Connect spreadsheet data to a design

Some Titler Live products can display data from XLSX and CSV files in graphics. This article describes how to create spreadsheet data files and connect spreadsheet data to variables in designs.

Note: This feature is only available in Titler Live Broadcast, Complete, and Present.

Sections in this article:

• Connect XLSX and CSV file data to a design
• Create spreadsheet data files
  • Create basic data files
  • Create block data files (Broadcast and Complete only)
  • Tip: Add image variables to spreadsheet files
  • Tip: Add color variables to spreadsheet files

Tip: See the following articles for details about displaying spreadsheet data in graphics.

• Select spreadsheet data in graphics
• Select graphics and spreadsheet data with Instant Search

Connect XLSX and CSV file data to a design

1. In Titler Live's playout interface, open a project (if a project isn't already open) and select a graphic in the playlist.
   
   

   Tips

   • Want to create a new graphic? Open the Library panel and drag a design from the library to the playlist. Designs in the library's Inputs > Spreadsheet collection are already connected to a spreadsheet input.
   • Want to customize a graphic in the Title Designer and add new variables? See Create variables in designs. (The Title Designer is not available in Titler Live Express.)
2. Choose Inputs > General > Spreadsheet > New Input. (Skip this step if you created a graphic from a design in the library's Inputs > Spreadsheet collection, which includes designs that are already connected to a spreadsheet input.)
   
   

   Tips

   • If you previously connected a spreadsheet to a design and want to use that spreadsheet, you can select it from the Input > General > Spreadsheets menu.
   • You can also add inputs to a graphic from the Input drop-down list in the Attributes panel or playlist.
   • To remove an input from a graphic, right-click (Windows) or Control + click (Mac) on the name of an input in the Edit / Preview panel and choose Remove input.
3. When you're prompted to select an existing spreadsheet file or create a new file, complete the steps in one of the following sections.
   
   

   Select an existing XLSX or CSV file:

   1. Ensure your XLSX or CSV file is formatted as described in the Create spreadsheet data files section of this article.
   2. Click Select file, then find and open the XLSX or CSV file. The input and data appear in the Spreadsheet panel.
      
      

      

   Create a new spreadsheet file:

   1. Click Create file.
   2. Enter a descriptive file name, then save the file to a location you will remember. Titler Live saves the file as a CSV file. The new input and placeholder data appear in the Spreadsheet panel. (The placeholder data is based on the number of objects and variables in the graphic.)
      
      

      

   3. In Windows Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), locate and open the new file in a CSV file editor such as Microsoft Excel or Notepad.
   4. Enter the names of variables on the top line of the file and enter values for each variable on the following lines.
      
      

      For steps to create spreadsheet files, including examples, please see the Create spreadsheet data files section in this article.

   5. Save the file. Titler Live displays the data in the Spreadsheet panel.

   Tip: To change the input's name, hover the pointer over the name in the Spreadsheet panel, click the Edit  button, and enter a new name.

   The Spreadsheet input appears in the Input drop-down list in the Attributes panel and in the playlist for that graphic. In addition, the Spreadsheet input and its variables appear in the Edit / Preview panel.

   

4. Click the Show Inputs button in the Edit / Preview panel to view the Spreadsheet input and variables. (If the input's variables aren't visible, expand the Spreadsheet list.)
5. Click and drag a Spreadsheet variable onto an object in the graphic. Repeat this step for each variable that you want to include in the graphic.
   
   

   Tip: To disconnect a variable from an object in your graphic, right-click a variable in the Edit / Preview panel and choose Disconnect variable.

   The spreadsheet file's data is now visible in the graphic.

   

6. Click a line or block of data in the Spreadsheet panel to preview data in the graphic. For more details, see Select spreadsheet data in graphics.

Back to top

Create spreadsheet data files

There are a couple ways to structure data in XLSX and CSV files to accommodate a particular design and the amount of data that you need to display. You can create basic data files for designs that don't have many text objects, such as lower-third titles, which allows you to display one line of data at a time. Or you can create block data files for designs that have many text objects, which allows you to display or hide groups and parts of data. For details, including examples, see the following sections.

• Create basic data files
• Create block data files (Broadcast and Complete only)
• Tip: Add image variables to spreadsheet files
• Tip: Add color variables to spreadsheet files

Create basic data files

Create a basic spreadsheet file for designs that don't have many text objects, such as lower-third titles, or when you need to display one line of data a time.

