26 Working With Image and Video Conversions

Digital Asset Manager is used to define and provide images, videos, and audio files in specified formats and sizes for download by the people in your organization who need them. This helps organizations maintain consistent standards for branding and digital content use.

For Digital Asset Manager to work, the following components must be installed and enabled on the correct server as noted.

Component Name Component Description Enabled on Server

DAMConverter

Enables Inbound Refinery to convert digital assets into multiple renditions.

Inbound Refinery Server

DamConverterSupport

Enables the Content Server to support digit asset management features. This component is highly dependent on the ZipRenditionManagement Component.

Content Server

DigitalAssetManager

Enables the user interface for digital asset management in tight integration with components used to create and manage renditions and zip file archives. This component is highly dependent on the ContentBasket Component.

Content Server

ContentBasket

Enables users to select renditions of content items and place them in a personal storage space called the Content Basket.

Content Server

ZipRenditionManagement

Enables Content Server access to digital asset renditions created and compressed into a ZIP file by Inbound Refinery.

Content Server


This section discusses the following topics:

26.1 Understanding Digital Asset Manager

Digital Asset Manager creates multiple formats of digital assets automatically when an image or video is checked into Content Server, and lists the formats under one content ID. This ensures that the asset, such as a corporate logo or promotional video, maintains a standard size and quality in the multiple formats required by an organization, while providing the content management features of Content Server. For example, one person can bundle and download images of the logo for use on a web-site, and another can download and bundle images of the same logo for use in office presentations or print collateral, all from a single digital asset checked into Content Server.

Digital assets are valuable electronic images and videos to be made available within an organization in multiple output formats, called renditions. The quantity and type of renditions are defined by the system administrator in rendition sets. A user selects a rendition set used to create renditions of a digital asset at the time the asset is checked into Content Server. Once checked in, a digital asset is routed to Inbound Refinery and converted using the specified conversion application.

This section discusses the following topics:

26.1.1 Supported Conversion Applications

By default, Inbound Refinery supplies rendition sets for use with Oracle Outside In Image Export to convert images. For additional image conversion options, a stand-alone graphics conversion application can be installed. Oracle does not supply or support any specific third-party conversion engine. Sample configurations for additional image conversion engines can be accessed from the Oracle WebCenter Content Oracle Technology Network pages. For additional information, see the "Integrating the Inbound Refinery with 3rd Party Image Converters" blog.

To convert videos, a stand-alone video conversion application must be installed. Digital Asset Manager is currently configured to work with Telestream's Flip Factory version 6.1. FlipFactory version 6.1 must be obtained separately from Digital Asset Manager. FlipFactory is developed by Telestream and is available from their website (www.telestream.net).

Digital Asset Manager is designed and tested on fully functioning implementations of third-party conversion applications. Demonstration versions of conversion applications are not recommended or supported.

26.1.2 Supported Streaming Servers

For streaming digital video, Digital Asset Manager currently supports the following streaming servers:

  • Windows Streaming Media: versions for supported Windows operating systems

  • QuickTime Streaming Media: Darwin and QuickTime Streaming Server version 10.4

  • RealMedia: Helix DNA Server version 11

26.1.3 Supported Input Formats

Supported input formats are determined by the graphic or video conversion application being used. Digital Asset Manager can use several graphic conversion engines. Only Oracle Outside In Image Export is included with Inbound Refinery. Formats supported by Oracle Outside In Image Export can be found on Oracle's website at http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/content-management/oit/imageexport.html.

Third-party conversion engines may offer additional support to graphics format. Third-party conversion engines must be obtained independently of Inbound Refinery and are not officially supported by Oracle.

The graphics formats supported by compatible conversion engines include the following:

  • JPG/JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group)

  • GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

  • BMP (Bitmap)

  • PNG (Portable Network Graphics)

  • TIFF (Tag Image File Format)

  • PSD (PhotoShop)

  • AI (Adobe Illustrator)

  • PDF (Portable Document Format)

For a comprehensive listing of formats supported, view the documentation that came with your chosen graphic conversion engine.

Video formats supported by FlipFactory include the following:

  • Flash Media Format

  • MP3 Audio Format

  • MPEG Layer 3 and 4 Elementary Stream Media Format

  • PacketVideo MPEG4 Format

  • QuickTime Media Format

  • QuickTime Streaming Format

  • Windows Media Format

  • AVI Media Format

  • DVD Stream Media Format

  • MPEG1 System Stream Media Format

  • MPEG2 Program Stream Media Format

  • MPEG2 Transport Stream Format

  • MPEG4 Media Format

  • Pinnacle MediaStream Media Format

See the FlipFactory documentation from Telestream for a comprehensive listing of formats supported by FlipFactory.

26.1.4 Supported Output Formats

Output formats are determined by the conversion application. Formats supported by Oracle Outside In Image Export can be found on Oracle's website at http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/content-management/oit/imageexport.html.

Viewing of renditions in your browser is limited to what can be displayed effectively in your browser. For images, only formats supported by your web browser can be displayed. For video, only formats that have browser plug-ins are available for viewing in your web browser, such as output formats supported by Windows Media Player, Real Player, QuickTime Player, and Flash. Any image or video assets rendered in a format not supported for viewing in a browser will still be managed by Content Server, but will be available only for download.

Video Manager currently supports the following output formats:

  • MPEG Layers 1, 2, and 4 (.mpg, .mpeg, .mp2, .mp4)

  • MPEG Layer 3 Audio (.mp3)

  • Adobe Flash (.flv)

  • QuickTime (.mov)

  • Audio Video Interleave (.avi)

Due to the extensive number of formats supported by Telestream's FlipFactory, Windows Media Player, Real Player, QuickTime Player, and Adobe Flash, and the difficulty in configuring all the possible combinations, Video Manager officially supports a limited subset of these formats. You can configure Digital Asset Manager to accept additional formats and test them as needed.

Note:

If using Microsoft IIS to serve conversions, unrecognized MIME types generate a 404 error. To ensure that the browser properly displays supported formats, check that all MIME types being used are registered in IIS.

For more information, see the IIS documentation and the Microsoft article at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725608%28WS.10%29.aspx.

26.2 Configuring Digital Asset Manager

The following configuration files must be modified to configure Digital Asset Manager for image and video conversion:

  • Content Server config.cfg, located in the IntradocDir/config/ directory

  • Inbound Refinery intradoc.cfg file, located in the IntradocDir/bin/ directory

This section details the necessary configuration steps.

26.2.1 Configuring For Image Conversion

Digital Asset Manager requires a conversion application to create renditions of an image. Default rendition sets for use with Oracle Outside In Image Export are provided and no configuration is necessary.

Default Rendition Sets

Default rendition sets are defined in the damconverter_basedefinitions.hda file, which is located in the refinery IdcHomeDir/components/DAMConverter/resources/ directory. This file should never be altered because upgrades to the component overwrite any changes. For information about defining and using rendition sets other than the default sets included in the damconverter_basedefinitions.hda file, see Section 26.3.2.

The following default rendition sets are included in the damconverter_basedefinitions.hda file installed with Digital Asset Manager.

