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Viz Multiplay User Guide

Version 2.4 | Published June 29, 2018 ©

Shortcuts Bar

The Shortcuts Bar gives fast access to frequently used elements, such as scenes, backgrounds or videos. In addition, video wall Presets can be selected and modified from the Shortcuts Bar.

images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_shortbar.png

The Shortcuts bar is actually a playlist within the show, so the content from this playlist is only available within the show in which the playlist is created.

A playlist is set as the Shortcuts bar by selecting it in Settings >General Tab > Shortcuts.

Users can have multiple tabs of shortcuts to make it easy to access items that are used frequently, independent of which story you are working on - each group in the Shortcuts bar playlist appears as a tab in the Shortcuts bar. The shortcuts are specific to a show, so that when you change your show you can have different shortcuts for different productions.

Any changes made inside an element are visible immediately.

Elements in the Shortcuts bar

  • Presets: Presets define the layout of the channels on a video wall. When a new preset is taken to air, it triggers a transition from the current layout to the new layout. New presets are created using the Video Wall Designer.

  • Filled Presets: A Filled Preset is a preset which also includes content. When a filled preset is taken to air, it populates the preset with content and plays out everything at once. Presets are filled with content using the Preset Content Editor.

    Note:

    If a video wall group is partly filled, the empty GFX channels will still have the old contents.

  • Backgrounds: Basic elements which load different scenes into the back layer of the video wall Engine. They need to be preassigned to the right channel and the right Viz layer so that they run in the back layer (this can also be set in the scene in its control object plugin).

  • Elements: Images, videos and graphics.
    Activate the Shortcuts bar by selecting a Shortcuts Playlist in the General Tab of the Settings window.

Items in the Shortcuts Bar can be armed by clicking them, similar to arming channels.

This section covers the following topics:

  • Shortcut menus in the Shortcuts Bar

  • Layers

  • Working with the Shortcuts Bar

  • GFX preset mode

Shortcut menus in the Shortcuts Bar

Access two context menus by right-clicking elements in the Shortcuts Bar. The options in each menu change depending on the type of media you are right-clicking.

The two context menu types are:

  • Shortcut menu for presets

  • Shortcut menu for elements

Shortcut menu for presets

Right-click a preset in the Shortcuts Bar to expose the following context menu:

images/download/attachments/41785366/image2018-6-12_10-34-10.png

  • Video wall designer: Open the Video Wall Designer

  • Channel: Change the playout channel of the preset. The main renderer is normally called "A".

  • Edit Content: Open the Preset Content Editor

  • Cut: Cut a preset and paste it in another tab/column.

  • Copy: Copy a preset and paste it in another tab/column.

  • Remove: Remove the preset from the Shortcuts Bar.

  • Rename: Rename the preset.

Shortcut menu for elements

Right-click an element (video, image or graphic) in the Shortcuts bar to expose the following context menu:

images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_elementconshort.png

  • Channel: Change the playout channel of the element

  • Layer: Change the Viz Engine layer (BACK, MAIN, FRONT). See Layers

  • Edit: Open the corresponding element editor.

    Note

    The image editor is only available for images assigned to a GFX channel.

  • Cut: Cut a preset and paste it in another tab/column.

  • Copy: Copy a preset and paste it in another tab/column.

  • Remove: Remove the element from the Shortcuts Bar.

  • Rename: Rename the element.

Layers

Use different layers to show up to three elements on screen simultaneously. Play elements in the default, FRONT, MAIN and BACK layers (defined below).

The selected layer will determine the element’s position (whether or not it’s visible) in relation to other elements.

Tip:

Set layers in the Shortcut menu for elements.

  • default: Revert to the layer that is set by the scene designer.

  • FRONT: Front layer elements cover main and back layer elements, i.e. this layer will never be obstructed.

  • MAIN: The middle layer where elements cover back layer elements.

  • BACK: The first layer than be used as a background for a videowall. Front and back layer elements will overlap it.

See Also

Working with the Shortcuts Bar

This section covers the following:

  • Add a shortcuts group

  • Delete a group from the shortcuts bar

  • Rename a group

  • Reposition a group in the Shortcuts Bar

Add a shortcuts group

Add a group to the playlist you have chosen to appear in the shortcuts bar. Groups created via the shortcuts bar appear in the show pane when no shortcut playlist is set.

  1. Click the Add images/s/en_GB/7401/e170a3915839da2821803843481d4419ff03b453/_/images/icons/emoticons/add.png button in the Shortcuts Bar.

    images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_creategroup.png

  2. Give the new group a title.

  3. Click OK.

Delete a group from the shortcuts bar

Delete playlist groups from the shortcuts bar.

  1. Click the close button in the top right corner of the shortcut group tab.

    images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_closebutton.png

  2. Click Yes.

Rename a group

  1. Double-click the group’s title.

    images/download/attachments/41785366/image2018-6-12_11-9-20.png

  2. The title field becomes editable.

  3. Enter a new title in the field and press ENTER to confirm the change.

Reposition a group in the Shortcuts Bar

  1. Click and drag the group to the desired position in the top groups.

GFX preset mode

GFX preset mode the exposes a filled preset’s main and graphics (GFX) channels by pressing SHIFT.

The following sections cover GFX preset mode and its advantages, plus an example GFX preset mode workflow:

  • Two modes

  • How do I activate VizBoldGFX preset mode?

  • Example workflow

Two modes

The shortcuts bar has two modes: thumbnail mode and graphics (GFX) preset mode. By default, the shortcut bar is in thumbnail mode. This means only item thumbnails in a preset will show in the program (on-air) column, as shown here:

images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_novisual.png

You may, however, need to know the following:

  • which main channel your presets are playing out on; and

  • which GFX channel an item in a preset is playing out on.
    This information is available in GFX preset mode, which provides:

  • a visual confirmation that presets are being sent to the desired wall; and

  • assistance when replacing content in a GFX channel.

How do I activate GFX preset mode?

Press SHIFT when Multiplay is in focus.

Once GFX preset mode is activated, small green icons appear in the bottom corner of a preset or item thumbnail showing:

  1. The main channel; and

    images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_mainchan.png

  2. The GFX channel number.
    images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_gfxchan.png

    Note:

    These icons only appear for items and presets in the shortcuts bar.

Example workflow

In this workflow, activate GFX preset mode to see which GFX channel hosts a picture you want to replace.

  1. Take a filled preset to air from the shortcuts bar.

    1. Click the preset to move it to the Armed column.

    2. Click it in the Armed column to move it to the Program column.

      images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_movepreset.png

  2. By default the thumbnails appear in the preset in the program column, and there is no visual indication which GFX channel they are playing out on.

    images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_novisual.png

  3. Press and hold SHIFT to see the preset’s main and GFX channels. The thumbnails are replaced with the GFX channel number. This preset is playing out on wall A and has images in GFX1 and GFX2.

    images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_visuals.png

  4. Now, if you want to replace the team photo with another image, you know you must replace the photo in GFX1.

  5. Drag an image from any channel into GFX’s program channel.
    images/download/attachments/41785366/usingvmp_replaceteam.png

    Tip:

    Drag an image into a program channel from any channel. This means that the image in the program column for a certain GFX channel can be exchanged with an image from any other channel.

    IMPORTANT!

    The new image will not appear in the Filled Preset in the shortcuts bar. A video wall set up is required to see it live on air in the filled preset.