Getting Started with the Slideshow System
AccuArk's Slideshow System is a built-in digital signage solution that lets you create, schedule, and display promotional content on screens at your business locations. Whether you want to showcase product promotions, display daily specials, or broadcast emergency messages, the slideshow system handles it all from within the AccuArk desktop application.
What the Slideshow System Does
The slideshow system turns any connected monitor or TV into a digital sign. You design individual slides with text, images, logos, QR codes, and price badges. You group those slides into playlists that play in order. You create schedules that determine when each playlist plays. And you launch a full-screen player that renders everything in real time.
The system supports live data binding, which means slides can pull current prices and stock status directly from your inventory database. When a price changes in AccuArk, the slide updates automatically the next time it renders.
The Four Core Components
The slideshow system is organized into four components that work together:
1. Slides
Slides are the individual screens of content. Each slide has a background (solid color, gradient, image, video, or stream URL), text content (headline, subheading, body, and call-to-action), and optional overlays (logo, price badge, QR code). You design slides using the Slide Editor, which provides controls for every visual property. Slides can be reused across multiple playlists.
2. Playlists
Playlists are ordered collections of slides. A playlist defines which slides play and in what sequence. Each slide in a playlist can have its own display duration, or it can use the slide's default duration. Playlists can be set to loop continuously. You can share playlists across multiple locations or keep them location-specific.
3. Schedules
Schedules determine when playlists play. A schedule links a playlist to a time rule and a priority. AccuArk supports six schedule modes: Always, Date Range, Time of Day, Day of Week, Combined, and One-Time. When multiple schedules are active at the same time, the one with the highest priority wins.
4. Player
The player is a full-screen, borderless window that renders slides on the target monitor. It handles fade transitions between slides, displays a progress bar and clock overlay, polls the database every 30 seconds for changes, and can display emergency override messages that interrupt normal playback.
Required Permissions
Access to the slideshow system is controlled by five permissions. Your administrator assigns these through the role management system:
| Permission | What It Controls |
|---|---|
| MKT_VIEW_SLIDESHOW | View the Slideshow Manager and see all slides, playlists, and schedules |
| MKT_MANAGE_SLIDES | Create, edit, delete, and clone slides; create and manage playlists |
| MKT_MANAGE_SCHEDULES | Create, edit, and delete schedules |
| MKT_LAUNCH_PLAYER | Launch the slideshow player on any connected monitor |
| MKT_EMERGENCY_OVERRIDE | Activate and deactivate emergency override messages |
At minimum, you need MKT_VIEW_SLIDESHOW to open the Slideshow Manager. Without it, the system will deny access when you try to open the module.
How to Access the Slideshow Manager
To open the Slideshow Manager:
- Go to the Marketing menu in the main navigation bar.
- Click Slideshow Manager.
The Slideshow Manager opens as a tabbed interface with four tabs: Dashboard, Slides, Playlists, and Schedules.
Recommended Setup Order
If you are setting up the slideshow system for the first time, follow this order:
- Create your slides first. Design 3-5 slides with your key promotional messages. Start simple with solid color backgrounds and text. You can add images and overlays later.
- Build a playlist. Create a new playlist and add your slides to it. Set the display order and duration for each slide.
- Create a schedule. Start with an "Always" schedule that links to your new playlist. This is the simplest schedule mode and makes your playlist play continuously.
- Launch the player. Click the Launch Slideshow button, select your target monitor, and watch your slides play.
Once you have the basics working, explore schedule modes to rotate playlists by time of day or day of week, add live data binding to show real-time prices, and use the emergency override system for urgent announcements.
Quick Start Walkthrough
Here is a step-by-step walkthrough to get your first slideshow running in under ten minutes:
- Open Marketing > Slideshow Manager.
- Go to the Slides tab and click New Slide.
- Enter a name like "Welcome Slide", set the duration to 10 seconds, choose a background color, and type a headline such as "Welcome to Our Store". Click Save.
- Repeat to create 2-3 more slides with different messages.
- Go to the Playlists tab and click New Playlist.
- Name it "Default Playlist" and check the Loop option.
- With the playlist selected, click Add Slide and add your slides to the playlist.
- Go to the Schedules tab and click New Schedule.
- Select your playlist, choose the Always mode, set priority to 1, and click Save.
- Click the Launch Slideshow button in the Dashboard or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+L.
- Select your target monitor from the dialog and click OK.
Your slideshow is now running. Press Escape to exit the player when finished.
What to Read Next
- Slideshow Manager Overview for a detailed guide to all four tabs and keyboard shortcuts.
- Creating and Editing Slides for a complete walkthrough of the Slide Editor.
- Understanding Schedule Modes to learn how each scheduling option works.