Avid DekoCast Plug-ins

Transcription

1 Avid make manage move media Avid DekoCast Plug-ins Installation and User s Guide

2 Copyright and Disclaimer Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of that license by visiting Avid's Web site at The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as the software. The software might not be reverse assembled and might be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement. Avid products or portions thereof are protected by one or more of the following United States Patents: 4,746,994; 4,970,663; 5,045,940; 5,267,351; 5,309,528; 5,355,450; 5,396,594; 5,440,348; 5,452,378; 5,467,288; 5,513,375; 5,528,310; 5,557,423; 5,577,190; 5,583,496; 5,584,006; 5,627,765; 5,640,601; 5,644,364; 5,654,737; 5,715,018; 5,719,570; 5,724,605; 5,726,717; 5,729,673; 5,745,637; 5,752,029; 5,754,851; 5,799,150; 5,812,216; 5,828,678; 5,842,014; 5,852,435; 5,999,406; 6,038,573; 6,061,758; 6,141,007; 6,211,869; 6,532,043; 6,546,190; 6,596,031; 6,636,869; 6,747,705; 6,763,523; 6,766,357; 6,813,622; 6,847,373; 7,081,900; D352,278; D372,478; D373,778; D392,267; D392,268; D392,269; D395,291; D396,853; D398,912. Other patents are pending. This document is protected under copyright law. An authorized licensee of Deko Select might reproduce this publication for the licensee s own use in learning how to use the software. This document might not be reproduced or distributed, in whole or in part, for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this document or providing support or educational services to others. This document is supplied as a guide for Deko Select. Reasonable care has been taken in preparing the information it contains. However, this document might contain omissions, technical inaccuracies, or typographical errors. Avid Technology, Inc. does not accept responsibility of any kind for customers losses due to the use of this document. Product specifications are subject to change without notice. Copyright 2007 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Attn. Government User(s). Restricted Rights Legend U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. This Software and its documentation are commercial computer software or commercial computer software documentation. In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf of a unit or agency of the U.S. Government, all rights with respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms of the License Agreement, pursuant to FAR (a) and/or DFARS (a), as applicable. Trademarks 888 I/O, Adrenaline, AirPlay, AirSPACE, AirSPACE HD, AirSpeed, AniMatte, AudioSuite, AudioVision, AutoSync, Avid, Avid DNA, Avid DNxcel, Avid DNxHD, AVIDdrive, AVIDdrive Towers, Avid DS Assist Station, Avid ISIS, Avid Learning Excellerator, Avid Liquid, Avid Mojo, AvidNet, AvidNetwork, Avid Remote Response, AVIDstripe, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid Xpress, AVoption, AVX, CamCutter, ChromaCurve, ChromaWheel, DAE, Dazzle, Deko, DekoCast, D-Fi, D-fx, DigiDelivery, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, DigiDrive, Digital Nonlinear Accelerator, DigiTranslator, DINR, DNxchange, do more, D-Verb, Equinox, ExpertRender, Face Robot, FieldPak, Film Composer, FilmScribe, FluidMotion, FXDeko, HIIP, HyperSPACE, HyperSPACE HDCAM, IllusionFX, Image Independence, inews, inews ControlAir, Instinct, Interplay, Intraframe, is9, is18, is23, is36, LaunchPad, Lightning, Lo-Fi, Magic Mask, make manage move media, Marquee, Matador, Maxim, MCXpress, Media Browse, Media Composer, MediaDock, MediaDock Shuttle, Media Fusion, Media Illusion, MediaLog, Media Reader, Media Recorder, MEDIArray, MediaShare, MediaStream, Meridien, MetaSync, MissionControl, NaturalMatch, Nearchive, NetReview, NewsCutter, Nitris, OMF, OMF Interchange, OMM, Open Media Framework, Open Media Management, PCTV, Pinnacle MediaSuite, Pinnacle Studio, Pinnacle Systems, ProEncode, Pro Tools, QuietDrive, Recti-Fi, RetroLoop, rs9, rs18, Sci-Fi, ScriptSync, SecureProductionEnvironment, Show Center, Softimage, Sound Designer II, SPACE, SPACEShift, SpectraGraph, SpectraMatte, SteadyGlide, Symphony, TARGA, Thunder, Trilligent, UnityRAID, Vari-Fi, Video RAID, Video Slave Driver, VideoSPACE, and Xdeck are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Adobe and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Apple and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. 2

