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

This type of Middleware Source is used for connecting a Mechanic to integrate its data through our Middleware Source with your graphics insertion system allowing you to display, in real-time, results on the screen.

The Mechanics you can connect to this Middleware Source are Poll, Scoring, Votes, Twitter Poll, Story.


1. General Settings

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

  • Mechanics (2): Select the Mechanic you want to integrate with your graphics system. You may choose any mechanic from your current experience or others.

  • Custom Title (3): In the XML or Database; it appears in the title field/column.

  • Call to action (4): Use it to let your audience know where they should go to participate, e.g. vote for your favorite participant at www.xxx.com.

  • Additional Settings (5)

    • Polls to show: This refers to the data exposed in the XML. We recommend setting it as Current, this way if you have in the same Mechanic multiple Polls, Scorings, Votes, the XML only exposes the active one.

    • Percentage Decimals: Choose how many decimals (0 - 2) the results will be displayed.

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

2. 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

Integrations with Vizrt can be made through:

  • Flowics Middleware + Data Reader, pick others from the dropdown.

  • Integration Steps (2): From here you will be able to access the XML, 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 to always use the higher one from the drop-down.

  • Connect to Middleware (4): Enable it, pick your middleware from the drop-down and find the destination path where the File or Database are being written in your shared network unit by the middleware.

3. Previewing Mechanics Middleware Source

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


XML integration

4.1.1 XML Example

<mechanic>   <widgetId>33847</widgetId>   <title>WHO WAS THE WINNER OF THE SHOW?</title>   <mechanicId>5e853daf45340632af76aae5</mechanicId>   <callToAction></callToAction>   <status>live</status>   <currentPollId>d5876bbd-9629-45a4-a7da-351ff7bd9ebf</currentPollId>   <currentPollName>WHO WAS THE WINNER OF THE SHOW?</currentPollName>   <updatedAt>2020-04-15T22:45:32Z</updatedAt>   <options>     <option>       <id>b1211b54-be80-433f-8ed6-daaa1ebd7e6c</id>       <name>ALAN</name>       <isCorrect>false</isCorrect>       <pollId>d5876bbd-9629-45a4-a7da-351ff7bd9ebf</pollId>       <pollName>WHO WAS THE WINNER OF THE SHOW?</pollName>       <pollStatus>live</pollStatus>       <pollType>quick_poll</pollType>       <votingType>scoringresult</votingType>       <total>5</total>       <percentage>33.4</percentage>       <average>0.0</average>       <formattedTotal>5</formattedTotal>       <formattedPercentage>33.4</formattedPercentage>       <formattedAverage>0.0</formattedAverage>       <integrationId></integrationId>       <image>https://s3-assets2.flowics.com/web/uploads/production/generic-resources/asset/65003/versioned_cc5a71ec58a846a0ba5e7a283fa2ed5e.jpg</image> <localImagePath>/path/to/image.jpg</localImagePath>       <ranking>0</ranking>     </option>        <option>       <id>f55a01c2-d4d5-4e91-bc37-645d1dc4858d</id>       <name>ALEX</name>       <isCorrect>false</isCorrect>       <pollId>d5876bbd-9629-45a4-a7da-351ff7bd9ebf</pollId>       <pollName>WHO WAS THE WINNER OF THE SHOW?</pollName>       <pollStatus>live</pollStatus>       <pollType>quick_poll</pollType>       <votingType>scoringresult</votingType>       <total>5</total>       <percentage>33.3</percentage>       <average>0.0</average>       <formattedTotal>5</formattedTotal>       <formattedPercentage>33.3</formattedPercentage>       <formattedAverage>0.0</formattedAverage>       <integrationId></integrationId>       <image>https://s3-assets1.flowics.com/web/uploads/production/generic-resources/asset/65004/versioned_5aaa31fc8ec5a856acffd916131b96fe.jpg</image>       <localImagePath>/path/to/image2.jpg</localImagePath>       <ranking>1</ranking>     </option>        <option>       <id>d8141870-c3a4-421e-bd75-ed87f11bad63</id>       <name>MACARENA</name>       <isCorrect>true</isCorrect>       <pollId>d5876bbd-9629-45a4-a7da-351ff7bd9ebf</pollId>       <pollName>WHO WAS THE WINNER OF THE SHOW?</pollName>       <pollStatus>live</pollStatus>       <pollType>quick_poll</pollType>       <votingType>scoringresult</votingType>       <total>5</total>       <percentage>33.3</percentage>       <average>0.0</average>       <formattedTotal>5</formattedTotal>       <formattedPercentage>33.3</formattedPercentage>       <formattedAverage>0.0</formattedAverage>       <integrationId></integrationId>       <image>https://s3-assets1.flowics.com/web/uploads/production/generic-resources/asset/65005/versioned_59ec2bf41a1cd7ce7e056cd71702f2fd.jpg</image>       <localImagePath>/path/to/image3.jpg</localImagePath>       <ranking>2</ranking>     </option>   </options> </mechanic>

