Getting Started

Once you've requested and set up a digital sign, it's time to get started with ScreenCloud, Emerson College's web-based digital signage creation and content management platform.

Joining the Emerson College Account

As a Digital Signage manager, you should receive an email invite from Emerson IT. Follow these steps to set up your ScreenCloud account:

1. In that email, click Join Your Team.
2. When brought to the create account page, select Sign up with Google.
3. Agree to the signup terms by checking off the two boxes then select Continue to sign up.
4. You'll be prompted to enter your Emerson login credentials through Duo.
5. You'll land at a Welcome page, which will show the Emerson College organization, select Accept.

Signing In

Once you've joined the Emerson College ScreenCloud account, you can sign into ScreenCloud in the future through the standard login page using Google authentication.

1. Go to https://auth.screencloud.com/login
2. Select Continue with Google.
3. If prompted, select your Emerson Google account from the list
4. If prompted, enter your Emerson login credentials to sign in through Duo.

You're now in your ScreenCloud account!

Navigating ScreenCloud

Order of Operations

1. Create your channel -- this is where you will start to develop what the digital signage screen will look like and what spaces you will be filling with content
2. Upload your Media, create your Canvases, and install/configure your Apps -- there are a lot of different ways to add content to your digital signs, either by using pre-existing work of your own, linking to social media, or other platforms, or creating within the ScreenCloud app itself.
3. Reference the Digital Signage Branding Guide for recommendations and assistance on the aesthetics and 
4. Return to the Channel section to apply your added content to the zones on the channel(s) you’ve created. Schedule content in zones, adjust the fit and Preview what your screen will look like
5. (Optional) Schedule your channels as Playlists

Screens

This is where you manage your physical screens and check on what is currently playing in your digital signage environment

1. How to add a new screen to your Space
2. How to pair your physical screen to begin creating your digital sign
3. Deleting/deactivating a screen in ScreenCloud

Channels

This is where you will create your screen formats (orientation, resolution, layout) and begin entering content for your screen. Channels function like TV channels -- they’re a way to group the look/content of your screen for a particular time of day, event, or signage series

The full guide on setting up your digital signage channels can be found here: Setting Up Channels in ScreenCloud. This guide covers:

1. Creating and setting up a channel in ScreenCloud
2. Settings, features, and sharing options for channels
3. How to display your channel to your physical screen

Media Library

The Media Library is where your content lives. You can organize content by name, duration, file type, size, and descriptive tag. You can also create folders for specific media groups

ScreenCloud’s media guide can be found at the following link: How to Use the ScreenCloud Media Library. Here you can find information on:

1. Uploading your media: Be aware that some content -- slideshows, videos, etc -- may take some time to transcode after being uploaded. If you don’t see your Powerpoint in the Media Library right away, give it a moment!
2. Creating folders and tags to organize your media.
3. Casting your media to your Screens.

Canvas

Canvas is ScreenCloud’s native design editor (not the college’s learning management system!) that you can use to create screen-ready content like menu boards and posters. Canvas gives you the ability to save templates or use pre-generated designs to populate your screen.

A guide to using the ScreenCloud Canvas App can be found at the ScreenCloud Canvas App Guide. This guide covers:

1. Creating digital content from scratch and from templates
2. Editing or reusing templates
3. Uploading images
4. Adding the ScreenCloud Canvas App to your screen

Apps

ScreenCloud has seamless integration with a wide variety of apps, like Youtube, Twitter, and Weather to showcase unique content on your digital screens. Most apps come with how-to guides on how to set them up. 

A comprehensive guide to adding apps to your screen can be found here: How to Add Apps to ScreenCloud. It covers:

1. Navigating to the App Store and finding the apps you're looking to add
2. Installing and Naming Apps
3. Full guides on each available app can be found in ScreenCloud's Learn section 

Playlists

Playlists are used to organize your content and in the order, you want to see it. Playlists also allow you to edit the duration of your content.

The full guide for configuring Playlists can be found here: How to Create Playlists. This guide covers:

1. Creating a new playlist
2. Adding content via the Playlist Screen or your Media Library.
3. Managing the order and duration of your content.

For Additional Help

• Check out ScreenCloud's comprehensive user guides
• For content guidance, review Emerson's Digital Signage Branding Guide for fonts, colors, and instructions for getting photos and other Emerson-branded content for your sign