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Quick start: your first screen

This page takes one picture all the way to a screen. It’s the quickest way to see how Casty fits together. Each stage links to a fuller guide when you want to do more.

The example puts an afternoon tea poster on the lobby screen at The Linden Hotel. Use your own picture and your own screen.

Before you start

Section titled “Before you start”
  • A screen that’s already connected and shows in Displays (see Connect a screen).
  • An image the same shape as the screen, for example 1920 by 1080 pixels for a landscape TV. A JPG or PNG is fine.

1. Upload the picture

Section titled “1. Upload the picture”

  1. Click Library in the menu on the left, then Media. Click Add Media.

    The Media page with the Add Media button outlined

  2. In Select folder location, pick the venue’s folder. Drag your picture into the dotted box, or click Select Files and choose it.

  3. Wait for the progress bar to reach 100% and the message to say the item is completed, then click Done.

    The Add Media window showing linden-afternoon-tea.jpg uploaded to The Linden Hotel folder, with Done outlined

More on the library: Upload media to the library.

2. Make a layout

Section titled “2. Make a layout”

  1. Click Design in the menu, then Layouts. Click Add Layout. The layout editor opens with a new, empty layout called Untitled followed by today’s date and time.

    The Layouts page with the Add Layout button outlined

  2. Click the layout’s name at the top of the editor. In Edit Layout, type a Name you’ll recognise later. Click Select Folder, pick the venue’s folder and click Done. Click Save.

    The Edit Layout window with the name Linden Afternoon Tea, the folder set to The Linden Hotel and Save outlined

  3. In the strip of icons on the left, click the picture icon. Type part of your file’s name in Name to find it.

    The image search in the editor, filtered to linden-afternoon, with the uploaded picture outlined

  4. Drag the picture onto the black canvas in the middle. It lands as a small box and the panel on the right shows its settings.

  5. With the picture still selected, click the last tab at the top of the right-hand panel (the small grid icon after Advanced). Click Make this full screen, dimensions will be set to 1920 by 1080.

    The position tab for the picture, with the Make this full screen button outlined

    The picture now fills the canvas. The bar under the canvas shows the layout’s name, and the play button there previews it.

    The layout editor with the afternoon tea picture filling the canvas

The editor saves each change as you make it. More on designing: Design a layout.

3. Publish the layout

Section titled “3. Publish the layout”

A new or changed layout is a draft until you publish it. Screens only play published layouts.

  1. Click the menu icon (three lines) in the top right of the editor, then Publish.

    The editor’s Options menu with Publish outlined

  2. Leave Publish Now? ticked and click Publish.

    The Publish Linden Afternoon Tea window with the Publish button outlined

  3. Click Exit in the top left to leave the editor.

4. Schedule it on a screen

Section titled “4. Schedule it on a screen”

  1. Click Schedule in the menu, then Events. Click Add Event.

    The Events page with the Add Event button outlined

  2. Leave Event Type set to Layout. Click the Layout box, type part of your layout’s name and pick it. Click Next.

    The Content step of Schedule Event with Linden Afternoon Tea chosen and Next outlined

  3. Click Search Display and Display Groups, type part of the screen’s name and tick it. Click the word Display above the box to close the list.

  4. Click Finish. This creates an event that plays all the time on that screen. To play it only at certain times, click Next instead and set the times (see Schedule content on your screens).

    The Displays step with Linden Lobby chosen and Finish outlined

5. Check the screen picked it up

Section titled “5. Check the screen picked it up”

The screen doesn’t change the instant you click Finish. It picks up the new event the next time it checks in with the CMS.

  1. Click Displays in the menu, then Displays. Type the screen’s name in the search box.

  2. Look at Current Layout. When the screen has checked in and started playing your layout, its name appears there.

    The Linden Lobby row with Linden Afternoon Tea in the Current Layout column

  3. To see the screen for yourself, click the picture in the Thumbnail column. If you’d like a fresh one, open the row’s menu (the three dots) and click Request Screenshot.

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”
Design a layoutAdd text, a clock, video and more.
Schedule contentSet times, repeats and priority.
Check on your screensStatus, check-ins and screenshots.