3 GOT FOOTAGE? Editors Filmmakers Special Effects Artists Game Developers Animators Educators Broadcasters Content creators of every genre Just finished an incredible project and want to share it with the world? Send us your reels and we might use your footage in our show reel or demo!* For a copy of our release and Avid s mailing address, go to *Note: Avid cannot guarantee the use of materials submitted. Avid DekoCast Plug-ins Installation and User s Guide August

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5 Contents Using This Guide Symbols and Conventions If You Need Help How to Order Documentation Avid Training Services Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins Installing DekoCast Plug-ins Using the Engine Trigger Plug-in Adding the Engine Trigger Plug-in to a Scene Configuring the Engine Trigger Plug-in Editing Scripts for the Engine Trigger Using Script Help Using the Database Extractor Plug-in Adding the Database Extractor Plug-in to a Scene Setting Up the Database Extractor Plug-in Using the Query Builder Creating Your Own Queries Using Script Files for the Database Extractor Using the RSS Extractor Plug-in Adding the RSS Extractor Plug-in to a Scene Configuring the RSS Extractor Plug-in Writing Script Files for RSS Fields Using the Image Fetcher Plug-in Adding the Image Fetcher Plug-in to a Scene Configuring the Image Fetcher Plug-in Using the inews Extractor Plug-in Adding the inews Extractor Plug-in to a Scene Configuring the inews Extractor Plug-in Examples of inews Stories

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7 Using This Guide n The Avid DekoCast Plug-ins Installation and User s Guide is a guide for installing and using Avid DekoCast plug-ins. This guide offers general information and step-by-step instructions. The documentation describes the features and hardware of all models. Therefore, your system might not contain certain features and hardware that are covered in the documentation.

8 Using This Guide Symbols and Conventions Avid documentation uses the following symbols and conventions: Symbol or Convention n c w Meaning or Action A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations, and strong suggestions. A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your computer or cause you to lose data. A warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm. Follow the guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when handling electrical equipment. > This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the order you select them. For example, File > Import means to open the File menu and then select the Import command. t Italic font Courier Bold font Ctrl+key or mouse action This symbol indicates a single-step procedure. Multiple arrows in a list indicate that you perform one of the actions listed. Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables. Courier Bold font identifies text that you type. Press and hold the first key while you perform the mouse action. For example, Ctrl+drag. If You Need Help If you are having trouble using DekoCast plug-ins: 1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is especially important to check each step of your workflow. 2. Check for the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was published: - If the latest information for your Avid product is provided as printed release notes, they ship with your application and are also available online. 8

9 How to Order Documentation - If the latest information for your Avid product is provided as a ReadMe file, it is supplied on your Avid installation CD or DVD as a PDF document (README_DekoCastPlugins.pdf) and is also available online. You should always check online for the most up-to-date release notes or ReadMe because the online version is updated whenever new information becomes available. To view these online versions, select ReadMe from the Help menu. or visit the Knowledge Base at 3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for maintenance or hardware-related issues. 4. Visit the online Knowledge Base at Online services are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Search this online Knowledge Base to find answers, to view error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read or join online message-board discussions. How to Order Documentation To order additional copies of this documentation from within the United States, call Avid Sales at AVID ( ). If you are placing an order from outside the United States, contact your local Avid representative. Avid Training Services Avid makes lifelong learning, career advancement, and personal development easy and convenient. Avid understands that the knowledge you need to differentiate yourself is always changing, and Avid continually updates course content and offers new training delivery methods that accommodate your pressured and competitive work environment. To learn about Avid's new online learning environment, Avid Learning Excellerator (ALEX), visit For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and books, please visit or call Avid Sales at AVID ( ). 9

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11 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins n DekoCast plug-ins were developed to help you use your DekoCast system more efficiently and effectively. A plug-in is a computer program that interacts with a main application to provide a certain, usually very specific, function on demand. To use these Plug-ins, you must have installed DekoCast version or later. The following topics describe how to install and use the various DekoCast plug-ins: Installing DekoCast Plug-ins Using the Engine Trigger Plug-in Using the Database Extractor Plug-in Using the RSS Extractor Plug-in Using the Image Fetcher Plug-in Using the inews Extractor Plug-in

