Audience.plugins
Audience.plugins is a set of plugins used to extend the scheduling and control ability of Audience display systems. The plugins are small applications that can be ‘‘plugged in’ to screens, magazines, pages or templates to schedule them according to specific criteria, or to launch other programs, thereby easily integrating 3rd party systems with Audience.foundation.
Plugins are easy to use. Each plugin comes complete with it’s own user interface to make the plugin configuration easy and straightforward.
Custom Plugins. The Audience.plugin API is open so companies with skilled programmers can create their own plugins to meet their specific needs.
Example Plugins
Example
The Compare plugin reads a string or numeric value in an external file. It can be used in conjunction with a store’s inventory data. If stock for an item is high, it could trigger a page that promotes the item; if the inventory is low, it can tell Audience.foundation not to play the page. It could also be used in a similar way to promote the sale of ice cream when the weather reaches a certain temperature.
With the Occasion plugin you can set a page to play on certain holidays or birthdays, including days which are not always on the same date, like Mother's Day or Easter Sunday.
The Moon plugin tells the page to play based on the phases of the moon. This is useful if you want to create a series of pages that show the phase of the moon along with the weather. It is also useful in creating pages that indicate tides.
Table of all Audience plugins
All plugins
|
Plugin |
Short Description |
|---|---|
|
set a specific start date/time and stop date/time |
|
|
play only if there is another page that is valid to play |
|
|
beep the computer's internal speakers when an event happens |
|
|
play in specified cities |
|
| Compare Plugin | play if value in plugin is <, > or = to numeric/string value in an external file |
| Computer Plugin | play on specific computers |
| Control Plugin | set triggers to affect content or behaviour |
| Date Plugin | specify a date (without requiring a date range) |
| Daylight Plugin | play page during or after daylight |
| EventLog Plugin | writes an entry into the Windows Event Log when the page plays |
| Expire Plugin | specify stop date or time |
| Expression Plugin | combine multiple plugins |
| Has Graphic Rendered Plugin | for technical support only |
| Heartbeat Plugin | write to a file whenever the page or magazine plays |
| Hour Plugin | play on even, odd, or select hours |
| iCal Plugin | play when iCal events are scheduled |
| Just Played Plugin | play when another page has just played |
| Keywords Plugin | play or exclude in playbacks that include the keyword |
| Low Disk Plugin | warn when the disk space is below the threshold set in the plugin |
| MailMsg Plugin | send email whenever page plays |
| MaxDays | play for a specified number of days |
| MaxPlay | play a specified number of times |
| MaxWeeks | play for a specified number of weeks |
| ModDate | for technical support only |
| Month | play in seasons, quarters or specific months |
| Moon | play based on the phases of the moon |
| Multi | combine multiple plugins |
| Need | for technical support only |
| Occasion | play on holidays including those that are not on a specific date each year, like Easter or Mother’s Day. |
| Once | play the page once |
| OneIn | play randomly (once in every x) |
| OnEnd | execute command when page finishes playing |
| OnPlay and OnPreload | launch external application while page plays or pre-loads |
| Others | for technical support only |
| PaintWeek | graphic interface to schedule for a week |
| PlanWeek | play within specific time ranges on selected days of the week |
| PuStatus | for technical support only |
| RenderStatus | for technical support only |
| RunDuration | expire page based on its creation date |
| SelectDates | play group of pages on select dates (use with caution) |
| SerialDevice | control an external device via a serial port |
| ShowMinute Plugin | play based on even, odd, or select minutes |
| Sunspot | play page if predicted sunspot activity is above a certain level |
| Take Turns | play a different page of a sequence in each playlist loop. |
| Target | when page plays also play a page on a different device or play a magazine |
| Target Expire | play a target page until the specified date/time |
| TCPsend | send a text string to a specified TCP port on host |
| Time Change (TimeChg) Plugin | play when time changes to Standard or Daylight Savings time |
| TimeRule | rule-based plugin to assign multiple time/date ranges |
| TimeSlot | schedule for 48 half-hour timeslots |
| TimeSpan | play during start and stop times |
| UN | play on specific United Nations Days |
| WebOnly | play on web only |
| Week | play during broadcast week |
| Weekdays | play during select weekdays |
| WinTV | for technical support only |
| Year | play during specific years or track event years (Olympics) |
Action plugins
|
Plugin |
Short Description |
|---|---|
|
beep the computer's internal speakers when an event happens |
|
| Compare Plugin | play if value in plugin is <, > or = to numeric/string value in an external file |
| Control Plugin | set triggers to affect content or behaviour |