4.1.2 Fields Description

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

Field

Description

Field (Avid Maestro integration)

mechanic.widgetId

Id of the Widget

mechanic.widgetId

mechanic.title

The question configured in the Widget's general settings.

mechanic.title

mechanic.mechanicId

Id of the Mechanic.

mechanic.
mechanicId

mechanic.callToAction

Exposes the data set in the call to action field in the general settings of the Widget. It is normally used to indicate where the audience needs to go to participate.

mechanic.
callToAction

mechanic.status

There are 3 status:

  • open: The audience can participate in the poll sending their votes.

  • closed: The audience cannot continue voting.

  • standby: Poll is scheduled to take place.

mechanic.
status

mechanic.
currentPollId

Id of the poll.

mechanic.
currentPollId

mechanic.
currentPollName

The name of the poll.

mechanic.
currentPollName

mechanic.
updatedAt

Last modification date of the Middleware Source Widget

mechanic.
updatedAt

mechanic.options.
option.id

Id of the option.

mechanic.
options.option.idX

mechanic.options.
option.name

Name of the option

mechanic.options.
option.nameX

mechanic.options.
option.isCorrect

Correct option in the poll.

mechanic.options.
option.isCorrectX

mechanic.options.
option.pollId

Id of the poll.

mechanic.options.
option.pollIdX

mechanic.options.
option.pollName

Name of the poll.

mechanic.options.
option.pollNameX

mechanic.options.
option.pollStatus

Status of the poll. Can be open or closed.

mechanic.options.
option.pollStatusX

mechanic.options.
option.pollType

Type of Poll.

mechanic.options.
option.pollTypeX

mechanic.options.
option.votingType

Type of vote. Can be Voting only, or once a day.

mechanic.options.
option.votingTypeX

mechanic.options.
option.total

Exposes the total amount of votes that the option has collected.

mechanic.options.
option.totalX

mechanic.options.
option.percentage

Exposes the percentage in relation to the total amount of votes collected.

mechanic.options.
option.percentageX

mechanic.options.
option.average

Exposes the average in relation to the total amount of votes collected.

mechanic.options.
option.averageX

mechanic.options.
option.formattedTotal

Similar to poll.items.item.total but the number will be formatted according to locale requested (added thousands separator).

mechanic.options.
option.
formattedTotal

mechanic.options.option.
formattedPercentage

Similar to poll.items.item.percentage but the number will be formatted according to locale requested (added thousands separator).

mechanic.options.
option.
formattedPercentage

mechanic.options.option.
formattedAverage

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

mechanic.options.
option.
formattedAverage

mechanic.options.option.
integrationId

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

mechanic.options.
option.integrationId

mechanic.options.
option.image

URL to the image uploaded by the user in the Mechanic.

mechanic.options.
option.image

mechanic.options.
option.LocalImagePath

Full path to downloaded Image.

mechanic.options.
option.
LocalImagePath

mechanic.options.option.
ranking

Reflects the position assigned to each option. This goes from zero that presents a higher number of votes than the one, this in turn greater than the two and so on.

mechanic.options.
option.ranking

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.

widgetId

title

The question configured in the Widget's general settings.

title

pollId

Id of the Mechanic.

pollId

isLive

Its value can be true or false.

A graphic artist can use this field to control the behavior of the scene connected to this Middleware Source, i.e., it can show or hide the poll based on its value.

isLive

status

There are 3 statuses:

  • open: The audience can participate in the poll sending their votes.

  • closed: The audience cannot continue voting.

  • standby: The poll is scheduled to take place.

status

updatedAt

Last modification date of the Middleware Source Widget.

updatedAt

callToAction

Exposes the data set in the call to action field in the general settings of the Widget. It is normally used to indicate where the audience needs to go to participate.

callToAction

id

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

integrationId

total

Exposes the total amount of votes that the option has collected.

totalX

percentage

Exposes the percentage in relation to the total amount of votes collected.

percentageX

formattedTotal

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

formattedTotal

formattedPercentage

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

formattedPercentage

image

URL to the image uploaded by the user in the Mechanic.

image

ranking

Reflects the position assigned to each option. This goes from zero that presents a higher number of votes than the one, this in turn greater than the two and so on.

ranking

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