Complete Digital Signage Solutions

Transcription

1 Complete Digital Signage Solutions Jump to All About: Media Campaigns Apps Publishing Players - afterhours

2 All About Media In this Section How to set transparent background images Adjusting image aspect ratio How to display power point presentations How to Set Transparent Background Images There are many image formats available on AMS Signage. PNG s files allow you to set a transparent background, low-level photos or a lower level of opacity. This feature is useful if you want to show the background behind the image or use it as a frame for your content. 1. Create or edit an image in your image editor and save it as a.png file. 2. Create or edit a campaign on your AMS Signage account. 3. Click on Add Custom Layout. 4. Add the screen divisions that will support your content, such as apps and files. Add the overlapping transparent layer for the transparent image last (Zone B in the case below). 5. Upload the PNG file and then drag it to the overlapping zone s timeline ruler.

3 6. Finish editing your campaign. Take into account that the transparency won t be visible in the Preview mode. Instead, the transparent area will be shown on a black base. 7. Click Save and Publish. This will be the result on screen:

4 Adjusting Image Aspect Ratio Rarely will you have an image that fits exactly into a campaign's screen division. You can however crop it or adjust the aspect ratio settings. 1. Select a campaign and look at its timeline. 2. Click on the photo item on the timeline. 3. A pop-up window will display the item properties. Among other information, there is Aspect ratio field. There are four different options fitting the image into the box. HINT: Before choosing a setting, always take into account the screen and image aspect ratio (width x height). It is best to have approximate ratios instead of fitting an image into a completely different screen size. See the below images fitting options and image examples. The screen area of this campaign is 896x720px and all images are 1900x1200px. The original photos are shown on the left. Compare it to the result in the campaign after the settings are applied.

5 o Stretch: This will make your image fit exactly to the screen area where it is set. It is ideal for approximate areas, but if the image size differs too much from the screen area, the photo will end up too stretched. o Keep Original: The photo will remain exactly as it is, without any distortion. Problem is, if you have a larger area on the screen, black bars will fill the blank areas. On the other hand, if the photo is set to a smaller area, it will be cropped (see image below right). o Fit Height: Opt for this setting if there are areas without information that you don't mind cropping on the image sides. In the example below the sky was cropped, so it didn't affect the most important element, the windmill. If you have a portrait picture and the area is on a landscape proportion, you will instead get black bars on the sides to fill the blank.

6 o Fit Width: Choose this setting if the photo you are going to place and the area have about the same width. If the photo width is larger, black bars will appear on the top and the bottom (see image below). If you use a portrait photo to fit a wide screen area, the top and bottom will be cropped. 4. Click Apply after you have adjusted the settings and save the campaign changes. How To Display Power Point Presentations Power point is a Microsoft program, but this tutorial applies to any other program you use for creating and designing your presentations. Including power point presentations on your digital signage operation is an informative tool for both clients and staff purposes. 1. Open your presentation document on your computer with the slideshow editor programme. Export the document as.pdf or.jpeg (File > Export As ). If you opt for the.jpeg format, we recommend saving the files into a separate folder. 2. Log into your AMS Signage account and click on "Files" tab. 3. Click on the top-right corner orange button to upload the.pdf or the map with the.jpeg files. Alternatively, you can simply drag it from your computer to AMS Signage website. If you upload a single.pdf, you ll notice a new folder will be created on your files page containing each page of your presentation. 4. Select all the documents pages by clicking on them with the Shift key pressed or click on the checkbox in the top left corner of each item.

7 5. Click the button Create Campaign on the header after you have selected all items. 6. Name the campaign and adjust how many seconds each item should show up for on the timeline. Click on Create Campaign". 7. The new page will load in the page editor. The items you have selected are placed in the timeline. They will be displayed for the time you have specified. Rename the files if necessary so they appear in the correct order. Now you can make any necessary adjustments, such as shorten or expand the duration of each item. You can also add image transitions, change the layout order, add an app or adjust the items order. 8. Now you just need to save and publish!

