Readme updated July 01 2024.
See RELEASE_NOTES.md for latest changes and items currently in development. Latest binary release v.1.3.0 Download from spx.graphics/download or see the builds here.
(2024-07-01: Please note, v.1.3.0 binaries have not been linked yet)
SPX is professional graphics controller for live television productions and web streaming. Browser based GUI can control HTML graphics templates on CasparCG server(s) and/or live stream applications such as OBS, vMix or Wirecast.
See the website ▶ spx.graphics
- LIVE DEMO 🔥 and Template TestDrive
- Screenshots
- Install pre-built packages for Windows, Mac or Linux. Or build from source code.
- Run multiple instances
- Configuration
- Renderer parameters
- UI localization
- Add CasparCG server(s)
- Projects and rundowns
- HTML templates and template definition
- Custom controls and Plugins
- Using SPX with OBS (or vMix, Wirecast, XSplit...)
- SPX Server and https protocol
- Control with external devices (Stream Deck etc)
- Product roadmap
- Issues and Feedback
- MIT License
SPX Graphics Controller can be used to playout lower thirds, bumpers, logos and other on-screen graphics in live web streams or live TV broadcasts. Playout happens using "renderer" URL's from the SPX Server. The live output can be used in various softwares, such as OBS, vMix or CasparCG using the "browser source" approach.
Content for the graphic templates are entered into elements which are stored on rundowns within projects.
Software is based on a NodeJS server and can be run on Windows, Mac or Linux computers, on-premise or using cloud instances for remote production scenarios.
Graphic templates are typical HTML templates used with CasparCG and other HTML compatible renderers. Integrating existing templates with SPX is done by adding a template definition (javascript-snippet) to them.
Originally SPX was developed for YLE, a public broadcaster in Finland. The first version was released in September 2020. Thanks Markus Nygård and Martin Huldin for the challenge! 🤘
If you need custom graphics or workflows, please contact us.
Live SPX demo in the cloud: http://demo.spx.graphics:5000
🔴 Live demo is OFFLINE at the moment.
Please be aware there is just one instance running for demo purposes, so expect clashes and overall quirky experience if multiple users are logged in at once. Changes made in demo are reset automatically few times a day. (Also pay attention to the version number, it may not be the latest version.)
A marketplace for free and premium SPX templates and plugins is at spx.graphics/store. Each store item can be testdriven, see these examples:
| Template | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Bug - You have logo. Why not show it? | Free | Test drive |
| ImageLayer - Pick an image and play. | Free | Test drive |
| Texter - An essential template for unbranded text. | Premium | Test drive |
| TwoTone - You have logo. Why not show it? | Premium | Test drive |
| And much more ▶ spx.graphics/store |
> Please be aware: just _one instance_ running for demo purposes, so expect clashes and overall quirky experience if multiple users are logged in at once. Changes made in demo are reset automatically few times a day.
 |
SPX's UI is browser based and can be operated with a mouse or keyboard. Additonal extra controls can be added as plugins to execute specific tasks or to trigger events in external devices. |
 |
Content is managed in projects. Each project can have unlimited amount of rundowns and graphics templates. Projects and their rundowns and settings are stored in dataroot -folder. |
 |
Main Controller: rundown with few items and a local preview. Items can be edited and controlled also with keyboard shortcuts. Fullscreen viewing mode recommended. Buttons below preview are customizeable. |
 |
An introduction video on Youtube. There are more images in the screenshots -folder. |
 |
A showreel of SPX Graphics. |
SPX can be installed using a ready-to-go binary package which includes all required software components. Developers can alternatively get the full source code and run SPX with npm scripts, see section install source code.
Source is updated more frequently than binary packages. See package.json file for current version.
| Package | Build date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows SPX_1_2_1_win64.zip |
Sep 20 2023 | The app is cross-platform and is mostly developed and tested on Windows. Approx 57% users are on Windows. |
| Linux SPX_1_2_1_linux64.zip |
Sep 20 2023 | Tested with some flavours of Debian and Ubuntu but user's input is appreciated here, see feedback. 32% of users are on Linux |
| MacOS SPX_1_2_1_macos64.zip |
Sep 20 2023 | If any installation issues, please see this Knowledge base article. 11% of users are on Mac. |
For links to older packages see RELEASE_NOTES. Please get in touch if you have problems downloading or installing these files.
