Digital Signage - Using the Community Content Feed

Environment

Digital Signage

Issue

A Digital Signage content manager wants to know how the Digital Signage Content Feed works before including it in their sign.

Resolution

Submit Form

Content is submitted through a Google form:

1. Upload a file 
   1. The form is uploaded into Digital Signage’s Google Drive
   2. The form will only accept PNGs and JPGs because FourWinds, our signage platform, cannot include multiple PDFs in a single feed
2. Fill out the following items in the form
   1. Select an intended audience
   2. Provide a description of image content
   3. Select landscape or portrait orientation
   4. Provide a Unit Owner (HR, MHealthy, Tech Shop, etc)
   5. Provide a start date for the ad campaign
   6. Provide an end date for the ad campaign
   7. Per feedback from HR, it also allows users the option to receive an email copy of their completed form

Once submitted, the form populates a Google spreadsheet with the data. The uploaded image file is synced to network storage once every 24 hours using a function within FourWinds Integration Framework (a feature we gained in our enterprise upgrade).

While anyone with an @umich.edu address does have access to submit to the form, each submission must be reviewed and approved by a Digital Signage administrator in accordance with the Guidelines & Minimum Requirements outlined below. 

We are notified automatically on each submission.

FourWinds App

Within Content Manager Desktop, we have created an App within FourWinds

1. Add this application to the image region on your screen will add the app to the signage rotation
2. Double-click on the application to take you to a configuration panel with two options:
   1. Choose your desired layout
   2. Choose your signs audience
      1. Students
      2. Faculty & Staff
      3. Students & Faculty
      4. Staff
      5. Faculty
      6. All
3. Deploy the sign and it will start feeding in content
   1. The App displays one image every time it plays, and each image plays for 7 seconds
   2. This allows it to be cycled in with your own content, or just use this as the main content feed & submit your own images using the Google form (keep in mind it still needs to be approved by a Digital Signage Administrator if you submit through the form)

We hope that this will smooth out the process for sharing content with the different customers around campus, encourage more people to share content, and make the management of a digital sign a little easier.

Additional Information

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.