8 All About Campaigns In this Section Create a campaign playlist Creating campaigns from the Files tab Adding restrictions to a campaign Setting a custom resolution to match your display How to download campaign reports Create A Campaign Playlist A campaign playlist makes campaign publishing and ordering much easier. Instead of publishing campaigns to players one by one, you can group multiple players together. Click on Playlist on your AMS Signage account campaign homepage. This button is on the right of the Campaign tab. 1. Click on the Create Playlist button on the top-right corner. 2. Give the playlist a name. You will see the duration of the campaign displayed at the bottom of the box after you have added your campaigns. 3. Scroll down and select the campaigns you want to assemble from the Campaigns box on the left. You then just need to drag them to the blank field on the right. As you drag the campaigns across a number will appear behind the selected campaign. This is the display order. As you drag more campaigns, an arrow will show you the loop within the playlist. 4. Click Save and Publish on the page's top-right corner when you are done setting all campaigns within the playlist, it will then be saved into your library.

9 Creating Campaigns From The Files Tab A quick way of making a campaign is to select the files or folder you want to use in the campaign and then create the campaign from these files. 1. On your AMS Signage account, click on Files tab on the top of the page. 2. Hold your mouse over the file or folder, a checkbox will appear. Check the box. Multiple files can be selected. 3. Click on the Create Campaign button up the top on the header. 4. Set a title for the campaign and the duration of each image file you have selected then click Create Campaign. 5. You will then be redirected to the campaign editor page. Enter the other campaign preferences such as the screen layout; adjust each file length and add in apps etc.

10 Adding Restrictions To A Campaign Use this feature only to add restriction to a campaign that should apply to all players. Examples such as Christmas or a birthday message that is to only play within a date timeframe or set a campaign to play from Monday to Friday, making sure it will never be displayed on weekends. If you wish to apply a restriction to a campaign in a single player or multiple players but not all of them, please see our basic tutorial. 1. Click the Publish button under the targeted campaign on your AMS Signage account. 2. Click on Add Restriction, right under Publish to Players. 3. Click on Add Restriction within the pop-up window.

11 4. Fill in the restriction settings. You can choose when, where and for how long a campaign will play. The start and end dates are also available. Click OK when you are done. 5. Done? Click Apply Changes. 6. The restriction is then displayed above all players. Note: It is important that the player s restrictions are within the campaign's restriction, or else your campaign will never be displayed. For example: If you have a Monday to Friday restriction on a campaign, and publish the same campaign to a player with a weekend restriction both restrictions will apply.

12 Setting A Custom Resolution To Match Your Display Are you displaying digital signage on an Ultra-Wide monitor, video wall or any other nonstandard proportion device? Then a custom resolution is what you need. This option is located in the layout section on your campaign editor. Learn below how to set your custom resolution: 1. In your AMS Signage account, edit a campaign or create a new one. Click on Add Custom Layout on the Screen Layout section. 2. Define the device orientation (horizontal or vertical) and then click on Device resolution. Select Custom from the drop-down menu. 3. Enter the desired resolution. In this tutorial, we are going to match the resolution to the size of a two-monitor video wall placed side by side in landscape mode. The first screen is 1920 x 1080 and the second is 1366 x 768. We then calculate the total width of 3268 x 1080 which needs to be added into the resolution fields and screen divisions.

13 4. Add the divisions to the new mode and click save the layout. 5. Now you can start adding the content to your campaign! TIP: Keep in mind that depending on your video wall configuration, the image might get distorted and always add content that will match the screen resolution. How To Download Campaign Reports Get detailed reports of where, when and for how long your campaigns have played. This feature is a must if you need to report to clients or partners about advertising content on your screens reaching an audience. 1. Click on your username on the top-right corner of AMS Signage platform, and then Click Reports on the drop-down menu. 1. This is the page where all of your reports are stored. Click on the New Report button.

14 2. Enter the details you require to be included. Start and End date: Set which period the report is going to cover. Reports have a 30 day reporting limit. Export: Choose how your report will be organised (player, campaign, day or detailed loop sequence). Save as: Reports are available in HTML, PDF and CSV. We recommend the CSV file if you intend to make graphs. Campaign: Need a report on a specific campaign? Click on the campaign box and available campaigns will be displayed in a dropdown field. Players: Click in the box and available players will be displayed. 3. Once all filters are set, click on Create report. Please note reports may take a few moments to populate. 4. Each report you create will then be listed on the Playback Reports page for a two-week duration. There is also a downloadable option for long-term reference.

