Main designer screen
Repeat Signage uses the term 'control' to mean any object on the designer screen. These controls can be pictures, PDF files, text, etc, i.e. any of the support files that can be displayed.
How to:
Add controls to the screen to display pictures, text, PDF files, etc
On the menu panel, click on 'Insert' then insert any of the following controls:
PDF/Document control
Picture control
RTF document control
Shape control
Text label control
Text block control
IMPORTANT NOTE - There are only static Repeat Signage controls available with the Template Designer as the end result is a still picture. You do not have access to features like play lists.
The Insert dialog screen will be shown. You can use F1 on this screen to get help on any options you may not understand.
Move controls around the screen
The easiest way to move a control is to click and hold the left mouse button on a control and then drag it to a new location and then release the mouse button. You can also use the menu panel by changing the values in 'Position on screen' to the required location.
Resize controls
Click on a control you wish to resize. You will see that it gets a border with 're-sizer' handles (buttons) in each corner. Click on one of these re-sizer handles and hold down your left mouse button, and then move your mouse to resize. When you are happy, then release the left mouse button.
On the menu, there is a 'Keep aspect ratio' combo box. This can be changed from NONE to MEDIA, 4:3, 1:1, etc. The aspect ratio is the shape of the original item. For example, a picture may be 400x300 pixels in size, i.e. it has a 4:3 aspect ratio. If you resize the picture with the 'Keep aspect ratio' box set to MEDIA to a width of 800 pixels the height is automatically changed to 600 pixels, which keeps the same shape. A 1:1 aspect ratio is a square shape and 16:9 is the shape of widescreen televisions.
You can also change the size on the menu by change values in the 'Size in pixels' section. Also, there is a 'Size' menu. You can use this to quickly make objects full or half the screen size.
Duplicate controls
Right mouse click a control to bring up it's context menu. You can then select 'Duplicate' to make another exact copy of a control. If a control uses a playlist, then the playlists will also be copied. Once duplicated, there is no link between the duplicate and the original, so you can change them independently.
You call also use 'Edit' then 'Duplicate' on the menu.
Delete controls
There are 3 ways to delete a control. Click on a control to highlight it. Then either:
- Press the 'Delete' key on your keyboard
- Right mouse click the control and select 'Delete'
- On the menu you can select 'Edit' then 'Delete'
Display or change a control's properties
When you click on a control, the menu displays 'Selected item properties'. These are displayed for all controls are:
Name - A friendly name for the control if you have given it one. By default, the first picture control put on screen is PICTURE01, then next PICTURE02, etc. You may want to name these if you have a lot of pictures and want to be able to select a control quickly from the 'Content items on screen' list at the bottom half of the menu.
Position on screen - The control's location on screen in pixels. 0,0 is top left of the screen.
Size in pixels - The current size of the control in pixels.
Keep aspect ratio - 'Aspect ratio' is a term used to describe the shape. A square has a 1:1 aspect ratio. If a square shape was 100 pixels wide the height would be 100 pixels because of the 1:1 width to height ratio. Another example is computer monitors and television screens. On non-widescreen monitors and televisions the aspect ratio is 4:3 meaning if the monitor had a width of 4ft then the height would be 3ft. Widescreen televisions has an aspect ratio of 16:9.
Keep aspect ratio is used to keep the shape of a control as you resize it to make it bigger or smaller. For example, you may insert a picture control showing a picture of a ball with the picture being made up of 800x600 pixels. 800x600 pixels is a 4:3 aspect ratio. If you change the keep aspect ratio to NONE, then you can resize the picture to say 800x200 pixels which will stretch the image so that you get a swashed ball shape. Changing the keep aspect ratio to MEDIA will make it that when you resize the image, it will stay the same shape. So that if you change the width to say 400 pixels, the height will automatically adjust to 300 pixels keeping the shape.
Shape - All controls are Rectangles by default, but you can use this drop down to change a control's shape to circle, triangle, etc.
Fade (see through) - All controls are 100% solid by default, i.e. have a fade value of 0. You can change this value from 0 to 99. A fade of 50% will allow you to see any controls under the selected control and give a ghost type effect. You can changes a control's z-order by right mouse clicking a control and then using "bring to front", "send to back", "bring forwards" and "send backwards".
You can change the above settings directly on the menu. In order to edit the advanced properties, then either:
- Click on the 'Edit properties' button on the menu
- Double click a control
- Click then right mouse click a control and select 'Edit properties'
Change a control's z-order (send-to-front, bring-to-back, send-backwards, bring-forwards)
Click on a control to highlight it and the right mouse click and select either:
'Bring to front'
'Send to back'
'Bring forwards'
'Send backwards'
Change the control's name in the list
Double click on the control you want to rename to bring up the properties screen. Then click on the 'Additional' tab which is the top right corner of the properties screen (you may need to use the right arrow button in the top right corner to see the 'Additional' tab). Change the 'Control grid description' and click on OK to save it.
