Using The TrouDigital Creative Studio
This article will provide you with an overview of all the features the studio has to offer.
The TrouDigital Creative Studio is your one-stop shop for creating content. It’s been designed with digital signage in mind, enabling you to create content that makes the most of your screens.
This article will take you through the main features of the Studio.
Appearance and Settings
Appearance and Settings can be found on the right-hand side of the studio. Firstly, name your Creative and give it a description if needed, then begin working down the list.
Creative Settings
Using the Editor Orientation, you can choose whether to use a portrait or landscape canvas. If you need a more specific format, manually input your desired Aspect Ratio and Editor Resolution.
The alignment tool is used in the rare circumstances where multiple Creatives need to be shown on one screen. If this isn’t the case for you, don’t worry about this function. If this does interest you, get in contact with a member of the team and we’ll give you a detailed run-through.
Content Duration shows you how long the Creative will be shown on your screens (this can be amended later in the Playlists tab). The main thing is to ensure the ‘Update Duration in Playlists’ box is ticked, then you are good to go.
Appearance
This is where you choose a background colour/image for your content.
Once you click on ‘Background’, you will be provided with a collection of images (provided by Unsplash). Use the search bar to find an image that suits you.
Alternatively, you can use a colour. Click the plus icon on the top-left to open the colour palette, where you can find the perfect colour and choose appropriate effects for your background.
Top Tip: Use the Colour Code to input your brand colours (e.g. #032EC4).
Reporting and Audit
By ticking the ‘Collect Statistics’ box, you enable us to collect valuable data from your screens. For example, we could measure the number of touch interactions on a particular screen, or perhaps how often a particular Creative appears across all your screens.
To learn how to make the most of your statistics, head to Reports.
Widgets
Widgets are the various components of your Creative. This includes everything from a Text Box to a Data Dashboard.
On the left of the Studio, you’ll see all the available widgets. To use a widget, simply drag and drop it into your canvas.
On the right, you have a list of the active widgets in your canvas. If you hover your cursor over a widget, you will see the option to edit the name of the widget (the pen icon) and lock the widget in place (the lock icon). You can also double-click a widget to open the properties, where you can make detailed edits.
For more details on the function of each widget, click here.
The Toolbar
The Toolbar is the set of icons running along the top of the Studio. This is where you can perform the traditional functions you’d find on most creative platforms.
The Toolbar is tailored to the editing/formatting of your widgets, therefore you’ll notice that if no widget is selected, most of the toolbar selections aren’t available.
By selecting a widget, you’ll gain access to all the relevant functions. Hover your cursor over each icon to see what it does.
Saving Content
Once you are happy with your content, click the red ‘Save’ button in the top-right corner. You’ll notice a ‘Preview’ button next to ‘Save’. Previewing is a great way to validate your content, as you can see exactly how it would look on one of your screens.
Once your content is saved, it will appear in the Creatives tab, ready to be deployed to your screens. Remember to give it a distinctive and recognisable name, so you can locate it easily.