15 If you prefer to create a report directly from your Campaign s page: 1. On the Campaigns tab, click on More under the campaign thumbnail. The first two items from the drop-down menu are Get Report for Current Week and Get Report for Past 4 Weeks. 2. As you click, you will be redirected to the Playback Report page, but the date and campaign will already be set for you. Fill in the remaining filters you require and you are ready to download as above. All About Apps In This Section Using weather apps Using clock apps Using text apps Using table apps Using finance apps Using social network apps How to display websites on your screen How to display RSS feeds How to use media apps HDMI-in How to display live TV Adding QR codes to campaigns Using Weather Apps The AMS Signage platform offers multiple weather app options. 1. Go to the App tab on the AMS Signage platform homepage. Click on the "Add App" button at the top right-hand corner. 2. A pop-up window will be displayed on your screen. Click on the Weather tab on the left bar menu and choose one of the available apps. Check a quick app overview of each app option below:

16 Small screen apps: These apps are ideal for being placed in the corners of the screen, leaving space available for other content. Bar weather apps: This style of weather apps are meant to be placed in a thin area on the screen. There are two layouts for a horizontal bar and a vertical bar app. Full size: These apps are visibly better for the whole screen. The Classic Weather forecast shows current conditions and a three days forecast. There is another layout available for multi-day or multi-city forecast. Fill in the fields for the chosen app, like locations and temperature unit. Once you are done, click on Preview to see how it looks. If you are happy with the result Click Save. 3. Now the app is saved into your App library. It is then available for any other campaigns you create.

17 Using Clock Apps 1. Go to App tab on the AMS Signage platform homepage. Click on the "Add App" button at the top-right corner. 2. A pop-up window will appear on your screen with all available AMS Signage Apps. Choose the Clocks App. Small clock apps: These apps are great as they don t need to occupy the whole screen. You can just set them to a small screen zone and leave the content focus on the main screen. They are available in both round and square layouts. If you want something more modern looking, we offer a digital style clock. The same styles are available in another app meant for thin bars on the screen. There is also a holiday theme clock for Christmas. Multi-city clocks: AMS Signage offers two sets of multi-city clocks which allows you to set up to three different cities.

18 Countdown and time elapse: Begin the countdown to holidays and events with the countdown app. The time elapsed tool, on the other hand, keeps track of how long has passed since an event occurred - such as an accident or the last time a customer made a complaint. 3. Select an App, then adjust the settings. Besides the basic information, such as app name and location, you are also able to customize colour and background. The settings vary for each clock - while some are totally customizable, others are less so. 4. Once you are done, click on Preview to see how it looks like and once you are happy with your settings click Save. Using Text Apps Within AMS Signage s App Library you will find the text apps category. These are ideal for writing short notes, news, official communication or advertise events while displaying other media. They are all simple and intuitive to customise. Rich Text App: The main feature of this app is the ability to be totally customizable. Change the background, font colour, font size, line height, alignment, and page margins. You can also apply different settings to specific text parts separately. This app is perfect for full-size use, but it is highly adaptable to any screen area. Checking the Auto-fit text size is recommended. Vertical and Horizontal Text Ticker: Sentences roll on this app and it is available in both horizontal and vertical orientation. To separate the pieces of text just start a new line, the longer the sentences the smaller the font will appear. The speed of the animation is adjustable and there is a text transition fade option as well.

19 Using Table Apps The text app category comprises, besides the standard text editor, specific information in a table format. All three app options have a customizable background. To add them to your campaign: 1. Go to App section on the header of AMS Signage platform. Click on the "Add App" button at the top-right corner. 2. Select the "Text" tab in the left bar menu on the pop-up window. Besides regular text apps, there are three tables (detailed below), each with a different purpose. 3. Preview the outcome. Happy? Click Save. The app will then be placed in your App library for use in future campaigns. Learn how to use them: Directory list: This app allows you to organise information into rows and columns. This is good for designing timetables and data. Write the information needed into the text editor. Note that each new line is a row and you can separate columns with commas. If you need more lines, create another directory list app and continue from the line you stopped on. Match score: List up to four scores from your favorite teams and sports! Similar to the directory list above, you must use a comma to separate the score of each match. Write Avalon, 1, Camelot, 0 and it will be automatically set in the table as Avalon 1-0 Camelot. There are preset backgrounds of popular sports, but feel free to add your own image.