- Download a zip-file for your system using one of the links above.
- Create a new folder for the app (for example on Windows
C:\SPX\, or on Linux/SPX). -
PLEASE NOTE if using
C:\Program Files\folder on Windows you may need to start SPX with administrative priviledges, since SPX will generate files in that folder structure. -
AVOID SYMBOLIC LINKS Some filesystem related operations are known to fail is SPX (at least on Windows) when using
SUBSTornet useto assign a drive letter to a folder. - Extract the zip-file to that folder.
- Locate the executable (for example
SPX_win64.exeon Windows) and double click it to start the SPX server. A console window should open (and remain open) and show some startup information. - Chrome browser can be enabled to launch automatically at server start-up. See
launchcromesetting in config.json. - When running application the first time it will create a file structure shown in the below screenshot. Note: unzipping and running SPX does not usually require admin priviledges (See note above).
- On Linux you may need to add execute permission to the file (
sudo chmod a+x SPX_linux64) and launch it in a console (./SPX_linux64). See this KB article - On MacOS you may need to add execute permission to the file (
sudo chmod a+x SPX_macos64) and launch it in the Terminal (./SPX_macos64). See this KB article - See next steps in the section first launch.
Developers can get the source code from the repository with git and run the application using NodeJS and npm.
PLEASE NOTE: The source code in this repository is always in a WORK IN PROGRESS state and features may or may not work. For production work it is recommended to always use known prebuilt binaries, which are more carefully tested. See also Release Notes.
- Create an empty folder on your system and fetch the source code using a
git clonecommand:
git clone https://github.com/TuomoKu/SPX-GC.git- After downloading the source, install required additional dependencies (node_modules) with
npm install- See
package.jsonfor available scripts, but in development the typical start script would benpm run devwhich will use nodemon to restart the server when changes are made to source files.
# on Windows:
npm run dev
# Or without hot reloading:
node server.js
- Installation of
pm2process manager (https://pm2.keymetrics.io/) can help in advanced production scanarios. - To run the server in production mode use
npm startwhich will run the server in the background withpm2process manager which will automatically restart the server if a crash occurs. Deeper usage and configuration options of pm2 is outside the scope of this readme-file.
npm start- To run several instances of SPX (on different ports) with
pm2prepare aecosystem.config.js-file to same folder as config.json with details of each instance, such as:
// Example "ecosystem.config.js" file for pm2 to run multiple instances of SPX.
module.exports = {
apps : [
{
'name': 'GC1',
'script': 'server.js',
'args': 'config.json'
},
{
'name': 'GC2',
'script': 'server.js',
'args': 'config5001.json'
}
]
};Then launch multiple instances with pm2:
pm2 start ecosystem.config.jsStop all running instances
pm2 kill- When the app is started the very first time a default browser is launched with SPX user interface open
- In the subsequent server starts use a web browser (such as Chrome) and load SPX gui from URL shown in the console at the start-up.
- With
general.launchBrowser = trueflag the browser can be opened every time automatically. This is set to false by default.
╭───────────────────────────╮
│ Open SPX in a browser: │
│ http://127.0.0.1:5656 │
╰───────────────────────────╯
Port 5656 is the default value in config and can be changed.
If installation and server start-up worked, you should see a Config screen in your browser asking a preference regarding user access.
There are two alternatives:
YES: Username and password are reguired to access the application.NO: Application will not require a login.- This config screen is shown
- at first startup, or
- when
config.jsonis missing, or - when
config.jsonhas username but password is left empty
Depending on the selection made, you will either be asked to login or you land to the Welcome page and you are free to explore the application. If password is given it will be stored in the config-file in unreadable, encrypted format.
By default the dataroot has one "Hello world" -project with "My First Rundown" in it for demonstration purposes.
Start making configuration changes or creating projects and adding templates and adding those to rundowns for playout.
