video.
You can move around in a video sequence with the left and right cursor keys: hit the cursor keys shortly
to advance or reverse one frame at a time. To improve flexibility ; hitting the cursor key long enough will
cause the video to advance or rewind more and more quickly with up to 4 times the normal speed. The "J"
key will play the video backwards.
Video command icons
Go to start of
video.
Go to the end
of the video.
Insert start point
(Key "I"= in).
Remove the start
and end points.
Pause (key "K")
Play the sequence
between start and
end points. (key 'S').
Read
(key "L").
92
Insert end point (key "O" =
Out).
IV. The scheduler
IV. 4. Create a group
In order to automate the programming of the schedule and to prevent repetition of a task, you
can use the "group" tab to group a sequence of designs and/or videos in a single file. This
function is often used in a schedule with a common base of designs or videos repeated several
times during a day at different times.
1
4 steps to creating a group
3
4
Move in the correct order all designs and/or
videos that will be part of the group into the
create group window at the far right of the
screen
Click the "group" tab
to access the group
files. (Example : here
the group file called
"01").
2
Save the group ("save"
or "save as" button) in a
file with the extension
"xml".
Now move the selected
group into the schedule
layout window.
Note : Information on the selected group
with its total length. If a group is placed into
a schedule list with time constraints, you
will automatically see the start and end time
for the playout of the group.
93
IV. The scheduler
IV. 5. A. Overlay commands
With the overlay logo and clock command you can display the current time or a logo as overlay
on the video and/or on the video and computer graphics. There are 4 different positions for the
clock or the logo to be displayed : in the 4 corners of the screen.
Overlay clock command
Delete will delete
a previous overlay
clock command
Allows selection of the
clock overlay mode :
either on the next video
or design only, or on
everything that follows
until a delete command.
Position allows you to select on of the 4 clock
display positions by clicking one of the 4 buttons.
Overlay Logo Command
Position allows you to select on of the 4 clock
display positions by clicking one of the 4 buttons.
Delete will delete
a previous overlay
clock command.
On everything the logo overlay will
be done on all of the following videos
and computer graphic designs.
Name of the image to insert your
logo in this command, open the
image folder of TV Tools with the
open icon. Note : you can save
your logo in "tga" (32 bits) format
to preserve a cut-out when
overlaying or if not you can use
the "bmp" format.
On next : the logo
overlay will be done
on the following
videos or designs
played in the
schedule.
Logo display settings :
These settings allow you to refine the display of the logo. When selecting "on entire duration", the logo will
show up either "on next" or "on everything" video or sound. On the other hand, you can choose a delay,
when the logo should be displayed; either referring to the beginning or the end of the file the logo will be
pasted on. When selecting one of the two options, two fields will show up to enter the delay and the
duration to display the logo. These two values are entered in seconds.
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IV. The scheduler
The overlay text and design commands call up ".emi" files. In the case of overlay text you have a
choice of 4 different designs (TEXT 1, 2, 3 and 4.emi) in "C:\tvtools\emission\overlay", each with
a separate text box. You can also apply movement, rolling, scrolling or any other effect to these
boxes.
Overlay text command
Select type of text
you can choose from between 4 text effects, which you can entirely define yourself. In order to identify them,
you can enter a name for all 4 text effects. (Example : here we have given the text effect 1 the name
"scrolling").
Delete
Allows you to delete a
previous "overlay text"
command.
Name of text effect.
Site for capturing text.
Text display settings
When selecting "on entire duration", the text will either be displayed on "next videos" or "on everything"
depending on your selections opposite. When selecting the two other modes, you can enter a delay when
the text should be displayed referring to whether the text should be pasted on the beginning or the end of
the file. When selecting one of the two options, two fields will show up to enter the delay and the duration
to display the logo.
Overlay design command
Select design
To insert your design in this command, open the design folder of TV Tools with the open icon. Note:
Caution: this design should have only one page and no background. On the other hand, there can
be as many other boxes you like. The display of text, animation and image boxes should be set to
multibox mode. Here, the design "incrust.emi" will be used as overlay for the entire designs and
videos inserted below (mode "on everything" selected).
Design display settings : In this example, the design overlay will start 2 seconds after the start of the file
on which it is pasted; and it will display during 10 seconds.
95
IV. The scheduler
The Flash and QuickTime overlay commands call up files stored in “C:\tvtools\anims”.
Overlay Flash command
Select number of animations : you
can load up to 4 Flash animations at
the same time.
Animation file
Overlay settings
(identical to the other
overlay commands)
Loading and transparency settings to
manage the transparency and to set the
animation in "once" or "loop" mode.
Size and position settings
You can position and apply
other size values different
from the original values of
your Flash animation
Overlay QuickTime command
Animation file
Overlay settings
(identical to the other
overlay commands)
Position the animation
among the 4 proposed.
96
QuickTime clip preview window.
Activate clip with the big "play"
icon next to the "open" icon.
IV. The scheduler
The overlay commands are always placed before the design, video or group of designs and
videos they should act upon. To insert an "Overlay", click the "Command" tab of the scheduler.
Select the "Overlay" option and open the directory by clicking on it. Drag and drop the desired
command into the design list before the design or video you want to have the overlay.
Scheduler - Commands
In the example below, 3 overlay commands are applied to the first three videos ("demo01.avi" "demo02.avi" - "demo03.avi") of the schedule. The first command is an "logo overlay" (for better
reference, a thumbnail of the logo will be displayed, in the schedule, to the left of the command),
which will be placed on all following videos (option "on everything" selected) until the command
"logo overlay" in "erase" mode is placed above of "demo04.avi". In this case, the "jvcnt.bmp" logo
will disappear on this video and the logo called "coccinelle.png" will be displayed instead. The
second and third command will display the clock and an urgent text message on the whole
contents of the schedule.
Preview of the first 3 "Overlay" commands : logo - clock - and text simultaneously on the videos.
In this example the text overlay is rolling.
97
IV. The scheduler
IV. 5. B. The VLC Command (VideoLan)
To read a video file in the schedule
when you are unable to use Windows
Media Player, use the command
"Video management VideoLan
start" followed by your video file. At
the end of the video, enter the
command "Video management
VideoLan end" to return to the
normal contents of the schedule.
To play videos by streaming with VLC Media Player, place the command "Video Lan" in the
schedule and in the settings window enter "video played by VideoLAN" the URL of the video
flux to be played, as well as the duration of the command (counter: hours /minutes / seconds /
images). In the example below, the command "VideoLan" is timed at 18 hrs and will play the
stream for 1 hr 20 mins.
98
IV. The scheduler
IV. 5. C. External commands
In order to execute external commands from within the schedule, like switching on a plasma
screen, you only need to put an xml file in the folder "c:\tvtools\prive\commande1".
Command - Switch on screen
Once the file is saved, start the scheduler; click the "command" tab
"Switch on screen" command
2
into the schedule layout
3
1
3
2
99
1
and drag-and-drop the
IV. The scheduler
IV. 5. C. External commands
See sample file below :
- <COMMAND TYPE="SERIAL" NAME="DISPLAY ON">
- <SERIAL_CONFIG>
<PORT>1</PORT>
<BAUD_RATE>9600</BAUD_RATE>
<DATA_BITS>8</DATA_BITS>
<PARITY>NONE</PARITY>
<STOP_BITS>1</STOP_BITS>
<FLOW_CONTROL>OFF</FLOW_CONTROL>
</SERIAL_CONFIG>
- <PARAMS>
<TRACE>0</TRACE>
<DELAY>5</DELAY>
</PARAMS>
- <DATAS>
<NUMBER>7</NUMBER>
<D0>'k'</D0>
<D1>'a'</D1>
<D2>' '</D2>
<D3>1</D3>
<D4>' '</D4>
<D5>1</D5>
<D6>13</D6>
</DATAS>
</COMMAND>
In this command :
- The type specifies a serial command (com port) with the speed, parity and low control settings.
