Hi, has anyone here done a Menu Board with Xibo that they could share how it looked in an image.
I just want to see how well Xibo does them.
1 Like
Does that help at all?
Hi DocMicro,
Happy 4th! We’re relaxing today by the pool I’m reading some blogs and thought I throw my two cents in. My company is a design firm for digital signage where we do a variety of digital menu boards. Honesty, Xibo is great as a CMS - it could use some improvements like including a TIMELINE that shows our playlists all together. Plus, the TEXT EDITOR is, well, not useful at all from a design point of view.
My recommendation, use some other software out there to create static layout for your menu boards. This could be as simple as PowerPoint to more robust designs using Photoshop. Output the jpeg or png file and upload the image file(s) to Xibo for display. Of course, you change the price by changing the image file. It’s the only way to create effective design using Xibo. It’s NOT meant to be a design tool, which is perfect, why try to be something you’re not, right? You can’t be the ALL to everyone. I’m glad they stay focused on functionality. Although, the GUI could use a update to shine with its functionality - then again, developers can create their own GUI.
As long as they keep improving on the CMS function capabilities to display and play the assets we create outside of Xibo (static images, videos, HTML/CSS etc) and upload within the system they will be strong. If they try to be a “Design Tool and a CMS” it’s steep hill to climb. Let’s face it, there’s already BETTER design tools available why spend the effort? In my humble opinion, be the system that allows assets to be assembled and played within their CMS to the BEST possibilities and they will win hands down. Leave the design layout and videos to the professionals.
Below are some of our designs. Hope this steers you in the right direction.
Jon Arnold
www.thinkjon.com
Wow! these are Great examples, you do some awesome work.
I too agree about the Text Editor and Timeline needing lots of work.
Do you find that using photoshop or an art program make it hard for your clients to change their pricing on their menu boards?
I was hoping to give access to them for editing and use the text editor to make it easy for them to just login and update them, but using the text editor would make things worse for them as it is now.
How do you handle this type of thing?
1 Like
DocMicro,
Thanks for the feedback. Right now because Xibo has no REAL way for Good Design to be updated via the CMS by the “end user” (the owner operator or a manager of a business) our company provides Managed Services. In other words, we have to make the changes for them.
I agree most small businesses WANT to be able to make the changes themselves. The problem is when providing great design (which EVERYONE wants) there’s no way to give access to the “end user.” All the assets are created outside of Xibo and then assemble them within the CMS - which is the way it should be.
However, we would LOVE to see a way we can create designs that are built as HTML coded templates and using basic input fields (text, dropdown selections, ratio buttons, etc,.) that allows the everyday end-user to EASILY update their content without having to be concerned with the design.
- YES - I like to see FLEXIBLE Datasets that could be used with HTML Code I create for my templates.
- NO - I don’t care about design options with Xibo.
0 voters
Our backgrounds includes over 15+ years of web design and we have experienced this dilemma for the Website CMS. If there are any developers out who sees the value we are describing reach out to us. We are sold on Xibo and white labeling reselling the CMS, but we need this extra piece of the puzzle to make it happen. Meanwhile, we can only provide Managed Services.
As a side note DocMicro, those vertical promo posters are videos and we only handle them as Managed Services. But all the menu boards should be what I described above.
Jon
www.thinkjon.com
The tools exist in Xibo to do this for technically minded designers - you simply write your own module which pulls in the DataSet data you want and displays it on top of your HTML/CSS/etc. All documented here for you: https://xibo.org.uk/manual/en/advanced_modules.html
There is some fairly limited PHP required to achieve it, from which point onward you are dealing with HTML, JS, CSS, etc as you’d expect.
Xibo needs to have a framework for delivering this sort of stuff so that we can focus on the delivery, caching, scalability, etc of the content you’re sending.
Very happy to have suggestions for how you think our Module/Widget system can be improved.
Cheers,
Dan
Thanks Dan,
We realize it requires a developer to work with the Xibo CMS for customization. We are designers with UI/UX and HTML/CSS skills with knowledge and background in web development, broadcast design, post-video production etc…
We see ways that would allow better designs to be implemented for both the reseller and the end-user experience. For instance, currently the datasets input are rows and columns for the module. They provide basic simple text input, however, If we could create input fields that are more flexible (text, dropdown selections, ratio buttons, etc,.) that the everyday end user will fill-in to change their content this could open up the capabilities for folks with knowledge of the Admin / CMS to deliver professional design to their clients that allow the end-user to make updates easily.
Below are a few ideas for the types of tables input fields that would improve the way content can be updated within the system. These tables concepts were based on a JavaScript datatables library.
Let us know your feedback and if you can see how this would provide so much more value to Xibo.
2 Likes