You can also follow these steps to get yourself familiarized with the application:
- Open SPX in browser, typically at http://localhost:5656
- Choose 'no login' policy by selecting No option and click Save
- Go to Projects
- Add a new project, for instance
My First Project. (Project's settings opens.) - Click [ + ] button to add the first template to the project
- Browse to
softpix > Template_Pack_1-folder and chooseSPX1_INFO_LEFT.html-template - Go back to Projects
- Double click
My First Projectto open it - Add a new rundown to this project, for instance
My First Rundown. (The new empty rundown opens.) - Click [ + ] button to add an item to the rundown
- Pick SPX1_INFO_LEFT -template
- Double click rundown item to edit it, enter "Hello world!" and click Save to close the editor
- Play the item with SPACEBAR or by clicking on PLAY button at the bottom of rundown list.
Congratulations! Now go back to your project's settings and add more templates to it...
When a new version becomes available it will be shown on the Welcome page of the application.
Application DOES NOT come with
config.jsonand it will be generated at server start up.
SPX uses a JSON file to store configuration settings, such as folder paths, playout server settings or user interface language options. Most of the settings can be changed from the configuration page.
Some rarely used settings are left out from configuration page and can be changed by manually modifying the config file in a text editor.
The default configuration file name is config.json but it is possible to run the server with a specific configuration file. For instance you might have two instances running on the same system, using shared project files and templates but on different server ports and using different renderers. (See also pm2 process manager)
To run the server with another config, provide the config file as the first command line argument, for example:
SPX_win64.exe myOtherConfig.jsonAn example config.json of the SPX server
{
"general": {
"username": "admin",
"password": "",
"hostname": "My main machine",
"langfile": "english.json",
"loglevel": "info",
"logfolder": "X:/SPX/LOG/",
"port": "5656",
"dataroot": "X:/SPX/DATAROOT/",
"templatesource": "spx-ip-address",
"preview": "selected",
"renderer": "normal",
"resolution": "HD",
"launchBrowser": false,
"disableConfigUI": true,
"apikey": "",
"disableLocalRenderer": false,
"disableSeveralControllersWarning": false
},
"casparcg": {
"servers": [
{
"name": "OVERLAY",
"host": "localhost",
"port": "5250"
},
{
"name": "VIDEOWALL",
"host": "128.120.110.1",
"port": "5250"
}
]
},
"globalExtras": {
"customscript": "/ExtraFunctions/demoFunctions.js",
"CustomControls": [
{
"ftype": "button",
"bgclass": "bg_black",
"text": "ANIMATE OUT",
"fcall": "stopAll()",
"description": "Take all layers out"
},
{
"ftype": "button",
"bgclass": "bg_red",
"text": "PANIC",
"fcall": "clearAllChannels()",
"description": "Clear playout channels"
}
]
}
}Please note: the server will fail to start if config is not valid JSON. You can use JSONLint to validate JSON data.
general.username / password If username is present but the password is left blank, the app will ask for login policy, just as with first launch. When both are entered the password is saved here (encrypted) and a logic is required to start a session.
general.hostname Mostly for future use This will identify SPX instance for logging purposes.
general.templatesource (Added in v 1.0.9) For CasparCG playout the templates can be loaded from the filesystem or via http-connection provided by SPX. Supported values are:
spx-ip-addressto automatically use SPX's IP address and http -protocol for playing out templates from SPX's template folder. This is the default behaviour.casparcg-template-pathto playout templates from target CasparCG server's file system template-path. (See caspar.config file) Note, in this workflow the templates must be in two places: in SPX ASSETS/templates -folder and CasparCG's templates folder. And if a changes are done to either location, those changes should also be done to the other.rsyncor other mirroring technique should be considered...http://<ip-address>manually entered address can be used when the automatically generated IP address is not usable. For instance Docker containers or VM hosted instances may expose internal IP address which can not be accessed from outside.
Please note templatesource only affects CasparCG playout and not web playout. Also file:// protocol is more restrictive in using external data sources and it can yield javascript errors, such as CORS.
general.preview Version 1.1.0 introduced the first implementation of preview. Any output renderer is treated as a preview renderer if preview=true parameters is present in the renderer URL. CasparCG preview server is not implemented in v.1.1.0 but the renderer?preview=true URL can be added to CasparCG "manually" using ACMP protocol commands.