20 League table: With this table, you can set up to five groups and show how many matches were won or lost, points etc. Write the information of each line in the following sequence: position, team, matches played, wins, draws, losses, goals for, goals against, goals difference, points. Remember to use this exact formatting and not to place a space between the commas and the data or else nothing will appear on the app as you save it. Using Finance Apps Display financial information tailored to your needs with finance apps and keep your audience informed of current currency exchange rates and variations. 1. Go to the Apps tab on your AMS Signage account. Click on the "Add App" button in the top right-hand corner. 2. Select "Finance" on the left menu bar of the pop-up window. Choose an app from the following categories: Single exchange rate: Displays the value and variation for a single currency. Select the base currency and the currency exchange rate you would like to display. This app is available in both light and dark colour schemes or you can customise fonts and backgrounds. Multicurrency exchange rate: Similar in style and colour to the previous app, this application displays as many exchange currencies as you wish in a slideshow structure with a transition effect.

21 Seven-day variation currency: Exhibits a short seven-day history graph along with the current currency exchange rate. This app also displays the daily and weekly variation in a percentage format. 3. Select the currencies and colour scheme in the app s settings and click on Save. 4. The custom app is then saved into your App library and is available for use in future campaigns. Using Social Network Apps 1. Go to the Apps tab on your AMS Signage account then click on the Add Apps" button in the top-right corner. 2. Click Social Networks on the bar menu on the left of the pop-up window. 3. When you have finished adjusting all settings (described in the app options below), click on the "Save" button at the bottom of the pop-up window. The app will then be displayed in your app library for other campaigns. YouTube: There is no doubt about YouTube s popularity with over a billion current users and a user increase of 40% year on year. Make use of the huge video database on your digital signage with AMS Signage s YouTube app. The settings for this app are simple. All you need to do is copy the URL from the YouTube video you wish to display and then name accordingly. You can also paste a channel or playlist link so the videos are displayed in a loop - make sure you copy the right URL for each category (single video, playlist, and channel). You can set the video quality or let YouTube choose the quality for you based on your internet connection by selecting Auto. This app is commonly used in the full screen format but it also fits into smaller screen zones. However, try to keep the same proportions of the video otherwise you will get black bars around the image depending on the screen area size you set.

22 Instagram: Firstly, you need to integrate your Instagram account into AMS Signage platform. Click onto your login account name up the top right menu bar click Settings > Integration Accounts > Add Instagram Account. Next in the apps menu under Social Networks there are two apps for Instagram. One of them allows you to display up to 20 of your newest posts with an adjustable playback duration on each photo. The other app organises the posts on a grid. You can set the number of photos you want to simultaneously display and use either your own feed photos or the pictures from other users. Facebook: Get your posts on Facebook onto the big screen. You can set whether you prefer highlighting the image or leaving more space for your text updates. There is also animated transition between posts and the ability to adjust the length of time each post is viewed for.

23 Your Twitter account needs to be integrated as you did with Instagram. You also need to give permission to AMS Signage to access your twitter account so the platform can read your tweets and check who you follow. *Please note: You can only set up one twitter account at a time. Fill in the following fields: o o o o o o o Name Channel: Paste the username from the person, company or group you want to share on your screen. Access the accounts profile and copy it without at the beginning. Number of posts: Set the number of posts you want to be displayed. You can set up to 20. Want to show just the latest? Set a lower number. The number may vary depending on the channel theme and the frequency it is updated. Show each post for X number of seconds: As each tweet contains a maximum of 140 characters and a photo, reading time may be as low as 10 seconds! Take into consideration the amount of information displayed in other divisions of your screen, the monitor location and your target audience. Twitter media options: Some tweets come along with photos. These can be made to fit to the screen or cropped. Alternatively, it can keep its original proportion, which results in empty spaces around the picture Caption language: There is some info displayed on the app besides the tweet, such as the date and channel. You can choose which language these texts are to be displayed in. Theme: There are three distinct app styles you can choose from: Default

24 Cloud Bubble You can set a background custom colour to match your signage content style or set a background image. 2. Once you are done, click Preview. Happy? Click Save. The Twitter app can be displayed full screen, in a bar or even in smaller areas. It s up to you! How To Display Websites On Your Screen This feature is especially interesting if you want to display websites on touchscreen devices, such as tablets and/or smart TVs. 1. Go to Apps tab on the header of your AMS Signage account. Then click on the Add App button in the top-right corner. 2. Select URL on the bar menu on the left of the pop-up screen. 3. Click on Website Link app. 4. Paste the website you wish to display on your screens into the URL. Ensure you copy the link direct from your browser, which should be as following:

25 5. Click Save and you are ready to create your campaign displaying websites. How To Display RSS Feeds Let the audience keep track of the latest news headlines with our news feeds apps. These apps use RSS technology to push fresh text from your favorite news websites right on your screen. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and it is basically a format websites use to deliver new news content. 1. On your AMS Signage account, click on the Apps tab at the header. 2. Click on Add App. 3. A pop-up window will open. Select News Feeds at the sidebar menu on the left. 4. Choose a news feed app: these can be divided into two categories: Full screen: There are four layout examples available for whole screen layouts.

26 News feeds bars: These apps can be placed on the bottom of the screen, leaving more space for other content. There are news tickers, in which news is shown in sequence with or without animation transitions or the other versions scroll the headlines from right to left. 1. Fill in the settings fields. All RSS apps require basic information such as name, duration of each post and the RSS URL. You can find RSS URL on your chosen website. Search in google the news site name you are wanting to use plus RSS and you will probably find what you need. Most news websites offer different RSS according to the site s categories (i.e. economy, local, entertainment, etc.). Select a category and then copy the URL. All other settings are related to the apps look, such as colour, font and size preferences. Each app will allow different degrees of customisation. 1. Preview the app. 2. Click on Save to add it into your App library. 3. The app is now ready to be placed within your campaigns.

27 How To Use Media Apps Similar to the RSS feed this app category displays media from file maps or RSS feeds on your digital signage operation. By using media apps, you can display regularly updated content on your screens. Media RSS: Name the app, paste the RSS feed URL and set how long each media will play for. This app will then display all medias in a row, each of them for the time you have preset. The app duration must be adjusted directly on the timeline. Cycling Media RSS: Display a single content feed each time this app appears on the timeline. Be sure to test this app before deploying so you can adjust the length of the app on the timeline according to the average duration of the RSS feed content. Media Cycling: It will reproduce content from files - such as photos or videos - for as long as the app is set to be on the timeline. If you choose multiple media, a different file will be displayed in each campaign loop. After all media has been displayed the sequence will play again from the first file displaying different media with each campaign loop. Keep in mind that if you have added a video file to the media cycling app, it will be played back for as long as you have set it for on the timeline. To add the apps above to your campaign, follow these steps: 1. On your AMS Signage account, click on App tab at the top of the page. 2. Click on Add App button. 3. Select Media on the left hand side menu. 4. Choose your app. 5. Add the RSS feed URL or select your media and files. Simply clicking in the media box will display a list with all media.

28 6. Select the items you want to cycle on the campaign and save the app. 7. Place the app onto your timeline and adjust the length to suit. Keep in mind that if you have added a video file into the media cycling app, it will be played back for as long as you have set it on the timeline.

29 HDMI-in How To Display Live TV The HDMI-in App is a simple yet powerful feature that let s you present in full screen, or into a specific screen area, any video source like the AMS Music System music video feed, live TV, security camera feeds, DVDs, video games and more. 1. On your AMS Signage account, click on the Apps tab then click on the Add App button at the top of the page. 2. Select the Media category on the left and click on the HDMI-in app. 3. Name the app and select the HDMI input. 4. Save the app.

30 That is all you need to do to display live TV in your campaign. Just add the app to your campaign timeline setting it to a screen division or leaving it as full screen. PLEASE NOTE: Only ONE HDMI-input or video source can be used at one time. There may be more video sources on the timeline, but play back separately. Adding QR Codes To Campaigns A QR code is a two-dimensional image that stores information in black and white pixels. It is quickly scanned by mobiles and has the ability to contain much more data than A standard barcode such as contact details, website information, text and images. 1. On your AMS Signage account, click on the Apps tab. 2. Click on the Add App button on the top right-hand corner.

31 3. Select Text on the left menu of the popup window. 4. Click QR code app and fill in the following information: App name: Just name the app in order to save it. Text to be encoded to the QR Code: Type the content you want to trigger on the mobile device scanning the code. It can be either text, a URL to a page, an image or video. Background colour: The code itself will always be black and white. You can also opt to set a transparent or coloured background. 5. Click Save. Now you just need to drag the app from your app gallery onto the timeline when creating a campaign.

