Messages on the MFP and how to configure

Requirements #

• MFP Client 2.17.0 or newer
• CDDS 2.17.0 or newer

Objective #

With Genius MFP you can use not only the graphics, for communication with your colleagues, but even more easily use different text messages. Quasi a text message on the MFP.

The Genius MFP Embedded Client regularly checks a central web service for new messages. The message types can be distinguished: Info, Warning, and Alarm.

Solution #

• First you will need a webserver. You can use an existing one, like an ILS or setup an new one. A simple, easy to install web service for demo/test purposes is: https://www.apachefriends.org/de/index.html
• Create a CSV file with messages for your Postits with following possible coloums
  • tilte: Prefixed to the message itself
  • message*: The message itself. Maximal length of this message is 155 characters.
  • endoflife: until when a message will be shown. Possible date formats: HH:mm:ss dd/MM/yyyy and HH:mm:ss dd.MM.yyyy
  • type*: “NONE”, “NOTICE”, “INFORMATION”, “ANNOUNCEMENT”, “WARNING”, “ALERT” and “EMERGENCY”. Result is different visuals with can be defined by loyout.properties
    • * Required
  • device: <VendorNumber>-<SerialNumber> or <device type name>
• Note: if you don’t use a header line, you have to use either only the message element per line or all six elements (title, message etc.)
• make sure that an existing header line contains fields exactly written like above (they are parsed and interpreted as well!)
• Put this CSV onto your webserver
• Login client settings page
• Go to Setting/Show advanced settings
  • Activate Postit enabled
  • Set: Postit show timeout (Millis)=How long a single message should be shown, until the next message is shown (must be 2001 or higher)
  • Set: Postit refresh timeout (Millis)=In wich periods the client should check if a new message file is existing
  • Set: Postit url= HTTP(S) URL to the folder containing the global message csv file. This URL will be used to get the global message csv file (for all devices). In addition the client will automatically extend this url with the device serial no. and fetch also a device specific csv file. The messages are mixed.
•  To be able to view messages per device AND global those options are possible
  • the client will perform 2 different calls: the first one to the post-it URL, the second one to a subdirectory defined by its device serial number. For example, assume that the post-it URL has been set to: “http://<IP_ADDRESS>/<filename>.csv”, then the client will perform a call to this URL and to a second one: “http://<IP_ADDRESS>/<SerialNumber/<filename>.csv”
  • With a master CSV and dedicated destination column (device)
    Possible values:
    <empty> (default: shows message on all devices)
    <VendorNumber>-<SerialNumber> (shows message on device with this serial number)
    <device type name> (shows message only on devices of this device type) So the device will fetch messages from both path (if possible)

Example #

In this short movie we show you two ways, one is simple via text file. Variant two requires a license for Genius BPM.

Note: The message function is currently ONLY available on embedded systems!

Have fun trying it out. As an example for RICOH SOP clients, here is the link to the original documentation.