Media Monorail Application How-To and User Guide

Transcription

1 Media Monorail Application How-To and User Guide Prepared by: Enterprise Media Management Services (EMMS) The Walt Disney Company Version 0.9 September 20,

2 Welcome! This document highlights a few of the new features in the upgrade to Media Monorail. It is intended for current users of the TRON system. For assistance, please contact the Enterprise Media Management Services team at Disney via at DATG.DL-JellyrollSupport@disney.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction New Dashboard I. Templates and Workflows II. History III. Sticky Notes IV. Toolbar Inside Workflows I. Workflow Layout II. Form Entries III. Features Managing Templates I. Template Manager II. Template Features and Permissions 2

3 Introduction Media Monorail ( is the completely updated and reconstructed upload and submission tool for sending files to The Walt Disney Company. This application allows you to send media files from your local workstation or storage and submit them for processing, whether that s into Jellyroll Digital Asset Management, sending to Landing Pads, forwarding for User Delivery, or submitting to specific application processes. The application will provide choices and assist you in creating the metadata for each file transfer. There are a number of new features in Media Monorail, and this document will demonstrate how to use them to your advantage. The Media Monorail application is maintained by The Walt Disney Company s Enterprise Media Management Services (EMMS) group. If you have questions or encounter problems, please contact us at DATG.DL-JellyrollSupport@disney.com. The following pages will describe the interface that you will see upon logging in to the system. In each section, the intent is to help the user understand how to interact with the tool. For specific questions regarding metadata, content, or use of the tool for a particular work order, a user should contact the person at Disney requesting the upload to ensure that process-specific tasks are followed and to obtain any specific information regarding metadata and templates to use. 3

4 Dashboard Your Dashboard will be the first thing you see after logging in to Media Monorail. This layout was designed to create a friendly user-interface for the starting point of your file transfer. You can always get back to the Dashboard by clicking on the Dashboard link in the Toolbar at the top. From here, you ll have quick access to often-used submission templates as well as a browsable history of assets you ve submitted or are uploading to Media Monorail. The graphic above provides a sample dashboard. The next pages will describe how to interact with the dashboard. 4

5 TOOLBAR This toolbar will always be located at the top of the page when you are using Media Monorail. The name of your current section will be displayed next to the Media Monorail logo for clarification purposes (below, it shows you are on the Dashboard). The right side of the toolbar allows for easy access to 4 pages: Templates - Drag your mouse over Templates to either create a new template or manage your current ones. Dashboard - Click on Dashboard to bring you back to the Dashboard no matter where you are. Active Transfers - Click on Active Transfers to view current file transfer activity. This is done by instructing the Aspera Browser Plug-in to show its Transfers window. In some operating system/browser combinations, this may bring it up behind or not bring it to the front of all your windows if it s already open. The Aspera Transfers window and the Aspera Connect plug-in functionality are not covered here. Help - Drag your mouse over Help to access the FAQ, Documentation, or Support page. TEMPLATES AND WORKFLOWS Templates are specifically designed to streamline data entry, reduce time to enter data, improve data consistency and reduce data entry errors. Generally, a user accessing the MediaMonorail site will have both a file that needs to be uploaded as well as instructions from the recipient as to a specific template to use or metadata to supply. Templates do more than just supply information, they ensure that the user is selecting the correct workflow, as different workflows can handle and route files in very different 5

6 fashions to different destinations or locations. Creating Templates and managing them is restricted to select users, and that is covered later in the document. Start your file transfer at the Recent Templates section displayed at the top of the page. Most users will always work with the same few templates, so their desired template should always be displayed as: Recent Templates - One of the 9 most recently used templates. View All - Choose a template from all available templates. No Template - Start a transfer by selecting the desired workflow. Recent Templates If your desired template is visible in the Recent Templates box, simply click on the template and proceed. It will open the workflow belonging to the template and all of its prepopulated data would be available. For users who send files along multiple workflows, Media Monorail incorporates specific visual cues in this list to help you. The highlighted bar for each template contains the short name of the workflow that the template applies to. In the sample above, There are two workflows (Dailies and CNG Program) represented in this list of templates. Workflows are color-coded to make it easy to differentiate between them in the display even if the template names are similar. Users will only see workflows for which they have been granted access. 6

7 View All If your desired template is not visible, either because you haven t used it before or you ve more than nine other templates more recently, you can search for it among all templates by using the View All Templates interface. Follow these steps: 1. Click on View All Templates link in your recent template history and a screen will appear that shows all templates. The screen should look something like the one shown below: 2. Filter the results by one or more of the following ways: a. You can limit your selection to only display templates applicable to a specific workflow by choosing that workflow name from the drop down list. Or, you can select All to see templates for all the workflows you have access to. b. Whether you choose to limit to a specific workflow, you can search for a template by entering part of the name in the SEARCH box. The results will filter after a brief lookup, allowing you to select from the portion of the list that matches your search string. To reset, simply delete any text you typed in the search box, or click Cancel 3. Click on your desired template and proceed, or you can browse through the list using the page links at the bottom. Clicking Cancel will close this window and take you back to the dashboard. 7