Rendition Set Name Description

ThumbnailOnly

Creates one 72 dpi PNG rendition exactly 80 pixels high

BasicRenditions

Creates the following renditions:

  • Web: A 72 dpi JPEG rendition no bigger than 800 x 600 pixels

  • Thumbnail: A 72 dpi PNG rendition exactly 80 pixels high

  • Preview: A 72 dpi GIF rendition exactly 250 pixels wide

MultipleFormats

Creates the following renditions:

  • Web:A 72 dpi JPEG rendition no bigger than 800 x 600 pixels

  • Thumbnail: A 72 dpi PNG rendition exactly 80 pixels high

  • Preview: A 72 dpi GIF rendition exactly 250 pixels wide

  • Jpeg2000:A 72 dpi Jpeg 2000 rendition no bigger than 800 x 600 pixels wide

  • Tiff: A TIFF rendition with no parameters specified. When no parameters are specified, the dpi and pixel size of the original file is maintained.

  • Bitmap: A BMP rendition with no parameters specified


Alternate Conversion Applications

If needed, an alternate conversion application can be used. To use a conversion application other than Oracle Outside In Image Export, obtain and install the application and define rendition sets suitable for the application.

Note:

For best performance rendering images, install the image conversion application on the same server as the Inbound Refinery instance used for Digital Asset Manager. For best performance rendering videos, see the recommendations of the video conversion application. For example, Flip Factory documentation recommends that it be installed on its own server-class system.

Additional rendition sets should be defined in a new file called extraRendition_definitions.hda which must be created in the /data/configuration/dam/ directory. For information about creating additional rendition sets, see Section 26.3.2.

26.2.2 Modifying the Content Server Configuration File

A default value must be set for the VideoRenditions metadata field to errors if a video rendition set is not selected at time of check-in. To modify the configuration file:

  1. Open the IntradocDir/config/config.cfg file in a standard text editor.

  2. In the #Additional Variables section, add DefaultVideoConversionSet and set it equal to the factory to use as the default rendition set. The default must match a rendition set in the choice list of the VideoConversions metadata field, defined using the Configuration Manager applet.

  3. Save the changes and close the file.

  4. Restart Content Server

Digital Asset Manager allows a user to bundle and download assets to a local or shared file system. Edit the following variables to set the maximum allowable size of a download can be specified, either in megabytes or number of files:

  • MaxRenditionBundleInMegabytes=Maximum size of bundle in megabytes.

  • MaxRenditionFileEntries=Maximum number of files in the bundle, expressed numerically.

Note:

The DefaultVideoConversionSet identifies the rendition set to be used if a user does not specify a Video Rendition Set when checking in a video. It must be set in the config.cfg file, and not in the Default Value field of the Content Manager applet.

26.2.3 Associating File Formats and Mapping File Extensions

Content Server identifies content items as digital assets based on the extension of the file checked in. The following file formats must be associated with Digital Asset Manager and the file extensions mapped to the correct format.

26.2.3.1 Image Formats

  • JPEG (.jpeg; .jpg)

  • GIF (.gif)

  • AI (.ai)

  • PSD (.psd)

  • BMP (.bmp)

  • PNG (.png)

  • TIFF (.tiff; .tif)

26.2.3.2 Video Formats

  • MPEG Layers 1, 2, and 4 (.mpg, .mpeg, .mp2, .mp4)

  • QuickTime (.mov)

  • Audio Video Interleave (.avi)

  • Flash Video (.flv)

Because the conversion engine passes rendition information to the third-party conversion application, any additional format must be supported by the third-party conversion application.

Note:

When converting one type of digital asset, images or videos, only associate the formats for that type of asset.

26.2.4 Associating a File Format

To associate a format with the Digital Asset Manager conversion engine:

  1. Log in as an administrator to Content Server.

  2. Choose Administration then Admin Applets from the Main menu.

  3. Choose Configuration Manager from the Applet list.

  4. On the Configuration Manager applet, choose Options then File Formats.

  5. On the File Formats page, associate the format with the Digital Asset Manager conversion engine by performing one of these steps:

    If the format is listed in the File Formats (upper) section of the File Formats page:

    1. Select the format from the list. For example select, image/jpeg for images or video/mpeg for videos.

    2. Click Edit.

    3. On the Edit File Format page, select Digital Media Graphics for image formats and Digital Media Video for video formats from the Conversion choice list. Digital Media Graphics and Digital Media Video are the names of the Digital Asset Manager conversion engines.

    4. If needed, modify the description. The description is displayed in the Configuration Manager and is not displayed in the Content Server interface.

    5. Click OK.

    If the format is not listed in the File Formats (upper) section of the File Formats page:

    1. Click Add.

    2. On the Add New File Format page, enter the type of format in the Format field. The type can be any value and is displayed on the Content Information and Rendition Information pages of Content Server. Choose something descriptive (for example, application/PaintShop).

    3. Select Digital Media Graphics for images or Digital Media Video for videos from the Conversion choice list. Digital Media Graphics and Digital Media Video are the names of the Digital Asset Manager conversion engines.

    4. If needed, add a description. The description is displayed in the Configuration Manager and is not usually displayed in the Content Server interface.

      The description can be displayed in the user interface if the configuration variable IsOverrideFormat is set equal to true in the Content Server configuration file. Setting IsOverrideFormat=true in the Content Server configuration file enables a choice list on the check-in page that allows a user to select a conversion format for a specific file, bypassing the assigned format.

    5. Click OK.

26.2.5 Mapping File Extensions

After a format is associated with the appropriate Digital Media conversion engine, the appropriate file extensions must be mapped to the file format in Configuration Manager. All files with a file extension mapped to the format are passed to the Digital Asset Manager conversion engine.

To map a file extension to a file format associated with the Digital Asset Manager conversion engine:

  1. Log in as an administrator to Content Server.

  2. Choose Administration then Admin Applets from the Main menu.

  3. Choose Configuration Manager from the Applet list.

  4. Choose Options then File Formats.

  5. On the File Formats page, map the extensions to the appropriate format by performing one of these steps:

    If the extension is listed in the File Extensions (lower) section of the File Formats page:

    1. Select the extension from the list.

    2. Click Edit.

    3. On the Edit File Extension page, select the appropriate format from the Map to Format choice list.

    4. Click OK.

    If the format is not listed in the File Formats (upper) section of the File Formats page:

    1. Click Add.

    2. On the Add File Extensions page, enter the file extension in the Extension field. Do not enter the dot of the file extension.

    3. Select the appropriate format from the Map to Format choice list.

    4. Repeat steps a through c for each extension to be associated with the format. For example, pspimage could also be associated with application/PaintShop.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Click Close.

    7. Close Configuration Manager.

    After associating a format to the appropriate Digital Asset Manager conversion engine (Digital Media Graphics or Digital Media Video), and mapping the appropriate file extensions to the format, all files with those extensions checked into Content Server are passed to Inbound Refinery for processing through the conversion application.

    The conversion engine passes rendition information to the third-party conversion application, so any additional associated format must be supported by the third-party conversion application.