Preview value dictates which event on the rundown triggers a preview in a the preview renderer. Values available:
selected(the default value) Preview will play whenever a focus is changed on the rundown.nonepreview will not be triggerednext
general.renderer Version 1.1.0 introduced an option to have the local renderer in traditional position at the top right corner of SPX UI or taken out to a floating window. This is stored to config file and each consecutive controller reload will act according to set preference. Possible values are
normalan inline renderer viewpopuprenderer in a floating window "popup" (notice, it is possible that popup blocker prevent this from working as expected)
general.resolution Version 1.3.0 introduced a new option for affecting output from SPX. Please note this is the renderer viewport size, templates will also need to support set size and aspect ratio. Most templates are implemented, or optimized, for 16:9 aspect ratio and 1920x1080 output size.
HD= 1920 x 1080 pixels (16:9)4K= 3840 x 2160 pixels (16:9)AUTO= Full output height and width of the browser viewport rendering the template. Please note most SPX templates are prepared for 16:9 HD output and if using other sizes, this may require changes in the template sizing and layout properties. Typically used term for these kind of HTML layouts is "responsive design".
general.langfile is a file reference in locales-folder for a JSON file containing UI strings in that language. Folder is scanned at server start and files are shown in the configuration as language options. There are some hardcoded strings in the UI still which are gradually improved. Some texts are "user settings" (plugin and extension UI texts, template instructions) and cannot be added to the locale strings.
Localization credits:
| Language | Contributor | Bundled in version |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch | Koen Willems, Netherlands | v1.0.12 |
| Chinese | Anosi Wang, China | v1.1.0 |
| Swedish | Christina F., Finland | v1.1.2 |
| Portuguese | Joao M., Portugal | v1.1.2 |
| Japanese | Masakazu Nakano, Japan | v1.3.0 |
general.loglevel default value is info. Other possible values are error (least), warn, verbose and debug (most log data). Log messages are shown in the SPX console window and are stored into log files in logfolder. The active file is named access.log. Log files can be useful in troubleshooting, verbose is the recommeded level for troubleshooting. If further analysis is needed debug level produces even more information. Remember to set log level back to info since heavy logging will increase disk usage and may effect software performance.
globalExtras{} are additional user interface controls, or plugins, shown below preview window in all project as opposed to projectExtras which are project specific. Each item has an UI component (a button) and associated function call available in the specified javascript file. When a new config.json is created it has some demo extra controls to introduce related consepts and possibilities.
PLEASE NOTE: Global extras will be replaced by Plugins in future versions, since they are easier to install and maintain.
⚠ If SPX is used with CasparCG version 2.3.x LTS is recommended. See CasparCG Releases.
Starting from v.1.0.12 SPX does not have a CasparCG server assigned by default in the configuration. To add CasparCG server(s) go to Configuration and scroll down to CasparCG servers. Add a new server by giving it name such as OVERLAY, ip-address (or localhost) and a port number (5250 is CasparCG's default port). Click on Save at the bottom of the page and there will be an empty line to add another server. Add as many as you have in your production, such as OVERLAY (for CG's), VIDEOWALL, FULLSCREEN etc...
The name
OVERLAYis preferred, since this name is used in all SPX Store templates and the default template pack which comes with the application. Note: use only alphanumeric names for CasparCG servers, without special characters or spaces.
Each SPX template has a setting for choosing a target CasparCG server. This server is assigned in the template settings within Project Settings. (Default value comes to the project from the HTML sourcecode of the template as the 'playserver' -parameter of the TemplateDefinition object.) The name must match with one of configured servers for the playout to work.
SPX has three options for loading templates, see section about configuring template source folder for more info.
If you have problems during playout it is recommeded to set log level higher and observe SPX console window messages for potential cause.
REMEMBER SPX server process must be restarted whenever changes are made to configuration.
