Intuition ReAct Content Manager PC Application

Transcription

1 Intuition ReAct Content Manager PC Application PRODUCT MANUAL MTI P/N Rev A Release Date: May 2011 Software Version: v MTI. All Rights Reserved NW 229th Avenue, Hillsboro, Oregon 9712 T: F:

2 Contents Overview... 3 Content Manager & ReAct Player Overview... 3 Content Manager Details... 3 Compatibility... Getting Started... Installing the Application... Launching the Application & Basic Navigation... Understanding Media Files & Attributes...6 Creating Projects...7 Starting a New Project...7 Configuring the Global Project Settings...7 Setting Project & Data Synchronization Preferences... 8 Configuring the Attract Loop... 9 Configuring Freedom Posts Configuring GPIO Devices...11 Saving the Project...12 Publishing the Project Creating a Separate USB Drive for Log Files Troubleshooting... 1 For more information, please contact MTI at or customer service at cservice@mti-interactive.com. 2

3 Overview Content Manager & ReAct Player Overview MTI s Content Manager is a PC software application that makes it easy to assemble existing media content into interactive playlists for the Intuition ReAct digital media players. These players are used to create merchandising displays that play rich media content (e.g., video or computer animation) on a TV or video monitor. Players can be used as a stand-alone device to simply play media content on a monitor, or used with triggering devices (e.g., Freedom display posts, motion sensors, or push-buttons) to create an interactive shopping experience. When used as part of an interactive display, the ReAct player is typically configured to play a video attract loop that catches the shopper s attention when the display is not in use. When a customer decides to demo a product (by pressing a button or lifting a Freedom post), this action triggers the player to switch and play the specific media content assigned to that product. Refer to the Intuition ReAct Interactive Media Player Product Manual ( ) for more details on the ReAct player and associated hardware needed to create a complete system. Each player is controlled using a removable, flash memory card (SD card). This card holds the media content (individual media files) and a configuration file (executable XML file) that controls all aspects of the playback behavior. Creating the configuration XML files can be a somewhat complicated task when it involves multiple media files and triggers. Content Manager simplifies this process, allowing you to easily create playlists, define media attributes, and match media files to specific trigger devices. The SD card inside the ReAct player has two folders. The mti_data folder holds the individual media files and the configuration file that controls the playback behavior. Content Manager provides an easy-to-use interface for creating and/or managing these files. Configuration XML file Use to specify attract loop, playlists, & trigger behaviors Media files Media content that plays during the attract loop and specific trigger events Content Manager Details Content Manager works by providing a graphical user interface that is first used to create a Project file (.rcm file). This project file identifies the specific media files to be played for the attract loop and when any triggering events occur. It also defines other media attributes that affect the playback behavior for the different media content (e.g., playback order, volume, play duration). Once you have created a project file, you use Content Manager to Publish the file. This task automatically converts the project information into a usable configuration XML file and then exports this file along with the media files listed in the configuration file. There are several options for publishing the project. You can publish files directly to the player s removable SD card. You can also publish to a USB flash drive, then use the flash drive to upload files to the player. If you publish to a USB flash drive, Content Manager automatically creates several additional XML files that control how media files are written to the SD card and how log files on the SD card are retrieved (see page 8 and the Intuition ReAct Interactive Media Player Product Manual for additional details). It is also possible to open an existing configuration XML file, even if it was not originally created using Content Manager. This allows editing of any existing ReAct playlist. 3

4 Compatibility ReAct Content Manager version is compatible with all firmware versions of ReAct up to and including v All features and functions of v are supported. Content Manager will create compatible project files for older firmware versions, as long as the features and functions not supported in the older firmware are not included in the project (see page 1 for details). Getting Started This section describes how to install and launch the Content Manager application. Installing the Application Note: Content Manager is only supported on machines using Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 7 operating systems. 1 Find and select the ReAct Content Manager Installer application to launch the Setup Wizard. 2 Follow the on-screen instructions to install the program. Click Finish when prompted to exit the Setup Wizard. The installer automatically places a program short-cut on your desktop when finished. Note: Microsoft.NET Framework is a prerequisite of Content Manager. If it is not found on the PC, the ReAct installer will start the.net Framework installation. Your PC must be connected to the Internet for this work properly. Launching the Application & Basic Navigation 1 Once the application is installed, double-click the ReAct Content Manager icon on your desktop to launch the program. 2 The program launches with an opening screen that contains three basic choices. Select from these choices as outlined below. Select Open Default Project to create a blank Default.rcm file Select Open Project to browse and select an existing project (.rcm) or configuration (.xml) file You can also use the Recent Projects drop-down menu to select from a list of recent projects Enter a Project Name and select Start New Project to create a new project 3 Content Manager displays the main window (see next page). If you elected to open an existing project in step 2, some of the fields in this window will already be populated. Use this main window to create, edit, and publish your project as described in the sections that follow.