12 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins Installing DekoCast Plug-ins n n DekoCast plug-ins must be registered before you use them. Each plug-in installer is located in a folder named after the plug-in, within the DekoCast folder, (e.g., C:\DekoCast\bin\Plugins\EngineTrigger). Notice that each plug-in has its own setup.exe file. To register a plug-in, you just need to double-click the setup.exe file for the plug-in, and it is automatically registered on your DekoCast system. DekoCast systems running under Windows 2000 need to have MDAC (Microsoft Data Access Components) 2.8 SP1 or later installed before you can install any plug-ins. This is a free download available on the Microsoft website. For more information, see To install DekoCast plug-ins: 1. Insert the CD and/or navigate to the folder name containing the desired plug-in executable, and double-click the setup.exe for that plug-in. The InstallShield Wizard opens. 2. Click Next to continue. If you are installing the inews Extractor or RSS Extractor plug-in, you might get a message asking that you install MSXML 6.0. Make sure you have the system requirements listed in the dialog box, then click Install in the dialog box (not OK). Then click Next and follow the prompts to install MSXML 6.0. After installing MSXML 6.0, you will return to the InstallShield Wizard for the DekoCast plug-in you are installing. After you install this program for one plug-in, you are not asked to install it for the other plug-in. 3. Click Install. 4. Click Finish. After you install any of the plug-ins, a new folder named Plugins is created in the C:\DekoCast\bin folder. After the Plugins folder is created, the plug-in components for any other plug-ins that you install resides in that folder. 5. After installing a plug-in, navigate to C:\DekoCast\bin\Plugins and check that an.ocx file and a.dll file are present for each plug-in you have installed. 12

13 Using the Engine Trigger Plug-in Using the Engine Trigger Plug-in The Engine Trigger plug-in allows you to monitor and react to any parameter change within a scene. It does this by allowing you to set the options for a wide variety of choices. Furthermore, it exposes the Visual Basic script engine to allow complete control of the scene through the RocketEngine API. For more information on how to program for the API, see the RocketEngine API for DekoRocket and DekoCast Guide. Adding the Engine Trigger Plug-in to a Scene To use the Engine Trigger plug-in, you must first add it to a DekoCast scene. To add the Engine Trigger plug-in to a scene: 1. Open a DekoCast scene. 2. Click the Plug-in icon in the Object tool bar. The Select Object Plugin dialog box opens, showing a list of the available registered plug-ins. 3. Select the Engine Trigger plug-in. The Engine Trigger plug-in is added to the scene, and the Object editor opens to the Script Options tab. 13

14 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins Configuring the Engine Trigger Plug-in Before you can use the Engine Trigger plug-in, you must configure it. To configure the Engine Trigger plug-in: 1. In the Object editor, click the Script Options tab. 2. In the Monitor parameter section, select the option that represents how often or when you want the plug-in to monitor the parameter. Options include the following: - Never (design mode): Select this option if you want to stop scripts from executing. This option is helpful if you are working on a scene and you do not want any scripts executed. - Run script every seconds: Type a number in the text box to indicate how often you want to run the script. If you select this option, it does not set a monitor on a parameter, but automatically runs the script file every n seconds. - Whenever the parameter value changes: Select this option to execute the script whenever the parameter value changes. 14

15 Using the Engine Trigger Plug-in n 3. In the Type section, select one of the following options to represent the type of parameter you want to monitor. Options are: t Object: Select this option if you want to monitor an Object parameter. t t Scene: Select this option if you want to monitor a Scene parameter. Just select the name of the parameter of the scene from the list below the option. User: Select this option if you want to monitor a User parameter. User parameters are parameters that users can manually add to scenes. For more information, see the Avid DekoCast User s Guide. t Canvas: Select this option if you want to monitor a Canvas parameter. Canvas parameters are parameters that pertain to the video board. There is one canvas per board. 4. Select the value (name of the object, scene, user, or canvas) you want to monitor from the list just below the Type field. The values that appear in the list are related to the type of parameter you selected. 5. Select the name of the parameter of the object you want to monitor from the Parameter Name field. 6. In the If the value changes section, do the following: a. In the From: (optional) text box, type a value if you want the script to execute when the parameter value changes from the From value to the To value. b. Select a qualifier (>,<, or =) from the list. c. In the To: (optional) text box, type a value that causes the script to execute whenever the parameter value changes to the To: value. d. In the Back to: (optional) text box, type a value here if you want the script to execute when the value goes from the From value to the To value and then back to the Back to: value. When the value goes from the From: to the To:, the script is armed, and when the parameter value reaches the Back to: value, the script executes. An example of this would be to play an action when a crawl is complete. To do so, set the From: to 0, set the To: to 1, set the Back to: to 0 and set the parameter to active count. When the text starts to crawl to active, the count goes from 0 to 1, and when the crawl completes, the active count goes back to 0 and then the script executes. 7. Click Apply to apply your changes. 15

