Sharing content

Overview

Sharing content in DISE Pro or DISE Cloud is equal to working with the same project from several managers.

A shared project requires users to access the same content files and provides adding to, deleting from and updating it safely, without risk of overwriting each other's changes.

Please also follow the below instructions if you are setting up content sharing between multiple DISE Cloud managers.

Risks of NOT sharing content

The main risks of not setting up a share and instead let users access the same unversioned content are:

• When a user happens to add content that resides on a local disk that is not accessible by other users, the others will see an error message when they try to save or distribute the DISE Movie.
• When two users work on the same content simultaneously, any changes made by the first will be overwritten by the second.

Content repository

A content repository is where shared projects, all content that belong to them (image and video files etc.) as well as destinations and their playlists are stored.

During content creation, users check in and out changes to projects here. During distribution, the project contents is uploaded to either a file server, directly to players, or via DISE Server. It is important to distinguish between the types of storage, even though they may be located side-by-side on the same PC.

Main article: Content repository setup

Setup

To get started with shared content, we need to

• Setup a content repository.
• Initially create a shared project on one of the managers.

The shared project will be created and saved to the content repository.

• Once the shared project has been created, all applications that are to edit it will need to check the project out from the content repository. (Applications on the same manager also need to check it out).

Sharing an existing setup

If you already have a shared DISEContent structure and Bridge settings file, DISE will automatically convert everything to a new project.

Working with shared content

You now have a shared project on your manager and it is time to add things to it. DISE Composer and DISE Bridge may access the same project and edit it independently. In the bottom left of the screen there is an indication which is the current project.

DISE Composer

Unlike a local project, where you can add files from anywhere on your manager, a shared project requires that all files are located in the project folder. The Content tab now points to the Content subfolder in the project folder, for example "C:\Shared Content\Content". From now on, this will be referred to as the Content folder. Any files or folders put here will end up in other users' Content folder too!

Let us begin creating a DISE Movie:

• Copy an image file to the Content folder. I copied the file "logo128x128.png" there.
• Select File > New movie to create a new DISE Movie.
• Select the Content tab.

• The image you just copied is here to be used in your DISE Movie. Drag and drop it into your scene.
• Save the DISE Movie in the Content folder. I saved it as "logo.disemovie".
• The project will be automatically checked in and files you use will be checked in to the content repository.
• You may also explicitly check in a project by going to File > Options and clicking the Check in button.
• As soon as the check-in succeeds, the files (in my case "logo128x128.png" and "logo.disemovie") will be available from other managers!

Note: Within the Content folder, organize content in any file or folder structure you wish.

DISE Bridge

When you have created or checked a project out in Bridge, its Content tab will change to show the DISE Movies in your project.

Create destinations as you would do normally. The only difference is that the destinations you create will be saved in the project too, available from other managers, and that you can only add content that is shared as well. If you try to add a DISE Movie that is not located in your shared content folder, you will get an error message.

Note: Make sure that the destination settings are valid for all managers (that FTP servers are reachable and so on) if distribution of content will be done from more than one place.

Add existing destination

Since creating a destination will save it in the project, removing a destination will never irrevocably delete it from the project. You may add the destination later by selecting Add > Add existing destination in the ribbon.

The dialog will show the destinations in the project.

Destination hierarchy

Destinations may be organized in a hierarchy, with subdestinations that inherit content from master destinations. The inherited content may not be changed in the subdestination. When the master destination is distributed, its subdestinations will also be automatically distributed (if they are open). To setup inheritance from a master destination, right-click a destination that is to become a subdestination and select Inheritance from the Tools tab in the ribbon. A list of the destinations in the project is displayed. Check the box in front of the destination(s) that the subdestination should inherit from.

Automatic distribution

Each instance of Bridge periodically checks if destinations in the project have been sent out. On detecting that a master destination is distributed, there will be a counting down from 10 the content will be sent automatically.

Fonts

As with other files, make a habit of also sharing the fonts used. The project folder has a System\Fonts subfolder. Fonts put here will be saved with the project and automatically loaded on the other managers. To change or add a different font directory, select the fonts tab in the DISE Composer Preferences.

Troubleshooting

Main article: Troubleshooting projects