Graphics

I'm in the process of setting up election scenes inside of xpression. Newsticker is supplying the data. The two systems are taking to each other, I can see the data in the correct text fields. The problem is that the xpression scene is taken offline inside of the sequencer every time Newsticker sends a new FS. I've tried consolidating all of the text fields in to a new group, as Newsticker suggested, but that still did not seem to work...

Hi Adam,

Are you using Datalinq in order for XPression to receive the data or a separate API? I'm trying to understand why a scene would go offline.

Neil Hopley

Wireframe Group

www.groupewireframe.com

514-261-4380

#XPression

Ill try and explain this the best I can...

It is not Datalinq.

I have a scene with a specific scene ID, multiple published text objects in a very specific Published Object Order, and the scene needs to have a specific Take ID when online.

Newsticker has the Studio Box IP address and sends data to the predetermined template links when the scene is online. It doesn't file multiple scenes in order, it only writes data to one Take ID over and over. The data is controlled inside of an Internet Explorer window where a producer has filled out the designated fields, selected the FS that is needed and then clicks a button marked 'Send to CG'...

I hope this makes sense and helps. It seems like witchcraft to me, but I do know that other stations in our group do have this up and running. I have one of their scenes as an example and can't figure out the difference. Newsticker did give me the suggestion I listed above, but that didn't seem to make any changes.

#XPression

There was another message thread on this community site discussing this topic. The typical solution is two have newsticker write back to back elements with different take id numbers.. Have it write the first page to page 5000 and the next to 5001, then go back to 5000, then 5001 again.. You can then have newsticker seamlessly toggle betwen those pages without it going to black.

#XPression

I have a script that will essentially do the same thing on the XPression side. I'll post it when I get home tomorrow.

#XPression

That would be great!

#XPression

[I]Below are two scripts. Both, you'll put into "Edit > Scripting > CII". There are two events... one where you read and one where you write. What this does is captures the incoming CII command from NewsTicker, and decides based on whether that page is already online, to either write to the page that was requested, or to the page + 1. There are some instructions in the scripting below, be sure to follow them. The primary one, the most important one, is a variable that tells the script what TakeID to look for. When NewsTicker sends a write then read, it's sending to a specific TakeID to be written over repeatedly. Whatever that TakeID is, is the one you want to replace. Also, as a matter of housekeeping, There is an option in preferences to force any CII page write to a specific group in the sequencer... that way these pages don't get placed into any groups you may be using from a MOS workflow.[/I]

OnPageWrite

Dim ExistingTakeItem as xpBaseTakeItem

Dim NewTakeItem as xpTakeItem

Dim PageWrite as Long

Dim GroupName as String

'Enter the page number the election system is writing to:

PageWrite = 9000

'Enter the name of the take item group you're writing to. You will need to

'enter the same name into your preferences. You'll find that in

'Edit>Preferences>Remote Server. In that menu you'll find the CII box,

'and in that you'll need to turn on "Create All Take Items In Group" and

'type in the same name you enter here:

GroupName = "Election"

If Engine.Sequencer.GetTakeItemByID(PageWrite, ExistingTakeItem) then

If ExistingTakeItem.IsOnline then

Dim TakeItemScene as xpScene

Dim TakeItemGroup as xpTakeItemGroup

Dim LoopCount as Long

Dim PubItem as xpPublishedObject

Engine.GetSceneByID(SceneID, TakeItemScene)

Engine.Sequencer.GetGroupByName(GroupName, TakeItemGroup)

Engine.Sequencer.CreateTakeItem(TakeItemScene, TakeItemGroup, NewTakeItem)

NewTakeItem.ID = PageWrite + 1

For LoopCount = 0 to (NewTakeItem.PublishedObjectCount - 1)

NewTakeItem.GetPublishedObject(LoopCount, PubItem)

PubItem.SetPropertyString(0, Values(LoopCount))

Next LoopCount

Handled = True

End If

End If

OnPageRead

Dim ExistingTakeItem as xpBaseTakeItem

Dim NewTakeItem as xpTakeItem

Dim PageWrite as Long

'Enter the page number the election system is writing to:

PageWrite = 9000

If Engine.Sequencer.GetTakeItemByID(PageWrite, ExistingTakeItem) then

If ExistingTakeItem.IsOnline then

If Engine.Sequencer.GetTakeItemByID(PageWrite + 1, NewTakeItem) then

NewTakeItem.FrameBufferIndex = Channel - 1

NewTakeItem.Execute

Handled = True

End If

End If

End If

#XPression

Christopher do you know if this can be done in the Designer version of the software?

#XPression

You would need a CII gateway paired with the designer software, but I think it would work. I haven't tried.

#XPression

This works 75% of the way... When I send data to Xpression, it does create a new group labeled "Election", a new take ID number "2000". If I put 2000 online and send a new FS from Newsticker, it keeps 2000 in the sequencer, adds 2001 below it, but it takes 2000 offline and doesn't automatically take 2001, leaving the channel in black...

#XPression

Did you change the page write value in the OnPageRead script from 9000 to 2000?

#XPression

Yep
..........
#XPression

I tested it on my machine, and it's working. Make sure that the OnPageRead is compiled (has a green checkmark next to it, rather than a red x)

Also, I slightly modified the code for another issue I identified where it was creating a lot of new pages unnecessarily.

OnPageWrite



Dim ExistingTakeItem as xpBaseTakeItem

Dim NewTakeItem as xpTakeItem

Dim PageWrite as Long

Dim GroupName as String

'Enter the page number the election system is writing to:

PageWrite = 9000

'Enter the name of the take item group you're writing to. You will need to

'enter the same name into your preferences. You'll find that in

'Edit>Preferences>Remote Server. In that menu you'll find the CII box,

'and in that you'll need to turn on "Create All Take Items In Group" and

'type in the same name you enter here:

GroupName = "Election"

If Engine.Sequencer.GetTakeItemByID(PageWrite, ExistingTakeItem) then

If ExistingTakeItem.IsOnline then

Dim TakeItemScene as xpScene

Dim TakeItemGroup as xpTakeItemGroup

Dim LoopCount as Long

Dim PubItem as xpPublishedObject

Engine.GetSceneByID(SceneID, TakeItemScene)

Engine.Sequencer.GetGroupByName(GroupName, TakeItemGroup)

If Engine.Sequencer.GetTakeItemByID(PageWrite + 1, NewTakeItem) = False then

Engine.Sequencer.CreateTakeItem(TakeItemScene, TakeItemGroup, NewTakeItem)

NewTakeItem.ID = PageWrite + 1

End If

For LoopCount = 0 to (NewTakeItem.PublishedObjectCount - 1)

NewTakeItem.GetPublishedObject(LoopCount, PubItem)

PubItem.SetPropertyString(0, Values(LoopCount))

Next LoopCount

Handled = True

End If

End If



#XPression

The scripts are compiled correctly. I've updated the OnPageWrite script to the adjusted version and it still is acting the same way. I did notice that if '2000' is online when a data is sent, it will create '2001' while taking both scenes offline. But, if '2000' is offline, it will overwrite the scene, updating it with the new information. We were told by Newsticker that the FS would live update while online. Is this false information?

#XPression