Create custom data inputs with our API

If you want to display custom data in your graphic and our existing data inputs don't quite meet your needs, you can use our API and create your own custom data inputs. For example, some of our customers have created custom API inputs to broadcast real-time election results, lottery drawings, and Mars rover missions. Titler Live Broadcast includes several API examples and documentation to help you.

Note: This feature is only available in Titler Live Broadcast.

For example, the following image shows a controller BuzzFeed News created to broadcast live election results.

buzzfeed_controller.png

  1. Install and activate Titler Live Broadcast if you haven't already done so. (Our API documentation and example API inputs are installed with our app.)
  2. Navigate to one of the following locations on your computer and open index.html to view our API documentation.
    • Windows: C:\Program Files\NewBlueFX\Titler Content\Resources\Service Handlers\HTML\API Documentation\index.html
    • Mac: Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/NewBlue/Titler Content/Resources/Service Handlers/HTML/API Documentation/index.html
  3. Follow the API instructions in index.html and create a custom API input. You can find examples of custom inputs in the following locations on your computer.
    • Windows: C:\Program Files\NewBlueFX\Titler Content\Resources\Service Handlers\HTML\API Examples
    • Mac: Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/NewBlue/Titler Content/Resources/Service Handlers/HTML/API Documentation
  4. In Titler Live's playout interface, open a project (if a project isn't already open) and select a graphic in the playlist.
  5. Select the new Graphic Layer in the Layer Workspace(if it's not already selected), then choose Select a data source > General > API Examples and select your custom API input to add that data source to the design.

    The custom API input you created appears in the 3rd tab in the Layer Properties panel and in the Data Source column on that Graphic Layer in the Layers Workspace. In addition, the custom API input and its variables appear in the Preview panel.

  6. Click the Link Data button in the Preview panel to view the custom API input and variables. (If the input's variables aren't visible, expand the custom API list.)
  7. Click and drag an API variable onto an object in your graphic. Repeat this step for each variable you want to include in your graphic.

    Tip: To remove an input from a graphic layer navigate to the Preview panel. Click the link data button, then right click on the data source name and choose Remove input.

Depending on how you designed your custom API input, your graphic may automatically show data from your data source or you can update your graphic with any controls that may be available in the panel for your custom data source.

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