Digital Workshop

I am interested in knowing if anyone has used Opus for both Digital Signage and Kiosks. I am looking at this from a standpoint of being able to easily update and maintain Kiosks and Signs as well as how you configure the PC hardware for reliablility and use in these configurations. For example what, if anything, special needs to be done to configure Windows XP for use in Signage and Kiosks to prevent logons and to immediately run the multimedia application built. I have even considered the use of non-Windows OS such as Linux which some companies offer but the license for the OS is just as expensive as Windows, but are more sturdy and can run on systems that don't generate a lot of heat like those with flash memory. Network control to synchronise and update these displays is also key and I figure using Opus and Windows I can build something with a scripting tool like AutoIt.

Feedback and thoughts, please.

Whilst I was looking into different systems to produce presentations I was pointed toward Scala infochannel designer. It's a dedicated Digital Signage and Kiosk Program that uses its own operating system environment running inside windows. I haven't used it very much myself bit it's used in Hotels and Shopping Precincts, Cable TV channels and other places too.

You could try that? Or maybe try LiquidMedia from Skunklabs which has also recently had an addon that is specifically for digital signage.

I find Opus much easier to work with though ! and I can understand you wanting to use it to produce the content for Digital signs etc. Maybe this is an area that the development team at DW might consider moving into? There's certainly a growing interest in Digital Signage and information screens.

The Bullring in Birmingham uses another system too.. can;t remember the name thou...

Interesting thoughts Craig, I have looked at Scala but was not impress with the price or learning something new, I have demoed SKunkLabs Liquid media and know of LiquidCast but I prefer using Opus. What exactly does infochannel do? Right now I may just be able to get just a few kiosks or signage contracts but I wonder about keeping them updated and knowing when attention is needed.

I have started to look at putting a system together around Opus and I am trying to figure out the best way to configure Windows XP minimally for signage and kiosk solutions. Interestingly though my worries are with locking down Windows XP and making sure the boot time remains at a minimum and I have just learnt of Windows XP embedded see this page http://msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/howtobuy/default.aspx the initial outlay is high but the price per system is interesting but I am only able to start on a small scale and the initial outlay is forbidding.

I'm afraid i haven't investigated the full capability of Scala. We bought it to trial and see if it could replace Powerpoint for us... we found Opus much more suited to the type of projects we work on. InfoChannel Designer basically means you can update remote screens over a network.. it's ideal for signage as you can add/amend pages whilst the presentation is running and update across the entire network. You can set times and duration for certain pages to appear and have area specific ones working too. It also supports control of other devices through an RJ35? (might not be right number) connection.. so e.g. lighting desks or other devices.

I don't know enough about the technology/programming emedded windows etc to be much help I'm afraid!

You could try this solution too?

http://www.dsign.co.uk/index.cfm

http://www.inscriber.com/products/Digital%20Signage/

DW- This highlights need for product documentation. Opus is capable of achieving the Digital Signage implementations only if the users were aware on how to go about doing this, among other items.
Bespoke DS applications will cover implementations as well as development of the said. If Opus users intend to work in this new arena, without information, they will assume Opus is not able to achieve these tasks, spending hrs looking at some less suitable application sonly to come back to the forum/DW and ask HOW DO I DO THAT!

That would certainly be helpful. If anybody is using Opus in this way to create digital signage then I'm sure there are several users other than carib that would be interested to know. DW - Perhaps a "Things you can do with Opus that you may not have thought of !" Forum might be nice

Those are some good recommendations I think Opus can do most of what those others can do and is more flexible. The key thing though is how to perform central maintenance of different kiosks via the internet (I think WiMax is comming to us here). The same thing goes for the signage. I see where its possible to have updateable text boxes but its just to create an example and see how it runs.