Split a screen into zones

A zone layout divides the screen into rectangles called zones. Each zone plays its own playlist on its own timing, so a menu can stay on the left while a promo video loops on the right.

Built-in layouts

• Full Screen: one zone, main, covering the whole screen. Every screen starts with this.
• Main + Ticker: a main area on top and a strip along the bottom (15% of the height). The strip plays slides like any other zone; it doesn't scroll text.

Steps: draw your own layout

1. In Studio, open Zone Layouts and click New layout. (Or click Duplicate on a built-in layout to start from it.)
2. Type a Name, such as "Menu + promo".
3. Choose the screen shape: Landscape (16:9), Portrait (9:16) or Ultra-wide (21:9).
4. Click Add zone for each area you need. Drag a zone to move it, and drag its bottom-right corner to resize it. A zone can be as small as 5% of the screen.
5. Click a zone and type a name for it in the Zone name box, such as Menu or Promo.
6. Click Save layout.

Steps: use the layout on a screen

1. Open Screens and click the screen.
2. Under Zone layout, choose your new layout. A box appears for each zone, such as Menu zone and Promo zone.
3. Pick a playlist for each zone.
4. Click Preview to see the result, then Publish.

Can each zone have its own schedule?

Yes. In the screen's Scheduling window, choose the zone first, then add the rule. Zones are listed by their short key (for example main or zone-2); the layout editor shows each zone's name with its key in brackets. See Schedule content.

How do I show a portrait layout on a TV mounted on its side?

Draw the layout in Portrait (9:16). When the player sees a portrait layout on a landscape display, it turns the picture a quarter turn clockwise to fill the screen. Mount the TV so that its right-hand edge ends up at the top. If the picture is upside down, turn the TV the other way.

What size should my images be?

Make each image the same shape as its zone. Content is scaled to fill the zone, so an image of a different shape gets its edges cropped. For an image or video, the Focus setting chooses which part stays visible: Center, Top, Bottom, Left or Right.

How many zones should I use?

There is no fixed limit, but two to four zones stay readable from across a room. Each extra video zone is more work for the player; on a Raspberry Pi, more than one video at a time may stutter.

Can I put a clock in its own zone?

Yes. Make a small zone, create a playlist with one clock widget slide, and assign it to that zone. See Widgets.