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Linked Content
Posted: Monday, 06/24/2002 -- by End User. Subject: Question #1 and Content
What i meant by question #1 is what you describe. I want to create a netmanager job that sends content to a player from a http rather than a ftp site, in many cases the file needed is not always awailable on a ftp site.
About media_content, for my tests the MEDIA_Contnent setting will do fine, i'll try it asap. Thanks!
Posted: Monday, 06/24/2002 -- by Scala Technical Support. Subject: MEDIA_InstalledContent needs SP3
Sorry, MEDIA_InstalledContent is busted in SP2 in exactly the manner you experienced.
The idea is that the Content location is a "combined folder" containing all that is in the local place, combined with all that is in the spot you set MEDIA_InstalledContent to. One intended purpose of MEDIA_InstalledContent was to have multiple Designer users point to a shared server directory, which sounds like what you wanted. They can have shared linked content there, plus non-shared linked content locally, or they can not use the local directory.
This is known to work in SP3 but confirmed busted in SP2.
In SP2, the best you can do is set
MEDIA_Content="K:\Folder"
This is a bit different since it *replaces* the local content folder rather than augmenting it. If you run an ICPlayer on the same machine you will have funny results without additional work. Best recommendation is "don't run an ICPlayer as well on this machine" but if you want to, ask and I'll give you more details.
We recommend you switch back to MEDIA_InstalledContent once SP3 becomes available (July).
WIN32_RootDataFolder is more for ICPlayers, to help their system administrator control where stuff is stored.
Posted: Monday, 06/24/2002 -- by Scala Technical Support. Subject: What do you mean by Question #1?
You say you want to "get a file from a http:// site, and publish it as linked content to a player, how is that possible?"
It's unclear what you mean. If you want the up-to-date version of this file sent to the player or pulled by the player without involving the authoring station or the publish step, then do this:
- Get the file onto an FTP server rather than an HTTP server.
- Create a NetManager Send Content job to send the file to the player(s) whenever the file changes. Set a suitable frequency for checking.
- Put a representative copy of this file into the Linked Content folder on the authoring station
- Add the representative copy into your script, and publish and transmit your script.
NetManager's Send Content job does not currently support sourcing from HTTP:.
If the file must be on an HTTP server, then use Windows Script running on the player to pull it down to the player at whatever interval you need, and handle it from there. If you need more help with specifics, you may ask.
Posted: Wednesday, 06/19/2002 -- by End User. Subject: Forwarded to Engineering
Thanks for your help
Posted: Wednesday, 06/19/2002 -- by Scala Technical Support. Subject: Forwarded to Engineering
I forwarded your comments on shared content to Engineering.
Regards,
Scala Technical Support
Posted: Wednesday, 06/19/2002 -- by End User. Subject: Using LInked Content
I forgot to mention one thing about shared content.....
One usable feature for creating content in IC3 would be to have the ability to just redirect the Share Data folder normally stored in the current profile under "Documents and Settings". In this way a group of administrators on a big lan can easily work with shared content.
The problem with WIN32_RootDataFolder is that it does not only move the shared content but all the config data as well.
Posted: Wednesday, 06/19/2002 -- by Scala Technical Support. Subject: Directly
When using the Windows Script EX in a Scala script it makes a call to your VBScript (for example) program for information to be handed through varaibles. Normally that VBScript file will be sent to the Player along with the rest of the content and script as part of the published job. That VBScript pulls the content down to the Player directly from the Internet. You can also use the Cued Expression feature for Text Crawl to check for new data in the Windows Script varaibles.
Regards,
Scala Technical Support
Posted: Wednesday, 06/19/2002 -- by End User. Subject: Using LInked Content
Thanks for your fast reply
#1
Ok, so i should create a windows script that pulls the content down to the player directly not to the netmanager publish location?
#2
Ok, I understand, i thought MEDIA_installed content replaced the original shared content on the master.
Regards,
Posted: Wednesday, 06/19/2002 -- by Scala Technical Support. Subject: Using LInked Content
#1
Using Linked Content a file must be placed both in the Linked Content folder on the Designer 3 system as a reference to it’s file name for script creation, and must also be placed in a Publish Location so the Network Manager can deliver the file and any changes to that file. A Publish Location can be a FTP site. See number # 2 also for using MEDIA_InstalledContent.
One way to deliver content from the web is to use the Windows Script EX. You would need some one to create a Windows Script utility program using VBScript, Jscript, XML, or Pearl. That application will read the information from the web, and place that information into Scala variables that can be displayed in the Scala script.
Another way would be to externally convert the web content to a text file and use the TextFile EX to display the information in the Scala display.
#2
I never try using MEDIA_InstalledContent on the Designer 3 side, only on the Player 3 side. The Linked Content developer is not in the office today to ask if this should work. The files in the local Linked Content folder on the Designer 3 system only need to be there in name only as a reference call to that file. These Linked Content files can be dummy files. When published the Linked Content files are not transferred to the Player. Only the file references as Linked Content that are transferred in the script. The actual files must be placed on the Player by a separate Network Manager job or by setting up the MMOS call to MEDIA_InstalledContent on the Player where it points to another location, for which it will receive Linked Content. That location can be a shared drive.
Regards
Scala Technical Support
Posted: Wednesday, 06/19/2002 -- by End User. Subject: Linked Content
Hi,
I have tried to understand the "Linked Content" feature in IC3 with little success.
Question #1
What i want to do is to get a file from a http:// site, and publish it as linked content to a player, how is that possible?
If i have understood it correctly, it's only possible to send content from a "publish" location in netmanager and a publish location can not be a http:// site.
Is there a solution to this or will i have to create my own software that dowloads the http:// file and puts it in a valid publis location?
Question #2
I also would like to know the use of "MEDIA_InstalledContent". If a define this to a location on a server "K:" for example and fill it with content.
If i then create a script and select a file from this folder i get an error message telling me that the file don't exsist in my local content folder, why?
Should the file be placed both in my local content folder and the MEDIA_InstalledContent folder?
I thought that MEDIA_InstalledContent would replace the local content location.
Thanks,
Regards
