Both AV Automation and Manus Administrator can be configured to use the Viz Mosart Template Database.

• AV Automation: For storing templates and the xml configuration file, AvConfig.

• Manus Administrator: For storing NRCS template type aliases as configured in the newsroomsettings NCS tags editor.

Both applications extract information from the database and store the information locally on file:

• AV Automation: In files channeltemplates.xml and avconfig.xml. 

• Manus Administrator: In file newsroomsettings.xml.

The following topics are presented:

AV Automation and the Mosart Template Database

Connection Setup

To connect AV Automation to the Template Database

1. With AV Automation running, navigate from the menu bar to the Settings dialog, Devices > Settings (or keyboard shortcut combination CTRL + SHIFT + P).

2. Ensure these settings are made:

   1. Use Template database: Set to True to enable connection to the Viz Mosart Template Database (Default: False).

   2. Connection string: The connection string used to connect to the template database.

      For example, for a MySQL database:

      server=<hostname>;User Id=<user>;Password=<password>;database=mosarttemplatedb

   3. Default Template Db Inserter: The name to be used for the …_insertedby and …_updatedby columns, the entities enabling a database update.
      These names are only visible in the database itself where the _insertedby and _updatedby columns are populated with this property.
      We recommend to specify as ThisGallery + main/backup, to identify main and backup servers respectively.

      

3. Click Save.

4. The following additional settings are set using the old settings dialog (accessed with CTRL + SHIFT + S):

   

   1. ThisGallery: The name of the DB gallery representing the gallery of this Viz Mosart installation. This DB gallery need not exist, but will be inserted when saving in A/V Setup or saving to DB in the Template Editor.
      The value must be identical for both the Mosart main and backup servers, with a unique name for each gallery (Default: NONSHARED).

   2. SharedGallery: This setting SHOULD NOT be changed from its default value, and not be changed using the Settings dialogue.
      However, it can be changed in the MMAVAutomation.exe.config file, but this is not recommended (Default: SHARED).
      SharedGallery is the DB name of the pseudo-gallery containing the shared template sets.
      If Viz Mosart has been installed to use the Template DB functionality, this gallery has already been inserted into the DB.

   3. TemplateDbEnableAutoSynchronize: When true, idle Mosart Servers targeting the same gallery (ThisGallery) are automatically synchronized by AV Automation.
      Changes made to a template on one Mosart server are automatically obtainable by the other Mosart servers.
      This is typically used by Mosart main/backup servers. Recommended value: True (unless your show design has high-intensity template changes. See TemplateDbPollIntervalSeconds).
      Note: Only idle servers will update automatically. Live servers requires a manual operation, for example by opening the Template Editor, clicking on the Status bar or by restarting AV Automation.

   4. TemplateDbPollIntervalSeconds: Number of seconds between Mosart server polling the database for updates.
      Used by the synchronization mechanism to check whether a synchronization operation is necessary. If set to 0, 5 seconds is used. Recommended value: 5 seconds (Default: 0, giving 5 seconds).
      Set to a higher value than the default (5 seconds) if multiple frequent template changes occur.

   5. TemplateDbEnableLocking (deprecated): Leave at default value (True). Only used on legacy systems, to ensure only one Mosart server gets write access to a template in the template database at a time, preventing two users from simultaneously editing the same template.

5. Restart AV Automation.

When successful, an entry for the gallery is added to the database and initial templates (channeltemplates.xml) and AV Config (avconfig.xml) are uploaded.
Successful connections is also indicated in the AV Automation status bar:

To verify AV Automation database connection

1. Perform connection steps above, To connect AV Automation to the Template Database.

2. Using any MySql database client, verify the content of the ga_gallery table. This table shall now contain a single row where ga_name=ThisGallery.

AV Automation Actions

When connected to the Template Database, AV Automation performs state-dependent actions.

At AV Automation launch

• avconfig.xml is replaced by the value tied to ThisGallery.

  • If ThisGallery does not yet exist, any existing avconfig.xml is used as is, enabling an existing setup for template sharing.

• channeltemplates.xml is replaced.

  • Any shared template sets are written as channels elements to the new channeltemplates.xml with a gallery attribute of SharedGallery

  • Any template sets tied to ThisGallery are written as channels elements to the new channeltemplates.xml with a gallery attribute of ThisGallery

  • If ThisGallery does not yet exist, any channels elements in the old channeltemplates.xml (except those with a gallery attribute of SharedGallery), are transferred as-is to the new one.
    This avoids naming conflicts and facilitates bringing an existing setup to template sharing.

Saving to A/V Setup

• If ThisGallery does not exist in the database, it is inserted.

• The new contents of avconfig.xml are stored in the database tied to ThisGallery.

• The contents of selected enumerations are stored separately in the database.

  • These are used when storing channeltemplates.xml in the database

  • A new or changed A/V Setup must always be saved, before saving to the template database.