5 Main Window Example Accesses the File menu Provides access to overall project settings & preferences Software version (current version is ) Use to add content files Media files in Attract Loop Use to edit file or settings Use expansion arrow to view all content assigned to this position Media content attributes (see next page for details) Freedom position number & assigned media files GPIO buttons & assigned media files Project path & name Use to delete content files from the project. To delete a file: Current project size relative to selected memory card size; if current project exceeds the card size, this bar turns red (see page 7 for important details) Size of the memory card used in the target player Use to publish project to a removable drive (USB stick or SD card) Click anywhere on row, then drag it to the Trash Can Click anywhere on a row, then click the Trash Can Click anywhere on a row, then press the delete key on the keyboard There are three ways to add media content to any section of the main window: Click the + button above the section, then use the Browse button to locate the content file. Click the edit button next to the blank row in the section, then use the Browse button to locate the content file. Click and drag a content file name from outside the application to a blank row or between existing rows. To add multiple files to a single trigger position: Click the + button or the edit button next to a blank row, change the position slider to the desired position, then use the Browse button to locate the content file. Press and hold the Ctrl key, then click and drag a content file name from outside the application to an existing position row. 5

6 Understanding Media Files & Attributes Each media content line in the main window has a set of associated attributes (e.g., type, mode, volume, duration) that affect how the media content plays. These attributes vary, based on the type of media (video, picture, html) and on how it is used (attract loop, Freedom post, or GPIO button position). Whenever you add new media content to a project, or edit an existing media item, Content Manager displays a screen containing Media Property fields. The fields shown on this screen vary based on the media type selected (see examples below). Note: Although a media file may be used multiple times within the project, only one file is exported once when published. Media Type: video Display Mode: Normal (2D content) or Mode3D (3D content) File Name: Valid file extensions are.avi,.m2t,.mkv,.mov,.mp,.mpg,.tp,.ts, and.wmv. Volume: Enter as percentage of maximum (0-100). Media Type: picture File Name: Valid file extensions are.bmp,.jpg,.png, and.tif. Duration: Enter the number of seconds for the still image to remain displayed. Media Type: html URL/HTML: Use this field to define a web page address for the player to display. Enter the full web address. If the ampersand character (&) appears in the web address, enter it as its escape character (&). Example: Alternately, a local html file is specified here. Valid extensions are.html &.htm. HTML Folder: html files are often constructed with dependent files in a separate folder. Content Manager supports a single-dependency folder. This folder may have any number of sub-folders within it. If the html file uses a dependency folder, click the Browse button to browse to the folder location. Note: If using an HTML Folder, the Follow Config XML box in the Preferences window must be unchecked. See page 8 for details. Duration: Enter the number of seconds for the file to remain displayed. Attributes for each file are displayed in the main window. 0 Size for a content file indicates file was not found. See Troubleshooting Guide on page 1 for more details. 0 Size for a non-content file is normal. 6

7 Creating Projects Starting a New Project As noted in the previous section, once you launch the application you are initially presented with a screen where you can select to start a new project or open an existing project. You can also start a new project at any time from the main window by selecting File > New and completing the steps below. Caution! Only one project can be open at a time. Save your current project before selecting File > New to avoid losing any work. 1 In the New Project section of the screen, enter a Project Name. 2 Enter the desired Default Volume for the media files as a percentage of the maximum volume (0 to 100). 3 Select the Card Size used in the target player from the drop-down list. Select Start New Project By default, new projects are automatically saved in the C:\ Documents and Settings\user\My Documents folder. Use the Browse button if you want to browse & select a different destination folder. The Default Volume & Card Size settings can be changed at any time using the Settings menu (see section below). Configuring the Global Project Settings The Settings menu is used to set several attributes that apply globally to the current project. These settings are saved with each individual project. 1 In the main window, select the Settings > Project Settings. 2 Enter the desired Default Volume as a percentage of the maximum volume (0 to 100). Caution! It is possible to enter numbers outside of the 0 to 100 valid range, but these will cause errors if the project is loaded onto a ReAct player. 3 Select the Card Size used in the target player from the drop-down list. This is used when tracking your project size to help ensure it does not exceed the capacity of the card. Note: The Card Size is not saved with the project file. It should be set whenever a project is opened or saved. Caution! The Project Size bar will turn red when the total contents of the project exceed the selected card size. Use this only as a rough guide. It is not a guarantee that your project will fit on the actual card. Unknown variations include the amount of other data already on the card, and different formatting options that use some of the available space on the card. Click Save

