Layouts are the cornerstone of your visual communications presentation. By spending some time setting up attractive, intuitive layout designs, you can improve the quality and impact of your visual communications instantly.

 

There are two different tools within AxisTV to change the arrangement of content on your displays. The most common approach is to use a series of layouts constructed through the “Configure Channel Players” menu. This feature allows you to choose and schedule various layouts to be displayed throughout the day and to change at specific times without user intervention.

 

The second approach is to change layouts manually by changing system modes. By default, AxisTV operates in normal mode – pulling and displaying information from play lists as scheduled. You can also add more modes that can be enabled via a web-browser by anyone with the appropriate user rights.

 

Follow the steps below to create, manage and deliver layouts for your visual communications content.

 

Layout Basics

 

A screen is comprised of content blocks, each of which is associated with a play list populated by visual communications created within, or imported into, AxisTV. These messages can be still images, audio, video, Flash® files, video streams, external video signals and other supported media formats.

 

Content blocks are sized and juxtaposed to create a layout within the borders of your display. Some common layouts are a single content block with bottom crawl or one large content block beside two smaller blocks. These layouts can either fill your entire screen or you can frame your visual communications with a background image or wallpaper.

 

Whether you are using modes or directly configuring channel players to change layouts, you will need to create your screen design, calculate content coordinates and apply them to the appropriate players.

 

Modes

 

Modes allow a system administrator to change the visual settings of a player. Activating a mode requires human intervention and modes are most often used in emergencies and unexpected situations.

 

AxisTV ships with two modes: Normal and Alert. You can customize the look of these modes and add others that use a variety of multi-window layouts, color schemes and wallpapers. Login to AxisTV and create a new mode.

 

Create a mode name:

·          Select Configure | Content Settings | Play Modes

·          Next, type in a name and a description and click Add

·          Note: once you create a mode, it cannot be removed

 

Add a mode to a player(s)

·          To be effective, a new mode must be added to each applicable player

·          Select Configure | Channel Players | Current Settings

·          Select the appropriate Channel Player from the drop down at the top of the page

·          Expand Mode

·          Add the new mode to your drop down list in the center of the screen

·          Once the mode is added, you can select it from the drop down to the left

 

Do the math:

·          Visually imagine the layout you are going to apply to the

           new mode

·          Determine display resolution

·          Determine the number of windows

·          Account for crawls (tickers)

·          Calculate window position, in pixels, within the field

           of resolution

 

Apply your settings by entering the content block and play list or crawl list data:

·          First select a play list or craw list to associate with each

           content block

·          Enter the pixel location starting from the left

·          Next, move from the top

·          Enter width and height

·          Need one row per window

 

Activate a new or alternate mode:

·          Select System Tools | Change Mode

 

Keep in mind that the mode you select will remain in place until the administrator physically changes the mode.  If you want to change the layouts automatically, you should consider creating and scheduling layouts.

 

 

Creating and Scheduling Layouts

 

Creating a layout is similar to building a mode, but starts under a tree menu entitled Layouts.

 

Create a layout:

·          Select Configure | Channel Players | Layouts

·          Select the Channel Player you want to effect from the drop down at the top of the screen

·          You must first name and then add your layout using the Add button

·          Next choose your layout from the Display Layouts drop down to the left

·          Next select the mode of operation you want the layout to impact (Normal, Alert, etc…)

·          Now choose the Aspect Ratio and associated background image and audio file if applicable

·          With the basic parameters of the layout defined, you can now add play lists and define content blocks under 

           the Content Blocks section

·          After the content blocks, play lists and crawl lists specified you can automatically apply these settings or

           schedule when they are to be applied.

·          To immediately apply these settings to the player, select Apply to Player in the upper right.  Caution – this

           action will overwrite the Current Settings on the player.  These settings cannot be recovered and will need to

           be re-entered to restore the previous configuration

·          Alternatively, you can add this layout to the layout schedule by clicking Schedule…

 

Reviewing the Layout Schedule:

·          As layouts are created and added to the schedule, they appear under Configure | Channel Players |

           Layout Schedule

·          You can view the layout for each player by selecting the player from the drop down in the top left corner

·          Be sure to select all of the days of the week you would like to view.  If not, your list might look shorter than

           you expect

·          Layouts can be removed from the schedule

·          When a layout changes, viewers will see a black screen for a few seconds until the new layout is painted

·          If all of the layouts expire, the last layout will remain running until a new one is added

 

 

Using Wallpapers

 

Wallpapers are backgrounds that appear to sit “behind” your other content blocks. In actuality, the wallpaper fills the screen and other content blocks are positioned within predetermined “windows” in the wallpaper.

 

Using wallpaper backgrounds will give your digital signage a more polished, professional look. It is an excellent opportunity to brand your system and reinforce your corporate identity with logos and colors.

 

Use wallpapers to:

·          Present your visual communications in a more sophisticated setting

·          Reinforce organizational colors, logo and identity

·          Brand your AxisTV system (Examples: OUtv or AcmeTV)

·          Show seasonal or organizational themes

·          Add shadows for a three-dimensional look

 

How to:

·          Create an applicable aspect ratio

·          Import a Background

·          Select the background and apply it to a player

 

Before you import a new background to use as a wallpaper, you need to ensure you have the appropriate aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9, 9:16, etc…)

 

Create an aspect ratio:

·          Select Configure | Content Settings | Aspect Ratios

·          Enter the name of your aspect ratio

·          Enter the physical size of the aspect ratio (in pixels)

·          Enter the maximum number of lines and dwell pace for the aspect ratio

·          Select Add

 

Import a background for use as wallpaper:

·          Select Manage | Background Library

·          Use the large file upload tool at the top of the screen

·          Ensure you select the appropriate aspect ratio before upload

·          Once in the library a background can be converted to another available aspect ratio

·          When an aspect ratio is created it can be converted to another by selecting create

·          Unfortunately, not all images convert well due to their design

 

Select a background for use with a player:

·          When configuring a Channel Player you can select a background under current settings, when constructing

           modes or when building layouts

·          You will find the background choices under Configure | Channel Players | Current Settings or Layouts | Mode

·          On the far right of your screen is a drop down entitled Background Image

·          If you cannot find the background you are looking for, you should confirm you have a matching aspect ratio

           under Configure | Channel Players | Current Settings or Layouts | Rendition

 

 

               

(16:9 aspect ratio with 3 content blocks and a ticker)           (16:9 aspect ration with 2 content blocks and a ticker)

 

 

(9:16 aspect ratio with a single content block used for event schedules)

 

 

It is important to remember that static images can damage plasma, LCD and CRT screens by “burning” images into the display. Even if content blocks are changing, wallpapers and layouts are static. When using modes, wallpapers and layouts, be sure to change the design at least every two hours.

 

Also, it’s very helpful to tailor various layouts with recognition cues for your audience.  (For more on this subject, see our previous Recognition Cues article.)

 

* Some of the features or instructions above are specific to AxisTV v.6.6, and may be different in your current AxisTV version. Consult your software user manual or click the following link for a listing of version feature upgrades: http://www.visix.com/products/axistv/users/upgrades.htm.

 

 

Copyright 2007. Visix, Inc. All rights reserved.