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Live text - local data feeds

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Anthony
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So i have been doing some research on trying to get a local data feed set up. I found this post here where it mentioned to use file:// for a local data feed setup. When i did this i received a notice from BA "Bright Author cannot access local file data feeds". 

I have a setup to where i would like to compile local data and put it in the "typical" data feed format of Index, Title, Value and save it as an xml or xlsx or whichever. This way the data can be updated on our local network as needed. 

Is there a way that this can be done? I am new to BA and the players however i bought six of them looking to set something up and seems I can't find the right way to do it. Am I missing something? Subscriptions and storing of data outside our local network is not an option for me. 

I basically want to setup a menu like zone that i can supply data to display the values.

Thank you for any advice and help. 

Anthony.

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  • 0
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    Bright Scripters

    When adding a new data feed, BA would try to validate the feed. When you specify file://... BA has no access to that file, as it runs on Windows, and has no access to the player's SD card, where your feed would reside. Your published project would be able to access the file on the player.

    Does BA allow you to ignore the message and continue?

    Screenshots of your Data Feeds setup would help here.

  • 0
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    Anthony

    Thank you for the time to provide some feedback, it raises some questions for me. So i am trying to add a UNC path for the data feed. For security reasons i have used some generic names to display here however please trust that the path is valid and does work. 

     

    Data feed setup.

    Message when hitting Validate.

    I can hit Ok and OK and the data feed stays. Now when I go to the project and select the feed under live text and choose to validate live text data i get the same message as above that it cannot validate local file data feeds. 

     

    I will qualify that i took a Excel workbook and created the fields of Index, Title, Value and then saved it as an XML file for testing purposes. The reason i went this way is that i want to have an Access Database that will crunch data and then export to an XML file to be picked up by the presentation. 

     

    Hope this makes sense and again thank you for the help and time. 

     

  • 0
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    Bright Scripters

    A picture is worth a thousand words.

    Cliche but so true :)

     

    The file:// prefix instructs the player to look for your file on the player's SD card.

    I'm not aware of any support for UNC, and if there was, you would not prefix with file://

     

    For you to access a file on a host on the local network, you should use http://, which would require running a web server on that host.

     

    There may be other ways, but I would need to ask, whether your xml is going to be created dynamically, or manually?

  • 0
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    Anthony

    Being new to BrightSign, BA and the players that helps me with some understanding on how this piece of the pie works.

    My intention is that the data will be created dynamically by utilizing an Access database to crunch data based on a schedule that will dump the data to an xml format file utilizing similar fields that are used in BA like Index, Title, Value in hopes to not need another parser. 

    I am not sure if that is the same definition of dynamic for you? 

    Does that make sense? 

  • 0
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    Bright Scripters

    Dynamic indeed.

    Seems like you would need to use http:// type url for your feed in that scenario.

     

  • 0
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    Anthony

    Thank you for the reply. I am going to setup an IIS and drop the files there so I can get to them. Do you happen to know if I would need a custom parser if i did more than the three fields - Index, Title, Value? 

  • 0
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    Bright Scripters

    Typically a parser is needed when feeds items' fields, need to be remapped, so the player can consume the data.

    Since you are creating the feed, you should be able to handle the mapping, at the feed's creation side of things.

  • 0
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    Anthony

    So I need some help please. I setup an IIS and have uploaded an xml file (saved out from BA) to the site.

    I have setup the data feed in BA.

    It does show up on the site fine.

    It also shows up fine in BA when validating live data.

    However the values will not show once published to the XT 1143 player running firmware production 7.0.60 and BA version 4.7.0.20.

    I have been looking for similar issue but cannot find anything. I have read the user guide PDF and nothing in there on troubleshooting that i have found. Any help would be appreciated. 

     

  • 0
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    Geane, Eric M - DOA

    I am having these same issues!! Please any more information on this would be greatly appreciated... 

  • 0
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    Carter Owen

    EXACT same issue. BS could you please answer this last question?

  • 0
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    Brandon

    Use the IP address or FQDN for the machine in the link - the player doesn't know or add its domain suffix like a computer on the domain does.

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  • 0
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    Bright Scripters

    It is not enough that data is showing in BA.

    The player must be able to access the web server which serves the xml.

  • 0
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    Carter Owen

    I understand that it must access the server.....but what steps do I need to take/check to ensure this is happening? The server has no security measures and anyone on that intranet with that specific IP address could pull up the xml sheet. What, besides create a data feed as instructed, must I do?

  • 0
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    Bright Scripters

    The web server's log might show an error that could provide a hint.

     

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