32 All About Publishing In This Section Playing a campaign on demand Publishing a campaign playlist to a player(s) Unpublish campaigns Publish campaigns for a period of time Publish a campaign to playback at a specific time How to pause a campaign How to create player groups Defining the first campaign on player loop Shuffling campaigns Fallback campaigns Playing A Campaign On Demand Setting a campaign to be on demand capable allows you to play it any time, interrupting the campaign that is currently playing. This feature is ideal for displaying emergency information or quick sale campaigns. 1. On your AMS Signage account homepage, press Publish on the campaign you wish to apply as play on-demand. 2. Click on the Publish to Player button on the top right corner. 3. Select the player followed by Play on Demand under the Triggered Playback box. 4. Click Publish at the bottom of the page.

33 5. The campaign below is set as a play on demand campaign. To play the on-demand campaign: 1. Click on the Players tab. 2. Click on the Player you assigned the campaign to. 3. Select campaigns in players on the left bar menu. 4. Below the Primary Campaign Loop list, your on-demand campaign will be listed under the Triggered Campaigns header. Click on the play button next to "Play on Demand". 5. When you have pressed play you will be asked how many times in a row you want the campaign to be displayed in the player. To play non-stop insert Whenever you want to pause the campaign playback, press Stop on demand playback under the Triggered Campaigns header.

34 Publishing A Campaign Playlist To A Player(s) Before proceeding ensure you have first understood how to make a campaign in our AMS Signage Basic Tutorial. The same tutorial also covers off what a playlist is. 1. Go to the Playlist tab on your AMS Signage account homepage. 2. Click on the Publish button under the targeted playlist. 3. Click Publish to Players in the top right-hand corner. 4. Select the player(s) you want to display the playlist and fill in the publishing settings. 5. Click Publish at the bottom of the page.

35 6. To edit any published settings, click on the pencil icon to the right of the player thumbnail. Unpublish Campaigns You can unpublish campaigns from your player once they are outdated or no longer needed. 1. On your AMS Signage account main page, click on the Publish tab under the targeted campaign. 2. Select from which player(s) you wish to remove the campaign under Published to these players. 3. As you select the players, the unpublish button will appear on the header. Click it.

36 4. Click OK in the confirmation dialog. 5. Your campaign was successfully removed. Publish Campaigns For A Period Of Time With this feature, you can control the period of time your campaign will play for. You can limit it to a date, days of the week or even hours. 1. On your AMS Signage account, click on the Publish button under the campaign you want to set with this feature. 2. Click the Publish to players tab and select the player you would like to display the campaign.

37 3. Now take a look at the When it Can Be Played box. Select During a Period of Time. Here is where you can adjust: o Days of the week, from Sunday to Saturday. o A specific time in both hours and minutes. o Check if the campaign should be played at exactly the minute it was set for therefore interrupting the previous campaign. Leave this field unchecked if you wish the time set campaign to play right after the currently playing campaign finishes. o Fill in the fields for the Day, Month and Year that it will begin and finish playing. You can also leave this field blank which will configure the campaign to start today without a finishing date. 4. Click Publish on the bottom-right hand corner. 5. Your campaign has been successfully published on your player. Note that the restriction you just made is valid only on the selected player. All playback information is shown beside the player thumbnail.

38 Publish A Campaign To Playback At A Specific Time 1. On your AMS Signage account homepage, choose the campaign and click on the Publish button, right under its thumbnail. 2. Click on the Publish to Players on the top-right hand corner of the page. 3. Select which players the campaign is going to be displayed on. 4. On the Triggered Playback box, select Start Playback At Specific Time option. o o Select the exact hour, minute and second, you want the campaign to playback. Choose whether you want the campaign to repeat and enter the minutes. Alternatively, enter 0 to disable repetition. 5. Click publish. 6. Now, you just need to wait and check out your campaign playing at the time you set. How To Pause A Campaign You pause a campaign simply by clicking on the "pause campaign" button. 1. Click on the Publish button under the campaign you wish to pause on your AMS Signage account. 2. Click the yellow Pause Campaign button at the top of the player's list.