16 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins Editing Scripts for the Engine Trigger You can use the Engine Trigger plug-in to write or edit simple VB or Java scripts using the Script Files tab of the Engine Trigger plug-in. This plug-in is the most powerful DekoCast plug-in available and should be able to accomplish any task required. However, depending on what you want to do, the work might involve some complicated scripting. Simple scripts can be entered in the editor. The script engine assigns the following variables: app to the Rocket Engine application. scene to the current scene. obj to the assigned object defined in the Script Options tab. param to the parameter defined in the Script Options tab. You have a reference to each of these in the RocketEngine API. With a reference to these objects, you have direct access to the parameters of these objects. For more information on how to program for the API, see the RocketEngine API for DekoRocket and DekoCast Guide. 16

17 Using the Engine Trigger Plug-in To edit VB or Java scripts for the Engine Trigger: 1. Click the Script Files tab. The following illustration shows a script that plays an action named Squeeze Live in the current scene. 2. If you want to change the type of script, select it from the list in the lower right of the window. Options are VBScript and JScript. 3. Write your script in the Script Editor text box. If you have any questions regarding the Parameter variable names, Diagnostic Scene variable names, or Application variable names, click the Script Help tab. For more information, see Using Script Help on page

18 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins 4. Click one of the following buttons based on what you want to do. Script Files Buttons Button Clear Execute Load Save Apply Cancel Description Clears the window. Tests the script. Loads a script from disk. Saves the script to disk. Applys your changes. Cancels the changes. Using Script Help You can use the Script Help tab of the Engine Trigger plug-in to help you write or edit simple VB or Java scripts using the Script Files tab of the Engine Trigger plug-in. The Script Help tab contains information such as the Parameter variable names, Diagnostic Scene variable names, and Application variable names. 18

19 Using the Engine Trigger Plug-in To use the Script Help tab: 1. Click the Script Help tab. 2. Use the information in the tab to help you write your script file. 19

20 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins Using the Database Extractor Plug-in The Database Extractor plug-in allows easy access to any database. You can use this plug-in to pre-process the result of the database query using a scripting language. You can also use the plug-in to poll the database periodically. Adding the Database Extractor Plug-in to a Scene To use the Database Extractor plug-in, you must first add it to a DekoCast scene. To add the Database Extractor plug-in to a scene: 1. Open a DekoCast scene. 2. Click the Plug-in icon in the Object tool bar. The Select Object Plugin dialog box opens showing list of available registered plug-ins. 3. Select the Database Extractor plug-in. The Database Extractor plug-in is added to the scene, and the Object editor opens to the Setup tab. Setting Up the Database Extractor Plug-in After you add the Database Extractor plug-in to a scene, you must configure it. n When setting up the Database Extractor plug-in, you need to select a data source based on the type of database you want to query, and the type of driver you want to use. If you do not know this information, contact your system administrator. 20

21 Using the Database Extractor Plug-in To set up the Database Extractor plug-in: 1. In the Setup tab in the Object editor, type the name that you want this plug-in to be identified by in the Name field. 2. In the Type field, select the type of parameter (Scene, Object, User, or Canvas) that you want the result to affect. 3. In the Parameter Name field, select the parameter name from the list. 21

22 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins 4. Click the Select Data Source button. The Data Link Properties dialog box opens. n 5. In the Provider tab, select the proper OLE DB Provider that matches your database and driver. The list of providers matches the list of providers installed on your system. You can find this list by selecting Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC). Be sure to select the allow saving password option if it appears. 22

23 Using the Database Extractor Plug-in n 6. Click the Next button. The Connection tab opens with the fields relating to the Provider you selected. Based on the Provider you selected, the fields might be different from those shown in the following example. 7. Complete the fields on this tab with information specific to your database. For more information on how to complete this dialog box for your database type, see the Microsoft website, or more specifically, see 8. Click the Test Connection button. The application either succeeds or fails in creating a test connection to the data source. Click OK to return to the Object editor. 9. Click OK. The connection string is created and assigned in the Connection String text box. 23