1. Open an XLSX or CSV file in a spreadsheet editor or text editor.
2. On the first line, enter names of variables. If you're working in text editor, enter a comma between consecutive variables (for example, Name,Role).
3. On the second and subsequent lines, enter values for each variable. If you're working in text editor, enter a comma between consecutive values (for example, Juan,Producer).
   
   

   Important! Don't include blank lines in basic data files.

   Tips

   • Want to add images? See the Tip: Add image variables to spreadsheet files section below.
   • Want to add colors? See the Tip: Add color variables to spreadsheet files section below.

   Example of data in a spreadsheet editor:

   

   Example of data in a text editor:

   

4. Save the spreadsheet file as an XLSX or CSV file. If the file is already connected to a design, as described in the Connect XLSX and CSV file data to a design section, changes are automatically reflected in Titler Live's Spreadsheet panel.
   
   

   Tip: To display data in the graphic, click a line of data in the Spreadsheet panel. For complete details, see the following articles:

   • Select spreadsheet data in graphics
   • Select graphics and spreadsheet data with Instant Search

Back to top of section

Create block data files (Broadcast and Complete only)

If you have Titler Live Broadcast or Complete, you can create a block spreadsheet file for designs that have many text objects or when you need to display or hide multiple lines (that is, blocks) or parts of a line.

1. Open an XLSX or CSV file in a spreadsheet editor or text editor.
2. On the first line, enter the word index, then enter names of variables. If you're working in text editor, enter a comma between consecutive variables (for example, Index,Name,Role). The index variable allows you to name blocks of data in the file, which you can select while using Instant Search, and will not appear in the rendered graphic.
3. On the next line, leave the line blank if you're working in a spreadsheet editor, or enter three commas (,,,) if you're working in a text editor.
   
   

   Example of data variables in a spreadsheet editor:

   

   Example of data variables in a text editor:

   

4. To enter values for one block of data, complete the following steps:
   
   
   1. On the first line after a blank line, enter a short name for the index variable, then enter values for each variable. If you're working in a text editor, enter a comma between consecutive values (for example, nb,Todor,CEO).
   2. On subsequent lines, enter a comma, then enter values for each variable. If you're working in a text editor, enter a comma between consecutive variables (for example, ,Travis,VP).
      
      

      Tips

      • Want to add images? See the Tip: Add image variables to spreadsheet files section below.
      • Want to add colors? See the Tip: Add color variables to spreadsheet files section below.

      Example of data variables and values in a spreadsheet editor:

      

      Example of data variables and values in a text editor:

      

5. To add another block of data, leave the next line blank if you're working in a spreadsheet editor, or enter three commas (,,,) if you're working in a text editor, then repeat the previous step to enter values for each variable.
   
   

   Example of data blocks in a spreadsheet editor:

   

   Example of data blocks in a text editor:

   

6. Save the spreadsheet file as an XLSX or CSV file. If the file is already connected to a design, as described in the Connect XLSX and CSV file data to a design section of this article, changes are automatically reflected in Titler Live's Spreadsheet panel.
   
   

   Tip: To display a block of data in the graphic, click anywhere in a block of data in the Spreadsheet panel. You can also hide blocks, lines, and parts of lines. For complete details, see the following articles:

   • Select spreadsheet data in graphics
   • Select graphics and spreadsheet data with Instant Search

   
   

Back to top of section

Tip: Add image variables to spreadsheet files

Enter the image's file name, or enter the image's full path and file name in the spreadsheet file. Include the image's full file path if the image is not located in a Textures folder of Titler Live's installation or project directory. See the follow notes for details.

• Images in a Textures folder: Titler Live adds a Textures folder to a project's directory when you save a project with assets. When you enter an image's file name, such as logo.png, and don't include the image's path in the spreadsheet file, Titler Live automatically looks for the image in the Textures folder in Titler Live's installation directory and the project's directory.
• Images not in a Textures folder: Enter an image's full path and file name when an image is not in Titler Live's installation directory or the project's directory. For example, on Windows, enter C:\Documents and Settings\company\images\logo.png, or on Mac, enter Macintosh HD/Users/abc/Documents/Images/logo.png.

Back to top

Tip: Add color variables to spreadsheet files

Enter a hexadecimal value (for example, #2F3BE4) for each color that you want to include as a variable in the spreadsheet file. Later, when you use a design that includes an object with a color variable, you can connect the color variable in the spreadsheet to that object.

Back to top