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The client application can be installed on any machine that will be able to access the XPression machine via a network address. It is responsible for all communication with the barchart internet data service. It also needs to be able to connect to the Chameleon database instance to access the sponsor schedule.
Prerequisites
Windows 8, 10, or Windows Server 2012 or greater is recommended.
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The key is set via the File menu - Preferences option. It is the first value displayed at the top of the Preferences window.
No XPression Mode
You can run the client application without connecting to the XPression server. Press the Don’t connect button to launch the client app in standalone mode. You will be able to:
To view account details related to the active API key there is a window that opens via the Help menu - API Account Access… Clicking on this menu item will open a window display exchanges and module access. Then numbers in front of the module names in the right hand list indicate the number of times that module has been used this month.
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No XPression Mode
You can run the client application without connecting to the XPression server. Press the Don’t connect button to launch the client app in standalone mode. You will be able to:
search for commodities available to you for chart generation
generate and preview charts
generate and preview commodity quote table data
build playlists of charts and tables to be used in a later session.
generate and view real time value lists
update preferences
view currently scheduled sponsors for each sponsor category (if enabled)
Preferences
You can change many of the features of the generated charts with the Preferences window. It is accessed via File menu - Preferences...
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Note that you are ultimately limited by the exchanges that are included in your API key / license.
Auto
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This intraday values displayed on a generated chart scene can be automatically updated just before the graphic is sent to air. This only affects the intraday current value and change. It does not regenerate the chart image.
Create Charts
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Search for the first symbol by typing it in the search box #1
You can search by typing a name or a symbol
You can click the dropdown arrow on the right of the search box to select from the most recently used list.
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Click on the item you wish to use. The first item is selected by default.
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If you want to compare 2 on one chart
click on the Compare checkbox to display it’s checkmark
search for the second by starting to type its name or symbol in the filter box for #2
select the item you wish to use from the filtered list
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Select a Range
Click the Generate Chart button
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This will cause the current data to be downloaded and transformed into the corresponding chart
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Refresh Times in Seconds
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These values control how often data is automatically refreshed. The Real Time Window only refreshes data when it is open. The On Air Data refreshes the data in the active on-air graphic (table or chart) while it is on-air. Note that for charts only the intraday market values are updated and the chart itself is not updated while it is on air.
Quote Table Default Footers
These two text boxes can be used to provide the default text in footer 1 and footer 2 of the quote table scene. You can leave them blank if you prefer.
If you want the time stamp of the last update applied you should include the time stamp text in the footer which defaults to “as of”. Then whenever the data is refreshed it will update the time stamp as well with the time stamp from the new data.
Create Charts
Search for the first symbol by typing it in the search box #1
You can search by typing a name or a symbol
You can click the dropdown arrow on the right of the search box to select from the most recently used list.
Click on the item you wish to use. The first item is selected by default.
If you want to compare 2 on one chart
click on the Compare checkbox to display it’s checkmark
search for the second by starting to type its name or symbol in the filter box for #2
select the item you wish to use from the filtered list
Select a Range
Click the Generate Chart button
This will cause the current data to be downloaded and transformed into the corresponding chart
You will see the retrieved data and thumbnail of the chart displayed in the preview section
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By default each time you load a playlist all the items in the list we be refreshed with new data. You can disable/enable this feature in the Playlist menu. Click on the Auto Refresh Items… menu option. If an item fails to auto refresh it will remain in a disabled state. Likely the symbol is no longer valid for the request.
Refresh Data in a Playlist Item
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To open or reopen the window use the Window menu and click Real Time Window. Note that when you close the real time window it will remember it’s last position and size and automatically apply those settings the next time you open the window.
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Open Real Time
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Window at Startup
The real time values window can be enabled to open automatically by toggling the setting “Open Real Time Window at Startup” in the Window menu.
Editing the Real Time Commodity List
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To change the list of commodities you open a secondary Commodity Symbol List window. This window enables you to add, remove and re-order the symbols in the list.
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In the real time value window click on the Edit button. Then look for the Delete button at the bottom of the Commodity Symbol List. Click the Delete button to remove the list.
Application Logs
You can access the application logs that provide information on the work the app is doing as well as providing additional debugging information when errors occur.
File Access
You can also access the log files in the ProgramData directory which is typically:
C:\ProgramData\Bannister Lake\RFD-TV Finance Client\logs
Help Menu Access
You can read the log via the Help menu. Select the Read Log... option to open the current log file.
Finance XPression App
This app must be installed on the XPression machine.
The server application does not communicate with the barchart web service. Instead it relies on the client app to provide it with all the data it needs to display.
Prerequisites
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1 or greater which can be downloaded from a Microsoft website to suit your version of windows. This should be the FULL version and not the Client Profile version.
Ross XPression
version appropriate to the build of the app represented by the last number in the version number
Example version 1.1.4983 is built for XPression 9.5 build 4983
Initial Configuration
The first time you install the application you will need to customize a few settings and preferences. The application will remember the settings you used last.
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You can use the default ports given or
Auto-Update
There area number of data refresh options available.
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Refresh Chart Before Air
This option regenerates the entire chart and all related data including intraday current values.