SPX renderer is at /renderer URL and it supports additional parameters for specialized workflows. In a typical use (such as 16:9 single renderer production) these can be safely ignored.
| Parameter | Datatype | Example | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
layers |
Array of numbers | [1,2,3,4,20] |
|
preview |
Boolean | true |
|
width |
1920 |
Removed in 1.3.0 | |
height |
1080 |
Removed in 1.3.0 | |
fps |
number | 50 or 29.97 |
Value is passed to templates but none of the official templates uses this property at all. |
An example renderer URL for "a vertical HD-Ready screen, showing only layers 2 and 3 and at 15 fps refresh rate".
renderer/?width=768&height=1366&layers=[2,3]
PLEASE NOTE: fps parameter value is stored to window.top.spxRenderer.fps -global variable of the renderer and it's utilization requires support from the templates themselves. This value IS NOT USED by any templates at the moment developed by SPX Graphics.
PLEASE NOTE: width and height parameters were removed in v.1.3.0 as Application Configuration now supports AUTO sizing mode that will adjust renderer size to match dimensions of the holding viewport, such as browser size settings in OBS or similar software.
All content in SPX is stored as files in dataroot folder which is specified in the configuration.
- Projects are subfolders in the dataroot-folder
- Rundowns are files in project subfolders.
Projects can be added and removed on the Projects page and rundowns can be added and removed inside project on the Rundows page. Most changes are saved automatically. If the UI becomes unresponsive it is usually fixed by refreshing the current page (Ctrl+R).
File structure of dataroot:
⏵ LOG
⏵ ASSETS
⏷ DATAROOT
┝━⏵ Project A
┝━⏵ Project B
┕━⏷ Project C
┝━━ profile.json
┕━⏷ data
┝━ Rundown 1.json
┕━ Rundown 2.json
Typically users don't need to do any manual file management using computer's filesystem.
Project specific settings, such as assigned templates and project extras are stored into profile.json within each project folder.
A static background image can be assigned to a project in the Project Settings. A use case for this might be a chroma image to help in chroma keying in a vision mixer such as ATEM. Another creative use is to have a logo or border or other design element onscreen all the time. A transparent PNG (with an alpha channel) can be used. The background image must be placed to ASSETS/media/image/hd folder and it will appear in the dropdown.
Templates can be added to a project on the project settings page. When a template (a .html file) is browsed and selected, the system will scan the file and search for a template definition which will tell SPX what kind of input fields should be generated for that template and how the template is planned to be played out. Template defaults are stored to project's profile.json (as "copy") and if HTML template's definition related details are changed afterwards the template must be imported to the project again. The system does not re-scan added templates.
If selected template does NOT have template definition it will cause an
error:templateDefinitionMissing-message. See section html templates.
showExtras are additional user interface controls, or plugins, shown below preview window in current project as opposed to globalExtras which are shown in every project. Each item has an UI component (a button) and associated function call available in the specified javascript file.
projectVariables are advanced properties introduced in v.1.1.1. Variables can be used to drive a shared value across several templates on the rundown. If a field in template definition has a prvar property defined when template is added to the project, this will cause a projectVariable to be added (or appended to an existing projectVariable of the same name) into the project's variables array in profile.json file. The latest added template will set the default value of that variable. See example:
/* Example field in the templateDefinition */
{
"field" : "f0",
"ftype" : "textfield",
"title" : "Name of the event",
"value" : "Fakemusic Fest 2022",
"prvar" : "eventName"
}If several templates use a projectVariable by the same name, this template references will be added to an array. When template is removed from the project, its reference will be removed from the users array. See example:
/* Example variables array from profile.json */
"variables": [
{
"prvar": "eventName",
"ftype": "textfield",
"title": "Name of the event",
"value": "Fakemusic Fest 2022",
"users": [
"softpix/eventpack/lowerthird.html",
"softpix/eventpack/agenda.html"
]
}
] showExtras are additional user interface controls, or plugins, shown below preview window in current project as opposed to globalExtras which are shown in every project. Each item has an UI component (a button) and associated function call available in the specified javascript file.
