Every playlist in an Automated Game Plan has a timeline that shows exactly what it will do and when. This article explains how to open a timeline, read each row, zoom in for more detail, recognise looping items and change the order of your playlists.
[VIDEO PLACEHOLDER: Automation_06_The_Playlist_Timeline_v1.0.mp4]
Before you start
Your organisation needs the Graphics module, because Automation depends on it.
You need an Automated Game Plan in the Automation tab with at least one playlist that contains items. If your playlists are empty, the timeline has nothing to show.
Open a playlist timeline
Each playlist in your game plan is shown collapsed by default, so you can see all of your playlists at a glance. To look inside one:
Go to the Automation tab and open your game plan.
Find the playlist you want to review, for example your Pre-Game playlist for Harbour City (HCF) v Ridgeview (RVR).
Click the arrow on the playlist to expand it. Its timeline opens underneath.
Click the arrow again to collapse the playlist when you have finished. You can expand more than one playlist if you want to compare them.
Read the timeline
The timeline is laid out in rows. Each row is one item in the playlist, and each item is one of three kinds:
Graphic: an overlay graphic from your theme, such as a Match ID or Scorebug.
Action: something the game plan does rather than shows, such as taking a graphic off air.
Media: multimedia content such as a video, image or advertisement.
Next to each row is a bar. The bar tells you two things:
Where the bar starts is when the item begins, measured from the moment the playlist starts.
How long the bar is is how long the item runs.
Reading the bars together shows you how items line up. Bars that sit side by side play one after another. Bars that overlap play at the same time, for example a sponsor graphic appearing while the Match ID is still on screen. This is the quickest way to check that nothing clashes before you go live.
Zoom in for more detail
Long playlists can make short items hard to see. Use the zoom slider to change how much time fits on screen.
Zoom in to see short items clearly and check exact start points.
Zoom out to see the whole playlist and how items flow from start to finish.
Zooming only changes your view. It does not change the timing of any item.
Looping items
Some items are set to loop. A looping item keeps repeating until another playlist takes over. In the video, the Match ID in the Pre-Game playlist loops, so it keeps cycling on screen while viewers wait for kick-off at LIGR Demo Stadium.
As soon as the next playlist starts, for example when the match begins, the looping item stops and the new playlist runs instead. Looping is useful for anything you want on screen for an unknown length of time, such as before the match or during a break.
Change the order of playlists
You can rearrange the playlists in your game plan:
Find the handle on the left of the playlist you want to move.
Click and hold the handle, then drag the playlist up or down.
Release it in its new position.
Keeping your playlists in a logical order, such as pre-match first and post-match last, makes the game plan easier to read and review.
Tips and common mistakes
Drag playlists by the handle only. Clicking elsewhere on the playlist will not move it.
If an item seems to be missing, zoom in. Very short items can be hard to spot when zoomed out.
Check overlapping bars carefully. Two graphics in the same screen position at the same time can cover each other.
Remember that a looping item will not stop on its own. Make sure another playlist is set up to take over when you need it to.