- The value 7 in the line <NUMBER>7</NUMBER> means that 7 bytes will be sent including
carriage return.
- A byte between apostrophes defines it as an ASCII value. If the apostrophes are omitted it
is a decimal value, example "OD" becomes "13" (carriage return)
Note : the command files are NOT transferred to the players because they will differ according
to the type of screen. Therefore the file allumage.xml on several players will contain different
information according to the screen model to control, but the command in the schedule will
always be called "allumage". Therefore the command should be copied manually into the correct
folder "c:\tvtools\prive\commande1" of each player.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 6. The layout of a schedule
• To create a schedule, click the "New schedule" icon in the schedule editor. Now create the list
of designs, videos or groups by double clicking the file(s) you want to insert, or by dragging
them into the schedule layout window. They will automatically be placed one after the other.
You can also drag your designs into the
schedule layout window by keeping the
right mouse button pressed. This will open
a menu called "Insert". You can then
choose to insert the file into the schedule
before or after the selected design
or video or to insert it at a specific time.
• Note : in the event that you use an overlay command in the schedule, this one should always
be placed before the design, video or group it should act on. In the same way you should place
the delete command after the last file you want to have the overlay displayed on.
Context menu of the schedule
• To activate this menu, select the video(s) or Design(s) you
want to act on (the selection will be displayed in light blue
colour) and click the right mouse button.
• To reorganise the sequence of the designs, you can use
this menu to select one or more designs or videos, copy and
paste them, duplicate them or modify their chronological
position with the functions "up" and "down".
• This menu allows you also to set the playout time of a
design, a video, a group or a command. Choose the
"Modify time" function, the time selection window will
display to edit the time of playout.
101
IV. The scheduler
IV. 7. The hierarchy of schedules
• The PC player will, after start-up, automatically start the player programme and execute by
default the schedule called "schedule.grh". You can save schedules with other names in order to
plan the playout of your designs.
• The schedules are designed to obey to a certain hierarchy. This hierarchy is based on a playout
priority order defined by the name given to the schedule. The order is as follows :
1
A schedule whose name is based on the date day-month-year (dd-mm-yy).
Example: "02-10-08.xml" for the 2nd October 2008.
2
A schedule with the name of weekday. Example: "monday.xml", "tuesday.xml", etc...
3
A schedule called "schedule.xml", which always exists by default.
• If you want to organise in advance your playout by sending a schedule to be played on Monday,
you only need to save that schedule with the name "monday.xml". Every Monday this schedule
will be played instead of the default "schedule.xml" file. On the other hand, the schedule
"schedule.xml" will play all other weekdays.
• The above procedure allows you to schedule one week ahead the playout of your schedules
with different designs each day. You can, at any time, create a schedule, which will be played a
day, a week a month or even a year after it has been transferred to the PC-player, simply by
giving it the exact date. Example : "25-12-08.xml" to prepare a design list that should be played
on Christmas 2008.
Example : imagine it is Monday 26th October 2008 and the player contains the following files :
"26-10-08.xml", "monday.xml", and "schedule.xml".
Conclusion : in this case, TV Tools will give priority to the script "26-10-08.xml" and play this one.
Note : you may need to add an additional level of priority to the transfer of schedules. A schedule
with an extension will be played in priority (if it is "schedule.ext, monday.ext or 26-10-08.ext).
Example : "schedule.int" and "schedule.ext" could be used to transfer schedules with different
contents to two players. In this example, "schedule.int" would correspond to a schedule with
messages internal to a company and "schedule.ext" rather an external playout. Specify the
extensions of the schedules in: File / New options / Player / Playout / Extension in .xxx) and enter
your extension in 3 characters.
Caution : if a schedule is not taken into account, this is most likely due to the fact that you have
given it another name than "schedule", the day of the week or a date. For example, schedules
which are wrongly named or misspelled : "schedule1.xml" - "schedules" - "schedule.dif", etc...
will never be recognised by the player.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 8. Examples of schedules
We are going to present to you 4 small examples of schedules with comments. They will show
you that the usage of the two functions "loop" and "one time mode" can be combined to your
wishes and meet all your requirements. Take the case where the "start time for the day" is fixed
for
example
at
00:00
(to
fix
the
setting
in
the
schedule
editor:
menu
File/Options/Create/Schedule).
Example 1 : The designs play in a loop from midnight until noon. At noon
the designs "Weather", "Flash1" and "Flash2" will play once. At the end
of the "Flash2" design, as there is no new loop sequence to start, the
previous loop sequence consisting of "Mag1" and "Mag2" will restart in
a loop. This loop is interrupted at 20.00 in order to play once again the
designs "Weather", "Flash1" and "Flash2". At the end of the playout of
the "Flash2" design, TV Tools will once again play the loop composed of
"Mag1" and "Mag2" until midnight.
Example 2 : The designs "Mag1" and "Mag2" play in a loop until noon
where the designs "Weather", "Flash1" and "Flash2" are played once. At
the end of "Flash2", a new sequential loop composed of "Mag3" and
"Mag4" follows. This sequence will play in a loop until the next time
constraint at 20.00 is hit. The loop is interrupted and the designs
"Weather", "Flash1" and "Flash2" are played. There is no new loop
sequence after the "Flash2" design: this time the preceding sequential
loop made up of "Mag3" and "Mag4" is played until midnight.
103
IV. The scheduler
Example 3 : There is no sequential loop at the beginning of the schedule.
In this case, where there is nothing to be played before noon, TV Tools will
wait and display a black screen or the design "mire.emi" (if you have
created one and remembered to select the "Display mire" function in the
File/Options/Create/Schedule menu of the schedule editor). The black
screen or the design "mire" will be played until noon. After this the designs
"Weather", "Flash1" and "Flash2" are played once. After the playout of
"Flash2", the sequential loop composed of "Mag3" and "Mag4" is played
until 20:00. At 20:00 this loop is interrupted by the designs "Weather",
"Flash2" and "Flash2". Since there is no new sequential loop after the end
of "Flash2", the preceding sequential loop, made up of "Mag3" and
"Mag4", is played until midnight.
Example 4 : Starting at midnight, the designs "Mag1" and "Mag2" will
play in a loop until noon. At noon, the next time constraint interrupts the
first loop. This allows the second loop of "Mag3" and "Mag4" to be
played. These two designs will play in a loop until midnight.
Note : this procedure allows the chaining of two loops, composed of
different designs, at a specific time.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 9. Design playout conditions
You can assign playout conditions, to each page of a
design and to an entire design, based on a date, a day
or a daily hourly function. This function is mainly used
should you want to anticipate the playout of a design
independently of the management of the schedule.
Take the example where we want to insert the design
"spectacle.emi" into a standard schedule. As long as we
don't modify the schedule, the designs will by default
play in a loop every day. However, the design "spectacle.emi" will follow its own playout
conditions. To add playout conditions to a design, go to the menu "Design/Properties" in the
designer.
Even if it shows up every day in a schedule, the "spectacle.emi" design will play from October
20th. 2007 until October 26th (Example 1), and only from 15:00 until 17:00 (Example 2). And this
only Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 20th to 26th of October (Example 3). All other days,
playout will jump without interruption from "DJVC03.emi" to "DJVC04.emi".
This functionality allows the user to anticipate the playout of a design before it is actually played.
Design settings windows
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 10. Exporting a schedule and its contents
There is an export function in the schedule editor to archive the contents of the schedule
(designs, videos, commands used, as well as all files used in the designs) as "zip" files. Select
the "File/Export" function and then enter the destination and name of the zip file.