24 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins 10. In the Setup tab, click Connect to connect to the database. The fields in the Query builder are populated with Parameters from the selected database. Using the Query Builder The Query Builder is used to build database queries. The returned result is a single field from the database table. For example, you could set up a query to retrieve the current temperature for a specific city from a database table of city temperatures. n To use the Query Builder: 1. In the From Table field, select the parameter that provides the information you want to retrieve from the table. In the example above, you would select City Temperatures in this field. 2. In the Retrieve Field, select the field name you want to retrieve from the database. The Retrieve Field is the selected parameter s new value. In the example above, you would select Temp in this field. 3. In the Where Field, select the field in the database that you want to look for in your query. For the example above, you would select City in this field. 4. In the Equals field, select the value of the record that matches the field you selected in the Where Field. For the example above, you would select the city (Chicago, Boston, and so on) in this field. 5. Click the Apply Query Builder button. The Query string appears in the Query String text box. 6. In the Update frequency box, select how often you want to poll the database for new information. 7. Click the Apply button to save your changes. 8. Click the Trigger button to execute the query. The result of your query (the current temperature in the city you selected) appears in the Query Result field. If the Query builder is not sufficient enough to get at your data, you can create your own query. 24

25 Using the Database Extractor Plug-in Creating Your Own Queries You can create your own queries without using the Query Builder. You can manually type SQL commands. This allows for more complicated queries. The returned result is a tabdelimited field and carriage-return line-feed delimited record set. To create your own queries: 1. In the Query String field, type an SQL command. 2. In the Update frequency box, select how often you want to poll the database for new information. 3. Click the Apply button to save your changes. 4. Click the Trigger button to execute the query. The result of your query appears in the Query Result field. Using Script Files for the Database Extractor The Database Extractor plug-in lets you select existing scripts from a disk or create new scripts to execute. 25

26 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins To select script files: 1. Click the Script File tab. 2. In the Scripting Language field, select the scripting language you want to use: VBScript, or JScript. 26

27 Using the Database Extractor Plug-in 3. If you want to load an existing script file from disk, click the Select button. The Choose Script File dialog box opens. 4. Navigate to the location of the script file you want to load and click Open. To use Notepad to edit the file: 1. (Option) If you want to load the script file in the Notepad editor, click the Show button. 27

28 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins 2. (Option) If you want to create a new Notepad script file in the temporary directory with a skeleton script, click the Create New button. 3. Make changes to the script as desired. 4. Save the newly created script file to another location. Using the RSS Extractor Plug-in The DekoCast RSS Extractor plug-in allows you to display Web RSS Data Feed information in DekoCast by doing the follwing: Entering the URL of the feed. Attaching it to a Deko object. Determining how often you want to fetch the feed data. Selecting whether you want to display titles and/or descriptions in the display. The downloaded titles can also be pre-processed and manipulated using Visual Basic Scripting (VBS). Adding the RSS Extractor Plug-in to a Scene To use the RSS Extractor plug-in, you must first add it to a DekoCast scene. 28

29 Using the RSS Extractor Plug-in To add the RSS Extractor plug-in to a scene: 1. Open a DekoCast scene. 2. Click the Plug-in icon in the Object tool bar. The Select Object Plugin dialog box opens, showing list of available registered plug-ins. 3. Select the RSS Extractor plug-in. The RSS Extractor plug-in is added to the scene, and the Object editor opens to the RSS Data Feed tab. Configuring the RSS Extractor Plug-in After you add the RSS Extractor plug-in to a scene, you must configure it to display RSS data feed information in DekoCast. When configuring the RSS Extractor plug-in, you need to know the URL of the RSS feed you want to use. 29

30 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins To configure the RSS Extractor plug-in: 1. In the RSS Data Feed tab in the Object editor, type a name that you want to be associated with the RSS feed in the Name field. For example, if the data feed is for US News, then RSS US News would be a good choice for a name. 2. In the URL field, type or paste the URL of the RSS Data Feed you want to use in the DekoCast scene. Examples can be found at: For information on weather information in various locations, see this URL: 30

