Multiple Frames Support

It is possible to split the screen into multiple or customized Frames (rails and tickers) or dimensions. Each Frame has its own playlist.

Note: Multiple frames support is available with the v2 version of the generate endpoint (generate v2) and the generate_long endpoint (generate_long).

Broadsign Air supports up to 3 different playlists in each response. These playlists can contain items that play simultaneously, but are not necessarily synchronized. Synchronized players is not compatible with use of multiple frames.

The generate v2 and generate_long endpoints have the following limitation:

  • The endpoint does not support playlists with items that are expected to play across a day part change if the frame layout is different in each day part.
  • The endpoint does not support scheduled conditions.

The number of playlists for a given timestamp depends on the number of Frames (with a maximum of 3 playlists).

The frame with the lowest ID will be in playlist 0, the frame with the second lowest ID will be in playlist 1, and so on.

For example:

  • If a day part active at 10:00 has 5 Frames, only 3 playlists will play. The first 3 playlists (sorted by ID) will play.
  • If a day part active at 12:00 has 2 Frames, 2 playlists will play.

Having more than 3 Frames on a Player is considered as a scheduling error.

Example

The following is an example of two alternating day parts:

Example 1:

Copy 
playlists [
 { items: [ Frame A, Frame A, Frame A, Frame E, Frame E, Frame A, Frame A, Frame A,] },
 { items: [ Frame B, Frame B, Frame B, Frame F, Frame F, Frame B, Frame B, Frame B,] },
 { items: [ Frame C, Frame C, Frame C, Frame G, Frame G, Frame C, Frame C, Frame C,] }
]

Example 2:

Copy 
playlists [
 { items: [ Frame A, Frame A, Frame A, Frame E, Frame E, Frame A, Frame A, Frame A,] },
 { items: [ Frame B, Frame B, Frame B, Frame B, Frame B, Frame B,] },
 { items: [ Frame C, Frame C, Frame C, Frame C, Frame C, Frame C,] }
]

In this example:

  • Each example contains 3 Playlists (Playlists 0, 1, and 2).
  • Day Part 1 contains Frames A, B, and C.
  • Day Part 2 contains Frames E, F, G in Example 1, and only Frame E in Example 2.
  • The Frame IDs will not change within a Day Part, so the order withing a Day Part will always be the same.
  • It is not possible to guarantee that each Playlist will have the same length, assuming frames changes with Day Part, but the order is guaranteed.
  • Frames B and C will never be in Playlist 0.
  • Frames A and C will never be in Playlist 1.
  • Frames A and B will never be in Playlist 2.