Dynamic Image Server

The dynamic image server accepts the following command line options.

-FilePath
By default, the image server looks for any local files to serve relative to the WATCHOUT installation folder. Hence, to display a file named “TickerTest.swf” located in a folder named “flash” inside the WATCHOUT folder, configure the Dynamic Image media item as shown under “Dynamic Image Parameters”.

You may prefer to keep your dynamic image content somewhere else than inside the WATCHOUT installation folder. If so, use the -FilePath option to the image server to specify the path to the folder containing your local dynamic content. Separate the option and the path with a space. Enclose the path in double-quotes if it contains spaces.

NOTE: This option is also recognized by its alias -f, as shown in the example under “Alternate File Location”.

-PollInterval
When displaying images hosted locally on the dynamic image server, any changes made to those images will be recognized instantly. This can be used to update content by simply replacing a file with another one, with the same name and dimensions.

When displaying remote images, accessed by specifying a fully qualified URL as the path in the Dynamic Image media item, changes will not be recognized instantly, as a round trip to the server is required in order to detect them. While displaying a remote image, the image server will poll the server at regular intervals to see if the image has changed. If it has, it will be updated accordingly. By default, the interval by which the image server queries the remote server is 30 seconds. Hence, it may take up to 30 seconds for any change made to the image on the server to appear on the displays.

You can specify another poll interval using the -PollInterval command line option, followed by a space and then the desired interval, in seconds. The shortest interval you can specify is 1 second. Setting this value to 0 disables any updates, making the image server load the image only once, as the first client requests it, and then hold the same image indefinitely until the last client let go.

NOTE: Some servers may impose limits on how frequently you may request updates. In such cases, making the refresh interval too short may cause the server to stop responding altogether, thereby nullifying your intent to expedite updates.