Refresh Chart Before Air - Intraday Values Only
The intraday values displayed on a generated chart scene can be automatically updated just before the graphic is sent to air. This only affects the intraday current value and change. It does not regenerate the chart image.
Refresh Chart On Air - Intradays
This option updates the intraday current values when the scene is on air. It does not regenerate the chart.
Refresh Table Before Air
This option refreshes the table data immediately before it takes it to air.
Refresh Table On Air
This option refreshes the data while the table is displayed on air.
Sponsors
The finance app integrates with an instance of Chameleon to display scheduled sponsors on the charts and tables. For full details on this see this article: RFD-TV Finance App Sponsors
Application Logs
You can access the application logs that provide information on the work the app is doing as well as providing additional debugging information when errors occur.
File Access
You can also access the log files in the ProgramData directory which is typically:
C:\ProgramData\Bannister Lake\RFD-TV Finance Client\logs
Help Menu Access
You can read the log via the Help menu. Select the Read Log... option to open the current log file.
API Account Access Details
There is a window available via the Help menu. Select the API Account Access… option to open it. It includes the company name, the list of accessible exchanges and the access type (delayed, real time, end-of-day) for each exchange. It also displays the list of enabled modules and the number of times each one has been called in the current month.
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Finance XPression App
This app must be installed on the XPression machine.
The server application does not communicate with the barchart web service. Instead it relies on the client app to provide it with all the data it needs to display.
Prerequisites
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1 or greater which can be downloaded from a Microsoft website to suit your version of windows. This should be the FULL version and not the Client Profile version.
Ross XPression
version appropriate to the build of the app represented by the last number in the version number
Example version 1.1.4983 is built for XPression 9.5 build 4983
Initial Configuration
The first time you install the application you will need to customize a few settings and preferences. The application will remember the settings you used last.
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You can use the default ports given or change them if appropriate for your network environment. The server provides support for using either TCP or HTTP protocols. The client app should be configured to use the matching settings when connecting.
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This is the port number to use when connecting via the TCP protocol. It is the recommended protocol to use. is the recommended protocol to use. You will need to ensure that this port is enabled/open on the server to allow the client machine to connect.
HTTP Port
This is the port number to use when connecting via the HTTP protocol. Use the HTTP protocol in situations where TCP is not a viable option You will need to ensure that this port is enabled/open on the server to allow the client machine to connect.
HTTP Port
This is the port number to use when connecting via the HTTP protocol. Use the HTTP protocol in situations where TCP is not a viable option You will need to ensure that this port is enabled/open on the server to allow the client machine to connect. The HTTP protocol is not expected to perform as quickly as the TCP protocol.
Use Secure Connections Option
If you are having trouble connecting with the secure connections enabled - try disabling it on both the server and the client and see if the connection is then successful.
When using the secure connection option with TCP both client and server must be in the same domain, or mutually trusting domains as it uses Windows Authentication. Using a secure connection option with HTTP would require binding an SSL certificate to the port number used.
XPression Project File
You will need to identify the correct XPression project to be used. Select the file by browsing for it. Your selection will be remembered when you press the Save button and then used in the future automatically.
Note that the XPression project files should all be stored on the local machine/open on the server to allow the client machine to connect. The HTTP protocol is not expected to perform as quickly as the TCP protocol.
Use Secure Connections Option
If you are having trouble connecting with the secure connections enabled - try disabling it on both the server and the client and see if the connection is then successful.
When using the secure connection option with TCP both client and server must be in the same domain, or mutually trusting domains as it uses Windows Authentication. Using a secure connection option with HTTP would require binding an SSL certificate to the port number used.
XPression Project File
You will need to identify the correct XPression project to be used. Select the file by browsing for it. Your selection will be remembered when you press the Save button and then used in the future automatically.
Note that the XPression project files should all be stored on the local machine. The Application specifically uses the following 3 scenes from the XPression project file:
FS^Chart GRAPHS
FS^Chart2 Graphs
FS_^TABLE5C
Special Settings
There is a special setting that controls how XPression scenes are managed in the app. By default the IsSceneObjectReleaseEnabled value is set to False. It was introduced in build 1.26.4983. This disables the code that explicitly releases the scene COM objects when it no longer needs them. To enable this setting, close the app and then edit the file settings.ini in the folder C:\ProgramData\Bannister Lake\RFD-TV Finance XPression. Finally reopen the app. Enabling this setting has been associated with increased occurrence of the XPression software crashing.
Application Logs
You can access the application logs that provide information on the work the app is doing as well as providing additional debugging and performance information when errors occur.
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You can read the log via the Help menu. Select the Read Log... option to open the current log file.
Debug and Performance Logging
You can enable extra logging:
Help menu
Logging
Debug Logs
Performance Logs
Each log type is active when the checkmark is displayed.
The log file will also indicate when the log types were enabled and disabled.
File Access
You can also access the log files in the ProgramData directory which is typically: C:\ProgramData\Bannister Lake\RFD-TV Finance XPression\logs
Check for Updates
Both of these apps have a feature that enables you to check for and then download available updates. To check if an update is available:
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