Schedule Editor Window
You can thus use the schedule and its contents on another computer, worksite or design by
decompressing the "zip" file and extracting the files in the "C:\" route of the new machine.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 11. Network topology
1. TCP Transfer
The TCP transfer is made for small installations. PC Designer <-> PC Player via a TCP port
in/out (by default 5100, can be changed).
2. FTP Relay
For maximize the upload bandwidth you can use a ftp relay server. A dedicated 100Mbits server
cost less than 30€ per month like : http://www.kimsufi.com/. Your designer upload to the ftp
server at 1Mbits/sec then 50 players are able to download together at 2Mbits/sec.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 11. Network topology
3. Pull mode
For massive deployment we use Pull Mode ftp or http/https . PC Designer -> ftp Server upload
-> PC Player ftp download or http download. We can encrypt the configurations files “.dst”. If you
need an encrypted upload (the standard ftp does not scramble the passwords) we can use a
SSH/sftp gateway for sFTP we use a gateway Unix/Linux.
PC Designer -> gateway (can be a small PC) via a dedicated network card upload ftp –> public
server synchronized via rsync sftp.
We have not special request for the but by experience a Debian or a Gentoo works good,
and so Unix (Solaris or BSD). Distributions like Redhat+Plesk or Gentoo+Plesk are not
recommanded (limits of ftpd).
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 12. Send a schedule to the player
Once your schedule is setup, save this file with the "grh" extension by clicking the icon "save" or
"save as" in the scheduler. The file will be saved in the "schedule" folder of TV Tools. To send
the schedule to the PC-player, click the icon "send schedule" (shortcut F2). The new schedule
will automatically replace the old one and all modified files will be updated.
Send schedule window
Interrupt playout during transfer : you have three possibilities to manage the transfer of a schedule to a
running player. In interrupt playout during transfer mode, select "no" (default mode): the schedule is
downloaded to the player as a background task. In "yes" mode: When set to "Yes", the playout is stopped
without notification in order to do the transfer and replace the old schedule with the new one. In the "after
end" mode, the schedule is transferred in background. The playout will interrupt after the transfer.
List of player(s) : to select the
player(s) to which you want to
send the schedule.
Send schedule : Button to validate the
transfer of the schedule to the player.
As a shortcut you can use the function
key "F2".
List of schedules : select the
schedule to be sent (see priority of
names p.68).
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 13. Multichannel Management
You want to play out different designs on a number of players. To access multichannel
management you must first create a site. To do this, go to the menu "File / Options / Design/
Manage players".
Select the function "this computer manages a
special Site of players". Click on the "Select"
button to open the window "Selection of playout channels", choose "Site / New", then enter
the name of your default site (in this example :
Business) and confirm with "OK".
Back to the "Options" window click "OK".
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 13. Multichannel Management
The scheduler will close down in order to take your
modifications into account. Restart the scheduler. The
schedule will now be configured in multichannel mode
with two supplementary fields at the top of the screen :
"Site" and "Channel". You must now assign channel
names.
To do this, go to the menu "Tools / Site / New
Channel". Then enter the names of your different
channels in the "Create new play-out channel"
window (take the example : news) and
validate with OK.
Repeat the procedure to create as many new channels as necessary. Once a new file is
validated, TV Tools automatically creates files inserting the name of your site into the various files
used to create the designs (designs, backgrounds, images, videos, etc.).
TV Tools will also create two levels of sub-directories in the "schedule" folder :
- first level: the name of the site
- second level : the name(s) of the channel(s).
For example : C:\tvtools\schedules\Business\marketing
This also allows you to avoid the accidental deletion of a schedule belonging to a channel by
another schedule from a different channel.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 13.A. Configuration by the PC-design
What is left to do is the configuration of the each player. In the PC-design, go to the "Player /
Maintenance" menu. Within this window, select from the list of players the player you want to
configure and click the "Settings" button below this list.
In the "Player properties" window, to select the desired channel assigned to the player, click the
"open" icon and select the name of the channel.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 13.B. Configuration by the PC-Player
You must assign a player to the channel to be played. Go to the File / Options / Player / Playout menu of each player, select "Extension" and enter the name of the channel by clicking on
the "Select" button.
If you have a number of PC-players to configure, you can easily updating your fleet in terms of
Site / Channel from PC-designer through the depending optimized "Tools / deployment wizard"
(see Chapter IV.15).
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 13.C. Create a schedule to send to the player
To create a new schedule, first of all choose the site and the channel you will send it to. To do
this, click on the "folder" icon (facing the space for the name of the channel) to open the window
"Selection of play-out channels". Then click on the small "+" icon to open different channels in
your group. Select the channel you want to work on. Confirm with OK.
Build the content of your schedule by attaching your
designs / videos / etc...
Caution : if you select the function "Tools / Site / View only default Site " only the designs in the
folder corresponding to the name of your default Site (here "Business") will appear in the
"designs" tab.
For example : the designs "mark01.emi /mark02.emi and media planning.emi" used here are
located in C:\tvtools\design\Business\marketing. The assorted other files contained in these
designs will ideally be placed in the "Business\marketing" sub-directories corresponding to the
different boxes (backgrounds, images, animations, etc.).
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 13.C. Create a schedule to send to PC-player
To send your schedule to the PC-player, go to the "Player / Send schedule" menu. Select the
"player" you want from the list of players and select the "schedule" to be sent. By default the
schedule selected will be the one on which you were working beforehand. It will be defined by
the following terms: "Name of site / Name of channel / Name of schedule file". Example :
"Business\marketing\schedule.xml". Click on the "Send schedule" button to dispatch it to the
player.
Name of player
Name of schedule to send
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IV. Le Scheduler
IV. 13.D. Create a special element
If you want a common content to your PC-players in the same package, the exception of one or
a few specific design to everyone, you can use the function "special elements" in order to deal
with this type of design. Rather than having to manage as many grids as PC-players, this
function has the advantage of simplifying sending only one schedule to all PC players in the site.
Take a case in point: in our Site "Business" we want to play out the same schedule on the PCplayers subscribers channels "lobbie", "coffee corner" and "marketing". By cons we want to
create a design "welcome" specific to each of these channels.
1 To do so, setup your schedule to File / Options / Design / Manage players by ticking the "this
computer manages all sites of players". OK followed by "OK".
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IV. Le Scheduler
Click on "schedule level" then choose "site". The window
"special elements" will open. Select then the site "Business".
2
Create a design "welcome" in the root folder "C:\tvtools\
designs\business”. Then place the issue "welcome.emi" in
the schedule.
3
In the window "special elements" click on "Add" and choose the first channel of your site
(here : "coffee corner").
4
The design "welcome.emi" will be duplicated in a folder titled "Special", creates a automatic
within the site "Business" and in the subfolder of the string "coffee corner" (in this example:
C:\tvtools\designs\Business\special\coffeecorner\welcome.emi). Click again on the "Add"
button to reproduce this manipulation with channel "cafeteria" and "marketing". We will finally get
3 copies of the design "welcome.emi" the following path :
5
- C:\tvtools\designs\Business\special\accueil\welcome.emi).
- C:\tvtools\designs\Business\special\cafétéria\welcome.emi).
- C:\tvtools\designs\Business\special\marketing\welcome.emi).
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IV. Le Scheduler
In the list of specific channels, click on each
channel to personalize the design "welcome.emi”.
For do this, click the "Edit" open the designer
and modify the design.
6
We changed our 3 designs "welcome.emi" for
each channel depending on the model below.
Close then the windows "special elements". In
the scheduler "welcome" will be identified as
special element with a vertical green line.
7
Fill your schedule and then click on the ‘’send’’ button to send the schedule to PC
Player (or groups of your PC-players) subscribers the site "business". In our example
it will be PC-players involved in channel "lobbie", "coffee corner" and "marketing".
8
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 14. Multisite / multichannel management
Each site manages its own group, but can also see the groups of other sites.