31 Using the RSS Extractor Plug-in 3. In the Attach to Deko Object field, select the Deko object from the list of available Deko objects that displays the titles of the feed. 4. In the Fetch in Minutes field, select how often you want to fetch the RSS Feed data to display the changes. 5. (Option) If you want to include titles of the selected RSS feed, select the Include Titles option. 6. (Option) If you want to include descriptions of the selected RSS feed, select the Include Descriptions option. 7. Click the Apply button to save your changes. 8. Click the Trigger button to force a refresh of data. New data is retrieved that also includes description information. Writing Script Files for RSS Fields n The RSS Extractor plug-in also lets you pre-process the information received from the feed before the textual data is sent to the display object. Any data can be manipulated after it is retrieved but before it is aired. If you are writing a script to pre-process the downloaded data, the script file needs to have a function named ProcessResult. The following example adds the text (Avid News ) to the end of each title. Example of a VB Script file: Function ProcessResult(data) Dim StationTag StationTag="(Avid News)" ProcessResult=data & StationTag End Function 31

32 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins To select script files for RSS fields: 1. Click the Script File tab. 2. In the Scripting Language field, select the scripting language you want to use. Options are VBScript, and JScript. 3. If you want to load an existing script file from disk, click the Select button. The Choose Script File dialog box opens. 4. Navigate to the location of the script file you want to load, select the file, and click Open. 32

33 Using the Image Fetcher Plug-in To use Notepad to edit the file: 1. (Option) If you want to load the selected script file in the Notepad editor, click the Show button. 2. (Option) If you want to create a new Notepad script file in the temporary directory using a skeleton script, click the Create New button. 3. Make changes to the script as desired. 4. Save the newly created script file to a location on your system. Using the Image Fetcher Plug-in The Image Fetcher plug-in is designed to download a specified graphic file from either the Internet or from a disk on a periodic basis and store the image locally. The stored image is then set as the file name to the attached Cel Animation object. The Image Fetcher plug-in has the following four parameters: Target file Destination File Attached Object Fetch Cycle 33

34 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins n The Image Fetcher does not convert graphic files from one format to another. Files supported are those supported by the Cel Animation object. For more information, see the Avid DekoCast Products User s Guide. If your Target file is a.bmp, your Destination file must also be a.bmp. Adding the Image Fetcher Plug-in to a Scene To use the Image Fetcher plug-in, you must first add it to a DekoCast scene. To add the Image Fetcher plug-in to a scene: 1. Open a DekoCast scene. 2. Add one Cel Animation object to the scene. 3. Click the Plug-in icon in the Object tool bar. The Select Object Plugin dialog box opens showing list of available registered plug-ins. 4. Select the Image Fetcher plug-in. The Image Fetcher plug-in is added to the scene, and the Object editor opens to the File Fetcher tab. Configuring the Image Fetcher Plug-in After you add the Image Fetcher plug-in to a scene, you must configure it to download the designated graphic file from the specified location (Internet or disk), and then determine where to store the file locally, and with which Cel Animation object you want to associate the graphic. Lastly, you can set the fetch cycle to determine how often you want to check for a new image and download it. 34

35 Using the Image Fetcher Plug-in To configure the Image Fetcher plug-in: 1. In the Name field, type a name for the graphic file you want to use. Make sure it is something that easily identifies the graphic. 2. In the Target File field, type or paste the location (file name or URL) of the graphic file you want to use. This file location can be to the Internet, or to a disk drive on your local system or on a networked system. For example: D:\Graphics\Weather.bmp 3. In the Destination File Name field, type or paste the location and file name for the file you want to download. The file extensions on the target file and destination file need to be the same. In looking at the URL examples in Step 2, for the first URL, the destination file name would need to be.jpg. For the second URL, the destination file name extension would need to be.gif. For the third URL, the destination file name extension would need to be.bmp. 35

