Layouts can be grouped together into an ordered list, called a Campaign. Campaigns can then be scheduled as whole units and the Display will play them in sequence.
Campaigns are managed in the Campaign Administration page which is accessible from the "Design" navigation item, Campaigns sub menu. Campaigns are simple entities with a Name and a list of assigned Layouts.
The Content Management System, or CMS, is your interface to your Xibo Digital Signage network. The CMS allows you to:
1. Setup Displays
2. Configure Display Settings
3. Upload or Create Content
4. Schedule and Publish Content to the Displays that exist within a CMS.
5. Set up Users and Permissions
6. Monitor system health and issues.
7. Monitor system stats and playback statistics.
8. Setup advanced functions and more.
The CMS needs to be hosted on a video server. If you don’t want to host it on your own, you can take advantage of a subscription to our Xibo Cloud Hosting product. We also offer self-hosted solutions if you wish to deploy and host your own CMS on a server.
A layout is a complete screen design, including content and a background image, which can be scheduled across multiple displays at multiple times. A layout has one or more regions which contain a playlist of media to show.
Layouts are designed at a target resolution, but they will dynamically resize if they are shown on a Display that has a different resolution. If they dynamically resize "bars" might be added if the two resolutions are different aspect ratios. See Resolutions for more information.
Xibo has no limit to the number of Layouts in the system or the number of Layouts each individual user can have.
Layouts are viewed from the Design section of the menu by clicking the Layouts menu item. The default view shows all Layouts the user has permission to view, their description and a thumbnail of their background image.
The Layout Designer is the heart of content creation in Xibo. Each time a new Layout is created, or an existing one needs a design change, the Layout Designer is used.
Xibo makes Layout Design simple through the use of drag and drop, interactive previewing and design flexibility. When Designing a Layout from scratch all of the default templates come with one Full Screen Empty Region.
Layouts are designed with an intended resolution which has been scaled back in the designer window. The Layout Designer has a small design resolution so that the Design can occur without panning around the browser with scroll bars. The small design window does not matter and is seamlessly resized without losses on each Display.
Xibo supports a wide variety of media which can be categorized into 2 different types:
Library Media:
File based media that is uploaded and stored in the CMS Library for use on one or more Layouts. Examples of Library Media are Images, Videos, Fonts. DataSets are a special type of Library media used to represent tabular data.
Layout Media:
Layout media is created and stored directly on a Layout. This is for media that is not commonly reused, exists on only 1 Playlist and is specific to the Layout. Examples of Layout Media are: Text, Ticker & Embedded Content
Library Administration:
The Library page is accessible from the side navigation bar by clicking on the Library menu item.
Please be aware that Xibo takes no measures to control what is put on your Displays. It is your responsibility to ensure that any content is appropriate material for the audience and is either appropriately attributed or you own the rights to it.
Each Region on a Layout has its own Playlist of content, which will be shown in order by the Display Client. If required a Playlist can consist of a single item (such as a company logo), or multiple items (such as an image slide show).
A Regions Playlist is viewed/edited by using the Region Action button and selecting Edit Playlist.
Regions are defined areas on the Layout that can hold sets of content (called Playlists). Regions can be moved around inside the Layout using drag and drop, and resized using the Resize Handle in the Lower Right hand corner of the Region.
Adding Regions
Regions are added using the Layout Designer Options Menu. Once the Add Region menu item is clicked a new region appears and is ready to be moved or resized by the designer.
Layouts are designed to run on a particular resolution and will function best when shown on a signage player with a matching resolution. If they are shown on a signage player with a different resolution they will automatically scale to fit.
Choosing the right resolution
Xibo comes with a selection of default resolutions that cater for most digital signage applications (e.g. LCD TVs, projectors, portrait screens).
The Xibo client will make its best effort to fit whatever shape layout you choose on to the screen. However sending a client a layout in a 4:3 aspect ratio when it is connected to a 16:9 TV wastes two bars on either side of your content.
You should choose a resolution closest to the screen you will be showing the layout on.
Portrait Displays
If supported by the signage player hardware, portrait resolutions are available.
Xibo has a sophisticated scheduling system allowing for scheduling Layouts and Campaigns across Displays and Display Groups. This is achieved through Schedule Events and visualized on the Calendar. Events have the following properties:
If at any time there are no layouts scheduled to run, the default layout for the Display will be run automatically.
Templates are saved copies of Layouts that can be used when creating a new Layout. Saving and using a Template can save a lot of time spent on the design process. Templates are saved from the Layout Designer Options menu using the "Save Template" menu item.
The Xibo Software lives on your Xibo Media player. It communicates with your Xibo CMS to retrieve the media and programming you created from within the CMS. The software's other function is to playback the content you created and scheduled within the CMS. If you are using an Android device, your Xibo software will require a license which you can purchase in the store after a 14-day free trial.