8 Setting Project & Data Synchronization Preferences The Settings menu is also used to set some general program preferences and preferences for synchronizing data. The preference settings are not saved with the project file, so they should be checked whenever a project is opened or started. 1 In the main window, select the Settings > Preferences. 2 Use the General section of the screen to specify how media files are handled: Select the Copy Media Local checkbox if you want all content files copied into a subfolder in the project s path (subfolder will have same name as the project name). Keeping all content in a single folder makes it easier to transfer the project to another computer. Caution! The files are copied to the subfolder when the project is next saved. If no other changes have been made since the box was checked, implement a simple change, such as adding a content file then deleting it, in order to save the project and copy the files. Select the Confirm on Delete checkbox if you want a confirmation window to appear whenever a content file is deleted from the project. Note that there is no undo function in this Content Manager application. 3 Use the Data Synchronization section to specify how existing content or log files will be managed on the ReAct player when updating media content and playlists using a USB flash drive. Important! These settings are only used if you publish the project to a USB flash drive and then use this flash drive to update the files in the ReAct player. These settings have no effect if the project is published directly to the player s SD card. Select the Incremental checkbox if you want the new content files copied to the player s SD card without deleting any existing content on the card. Use this option with care as there must be adequate memory space on the SD card for the new content. Uncheck this box if you want existing content not used in the new project to be deleted from the SD card before the new content is transferred. Select the Follow Config XML checkbox if you want only the content files listed in the project to be transferred to the player s SD card. All other files are ignored. Uncheck this box if want to pre-load the player with additional content or if the project includes html content with a dependent folder. This copies all files in the mti-data folder of the USB drive to the ReAct player. Select the Capture Logfiles checkbox if you want the USB drive configured to copy log files from the player (creates the mti_log/sync.xml file on the USB drive). Note that if you want to create a USB drive solely for capturing log files (without new project files), you may do so by selecting File > Create USB to Capture Log Files (see page 13). Select the CleanUp Logfiles checkbox if you want the log files deleted from the player after they are copied from the player to the USB drive. If left unchecked, the log files remain on the player and are copied again during the next transfer. Note: Checking or unchecking this box has no effect if the Capture Logfiles box is unchecked. Click Save

9 Configuring the Attract Loop The ReAct player can be configured to play an attract loop designed to catch the shopper s attention when the display is not in use. This attract loop is established by defining the media files and their playback order in the main Content Manager window as outlined below: 1 To add media content, click the + button or edit button next to the blank row in the Attract Loop section of the main window. Click the edit button next to an existing row to change that file s attributes or replace it with a different file. Note: You can also add content by dragging files from outside the application to the grid. 2 On the Add Product screen, select the desired media type and enter the properties for this media (see page 6 for additional details). 3 When finished entering all media properties, click Save Product. The new media content now appears in the Attract Loop section of the main window. Repeat steps 1-3 to add additional media content. 1 2 Important! The fields shown on this screen will vary based on the media type selected. Refer to page 6 for additional details. 3 To arrange the playback order, click & drag rows up or down until you achieve your desired order Double-click attribute s cell to edit. If a particular attribute cannot be edited, it will revert back to its required setting. Click edit button to open the Edit Product screen and make multiple attribute changes. 9