| EventLog Plugin | writes an entry into the Windows Event Log when the page plays |
| Expression Plugin | combine multiple plugins |
| Heartbeat Plugin | write to a file whenever the page or magazine plays |
| Low Disk Plugin | warn when the disk space is below the threshold set in the plugin |
| MailMsg Plugin | send email whenever page plays |
| Multi | combine multiple plugins |
| OnEnd | execute command when page finishes playing |
| OnPlay and OnPreload | launch external application while page plays or pre-loads |
| SerialDevice | control an external device via a serial port |
| Target | when page plays also play a page on a different device or play a magazine |
| TCPsend | send a text string to a specified TCP port on host |
Location plugins
|
Plugin |
Short Description |
|---|---|
|
play in specified cities |
|
| Computer Plugin | play on specific computers |
| Keywords Plugin | play or exclude in playbacks that include the keyword |
| WebOnly | play on web only |
Schedule plugins
|
Plugin |
Short Description |
|---|---|
|
set a specific start date/time and stop date/time |
|
|
play only if there is another page that is valid to play |
|
| Date Plugin | specify a date (without requiring a date range) |
| Daylight Plugin | play page during or after daylight |
| Expire Plugin | specify stop date or time |
| Hour Plugin | play on even, odd, or select hours |
| iCal Plugin | play when iCal events are scheduled |
| Just Played Plugin | play when another page has just played |
| MaxDays | play for a specified number of days |
| MaxPlay | play a specified number of times |
| MaxWeeks | play for a specified number of weeks |
| Month | play in seasons, quarters or specific months |
| Moon | play based on the phases of the moon |
| Occasion | play on holidays including those that are not on a specific date each year, like Easter or Mother’s Day. |
| Once | play the page once |
| OneIn | play randomly (once in every x) |
| PaintWeek | graphic interface to schedule for a week |
| PlanWeek | play within specific time ranges on selected days of the week |
| RunDuration | expire page based on its creation date |
| SelectDates | play group of pages on select dates (use with caution) |
| ShowMinute Plugin | play based on even, odd, or select minutes |
| Sunspot | play page if predicted sunspot activity is above a certain level |
| Take Turns | play a different page of a sequence in each playlist loop. |
| Target | when page plays also play a page on a different device or play a magazine |
| Target Expire | play a target page until the specified date/time |
| Time Change (TimeChg) Plugin | play when time changes to Standard or Daylight Savings time |
| TimeRule | rule-based plugin to assign multiple time/date ranges |
| TimeSlot | schedule for 48 half-hour timeslots |
| TimeSpan | play during start and stop times |
| UN | play on specific United Nations Days |
| Week | play during broadcast week |
| Weekdays | play during select weekdays |
| Year | play during specific years or track event years (Olympics) |
System Requirements
All plugins work with Audience.playback.tv and Audience.playback.sign systems.
Note: There is limited support of plugins for Audience web-based systems. The Expire and the Keywords plugins are installed on all web based systems by default. If you have a schedule based plugin and want to use it with an Audience web-based systems contact Technical Support.
How plugins work with other scheduling specifications
Plugins specific to scheduling do not override screen, magazine or page scheduling, but work in conjunction with them. A screen, magazine or page will play when both its scheduling conditions and its plugin conditions are met.
Example
EXAMPLE
If a page is set to play on weekends and it includes a plugin that tells it to play when the moon is full, then that page will play only on a weekend when the moon is full. Both conditions must be met.
How to tell if a Plugin is Being Used
To see if a page or template is using a plugin
- Right click in the page or template pane and select Report View. One of the columns is reserved for plugins.
- You can also open the page or template and look at the plugins field under the Schedule tab.
To see if a magazine or screen is using a plugin
- Right click on the screen or magazine in the tree and select Properties > Plugins.
- Place a checkmark next to “Show selected Plugins only.”
How to apply a plugin to a page, template, magazine or screen
Apply a plugin to a page
- Double click on a
- Select the new icon
next to Plugins, use the drop-down arrow to display the list of plugins and make your selection. - Click on the Dialog button to open that plugin’s interface and fill in the required fields.
Apply a plugin to a template
- Double click on a
- Select the new icon next to Plugins, use the drop-down arrow to display the list of plugins and make your selection.
- Click on the Dialog button to open that plugin’s interface and fill in the required fields.
Apply a plugin to a magazine
- Right click on
- Select Properties > Plugins.
- Select the plugin you want to apply and complete the fields in the plugin’s unique interface.
Apply a plugin to a screen
- Right click on
- Select Properties > Plugins.
- Select the plugin you want to apply and complete the fields in the plugin’s unique interface.