Documentation for consumer format playback, preshow automation ...

Commands that Linux server accepts

If you need a password, you will have to insert pwd={md5 hash of a password}? before each command!
Use one of the online tools to generate MD5 hash of the password.

 nuc.playmusic - Starts mpd playback by executing mpc play.
 nuc.stopmusic - Stops mpd playback by executing: mpc stop.
 nuc.startinfbm - Starts the info-beamer lua script.
 nuc.stopinfbm - Stops the info-beamer.
 kino-player/script/{SCRIPT NAME} - Executes shell script in the ~/kino-player/_scripts directory. Scripts must have execution permissions.
 kino-player/play_playlist/{PLAYLIST NAME} - Starts the playlist (shell script actually) created with Client application. Playlists are stored in ~/kino-player/playlists directory.
 kino-player/kill_playlist/ - Kills the currently playing playlist (shell script actually).
 ims3000/macro/{MACRO NAME} - Executes the macro on the Dolby IMS3000. This command is meant for Client application.
 nuc.trailerinfo.tv - Displays the number and the total length of the trailers on the Windows client.
 nuc.trailerinfo.screen - Displays the number and total length of the trailers on the info-beamer screen(bottom of the screen). The number of trailers is the number of cpls minus one (movie).
 screen/ - Command for the info-beamer. Message is relayed to info-beamer. Text message must be json encoded. Examples:  screen/picture/override:{number}, screen/picture/clear, see node.lua for more.
 
 There are also some other commands that are useful only for the Client application.
 

Examples

Start the info-beamer lua script from the playlist:

Override the current info-beamer screen with the preset image 1 (zz----PRESET1.png):

Start music (mpd/mpc) from the playlist:

Start playlist with the name PRESHOW on the Linux server (made with Client application):

Some other screenshots that you might find useful (HDMI issues, full playlist example):

Example of notification on the screen in the lobby, triggered from a playlist.
Xibo Digital Signage on Windows OS is normally running on that screen. As soon as the trailers begin to play, SMNetControlServer.exe recieves the message from the playlist macro and displays this notification over the Xibo window:

Client application

Client application talks to both servers and IMS3000. It may help you to do things a little easier in a multi-purpose theatre.

Requirements

On Windows WebView2 runtime is need for embedded web browser to work.
Download Evergreen Bootstrapper and run it!

On Linux install gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad for embedded web browser to work.

apt-get install gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad

Python dependencies:

python3 -m pip install requests wxpython

Window dimensions

Default dimension will look alright only on 1920x1080 display.
For other screen resolutions and for different size of the script or macro panel change
size_x, size_y
and script_panel_height
in settings.txt.

Macro configuration

Unfortunately macros must be set up in the application manually.

Let's start with projector macros first. You can skip this step if you don't know network commands for your projector, because everything can be done via IMS3000 macros. There are already two projector macros included in the ~/kino-player/_scripts directory: projector_FLAT and projector_SCOPE. As already mentioned in the Linux server section, these are one line scripts for channel change on Christie projectors.

Open macro-import.txt and add these two projector macros:

# [group]:[name]:[script name]:[argument]:[custom network command][button color hex code]{-}
# If no script name is set, name is used as a script name.
# Max 3 different types are supported for scripts (3 types - 3 combo boxes in order of first appearance). 
# Default network command is the same as script name (kino-player/script/[script_name])
# Custom network commands are defined in server.
# If line ends with minus sign, macro is not added to execution list but only in to the combo boxes for playlist creation.

[PROJ]:[FLAT]:[projector_FLAT]:[]:[]:[#4d4dff]
[PROJ]:[SCOPE]:[projector_SCOPE]:[]:[]:[#4d4dff]

There are no custom network commands available for projector macros. Linux tcp server just executes the appropriate shell script in the ~/kino-player/_scripts directory. There are no arguments for these 2 scripts. If you run the application now, it will look like this:

Projector macros just execute the script without giving you any feedback about the actual success!

Let's add the same functionality, but this time via Dolby IMS 3000 macros. I assume you already have FLAT and SCOPE macros on your IMS3000. If they are named differently, use that names.

....
[PROJ]:[FLAT]:[projector_FLAT]:[]:[]:[#4d4dff]
[PROJ]:[SCOPE]:[projector_SCOPE]:[]:[]:[#4d4dff]

[IMB]:[FLAT]:[ims3000_macro_x]:[FLAT]:[ims3000/macro/]:[#009999]
[IMB]:[SCOPE]:[ims3000_macro_x]:[SCOPE]:[ims3000/macro/]:[#009999]

These two commands now also have a custom network command. This works better, because the button gives you feedback when command is executed on the IMS3000.
The argument of this command must be the same as macro name defined on Dolby IMS3000! Command name can be renamed.
The Client app will now look like this:

Add the rest of your IMS3000 macros as shown above.

If you have an external audio processor, add it to the application:
You can find an example for Christie SKA3D processor in the script named volume_x:

echo -ne 's mstervol' $1'\r\n' | netcat -q5 -w5 192.168.100.120 23&

Macro for audio processor would then look like this:

[AUDIO]:[volume 3.5]:[volume_x]:[3.5]:[]:[#037E26]
[AUDIO]:[volume 5.0]:[volume_x]:[5.0]:[]:[#037E26]

Check the manual for your audio processor.

Add some info-beamer script commands:

[INF]:[Infobeamer START]:[startinfbm]:[]:[nuc.startinfbm]
[INF]:[Infobeamer STOP]:[stopinfbm]:[]:[nuc.stopinfbm]
[INF]:[Infobeamer PRESET 1]:[infbm_preset_x]:[1]:[screen/picture/override:]
[INF]:[Infobeamer PRESET CLEAR]:[infbm_preset_clear]:[]:[screen/picture/clear:]

Video playback with mpv on the Linux server

First create a macro on the IMS3000 that will:
- Switch projector to appropriate channel (e.g. FLAT).
- Delay of 3 seconds. This is needed at least for Christie Solaria One.
- Switch IMS3000 to HDMI input (see screenshots above).
- Name this macro FLAT-HDMI or something similar.

Add this macro to Client application (macro-import.txt) as shown above.

Insert this macro in the playlist like shown in the screenshot below and play this playlist:

If you put the macro in the playlist and the macro has a long execution time (e.g. macro with a projector channel change with a delay of couple of seconds), the next line will be executed only after complete macro is executed on IMS3000.
You can also play root media without creating a playlist by clicking on Direct play.
You can define a macro in settings.txt that will be executed before the Direct play command.

Media playback on the Windows server

Windows server was written as a simple replacement for the ScreenMonkey application.
Like the Linux server, Windows server only executes the external applications which therefore makes the whole system more stable.

Windows server can not be used as an auto-advance playlist. For random infinite loop use Linux server with included info-beamer lua script! For auto-advance video playlist use Linux server scripts. This feature may be added later.

Last 2 tabs are used for Windows server control. If you start video playback from the PPT/PDF/IMG tab, you can then control it from the Mpv control tab. Mpv playback can't be controlled at the same time for both servers, however you can use 2 instances of this application with different settings.

Downloads

Download kino-server-linux-20240131-b.zip (Linux server)
Download SMNetControlServer-windows_20240122.zip (Windows server)
Download client-app-python-20240131.zip (Client application - python)
Download client-app-pywin39_20240201.zip (Client application - windows executable)