Special case - Creating a brick with a placeholder¶
Brick components¶
A placeholder can be used to define, for example, a default graphic for a specific playback location that is played automatically whenever no story-specific graphic is selected in the NRCS for that playback location. If, on the other hand, an appropriate graphic is selected in the NRCS, Fusion replaces the placeholder with the selected graphic.
Notice
A specific example for such a graphic is the animated world map or the rotating globe in the news features of German broadcaster ARD. This is always displayed by default on the video wall behind the presenter if no story-specific graphic is displayed.
In Fusion, a placeholder is always a multimedia object of type directive and is only useful within a group.
For example, a brick created with Fusion for a moderation with a placeholder could consist of the following directives:
| No. | Group | Type | Title | Priority | Playback location | Default playback location | Placeholder | Mosart command |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -1 | Directive | Camera | MUST | C1 | Yes | - | UM1 |
| 2 | 1 | Directive | Placeholder Wall | MUST | Wall/VR | Yes | Yes | Placeholder GFX |
| 3 | 1 | Graphics | Wall/VR | MUST | Wall/VR | Yes | - | - |
The first directive defines that a multimedia object of type Directive with the title Camera must be used in every story that uses this brick. Because of the used priority MUST this camera directive is always required in the corresponding story. It is used to control the camera at the used playback location C1. Because the Default playback location option is enabled, the selected playback location is selected by default in the NRCS, when the brick is assigned to a story. The used Mosart command UM1 contains all necessary templates to control the camera via the studio automation. The templates were previously imported from the studio automation and can be edited by the user if necessary.
The second directive defines a placeholder for a wall graphic that (because of the used priority MUST) must be used in any story that uses this brick. In this example, the selected playback location Wall/VR allows it to fade in on the video wall in the background of the moderating person. Since the Default playback location option is enabled, the selected playback location is selected by default when the brick is assigned to a story in the NRCS. The used Mosart command Placeholder GFX contains all the necessary templates to control the video wall via the studio automation. The templates were previously imported from the studio automation and can be edited by the user if necessary.
The third directive defines that an additional wall graphic (due to the used priority MUST) must be used in any story that uses this brick. In this example, the selected playback location Wall/VR allows it to fade in on the video wall in the background of the moderating person. Since the Default playback location option is enabled, the selected playback location is selected by default in the NRCS when the brick is assigned to a story.
Notice
No Mosart command is required for graphics because the used graphics system (e.g. Viz Pilot) usually only needs the name of the graphic to identify it and play it out correctly.
Notice
Graphics are not managed by Fusion, but by the connected NRCS. Fusion can be used to add directives, but not to add graphics to a rundown.
Notice
If a brick that contains a multimedia object of type Graphic is assigned to a story in the NRCS, from the user's point of view special attention should be paid to the category of the graphic. If a user selects a graphic of a different category in the NRCS than the one defined in the brick, it is considered invalid by Fusion and set to ignore. As a result the studio automation ignores the graphic and does not play it.
Tip
If a brick contains a multimedia object of type Graphic with priority CAN, a user can add additional graphics in the NRCS. Fusion evaluates these as valid and returns them.
If this brick is used in a story in the connected NRCS, the used templates are passed to the studio automation. Due to the defined directives the following variants for the brick content are possible:
- one camera with a placeholder wall graphic
- one camera with a story-specific wall graphic
Creating the brick¶
Tip
The general creation of a brick is described in chapter Managing bricks.
To create the previously described example brick for a moderation with placeholder, proceed as follows:
- Open Fusion Designer.
- Make sure that the multimedia object types, playback locations and templates to be used in the brick already exist in Fusion. If this is not the case, create the required elements as described in section Managing multimedia objects, Managing playback locations, Importing an automation template and Manage automation templates.
- Click the main Bricks area on the left side. 4.
- Click New Brick (Neuer Brick).
- Enter a title and select the brick details. Fill in all mandatory fields marked with an asterisk.
-
In the list of multimedia objects on the right, select the type Camera (Kamera) and click New directive (Neue Direktive).
The camera is added as a directive to the brick.
-
To set the playback location as default playback location, check Default in the added directive.
- To add a Mosart command to the directive, select the directive, select the package to be added (e.g. UM1) on the right and add it either by double-clicking it or by clicking Add to directive (zur Direktive).
-
In the list of multimedia objects on the right, select the type Placeholder Wall (Platzhalter Wall) and click New directive (Neue Direktive).
The placeholder is added to the brick as a directive.
-
To set the playback location as default playback location, check Default in the added directive.
- To add a Mosart command to the directive, select the directive, select the package to be added on the right (e.g. Placeholder GFX (Platzhalter GFX)) and add it either by double-clicking it or by clicking Add to directive (zur Direktive).
-
Select the type Wall/VR in the list of multimedia objects on the right and click New directive (Neue Direktive).
The Wall graphic is added as a directive to the brick.
-
To set the playback location as default playback location, enable Default option in the added directive.
-
Group the placeholder and graphic directives. To do this, check the two checkboxes in the left column of the list of directives and click Group (Gruppieren).
Both directives are added to group 1.
-
Click Save brick (Brick speichern).
The brick is saved and is available for assignment to a story in the connected NRCS.