10 Configuring Freedom Posts You can configure the ReAct player to work with an MTI Freedom display by assigning specific media content to each Freedom position. These media and post assignments are made in the main window as follows: 1 To add media content, click the + button or edit button next to the blank row in the Freedom Post section of the main window. Click the edit button next to an existing row to change that file s attributes or replace it with a different file. Note: You can also add content by dragging files from outside the application to the grid. To add multiple files to a single trigger position, press and hold the Ctrl key, then click and drag the files to the grid. 2 On the Add Product screen, use the slider bar to select the position number of the Freedom post (1-6). 3 Select the properties for the media content that you are assigning to this position (see page 6 for details). When finished entering all media properties, click Save Product. 5 The position number and its assigned media content now appear in the Freedom Post section of the main window. Repeat steps 1- to add and assign additional media content to that position or a new position. Note: Each trigger position can have more than one assigned content (see page 5). If you assigned more than one content file to a trigger, an arrow appears to the left of the listing on the main page. Click this arrow to reveal the full playlist assigned to this position. Files play in the order listed when the triggering event occurs Important! The fields shown on this screen will vary based on the media type selected. Refer to page 6 for additional details. Click arrow to reveal all content assigned to this position. 5 To arrange the playback order for this position, click & drag rows up or down until you achieve your desired order. Double-click attribute s cell to edit. If a particular attribute cannot be edited, it will revert back to its required setting. Click edit button to open the Edit Product screen and make multiple attribute changes. 10

11 Configuring GPIO Devices You can configure the ReAct player to work with up to four triggering devices (e.g., push-buttons or motion sensors) connected to the player s GPIO port. You can configure triggers to either display specific media content or control audio functions as follows: 1 To add media content, click the + button or edit button next to the blank row in the GPIO section of the main window. Click the edit button next to an existing row to change that file s attributes or replace it with a different file. Note: You can also add content by dragging files from outside the application to the grid. To add multiple files to a single trigger position, press and hold the Ctrl key, then click and drag the files to the grid. 2 On the Add Product screen, use the slider bar to select the position number of the desired GPIO device (1-). 3 Select the Normally Open checkbox if the trigger device is wired to be normally open (i.e., contact device is open in its idle state and closed when activated). Leave this box unchecked if the trigger device is wired to be normally closed. Select the Lockout checkbox if you want to keep all other triggers locked out until the entire playlist for this trigger finishes playing. Leave this box unchecked if want the system to allow a new trigger event to immediately interrupt the current playlist and switch to the new trigger s playlist. 5 Use the Audio Control drop-down menu if you want the device to control audio functions instead of displaying media content. The following selections are available: volume_up: increases the volume by one step each time the trigger is activated volume_down: decreases the volume by one step each time the trigger is activated mute_toggle: toggles mute on or off each time the trigger is activated Note: Although it is possible to assign multiple Audio Control functions to a single position, or both an Audio Control function and a content file to a position, this should be avoided. It may cause unpredictable behavior in the player. Caution! The Normally Open and Lockout checkboxes disappear when an Audio Control function is selected, but their last state still applies. Make sure you set these checkboxes to their desired state before selecting an Audio Control function. 6 If you did not select an Audio Control function in step 5, select the properties for the media content that you are assigning to this position (see page 6 for details). 7 When finished entering all media properties, click Save Product. 8 The position number and its assigned media content now appear in the GPIO section of the main window. Repeat steps 1-7 to add and assign additional media content to that position or a new position. Note: Each trigger position can have more than one assigned content file (see page 5). If you assign more than one content file to a trigger, an arrow appears to the left of the listing on the main page. Click this arrow to reveal the full playlist assigned to this position. Files play in the order listed when the triggering event occurs Important! The fields shown in Media Properties section of this screen will vary based on the media type selected. Refer to page 6 for additional details. This section of the window is not available if you selected an Audio Control function in step 5. 7 Click arrow to reveal all content assigned to this position. To arrange the playback order for this position, click & drag rows up or down until you achieve your desired order. 8 11

12 Saving the Project Use the File menu on the main window to save your project. Select File > Save (to save the project under the current file name) or File > Save As (to save the project under a new file name). Publishing the Project Once your project is complete, you must publish it to a removable drive (USB flash drive or SD card). This publishing task exports the project file (.rcm) into a usable configuration file (.xml) along with all associated media content files. To publish the project: 1 Plug the removable drive into your computer. Caution! Make sure the removable device is not locked or write-protected. Publishing to a locked device may cause the application to crash. 2 Choose the target drive from the drop-down box that now appears next to the Publish button. 3 2 Note: If the removable device is plugged into a USB card reader it may not be automatically detected. If the drop-down box does not appear, press the Publish button and navigate to the appropriate drive letter in the Browse window that appears. 3 Click the Publish button. Note: If there is no removable drive plugged into the computer, a Browse window opens so you can navigate to a nonremovable drive or folder. Publishing to a non-removable drive is useful for creating a master file structure for bulk copying to multiple removable drives at a later time. Content Manager exports the configuration XML file to an mti_data folder on the target drive and writes all content files to a media subfolder. The application also exports the relevant sync.xml files. The mti_log folder is only published if the Capture Logfiles checkbox was selected (see page 8). Important! The following conditions may prevent the Publish task from completing properly or may require additional steps: If there is an existing mti_data folder on the removable drive, a warning appears stating that the existing data on the card will be merged and/ or replaced. Any files that exist on the removable drive that have the same name as any content file in the project will be overwritten. Click Yes if you want to continue. Caution! When publishing to a non-removable drive, this warning will not appear. Use care when selecting the Publish location to avoid overwriting existing files. If there is not enough space on the removable drive, a warning appears and the Publish task will not proceed. Other problems may result in a generic message indicating the file operation failed. Problems may include not having write access to the target drive, not enough space on the target drive due to other applications writing to the drive simultaneously, or missing content files. After clicking OK, the Publish operation attempts to continue with the next file. In general, any occurrence of this warning indicates the Project did not publish completely. 12

