futusign
====
Manage and display digital signage content

- [Installation](#installation)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [Contact](#contact)
- [License](#license)

Installation
====

Install and activate the *futusign* plugin via the WordPress *Plugins* admin
screen or.

Download the the *zip* file and upload and activate via the WordPress
*Plugins* admin screen. If you may get an error, `upload_max_filesize`,
you can follow [these instructions](https://atlantisthemes.com/fix-upload_max_filesize/) to correct.

**note**: The futusign plugin depends on both the *ACF to REST API* and
*Advanced Custom Fields* plugins; futusign will automatically display
warning messages (and action buttons) if the requirements are not met.

The futusign plugin has been tested with WordPress multisite configurations;
however the plugin dependencies need to be manually installed (the action
buttons do not appear to work in this configuration).

Usage
====
Using your favorite presentation tool, e.g., PowerPoint, create a slide
show and save it as a portable document format (PDF) file.

From the WordPress administrative screens.

1. Add a new *Slide Deck* from the admin menu; uploading the PDF file.
2. While adding the slide deck, also add it to a new *Playlist*.
3. Add a new *Screen* from the admin menu.
4. While adding the screen, also subscribe it to the created *Playlist*.
5. View the *Screen*; it should be playing the *Slide Deck*.

To create a digital sign, connect a television to a computer with a modern web
browser and have it load the *Screen's* URL. The loaded web application will
check every minute to automatically apply changes made on the admin screens.

**Caveats**

After the initial load, the web browser will load the web application with
or without a network connection.

When the plugin in updated, the web application will automatically
update and reload within 5 minutes.

There are several known situations where the web application will display an
error until the situation is corrected (will recover within a minute).

* If the web application is running and the web browser loses its network
connection, it will display a *No Network* icon. The web application will also
repeatedly display the first *Slide Deck* in the *Playlist* (if there is one).
* If the screen is not subscribed to a *Playlist*, the web application will
display a *No Slide Decks* icon.
* If the screen is subscribed to one or more *Playlists* that are all empty,
the web application will display a *No Slide Decks* icon.

**Tips**

* *Slide Decks* play in the order shown (alphabetical).
* *Slide Decks* can be scheduled to be published in the future using the
WordPress schedule feature.
* *Slide Decks* can be scheduled to expire in the future using the third-party
plugin *Post Expirator*.
* A variety of devices can be used for digital signage
as described in the article [Digital Signage is Just Another Screen](https://medium.com/@johntucker_48673/digital-signage-is-just-another-screen-e138c2ec3ae9#.244a74dta).
* Additional features can be added via commercial plugins available at
<https://www.futusign.com>.

Contributing
====
Submit bug or enhancement requests using the GitHub issues feature.

Contact
====
General questions and comments can be directed to
<mailto:john@larkintuckerllc.com>.

License
====
GPLv2 or later <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>