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DocumentationAEMAEM Screens Guide

Creating and Managing Channels creating-and-managing-channels

Last update: Fri May 10 2024 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

CREATED FOR:

  • Intermediate
  • Admin
  • Developer

A Channel displays a sequence of content (images and videos) and also displays a website or a single-page application.

This page shows creating and managing channels for AEM Screens.

Pre-requisites:

Creating a New Channel creating-a-new-channel

After you create your project for AEM Screens, follow the steps below to create a Channel for your project:

  1. Click the ÃÛ¶¹ÊÓƵ Experience Manager link (top left) and then Screens. Alternatively, you can navigate directly to https://localhost:4502/screens.html/content/screens.

  2. Navigate to your Screens project and click the Channels folder.

  3. Click Create from the action bar.

    demochannel

  4. Click the Sequence Channel template from the Create wizard and click Next.

    demochannel

  5. Enter the Title as ScreensChannel and click Create.

    demochannel

  6. A Sequence channel is now added to your Channels folder.

Channel Types channel-types

The following template options are available while using the wizard such as:

Template option
Description
Channels Folder
Create a folder to store a collection of channels.
Sequence Channel
Create a channel that plays the components sequentially (one by one in a slide show).
Application Channel
Showcase your custom web application in the Screens player.
1x1 Split Screen Channel
View a component in a single zone.
1x2 Split Screen Channel
View the assets in two zones (split horizontally).
2X1 Split Screen Channel
View the assets in two zones (split vertically).
2x2 Split Screen Channel
View the assets in four zones (split horizontally and vertically in a matrix).
2 to 3 Split Screen Channel
View the assets in two zones (split horizontally) with one of the zones being larger than the other one.
Left or Right L-Bar Split Screen Channel
Content authors can view different types of assets in appropriately sized zones.
NOTE
The Split Screen channels split the display into multiple zones so you can play several experiences at the same time, side by side. The experiences can either be static assets/text or embedded sequences.
IMPORTANT
After you create and add content to your channel, the next step is to create a location followed by creating a display. Furthermore, assign that channel to a display. See the resources below at the end of the section.

Working with Channels working-with-channels

You can edit, view properties and dashboard, copy, preview, and delete a channel.

screen_shot_2019-07-24at103723am

Adding/Editing Content to a Channel adding-editing-content-to-a-channel

To add or edit content in a channel, follow the steps below:

  1. Click the channel that you want to edit (as shown in the figure above).
  2. Click Edit from the top-left corner of the action bar so you can edit the channel properties. The editor opens that lets you add assets/components to your channel that you want to publish.
NOTE
You can add components to your channel. See Adding Components to a Channel for more details.

demochannel1

Uploading Videos to the Channel

Follow the steps below to upload videos to your channel:

  1. Click the channel where you want to upload the video.
  2. Click Edit from the action bar.
  3. In the editor, click Videos under Assets and drag and drop the required videos.
NOTE
If you encounter issues uploading videos in your channel, see Troubleshooting Videos.

Viewing or Editing Properties of a channel viewing-properties

  1. Click the Channel that you want to edit.
  2. Click Properties from the action bar so you can view/edit the channel properties. The following tab lets you change the options.

properties

Viewing Dashboard viewing-dashboard

  1. Click the channel that you want to edit.
  2. Click Dashboard from the action bar.

dashboard

Channel Information channel-information

The Channel Information panel describes the Channel properties, along with the preview to the channel. Also, it provides you with information on whether the channel is offline or online.

Click the (…) from the CHANNEL INFORMATION action bar so you can view properties, edit the content, or update the cache (offline content) for the channel.

screen_shot_2017-12-20at82048am

Viewing the Manifest view-manifest

You can view the manifest from the channel dashboard.

IMPORTANT
This option is only available with AEM 6.4 Feature Pack 8 or AEM 6.5 Feature Pack 4.

Follow these steps so you can enable this option from the channel dashboard:

  1. Set the Channel to Offline

    1. Click the channel and click Properties from the action bar
    2. Navigate to the Channel tab and make sure that you uncheck Developer Mode (force channel to be online) option
    3. Click Save & Close

  2. Update Offline Content

    1. Click the channel and click Dashboard from the action bar
    2. Navigate to the CHANNEL INFORMATION panel and click …
    3. Click Update Offline Content

You should see the View Manifest option from the CHANNEL INFORMATION panel in the Channel dashboard.

image1

Online and Offline Channels online-and-offline-channels

NOTE
By default, when you create a channel, it is Offline.

When you create a channel, it can either be defined as an online or an offline channel.

An Online Channel shows the updated content in the real-time environment whereas an Offline Channel shows the cached content.

Follow the steps below to make the channel online:

  1. Navigate to the channel as TestProject > Channels > TestChannel.

    Click the channel.

    screen_shot_2019-08-01at31406pm

    Click Dashboard from the action bar so you can view the status of the player. The CHANNEL INFORMATION panel provides information on whether the channel is online or offline.

    screen_shot_2019-08-01at31458pm

  2. Click Properties from the action bar and navigate to the Channel tab as shown below:

    screen_shot_2019-08-01at31542pm

  3. Check the Developer mode (force the channel to be online) to make the channel as online.

    Click Save & Close to save your option.

    screen_shot_2019-08-01at31658pm

    Navigate back to the channel dashboard and now the CHANNEL INFORMATION panel shows the online status of the player.

    screen_shot_2019-08-01at31821pm

NOTE
To configure your channel again as offline, uncheck the Developer mode option from the Properties tab (as shown in step (3)). Then, from the CHANNEL INFORMATION panel click Update Offline Content, as shown in the figure below.

dashboard2

Automatic versus Manual Updates from the Device Dashboard automatic-versus-manual-updates-from-the-device-dashboard

The following table summarizes the events associated with the automatic and manual updates from the device dashboard.

Event
Device Auto Update
Device Manual Update
Change in Online Channel
Content is updated automatically

Content updated on "Device: Push Config"

Or,

Content updated on Device: Restart

Change in Offline channel but Channel "Push Content" is NOT triggered (no offline package re-creation)
No content update
No content update
Change in Offline Channel and Channel "Push Content" is triggered (new offline package)
Content is updated automatically

Content updated on Device: Push Config

Or,

Content updated on Device: Restart

Change in Config

  • Display (forced channel)
  • Device
  • Channel assignments (new channel, removed channel)
  • Channel assignment (role, event, scheduling)
Configuration is updated automatically

Configuration is updated on Device: Push Config

Or,

Config updated on Device: Restart

Assigned Displays assigned-displays

The Assigned Displays panel shows the display associated with the channel. It provides a snapshot of the assigned display along with the resolution.

The associated displays are listed in the Assigned Displays panel, as shown below:

chlimage_1-27

NOTE
To learn about creating a display in a location, see:

Also, click the display in the ASSIGNED DISPLAYS panel, to view the display information, as shown below:

chlimage_1-28

The Next Steps the-next-steps

The next step after creating a channel and adding/editing content in your channel is to learn how to create a location and display. Furthermore, then assign a channel to that display.

See the following resources for the next steps:

recommendation-more-help
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