8 Uploading without using a template If you do not have a required template, click on Submit a file without template in your Recent Template history. A screen will appear showing all the available workflows. Click on your desired workflow and proceed. Warning: Before uploading files without using a template, a user should verify this with their Disney contact, as most uses of the MediaMonorail tool are strongly suggested to use templates HISTORY The History section allows you to view and check the status of past and current transfers. These is the history of the logged in user id. You can arrange the columns in the History table to match your preferences. Click the top of each column (DATE, FILE NAME, PRIORITY, STATUS) once to sort in ascending order and twice to sort in descending order. 8

9 Click on the to the left of each record to view the metadata that was sent with the file. STICKY NOTES Sticky notes will appear in the top right of the Dashboard to inform you when there is a scheduled maintenance, available upgrade, or any change to the system. Simply click on the sticky note to open and click on the to close. Inside Workflows After selecting a template (or selecting to upload without a template), you will be directed to a specific workflow form that has been constructed to more easily select files, add metadata, and send to different destinations. The new features inside workflow forms are (I) Workflow Layout, (II) Entries, and (III) Features. 9

10 WORKFLOW LAYOUT The layout of each workflow is split into sections. These sections can be manipulated and better understood by the symbols and hints used in the application. The sections represent the logical groupings of metadata and information for the workflow, and each may have specific fields and functionality that vary by workflow. Generally, each section may be expanded or collapsed by the user. Symbols You will notice the use of symbols in the workflow layout that are new to Media Monorail. Each symbol has a specific function that helps make the interface more userfriendly. Side Arrow Click this arrow to expand the section. Down Arrow Click this arrow to contract the section. Red Asterisk This indicates a required field. Green Check This indicates that you have entered a sufficient value in the field to satisfy the business rule. Sections The workflow form is divided into several sections. Each section has a specific set of related fields for selecting files and entering metadata. Some examples of sections are: Files This section is where you select the file(s) that you would like to transfer. Some workflows allow the user to attach multiple files, others only a single file. Some workflows support naming specifications that provide you a specific file name that must be used. 10

11 File Properties This section allows you to enter metadata to describe the file(s). Each workflow will have a different set of fields for entering the necessary metadata. (Some workflows will have an Additional Metadata section, which allows you to enter any extra metadata to your file transfer.) Delivery Info This section allows you to specify the Jellyroll destination, landing pad, and flexible delivery. The following fields are important to understand: Primary Contact - Enter the address in this field that belongs to the person that should be contacted in case there are questions about the asset. Sender - This will be filled by default and will appear as the address of the person sending the file. Priority (new) - Indicate whether your transfer is a high, medium, or low priority by clicking on the drop-down menu and selecting your desired choice. Notifications - Enter an address to receive a notification when the file has been transferred. The template may default certain addresses, but the user can add more contacts to the list if necessary. FORM FIELDS The workflows forms are comprised of numerous fields that allow you to enter data. There are several types of fields and features that come along with them. Types You will find 5 different types of fields. Each one has a different procedure for entering metadata, so it is important to understand how they work. Below is each type of field and the icon that signifies the specific field: 11

12 Buttons Search Field Read-Only Field (may be any field type) Drop-Down Field Free-Form Field Select Files This field allows you to select files for your transfer. Click Select Files to choose one or more files from your computer. When you have highlighted the desired file, click Choose or Open. You have the option to select additional files at this point. Repeat the same process by clicking Select Files, highlight the desired file, and clicking Choose or Open. 12

13 Note: As mentioned previously, some workflows allow only a single file, others will allow the user to attach multiple files, so this may not be applicable to the workflow you are using. On workflows that allow multiple file selection, the metadata you enter will be attached to all the files selected. Input Field These fields allow you to search for values that are found in the nomenclature registry. Begin typing any portion of the title and the flexible search will show 10 hits. Select the title with your mouse or keyboard and the value will be validated. The progression below shows a user selecting the Brazilian Portuguese language folder for Phineas and Ferb language masters. 13