26.3 Setting Up and Managing Image Conversions

This section discusses the following topics:

26.3.1 Understanding Image Rendition Sets

When a digital asset is checked in to Content Server, Digital Asset Manager creates multiple renditions of that asset. The criteria for each image rendition is defined in one of two files.

The default renditions set is defined in the damconverter_basedefinitions.hda file and it should not be modified. Custom rendition sets can be added to the extraRendition_definitions.hda component resource file. This file can be created with a standard text editor and must be located in a new directory named dam in the refinery IntradocDir/data/configuration/ directory. The full file path should be:

IntradocDir/data/configuration/dam/extraRendition_definitions.hda

For videos, the criteria is defined in the video conversion application. By default, Digital Asset Manager was designed to work with FlipFactory, and so the criteria for rendering digital video assets is defined when a factory is created.

Image Asset Rendition Definition

The criteria defining the default rendition sets at installation are in the damconverter_basedefinitions.hda file in the IdcHomeDir/components/DAMConverter/resources/ directory. This file should not be edited.

The definitions are grouped into rendition sets which correspond to rendition sets available to contributors on the content check-in form when a image asset is checked in. It includes the following predefined rendition sets:

  • ThumbnailOnly

  • BasicRenditions

  • MultipleFormats

The included rendition sets are examples that work with Outside In Image Export. If they are not needed, remove them from the option list on the check-in page using the Configuration Manager. Do not edit the resource file to remove the sets. Any changes made are lost when a component is updated.

Additional rendition sets can be added the extraRendition_definitions.hda file, which can be created with a standard text editor. It must be stored in a new directory named dam in the refinery IntradocDir/data/configuration/ directory.

Digital Asset Manager merges damconverter_basedefinitions.hda and extraRendition_definitions.hda when running, with the second file taking precedence over the resource file. For example, if you create a new rendition in your file with the same name as one in the resource file but with different parameters, the new parameters are used.

26.3.2 Defining Image Rendition Sets

When a contributor checks a digital asset into Content Server, a rendition set is selected on the check-in form. For image files, that rendition set matches a rendition set defined in the extraRendition_definitions.hda file.

Image rendition sets defined in the extraRendition_definitions.hda file contain the options for converting digital assets into the image renditions specified in the set, and for displaying and accessing the renditions from within Content Server. The default renditions sets are in the component resource file, which should not be changed. Any additional rendition sets should be added to the extraRendition_definitions.hda file created during installation. In that file, the top properties section contains the file path to a third-party conversion application. The bottom section contains the rendition set options, organized into sets, called rendition result sets.

When a file is checked into Content Server, the format of the file determines if it is a digital asset. If it is an image file, Content Server passes the file to Inbound Refinery, which calls rendition options from the extraRenditions.hda file and pass them to the image conversion application. The resulting renditions are then passed back through Inbound Refinery to Content Server or other specified location, where they are managed under a single content ID and made available to your organization.

For image assets, the names of the rendition sets defined for the choice list in the PackagedConversions metadata field in the Configuration Manager applet must match exactly to the names of the rendition sets defined in the extraRendition_definitions.hda file.

When modifying or adding renditions, it is important to remember that a contributor will only see the name of the rendition set when checking in a digital asset. The rendition set name should be descriptive. Rendition names and descriptions are displayed on the content information and rendition information pages.

Spaces and other characters reserved for Idoc Script tags or are illegal for use in URLs, such as spaces, cannot be used in rendition names.

26.3.3 Creating and Configuring Image Rendition Sets

To add, modify, or delete image renditions and rendition sets, edit the IntradocDir/data/configuration/dam/extraRendition_definitions.hda file. To successfully modify the extraRendition_definitions.hda file, you should be aware of basic HDA file structure. For more detailed information, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Developing with Oracle WebCenter Content.

This section discusses the following topics:

26.3.3.1 extraRendition_definitions.hda File Structure

When defining additional rendition sets, the extraRendition_definitions.hda file should contain a header line and two section types.

Section Types

The extraRendition_definitions.hda file has two section types using the following format:

@section_type section_name
Section data
@end

The two section types are:

  • Properties Section

  • ResultSet Section

In the extraRendition_definitions.hda file, there is one properties section and multiple result set sections. All rendition sets are organized in result sets.

Comments are not allowed within a section of an HDA file. However, comments can be placed in the HDA file before the first section, between sections, or after the last section.

Blank lines within a section of an HDA file are interpreted as a NULL value. Blank lines before the first section, between sections, or after the last section are ignored.

Properties Section

The properties section of the extraRendition_definitions.hda file defines the path to an external conversion application. In the default file, it also declares the values of Idoc Script variables defining conversion options used by the default rendition result sets.

Default Idoc Script variables in the properties section are used by the default rendition sets. They are not required for any additional rendition sets you define and are not discussed in this guide. Conversion options can be specified directly within the result sets. For more information on working with Idoc Script, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Developing with Oracle WebCenter Content.

Result Set Sections

Two types of result sets are in the extraRendition_definitions.hda file, listed here in order of display in the file:

  • Rendition Result Sets

  • ExtensionFormatMap

Rendition result sets organize rendition sets and contain information about creating renditions. There can be many rendition result sets, in any order. They can be added, modified, or deleted, but each name must be unique.

The ExtensionFormatMap is an optional result set lists file extension/format pairs, so Inbound Refinery can return the correct file format to Content Server for use internally. This is not a required set, as Inbound Refinery uses a different system to map extensions to mime types, but if this result set is defined, the mapping specified in it takes precedence.

26.3.3.2 Adding a Rendition Set

The simplest way to add a rendition set to the extraRendition_definitions.hda file is to copy an existing rendition result set and modify it. To successfully modify an existing set, be aware of basic set structure.

Modifications made to a component resource such as damconverter_basedefinitions.hda are overwritten if Digital Asset Manager is updated to a newer version. Additional rendition sets should be added to the extraRendition_definitions.hda file created in the IntradocDir/data/configuration/dam. Digital Asset Manager uses both files when running.

Rendition Result Set Structure

HDA files are ordered using simple name/value pairs, representing tabular data in an ASCII text format. The first line of a ResultSet section declares the set with the command @ResultSet, and then specifies the name of the set. The second line specifies the number of columns in a table, and the following lines name and populate the columns based on their order in the result set. The last line closes the result set with the command @end.

The first line of the rendition result set declares it as a result set by starting with @ResultSet, and the last line closes the set, with @end. The first line also gives the set a name. In this case, the name is ThumbnailOnly.

The name used should be descriptive, but spaces and other characters reserved for Idoc Script tags or illegal for use in URLs, such as spaces, cannot be used in rendition names.

The second line identifies how many columns are in the result set. In rendition result sets for Digital Asset Manager, there are 6 columns.

Each column has the following name and description.

Column Name Column Description

extRenditionName

The name of the rendition displayed on the Rendition Information page.

Do not use Primary or Alternate for rendition names. These terms are reserved for internal use by Content Server.

extEngine

The path to the conversion engine used. By default, this is expressed as an Idoc Script variable declared in the properties section of the extraRendition_definitions.hda file.

extType

How the rendition is being used.

  • Thumbnail: Used on the Thumbnail view of a search results page.

  • Preview: Used on the Rendition Information page.