An example projects settings <PROJECT>/profile.json:
{
"templates": [
{
"description": "Hashtag one-liner",
"playserver": "OVERLAY",
"playchannel": "1",
"playlayer": "7",
"webplayout": "7",
"out": "4000",
"uicolor": "7",
"onair": "false",
"dataformat": "xml",
"relpath": "myTemplates/ProjectA/hashtag.html",
"DataFields": [
{
"field": "f0",
"ftype": "textfield",
"title": "Social media hashtag",
"value": "#welldone"
}
],
}
],
"showExtras": {
"customscript": "/ExtraFunctions/demoFunctions.js",
"CustomControls": [
{
"description": "Play simple bumper",
"ftype": "button",
"bgclass": "bg_orange",
"text": "Bumper FX",
"fcall": "PlayBumper",
},
{
"description": "Corner logo on/off",
"ftype": "togglebutton",
"bgclass": "bg_green",
"text0": "Logo ON",
"text1": "Logo OFF",
"fcall": "logoToggle(this)"
},
{
"description": "Sound FX",
"ftype": "selectbutton",
"bgclass": "bg_blue",
"text": "Play",
"fcall": "playSelectedAudio",
"value": "yes.wav",
"items": [
{
"text": "No!",
"value": "no.wav"
},
{
"text": "Yesss!",
"value": "yes.wav"
}
]
},
]
}
}The above project has just one template (
hashtag.html) assigned with three extra controls of different types.
Custom control's ftype can be
- button: a simple push button (with
textas caption) - togglebutton: button with separate on / off states
- selectbutton: a select list with an execute selection button
- ftypes
hiddenvalue is used, title showntextfielda typical input fielddropdownoptions provided as an array"items":[ {"text": "Hundred", "value": 100}, {"text": "Dozen", "value": 12} ]valueis one of the item array values
captiontext of "value" is shown in UI. Useful with static graphics.
SPX uses HTML templates for visuals.
Templates can have any features supported by the renderers, such as Canvas objects, WebGL animations, CSS transforms and animations, animation libraries, such as GSAP, ThreeJS, Anime, Lottie/Bodymovin and templates can utilize ajax calls for data visualizations and other advanced uses.
SPX comes with a starter template package for reference. See folder ASSETS/templates/smartpx/Template_Pack_1
Video: Use existing HTML templates.
Recommended folder structure for templates
⏵ LOG
⏵ DATAROOT
⏷ ASSETS
┝━⏵ video
┝━⏵ media
┕━⏷ templates
┝━⏵ smartpx
┝━⏵ yle
┕━⏷ myCompany
┝━⏵ ProjectA
┕━⏷ ProjectB
┝━⏵ css
┝━⏵ js
┝━ Template1.html
┕━ Template2.html
The templates must be within
ASSETS/templatesfolder structure. It is preferred to have a single subfolder for all your templates (myCompany in the example above) and futher subfolders for different template packs or visual styles within it (ProjectA, ProjectB in the example).
SPX user interface and web playout always loads templates from ASSETS/templates folder, but CasparCG playout can be configured to playout copied templates from template-path folder configured in CasparCG Server caspar.config -file.
IMPORTANT: Each HTML template must have an
JSON data objectpresent in the HTML-files source code, within the HEAD section. Video: use existing HTML templates covers also this topic.
TemplateDefinition configures how a template is supposed to work within SPX; what kinds of controls are shown to the operator and how the graphic should playout, on which server and layer for instance. These values are template's defaults and can be changed in the Project Settings view after the template is added to the project.
Theoretically all properties are optional, but it's recommended most properties, especially playout layers, are carefully given to prevent clashes during playout.
See details about supported values below the snippet.
<!-- An example template definition object for SPX. -->
<!-- Place it as the last item within the HEAD section -->
<script>
window.SPXGCTemplateDefinition = {
"description": "Top left with icon",
"playserver": "OVERLAY",
"playchannel": "1",
"playlayer": "7",
"webplayout": "7",
"steps" : "1",
"out": "manual",
"uicolor": "2",
"dataformat": "json",
"DataFields": [
{
"ftype" : "instruction",
"value" : "A example demo template definition. Learn what it does and make use of it's capabilities."