Take the example of a business with two factories: one in London and one in Liverpool. In each
factory, we have player screens playing two different programmes: a programme intended for
"relaxation" of the staff (info leisure...), another programme intended for information and security
for the staff (instructions in case of an incident, recall rules, etc.).
Each one of the two programmes is made especially for a given factory : one gives the artistic
events of London in London but not in Liverpool.
In TV Tools, a factory is represented by a site, where a designer will create one or more playout
programmes called channels.
In this configuration there will be two groups, "London" and "Liverpool", and 4 channels :
"London\Relaxation" • "London\Security" • "Liverpool\Relaxation" • "Liverpool\Security".
• There will be for example 12 plasma screens in London playing the programme (the design
schedule) of the "London\Relaxation" channel.
• 6 plasma screens at London will play the programme of the "London\Security" channel.
Each channel is considered like a separate environment different from the others where
the user will use TV Tools like he would have a standard configuration. For example, for the
"London\Security" channel the default schedule will always be called "schedule.grh", but the file
will be in a special folder: "c:\tvtools\schedules\London\Security".
The different elements like the images, backgrounds, animations, designs, sounds, etc. need to
be in specific folders as follows: C:\tvtools\anims\London\... C:\tvtools\fonds\London\...
C:\tvtools\images\London\..., etc. This is required to avoid mixing data from London with data
from Liverpool.
To put this configuration in place, it is necessary to configure the system in a special way :
• The two designers PC (one will be called London, and the other one Liverpool).
• The PC-players (the player in the Liverpool cafeteria needs to play the "Liverpool\Relaxation"
channel.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 15. Inter-designers PC exchange
Exemple de configuration : Configuration sample : Let's take 3 sites : Manchester, London,
Liverpool. Each site manages several players.
IV. 15. A. Sending a channel belonging to another PC-designer
The responsible person from London leaves for vacation. The person from Manchester needs
now to update the London players. In order to do this, he needs to retrieve all designs from
London in order to modify them.
Step 1 : an IPServerNouveau.exe needs to be running on the London PC-designer (in the
start-up menu).
Step 2 : On the Manchester designer, in the PC-players list, there needs to be an entry for a
player allowing access to the London PC-designer. The name of the channel needs to be the
name of the site (you need to create as many remote PC-players as there are designers PC) :
If you cannot access the FTP server of London, in "Options 1", select an FTP relay server.
In the latter case, we use a central FTP server : if Manchester needs to send a file via FTP, the
file is sent to the "FTP relay server", then a request is sent to London, to retrieve the file from the
"FTP relay server".
120
IV. The scheduler
If Manchester likes to retrieve a file via FTP, a request is sent to London to send the file to the
"FTP relay server" and Manchester retrieves it from there.
WHERE to enter the login and password for the London PC-designer (if it is different from the
one entered in "New options / Designer communications / Transfer large files via FTP").
Step 3 : on the Manchester designer, "Tools / Sites / Retrieve site" menu, select London. The
site will be retrieved.
Operation : it is a rather complicated procedure with various steps :
1 Synchronisation
2 Clean-up: delete all existing files (but not folders) on the Manchester designer in
c:\tvtools\backgrounds\London (c:\tvtools\designs\London, etc. ), which do not exist on the
London station.
3 Create c:\tvtools\prive\temp\filelist.txt containing the list of files (new or modified) to be
transferred.
4 Send this file to London (via "FTP relay server" if required).
5 Request London to create a zip file from the list (c:\tvtools\prive\temp\filelist.zip)
6 Get from London c:\tvtools\prive\filelist.zip (via "FTP relay server" if required).
7 Decompress it to c:\ by creating c:\tvtools\prive\temp\fileTrans.txt, which contains the list of the
transferred designs.
8 Start the designer, which will lookup c:\tvtools\prive\temp\ fileTrans.txt, and update the
thumbnails of the designs.
(fichier log : c:\tvtools\prive\temp\log.txt)
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IV. The scheduler
Step 3 : on the Manchester PC-designer, select the channel you want to work on (example
channel "London\Cafeteria"). Load the schedule and make your modifications.
Step 4 : on the Manchester PC-designer, send the schedule as normal (with the icon "send
schedule" at the right side of the "eye" symbol or use the function "replace by event" with the
right mouse button on the schedule. The application will send the schedule to the London PCdesigner, and sends a command to the London IPServerNouveau with a request to send the
selected channel to the assigned PC-players.
IV. 15. B. Manual designer synchronisation of different Designers PC
If you want designers PC to have the same information of all other PC-designer (example :
Manchester has all designs of London). At the end of the procedure all designers will have the
same contents.
On any of the designers, go to the top menu Tools/Sites/Synchronize all sites.
!!! Caution: this operation has consequences !!!
Operational principle
At the end of the procedure, the content of
C:\tvtools\backgrounds\Manchester
C:\tvtools\backgrounds\London
…
C:\tvtools\schedules\Manchester
C:\tvtools\schedules\London
…
should be the same on all workstations. There are files to create, replace or delete on each PCdesigner (treated folders: backgrounds, images, anims, PowerPoint, sounds, designs, groups,
schedules, various).
Procedure :
Step 1 : All sites, except the site of the designer launching the command, will be retrieved.
Step 2 : For each site a file containing the differences is created.
(Example : For the London site, on the Manchester designer, the player referring to London
is called "London Designer". The file containing the differences will be created in
"C:\tvtools\prive\RemoteF\LondonDesigner\newFiles.zip".
This file contains a list of all files to be sent to the London PC-designer in order to bring it up
to date and a special file "c:\tvtools\prive\temp\deleteFiles.txt" containing a list of files to be
removed from the local hard disk.
122
IV. The scheduler
IV. 15. B. Manual designer synchronisation of different Designers PC
Etape 3 : The difference file is sent to all designers PC.
Etape 4 : A command to launch the file treatment of the difference file is sent:
- it is decompressed to c:\
- the files to be deleted are removed
- the thumbnails of the decompressed designs are updated (the Designer application is
started, the designs are treated and the Designer will close again).
(log file: c:\tvtools\prive\temp\log.txt)
IV. 15. C. Manual designer synchronisation of different Designers PC
• You must allocate a designer to serve as "master".
• The manual synchronisation needs to work.
• It is then enough to configure the synchronisation time in "Options / Designer / Player Management",
select "Synchronise all sites" and enter the synchronisation time.
Comment : every player can do this should the mains fail.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 15. D. Replace a PC-designer with a new PC
Example : The London PC-designer fails and is replaced with a new workstation : you need to
install TV Tools on the new PC-designer.
You need to restore the designs. To do this, in the Scheduler application of the Manchester PCdesigner :
• set the communications settings to get access to the London PC-designer (network name of the
PC may have changed).
• go to the menu Tools / Site / Restore a site, then select London.
The London PC-designer will be updated with all designs: careful, this may take a long time!
(For security reasons, those files in the London folders on the London PC-designer, which do not
exist on the Manchester PC-designer, will not be deleted).
124
IV. The scheduler
IV. 16. Deployment wizard
This function allows the automatic configuration of a new PC-player. It requires the PC-designer
to have a VLK licence (Volume Licence Key). Accessible from the Scheduler menu
"Tools/Deployment wizard".
1
Prerequisites :
a -The PC-player must be accessible from the network.
b - An FTP server must be installed.
c -The FTP server password must be the same password defined in the communications
options of the PC-designer.
d - a TV Tools communications design must be operational.
("IPSserverNouveau.exe" alone, or player with "communications management" options
for example).
2
If the player is in the special mode "start only communication module on start-up".
125
IV. The scheduler
when the player starts, it will exit by starting "IPServerNouveau.exe" - only the latter programme
handles assistance.
