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New Project: Video Kiosk

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Noopara
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I am a volunteer on the USS Turner Joy Museum Ship in Bremerton Washington.  I am rebooting a project I started over a year ago and stopped working on it due to the pandemic.  Lyndon was offering his expertise in guiding me along.  This time I am working with BrightAuthor:Connected.  This is my second BrightSign project.

Attached is a requirements document I have cobbled together describing my plan for this Kiosk.  I would appreciate any comments and suggestions regarding the feasibility of meeting these requirements with the BrightSign Players.

-- greg

https://ussturnerjoy-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/volunteer_ussturnerjoy_org/EZCMN09VRdpBn1x322fZa2UB8DuU88IgVgey9s1g77EJjw?e=bdR4YC 

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    Monica Knutson

    You could also look at the Mimo monitors for the 10" BrightSign built in tablet in case you have a hard time getting the Bluefin.  They have had inventory issues of late because of the supply chain shortages.

    Everything sounds very do-able in your project spec - though we program in BrightAuthor original versus connected.  We find it a little stronger when working with variables and plug-in scripts versus the connected version.

    We've done several tablet-to-TV "video theaters" as you describe and visitors enjoy them.  Good luck with your project!  Keep the community posted on how it turned out and always write on this topic with questions.  This community is strong and helpful!

    Cheers,
    Monica

  • 0
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    Noopara

    Monica,

    Thanks for taking a look and for the comments.

    I actually purchased all of the hardware in 2019.  My first project was completed in late 2019 using BrightAuthor and a Bluefin 20 inch touchscreen.  My plan to use BrightAuthor:Connected for this project is based on the prediction that BrightAuthor will eventually be discontinued.  I was uncertain about this decision until I discovered that BrightSign has created a file conversion tool to convert presentations created in BrightAuthor into BrightAuthor:Connected files.  For them to invest in such a tool supports the notion that they will stop supporting the older version sometime in the future.

    I haven't worked with variables or plug-in scripts yet.  I will be using UDP between the two BrightSign Players.  The 10" Bluefin touch screen is the Built-In version that includes a HS124 BrightSign Player.  A LS424 player will drive the TV monitor.  At this point, I'm not sure why and how I would use variables or a plug-in script.  Could you please amplify this comment with an example use case of variables and/or scripts where the Bluefin/HS124 player would serve as the menu to play videos stored on the LS424?  So far, all I've done (using BrightAuthor) is to send a key from the the Bluefin touch screen to the LS424 to trigger a video to play just to experiment.   

    -- greg

  • 0
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    Monica Knutson

    Your scope mentioned logging events - you'll likely need to increment a variable in order to do the tracking and then save it so you can show it using your hidden control panel/GPIO inputs. Unless you plan on doing it a different way.

    We use UDP to send commands from device to device in the same manner, so you're on the right track there.  :)

    You may want to add an unmanaged 5-port switch in your local AV cabinet near the Bluefin and display/LS424 that is connected to the network for ease of troubleshooting.

    Cheers,
    Monica

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    Noopara

    Monica,

    Thank you again for responding.

    The development of this project is something I am doing at home.  Both players are connected to an unmanaged switch.  Actually it's a wireless access point but also serves as a hardwired unmanaged switch.  So, at least I can check that off the list of to-dos,

    If variables are the best way to log the playing of video, then that's what I will do.  We wish to log the number of times a particular video is played so we can replace videos that hardly ever get played.  A variable sounds like a good way to do that.  I do that very thing with several Arduino audio players that I have created and installed around the museum.

    I'm sure it won't be long when I post some questions as I start moving up the learning curve again.  I could not have done my last BrightSign project without the help from this Community.  I had a long thread going then with Lyndon. 

    -- greg.

     

  • 0
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    Monica Knutson

    This thread may help you with building your statistics page:

    https://support.brightsign.biz/hc/en-us/community/posts/209959517-HTML5-access-to-user-variables

    You can read the user variables from a local HTML page on the device.  You will need to establish an HTML 'site' locally first of course but should be able to do this with a simple, simple page - especially if it's just admin-facing and nothing that needs to be 'decorated'.

    Cheers,
    Monica

  • 0
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    Noopara

    Monica,

    Thanks for the link.  Unfortunately the link to the JavaScript that is referenced doesn't work.   Since we don't have a local sever, I don't believe we can use JavaScript.

    Would it be possible to configure a presentation that would show all usage values on the screen and allow all the usage values to be reset to zero?  Additionally would it be possible to trigger this screen to display only from a GPIO button?  

    -- greg

  • 0
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    Monica Knutson

    You can create a local HTML site on the BrightSign - the HS124 does support limited HTML.  It wouldn't need an external local server.

    https://www.brightsign.biz/key-features/html5

    -Monica

  • 0
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    Noopara

    OK.  That would work then.  However, it would be simpler for the the operation if it could be done without having to access a smartphone or a computer to get the stats.  Could it be done as I described using presentation?

  • 0
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    Monica Knutson

    Yes, you can attach a local HTML site and make that a state that is accessed via your GPIO button in the "hidden control area".  It's an event that brings it to the state that shows the HTML page.  The HTML will need to read the local user variables from the SD card.

  • 0
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    Monica Knutson

    You may be able to use a dynamic text field too and link it to the variable.

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