14 Read-Only Field - These fields will be colored grey and are pre-populated by the template. You can see the value, but you cannot change it. The template author controls whether template values are read-only. If read-only template values make a template unusable, contact the template author or your Disney contact. Drop-Down Field Click on the boxedarrow to select from a drop-down list of options. Free-Form Field When there is no icon, this means that the field is a free-form entry, though there may still be business rules applied to it. If you have questions about specific contents to enter, the best person to ask is your Disney contact. Field Entries When you enter information into fields other than the free-form entry fields, Media Monorail will give you feedback to let you know you ve entered a valid term. Some boxes also support entry of multiple items. Single Entries There are certain fields that only allow for single entries. If the field does not expand after entering a value, you may not enter additional values. 14

15 Multiple Entries - Some fields allow for multiple entries. If the field expands after entering a value, you may enter additional values. Examples are titles, keywords, landing pads, and User Delivery recipients Validated Entries If you enter an accepted value in the field, it will become validated by a green check above the field. In this example, Media Monorail is checking to make sure you ve entered valid addresses. Tip: addresses will validate when you enter a comma, press enter, or use the tab key. You can copy/paste a comma separated list of addresses into the Notifications space and it will automatically validate all of them at once. Incorrect Entries If you enter an incorrect value in a field, you will notice a red X above the field. You must enter a correct value in order to send a file. Items that are not free-form, the selection you entered could also be colored red to further indicate hint you to the problem. Deleting Entries If you have entered an incorrect value or have selected the wrong value, you can delete this by clicking on the delete button (X) to the right of the value. Note that for read only entries supplied by templates, you will not see an (X) on the token and will not be able to delete the entry. 15

16 Features There are 2 primary features that play crucial functions in the workflows. These features allow Media Monorail to enforce business rules that are applicable to the selected workflow. Feature: Workflow Validation This feature ensures that sufficient data is entered before the file is sent. All required fields will be marked with a red asterisk, which will turn into a green check when they become validated. The Submit button will remain grayed out until you have validated all required fields. If you attempt to click Submit while the button is still grayed out, a yellow box will appear that will provide you a brief description of the required fields that must be entered or any problems with data entry that must be corrected before you can submit the transfer. 16

17 Submitting Files When all required fields are validated, the Submit button will turn blue in the workflow. Click on it to review the entered metadata (an example shown here). In some cases, you may find that you forgot to enter metadata that may not be strictly required, or you may have entered incorrect metadata inadvertently. If this is the case, click Cancel to return to the workflow form. If everything is ready for upload, click Submit. After you confirm the Transfer Information and click the dialog s Submit button, Media Monorail will supply you a dialog confirming the submission of the metadata and it will attempt to queue the file for transfer to the Media Monorail servers via the Aspera Connect plug-in on your machine. Once the file is queued, Aspera should start transferring the file. The Aspera Plug-in has multiple options for setting and monitoring bandwidth and reporting errors, and it may require some firewall updates or configuration to optimize use if it s the first time you re using the tool. The files will transfer using the Aspera Connect service, so you do not have to wait on this page or keep the browser open to complete uploading the file. You may move immediately onto sending your next file. When the file is finished uploading, the Aspera Connect Transfers window will show you that status, and it will be updated in the Dashboard History section. 17

18 Bandwidth Warning: The Aspera Connect plug-in allows the user to set the bandwidth to use for the connection, or it will use a default speed of 45mbps. If the connection speed in the plug-in is set too high for the user s connection, the file transfer may flood the user s network and cause applications (including Media Monorail) to become sluggish, unresponsive, or even crash. If in doubt, work with your networking contact to set appropriate bandwidth levels from your machine. Aspera file transfer Status: Once a file is queued in Aspera Connect, any connection problems or status on that transfer is only visible through the Aspera Connect plug-in. The plug-in does not currently support providing that status within the Media Monorail application. The plug-in does support pausing, resuming, viewing bandwidth usage, and other capabilities. See documentation from Asperasoft.com on the Aspera Connect browser plug-in client for details. Feature: File Renaming Some workflows, such as the CNG Program workflow, require the upload of specific file names that are based on the entered metadata. Media Monorail will help ensure your file is named correctly by generating the correct file name from the metadata that you enter. 1. As you enter metadata in the required fields, it will fill in portions of the file name. Some fields may not be required except in certain situations (e.g. Revision or Episode Number ). If you leave them blank, then their corresponding token will be hidden from the filename being generated. The token will appear if you enter text in this field. Be sure to enter all the metadata required for this upload, which may in some cases be more than just the required 18

