87 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
87 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
# green-signals
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## Introduction
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green-signals is the source code for "Grüne Signale" digital signage solution.
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## Features
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"Grüne Signale" offers a digital signage platform intended for use in showrooms.
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Main goal is to run a slideshow presenting end-user customizable contents with low efforts and budget required to set it up.
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* Low Budget solution
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* Low Knowledge requirements
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* All based on OpenSource modules and OpenSource itself
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* Playback of Images and Videos (muted)
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* Media files can be delivered in nested folders
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* Playback of Media follows alpabetical order
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* Easy to configure
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* Easy content updates via media download (zipped)
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* Once set up it shall run unattended
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* Written in Python 3
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## Prerequisites
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* Raspberry Pi computer with Power supply, HDMI cable and SD-Card
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* Display with HDMI input (best with HDMI CEC support)
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* *this can be a dedicated computer monitor or a TV Set*
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* *the Display should support FullHD Resolution (native 1920x1080)*
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* LAN or WLAN connection
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* Mouse and Keyboard only needed for initial setup
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* VLC Application (included in Full Raspian Image)
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* Python-VLC module (used for playback, installed from setup.py)
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* Pillow module (used to scale down oversized images, installed from setup.py)
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* requests module (used for downloading slideshow data, installed from setup.py)
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* Cloud account for automated media update (we suggest to use "Grüne Wolke")
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* *The media files need to be provided as ZIP-File containing the images and videos*
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## Media formats
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* Images in JPG or PNG format, same display duration for all images as configured
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* Videos in MOV, M4V or MP4 format
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* All media shall have 16:9 landscape format
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* *media with a different aspect ratio will show black borders*
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* All media will be scaled to fill the screen
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* Best resolution is 1920x1080 pixels (FullHD)
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* *images larger than 1920x1080 are scaled down after download, which is quite slow on the Raspberry Pi*
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* Video clips are muted during playback
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* Video clips should start and end with blending from/to a black frame (playback could flicker)
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## Environmental Topics
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* A Raspberry Pi computer has low energy consumption (usually less than 10W)
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* It can be configured for a safe shut down at night time (reduce light pollution)
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* A diplay supporting HDMI CEC will automatically switch to StandBy
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* Power for Raspberry Pi and display shall be turned off by a timer device
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* *set the timer a few minutes after scheduled shut down of the Raspberry Pi computer*
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* when the power is switched back on in the morning, The slideshow will autoomatically start and in background update the media files
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## Development Environment
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* The project is developed on a Raspberry Pi 400, any Raspberry Pi model (except Pico) is fine
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* Raspberry Pi 1 and Zero models may partially work (limitatons with video playback)
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* The project is intended to run on "Raspberry Pi OS" (based on Debian Buster)
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* *support for other platforms is possible, but not tested*
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## TODOs
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- [x] create setup script *(setup.py)*
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- [x] run pip3 install python-vlc
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- [x] run pip3 install python-crontab
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- [x] add green-signals to auto-start
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- [x] write configuration file
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- [x] user friendly GUI
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- [x] configuration script *(included in setup.py)*
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- [x] add cronjob for safe shutdown at given time *(obsolete, handled internally)*
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- [ ] validation that remote URL points to a ZIP file.
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- [ ] improve on-barding
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- [ ] so far only dummy images for intial slideshow
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- [ ] provide manual in media slides and as documentation (Wiki?)
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- [ ] tutorials and other on-boarding guides (maybe with "Grünstreifen")
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- [ ] testing, testing
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- [ ] and more testing in real world ;-)
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## Contact:
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Chatbegruenung, Channel netzbegruenung-digitalsignage
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Stefan Schmidt-Bilkenroth, ssb@mac.com
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