If the player is operational, with a communications module without a window. This is the case
with PCs that have only one screen. If the designer starts the assistance procedure, the player
will exit and start "IPServerNouveaus.exe".
3
If the player is operational, with a communications module with a window. This is the case with
PCs with two screens. If the designer starts the assistance procedure, the player will exit. The
communication window will stay.
4
The administrator selects the commands to be sent. By default all commands are selected.
Procedure :
1 The programme tries to connect to the player (network name or IP address of the PC).
2 They arrange to have only "IPServerNouveau.exe" running on the player.
3 On the player, the machine code, licence, check-code are determined :
a - if the licence is valid (check-code correct) : go to next.
b - otherwise, contact the licence supplier TV Tools and obtain the countercode of the
player.
126
IV. The scheduler
4
If the licence needs to be sent to the player, the programme will do so.
If the options file is declared, the options file will be sent. A request to start "schedule.exe" is
sent to the player, in order to configure it DirectX and quit "schedule.exe" afterwards.
5
Comment : To create the options file on the designer.
- Go to "File/New Options" in the scheduler.
- Select the option "File/save as".
- Give the options file the name you want.
- Modify the options on the designer the way you want to have them on the player.
- Validate by going to "File/Save".
- Leave the Options menu by clicking on "Cancel".
- To look at and modify the options file thus created, in the new options go to the
"File / Load" menu.
6 The programme launches a synchronisation procedure with the player. At the same time the
player channel is created on the player and the designer as well, if a channel is set up. If the
channel is not specified, the channel that happens to be set up on the player will be taken.
When it returns it will be in "normal" mode: not channel.
The programme will send programme updates to the player, requests the player to
decompress the update and to reboot the machine. Comment : During the update the window
of "lancer.exe" will display with the time stuck on 1 second: this behaviour is normal, you need
to wait for the reboot of the machine (1 or 2 minutes).
7
Comment : if you want to protect the access to this screen with a password, go to the menu
"New options" / "Designer", Security, and enter a password.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 17. Pull Mode
You will want to send your schedule and its contents to an FTP Relay Server so that your group
of PC-players can automatically download regular updates. This method is recommended for the
use of TV Tools with a large group of PC-players. This mode works as efficiently with normal
schedule management as it does with Sites / Channels management.
IV. 17. A. Configuration by the PC-player
To select this mode go to the menu File/Options/Playing/Communications then click on the "Pull
Mode" button.
Activation of "Pull Mode".
Download settings : in this
example the schedule will be
downloaded by the player at
07:00 hrs (7 a.m.) then every
20 minutes from 08:00 hrs
(8 a.m.) until 22:00 hrs (10
p.m.), except on Saturdays and
Sundays.
Configuration settings for the FTP Relay Server where the schedule files and their contents are
stored.
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IV. The scheduler
IV. 17. B. Configuration by the PC-designer
To configure the management of "Pull mode" on the PC-designer, in the scheduler go to the
"File/Options/Designer/Player Management" menu and select the "Pull mode" function. Click on
the "Pull Mode Settings" button to enter the settings of your FTP Relay Server.
The settings of your FTP Relay
server.
129
V. Multizone
V.1. Multizone : definition
The "multizone" function allows you to divide your graphic playing area into several independent
areas. This principle allows you to combine without difficulty different types of content and media
without being subjected to unwieldy synchronisation and timing constraints between the
elements. This function is available in the schedule editor's "command" menu. Caution : the
multizone mode is limited to 5 zones.
V.2. Using an existing multizone configuration
You have some configurations with 2, 3, 4 and 5 predefined zones (accessed with the "open"
icon of the "Start Multizone" settings). You can also build your own configuration with the zone
editor ("pencil" icon in the "Start Multizone" settings). Each configuration will have a principal
zone (called "P"). The contents of the most complex zone will be placed directly into the
schedule. All you have to is place the various designs, videos or groups under the command
"Start Multizone". If you want to return to "full screen" mode after putting your content in
multizone, place an "End Multizone" command under the last box to play.
1. In the schedule editor, click on
the "command" tab to access
the "Start Multizone" command.
2
2. Put this command into the
operational schedule.
4
1
3. In the settings of the "Start
Multizone" command click on
the "open" icon to select the
configuration you want from
the list of xml. files. Confirm
with "open".
5
6
3
4. Place the designs, videos
or groups to be played in the
principle zone with the "Start
Multizone" command.
5. If you want to continue in full
screen mode, place the "End
Multizone" command into the
schedule following the last file
to play in multizones.
6. Then place the files to be
played in full screen mode below
this new command.mmande.
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V. Multizone
V.2. Using an existing multizone configuration
7. Decide the contents you want
to install in the other zones.
To do this, make a left click +
ctrl on the "open" icon facing
the zone you want to create.
7
View the
distribution of
the xml file zones.
The zone "P"
is defined as the
principal zone.
8. Give your new design a
name (example opposite :
"zone2"). This will open in the
designer with the graphic size
determined by the settings file
(xml) you have chosen.
8
Repeat the procedure to complete
each of the other zones.
V.3. Designing a new multizone configuration
You also have a "zone design editor" in order to design your projects precisely with your size
constraints. The zone editor will open by default with the size specified in your general
configuration (in the scheduler : File / Options / General / Choose Configuration).
In this example the zone editor
will be in 16/9 format in landscape
mode, with a size of 1024 x 576
pixels.
132
V. Multizone
V.3. Designing a new multizone configuration
1. In the schedule editor, click on
the "command" tab and select
"Start Multizone".
2
2. Place this command into the
operational schedule.
7
1
3. In the settings of the
"Start Multizone" command
click on the "pencil" icon
to open the "zone editor".
4. Right click on the principal
zone to access the zones'
settings window.
4
5. You can split the zones
vertically or horizontally, delete
a zone and decide the principal
zone.
6. Save your configuration in the
top menu "File/Save".
7. Enter a "Start Multizone"
command in the schedule editor,
then place the videos, designs or
groups to be played one after the
other into the principal zone.
6
5
133
V. Multizone
V.4. Multizone : details of zone properties
Allows you to return to the schedule editor using
your new zone configuration after it has been
saved.
Zone defined
as the "Principal
Zone".
Size criteria
of a zone
(in pixels).
The "Zone properties" window contains X and Y coordinates
based from the top left point where the zone begins on your
screen. You also have the total size (width-height) of the zone,
as well as that of the internal buffer: this corresponds to the
actual size of the contents (design, videos, etc.) to be played in
this zone. You can then place designs created in a different size
into your zone: they will then be adapted by filling the total space
of the zone. In this example, designs in 1024x576 pixels are
going to play in a zone set in 724x430 pixels.
If you don't want the size of the design contents to be changed,
you must keep an equivalent ratio between the size of the
original design and that of the zone in which it is to be played.
The type of zone is defined by default as "0" for all types of
content, unless you intend to play only Flash in your zone: in this
case, enter the setting "1", specially optimised for files in swf
format.
134
VI. Interactive access point
VI. 1. Introduction
TV Tools works in two modes :
• The automatic mode as discussed until now. Within this mode the different designs of a
schedule are played from start to end, each page sequentially one after the other.
• The interactive access point mode, the user interacts on the designs with the following three
possibilities: by touching the touch screen, hitting a key on the keyboard or by clicking with the
mouse. The pages don't display automatically in a sequence, but wait until the user makes his
choice on the screen by buttons or interactive zones.
To setup TV Tools in "interactive access point" mode, start in the scheduler the menu File / New
options / File / Advanced mode / Player / Interactive access point.
Select or deselect mouse
according to your needs. If
you use a touch screen,
select "No".
Activate "interactive access
point" mode.
Caution : While playing in interactive access point mode, press "SHIFT+Escape" to leave the
player. This will avoid the possibility of accidental commands or entries if using a keyboard.