19 fields. 2. After all of the required fields are filled in, highlight and copy the filename. You can readily spot missing required elements in the file name because Media Monorail shows them as having bullets for their contents. 3. Go to your file system to ensure your file is named correctly (if not, rename the file). To assist with this, you can use your mouse to highlight the filename being shown and copy/paste that onto the file on your local disk/storage. If your workflow supports it, you may also see a button that will help you select the filename so that you can copy it to your clipboard more easily. 4. Use the Select Files button to attach the properly named file. If you select a file that is named incorrectly per the workflow, there will be an error message explaining this. To correct this, you will need to select either a different file that matches the name Media Monorail is expecting, or change the name of the file on your local machine/storage to the name Media Monorail displays. Then, you will be able to select the file for upload. Managing Templates The use of templates in uploading files has already been described in this document, this section covers specific functionality for users granted the rights to create and manage templates. You will be able to easily identify whether your account has this right by looking for the Template menu in the header of Media Monorail. If you see it, you are able to manage templates. Standard users will not see that menu. If you do not see that, then this section does not apply to you. 19

20 The template menu is accessible at all times within Media Monorail, but depending on where you are, some options may not be active. The contents of the template window are described in the following table. Template Menu Option New Save Save As Manage What it does Prompts you to select a workflow and opens a blank data entry screen to start a brand new template. Always active on the menu. Saves the current contents of the workflow screen as a template. See later discussions about template ownership. Active when you on a workflow screen. Saves the current contents of the workflow screen allowing you to choose a new template name. Active when you are on a workflow screen Opens the Template Manager (described next). Always active on the menu. 20

21 Template Manager The Template Manager is a screen that is an enhanced version of the View all Templates screen. In this screen, you can see and browse templates just as before, but as a manager, you have additional capabilities for template you author. From the Template Manager, you can: Delete your templates by selecting their checkbox(es) and clicking the delete button. After confirming the delete, the template will be removed from the database. This is non-recoverable, there is no undelete. This will not impact previous files uploaded using that template, it will be unavailable for future use. There will only be a checkbox if you are the author. View the template contents by selecting the button. Use the template by selecting its name. This is an easy way to update templates, just select them for use, make your updates in the workflow screen, and then use the Save option on the Template menu. 21

22 Template Features and Permissions Media Monorail offers a greatly expanded set of capabilities and features for templates that give the template creator much finer control over how the user makes use of the templates and interacts with the tool. This section provides information on those features and offers tips to template authors to help create robust templates for their users. Getting started on a template is simple: just start entering metadata on the workflow screen as though you are using the tool for an upload. Templates can be saved on a workflow screen by an author without completing all business rule validations and metadata entry. The author chooses how much metadata needs to be captured within the template, and there is no need to select a file for upload when you re creating a template. Enter any information you want the user to have on the template, then select Save or Save as from the Template Menu. Save As allows you to choose a name for a template, Save will save your changes if you are editing an existing template that you authored. Media Monorail will not allow you to Save changes to a template that was not authored by you, but you can always Save As to make a new template that you would own. The method for data entry on any field is identical to that described previously in this document. When you elect to save the template through one of the two options, you ll be given the Save confirmation dialog. A sample is shown below and the different sections are described in more detail: 22

23 Enter the name of the template in the box provided. There is a limit on name length to ensure that names fit in the Dashboard. Select whether a template is public or private. Private templates are only available to their owner. Public templates are available to all users with access to the workflow the template supports. The default is public. Review the information captured as part of the template in the center section Near the Save button, there is an option to Lock the supplied values of the template when it s used. This is enabled by default and its function is described in detail later. From this point, the user can select to cancel the save or continue to save the template. If the user attempts to save a template that they do not own, this will only allow them to review the information, not make any changes. To save a new copy, they should select Save As instead. If the user enters a template name that s already in use, a message will be shown on save that explains the problem and the user will be returned to the save screen to change the name. 23

24 Locking Supplied Values New in Media Monorail is the ability to force the user to use your template values for any fields you set. If you save your template with the Lock Supplied Values option selected, any metadata supplied by your template will be read-only for the user when they start their data entry. This means that if you select, for example, a Jellyroll folder for upload, the template will always upload to that folder, users cannot change it. Any field you leave without values will follow the normal rules for the workflow. Some points to keep in mind when considering using locked values: 1. This feature allows the template author to ensure that the template is followed, increasing consistency. 2. Locked fields in a template are easily identified by the user as grey read-only fields, and the user will easily see which fields are still left to potentially fill in with metadata 3. In fields that support multiple values (e.g. landing pads, notifications, user delivery recipients), the user can supply additional entries by adding more items to those lists, but they cannot change or remove any values provided by the template. In this fashion, an author could dictate that deliveries are always send to landing pad X by locking that in the template. When sending a file, a user of this template could add landing pad Y as a second destination, but they cannot stop the file from sending to landing pad X. 4. The data is truly locked. Entering an invalid entry in a field will make it so that no user can correct that invalid entry. Likewise, entering text such as Enter a description here in the Description field will lock that field, the user will be unable to edit it. If you save a template without the Lock Supplied Values option, a user can remove or change any of the metadata values when they use that template. 24