  • Web: The web-viewable version of a content item. Displayed in the main content area when accessed by clicking the content ID or thumbnail from a search results page, or when clicking the web-viewable link on a content information page. Displayed in a new browser window when accessed by clicking the Preview image on a Rendition Information page. If no web rendition is defined the native file is used by Content Server as the web-viewable file.

  • Extra: Any rendition not defined as Thumbnail, Preview, or Web.

Rendition types may be combined. For example, by listing the type as web, preview, the rendition is used both as the web file and as the preview file.

extSourceFile

The file path to the asset checked into for conversion expressed as Idoc Script.

extParameters

The options passed to the conversion engine defining how the source file is rendered. By default, this is expressed as Idoc Script variables declared in the properties section of the extraRendition_definitions.hda file, but it can be expressed as a literal string.

  • <$infile$>: The name of the source file used to generate the rendition, expressed as Idoc Script.

  • <$outfile$>: The name of the rendered file. This is a required parameter, expressed as Idoc Script.

  • <$parameter_variable$>: The options used for rendering by the conversion application. In the provided rendition sets, these are expressed as Idoc Script variables, which are declared in the properties section of the extraRendition_definitions.hda file. They can also be expressed as a literal string of options used by your conversion application. For example, the literal string used in the damconverter_basedefinitions for the Web rendition is:

    outputid=FI_GIF, graphicoutputdpi=72, graphicwidthlimit=250, graphicheightlimit=0
    

    but it could also be expressed as the following variable:

    <$ImageExport_BasicRenditions_Web$>
    

extDescription

The description for the rendition displayed on the Rendition Information page.


For more information about working with .hda files, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Developing with Oracle WebCenter Content.

To add a new rendition result set:

  1. Open the extraRendition_definitions.hda in a standard text editor.

  2. Copy and paste an existing rendition result set.

    1. Select a rendition result set to copy, starting at the @ResultSet line and ending at the @end line, and copy it.

    2. Position the cursor between any two existing rendition result sets in the extraRendition_definitions.hda file.

    3. Paste the rendition result set into the file.

    Blank lines between result set sections are ignored. To help visually organize the extraRendition_definitions.hda file, it is useful to insert a blank line before and after the new rendition result set.

  3. Change the name of the new rendition result set, listed next to @ResultSet. For example, @ResultSet NewName.

    The name used should be descriptive. Do not use spaces or other characters reserved for Idoc Script tags or which are illegal for use in URLs, such as spaces.

  4. Change rendition information for each rendition to keep in the result set.

    1. Change the name of the rendition, listed in the extRenditionName column. Rendition names may have spaces.

    2. Change the type of the rendition, listed in the extType column. Each rendition can multiple types, for example, preview, web.

    3. Change the conversion options for rendering, listed in the extParameters column. Conversion options are dependent on which third-party conversion application being used.

    4. Change the description of the rendition, listed in the extDescription column. The description can be anything, and is displayed on the Rendition Information page.

      Do not change the <$InFilePath$> variable used in the extSouceFile column.

  5. Delete any extraneous renditions in the result set.

  6. Save the extraRendition_definitions.hda file.

26.3.3.3 Enabling a Rendition Set

After a rendition set is added to the extraRendition_definitions.hda file, it must be made available as an option in the Image Rendition Set field on the Content check-in Form, using Configuration Manager.

To add the name of the rendition set as an option in Configuration Manager:

  1. Log in as an administrator to Content Server.

  2. Choose Administration then Admin Applets from the Main menu.

  3. Choose Configuration Manager from the Applet list.

  4. On the Information Fields page, select the PackagedConversions information field and click Edit.

  5. Click Configure.

  6. On the Configure Option List page, click Edit.

  7. Add the name of the new result set as it is listed in the extraRendition_definitions.hda file's packedConversion result set. Rendition sets can be listed in any order.

    The name used in the extraRendition_definitions.hda file and the PackagedConversions option list must match. Spaces and other characters reserved for Idoc Script tags or which are illegal for use in URLs cannot be used.

  8. Click OK to close the Option List page.

  9. Click OK to close the Configure Option List page.

  10. Click OK to close the Edit Custom Info page.

26.3.4 Working with XMP and EXIF Data

Most digital images have data associated with them by the hardware or software used to create them. For example, digital photographs have the date they were created and the camera used to create them associated with them, among other things. Digital files such as those created with Adobe Photoshop have a greater set of metadata associated with them. The metadata associated with digital photographs is called EXIF data, which stands for Exchangeable Image File Format. It is a subset of the type of data created by computer applications such as Adobe Photoshop. The application metadata is called XMP data, which stands for EXtensible Metadata Platform.

By default, Inbound Refinery is now configured to send EXIF and XMP data to Content Server, where it is indexed and available for searching as text.

26.3.4.1 Searching XMP and EXIF Data in Content Server

By default, XMP schema and EXIF data are extracted by Inbound Refinery and passed to Content Server. Content Server then displays the data on the Image Data tab of a digital asset.

If OracleTextSearch is installed and enabled, the data is indexed and available for searching through a full-text search. To enable searching on a specific criteria in the XMP or EXIF metadata, a placeholder field must be enabled on the Content Server user interface and the search collection must be rebuilt. When done, users can search for content using the specific criteria in the data.

To enable an XMP or EXIF data field on the user interface and make the specific criteria available for searching:

  1. Choose Administration then DAM Administration from the Main menu.

  2. On the DAM Search Fields Administration page, expand the section under the XMP Schema Categories that has the data field to enable on the user interface. For example, to search for digital images based on the date and time the image was take, expand the EXIF category.

  3. Find and enable the placeholder field to be used for searching. For example, in the EXIF category, scroll to the XMP Date Time Original and select it.

  4. Click Update.

  5. Rebuild the search index. For information on rebuilding the search index, see the Oracle WebCenter Content documentation.

    Note:

    Enabling a field in the user interface creates a placeholder field in Content Server and allows the information to be indexed and searched against. It does not modify database tables or allow information to be entered or modified in the field for storage in the database.

26.3.4.2 Applying XMP and EXIF Data as Text Overlay to a Rendition

After a placeholder field has been created and the metadata indexed, XMP and EXIF metadata can be used as a text overlay in a custom rendition.

26.4 Setting Up and Managing Video Conversions

Digital Asset Manager requires a third-party conversion application to render video assets checked in to Content Server. Digital Asset Manager is designed to work with Telestream's FlipFactory (http://www.telestream.net/flipfactory/overview.htm).

This section has the following topics:

26.4.1 Installing FlipFactory

To install FlipFactory on a Windows server.

Cautions:

FlipFactory installation will fail if installing on a computer with an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or earlier. Verify the version on the computer before installation.

FlipFactory requires QuickTime to be installed for QuickTime renditions to be made. Review the FlipFactory documentation for information regarding obtaining and integrating the proper QuickTime version for use with the specific version of FlipFactory being used. Also, visit http://www.telestream.net/flipfactory/overview.htm for the latest information relating to FlipFactory.

Due to the demand on computer resources required for rendering video assets, it is recommended that FlipFactory and Inbound Refinery be installed on separate server-class systems. For ease of access, it is also recommended that both servers have a duplicate user list of administrators.