VI. 2. Codes and automation
Those designs that will be played in interactive mode have to be planned accordingly. Each box
serving as a button or a click-zone (e.g. text, image) must have a link where the programme will go
after this box has been clicked. The links can be to another page in the same design (simply specify
the page number) or to the first page of another design (enter the name of it).
136
VI. Interactive access point
VI. 2. Codes and automation
You can very easily create an interactive application and set up buttons to navigate through your
designs. You can automatically define two states for your button: if you have two different graphs
(example: normal button and hover button). You only need to save the two graphic files in the
"C:\tvtools\images" and add the character "d" to the hover button. Example: "bouton.png" for the
normal button and "boutond.png" for the button displayed when you hover over it with the mouse.
To activate these buttons and their links, click the image box (representing your active button)
with the right mouse button, then go to the "interactive access point" tab. Add "!" (Exclamation
mark) to the "active key" field in order to activate the two button states.
Image box settings - interactive access point
Put "!" to activate
the two button states.
Number of the "page" of the current
design you want to point to.
137
Name of the "design" you want
to point to.
VII.1. Player workstation maintenance
On the PC-designer, go to the "Player" menu of the Scheduler and select the option "Manage
Maintenance". In this window, choose from the "list of players" the player you want to work on.
F1. Allows to remote control the player via Ultra VNC
(to be installed from the "extra" folder of the TV Tools CD-Rom.
F2. Allows the transfer of file like schedules, designs, groups and all other type of files.
F3. Removes from the player the files no longer present on the designer.
F4. Direct access to the selected player's options.
F5. Update the player with the version installed on the designer.
F6. In case of a problem: send the events log to the TV Tools software for analysis.
Update the copy of the information tree on the designer. Use this function to optimise the transfer
of new files.
Possibility on the designer, to retrieve a schedule and its
associated files from the player Option for schedule
retrievals according to the current schedule, a schedule by
name or a schedule selected by its presence in the
"schedules" folder on the player. On the designer, you can
also retrieve the video files included in the schedule.
139
VII.2. Player PC Control
To manage your group of players efficiently you
have the Player PC control tool, accessible via the
schedule editor in the menu "Go to / Player PC
Control". You can control each player when you are
in "Group-Channel" configuration or standard
playing mode. To do this, go to "Add" and select the
computer(s) you want to be shown in your list. To
display different data go to the "Test / All" function.
"Player PC Control" window
The state of the player (not tested,
OK, no IP server, no Ping).
History of the state
of the player(s).
Version of the TV Tools software
Name of the "schedule" file
to be played by the player.
Number of errors contained
currently contained in the errors
log connected to the player.
Name of the file being
read by the player.
Name of the player
Three pieces of information : 1. Number
of files already downloaded, 2. Number
of files entered and 3. Total number of
files in the waiting list.
Current time code of the file being
read.
Date and time of delivery on the
player of the operational schedule.
Name of the site and channel
140
To conduct operations on your player(s) you can send various types of command with the "Send
Command" function.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
1
Switch the machine off or on via the local network.
2
Immediate reboot function for the player(s).
3
Logfiles: recover "log.txt" and "error.txt" files from the "logfiles/name of player" folder
4 Error report: recover "archive.zip" files (containing the 2 text files "error.txt" and
"masterReceive.txt" corresponding to the events log) and "archive1.zip" (containing the schedule
designs) from the "logfiles/nom du diffuseur" folder.
5 Synchronisation: update the player's copy of the information tree on the designer. Use this
function to optimise the transfer of new files.
6
Updating: allows a TV Tools update of the version of designer on the player(s).
7
Delete FTPRelay Files allows you to remove files being downloaded from the waiting list.
8
Empties the error meter.
9
The player's RAZ: returns error, log and schedule meters to zero.
10 The player's complete RAZ: as well as the previous function, it also allows you to delete the
contents of all media directories (images, animations, backgrounds, etc.).
11
Remote maintenance of all player workstations using Ultra VNC.
141
12 Transfer File : this function allows you to send files, schedules, designs or any other type of
file to the player without having to interrupt the design being played.
Reboot, timing or interruption options for
the player receiving the transfer.
"Transfer File" window
List of the various types of file that
can be sent.
Name of the player to which the files are to
be sent.
List of all files to be sent.
Creating a new blank list.
Confirming the send command.
142
13 Urgent message: allows you to insert a text message into the design being played, whether
it is computer graphics or video. You can also access this function from the schedule editor by
going to Player/Direct Management/"F5-Urgent msg button".
"Urgent message" window
Sending the urgent message to the
player(s) selected in advance.
Text zone to receive your urgent
message.
Allows you to edit directly the design "urgency.emi" in
the designer and to change the style of your urgent
message (font/size/colour/frame/effects, etc.).
143
Sending a "delete" command
to remove the previous urgent
message.
VII.3. Configuration options
If you want to modify the configuration of TV Tools, start the scheduler and go to the "File/New
Options" menu.
General tab - Select language
Select language : choose your language by selecting the appropriate square then confirm with OK.
144
The main configuration window is essential for deciding the working and playing format. You will see that
there are 2 distinct types of usage of TV tools: playing in 16/9 format for "corporate" use and playing in 4/3
format, generally used for local television channels.
General tab - Configuration
Configuring the designer's
working zone to play in
horizontal or vertical 16/9
format..
Choice of playing size (in pixels) and format (16/9 or 4/3). We
recommend that you work in 1024 x 576 pixels for the 16/9 format
and in 800 x 600 pixels for 4/3 format. You also have the option of
customising your working size.
Choice of 2 modes : the standard "Multi-zones" mode (selected by
default) for corporate use, which not only allows you to use a large
number of file formats (videos, PowerPoint, etc.), but also to split your
playing format into several independent zones.
Select the screen used for
preview and to playout.
"Graphic overlay" mode is dedicated to local television whose playing
content is mostly video with management constraints only on video files in
"avi" or "dif" formats (720x576). This mode offers layer insert functions for
logos, titles, animations, etc., but also allows perfect links between videos
and computer graphics
Option to change default
background box and text
colours.
145
General tab - Protection
Unique number to each
computer. This number is
displayed automatically.
Licence number composed
of 3 series with 4 digits. This
number has been sent with
the installation CD and may
also be attached to the side
of your computer or will show
up in your licence contract.
Buttons to activate the
licence (1) and activation
code (2) of the application
via internet.
Version type of the application and activation code.
One licence corresponds to one workstation.
Licence contract (1)
Get activation code (2)
Validate acceptance of the contract (at the bottom
of the page) in order move onto the Activation
code window.
146
Player-tab - Communications
Enables a player to receive updates from a PC-designer via internet or
local network.
Set to port 5100 by default.
Display coordinates for the
position of the IP Server
window on the screen.
Allows you to announce the
close end of a playing video
in the IP Server window.
Functions which allow you to
activate the play monitoring IP
Server window either as a
background task or as a window.
Opposite is the
window IP Server
visible as soon as
the Player is
activated.
147
Diffusion - Tab
You can choose to scrupulously respect the schedule with the mode "Exact Time", even if it means cutting
the previous loop instantly. You can also wait for the end of a video or the end of a video and the infographical design currently running, provided that the delay will not exceed the value entered in the
"schedule delay" field.
It is possible to reboot the
player by default after each
transfer of the schedule, or
at a specific time (hh:mn).
Allows anticipating a load
delay before starting a
video.
Modify these values only if
asked by the editor of the
application.
Allows to count the total time of a
page in two modes:
- "from the start" : the time is counted
after the background box effect has
terminated.
- "from the end" : the time is counted
after the last effect of the last box on
the page has terminated.
If using the application with a
large number of groups or
sites, click on the "choose"
button to provide your player
with names of the channel and
group.
