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What are Wildcards?
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A Wildcard is our term for a text placeholder that can be updated at a Project's runtime. Wildcards can be updated manually using InformaGen or from a specialized program such as VLM or our National Weather Service Retriever application. When the project is run the source program such as VLM will push the data to Informa to display the updated text.
How might one use a Wildcard? A Wildcard can be used to set up a "You Are Watching..." and "What's Up Next..." lower third alert, update a meeting announcement, temporary school or office closures, schedule changes, announcement updates, emergency alerts and more. |
How to Set Up Programming Alerts
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A programming alert is a lower third graphic and text project that alerts your viewers to the title of the program they are currently watching or the title of the program that is next on the schedule. These alerts are automatically triggered by VLM and can be displayed during the first few minutes of a program and also toward the end of a program. These can be scheduled individually or as part of the "Mass Scheduler" to impact all programs. Here are the basic steps. A tutorial will be made available a little later:
- Create a project that includes a graphic and a line of text like "You are watching...".
- Add an additional line of text formatted to fit with this project but only enter the following...<%1>. This code represents the first Wildcard placeholder. VLM transfers the data to BugCrawler or Informa and it inserts the proper Event Title into the project. Now publish this project.
- In VLM, make sure you have an MZOD Device set up in Devices and Controllers. (Call if you need assistance.) Go to View - Devices and Controllers and select the MZOD in the left column. Move the mouse to the right column and right click on BugCrawler and select Send Command.
- Make sure the Device Type is MZOD. Choose MZOD Command from the list and Okay. This opens the MZOD Command Window. Select BugCrawler Play Project in the drop down next to Command.
- Use the Browse button next to the File name and select the BugCrawler, Informa or FireBird device from the drop down list and then choose the Project that is your "You are watching" file. If the files are not listed select Get New List. After you select the file click okay to return to the previous window.
- Select Current Event in the Dynamic Insertion Data window and then Okay.
By selecting the Current Event check box VLM will tie the active event to the wildcard placeholder in Informa so that when this project runs VLM will automatically insert the proper program title and Informa will automatically format the text so it matches the project. These steps will take less than two minutes and save an operator hours of programming time in the future.
To set up an alert for the next program follow the same steps but select the check box for "Next Event" in the MZOD Command Window.
A Project can have a maximum of eight (8) Wildcards. Each Wildcard will have a different number up to 8. As an example: <%1>; <%2>; <%3>...<%8>. Wildcards can be repeated within a Project if needed. |
| Send Us Your Projects
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We have established a Repository Agent or "publishing point" in our office. If you are experiencing any problems with a Project please publish it directly to us so we can take a look at it and offer some suggestions. Configure your system to publish to 216.253.230.72 - Port:7717. |
