Graphics 101

With Tagboard's graphics engine, you unlock complete control to build a pre-designed, customizable framework that matches the look and feel of your production. Plus the ability to edit and produce with those graphics on the fly. Within this article we will discuss why you should use Graphics as well as help you get more familiar with the Graphics Workspace and how-to create a graphic.

• Step 1: Why Use Tagboard Graphics?
• Step 2: Accessing Graphics
• Step 3: Creating a Graphic
• Step 4: Getting Familiar with the Graphics Builder
• Step 5: Displaying Tagboard

Why Use Tagboard Graphics?

A Tagboard graphic is a pre-designed, customizable template that is used as a starting point for creating various versions of a graphic at speed and scale. The template provides the overall structure (such as the size and placement of shape, text, and image layers). As the template gets used in a production, instead of having to build each graphic from scratch, the operator can duplicate the original version and only has to update relevant fields like text boxes and images.

Creating a Graphic

To build a new graphic, click "+ Create New" in the top right corner, then choose whether to:

1. Build from scratch
2. Upload a PSD file
3. Use a Template

Looking to pick up where you left off with a graphic?

Navigate back to the Graphics Workspace, hover over the row of the graphic template you'd like to edit then just simply click. You can also duplicate and delete a graphic from this Workspace. Use the three horizontal dots on the far right of the row and pick from the popup menu.

After you create a template, the best place to start is in the top left corner of the builder where you can title your template. This is important so it's easy to identify which template you're selecting when adding the graphic to a production in Tagboard Producer.

Canvas Settings 

After you title your template, work your way down the left side of the builder until you get to canvas settings. Before you start building it's important to have the canvas match the pixel width and height of the screen you're going to display your graphic on. The default is 1920X1080 (standard TV screen ratio). 

• Safe Area
  • You can check this box to display a safe area on your canvas. This will help visualize areas on the screen you want your graphic to avoid. You can adjust width and height by percentage between 0-100%.

• Rulers and Guides
  • Checking this box will make rulers appear. If you click into the ruler area and drag out from there, then a guide will appear. After you've dropped the ruler, you can re-click it and drag to reposition. 
  • Once guides are set, you can uncheck the "Rulers and Guides" box to hide them. Checking again will have the rulers and guides reappear.

Elements and Layers 

Now that your template has a title and the canvas is set, let's start building. You will build your template by adding different elements. There are 5 basic elements [text, image, video, shape, and QR Code]. There are also several "Advanced Elements"  options. As you click to add elements, you will see that they automatically appear in your canvas as well as create a new layer. You can simply drag and drop individual layers to reposition the order in which they appear. 

Each layer will have its own robust list of customizations that appear on the right sidebar of the builder when the layer is selected. To learn more about the layer customization options, click the layer you want to know more about below:

• Text Element
• Image Element
• Video Element
• Shapes Element
• QR Codes Element

Naming/Sorting

It is important to name your layers as you build your template, so they are easy to identify when building a graphic in Tagboard Producer. To name your layer, double click on the name. In addition to naming your layers, you can click and drag them to set the order from top to bottom. 

Grouping

When you have multiple layers of your graphic that you want to operate as a single layer, you have the option to group them together. Group your layers by holding down the shift key, selecting the layers you want to group, and then hitting (Command or CTRL + G). You can then rename your group. To ungroup your layer you can use the hotkey (Command or CTRL + Shift + G) or click the three vertical dots and select the option to ungroup.

The lock icon (seen in the GIF above) is how you can lock or unlock a specific layer while building your template. Locked layers cannot be changed.

Editable/Rename/Duplicate/Delete

Clicking the three vertical dots right of the lock icon will open a modal with some additional options for each layer. Checking the editable box will make it so this layer of your template can be edited when customizing your graphic in Producer. Working your way down the modal you will see another way you can rename your layer, an option to duplicate your layer, and the ability to delete a layer.

Save

Your template will not save automatically. Make sure to click save in the upper right corner of your template builder throughout the course of your build. 

Hot Keys

In the upper left corner of your template builder you will see a keyboard icon that you can click to see different keyboard shortcuts that can be used to streamline your template building process. 

Animation Preview

Once you have given layers of your graphic animations, this is where you can click to preview the animation. 

There is also a box you can check if you have an animation you want to loop while the graphic is being displayed.

Tags

Be sure to add tags to your graphics so they're easier to track down when selecting a template in Tagboard Producer. Think of these as folders. Everything with the same tag will essentially be in the same folder. 

​Displaying Tagboard

For a quick overview, Tagboard is a web-based application that we recommend using via Chrome (for its security, speed, and ability to go fullscreen without controls or toolbars in view). There are several ways you can use Tagboard to visualize your story:

1. Laptop-to-screen via appropriate cable connection (HDMI, DVI, or VGA),
2. Signal conversion via scan converter, mixer, or scaler, or
3. direct URL input to production software

With these methods in mind, visit the Producer Workspace to get started on displaying Tagboard. Consult Getting Started with Tagboard Producer to set up your production(s) and learn how-to navigate Producer... Tagboard's emmy award winning cloud-based production platform

Please utilize these resources, below, for a deeper dive into displaying Tagboard via Producer. 

• Live Display Requirements
• Tagboard Live Output
• Producing with Graphics