TLDR: My very simple layout’s rotating images are not being displayed with the expected durations. How might I debug this in order to find out why?
I’m running Xibo 1.8.9 on ubuntu with a Windows display running 1.8.12. I’ve inherited this setup and am trying to use it more fully in the library where I work. We are not using schedules or display groups yet. Each sign has had a unique static image, typically looping every 10 seconds. The layouts are simple, comprised of a single region matching the dimensions of the sign with a single timeline. Within this single region is a single jpeg image filling the region. The layouts are then assigned to a single display. The sign that I’m puzzled about stands before our elevators on the main floor.
Previously, our elevator sign displayed a single layout with a jpeg image, call it generalInfo, stating that certain floors were closed, masks were required, and where the stairs are located. I was asked to update this display so that we could display three images in rotation, the original and two new ones: generalInfo, askALibrarian, and BookALibrarian.
I copied the original layout, naming the new layout Elevator-Rotation and adding the two new images to the layout’s single region. In the region’s timeline, each image has a duration of 10 seconds matching the setting in the media tab. The entire layout shows a duration of 30 seconds. The layout is directly assigned to the elevator’s display, and set to loop indefinitely. In addition, the Elevator-Rotation layout is the default for the display.
When it plays it shows the image in a cycle of 10-10-10-30-10-10 … meaning that the generalInfo image shows 10 seconds every odd instance of running and 30 seconds every even instance of running. The AskALibrarian and BookALibrarian images always show for only 10 seconds. I’ve gone through the Xibo CMS many times and have not found any inconsistencies in the setup which might explain the problem. How might I debug this problem?
Thanks for reading this and all the best to you in these strange times,
Terrence
I’ve got some more information which to me implies a problem on the display itself. I’ve set up a Windows 10 VM running the Xibo Windows Signage, connected it to the CMS, and assigned the three media files one layout to the display in the VM. … And the layout works exactly as I would expect with each image being shown consistently for 10 seconds each. So, how do I see what’s wrong on the other display in front of the elevator? I suppose I could reboot it as a first step, but that seems like flailing (flailing might work!). Is the only way for me to see the log file for the signage in front of the elevator to connect a keyboard and start working on the box locally? Any way to look at logs remotely?
Thanks again,
Terrence
Hello, so the issue is occuring with the elevator display which was the original display that just had the ‘general Info’ Layout showing with the one image, which was then copied to include 2 additional images. What was the Layout duration for the original Layout, 30 seconds also?
I would first check to make sure that you do not have any duplicated schedules for that display, meaning that it is playing your updated Layout for 30 seconds (10-10-10) and then playing the original for 30 seconds and so on. What is showing for that particular Display in the Agenda View? Provide a screenshot if you can.
You say you are not using Schedules yet so how are you setting these Layouts to show on screens? Have you assigned as Default Layouts?
Player logging (Error / Audit) is available in the CMS see here: Player Logs
I would also suggest that as you have inherited the setup that you look to upgrade to at least 1.8.13 as the most recent and the last update release for the 1.8 series. We are currently on v2.3.7 which contains many more features and functionality than 1.8 which is something you may also want to think about.
Hello Natasha!
Thanks much for your quick reply. You gave me the clues needed for me to fix the problem. I claimed that I was not using schedules … I was wrong. I didn’t realize that when I chose “Schedule Now” from the Display’s menu that I was adding events to the schedule for the display. And your hunch was correct, I had duplicated schedules. I removed the scheduled events for the “general info” and all is right in the world … uhm, well, I briefly felt like all is right in the world. I will read the documentation you have pointed me to. All the best to you,
Terrence
Schedule Now is intended as a quick scheduler for notices and has very limited scheduling capabilities compared with the Schedule options in Xibo.
If you are interested we do have some online courses that take you through the basics and then build on content creation and scheduling here: https://training.xibosignage.com which I think you will find useful.