36 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins n Some internet graphic files (such as.png) are not supported. 4. In the Attached Object field, select the Cel Animation object in your scene that is used to display the graphic image. After you select the object, the plug-in automatically sets the files parameter of the Cel Animation object. The plug-in also updates the file when a new file is downloaded. 5. In the Fetch Cycle, select the frequency in which you want to fetch the graphic file for downloads. 6. (Option) Verify the graphic is the one you want to display by clicking the View Target File button. The selected graphic is displayed in a browser. 7. After you have verified that the image is the one you want, close the image. 8. Click the Save button to apply the selected parameters to the object. 9. Save the DekoCast scene to apply the selected parameters to the scene. Using the inews Extractor Plug-in 36 The inews Extractor plug-in lets you do the following: Communicate with an inews server via FTP. Select a specific rundown from inews. Select a specific tag or tags (up to 2) within that rundown. The data is then set to the file contents parameter of a Deko or Text object within a DekoCast scene. This allows you to cycle or crawl story data from an inews rundown through a DekoCast system. Adding the inews Extractor Plug-in to a Scene To use the inews Extractor plug-in, you must first add it to a DekoCast scene. To add the inews Extractor plug-in to a scene: 1. Open a DekoCast scene. 2. Click the Plug-in icon in the Object tool bar. A list of available registered plug-ins opens. 3. Select the inews Extractor plug-in. The inews Extractor plug-in is added to the scene, and the Object editor opens to the inews Info tab.

37 Using the inews Extractor Plug-in Configuring the inews Extractor Plug-in When configuring the inews Extractor plug-in, you must work backwards through the tabs. For example, complete the information in the inews Connection tab first, then the Settings tab, and lastly the inews Info tab. To configure the inews Extractor plug-in: 1. Click the inews Connection tab. 2. In the inews Server Address field, type the Server address of the inews machine that you want to connect to. 3. In the inews Server FTP Port Number field, type the inews FTP port number (usually port 21). 37

38 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins 4. In the FTP User Name field, type the FTP user name. 5. In the FTP Password field, type the FTP user s password. 6. In the Auto Update field, determine whether you want to enable or disable the automatic updates. If you selected the Auto Update check box, then, in the Frequency (minutes) field, you can set the frequency for the updates by typing the number of minutes you want between updates. 7. Click the Settings tab In the Rundown Name text box, type the name of the rundown from inews. To verify the location, you can open the inews application, and select Show > Rundown.

39 Using the inews Extractor Plug-in n n 9. Click the inews Info Tab and click Update. You must update before stories are populated in the field. 10. In the Stories List field, add all the stories you want to include in the display. To add a story, you can either type a story name or select one from the list. Then click the Add Story button. The Story name appears in the box to the left. 11. In the Attached Object list, select the scene object that you want to use to display the data. 12. In the Preset Style File text box, click the Browse button to navigate to the location of your Preset Style files. This field is used only if DekoCast in-line (or embedded) Deko preset tags are defined. For more information, see the Avid DekoCast Products User s Guide. 13. In the Name field of the Field 1 and Field 2 sections you can define the fields in the story that you want to extract. Usually, it is the story body (<body>) or title (<title>). 14. For each field you have defined above (Field 1, Field 2), select an in-line tag by clicking on the Add In-Line Tag button. You can create a list of DekoCast in-line (or embedded) tags to include with the display. This is like selecting different pre-set styles or selecting specific Deko layers. You can add your own user-defined tags as well by selecting them from the list. For more information, see the Avid DekoCast Products User s Guide or the Avid DekoCast Online Help. The topic is called Using Embedded Tags with Deko Object Text. 15. In the Available In-Line Tags list, select a tag from this list to add it to the In-Line Tag list for Field 1 or Field 2. 39

40 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins 16. Click the inews Info tab to view the rundown selected. The tab shows all the stories in the rundown. Stories are marked as: - Selected for air - Not selected for air - Floated (do not want to kill the story, but do not want to air it now). This screen is a read only view. 17. Click the Update button if you want to force a manual FTP command to the server and download the data. 40

41 Using the inews Extractor Plug-in Examples of inews Stories This topic contains three different examples of inews stories: Example 1: Creating a Lower-Third with One News Story and One Tag on page 42 Example 2: Creating a Lower-Third with More Than One News Story Using Two Tags on page 45 Example 3: Creating a Lower-Third Crawl Using Station Logos Between the Items on page 48 The following inews rundown is used to illustrate the three inews story examples: n In the previous illustration, item A4 Business appears in blue type, indicating that the Business story was floated. 41

42 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins Example 1: Creating a Lower-Third with One News Story and One Tag This example explains how to create a lower-third with one news story and one tag. To create a lower-third with one news story and one tag: 1. Add the inews Extractor plug-in to a DekoCast scene. For more information, see Adding the inews Extractor Plug-in to a Scene on page Click the Settings tab In the Rundown Name text box, type the name of the rundown from inews. The Rundown name must be typed in exactly as it appears in inews. 4. In the Stories list field, add the inews story you want to include in the display. To add a story, you can either type in a story name, or select one from the list. Then click Add Story. The Story name appears in the box to the left.