},
{
"field" : "f0",
"ftype" : "textfield",
"title" : "Info text",
"value" : ""
},
{
"field": "f1",
"ftype": "dropdown",
"title": "Select logo scaling",
"value": "0.3",
"items": [
{
"text": "Tiny logo",
"value": "0.3"
},
{
"text": "Huge logo",
"value": "1.2"
}
]
},
{
"field" : "f2",
"ftype" : "textarea",
"title" : "Multiline field",
"value" : "First line\nSecond line\n\nFourth one"
},
{
"ftype" : "divider"
},
{
"field": "f3",
"ftype": "filelist",
"title": "Choose background image from global ASSETS-folder",
"assetfolder" : "/media/images/bg/" ,
"extension" : "png",
"value": "/media/images/bg/checker.png",
},
{
"field": "f4",
"ftype": "filelist",
"title": "Choose CSS stylesheet from template's relative styles-folder",
"assetfolder" : "./styles/" ,
"extension" : "css",
"value": "./styles/defaultStyle.css",
},
{
"field": "f5",
"ftype": "number",
"title": "Rotation degrees",
"value": "45",
},
{
"field": "f6",
"ftype": "checkbox",
"title": "Show logo",
"value": "1",
},
{
"field": "f7",
"ftype": "button",
"title": "Click me",
"descr": "Describe button function here",
"fcall": "myCustomHello('world')"
},
{
"ftype": "spacer"
},
{
"field": "f8",
"ftype": "color",
"title": "Text color",
"value": "rgba(255, 255, 255, 1.0)"
}
]
};
</script>- playserver: one of the available CasparCG server names in config or "-" for none
- playchannel: CasparCG playout channel
- playlayer: CasparCG playout layer
- webplayout: a number between 1..20, or "-" for none
Layeris a number between 1..20. Layer 1 is at the very back and 20 is the highest ("closest to the camera"). Layers can be changed for each template in each project separately in the Project Settings.
- out: how layer should be taken out:
manualdefault way: press STOP to animate outnoneplay only. Suitable for wipes / bumpers[numeric]milliseconds until STOP is executed
- steps: how many phases in animation? For normal in-out templates this is 1. For templates with 2 or more steps the Continue button gets enabled.
- dataformat: how template logic is expecting data
jsonthe default value (from 1.2.2)xmlfor compatibility with older CasparCG templates
- ftypes
- ftypes (for field types) define template's GUI controls in SPX controller
- the values of first two fileds are used as content preview in the rundown, so the order of fields should be considered for the ease of use
- The developer of the HTML template can consider how to utilize these values, for instance a
dropdowncontrol can be used to pick the name of the show host, or it can drive other values via javascript in the templates. See /ASSETS/templates/smartpx -folder for some inspiration.
| Field type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
hidden |
A variable which is not editable by the user. Value is used by the template and, title shown as static text on UI. | Red color (#f00) |
caption |
The value is shown in UI. Caption can be used to display texts to operators of the template. | This template does not have editable values |
textfield |
A typical single line text input field. | Firstname Lastname |
dropdown |
A dropdown selector list. Options is an items array, each consisting of text (which is visible) and the value (which the template will use). The default selection is defined as value and it must be one of the values in the items array. See an example definition above. |
"items":[ {"text": "Hundred", "value": 100}, {"text": "Dozen", "value": 12} ] |
textarea |
A multiline text control which accepts return key for new lines. (Added in 1.0.2) | First line \n Second line |
filelist |
A dropdown selector list for files of of given type extension in an assetfolder within ASSETS -folderstructure of SPX. This is useful for picking images or other media files in templates. (Added in 1.0.3). Version 1.0.15 introduced relative folders. If assetfolder path value starts with "./" the path is considered relative to the template root folder. This is useful for optional CSS styles or alternative images. See examples of both path styles above. |
sport_logo.png, news_logo.png |
divider |
A utility ftype to add a visual divider to a template. Can be used to create visual seqments for ease of use. (Added in 1.0.3) | |
instruction |
Value can be used as a longer help text on the template but does not have any other functionality. (Added in 1.0.6) | Max 100 characters to the field below. |
number |
Value is exposed as a number field in the template UI. (Added in 1.0.7) | 45 |
checkbox |
Title is used as label in UI. Value is "0" or "1" when checked. (Added in 1.0.10) |
[x] Show logo |
color |
Title is used as label in UI. Value is a valid CSS color string such as rgb(255,0,0) (full red) or rgba(0,0,0,0.33) (black with 33% opacity). (Added in 1.1.1)Please note: The Color Picker UI feels a bit flaky, color may need to be selected two or more times for it to register as intended. This may improve in future versions. |
rgba(255,255,255,1.0) |
spacer |
Just an empty line to separate out sections. This can be used in very complex templates to visually separate control groups (Added in 1.1.2) | (no parameters) |
Note additional user interface controls may be added in future releases.
