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Managing Playlists

Element playlists can be managed through the element properties window or directly in the playlist window.

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Accessing the Playlist of a Page Element

  1. Via Element Properties Window:
    • Select the page element by clicking on it.
    • Click Element Properties from the Elements menu.
    • Click Playlist in the navigation pane.
  2. Via Playlist Window:
    • Select the page element by clicking on it.
    • Open the playlist window (if not visible, check settings to enable it).
The playlist window includes:
  • A toolbar for playlist functions.
  • A body section for editing playlist items.
  • A footer section for navigation and total playlist duration.
In cases where durations cannot be determined (such as streaming videos), these durations will not be included in the total playlist duration.

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Playlist Views

There are two viewing modes:
Detailed ViewList View
Best for viewing detailed information about each playlist item.Best for getting a quick overview of the playlist.
To switch between views, use the Design window settings in the Options window to set a default view.

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Adding Playlist Items

You can add items in the following ways:
  • Add Empty Item → Creates a new blank item. Content must be manually added.
  • Add from Content Library → Selects files from the PADS4 content library (automatically synced across all PCs).
  • Add from External File → Selects files from outside the PADS4 content library (not automatically synced).
  • Duplicate an Item → Creates an exact copy of an existing playlist item.
New items are always added to the end of the playlist.
The default duration and transition effect settings will apply to all newly created playlist items.

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Editing Playlist Items

  • In Detailed View → Edit properties of a playlist item in the body section.
  • In List View → Use in-place editing to quickly modify playlist items.
Quick Editing Tip:
To edit multiple items at once, select them in list view, modify one, and apply changes to all selected items.

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Reordering Playlist Items

  • Move Down → Moves selected items one position down.
  • Move Up → Moves selected items one position up.
Quick Tip:
To move multiple items quickly, select them in list view and use the Move Up/Down buttons.

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Removing Playlist Items

To delete one or more items:
  • Select the items.
  • Click Remove.
In detailed view mode, use these functions to move between items:
  • First Item → Jumps to the first playlist item.
  • Previous Item → Moves to the previous playlist item.
  • Next Item → Moves to the next playlist item.
  • Last Item → Jumps to the last playlist item.
You can also manually enter a playlist item’s sequence number to jump directly to it.

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Additional Functions

  • View XML Structure → Displays the XML structure of the playlist for use with external playlists.
  • Show Viewer Variables → Displays Viewer Variables available in PADS4, which can be used for dynamic text and content.

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Summary

Managing playlists in PADS4 allows you to:
  • Add, edit, reorder, and remove playlist items.
  • Switch between detailed view and list view.
  • Adjust playback order, durations, and transition effects.
  • Use Viewer Variables for dynamic content integration.