Fade a control so that it is see-through
Click on a control to highlight it and then look at the menu. All controls are 100% solid by default, i.e. have a fade value of 0. You can change this value from 0 to 99 and then press your 'Enter' key on your keyboard to update it. A fade of 50% will allow you to see any controls under the selected control and give a ghost type effect. You can changes a control's z-order by right mouse clicking a control and then using "bring to front", "send to back", "bring forwards" and "send backwards".
Change the shape of a control
Click on a control to highlight it. On the menu use the 'Control shape' combo box to change the control's shape from the default 'Rectangle' to 'Circle', 'Triangle', etc. This works for all controls except audio, which is not displayed when playing presentations.
Keeping the shape of a picture when resized
Click on a picture or video control and look at the menu. On the menu there is a 'Keep aspect ratio' combo box. This can be changed from NONE to MEDIA, 4:3, 1:1, etc. The aspect ratio is the shape of the original item. For example, a picture may be 400x300 pixels in size, i.e. it has a 4:3 aspect ratio. If you resize the picture with the 'Keep aspect ratio' box set to MEDIA to a width of 800 pixels the height is automatically changed to 600 pixels, which keeps the same shape. A 1:1 aspect ratio is a square shape and 16:9 is the shape of widescreen televisions.
Making a control full screen and other sizing options
Click on a control to highlight it and then look at the menu panel. From the menu choose 'Size/position' and then 'Full screen'. This will resize the control to full screen. Alternatively, you can right mouse click the control to bring up a context menu and select 'Size' then 'Full screen' from there instead.
You may need to right mouse click this control afterwards, and use 'Send to back' otherwise it will cover any other controls you have on screen.
Undoing and redoing changes
You can undo any change that happens from this main designer screen including deleting, moving and resizing controls. To undo the last change then on the menu click on 'Edit' then 'Undo'. Alternatively, use the keyword shortcut Ctrl+Z (holding the Ctrl key down and then pressing the Z key). You can undo multiple changes by using undo. You can also redo an undo by using the menu 'Edit' menu 'Redo' or using the keyword shortcut Ctrl+Y.
Undo does not currently undo any changes you make whilst editing a control including making changes to playlists.
Note - Ctrl+Z is standard for undo in most programs including Microsoft Word. In Microsoft Word and other Microsoft Office programs, Ctrl+Y is also used for redo.
Designing presentations - general advice
Please see our Designing presentations page. Also, the most simple presentation designs are usually the best ones. On the menu, click on 'View' then 'View presentation complexity index' to screen a screen that analyses your presentation and offers advice.
Change the background colour of the presentation or using a background image for the presentation
On the designer screen menu, click on 'File' then 'Settings'. Look at the 'Background colour' section. You can use the 'Choose' button to select either a solid or gradient background colour, or put a tick in the 'Use a background image instead of a colour' tick box. You can then use the 'Browse' button to select a picture file. Please make sure that the picture file has a high resolution (number of pixels, such as 1280x1024). Using low resolution pictures will look poor when stretched to cover your entire monitor, or monitors.
Changing the presentation's resolution (number of pixels)
Presentations in Repeat Signage are designed for a specific computer resolution, such as 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1400x900 pixels, etc. This allows pixel for pixel control over how presentations are displayed on your monitor, projector, LCD monitor or plasma screen. To change the number of pixels that your presentation is designed for, then on the designer screen menu, click on 'File' then 'Settings'. Change the number of pixels in the 'Target screen size' section to a new resolution, then click on the 'OK' button. You will receive a warning and confirmation message.
Note - If you change the presentation's resolution to a larger number of pixels, then the current controls on screen will stay in the same place and you will then need to move them as appropriate to make your presentation look correct on the new target resolution. If you change the resolution to a lower number of pixels, then any controls that will not fit into the new number of pixels are moved to the top left corner of the screen. You will then need to move and resize these control as necessary to make your presentation look correct.
View a list of files (pictures, text files, etc) used by your presentation
On the designer screen menu, click on 'View' then 'External files used in your presentation'. This will list all the files used.
You can also view or edit these using the default program that Windows uses to display your files. For example, if you have a picture file (and no graphics software installed) then the 'Edit' button will display your file in Windows Paint. Using the 'View' button will display the picture in Windows Photo View.