What is Linked Content and how is it used?

LINKED CONTENT

What is it used for?
InfoChannel 3 handles content as belonging to a publish script and all those files are linked to that published script when residing on an IC3 Player. When there is the need to introduce content from DIFFERENT SOURCES. I.e. content that originates from two different departments/companies/FTP sites, you want use the process called Linked Content. Linked Content should typically NOT be used to tie together content from the SAME source.

When you publish content belonging to the publish script all files are moved to IC3 Player. There maybe the case where you wish to update the script's different source content without re-publishing the whole script, and have that publish script recognize the changed content and no longer use the previous version. To accomplish this you will use Linked Content.

How does it work?
1. The flow of Linked Content starts on the IC Designer 3 system. When selecting Start/Programs/Scala Designer 3 you will see a shortcut to the IC Designer 3 Linked Content folder. It is here that you will store a version of the content you wish to associate as Linked Content. This version of the file need not be current or the file in full, because this version is only used as reference to the file's name when creating a script. When we publish the script this version of the Linked Content file will not tag along with the publish script when sent to the IC3 Player. To Add a Linked Content file in IC Designer 3 you will see a quick access button called Linked Content. Click on the Linked Content QAB and you see all files in the IC Designer Linked Content folder.

2. You will need to store the actual version of the file in a Publish Location. To move the actual file in advance of the publish script you will need to create separate Send Content Job in Network Manager to move it.

3. When you run the job a XML file is created to give instructions to the IC3 Player to retrieve the Linked Content.

4. The IC3 Player will poll for the XML file.

5. The IC3 Player will retrieve the file and store it in area on the hard drive that is designated for Linked Content.

6. When the publish script is played on the IC3 Player there will come the time when there is a call to the Linked Content. The IC3 Player sees the file name in the script and searches for it in Linked Content area of the IC3 Player.

How to update changed Linked Content?
If you wish to make a change to the Linked Content, and send that change to the current script on the IC3 Player you will create a 'Trigger when file changes' job in Network Manager. The job will poll for the change to the actual Linked Content file in the Publish Location. When a change is found the file is sent to the IC3 Player. Being that this new version has a newer creation date then the older version the IC3 Player will see this change when scanning for the Linked Content file.

How to make a sub-script Linked Content?
To associate a sub-script as Linked Content is must be published to the InfoChannel Network so that the actual version is in the publish location. It also needs to be stored in the IC Designer 3 Linked Content folder. When publishing to InfoChannel Network you will see a button called 'Copy to Linked Content Folder?'. By selecting this button it will copy the current script as a sub-script in the Linked Content Folder on the IC Designer 3 system.

Steps for setting up a sub-script for Linked Content.
1. A version of the sub-script needs to be placed in the Linked Content folder on the IC3 Designer system. When publishing to InfoChannel Network you will see a button called 'Copy to Linked Content Folder?. When you publish the sub-script a copy will be placed in the Linked Content Folder, and a published version will be placed in your Publish Location. This Linked Content sub-script version need not be the latest because when the Main Script is published the sub-script will only go in name only, and its actual content will not be sent to the IC3 Player. The actual content will be sent by a separate job in Network Manager.

2. Once a version of the sub-script is placed in the Linked Content folder you can then access this sub-script in IC3 Designer 3 when creating it as part of your Main Script. Add the sub-script as if you were adding a page by navigating to the Linked Content folder and select the sub-script there. In the Disk Dialog screen you will see a Quick Access Button for Linked Content.

3. Create a job in Network Manager to send the sup-script on its own to the IC3 Player. Select 'Send Content' task job (not Send Main Script). If the sub-script is to be frequently updated then you want Network Manager to send updates automatically when the changes take place. In the job select the 'Trigger When File Changes', and Add. Run the job.

4. Create a job in Network Manager to send you Main Script to the IC3 Player. Select a Send Main Script' task job. Run the job.

Steps for setting up a Text File for Linked Content.
1. A version of the text file needs to be placed in the Linked Content folder on the IC3 Designer system. This folder is located at :\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Scala\Content. There is a shortcut by selecting Start / Programs / Scala InfoChannel Designer 3 / Linked Content. This text file version need not be the latest text file because when the Main Script is published the text file will only go in name only, and its actual content will not be sent to the IC3 Player. The actual content will be sent by a separate job in Network Manager.

2. Once a version of the text file is placed in the Linked Content folder you can then access this file in IC3 Designer 3 when creating the addition of the TextFile EX in your Main Script. In the TextFile EX you want to navigate to the Linked Content folder and select the version of the text file there. In the Disk Dialog screen you will see a Quick Access Button for Linked Content.

3. Place the !LineN variables on your pages as you normal do for the TextFile EX.

4. Save and Publish your Main Script to the Publish Location.

5. The actual text file as it is recreated from another application or text editor needs to be placed in the Publish Location.

6. Create a job in Network Manager to send the text file on its own to the IC3 Player. Select 'Send Content' task job. If the text file is to be frequently updated then you want Network Manager to send updates automatically when the changes take place. In the job select the 'Trigger When File Changes', and Add. Run the job.

7. Create a job in Network Manager to send you Main Script to the IC3 Player. Select Main Script and Restart Playback. Run the job.

8. Update the new version of the text file in the Publish Location.

When it is time for the IC3 Player to play the text file it will see that it is Linked Content because the text file was selected from the Linked Content folder on the IC3 Designer system. Being that it is Linked Content the IC3 Player will check for newer versions, and play them as they occur.

How to expand the Installed Content area?
First you can create an MMOS.ini file on the IC3 Player (in the folder where MMOS.exe is located), for which you can add an additional location for the Player to check for Linked Content. The first Line should be [Scala]. Next line add the additional location defined as MEDIA_InstalledContent = "Path". You can update the Linked Content directly at that location. This could also be a shared drive.

From the Release Notes:

* New MMOS.INI keyword

MEDIA_InstalledContent = "Path"

The software will look in the specified path to locate linked content if the file could not be found in the normal location. Can be used for a network of authors who wish to have their Linked Content shared on a LAN, or for player installations with a hand-delivered (sneakernet) partition or folder tree.

Common misconceptions about Linked Content:
1. They make publishing and transmissions faster. NOT TRUE. This happened to be true before IC3 Release 4, but no longer. Both publishing and Intelligent File Transfer are now working correctly, meaning there is no advantage to splitting up content into pieces. (The one remaining exception is with broadcast-server, where IFT is not possible.)

2. Linked content only works with scripts. NOT TRUE. Any file can be linked content, so instead of making an entire script be linked content, you can localize it such that only the text-file, JPEG or MPEG file that REALLY has to come from a different source needs to be linked content. The benefit here is that no knowledge of Scala software is required by third parties, as long as they know how to get a file to an FTP site (or a folder, depending on how you have things set up).

3. Linked Content is a necessary IC3 technology and is commonly used, especially in larger networks. NOT TRUE. Some of our largest networks publish everything as a single MainScript. They do that because it is the best way to verify errors before content goes on the network.