26.4.2 Installing Digital Asset Manager Video Plug-ins

The monitor, transport, and notification plug-ins that Inbound Refinery uses to communicate with FlipFactory to convert videos are distributed in the IdcHomeDir/components/DAMConverter/VideoManagerFlipFactoryPlugin/idcFlipFactoryPlugin.zip file installed by the DAMConverter component.

To install and configure the Digital Asset Manager plug-ins for FlipFactory:

  1. Open Services on the Windows server on which FlipFactory is installed.

  2. Select the Flip Engine service then select Actions, Stop.

  3. Extract the idcFlipFactoryPlugin.zip file to the FlipFactory installation directory. Two directories are extracted to the following locations:

    • /FlipFactory_install_dir/idcTools/

    • /FlipFactory_install_dir/Plugins

      Caution:

      To ensure that all files are extracted to the correct place, retain the directory structure when extracting the zip file. The full directory structures are:

      • /FlipFactory_install_dir/idcTools/jars/

      • /FlipFactory_install_dir/Plugins/com/stellent/refinery/ff/impl

26.4.3 Ensuring the JDOM Library is Installed for FlipFactory 6.0

FlipFactory 6.0 requires the JDOM library jdom.jar to be installed in the /FlipFactory_install_dir/Jars/ directory. After installing the Digital Asset Manager Video plug-ins, navigate to the /FlipFactory_install_dir/Jars/ directory and ensure that the jdom.jar file is there. If is not there, download the latest API from http://www.jdom.org/ and copy only the jdom.jar file to the /FlipFactory_install_dir/Jars/ directory and restart FlipFactory.

This is not necessary for subsequent versions of FlipFactory.

26.4.4 Sharing Directories with FlipFactory

To convert videos, each implementation of Digital Asset Manager must have a staging directory and a watched directory on a file system shared with FlipFactory. These can be the same directory. A subdirectory in each watched directory must have the same name as the rendition set in Digital Asset Manager, which must have the same name as the factory created in FlipFactory.

There must also be an "in" directory and an "out" directory within each subdirectory of the watched folder.

Cautions:

If multiple factories point to the same "in" directory, the input file is rendered by whichever factory receives notification first. As different factories may have different parameters, unexpected results may occur. For conversion to work properly and provide the expected results for each rendition, each factory created in FlipFactory should point to its own unique "in" directory.

The path to the shared directories must not contain spaces.

To create the required directories:

  1. Establish a shared file system that can be accessed by both FlipFactory and Inbound Refinery. For best results, set up the shared directories on the system that has FlipFactory installed.

  2. Create a staging directory. It can be named anything (for example, Video_Staging).

  3. Create a watched directory. It can be named anything (for example, Video_Watch). A single shared directory can be used for both the watched and staging directory.

  4. Open the watched directory and create a directory for each rendition set defined in Digital Asset Manager. The name of the directory must equal the name of the rendition set as defined by editing the VideoRenditions custom metadata field in Configuration Manager.

    Caution:

    For conversion to work properly, the names of the watched subdirectories, the Digital Asset Manager rendition sets, and the FlipFactory factories must be the same. Paths to the shared directories should not contain spaces.

  5. Open each directory in the watched directory and create two subdirectories, one named in, the other out. For example:

    /Video_Watch_dir/MediumBandwidth/in
    /Video_Watch_dir/MediumBandwidth/out
    

26.4.5 Setting the Conversion Engine Shared Directory Path

After the staging and watched directories are created, both Inbound Refinery and FlipFactory must know where to find them. Inbound Refinery must be able to place a copy of the asset in the staging directory and retrieve the renditions from the watched directory when rendering is complete. Inbound Refinery must also post an XML file requesting the file be rendered in the watched directory, telling FlipFactory where to find the asset and where to return the renditions, in a syntax that FlipFactory can understand. For best results, set up the shared directories on the system that has FlipFactory installed.

Setting the Shared Directory Path in Inbound Refinery

To set the shared directory path in Inbound Refinery:

  1. Open the DomainDir/ucm/ibr/bin/intradoc.cfg file for each Inbound Refinery connection accessing the shared directories in a standard text editor.

  2. Add the VideoStagingDir variable and set it equal to the path of the staging directory shared with FlipFactory. For example:

    VideoStagingDir=\\\\NetworkIdentity/Video_Staging/

    The path can be a local, mapped, or a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. The backslash is an escape character in Java, so any path using a backslash must be escaped using two backslashes. For example, the path \\NetworkIdentity/Video_Staging becomes \\\\NetworkIdentity/Video_Staging.

    Caution:

    The path to the shared directories must not contain spaces.

  3. Add the RefineryFlipFactoryWatchRootDir variable and set it equal to the path to the watched directory shared with FlipFactory. For example:

    RefineryFlipFactoryWatchRootDir=\\\\NetworkIdentity/Video_Watch.

  4. Save changes and close the intradoc.cfg file.

Directory Configuration

On a Windows platform, the VideoStagingDir and RefineryFlipFactoryWatchRootDir can have the same value. On a UNIX platform the paths to the shared directory may require a different syntax for accessing the directory than for posting the directory location in the XML request.

The following additional variables are added to the Inbound Refinery connection intradoc.cfg file to provide context for Inbound Refinery to accurately post a file path:

  • VideoStagingDirFactoryContext

  • RefineryFlipFactoryWatchRootDirFactoryContext

For example, if a staging directory is created on a FlipFactory instance at \\\\NetworkIdentity/Video_Staging/, and mounted on the UNIX Inbound Refinery system as /mnt/Video_Staging, then the following would be true:

  • VideoStagingDir=/mnt/Video_Staging

  • VideoStagingDirFactoryContext=\\\\NetworkIdentity/Video_Staging/

To add the additional multi-platform support variables to the intradoc.cfg file:

  1. Open the DomainDir/ucm/ibr/bin/intradoc.cfg file for each Inbound Refinery connection accessing the shared directories in a standard text editor.

  2. Add the VideoStagingDirFactoryContext variable and set it equal to the path of the staging directory from the FlipFactory context. For example:

    VideoStagingDirFactoryContext=\\\\NetworkIdentity/Video_Staging/

  3. Add the RefineryFlipFactoryWatchRootDirFactoryContext variable and set it equal to the path to the watched directory from the FlipFactory context. For example:

    RefineryFlipFactoryWatchRootDirFactoryContext=
    \\\\NetworkIdentity/Video_Watch

  4. Save changes and close the intradoc.cfg file.

Setting the Shared Directory Path in FlipFactory

The watched directory is defined in FlipFactory using the Oracle IBR monitor plug-in each time a factory is created. See Section 26.4.2, "Installing Digital Asset Manager Video Plug-ins" for more information.

The staging directory does not need to be explicitly defined in FlipFactory.

Note:

The Flip Engine service may need to be configured to be run by a particular user in order for FlipFactory to access a shared directory on a UNIX platform. For more information, see the documentation that came with FlipFactory.

26.4.6 Setting Media Locations

By default, Content Server uses the weblayout directory as the media location. This only requires setting a configuration variable in Inbound Refinery to point to the Content Server weblayout directory in order to use it as the media location for video.

