Learn how to manage a Weather widget in a Multizone Signage Channel. This article is for Communicators who display weather forecasts in a layout zone. After you read this article, you can add the widget and configure location, layout, and refresh settings.
For: Communicators — Weather Widgets
In this article:
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.
Add a Weather Widget
Add Weather to a zone from the channel Edit tab. Follow the Add Widgets to a Zone steps in Create a Multizone Signage Channel, then select Weather from New widgets.
The widget appears in the content list for the selected zone. The picker description is Display weather for a selected location.
Note: Weather downloads forecast data from an external source. Updates start after a device is registered and assigned to the Signage Channel that contains the widget.
Configure Weather Settings
Weather settings that control the forecast layout, locations, refresh timing, temperature unit, and dynamic updates 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. Weather has no Content 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 Weather widget.
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Select Edit from the layout more options menu.
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Select the Weather widget.
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Select the Edit tab.
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Expand Properties.
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Set the fields you need.
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Click Save on the layout editor header.
Location is required. Save stays disabled until the widget has at least one location.
| Setting | What you set |
|---|---|
| Template | Select a forecast layout. New widgets use 3 Days Local Forecast 1 (Temp + Icon). Changing the template replaces the weather layout for that widget. |
| Location | Required. Search for a city. Select Add to include another location. When the widget has two or more locations, playback rotates across them. A new widget may fill the first location from the device time zone when a city can be resolved. |
| Update Frequency | 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, or Daily. This is how often the widget downloads weather updates. When no frequency is stored yet, the editor shows 1 hour. |
| Interval | How long, in seconds, each location stays on screen when the widget has two or more locations. The default template starts at 30 seconds. 5 Days Local Forecast 1 (Temp+Day) starts at 0 seconds. |
| Temperature Unit | Fahrenheit or Celsius. A new widget shows Celsius, matching the default template. Some templates show Fahrenheit until you change the unit. Templates with no temperature scale show Fahrenheit. |
| Dynamic Updates | Turns Dynamic Updates on or off. New widgets have Dynamic Updates off. |
Template
These layouts are in the Template list. Temperature + Icon + Condition Horizontal 5 appears twice. Both entries use the same layout.
| Template |
|---|
| 3 Days Local Forecast 1 (Temp + Icon) |
| 5 Days Local Forecast 1 (Temp+Day) |
| 5 days weather forecast with days for DMP4400 |
| Temperature + Condition 2 |
| Temperature + Icon + Condition Horizontal 1 |
| Temperature + Icon + Condition Horizontal 5 |
| Temperature + Icon + Condition Left Basic |
| Temperature + Icon + Condition set Left |
| Temperature + Icon + Condition Vertical 1 |
| Temperature + Icon Horizontal 1 |
| Weather Icon |
Font and Text Style
Change Weather text style from the formatting toolbar in the layout editor, not from the Properties accordion. For Weather, the toolbar includes font family, font size, and color. Those controls apply across the text areas in the selected template.
Use the other Edit accordions for placement and style:
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General — Name, Size, Position, 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.
The Permissions tab lists Publishers. Weather does not show Editors.
Tip: To open the layout editor from the channel Edit tab, select Edit from the layout more options menu, or click the + button on the widget and select Open editor.