SPX's animated graphics and overlays can be integrated used in streaming and videoconferencing with any video- or streaming application which has a support for "Browser" or "HTML Sources". SPX provides a URL address which is entered to the streaming software as a layer / input / source. In OBS use Browser source, in vMIX it's called Web Browser input and in XSplit it's a Webpage source...
http://localhost:5656/renderer
If you have several inputs (for instance for multiple presenters) you can limit which layers get's rendered to different screens with the layers parameter in Renderer url, for instance:
http://localhost:5656/renderer/?layers=[2,4,20]
See Youtube video on using SPX with OBS.
Originally SPX was designed for local, on-site installation and usage, but more and more production is done via the cloud where a secure data transfer and the use of https protocol is a must. SPX can work with https, but it will require a bit of setup.
Please read our Knowledge Base article about https with SPX Server.
http://localhost:5656/api/v1
See an article on using the SPX API: https://spxgc.tawk.help/article/help-api and download a sample project for developing your own custom SPX Extensions.
SPX can also be used with Bitfocus Companion, see https://bitfocus.io/companion. Companion version 2 will have a built in module with presets for SPX.
OSC -protocol is not supported in SPX 1.0.x but will be added in a future version.
Version 1.0.10 introduced ASSETS/plugins -folder for additional functionality, such as custom function triggering plugin buttons and extensions which are additional user interfaces or panels. For instance Scoreboard is a sports clock extension with an independent user interface. Another example is a SocialPlayout - an upcoming extension for moderating and LIVE playout of social messages from various social media platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, etc.
Each plugin has a subfolder with at least an init.js file and optionally other folders and files, such as html, css and js.
plugins/lib -folder contains common SPX user interface elements used by plugins. More functionality and UI controls will be added here in future releases. These can be checkboxes, dropdown selectors etc.
A Knowledge Base at spxgc.tawk.help is a growing collection of self-help articles in various SPX related topics.
Github issue tracker should be used for bug reports. For other feedback such as feature requests or other comments (for now at least) please use Google Forms feedback form at https://forms.gle/T26xMFyNZt9E9S6d8. All constructive feedback is highly appreciated!
- If UI becomes wonky reload the view (F5 / Ctrl+R).
- There is spagetti code whenever worked tired. Try to accept it...
- Undocumented features do exist. (templateEvents, TTS, pm2, cfg:hostname/usercommapass/greeting...)
- This list shouldn't be. At least not here.
New releases will try address found issues and bugs in older versions and they will also introduce new features and functionality. See table for some planned features and use feedback to submit suggestions.
DISCUSS FEATURES: Visit spx.kampsite.co to discuss and propose new features and vote them up 🚀
When a new version becomes available it will be promoted on the Welcome page of the application (if access to internet). Several versions can be installed (into different folders) and if there are no backwards compatibility issues between versions they can be configured to use the same dataroot -folder for projects/rundowns.
| Release | Planned features (subject to change) | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | TBD | |
| X.X | Under consideration: OSC support, Built-in NDI support, mediafile picker, video playback control templates, |
TBD |
Strikethrough items are already done.
Visit spx.kampsite.co to discuss the roadmap.
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Copyright 2020-2023 Tuomo Kulomaa [email protected] & SPX Graphics
This project is licensed under the terms of the MIT license. See LICENSE.txt
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