148
Settings for the Overscan
grid: to be defined in relation
to the info-graphic format.
This setting helps you to
position the overlays in
visible zones of the screen,
not to be truncated on
playout.
Overlay - Tab
Duration of transitions in
25th of a second. Example:
- 1 = 100 images (4s.)
- 2 = 50 images (2s.), etc...
Description of the 4 types
of overlay text used in the
4 designs (texte1.emi /
texte2.emi, etc.)
contained in the folder
"C:\tvtools\design\Overlay".
These descriptions will
show up when using the
"overlay text" command in a
schedule by clicking the
buttons 1, 2, 3, and 4 as
shown on the print screen
aside.
Select line
player - to
according to
settings (see
Sound - Tab
input on the
be managed
the sound box
p 53).
Name of the interface.
Volume level of the sound
card and possibility to include
background sounds between
different files.
Possibility to mix soundboxes,
used in the schedule with a
sound source connected to
line in (tuner for example).
Depending on the type of
sound card: to be used only if
your card is not operating in
normal mode.
Path(s) to your sound files.
149
The options for the designer are the only ones accessible from within the scheduler (File/New
Option) and the designer (Design/Options).
Communication - Tab
Function used to transfer schedules to the player via the selected TCP port (default 5100)
• Advantage : Easy to configure and no need for firewall rules and FTP server.
• Disadvantage : if the size of a file exceeds 2 MB, this type of transfer may cause network congestions.
It is recommended to use
this transfer method for files
larger than 2 MB.
To transfer text files linked
to the variables #FIC, #FIN,
#CAL, #RTF on the designer.
Caution : It is required to
store these files in C:\tvtools
on the designer.
Allows you to have monitoring
for maintenance purposes in
the player(s).
Proxy settings.
Used in a scenario where another server is used to store text files
accessible to users who do not have TV Tools installed, but a text editor
(Word, WordPad or others). The path would for example be "L: on
\\Server\messages". On the other hand in the text box of the designer for
example, the variable : #FIC"L:\promotions.txt" would be inserted.
150
Designer - Tab
To select files to be inserted into your designs, you can choose
between two different explorers : the standard Windows Explorer
or the TV Tools explorer. Within the standard Windows Explorer
you can select between symbols, list or details view.
Allows you to select default
box mode: either box order
mode or multibox mode for a
more dynamic presentation.
Text box settings : select
default font, font size,
text and background
colour.
Overscan and magnetic
grid (number of steps)
settings as well as the
position of the workspace.
Animation box settings
with default view type of
animation files.
Enable CG2000 card to
preview designs from
within the designer.
149
To reset recent
modifications
and restore
original
configuration.
Allows you to restore
the original position of
each window. To be
used, for example,
when you decrease
the display resolution
of the graphics card.
Scheduler - Tab
Default configuration in "resume last sequence" mode: allows
you to return to the preceding sequence on completion of
designs or videos in play once mode, or to choose a 'mire' to be
displayed. This option will play the file "mire.emi" in a loop.
This file needs to be created and stored in the folder
"C:\tvtools\emission". You can also enter the time your schedules
should start with.
Allows you to select the video
file extensions to be displayed in
the video tab of the scheduler.
In this case, only the ".avi" and
".dif" files will be displayed. If the
fields are left empty, all file types
will be displayed.
Enter path to
the video files.
Various functions for
applying settings to
schedules, with the
option of double clicking
on a design, video or
command file and
adding it directly to the
schedule or group.
You can also enable or
disable the update file
length in the schedule
or set the "loop" or "play
once" mode as the
default.
Schedule print settings with listing
of the contents of the groups and
the first 3 thumbnails of the
designs.
152
Reset file duration information of
designs and videos to zero.
Function to be used only when
requested to do so by technical
support.
Preview - Tab
Allows you to have a full screen preview on the designer. If
the screen is in 4/3 mode, you can preview designs created
in 16/9 with a black border at the top and bottom in order to
keep the proportions of the info graphics. Caution : the URLs
in window will not be resized.
Allows previewing in a small window
within the scheduler. Handy option if the
PC-designer has only one screen, as you
can see the contents of the schedule and
the preview on the same screen. The "log"
mode can be set to "yes" for the dv, avi or
dif configurations only.
In this mode you can
preview the total
duration of videos.
Allows to preview videos during a limited time in seconds (to be set here : 5s)
from the beginning or the end of the video. This allows for a quick check-up of
your schedule.
153
VII.4. Logfiles Editor
You can get a detailed report on the playing
information relating to the designs or videos sent
to each player by using the Logfiles Editor. To do
this, go to the "Go to/Logfiles editor" menu in the
schedule editor.
Logfiles Editor
2
5
4
1
3
3
1 Select the "log.txt" file of your player in the "logfiles/name of player" folder (in this example : "logfiles/Golf01 Golfy").
2 A list of designs and all other comparable files (videos for example) played by the player will be
displayed. From this list select the file for which you require playing information.
3
Select a day or give a time period with a "starting date" and a "finishing date".
4
Then confirm with "Search".
5 You can view a complete list of the dates and times the selected file was played, as well as the number
of times it was played.
152
VII.5. Tips and Tricks
Thanks to its well-designed interface, TV Tools is very easy to use. This manual should help you
only in using TV Tools. However, if you need to work with programmes other than TV Tools, you
should consult the user manuals of these applications
Nevertheless here are some useful general tips :
1
Caution: Never switch off your PC directly. You should first quit all programmes you have
started and then leave the system using the "shutdown" function in the start menu of the taskbar.
2
The layout of the pages should respect criteria, such as non-saturated colours, not too much
colour contrast and association of colours. Example: Yellow text on white background may be
difficult to read on a TV. In the same way, avoid using a red highly saturated colour, which risks
dribbling on the screen.
Make sure that, while you compose your layout, your PC screen is as close as 50 centimetres
away from you. On the other side however, spectators will in general place their TV 3 meters
3
away. Consequently, too small characters (below a character size of 18 points) or images with
tiny little details are thus proscribed.
4
Pages should last long enough to be read, but not too long as this would weary the spectator.
The duration should be adapted to the text content. The duration should be short if there is little
text (between 2 to 5 seconds for a simple title) and should last longer for higher text volume (10,
20, 30 seconds). To obtain a good balance for the display duration, you should read the text in
a low voice and possibly time it.
Images (background and textures) should be checked on a TV set rather than on your PC
screen, which is often misleading on the final result according to the following two criteria :
5
• No clear and contrasted images: Scintillation problem du to the video interlaces.
A TV set displays the even lines first and then the odd lines of an image - doing so 50
times a second. If the image has too much contrast, you can see an undesirable
scintillation effect.
• No text or important details on the border of the screen. A TV set does not display the
whole image you see on the PC screen of the TV Tools designer. The borders of the
image are always slightly truncated. As a reference mark, use the Overscan grid from
the toolbar.
155
VII.5. Tips and Tricks
6
Generally you should always check the playout of your designs in the designer before
transmitting them to the player. If you notice that a design always hangs on the same page, erase
this page and recheck the functionality of the design. After this you can recreate that faulty page
and check if the elements used on that page are still present on your disk and have the right
format.
7
Strictly respect the formats the different types of files, used in your design, should be saved
in. For example : Use images in RVB, not in CMJN. For background boxes use jpeg images in
"standard" mode, not in "optimised mode".
8
Make sure you save the different files in the correct folders of TV Tools. Images in the "images"
folder, backgrounds in the "fonds" folders, videos in the "videos" folder (Note: in general most stations
use a separate disk for videos), etc...
Should your system hang, first reboot your computer. If your player hangs during a transfer,
restart the workstations and start the transfer of the schedule again. This simple procedure often
9
resolves minor problems.
For reasons of clarity and easiness, your designs should not contain too many pages. Use a
logical way to split up your designs by themes and common contents.
