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Setting up a Counter Middleware Source
Setting up a Counter Middleware Source
Updated over a week ago

This type of Middleware Source is used for inserting counters into your screen. You can integrate it through our Middleware with your graphics system allowing you to display, in real-time, counts On-screen.

When you create this type of Middleware Source, you must associate it with the Flow from which it will take the data.


1. General Settings

  • Name (1): Naming your Counter Middleware Source is a good practice so that you and your teammates can identify it for later use.

  • Connected Flows (2): When you create this type of Source, you should assign it to the Flow that contains your counted posts in real time. Click on Select and choose any of the listed Flows you wish to assign to this Source.

  • Count (3):

    • Total Posts: Indicates the number of times a hashtag, keyword, or social account was mentioned. This way you can show your audience the real volume of participation.

    • Unique Authors: Indicates how many people participate. This count is very useful for polls since it prevents a user from being able to participate more than once.

    • Posts per Minute (PPM): This shows the average number of times a hashtag, keyword, or social account per minute is mentioned.

  • Number Formatting (4): According to the selected language, the thousands separator will be a period (.) or a comma (,). For additional information click here.

2. Ranges

  • Name (1): Naming your Range is a good practice so that you and your teammates can identify it for later use.

Time Ranges (2):

3. Integration

  • Integration type (1): Select how you want to integrate the data according to the graphics system you have. If it is not listed click others.

Vizrt Integration

  • Integration Steps (2): From here you will be able to access the XML and JSON or you will find the steps on how to integrate according to your CG integration system.

  • Version (3): This refers to the Middleware version. We recommend always using the higher from the dropdown.

  • Connect to Middleware (4): Enable it, pick your middleware from the dropdown, and find the destination path where the File or Database is being written in your destination unit by the middleware.

4. Previewing Counter Middleware Source

After you have saved the Counter Middleware Source configuration you can preview its data. Keep in mind that this information is not updated in real time, so you should refresh the window to see the latest results.

XML File integration

5.1.1 XML Example

<counter>   <widgetId>29992</widgetId>   <widgetTitle>#ElClasico</widgetTitle>   <flowId>bf47aca8c0ea02cb232ca7e5969e71cd</flowId>   <name>El Clásico - Real Madird vs Barcelona</name>   <integrationId>Teams</integrationId>   <count>2619</count>   <formattedCount>2,619</formattedCount> </counter>

5.1.2 Fields Description

Note that some field names change when using the Avid Maestro integration type.

Field

Description

Field (Avid Maestro integration)

counter.widgetId

Id of the Widget

counter.widgetId

counter.title

Title of the counter, as configured in the Widget.

counter.title

counter.flowid

Id of the Flow associated with the Middleware Source.

counter.flowid

counter.name

Name of the Flow associated with the Middleware Source. Normally used to display the hashtag that is being tracked.

counter.name

counter.integrationId

Id that a User can assign to the Flow associated with the Widget to integrate with external systems.

counter.integrationId

counter.count

Exposes a number representing the selected Counter type. If you choose

  • Posts per Minute (PPM), will expose the posts per minute collected.

  • Total Posts will expose the total number of posts collected.

counter.countX

counter.formattedcount

Similar to counter.count but the number will be formatted according to the locale requested (added thousands separator).

counter.formattedcount

Database integration

When using this kind of integration, a database table with the following columns is created. The type of columns is textual. For the specific type, check the middleware configuration, but they typically are text for MySQL or PostgreSQL and ntext for Microsoft SQL Server.

Column

Description

Column (Avid Maestro integration)

widgetId

Id of the Widget (same value for each row)

widgetId

widgetTitle

Title of the Counter, as configured on the Widget (same value for each row)

widgetTitle

flowId

Id of the Flow associated with the Middleware Source.

flowId

name

Name of the Flow associated with the Middleware Source. Normally used to display the hashtag that is being tracked.

name

integrationId

Id that a User can assign to the Flow associated with the Widget to integrate with external systems.

integrationId

count

Expose a number representing the selected Counter type. If you choose:

  • Posts per Minute (PPM), will expose the posts per minute collected.

  • Total Posts will expose the total number of posts collected.

countX

formattedCount

Similar to counter.count but the number will be formatted according to the locale requested (added thousands separator).

formattedCount

JSON File integration

7.1.1 JSON Example

{ "widgetId":34307, "title":"Contador", "updatedAt":"2020-10-08T15:11:22Z", "flowId":"59539c973583bbb88c810fe9dab11a16", "name":"#RealMadrid", "integrationId":"", "count":528, "formattedCount":"528" }

7.1.2 Fields Description

Field

Description

widgetId

Id of the Widget

title

Title of the counter, as configured in the Widget.

updatedAt

Last modification datetime of the Middleware source (not data itself). ISO8601 format.

flowid

Id of the Flow associated with the Middleware Source.

name

Name of the Flow associated with the Middleware Source. Normally used to display the hashtag that is being tracked.

integrationId

Id that a User can assign to the Flow associated with the Widget to integrate with external systems.

count

Exposes a number representing the selected Counter type. If you choose

  • Posts per Minute (PPM), will expose the posts per minute collected.

  • Total Posts will expose the total number of posts collected.

formattedCount

Similar to count but the number will be formatted according to the locale requested (added thousands separator).


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