However, video renditions can be placed in a variety of locations, such as the Content Server weblayout directory, placed on a file system for access outside of Content Server, or sent to a streaming server.

Note:

When streaming rendered videos, install and configure a supported media server based on the instructions from the media server, and set the conversion application to deliver the correct streaming format. Currently Digital Asset Manager supports Darwin Streaming Server (QuickTime), Helix Streaming Server (HelixMedia), and Windows Media Server

This section discusses the following topics regarding media locations:

26.4.6.1 Placing Renditions within Content Server

Using the weblayout directory as the media location keeps assets within Content Server, but prevents assets from being accessed outside of Content Server. Assets stored outside Content Server can be sent to multiple locations with different access rights and different backup schedules, for example, or can be served from different media servers or web servers.

Section 26.4.6.4, "Setting Placement Location Configuration Variables" details the procedure for setting configuration variables needed to specify media locations. Example 26-1 shows the configuration necessary for storing media renditions in the Content Server weblayout directory.

Example 26-1 Storing Media Renditions in the Content Server Weblayout Directory

Content Server Settings

No Content Server configuration variables need to be set when storing everything in the weblayout directory.

Inbound Refinery Settings

Set the following variable in the Inbound Refinery intradoc.cfg file to point to the Content Server weblayout directory:

DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot-agentName=agentWeblayoutDir

where agentName is the IDC_Name of the Content Server and agentWeblayoutDir is the weblayout directory of Content Server, relative to the Inbound Refinery.

If Content Server is using partitions set up using File Store Provider, a configuration entry must be made for each partition. For example, if the Content Server has a partition defined as damPartition on root $#env.WeblayoutDir$/damPartition/, then the entry would be:

DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot-agentNameOnpartitionName=agentdamPartitionPath

where agentName is the IDC_Name of Content Server, partitionName is the name of the partition, and agentdamPartitionPathName is the path to the partition root, relative to Inbound Refinery.

26.4.6.2 Placing Renditions Outside Content Server

Placing assets outside of Content Server allows renditions to be accessed by other servers, such as a streaming media server or a web server. When placing assets outside of Content Server, the location of assets must be set in the configuration files of both Inbound Refinery and Content Server. A URL root must also be set in the configuration file for Content Server. The following example shows the configuration necessary for storing media renditions outside Content Server.

Note:

Both Content Server and Inbound Refinery must have physical access to the placement locations. To access any renditions outside of Content Server a separate web server must be installed and configured.

Example 26-2 Storing Media Renditions Outside Content Server

Content Server Settings

The following configuration setting must be set in the Content Server intradoc.cfg file to specify the physical and URL roots of the media location:

DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot=\\\\mediaServer/ucmmedia/
DefaultMediaUrlRoot=http://mediaServer/media/

If Content Server is using partitions set up with File Store Provider, then each partition is a subdirectory of the root location set in DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot. By default, Content Server will store the media to the location specified in the DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot setting appended with the partition name.

For example, if DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot=\\\\mediaServer/ucmmedia/ then media would be stored at:

\\\\mediaServer/ucmmedia/partitionName

Similarly, the default for the URL root set in DefaultMediaUrlRoot would be automatically appended with the partition name. For example, if DefaultMediaUrlRoot=http://mediaServer/media/, then the media would be accessed at:

http://mediaServer/media/partitionName

A File Store Provider partition can optionally be defined to be used as the physical and URL root by setting DefaultMediaPhysicalRootOnpartitionName and DefaultMediaUrlRootOnpartitionName. For example:

DefaultMediaPhysicalRootOnpartitionName=\\\\mediaServer2/ucmparition/
DefaultMediaUrlRootOnpartitionName=http://mediaServer2/ucmparition/

Inbound Refinery Settings

Set the following entry in the Inbound Refinery intradoc.cfg file:

DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot-agentName=\\\\mediaServer/ucmmedia/

where agentName is the IDC_Name of Content Server.

If DefaultMediaPhysicalRootOnpartitionName was set in the Content Server intradoc.cfg file, then it must also be set in the Inbound Refinery intradoc.cfg file, so that both settings resolve to the same location:

DefaultMediaPhysicalRootOnpartitionName=\\\\mediaServer2/ucmparition/

26.4.6.3 Placing Renditions WIthin and Outside Content Server

In some situations it may be useful to use the weblayout directory as the media location for most renditions but place a particular format outside Content Server. For example, you may want a .MOV rendition stored within Content Server but have the .WMV and .WMA renditions placed outside Content Server for access by a streaming media server. The following example shows the configuration necessary for storing media renditions both inside and outside Content Server.

Note:

Both Content Server and Inbound Refinery must have physical access to the placement locations.

Example 26-3 Storing Media Renditions Inside and Outside Content Server

Content Server Settings

Follow the examples specified in the Content Server section of Example 26-2, "Storing Media Renditions Outside Content Server" to specify the physical and URL roots of the media.

Set the following variable to specify that the .WMV and .WMA files are to be treated differently from other renditions:

WinMediaSupportEnabled=true

Set the following variable in the Content Server intradoc.cfg file to specify where to locate the .WMV and .WMA files:

WinMediaPhysicalRoot=\\\\winmediaServer/ucmRenditions/windowsMedia/
WinMediaUrlRoot=rstp://winmediaServer/ucmRenditions/windowsMedia/

Inbound Refinery Settings

Follow the examples specified in the Inbound Refinery section of Example 26-2, "Storing Media Renditions Outside Content Server" to specify the physical root of the media.

Set the following variable in the Inbound Refinery intradoc.cfg file to specify that the .WMV and .WMA files are to be treated differently from other renditions:

WinMediaSupportEnabled=true

Use the following variable to specify what formats to place outside Content Server:

WinMediaFormats=wmv|wma

Set the following variable to specify the location for the .WMV and .WMA files:

WinMediaPhysicalRoot-agentName=\\\\winmediaServer/ucmRenditions/windowsMedia/

Procedures for setting locations for specific formats are detailed in Section 26.4.6.5.

26.4.6.4 Setting Placement Location Configuration Variables

To set the asset placement locations:

  1. Open the intradoc.cfg file in the connection directory for each Inbound Refinery connection accessing the shared directories in a standard text editor. A typical directory is DomainDir/ucm/ibr/bin.

  2. Add the DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot variable equal to the default location where video renditions will be placed. Because Inbound Refinery may be converting for several Content Servers, the agent name of the Content Server must be appended to the variable. For example:

    DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot-AgentName=\\\\NetworkIdentity/contentserver/weblayout/
    

    Note:

    This is a root directory only. The media file will actually exist in a subdirectory that mirrors the typical Content Server /weblayout/ directory. For example, a file named movie.ra might be located in

    \\NetworkIdentity/contentserver/weblayout/media/groups/public/
     documents/adacct/movie.ra
    

    The path can be a local, mapped, or a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. The backslash is an escape character in Java, so any path using a backslash must be escaped using two backslashes.

  3. Open the intradoc.cfg file in the connection directory for each Content Server connection accessing the shared directories in a standard text editor. A typical directory is DomainDir/ucm/cs/bin.

