XM Player - How to Create Ads

This video provides a brief tutorial on creating ads with XM player.

This guide walks you through building a complete advertisement in XM Player – adding background images, layered text with transparent backgrounds, transition effects, and finally uploading to your LED sign. It also covers how to schedule content and add real‑time elements like a clock and temperature.

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1. Start a New Program

• Open XM Player.

• Go to File → New, or click the New icon on the toolbar.

A Program Page appears – this works like a slide in PowerPoint. You can have multiple pages (ads) in one file.

• Rename the page: double‑click the name or enter a descriptive name in the “Name” field (e.g., “Happy Hour”).

• Play setting: choose how long the page is displayed before moving to the next page:

  • *1* – plays once, then moves to the next page (if any).

  • Seconds – set a custom duration (e.g., 5 seconds).

• Height & Width: these must match your sign’s pixel resolution.
  Find this on your invoice, estimate, or display diagram.
  If you have a P10 sign with 4 modules tall and 7 modules wide, each P10 module is 32×32 pixels, so resolution = 128 (H) × 224 (W). Enter these values.

• Left & Top – not critical; they affect the preview window position.

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2. Add Background Images (File Window)

1. On the Program Page, click File (under the “Multi‑function” section) to add a file window.
   A gray box appears in the preview.

2. Resize to full screen:

   • Drag the edges, or

   • Right‑click → Size → Full Screen, or

   • Use the Full Screen button in the alignment toolbar.

3. Add images:

   • Click Add File inside the file window.

   • Navigate to your images (you can select multiple at once).

   • Click Open. The images will play one after another.

4. Adjust transition and timing:

   • With the file window selected, set Entry Effect (e.g., “Gradual Show”).

   • Stay Time: how long each image is displayed before switching.

   • Click Apply to Current Window to save the changes for all images in that window.

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3. Add Text (Text Windows)

Add multiple text windows so you can layer text and apply different animations.

• On the Program Page, click Text to add a text window.

• Repeat for each piece of text.

Creating Text

1. Double‑click the text window to open the text editor.

2. Click New Text (or Import Text if you already have an RTF file).

3. Type or paste your text.

4. Adjust font, size, bold, and color using the toolbar.

5. Check Transparent background so the underlying image shows through.

6. Click OK to close the editor.

Positioning & Resizing

• Click and drag the text window in the preview to reposition.

• Drag the edges to resize.

• Use the Left and Top fields for exact placement.

Layering Order

To place text on top of the background image:

• In the Program Page, you’ll see a list of elements (file window, text windows).

• Drag the file window down so it is below the text windows, or use the ↑ / ↓ arrows.

• This makes the images the background and the text the foreground.

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4. Add Transition Effects to Text

You can apply different entrance animations to individual text windows.

• Select a text window.

• Under Entry Effect, choose an effect (e.g., “Move Left”, “Move Right”, “Gradual Show”).

• Set Stay Time – the duration the text is visible.

• Click Apply to Current Window to save.

If you want some text to remain static (no movement), set Entry Effect to “None” or leave the default.

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5. Saving Your Work

• Go to File → Save (or the disk icon).

• Name your file (e.g., “Restaurant_Ads”) and save it as an .xml file.
  Saved files appear in the recent list at the bottom of the File menu for quick access.

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6. Connecting to Your Sign

Before uploading, you must connect your computer to the sign’s network.
See our Antenna Connection Guide for details.

Once connected:

• In XM Player, go to Control → Search for Devices.

• The software will find your sign and display its IP address.

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7. Upload Content to the Sign

• With your program open, go to File → Send Current Program.

• Check the box next to your sign’s IP address.

• Click Send.

• Confirm the file size and click OK.

• A success message appears when the upload is complete.

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8. Scheduling Content

To play a specific program at a certain time or on certain days:

1. Save your program file (.xml).

2. In the main window, click the Schedule icon (calendar).

3. Click Add Schedule.

4. Choose Play a Program as the action.

5. Select File – browse to your .xml file.

6. Set the start and end times, and choose the days.

7. Click OK.

8. In the schedule window, check the box next to the new schedule.

9. Click Send (as you would for a program) to upload the schedule to the sign.

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9. Adding a Clock and Temperature

Digital Clock

• On the Program Page, click Clock (or Digital Clock).

• A clock window appears. Double‑click to configure:

  • 12‑hour or 24‑hour format.

  • Show/hide date, year, seconds.

  • Choose single‑line or multi‑line display.

• Resize and position the clock on your layout.

• By default, the background is transparent.

Temperature

• Click Sensor to add a temperature display.

• Configure units (°F or °C) in the editor.

• The preview shows a placeholder (e.g., 37°). When uploaded, the sign’s actual temperature sensor reading will appear.

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10. Tips & Reminders

• Multiple program pages – use the + icon to create a new page. Build each ad independently.

• Renaming windows – helpful when you have many text or file windows. Select the window and change the Name field.

• Quick alignment – use the alignment buttons in the toolbar to center or distribute elements.

• Preview – use File → Preview or the Preview button to see how your content will look on the sign.

If you run into issues, visit ledsigncity.com or call 866‑343‑4111 for assistance.