Dynamic User Variables

4 min

This page / section pertains to BrightAuthor Classic, our legacy app. BrightSign Author is our latest app for managing content and players.

Development of BrightAuthor Classic has largely ceased and the app will eventually be deprecated and replaced with BrightSign Author.

There are several ways to change the values of User Variables in an interactive presentation. See the VariablesVariables page for more information about creating User Variables and setting default values.

Web Browser

You can view and update User Variables using a web browser. To do this, your computer must be connected to the same local network as the BrightSign player, and you must enable the Local Web Server on the player:

Go to Tools > Setup BrightSign Unit.
Check the Enable local web server box.
Enter a user name and password for the web server if desired.
Set the rest of the options in the BrightSign Unit Setup window and complete the unit configuration process (see the Setting up BrightSign PlayersSetting up BrightSign Players for more information).
Wait for the player to complete the entire boot process.
Use the address bar of a web browser to navigate to device IP port 8008. For example, if the IP address of your BrightSign player is 192.168.1.2, then you would enter 192.168.1.2:8008. You will be provided with a web page that lists all User Variables and allows you to modify them.

If you do not know the IP address of your player, you can obtain it by powering up the player without an SD card inserted: The IP address, along with other information about the unit, will be displayed on screen once the unit boots.

UDP, Serial Input, and Plugin Message Events

You can change the value of User Variables using the input from a UDP Input, Serial Input, or Plugin Message event:

Create a new UDP Input, Serial Input, or Plugin Message (or edit an existing one).
If using a UDP Input event, type into the Specify UDP input field. The field can contain either the wildcard designator by itself or additional text with the wildcard designator (e.g. "message_<any>").
If you are using a Serial Input or Plugin Message event, enter the <*> wildcard designator into the Specify serial input or Plugin message field. The field can contain either the wildcard designator by itself or additional text with the wildcard designator (e.g. "message_<*>").
Check the box labeled Assign input to variable.
1. Select Specify fixed variable if you want to choose a fixed User Variable in the presentation. Use the dropdown list to choose which User Variable the UDP input will modify. The UDP/serial string must be input in the form of <variable value>.
2. Select Input specifies variable if you want the UDP/serial input string to dynamically specify which User Variable is being modified. The UDP/serial string must be input in the form of <variable name> : <variable value>.
Check the box labeled Assign wildcard to variable to specify the value of a User Variable using the <any> or <*> wildcard designator. Note that wildcards are only supported when the serial port is using the ASCII protocol,not when using the Binary protocol. Select the User Variable to modify using the dropdown menu to the right.
Press OK to save the settings.

If you select Input specifies variable, you can modify more than one User Variable with a single event. Use the following UDP/Serial string: "<variable name> : <variable value> !! <variable name> : <variable value>"

It is possible to check both Assign input to variable and Input specifies variable boxes for more complex functionality. For example, you use Specify fixed variable to assign the entire UDP string to one variable, while at the same time using Assign wildcard to variable to assign a subset of that string to another variable.