Saving to Template Database

• If ThisGallery does not exist in the database, it is inserted.

• The new content of channeltemplates.xml is stored in the database.
  Channel elements, Template Sets, with a gallery attribute of SharedGallery are stored as shared Template Sets - for example, tied to SharedGallery.
  Each template in these sets has:

  • A template description tied to SharedGallery

  • A template description tied to ThisGallery, the two descriptions will be equal

  • A template implementation tied to ThisGallery.

Any existing descriptions and implementations tied to other galleries are retained.

• Other channels elements, including any new template sets are tied to ThisGallery. Each template in these sets will have:

  • A template description tied to ThisGallery

  • A template implementation tied to ThisGallery.

Importing channeltemplates.xml

You can use a ready-made template set, stored as an XML-file. and manually import to the database. This is useful for populating the template database with content from a channeltemplates.xml file.
Either initially or as backup / transfer operation.

To import channeltemplates.xml to the Template Database

1. With AV Automation running, navigate from the menu bar to Devices > Template editor.

2. From Template Editor, open any channeltemplates.xml from file with File >Open.

   

3. Select required XML file from the list.

   

4. Click Open.

5. Select the File > Save  To Database.
   The content of the selected channeltemplates.xml file is now uploaded to the Template Database.

Importing avconfig.xml

You can manually import an avconfig.xml file to the database. avconfig.xml is stored as-is related to the gallery. Additionally, the lists of vision mixer effects and crosspoints, audio mixer inputs, video router sources and destinations are extracted and stored as global lists within the database. This information is used by the Viz Mosart ActiveX and Viz Mosart NRCS Plugin.

To import avconfig.xml to the Template Database

1. With AV Automation running, navigate from the menu bar to Devices > Template editor > A/V Setup.

2. From the A/V Setup menu bar, select File > Open to open required avconfig.xml file.

3. With the required file visible in A/V Setup, select the File > Save.
   The content of the selected avconfig.xml file is now stored in the template database. 

Manus Administrator and the Mosart Template Database

The only information stored in the database from Manus Administrator are the newsroom aliases for Mosart template types, ‘NCS tags’ in the newsroomsettings editor.

This is done to make the newsroom aliases the same for all galleries connected to the database. This information is global and shared among all galleries. Therefore there is no gallery-specific setting necessary within Manus Administrator (unlike ThisGallery for AV Automation)

Connection Setup

To connect Manus Administrator to the Template Database

1. With Manus Administrator running, type settings followed by ENTER.

2. Ensure these settings are made:

   1. Use Template database: Set to true to enable connection to the Viz Mosart Template Database (Default: false).

   2. Connection string: The connection string used to connect to the template database.

      For example, for a MySQL database:

      server=<hostname>;User Id=<user>;Password=<password>;database=mosarttemplatedb

   3. Default Template Db Inserter: The name to be used for the …_insertedby and …_updatedby columns, the entities enabling a database update.
      These names are only visible in the database itself where the _insertedby and _updatedby columns are populated with this property.
      We recommend to specify as ThisGallery + main/backup, to identify main and backup servers respectively.

      

3. Click Save.

Import newsroomsettings.xml

To import newsroomsettings.xml to the Template Database

You can import NRCS template type aliases that are stored in newsroomsettings.xml, to the database.

1. With Manus Administrator running, type newsroomsettings.
   This opens a separate Newsroom Settings menu.

2. From the menu bar, select File > Open.

3. Select required newsroomsettings.xml file and click Open.

4. Select the File > Save.

The newsroom aliases for template types are now uploaded to the Template Database.

Mosart Web Apps NRCS Plugin

Journalists use the Mosart Web Apps NRCS Plugin to insert and customize Viz Mosart template information into their NRCS script.

• From within their NRCS, the journalist searches for a Viz Mosart template, customizes the content, then drag and drops it into their script.

• When the script is saved, details are pushed to Manus Administrator, creating a corresponding entry in the active rundown in the Viz Mosart GUI.

Connection is handled in a simple configuration wizard at Web App installation, offering one of two connection choices:

1. The Template Database.

2. Directly to the Viz Mosart Server.

For more information, see the latest Mosart Web Applications Guide.

Viz Mosart ActiveX

The Viz Mosart ActiveX is a legacy method for inserting Viz Mosart template information into the NRCS script. This product is superseded by the Mosart Web Apps NRCS Plugin.

• The user selects a Viz Mosart type and variant to create an entry in the Viz Mosart rundown.

• When the script is saved, information is pushed to Manus Administrator and onto the active rundown in the Viz Mosart GUI.

For the ActiveX to function correctly, some parameters are required to be set that link the ActiveX content to your Viz Mosart Server installation.

There are two ways to link the ActiveX to your Viz Mosart Server installation:,

1. The Template Database

2. Directly to the Viz Mosart Server.

For more information, see the ActiveX section of the Viz Mosart Administrator Guide earlier than version 5.5.