LCD Slideshow: Setup and Configuration

This requires Admin privileges for setup and implementation.

On the purchase of one or more LCD user license(s) a customer will receive a new license file from the iDashboards Client Executive with the added LCD user(s). The username of the LCD user(s) is embedded into the software license file and cannot be changed.  As of 9.7a we have introduced a method in which allows iDashboards Admins to manage their LCD users from a central location without going to the different LCDs to change the dashboards or configurations. 

Hardware and OS Configuration

iDashboards has tested the LCD Slideshow using the 64bit versions of New Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Firefox. In order for the LCD to work properly, we recommend using 64-bit Operating Systems on a Mini PC. In our testing we found very few TV browsers that can fully utilize JavaScript and HTML5. They just do not perform well. The LCD browser will need the ability to store session cookies. These cookies are necessary for the function of the LCD. Loss of the cookie will cause the LCD to lockout. Make sure any domain policies that could clear the cookies are excluded from these devices. 

Slideshow Setup

1. To manage your LCD Slideshows login to iDashboards Admin
2. Select System then License
3. On the Current License Information page click on License Details to identify your LCD users
   • As you can see this license has two LCD users: lcd1 & lcd2
4. At the top left of the page select Users
5. Add your LCD users into your user list. We recommend using a naming convention such as Last Name: LCD and First Name: the location
   • This helps to filter the users in the search quickly if any changes are necessary
6. Now that we have added the LCD IDs as users, select System then Manage Slideshows
7. On the LCD Slideshows Manager screen you will see the slideshows user IDs you added in the list with an empty drop-down at the end. We need to create our slideshows playlist. Start by selecting New
8. In the Create a Slideshow window we will now fill in the following:
   1. Slideshow Name
   2. Show Controls: allows for the forward-backward button to be removed from the screen
   3. Show Countdown: when checked will display the time until the next transition, default is checked
   4. Interval Seconds: set the time the slides will be displayed in seconds, default is 60
   5. Refresh Minutes: the number of minutes before the slideshow will restart, default is 60
   6. Transition: pick between the different transition slide effect, default is none
   7. Select the dashboards for your Slideshow
9. Once you have setup your slideshow click Save
10. Now you should be able to set the Slideshow under an LCD user
11. Now there will also be an icon that looks like   under the user name. This link will give you the URL that you need to run on the LCD browser.

LCD Locking

When an LCD is called by a client the iDashboards system performs a lock. The lock is held until the iDashboards Web server is rebooted or it is unlocked via the Manage Slideshow screen. Locks are issued to the first browser that provides the correct URL.  

Why do system get locked out: 

• The most common issue is the loss of the cookie by the web browser. This can be caused by domain rules or settings in the browser to delete cookies.
• The LCD is in use by a different browser. Even on the same system using incognito or a different browser, you will need to release the lock before using a different browser. 
• Logging into the LCD user account directly will also lock out the browser. 

Unlocking the LCDs

Using the locking method is fairly simple. If an LCD gets locked out you can go to the Manage Slideshows screen. You will see the list of LCD next to the LCD there will be 3 possible options. Nothing, a Dark Lock, and a Greyed-Out Lock. 

• Missing Lock indicates the LCD has not been used since the last reboot of the system
• Greyed-Out Lock indicates the LCD is in an unlocking or unlocked state
• Dark Lock indicates the LCD is currently locked to a device

To unlock the LCD from a device click the Dark Lock. The unlock process takes about 10 minutes to complete. 

NOTE: An LCD license is designed to get locked to the computer that is being used to connect to the iDashboards server. The only way to release a lock on an LCD user account is to restart the iDashboards server which will unlock all LCD user accounts. Once configured use the LCD Slideshow URL to start the slideshow from the machine.

Legacy Method pre-v9.7:

1. A user account must be created with a matching username
   • Refer to iDashboards Admin About page for this predefined username.
2. Assign a user role to the LCD account
3. Assign one or more user groups to the LCD account
4. Now invoke the special URL, for example:
   • http://www.mycompany.com/idashboards/lcd?dashboards=16,21&refreshSeconds=60&user=lcduser1
   • Replace the lcduser1 in the above URL with the actual username viewed in iDashboards Admin for the LCD user

HTML5: Running the LDC in HTML5 could add some additional benefits as you can minimize the header and footer space. Some TV and the lightweight systems could crash the browser with prolonged use of Flash. Running in HTML5 will add longevity if there are issues with the browser crashing.

NOTE: An LCD license is designed to get locked to the computer that is being used to connect to the iDashboards server. The only way to release a lock on an LCD user account is to restart the iDashboards server which will unlock all LCD user accounts. Once configured use the LCD Slideshow URL to start the slideshow from the machine.

For More Information:

• iDashboards Admin Manual 4. Starting the iDashboards Administrator Application
• iDashboards Admin Manual 16. LCD Slideshow (Wall Display)

LCD Slideshow: Auto Launching in Chrome - Must be done directly on the machine utilizing the slideshow

If the above is unable to resolve the issue, then please contact iDashboards Support for further assistance.