Calendar Module Guide - Xibo CMS 1.8.10

[natasha]

Using the Calendar Module to display calendar events with Xibo

If you are using v2, please use the following link: Calendar Module Guide.

1.Introduction

The Calendar Module is a feature that is designed to pull in data from an iCAL feed to display in Layouts.

This tutorial will walk you through the process of how to produce a Layout that will show information held in a calendar which supports the iCal format.

2. Before you begin

This feature is available in the Xibo CMS 1.8.10 release or later.

With a huge variety of available iCAL feeds and many variations of how this module can be utilised in Xibo, I am going to use Google Calendar with scheduled events for my fictional Leisure Centre ‘Spring Leisure’ so I can include an iCAL URL to demonstrate how useful and easy this new Widget really is!

3. Create your Layout

From the main Dashboard in your CMS, go to Layouts

1. Add Layout
2. Resize and position your Region
3. Save Region Positions
4. Add an image or choose a coloured background (I have downloaded a background image from the Xibo Layout Exchange to use in this tutorial)
5. Edit the Region Timeline
6. Select Calendar
7. Add an iCAL feed URL (Google calendar feed used for this example)
8. Save

We can now edit the Calendar module to suit your needs

General

1. Tick ‘Set a duration’ to change the default time to something more appropriate for your Layout (I have chosen a duration of 650 seconds)

2. Interval - 1 day (as I only want to show ‘today’s’ events)

Template

1. Use the text editor to include your own text as well as using the text fields under Available Substitutions, double-click to select. I have used substitutions ‘Summary’ and ‘StartDate’, as well as my own text, as I want to display the name and time of upcoming events.
2. Resize, position, colour etc to make the text look attractive in the Layout.
3. Tick in the ‘Set an alternative template for events that are current?’. Ticking this box will tell Xibo to use your Players Date/Time to work out if the event showing is current. This will also present an additional text template giving you the option to include text, type in tags and format for your ‘current events’.

Format

1. Date format: H:i (as I just want to display the times of my events) see the manual for all allowed formats
2. No of items - 2 (this is how many events I would like to show per page)
3. Items per page - 2 (the number of pages to split my events)
4. Effect - fade out (how the display will show the change of pages)

Advanced

1. Update interval - 60 mins. This means the Widget will check for new entries in the iCal feed every 60 minutes.
2. Enter a message, using the text editor, to display a message when there is no information returned from the source so that your audience is not left with a blank screen.
3. Save
4. Close your Region Timeline

Your Layout will show your updated information. Preview your Layout by using the Actions tab to see the information displayed as included in your chosen calendar.

Happy with the preview?
Layouts can now be scheduled as normal to be shown on your chosen display/display groups!

Additional help available:
Troubleshooting

[heiko]

I like it!
And tested it this morning with a shared calender in my iCloud. It starts with “webcal://p26-calendars.icloud…”.
I got an error and did some research and tried the same url but with “https://p26-calendars.icloud…” and it works.

So if someone needs it too, try it like this example.

[mrc1986]

Is this live in the current release? I have 1.8.10 running and I don’t see the calendar option for layout. Looks like an awesome tool!

[Peter]

Yes, but you will need to install it first.

Please navigate to the Modules page in your CMS, click on the install modules button and install the Calendar module (and any other module you’re missing and want to use).

[mrc1986]

Ah found it. Thank you!! Any idea why I might get a Configuration Error “unable to download to download feed”. I am trying to use a google calendar. I tried both the Private, and the Public (after changing sharing settings to public). I followed the settings above to get me started and all it will get me to is the Configuration Error in the region I am trying to get it to display in.

[Peter]

Interesting, could you please create a separate topic in Support category describing the problem?

Perhaps also go through report fault wizard to generate more detailed logs about this error,

If you could also mention in your topic if that’s docker or manual installation please?

[ChrstianM82]

Hi,

I’m currently creating a layout for a meeting room displays. There are two regions, one for the current event and one for upcomming events. The current event is easy, I have followed this very good guide. Upcomming events are not so easy, becaus I would like to show the next 4 events in this format:

11.12.2018: 10:00 - 18:10
13.12.2018: 14:30 - 16:10
17.12.2018: 07:20 - 13:30
17:12.2018: 14:00 - 15:00

Is it possible to formate to format date and time like this? currently it looks like that:
11.12.2018: 10:00 - 11.12.2018: 18:10

bye,
Christian

[am78fr]

I have the exact same issue with a Office365 ics feed

Nothing appears and it is well configured. The ICS does return data

What is wrong ?

[alex]

You can PM me your ics feed URL if you wish and I will check it, but all of the ones I’ve been sent so far work perfectly.

The issue is that you have no merge fields configured in your widget, or no time period over which the widget should search defined.