    Note:

    Depending on network set-up, this path may or may not be identical to the path set in the Inbound Refinery intradoc.cfg file, but the two paths must resolve to the same location.

  4. Add the DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot variable to each Content Server and set it equal to the default location video renditions are placed by the refinery server. For example:

    DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot=\\\\NetworkIdentity/contentserver/weblayout/
    
  5. Set DefaultMediaUrlRoot equal to the default location of the URL root path, including the protocol, to where the file can be accessed. For example:

    DefaultMediaUrlRoot=http://NetworkIdentity/contentserver/
    

    Note:

    The DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot variables for each Content Server agent using Inbound Refinery must resolve to the same location as the respective DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot-AgentName variables for the refinery. Additionally, each DefaultMediaUrlRoot variable in Content Server must resolve to the same location as the Content Server DefaultMediaPhysicalRoot for that server.

  6. Save changes and close the intradoc.cfg file.

  7. Restart managed servers.

If all rendered video assets are to go to the set locations, then setting the variables in the configuration files are that is needed. To send some media formats to other locations (for example all .ra files to a streaming server or all .mpgs to an external storage system), then the locations for those formats must also be configured.

26.4.6.5 Configuring Specific Media Format Placement Locations

Different locations can be specified for differing video renditions based on the media format. Media categories are available to define physical and URL roots for different formats:

  • WinMedia

  • DarwinMedia

  • HelixMedia

  • QuickTimeMedia

  • RealMedia

These category names serve as labels only, and any format can be grouped under any category label.

In order to specify different locations for different formats, edit the intradoc.cfg files for both Inbound Refinery and Content Server to:

  • enable a category

  • specify the formats handled by the category

  • set the physical root specific to the category

For Content Server only:

  • set the URL root specific to the category

Note:

Both Content Server and Inbound Refinery must have physical access to the placement locations.

To set a different location for a specific format:

  1. Open the DomainDir/ucm/ibr/bin/intradoc.cfg file for each Inbound Refinery connection accessing the shared directories in a standard text editor.

  2. Enable a category by setting the appropriate variable equal to true. For example, the following variable may be set:

    WinMediaSupportEnabled=true
    DarwinMediaSupportEnabled=true
    HelixMediaSupportEnabled=true
    
  3. Set the format of the media handled by the category by setting the appropriate variable equal to the format extension. For example:

    WinMediaFormats=wm*|asf|asx
    

    Each format is separated by a pipe (|) and an asterisk (*) can be used as a wildcard.

    The following variables may be set, and must match the enabled category or categories:

    • WinMediaFormats

    • DarwinMediaServerFormats

    • HelixMediaServerFormats

  4. Set the physical root for the media handled by the category by setting the appropriate variable equal to the physical path. For example:

    HelixMediaPhysicalRoot=\\\\NetworkIdentity/RealMedia/
    

    The following variables may be set, and must match the enabled category or categories:

    • WinMediaPhysicalRoot

    • DarwinMediaPhysicalRoot

    • HelixMediaPhysicalRoot

    Note:

    This is a root directory only. The media file will actually exist in a subdirectory that mirrors the typical Content Server /weblayout/ directory. For example, a file named movie.ra might be located in

    \\NetworkIdentity/contentserver/weblayout/media/groups/public/
     documents/adacct/movie.ra
    

    The path can be a local, mapped, or a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. The backslash is an escape character in Java, so any path using a backslash must be escaped using two backslashes.

  5. Open the DomainDir/ucm/cs/bin/intradoc.cfg file for each Content Server connection accessing the shared directories in a standard text editor.

  6. Repeat steps 2 through 4 in the Content Server intradoc.cfg file.

  7. In the Content Server intradoc.cfg file, add one of the following variables based on the formats being rendered, and set it to the URL root path, including the protocol, where the file can be accessed. For example:

    HelixMediaUrlRoot=rtsp://NetworkIdentity:554/
    

    The following variables may be set, and must match the enabled category or categories:

    • WinMediaUrlRoot

    • DarwinMediaUrlRoot

    • HelixMediaUrlRoot

  8. Save changes and close the intradoc.cfg file.

  9. Restart managed servers.

26.4.7 Using Streaming Servers

Depending on how media conversions are set, categories, and URL root variables, renditions can be served out of a web server or streaming media server. The following actions must be performed to stream rendered videos:

  • install and properly configure a supported media server based on the instructions that came with the media server

  • set the conversion application to deliver the correct streaming format

  • configure a category to deliver the rendition to the correct place

  • configure the web URL root with the proper protocol and syntax for the streaming server

Digital Asset Manager supports Darwin Streaming Server (QuickTime), Helix Streaming Server (RealMedia), and Windows Media Server. For information about protocols used with streaming media, see the media server documentation.

26.4.8 Defining Video Rendition Sets

For video, factories defined in FlipFactory contain the options for converting digital assets into video renditions specified in the factory. A corresponding directory on a file system shared by FlipFactory and Inbound Refinery has an "in" subdirectory that is watched by FlipFactory for a request posted there by Inbound Refinery in the form of an XML file.

After a factory creates the requested renditions, the files are placed in an "out" subdirectory of the watched factory directory, with an XML file. Inbound Refinery monitors the "out" directory for the XML file, and uses it to locate the finished renditions and return them to Content Server or place them at another configured location. See Section 26.4, "Setting Up and Managing Video Conversions" for more information about video renditions. See the "Downloading Specific Video Renditions in Webcenter Content" blog for information about downloading video renditions.

When a file is checked into Content Server, the format of the file determines if it is a digital asset. If it is a video file, Content Server passes the file to Inbound Refinery, which notifies the video conversion application a file is there to convert. The resulting renditions are then passed back through Inbound Refinery to Content Server or other specified locations, where they are managed under a single content ID and made available to the organization.

For video assets, the names of the rendition sets defined for the choice list of the VideoRenditions metadata field in the Configuration Manager applet must match exactly with the names of factories set up in FlipFactory and the factory directories monitored in the watched directory.

When modifying or adding factories, it is important to remember that a contributor will only see the name of the rendition set at check-in of a digital asset. The rendition set name should be descriptive. Factory names and descriptions are displayed on the content information and rendition information pages.

Spaces and other characters reserved for Idoc Script tags or are illegal for use in URLs, such as spaces, cannot be used in rendition names.

26.4.9 Creating and Configuring Factories in FlipFactory

Factories created in FlipFactory must have the same names as rendition sets defined in Content Server, and must be configured to access the appropriate watched directory.

Creating Factories

To create a factory in FlipFactory:

  1. After installing the Digital Asset Manager plug-ins, open Services and verify the Flip Engine service is started. For more information about installing the Digital Asset Manager plug-ins, see Section 26.4.2.

  2. Start and log in to FlipFactory.

  3. Click Manage Factories.

  4. On the Manage Factories page, right-click on the Factories folder, and select New Factory from the contextual menu.

  5. Select the new untitled folder.

  6. In the Factory Editor panel, enter a name in the Name field that corresponds to the name of a rendition set in Digital Asset Manager. The names must be identical. For example, if your rendition set is named MixedBandwidth, the new factory must be named MixedBandwidth. A factory description is optional.

