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Nexstar Election Workflow with Xpression

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Robert Mann

Common Problems & Solutions


Election Workflow

 

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

2pm eastern

 


We’re Here to Help

Andrew Windish

Director of Engineering, Graphic Systems

awindish@nexstar.tv

Jeff Mayer

Demonstration Artist & Trainer

jeff.mayer@rossvideo.com

Zachary Fradette

Demonstration Artist & Trainer

zachary.fradette@rossvideo.com

Jeff Rietman

Demonstration Artist & Trainer

jeff.rietman@rossvideo.com

Ross Greenawalt

Project Manager – Team Lead

ross.greenawalt@rossvideo.com

Vince Conti

Director of Broadcast Design, Nexstar

vconti@nexstar.tv

Tyann Clark

Art Director, Nashville Design Center

tyclark@nexstar.tv

Aiken Pierce

Art Director, Nashville Design Center

apierce@nexstar.tv

Chris Stelly

Art Director, Nashville Design Center

cstelly@nexstar.tv

Chris Hutchins

Director of Engineering, Content Systems

chutchins@nexstar.tv

 

Call Overview

 

YLEH Xpression Templates using XML

1. Xpression Overview

2. Setting up DataLinq server

3. Setting up Xpression templates

4. How to put in Candidate Photos

5. Testing in Xpression and Xpression Newsroom Plugin

6. Common Problems & Solutions

http://newsroom.nexstar.tv

http://newsroom.nexstar.tv

 

NDC Teams Group

New to Xpression?

Two Ways to Playback Election Results

What You Will Need

 

  1. IP Address of NewsTicker server http://yourNewsTickerServer/cgi-bin/exportElectionsXML-Ross.pl
  2. IP Address of Xpression Project Server
  3.  Access to Gateway/Project Server (VNC, KVM)
  4. Access to Xpression Engines (VNC, KVM)

Setting Up DataLinq Server

 

  1. Install DataLinq server on Project Server/Gateway if not already installed.
  2. In MOS Gateway settings, enable DataLinq Server.
    1. Use IP address of machine running DataLinq Server, not localhost.
    1. Open DataLinq Server if not running (sometimes it get stuck, close/open if it does).
    2. Add your NewsTicker data as a source.
      1. Click Add New…
      2. Click “RSS/HTTP DataLinq Source”
      3. Input your NewsTicker Ross XML data feed into URL…                                                       1.         http://yourNewsTickerServer/cgi-bin/exportElectionsXML-Ross.pl
      4. Change update interval to 30000 ms.
      5. Hit OK.
      6. Name the source YLEH XM

DETAILED STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS http://newsroom.nexstar.tv/yleh-election-info/

Setup DataLinq in YLEH Project

 

1.Open YLEH Project.
     1.If you don’t have YLEH, contact Vince Conti and Tyann Clark at the NDC.
     2.Hide NS templates and FILEPATH.
     3.Unpublish FILEPATH and LEADS BY number.
2.Under Project, open DataLinq Manager.
3.Edit the URL of this to the IP of your Xpression Project Server/DataLinq Server.
     1.Make sure port is set to 8888.
4.Test in Sequencer.
5.Publish Project to Project Server.

DETAILED STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS http://newsroom.nexstar.tv/yleh-election-info/

 

Headshots

 

  1. All headshots should be created using Photoshop template available here…
    1. http://newsroom.nexstar.tv/yleh-election-info/
  2. The filename of the headshot should be LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME.png based on name in NewsTicker.
  3. All images need to be saved to the D:\YLEH_2\HEADSHOTS folder on the following Xpression machines…
    1. Xpression Designer (only required for testing)
    2. Xpression Project Server/Gateway/DataLinq
    3. All Xpression Studio Engines

If the headshots don’t appear…

  1. Check the NewsTicker XML feed to ensure spelling and punctuation match your filename.
  2. Check for spaces in XML feed names. To fix, correct the name in NewsTicker.

Getting Headshots to each Xpression Machine

 

“Sneaker net”

◦        Copy images from your computer to a USB drive, then copy to each machines D drive.

Windows File Share

◦        Set up D:\YLEH_2\HEADSHOTS as a shared folder on each Xpression machine.

VNC File Transfer

◦ Gross, but okay.

FTP Server

◦        Set up a FileZilla Server on each Xpression machine, then set up a user so the Artist can FTP directly into the D:\YLEH_2\HEADSHOTS folder.

Candidate Headshots do not use Streamline.

The Amendment FS does require the user to supply an image.

Testing in Xpression Active X Plugin

1.Open Xpression in NRCS (ENPS/iNews).
2.Select your YLEH template.
3.Put in Race ID and fill in Candidate Position numbers.
     1.Race ID’s come from NewsTicker website or XML.
     2.If your race is 7 candidates and you wanted to show all candidates, you’d create two fullscreens.
          1.The first with CAND_1 through CAND_3 filled in with 1, 2, 3.
          2.The second with CAND_1 through CAND_4 filled in with 4, 5, 6, 7.
          3.The candidates positions automatically adjust based on vote totals.
4.Save to story.

DETAILED STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS http://newsroom.nexstar.tv/yleh-election-info/

Common Problems & Solutions

1.Don’t reboot or run Windows Updates the day of the election.
     1.Make sure Windows Updates won’t auto-reboot your machine.
2.If a headshot isn’t showing up…
     1.Check for extraneous spaces in the NewsTicker name.
           1.Easiest way to check is by looking at the raw XML.   
           2.Fix by editing the Candidate name in NewsTicker.
     2.Check that the filename matches.
          1.Middle initials make for weird file names but trust the process.
               1.Example:George P. Bush isBush_GeorgeP..png   
     3.Check that the headshot exists on the Gateway and Studio/Engine machines.

3.Results not properly appearing in the Xpression Plugin
     1.Ensure DataLinq is setup on the DataLinq Server and that theYLEH Project points to your DataLinq server.
     2.Make sure the user is putting in a Race ID as well as filling in…

          CAND_1 with1

          CAND_2 with2

          CAND_3 with3

          CAND_4 with4

          or 5, 6, 7, 8

4.Remember to import all materials when importing new templates.
5.Producers can use templates from different Projects in the same rundown.
6.There are two different Lower Thirds
     1.The NEWSversion is for day-to-day newsand leaves room for the regular lower-thirds.
     2.The ELECTIONversion is higher up to makeroom for the election ticker.


7.If you get an “Error opening project file” when opening the YLEH project in Xpression, reinstall Xpression Designer.


8.The After Effects files are on the NDC FTP.

9.If you’re still using Send to CG to manually send graphics to the Xpression engine…
     1.Ensure your NewsTicker Logic is updated to use X\READ instead of Z and Y.

      2.Make sure the logic file on eachrace uses the Xpression logic fileinstead of the Lyric logic file.

 

Election Timeline

Election Workflow with Xpression

Additional help and webinar recording is available on http://newsroom.nexstar.tv

Zachary Fradette

Demonstration Artist & Trainer

zachary.fradette@rossvideo.com

Jeff Rietman

Demonstration Artist & Trainer

jeff.rietman@rossvideo.com

Ross Greenawalt

Project Manager – Team Lead

ross.greenawalt@rossvideo.com

Aiken Pierce

Art Director, Nashville Design Center

apierce@nexstar.tv

Chris Stelly

Art Director, Nashville Design Center

cstelly@nexstar.tv

Chris Hutchins

Director of Engineering, Content Systems

chutchins@nexstar.tv

 

 

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