39 Note: It will pause the campaign in all players. 3. Confirm you want to stop playing the campaign. 4. Want to re-enable to campaign? Simply click the green Resume Campaign button.

40 How To Create Player Groups Grouping players will help get your campaigns playing faster. As the numbers of players increases so does the number of campaigns and managing it all gets harder. This is where player grouping will help. 1. Click on the Players tab on your AMS Signage account. 2. Select the Groups tab on the loaded page. 3. Click on the Create Player Group button on the top-right corner. 4. Name the new group and add tags. 5. Click each player you want to add to the group. Got lots of players? Use the search box to find them.

41 6. Click the Save Group button on the top of the page. 7. Now get publishing! Player groups behave exactly the same as players. Just click on publish campaign under the Groups tab and set the playback filters. It will apply to all players within the group. Defining The First Campaign On Player Loop Choose a campaign to be the first on the player loop. Do you want to remind the staff of a daily task or wish your hotel guest a good day? Publish a campaign with this filter so it plays as soon as you start the device. This feature will save you time as there is no need to adjust the campaign playback order in each player individually. Just select multiple players and it is done. Check out step by step below: 1. On your AMS Signage account, click on the Publish button under the campaign you want to play as soon as you turn on your screen. 2. Click on Publish to Player on the top-right corner.

42 3. Select the players you want to publish the campaign and click on the Play on App Start Loop drop-down under the Play it on Loop section. 4. After Clicking Publish, restart your player and you ll see the message on the screen! Shuffling Campaigns You can shuffle your campaign playlists using the campaign groups function. This means that similar campaigns will not play back to back. In order to do this you need to have created different category groups (as above). Examples might be news, entertainment, advertising or video categories. 1. On your AMS Signage account, click on the tab Playlist beside the campaign tab. Select a list or create a new one.

43 2. In the image below, you will notice the colour bars are clustered. This means similar campaigns are playing one after the other. Click on the Distribute by Category button above the campaign loop. 3. Confirm the action in the dialog box. 4. Similar campaigns groups will then be separated. If all campaigns are uncategorised or belong to the same category, nothing will happen. Before using this feature, edit the campaigns and set group categories. This feature will then ensure your player displays balanced content.

44 Fallback Campaigns To ensure something is playing at all times you can set a fallback campaign. This feature ensures a campaign plays when no other campaigns have been scheduled. Tip: Make sure the fallback campaign is generic and does not contain date specific information. 1. On your AMS Signage account homepage, click on the Publish tab on the target campaign thumbnail. 2. Click on the Publish to Players button. 3. Select which players you want the campaign to playback into. 4. Under Play it On Loop box, select Play on Fallback Loop.

45 5. Within fallback loop campaigns, you can also set the campaigns to play during a period of time or within specific regions. 6. When you are done, click on Publish. To see your fallback campaigns loop, click onto the players tab. Select the player you have published the fallback campaign into and then click on the Campaigns in Players tab on the sidebar menu. The fallback campaigns list is right under the Primary Campaign Loop.

46 All About Players - Afterhours In this Section Blackout screens after hours How to remotely view a player Blackout Screens After Hours AMS Signage players show campaigns at all times. When there is no campaign scheduled it will display a logo, but you can also blackout the screens after hours. To set your working hours, follow the steps below: 1. Click on your username on your AMS Signage account homepage on the top-right corner. Select Settings from the drop-down menu. 2. Click Default Player Settings from the sidebar menu.

47 3. Scroll down to Working Schedule. In the When outside of working schedule tab change the dropdown from Keep Playing Campaigns to Turn Screen Black. 4. Define which player groups will be set to blackout by clicking on Apply. 5. Set the days and hours the players should be on. If there are different working hours for each day, click on Add Another and fill in the settings accordingly. If you want to set a player to function through midnight eg. from Tuesday 8pm to Wednesday 3am, you have to create a different rule for each day: o Tuesday: 20:00 to 23:59; o Wednesday: 00:00 to 03: Click Save Settings button.

48 How To Remotely View A Player This feature allows you to see what is playing in real time. On your AMS Signage account, click onto the player's tab at the top of the page. 1. Select which player you would like to preview. 1. Click on Remote view from the menu. A new page will load the monitor image. It might take a few seconds for it to load. The image is updated every second so you can keep track of the campaign.