Configuring Plug-ins

After a factory is created that corresponds to a rendition set in Digital Asset Manager, the appropriate plug-ins must be configured to communicate between FlipFactory and Inbound Refinery.

Setting the Watch Directory Path

The directory watched by Inbound Refinery must also be watched by the factory. To set the path to the watched directory for a factory:

  1. Open the folder of the new factory. Four subfolders are displayed:

    • Monitors

    • Process/Analyze

    • Products

    • Notifications

  2. Select the Monitors folder.

  3. Select the Oracle IBR Monitor tab and click Add.

  4. Select Oracle IBR Monitor in the Monitors folder.

  5. In the Refinery Monitor panel, verify that the Enable check box is selected.

  6. Click Browse under the Watch Folder section.

  7. Using the Watch Folder dialog box, locate the watched folder created for this implementation and continue to browse within it to the "in" subfolder of the directory whose name is identical to the factory name.

    For example, if this factory is named MixedBandwidth, you would browse to Video_Watch/MixedBandwidth/in. If you have not created the subfolders of the watched directory, see Section 26.4.4.

  8. Click Select.

Enabling Keyframe Extraction

FlipFactory must create key frames of the video asset for use in the story board section of the Rendition Information page. To enable keyframe extraction:

  1. With the new factory folder still open, select Process/Analyze and select Video Analysis.

  2. Check Enabled.

  3. Select Video Analysis in the Process/Analyze folder.

  4. Verify that the KeyFrame Extraction tab is selected and the Enabled check box is selected.

  5. Configure the key frame parameters as needed. For more information about the parameter options, see the FlipFactory documentation.

Note:

Failure to enable keyframe extraction may result in broken image links for the rendition on a search result page in Content Server, and disables the story board functionality for that rendition on the Rendition Information page.

Enabling Notification

The factory must notify Inbound Refinery when a request has been completed. To enable notification:

  1. With the new factory folder still open, select Notifications.

  2. Select the Refinery Notify tab and click Add. The Refinery Notify item is enabled and added to the Notification folder. There are no settings in the Refinery Notify item than can be configured by a user.

Adding Products and Setting Rendition Destinations

Each product in a factory corresponds to a rendition in a rendition set, and the destination of each product corresponds to the rendition name that is displayed on a Rendition Information page. To add a product and set the destination:

  1. With the new factory folder still open, right-click on Products and select New Product from the contextual menu.

    Notes:

    The Product panel is used to specify the conversion format. By default, Duplicate Original is enabled. All format options may not be available, depending on the license agreement with FlipFactory. Available options may not be supported by Digital Asset Manager.

    To properly render to the correct output format, the correct codec to play the input format must be installed on the same server on which FlipFactory is installed. Popular web formats, such as .avi and others, may use different codecs even within the same format. If problems are encountered, verify the original input file will play on the FlipFactory system. If it does not, you may need to obtain the proper codec. For more information, see the FlipFactory documentation.

  2. Open the Product folder.

  3. Select the Destination folder.

  4. Select the Refinery Transport tab and click Add.

  5. Select the Refinery Transport item in the Destinations folder.

  6. Enter the name of the rendition in the Rendition Name field. It can be anything. This is the name that is displayed on the Rendition Information page in Content Server.

Caution:

You must enter a rendition name. If you do not, rendering of the asset will fail. If rendering fails, the content item must be removed from Content Server using Repository Manager, and Inbound Refinery must be restarted.

26.4.10 Managing Video Conversion

Content Server identifies content items as digital assets based on the extension of the file checked in. At installation, Digital Asset Manager checks to see if the file formats exist in the Content Server Configuration Manager applet.

This section discusses the following topics:

26.4.10.1 Editing the Video File Type Configuration Table

If you add a file format and map the extension to the Digital Media Video conversion engine, and need that format to play in an embedded player (such as on the Rendition Information page), the extension must exist in the Video File Type configuration table of the IdcHomeDir/components/DAMConverter/resources/dam_cfg_tables.htm file.

The format must exist in the Video File Type configuration table only for the file to play in an embedded player. If the format is not in the table, the rendition can still be opened and played in a standalone player that supports the rendered format.

To verify that the added format exists in the Video File Type configuration table, open the dam_cfg_tables.htm file in a standard browser and review the file extensions listed. If the file extension does not exist, write a custom component listing the extension and additional necessary information and merge the tables. For more information about cerating custom components, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Developing with Oracle WebCenter Content.

Surrounding text describes damcfgtables.gif.

The following table lists the columns of the Video File Type configuration table and their function.

Column Name Definition

fileExtension

The extension of the file formats to be supported played in the embedded players.

formatName

The name of the format associated with the extension. This value corresponds to the values in the Video Format Prefs table, which is configurable, and is displayed in the choice lists of the embedded players.

player

The player that supports the added format extension. The values are case-sensitive. Currently only three values are allowable:

  • real

  • quicktime

  • wmplayer

metafileExtension

The metafile extension associated with the format extension, used to determine what embedded player will play a streaming version of the format. There must be a value in this field if the format is streamed.


26.4.10.2 Setting the Default Video Format Preferences

Embedded players are displayed on the Rendition Information page or when a web-viewable link is clicked. The format chosen to play in the embedded player is based on a table of user preferences regarding available rendition format options, set on the Video Preferences page. Prior to user input, default preferences are based on values set in the Video Format Preferences table of the IdcHomeDir/components/DigitalAssetManager/dam_cfg_tables.htm file.

IdcHomeDir/components/DigitalAssetManager/
Surrounding text describes defaultplayer_prefs.gif.

To add new settings or modify default preferences, create a custom component containing the new or modified settings and merge the custom data table into the corresponding default data table. For more information about creating custom components, see Oracle Fusion Middleware Developing with Oracle WebCenter Content.

Note:

Do not edit a standard Content Server component resource directly. Always create a custom component to merge changes into Content Server or Inbound Refinery.

Modifications made to a component resource are overwritten if Digital Asset Manager is updated to a newer version.

The following table lists the columns of the Video Format Preferences table and their function.

Column Name Definition

format

Configurable name displayed in the choice list of an embedded player.

pickOrder_win

Determines the order a format is selected on a Windows operating system.

pickOrder_mac

Determines the order a format is selected on a Macintosh operating system.

pickOrder_other

Determines the order a format is selected on an operating system other than Windows or Macintosh.


26.4.11 Enabling Plug-in Debugging Logs

The standard log outputs from FlipFactory are stored in the stdout.log file in the FlipFactory installation directory. Additional logging detail can be found by enabling the plug-in logging. To enable FlipFactory plug-in debugging:

  1. Stop the Flip Engine service.

  2. Open the log4j.properties file located in the FlipFactory_install_dir in a standard text editor.

  3. Delete the # symbol in front of the following entries in the log4j.properties file:

    • log4j.logger.com.stellent.refinery.ff=DEBUG

    • log4j.rootLogger=ERROR, IBRPlugin

  4. Save the log4j.properties file and restart the Flip Engine service.

Information regarding plug-in output is now logged to /FlipFactory_install_dir/stdout.log.