10
Check the display settings of your graphics card (click right mouse button on your windows
desktop - select properties - in Display Properties select settings). For a general use of TV Tools
11
you should use 16 or 32 bits colours and a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. If
you start TV Tools with display settings of 800 x 600 pixels, you will only see part of the main
designer screen. This should alert you.
Make a backup copy of your schedule or schedules which are small files (a few kb)
anyway. Do the same with your main designs.
12
Before sending your schedule to the player, check that the player is activated. Even when
there is no "schedule" file on the player, it will display a 'mire'.
13
Name your schedule file as stipulated in the manual under the following formats: schedule.ghr
(for the default schedule), monday.ghr (for example for a day of the week), 01/01/08 (for a date).
Any other formula will not be recognised by the player.
14
156
VIII.1. Tutorial: create a design in the 16/9 format (1024x576)
Let's create a dynamic design in the designer step by step. - Below is a view of the first page we
will load - (cf: "C:\tvtools\emission\sample\demo01.emi" if you want to load the entire design.
01
At first, start on a blank design by clicking the new design button on the page
management toolbar.
02
Now click the background icon on the design toolbar and select the "demo.jpg" file from the
"sample" folder by double clicking it. Now select the appearing effect you like and the speed (slow,
normal, fast, very fast) by clicking with the right mouse button on the background.
03
Now we position the two images in the middle of the screen. In this example we want to have
them appearing at the same time, each one with a moving effect from the borders. Click the
image icon; select the file "isample01.bmp" in the "sample" folder with double clock.
04
Go to the Menu "Window / Information" (or hit F1) on top of the screen. Now enter the values
0 - 190 (hit "Enter" to validate) in the "Position X-Y" window.
05
Next, open the "isample02.bmp" image in the "sample" folder and enter the values 512 - 190 in
the "Information" window.
06
Enter the appearing effects for the two images. Click one of them with the right mouse button to
access the image box settings.
158
07
If not yet by default, set the "Multibox" mode and give
an appearing affect "move" and a direction from left to
the "isample01.bmp" image. Select the speed you
prefer from "slow, normal, fast and very fast" as well
as the start time of the effect. Set the same speed and
start time for the "isample02.bmp" but this time you
should use the "move" effect from the right. Close the
window.
08
Click the "text" icon on the design toolbar and double
click in the "Nouvelle boîte texte" to enter your text
(in our sample "The dynamic display solutions from
TV Tools"). Select the whole text to modify the size
and, if you wish, the font and colour with the toolbar.
If needed, stretch the box from its borders where the
text is cut. In the demo sample, the text is Arial 30,
black colour and red for "TV Tools" - RGB value
(215/30/35), which you can set precisely in the
"Colours" window by clicking on the text colour
symbol to the right of the pipette symbol.
09
Click on the text box with the right mouse button in order to set an appearing effect within the
"Text box settings" window. Set Multi box mode to "yes" - "Shutters" to the right - fast speed
- start effect at "2". Place the box where you want to have it.
10
Go to the "Window / Insert Text" menu (or hit F3). Now create a new text box, double click in
order to go to the edit mode. From the insert text window, select the #DAT variable and click
insert. Now select the #HEU variable + insert.
11
Click on the "animation" icon of the design toolbar and select "logo00000.tga" in the folder
"C:\tvtools\anims\sample\logo". The settings window for the animation box will open
automatically on the "gif-avi-tga" tab. The animation is recognised in transparent mode.
Enable, if not yet the case, the "loop" option (Leave it to "0" seconds in order for the animation
to loop during the whole page time) and set the multi box option to "yes". If you wish, click the
"Effects" button and select the "Move from top" effect - normal speed - start effect at "1" in
order to prevent the animation from appearing in cut mode on the page.
159
12
Click on the "sound" icon on the design toolbar and select the sound you want to play in the
Sound Properties" window by double clicking on it. After this set the "stop at end of design"
option, in the "Sound settings" tab, in order to cover all pages of the design with this sound.
13
Click the page background with the right mouse button and enter "8" seconds as "waiting time
final" in the "Page properties" window.
14
Add a new page in the "Designer" window by clicking the icon shown here.
- Below, you see a sample of the new page we are going to create -
15
Click the "background" icon on the design toolbar and select the "demo2.jpg" file and add the
effect and speed you want to use.
16
Create the different image boxes composing this page by starting with the "plasma.tga" file in
the "sample" folder. Set the position in the "Information window" to 389-29.
17
Now insert the "pays01.tga" to "pays05.tga" images. Position : Enter position
415-42 for each of them. In order to place the images to the back or the front in
the order you want to display them, use the icons from the toolbar shown here.
158
18
Go to the "Window/Recap" from the top menu. Now click the page to display all boxes in timeline
format.
19
Insert the last three images "Image02.bmp" ; "barre.bmp" and "Image02.bmp" in this order.
Select an appearing effect for each box.
20
In the "Recap" window you can modify the effects (appearing or disappearing) by clicking the
thumbnails and you can adjust the time by dragging the white time bars or by double clicking
the 1/10th of a second duration. (see print screen below).
White bars and
times (accessed
with the right
mouse button).
Note : The asterisk
(*) below the cut
symbol signifies
that you have set a
Fade In (V1 or V2)
in the "Image box
settings" window.
161
21
Add a new page in the "Designer" window. Select the background "demo3.jpg". Select the
appearing effect you like.
- Below, you see a sample of the third page we are going to create. -
22
Click on the animation icon on the design toolbar
and select the file "earth.mov" (QuickTime animation)
from the "C:\tvtools\anims\sample". Enter the following
values in the animation box settings. By tagging the
"in a loop" field you force the animation to play the
whole time the current page is on display.
23
Create a text box and double click in it. Add a background colour to the box. You can also
play around with the opacity level to add transparency to the background (in our sample the
opacity is set to 80%). Select an appearing effect and tag "V2" in "Fade In" in order to add a
fade in to your effect. Now enter the display time : "1" in multi box. Extend your box up to the
height of the screen.
24
Create a second text box by typing the text you want and add the scrolling effect, normal speed
with a display time of "2" in multi box mode. The scrolling effect, like the rolling effect, does not
need to have a disappearing effect since the text will disappear anyway.
162
VIII.1. Tutorial : création d’une émission format 16/9ème
25
(1024x576)
Add a new page in the "Designer" window. Select "demo1.jpg" as background. Select the
appearing effect you want.
- Below, you see a sample of the last page we are going to create. -
26
Click on the "video" icon on the design toolbar and select the "Pinball.wmv" file in the
"C:\tvtools\videos\sample" folder; configure it as window and multi box if this is not the default
setting.
27
In the "Information" window, enter the size and position as follows: position XY 0/100 and size
XY 512/288.
28
Create a text box over the whole width of the screen. Go to the
"Text and Image Effects" option (or hit F4) in the top menu.
Tag the "Gradient" option and select two colours in the "colour 1"
and "colour 2" fields. In the "Information" window enter the values :
position XY 0/460 and size XY 1024/40.
29
Create a second text box and enter the text you want. Font: "Arial" - Font size "26" - Colour
"white". Add a shadow by tagging the "Shadow" option in the "Image and Text Effects" window
by playing around with the distance, blur, intensity and direction of the shadow.
163
30
Add a rolling effect to the text box, fast by entering a "1" in the "Add. Param." Field. This allows
you to have the text scrolling during the whole page time.
31
Now add the different images "animal01.bmp" up to "animal06.bmp" and place them all to the
position XY 512/100 in the "Information" window.
32
And finally in the "Timeline" window you can create a sequence of these images according to
the sample below.
33
In "page editor" return to the first page of your design. Click on the preview button (the eye
icon) to check that your design is running correctly.
164

tv tools

Transcription

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