13 Creating a Separate USB Drive for Log Files Content Manager has an additional feature that helps you configure a USB flash drive to automatically capture log files when the drive is connected to a ReAct player. This operation is independent of the other project activities. To create a separate USB flash drive for log files: 1 Plug the USB drive into your computer. 2 In the main Content Manager window, select Settings > Preferences. 3 In the Data Synchronization section of the screen, select CleanUp Logfiles if you want the log files to be deleted from the player s SD card after they are copied to the flash drive. If left unchecked, the log files remain on the player and are copied again during the next transfer. Click Save to continue. 5 From the main Content Manager window, select File > Create USB to Capture Log Files. 6 In the browse screen that appears, find and select the target drive and click OK. 7 The program will prompt you when the process is complete. Click OK to exit. The drive should now have an mti_log folder containing a sync.xml file. Note: A warning screen appears if an existing mti_data folder is detected on the target drive during this step. You must remove this folder from the drive before the application will create the new mti_log folder. 2 This setting is ignored

14 Troubleshooting All MTI products are designed and manufactured to provide consistent, trouble-free service. If you encounter a problem, refer to the troubleshooting table below. If the problem persists, contact MTI Customer Service at (toll-free) or (international), from 8AM - 5PM Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Please send faxes to or cservice@mti-interactive.com. Problem Probable Cause Solution 3D content is displayed in a split screen format Wrong (or no) media file plays when trigger event occurs Configuration XML file did not identify that media file was 3D content The media content and/or trigger information in the mti_config.xml file is incorrect Edit the project file so the media attribute is tagged as a 3D file Edit the project (.rcm) file to fix the error; then publish the project to the memory card Player cannot play media file File type is not supported by this system Replace content with correct file type Failed message appears when attempting to publish the project The application crashes when Publishing When I open a previously saved Project all of the media files are listed as 0 size When editing an mti_config.xml file directly on an SD card and the project is saved, the new media is not written to the card You do not have write access to the target drive Insufficient space on the target drive Content files are missing The device you are Publishing to is locked or write-protected If the.rcm file or the media files were moved to a different folder location since the Project was saved, the relative paths to the media files are now incorrect Saving the project only updates the mti_ config.xml file Secure write access to the drive Change drive or modify project to meet drive capacity Ensure that all files are present Unlock the device and Publish again Move the.rcm file and/or media files back to their original locations, or edit each media file and Browse to their location Publish the Project to the SD card. This updates the mti_config.xml file and copies the media to the SD card. Features Not Supported in Older Player Versions Firmware Version Feature Notes v0.9.6 GPIO - Lockout Checkbox has no effect. Picture files File type not supported. Do not use in project. URL/HTML files File type not supported. Do not use in project. Known Issues Double-clicking an existing.rcm file in Windows Explorer starts the ReAct Content Manager application but does not load the project. You must open it in the Start Project dialog box by selecting Open Project or using the Recent Projects drop-down box. Double-clicking an existing.rcm file in Windows Explorer starts a new instance of ReAct Content Manager even if one is already open. If ReAct Content Manager has a Windows Explorer dialog box open, it is not available in the Windows ATL-Tab list. If the Confirm on Delete box is checked, deleting an Audio Control function in the GPIO section still requires a confirmation. In the Add Product or Edit Product dialog boxes, changing the media type does not affect the Explorer window that opens when the Browse button is pressed. You must still change the file type in the Explorer window. 1