Layouts

A Layout is a complete screen design including content and background, which is then Scheduled to a Display or multiple Displays. A Layout is made up of 1 or more Regions which hold content and contain Playlists of Media to show. Media is assigned to Playlists using Widgets which provide the actions for the selected Module.

Take a look at the Modules page to see the variety of content available by simply adding a Widget to a Layout.

Xibo has no limit to the number of Layouts you can have in the system or the number a User can have.

Layouts are administered from the Design section of the menu. Click on Layouts to open the Layouts grid to view all existing Layouts and to create new from the Add Layout button.

Add Layout

Click on the action button to open the Add Layout form to complete the fields.

When should a User create a new Layout? When should a User add to an existing Layout? Layouts provide vast flexibility in the system, but can also cause confusion. The recommended usage for a Layout is to only contain the design and Media required for a set of related content that should be Scheduled at the same time.

Scenario: You have a video showing a fire safety demonstration and a video showing an advert for an upcoming production - it would be natural to have separate Layouts for these.

Tags

Layouts can be tagged which allows for ordering and makes it easier to find and view a large number of Layouts if grouped by a certain Tag. This is particularly useful with a growing number of Layouts.

Templates

Create Layouts and save your design to use as a Template, great for maintaining a corporate image or style.

Resolution

Layouts are designed for an intended Display resolution and will function best when shown on a Signage Player with a matching Resolution. If they are shown on a Display that has a different Resolution it will dynamically resize which may result in  unused screen space.

Sending a client a Layout that has been designed with a 4:3 Resolution which is connected to a 16:9 TV screen would result in two empty bars either side of your content.

If you require an alternative Resolution to the available options listed contact your Administrator

Row menu

Use the row menu for a selected Layout to access more options:

Design

Make changes to your existing Layout designs by clicking on Design. This will return you to the Layout Designer screen so that you can make edits.

Preview Layout

See how your design will playout. The Layout will open in a separate window in your browser and play from start to finish. This allows you to make important adjustments to ensure that your Layouts play as intended.

Before the Layout can start all Media must be downloaded to your browser and verified so you may experience a slight delay whilst this is in process.

Schedule Now

To save time, Layouts can be Scheduled for a specified amount of time, which can be very useful for important notices/promotions.

Assign to Campaign

Select Layouts to include in your created Campaigns.

Edit

Make changes to the naming and Tags used for the Layout as well as make changes to the Background image/colour.

Copy

Create copies of Layouts, which can also include all contained Media items, to use as a base for creating new Layouts and save time.

Retire

Retire a Layout so it does not affect existing Schedules. A retired Layout will be hidden from new Scheduling options but will remain unaffected in existing Schedules.

Delete

Remove a Layout completely from all existing Schedules (this action is irreversible)

Export

Export the Layout including all associated Widgets/Media/DataSet structures to a ZIP file, so it can be shared easily.

Permissions

Assign Permissions to choose Users/User Groups who should have access to View Edit and Delete the Layout.

Did you know….Layouts and Library files can be Assigned directly to a Display or Display Group so that they are always available in the local library of the Player. Useful for pre-loading a Layout ahead of time ready to be Scheduled.