Live Text State

Owned by BrightSign TechDocs
Last updated: Apr 02, 2024
6 min read

A Live Text state consists of images and text fields overlaid on top of each other. You can layer both static text and updatable RSS and MRSS content with images and customize the position/size of items in relation to the background. 

Double click a Live Text widget icon to edit the state.

  1. Add Item: Click the  icon to add a new item to the Live Text canvas.

  2. Layers: Click and drag a Live Text item to move it up or down the display order. Items that are higher on the list are displayed on top of lower items.

    1. Background: A permanent layer that is always displayed behind all items in the Live Text state. Use the Layer Properties to set the background to either a color or an image.

    2. Delete Item: Click the trashcan icon to delete an item from the Live Text canvas. 

  3. Offset next: Check this box to set an initial position for new items in relation to the most recently created item. Input the offset distance for the next text item (in pixels) in the Left (X) and Top (Y) fields.

  4. Update Live Data: Refresh items that are populated from a remote URL (i.e. Live Text Data, RSS Feed, Media RSS Feed).

  5. Grid Lines: Check this box to include invisible gridlines on the Live Text canvas. When you manually move or resize elements by clicking and dragging them, they will snap to these lines. Enter the distance between gridlines (in pixels) in the Vertical and Horizontal fields.

To exit the Live Text canvas, click the Zone description located in the top left corner of the canvas. This will take you back to the Zone Content canvas. 

Layer Properties

Select an item on the canvas or from the Layers list to edit its properties:

  1. Size: Adjust the width (W) and the height (H) of the item

  2. Position: Adjust the position of the item on the horizontal axis (X) and on the vertical axis (Y)

  3. Type: Use the dropdown menu to select the source of the item:

    • Fixed Text: Displays simple, static text. Under Text, enter the text you want to display. 

    • System Variable: Displays the device serial number, firmware version, script version, or other system value. Use the dropdown list under System Variable Options to determine which system value you would like to display.

    • Media Counter: Displays the number of times a media file has played in a presentation.  To use this feature, Media Counters must first be enabled in the Presentation Settings > Variables section. Use the dropdown list under Media Options to select a media file that is being used in your presentation.

    • User Variable: Displays the current value of a User Variable. You must create a User Variable before using this option. Use the dropdown list under User Variable Options to specify a User Variable in the text field.

    • Image: Displays an image. Depending on your Storage Selector setting, you will prompted to select an image file from either your BSN.cloud library or local machine.

    • Live Text Data: Displays content from a feed in the text field. The displayed feed item will remain fixed and will not cycle through feed items like an RSS ticker (use the "RSS Feed" type for this functionality). However, you can still update the text in real time by modifying the feed on the server and changing the description associated with the feed item.

      • Item title: Specify the feed item to display using the Title/Name of the item.

      • Item index: Specify the feed item to display using the index number of the item.

      • Validate Live Text Data: Refresh the contents of the item based on the selected item title/index.

    • RSS Feed: Displays content from an RSS Feed.

      • Display RSS title: Check this box to display the title of the RSS item.

      • Display RSS description: Check this box to display the description of the RSS item.

    • MRSS Feed: Displays content from an MRSS Feed.

      • Display Media RSS Title: Check this box to display the title of the MRSS item.

      • Display Media RSS Description: Check this box to display the description of the MRSS item.

      • Display Media RSS Media: Check this box to display the media item associated with the MRSS item.

Data Feeds

Use this section to add Data Feeds to your Live Text Data, RSS Feed, and MRSS Feed items. For RSS Feed and MRSS Feed items, you can add multiple feeds. The item will cycle through the feeds according to their order in the list.

Use the Validate button to check if the feed is accessible and if the format is correct. If your data feed is valid, a green message will appear to let you know that the data feed was accessed successfully. If there are problems with your data feed, you may get the following messages:

  • If no data feed URL is specified, you will get an error stating “Data Feed source not properly specified”. If you select Validate at this stage, you will get an error indicating that you must specify a data feed URL.

  • If an incorrect data feed URL has been input, you will get an error stating “Unable to access specified data feed. Check the URL or try a new one.”

Set Text Parameters

Use this section to edit the appearance of a text item.

  1. Time to Display Each Line (RSS Feed, MRSS Feed only): Specify how long (in seconds) to display each entry in the feed.

  2. Rotation: Specify a degree of rotation for the text. This option does not rotate the dimensions of the text box, so you'll likely need to resize it manually.

  3. Alignment: Specify whether the text is left-aligned, right-aligned, or centered.

  4. Foreground Text Color: Select a color for the text.

  5. Background text color: Check this box to include a background color for text fields.

  6. Font size: Select Automatic to fit the text to the height of the text field, or select Fixed point size to enter a value for the font size (1 - 500).  

  7. Font: Select a font for the text. The System Font option uses the default Linux font. You can use any TrueType font. Click Reset to System Font to reset the font to the default.

How to Add a Live Text State to a Presentation

  1. Make sure that your BrightAuthor:connected presentation contains a Video or Image zone, and that the toggle is set to Interactive.

  2. Drag and drop the Live Text icon into the canvas.

  3. In State Properties enter a Name for the Live Text state.

  4. Double-click the state to edit it, and select a Background Image. If you do not specify a background image, the text may display on top of a video, image, or the background color of the presentation (depending on the layering of other zones in the presentation). 

  5. Add one or more Live Text items (fields) and adjust the settings for those fields.

Live Text states aren't available in Ticker zones.

How to Update a Static Text Field

You can manually edit Live Text fields in BrightAuthor:connected and republish, or use an RSS feed or BSN.cloud Live Data feed to remotely update Live Text. To configure the Live Text state to receive updates:

  1. Go to Content > New Component > Live Data Feed to create a BSN.cloud Live Data Feed.

  2. In the Presentation tab, open a Live Text state.

  3. Select a text box or add one using the Add Item button.

  4. Use the Type drop down list, select Live Text Data, and go to Data Feed 

  5. Choose the data feed you created in Step 1 in Live Data Feed. If you're hosting your own RSS feed, enter the URL in the Data Feed field.

  6. Enter an Item title or Item index number for the Live Text item. The feed item (RSS or Live Data) that matches this value will be displayed in the text box.

  7. Once you have configured the Live Text state, publish the presentation to your player.