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Mkeen
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Hi, Having just deployed two HD-210 units as a pilot for a network of about 20 units, I've run across a number of challenges that have been mentioned by others in forum posts dating back more than a year. I'm wondering if the following issues are being addressed for future firmware/software updates: 1) Preview in BrightAuthor. I realize this is probably a major undertaking, but it's critical to be able to see your program before pushing it out live. 2) More control over text in RSS feeds. Particularly, the ability to do a "crawl" similar to cable news networks. It would also be nice if I could change the background color of the zone via embedded code in the RSS text. (i.e. Red background for emergency messages) 3) Button to refresh files in "Media Library" in BrightAuthor. As mentioned by others, it is necessary to browse to another directory and back again to get a fresh list of files. Here's an idea that I have not seen suggested in prior posts: When dragging content into the playlist under the Edit tab in BrightAuthor, I find the thumbnails are just small enough to make it impossible to read much of the text on my jpeg slides. Would it be possible to offer a zoom feature as a choice when you right-click on a file? I would be glad to take part in a beta program if any/all of these features are under development. For what it's worth, the HD-210 is a fine product that's miles ahead of the similarly-priced Viewsonic NMP-200 which we abandoned in our pilot. Thanks in advance. Michael Keen Southern Vermont College
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    RokuLyndon


    1) Preview in BrightAuthor. I realize this is probably a major undertaking, but it's critical to be able to see your program before pushing it out live.



    Preview isn't currently available. While it has been a requested feature for BrightAuthor, it's near the bottom of our requested features list. Customers have asked us for many other features, in much higher frequency than this one.  It's unlikely to be something that's added soon. With  that said, you can get a eval unit (probably a 1010) at reduced prices, normally up to 50%, that you can use for testing. We normally recommend getting a unit that you have for testing, that you can use for playback before you deploy anything.

    2) More control over text in RSS feeds. Particularly, the ability to do a "crawl" similar to cable news networks. It would also be nice if I could change the background color of the zone via embedded code in the RSS text. (i.e. Red background for emergency messages)


    We've looked into a crawl, and unfortunately there were performance issues with the crawl when other content changes occurred. It wasn't acceptable. So, it's unlikley you'll see a crawl on the current playtform.

    While brightauthor doesn't let you change the background color, the scripting language supports this. The script used by brightauthor could be customized so that a specific keyword in the feed or text or some other trigger could cause the color to change. I worked on a project that didn't use brightauthor, using a script only, where the unit changed text in 12 fields on the screen, and depending on the whether the value was new, the background could be green, white, gray, or red if there was an error in the xml file used to fill the fields.


    3) Button to refresh files in "Media Library" in BrightAuthor. As mentioned by others, it is necessary to browse to another directory and back again to get a fresh list of files.


    This is now available in the brightauthor 2.2, which is getting ready to be posted. I will send you a link to brightauthor 2.2 to download.

    Here's an idea that I have not seen suggested in prior posts:

    When dragging content into the playlist under the Edit tab in BrightAuthor, I find the thumbnails are just small enough to make it impossible to read much of the text on my jpeg slides. Would it be possible to offer a zoom feature as a choice when you right-click on a file?
  • 0
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    Mkeen


    "RokuLyndon" wrote:

    1) Preview in BrightAuthor. I realize this is probably a major undertaking, but it's critical to be able to see your program before pushing it out live.



    Preview isn't currently available. While it has been a requested feature for BrightAuthor, it's near the bottom of our requested features list. Customers have asked us for many other features, in much higher frequency than this one.  It's unlikely to be something that's added soon. With  that said, you can get a eval unit (probably a 1010) at reduced prices, normally up to 50%, that you can use for testing. We normally recommend getting a unit that you have for testing, that you can use for playback before you deploy anything.



    I appreciate your response.  While I still feel that a preview feature inside BrightAuthor would be the ideal solution, I would be satisfied if I could get a unit at half price to use for previews.  We picked up the HD210s from Provantage for $327 each.  If you can advise me as to how to acquire a discounted unit for previews, I would appreciate it.  Following your advice to use an actual unit for previews, I'm thinking that it would make sense to set up a separate location on my web server to publish the preview content.  This leads me to suggest another feature for BrightAuthor.  Currently, under "Simple File Networking" you must declare the "Publish to" location.  If one is expected to routinely publish to two different locations (preview and live) it would be nice if BrightAuthor could remember both locations.  Perhaps a second "Publish" button for the alternative location.

    "RokuLyndon" wrote:

    2) More control over text in RSS feeds. Particularly, the ability to do a "crawl" similar to cable news networks. It would also be nice if I could change the background color of the zone via embedded code in the RSS text. (i.e. Red background for emergency messages)


    We've looked into a crawl, and unfortunately there were performance issues with the crawl when other content changes occurred. It wasn't acceptable. So, it's unlikley you'll see a crawl on the current playtform.



    I did notice that even the animated ticker hesitates a bit when there is a complex transition effect going on in another zone, so I don't doubt you about the performance issues related to a crawl.  I do hope that more robust hardware is being considered for future revisions of the hardware.  The inability to do a crawl is an unfortunate shortcoming.

    "RokuLyndon" wrote:

    While brightauthor doesn't let you change the background color, the scripting language supports this. The script used by brightauthor could be customized so that a specific keyword in the feed or text or some other trigger could cause the color to change. I worked on a project that didn't use brightauthor, using a script only, where the unit changed text in 12 fields on the screen, and depending on the whether the value was new, the background could be green, white, gray, or red if there was an error in the xml file used to fill the fields.


    I have not yet read the documentation on scripting, but I will.  Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.  If you still have the script you mentioned, I'd be curious to have a look at it.

    "RokuLyndon" wrote:

    3) Button to refresh files in "Media Library" in BrightAuthor. As mentioned by others, it is necessary to browse to another directory and back again to get a fresh list of files.


    This is now available in the brightauthor 2.2, which is getting ready to be posted. I will send you a link to brightauthor 2.2 to download.



    Thank you.

    Any thoughts on this one? ...

    When dragging content into the playlist under the Edit tab in BrightAuthor, I find the thumbnails are just small enough to make it impossible to read much of the text on my jpeg slides. Would it be possible to offer a zoom feature as a choice when you right-click on a file?



    Thanks again.
  • 0
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    Erin Costello


    BrightAuthor is a very intuitive, lovely program but it's surprising to see that creating a preview function is not a priority. My company has to buy me a huge TV to test content on which seems pretty silly. People used to other dynamic visual editing software like Final Cut, Premiere, etc. are very used to having a preview function. It would help me immensely and since the problem seems to be lack of people suggesting this, let me be voice for the preview.
    <!-- s:) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /><!-- s:) -->
    Thanks!
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