Learn how to manage an Event Calendar widget in a Multizone Signage Channel. This article is for Communicators who publish hour, day, week, or month schedules to a layout zone. After you read this article, you can add the widget, add or import events, and configure how events display.
For: Communicators — Event Calendar Widgets
Prerequisites
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You must be a Publisher for the selected location, channel, or channel group, or have another role that allows you to manage the channel.
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Create a Multizone Signage Channel with at least one layout and one zone. See Create a Multizone Signage Channel.
Note: Add and edit events on the channel Edit tab. Appearance, custom fields, actions, and permissions are configured in the layout editor. An Event Calendar widget opens there with five tabs: Edit, Content, Actions, Properties, and Permissions.
Note: Widgets that connect to an external data source through an API update only after a device is registered and assigned to the Signage Channel that the widget belongs to.
Add an Event Calendar Widget
Add Event Calendar to a zone from the channel Edit tab. Follow the Add Widgets to a Zone steps in Create a Multizone Signage Channel, then select Event Calendar from New widgets.
The widget appears in the content list for the selected zone.
Note: Select Existing widgets when you want to reuse an Event Calendar widget that already exists in another layout in the same channel.
Add and Edit Events
Add calendar events from the channel Edit tab.
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Select Channels from the Appspace menu.
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Open the Multizone Signage Channel.
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Select the Edit tab.
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Select the layout that contains the Event Calendar widget.
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Select the Event Calendar widget in the layout list.
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Click Add.
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Enter the Name.
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Select or enter a Location, or leave Location blank.
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Set the Start Date and start time.
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Set the End Date and end time, or clear the end to leave it unset.
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Enter a Description if needed.
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Click Save, or click Save and Add Another to keep the sidebar open for the next event.
The calendar opens in the center of the page after you select the widget. The empty state is No Events, with the message Add events or import a CSV to populate the calendar. The new event appears on the calendar after you save.
To change an event, select it on the calendar, edit the fields, and click Save. To remove an event, select it, click Delete Event, then confirm.
Note: Name is required. New events default the end to one hour after the start. The start date cannot be earlier than today. The end date and end time must not be earlier than the start. Use the calendar toolbar to move between dates and switch the week, month, and year views. The default calendar view is week.
Tip: You can also add and edit events from the layout editor Content tab. On the layout canvas, click the + button on the widget to open Add event, Import CSV, Manage content, or Open editor.
Import Calendar Events
Import events from a CSV file when you want to add many events at once. Export a file first if you need a template for the column headers.
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Select the Event Calendar widget on the channel Edit tab.
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Click Import.
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Select Import CSV.
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Upload a CSV file.
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Click Import.
The Import Events window accepts CSV files only. After a successful import, the events appear on the calendar.
Required columns, in this order:
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StartDate
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Event Name
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CalendarEndDate
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CalendarLocationId
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CalendarLocation
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CalendarDescription
Note: Start and end dates in the CSV use the format M/D/YYYY HH:mm. Event Name and StartDate are required on each row. End date and location are optional. Select a network location or enter free text. Unknown location IDs or names import as free text. If any row has an error, the file is not imported. Select Export from the Import menu to download the events currently shown on the calendar, or a header-only file as a template.
Note: This editor does not include Google Calendar or Exchange provider fields. Add events in this widget, or import a CSV.
Configure Event Calendar Settings
Event Calendar settings that control layout, paging, and filters are on the layout editor Edit tab, in the Properties accordion. These labeled fields are the same values as the keys on the Properties tab.
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Select Channels from the Appspace menu.
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Open the Multizone Signage Channel.
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Select the Edit tab.
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Select the layout that contains the Event Calendar widget.
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Select Edit from the layout more options menu.
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Select the Event Calendar widget.
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Select the Edit tab.
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Expand Properties.
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Set the calendar fields.
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Click Save on the layout editor header.
| Setting | What you set |
|---|---|
| Template | Template 1 shows the event name on the first line and the start and end on the second line. Template 2 shows the name, start, and end on one line. Template 3 shows the start and end on the first line and the event name on the second line. The default is Template 1. |
| Resolution | Event item width and height in px. |
| Context | Current shows events that overlap now, including preroll. Day shows events that overlap today, from midnight to midnight. Week shows events from 7 days before today through 7 days after today. Month shows events from 31 days before today through 31 days after today. The default is Day. |
| Preroll Time | Minutes before the event start that the event is treated as started. The field suffix is mins. The default is 30. |
| Number of Events | Number of events to display. The default is 1. |
| Item Range | Minimum and maximum item numbers. The default range is 1-100. Min cannot be greater than max. |
| No Event Message | Message displayed when there are no events. The default is No Event Message. |
| Rotate Duration | Seconds each page of events is displayed. The field suffix is secs. The default is 30. |
| Show Past Events | Turns display of past events on or off. When off, events whose end is already before now are hidden. The default is on. |
| Filter by Location | Text used to filter the events that display. Leave empty to show events for all locations. |
Use the other Edit accordions for placement and style:
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General — Name, Size, Position, Rotation, Opacity, Animation In, and Animation Out.
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Appearance — Background color, background image, border color, thickness, corner radius, and margins.
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Code — Widget GUID and Custom CSS.
Tip: Selecting the Event Calendar widget on the channel Edit tab opens the calendar content view. To open the layout editor, select Edit from the layout more options menu, or click the + button on the widget and select Open editor.
Note: The Properties tab lists the same settings as searchable key-value pairs. Change the labeled fields on Edit unless you need to add, disable, or delete a key.
Manage Custom Fields
Add extra event fields from Manage Custom Fields on the Properties accordion. Custom fields appear when you add or edit an event.
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Open the Event Calendar widget in the layout editor.
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Select the Edit tab.
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Expand Properties.
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Click Manage Custom Fields.
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Click Add.
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Enter the Field Name.
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Select the Type: String or DateTime.
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Click Save.
The sidebar title is Manage Custom Fields. Field names must be unique, ignoring capitalization, and must not exceed 100 characters. Deleting a custom field also deletes that field's values from existing events.
Note: Widget actions are configured on the Actions tab. Event Calendar events include Event On Load and Event On Click. Event Calendar methods include Next page and Previous page. See Configure Signage Channel Widget Actions. Widget permissions are configured on the widget Permissions tab, not on the channel Permissions tab. See Configure Signage Channel Widget Properties.