43 Using the inews Extractor Plug-in 5. Select a Deko object for the Attached Object. For the Deko object to work correctly, in the DekoCast object editor, you must: a. Set the file name to a Lower Third Deko template that has at least one layer. b. Set the Deko object Selected Layer setting to a layer number. c. Set the Deko object Transition Type to Dissolve. For more information, see the Avid DekoCast Products User s Guide. 6. Leave the Preset Style File field empty (blank). 7. Add the tag <body> for Field 1 and leave Field 2 empty. 8. Leave the In-Line Tag List fields for both Field 1 and Field 2 empty. The Settings tab appears as shown in the following illustration. 43

44 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins In this example, only the story body is displayed. 44

45 Using the inews Extractor Plug-in Example 2: Creating a Lower-Third with More Than One News Story Using Two Tags This example explains how to create a lower-third with more than one news story using two tags. To create a lower-third with more than one news story using two tags: 1. Add the inews Extractor plug-in to a DekoCast scene. For more information, see Adding the inews Extractor Plug-in to a Scene on page Click the Settings tab. 3. In the Rundown Name text box, type the name of the rundown from inews. The Rundown name must be typed in exactly as it appears in inews. 45

46 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins 4. In the Stories list field, add any inews stories you wish to include in the display. To add a story, you can either type in a story name, or select one from the list. Then, click the Add Story button. The Story names appear in the box to the left. 5. Select a Deko object for the Attached Object. For the Deko object to work correctly, in the DekoCast object editor, you must: a. Set the file name to a Lower Third Deko template that has at least 2 layers. b. Set the Deko object Selected Layer setting to Entire Graphic. c. Set the Deko object Transition Type to Dissolve. For more information, see the Avid DekoCast Products User s Guide. 6. Set the Preset Style File field to a Deko.pst file. 7. Add the tag <body> to the Name field for Field Add the tag <title> to the Name field for Field Add 2 in-line tags to the In-Line Tag List of Field 1. 46

47 Using the inews Extractor Plug-in 10. Add 2 in-line tags to the In-Line Tag List of Field 2. The Settings tab appears as shown in the following illustration. 47

48 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins In this example, two pieces of data are displayed: the story title and the story body. All stories subsequently display both pieces of data. Example 3: Creating a Lower-Third Crawl Using Station Logos Between the Items This example explains how to create a lower-third crawl using station logos between the items. To create a lower-third crawls using station logos between the items: 1. Add a crawl object to the DekoCast Scene object tree: 2. Insert a Deko object (Deko 2) and set its file name to the Deko crawl template. 3. Set the Selected Layer property to the layer in the.dko file to be used for crawling the text. 48

49 Using the inews Extractor Plug-in 4. Insert a Cel Animation object and set it to a Static graphic file or an animated series of files. 5. Create a Crawl Rule by selecting the Crawl Data object. For more information on creating a crawl rule, see the Avid DekoCast Products User s Guide. 6. Add the inews Extractor plug-in to a DekoCast scene. For more information, see Adding the inews Extractor Plug-in to a Scene on page

50 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins 7. Click the Settings tab. 8. In the Rundown Name text box, type the name of the rundown from inews. The Rundown name must be typed in exactly as it appears in inews. 9. In the Stories list field, add any inews stories you wish to include in the display. To add a story, you can either type in a story name or select one from the list. Then click the Add Story button. The Story name appears in the box to the left. 50

51 Using the inews Extractor Plug-in 10. Select the Crawl Data Deko object from the Attached Object list. For the Deko object to work correctly, in the DekoCast object editor, you must: a. Set the file name to a Lower Third Deko template that has at least 2 layers. b. Set the Deko object Selected Layer setting to Entire Graphic. c. Set the Deko object Transition Type to Dissolve. For more information, see the Avid DekoCast Products User s Guide. 11. Set the Preset Style File field to a Deko.pst file. 12. Add the tag <body> to the Name of Field 1. This is what the screen should look like when you are done. 51

52 Installing and Using DekoCast Plug-ins In this example, the crawls appears in the lower-third with each news item separated by the station logo. 52