Remote commands
Send a command to a player from the application, follow its result and request a screenshot.
Remote commands let you act on a player without traveling: force a sync, reload content, restart the display or request a screenshot.
Sending a command requires the Owner, Administrator or Technician role.
How a command is delivered
A command is not executed instantly: the player picks it up at its next contact with Pixlova, that is 30 seconds at most when it is online. It is tracked in two separate steps:
- Delivery: was the command sent to the player, then received by it?
- Result: did the command succeed?
“Received” does not mean “succeeded”
A player can receive a command and then fail to execute it. Wait until the Result column shows Succeeded before drawing conclusions.
From a screen’s page
- Open the screen’s page (Screens section, then click the screen).
- Open the Health and commands tab.
- In the Commands panel, click the command you want.
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
| Force sync | The player reads its schedule and settings right away, without waiting for the next cycle. |
| Reload content | This screen’s content is reloaded. |
| Request status | The player immediately sends its full status, which updates the Player health signal. |
| Clear unused cache | The player deletes media that are no longer scheduled, to free up space. |
| Restart renderer | The display software restarts; the screen is briefly interrupted. You are asked to confirm. |
While a command is running, its button shows “in progress” and cannot be sent again: wait for its result.
From a player’s page
A player’s page (Screens section, Players tab, then click the player) has an Actions box:
- Sync now;
- Clear unused cache;
- Restart the display: interrupts all of this player’s screens for a few seconds, after confirmation;
- Restart the machine: fully restarts the device, after confirmation. This action is only offered if the player supports it.
The same box shows the Latest commands sent to this player. Player updates are described in the Players section.
A revoked player no longer receives commands.
Follow a command
The Recent commands table lists the commands sent, with:
- Command and the time it was requested (Requested);
- Delivery: “not sent”, “sent” or “received”, with the time;
- Result: the command’s state.
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Waiting to be picked up | The player has not picked up the command yet. |
| Sent, not confirmed | The player picked up the command but has not confirmed it yet. |
| Received by the Player | The player received the command; the result is not known yet. |
| Succeeded | The command was executed. |
| Failed | The command was executed without success. |
| Rejected by the Player | The player refused the command. |
| Expired | The player did not pick up the command in time (for example because it was offline). |
| Cancelled | The command was cancelled before being sent. |
| Unknown outcome | The player could not tell whether the command went through (for example after an unexpected restart). |
Click Refresh commands to refresh the table. While a command is running, it also refreshes on its own.
Cancel a command
A command that is Waiting to be picked up can be cancelled with the Cancel button on its row. Once sent to the player, it can no longer be cancelled, because the player may have started it.
Request a screenshot
The Screenshot panel in the Health and commands tab gives you an image of what the player is showing.
- Click Request a screenshot.
- The request appears in the list with its state. When the image is available, click Screenshot of followed by the date to display it.
Good to know:
- The screenshot is a dated image of the renderer: it is not a live feed, and it does not prove that the screen is on or visible.
- Screenshots are kept for a limited time, shown in the panel. Each view is logged.
- Not all players support screenshots. The Web Player, for example, does not: the panel then shows “This Player does not support screenshots”.
- If the panel shows “Screenshots are turned off for this organization”, no screenshot can be requested.
The Owner, Administrator, Technician and Operator roles can request and view screenshots.