The RFD-TV Finance app is a custom XPression application developed for RFD-TV to generate and display commodity charts and quote tables live in broadcasts. It uses data from barchart.com.
It is split into 2 components: 1 client app and 1 XPression server app. The server app runs on the XPression machine while the client app can be installed elsewhere on the network. The client app is responsible for all communication with the barchart web service.
Finance Client App
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.
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1 or greater which can be downloaded from a Microsoft website to suit your version of Windows. This must be the FULL version and not the Client Profile version.
Initial Configuration
The first time you install the application you will need to customize a few settings and preferences.
XPression Server Connection
The client’s remote config settings must match what is set on the XPression server application to enable a successful connection. The server provides support for using either TCP or HTTP protocols. The TCP protocol is recommended.
NOTE: the client app can be run without connecting to the XPression server. Press the Don’t connect button to launch the client app in standalone mode. This allows you to test data access and other client features.
Barchart API Key
To access the data the application requires the use of an api key that will be provided to you by barchart when you subscribe to the service.
The key is set via the File menu - Preferences option. It is the first value displayed at the top of the Preferences window.
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.
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...
NOTE: the changes apply only to charts that are generated after the changes are saved and do not apply to existing charts. The exception to this is the chart preview background which is used in local preview only and is not part of what is displayed in XPression.
Barchart API Key
Without a valid API key you won’t be able to access any data to generate charts or commodity tables.
Chart Size
The chart size here controls the size of the generated chart image. It should match the size of the object in the XPression scene that is used to display the chart.
Search - Exchanges
This list of exchange codes is used to filter the search results. If you remove all exchange codes from this field and save it blank then the search will not be filtered.
The default value of this preference is: CBOT, CBOTM, CME, MGEX, KCBT, WCE
Note that you are ultimately limited by the exchanges that are included in your API key / license.
Auto Refresh Times in Seconds
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
The values used to calculate the time frame deltas can be seen as a tool-tip of the previewed delta values displayed in the chart preview area.
Preview Generated Chart
When there is a generated chart you can preview it in a larger popup window by clicking on the thumbnail. This preview works with and without a connection to the XPression server. It's purpose is to provide a more detailed preview of the chart and related numbers that were generated and may be used in display since the main thumbnail is limited in its usefulness. The background image can be changed in the Chart Preferences window accessed via File menu. Look for it in the Other Options section.
Display Charts
Once you have generated a chart that you want to display you have a couple ways of managing doing so.
Now
The quickest way to display the chart you last generated is to press the Show button beneath the thumbnail.
Later
If you want to save the chart for display later press the To List button beneath the thumbnail. This will add a copy of it to the end of the active Playlist.
You then trigger it to display from the playlist by clicking the green button. It will turn red and it will be displayed through the XPression system.
Commodity Quote Tables
You can also generate a 5 column chart of commodity quote data.
First find the commodity by searching for it in the search box #1 or select from the recently used list.
Once you have found and selected the item simply press the Add Table button that appears below the Generate Chart button.
A preview window with the data that will be used will be displayed.
You can choose to edit the headings and footer values.
Then to keep the data for display press the Save All button.
The table will be added to the end of the active playlist ready to be sent to air.
Playlists
You can build a playlist of items that you can then save and reload later. To send an item to air from the list simply click on the green light icon.
Use the + key to send the currently selected item to air and advance to the next item in the playlist.
If the currently selected item is already on-air, pressing the + key will set it offline and advance to the next item in the list.
Use the - key to take the currently selected scene offline without advancing to the next item in the list.
Save a Playlist
To save the active playlist, press the Save button in the playlist header. This will open a save file dialogue box allowing you to choose the folder and specify a filename for your playlist.
Load a Playlist
To load a saved playlist click the … button in the playlist header. This will open a file open dialogue to allow you to select the saved playlist you want to use.
Once selected the app will read the file and recreate the playlist. Items will initially appear with grey buttons and be disabled. If auto-refresh is enabled, it will then proceed to refresh the data in each of the items. Once each item is ready the button will be changed to green.
Auto-Refresh of Playlists on Load
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
To refresh the data in a playlist item - press the refresh button for the item.
Preview Data in a Playlist Item
To view the current data in an item - right-click on it and select the Preview/Edit option. This will open a popup window with the relevant form of data associated with the item.
Copy Items Between Playlists
You can have 2 playlists open at a time. To copy an item from one playlist to the other simply drag the item from one list to the other.
Remove All Items from a Playlist
If you want to quickly remove all items in a playlist you can use the options in the Playlist menu.
Real Time Commodity Values
There is a commodity values window that displays the values and changes for a list of commodity symbols. This data is automatically refreshed every few seconds when the window is open.
Opening the Real Time Window with Saved Size and Position
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.
Open Real Time 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
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.
The most convenient way to continuously monitor the upcoming future contract values for a commodity is to add the root of the symbol (Example: ZC for corn) and specify a limit/number. Then the app will lookup the specific symbols (Example: ZCH20) for that commodity and display them.
You can also add specific symbols to the list if you wished by providing the full symbol code. Example: ZWN19.
To re-order the symbols simply drag-n-drop items in the list.
To remove symbols from the list you can select the item by clicking on it and then press the Delete key on the keyboard or you can right-click and select Remove from the popup menu.
Be sure to press the Save button after making the changes you want to keep. Press Cancel to close the window and discard any unsaved changes.
Delete a Real Time Commodity List
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.
Auto-Update
There area number of data refresh options available.
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.
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.
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.
After you have made any necessary changes to the configuration press the Start Service button. This will lock your selections. To change them you will have to close and restart the applications.
Server Name or IP Address
This is the address of the server running the XPression Engine on which this server app is installed. It will by default at first run fill in the suggested IP address of the server. The value entered here will be used by the client app to find this machine to connect to it. If you are running both the server and client portions of the application on the same machine you could enter "localhost" as the server name instead of an IP Address.
You can also regenerate the suggested IP address by using the option in the Help menu.
TCP Port
This is the port number to use when connecting via the TCP protocol. It 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. 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.
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.
Help Menu Access
You can read the log via the Help menu. Select the Read Log... option to open the current log file.
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:
Open the Help menu
Click on Check for Updates
Optionally - if available download the update
Once the download is ready and you’re ready to install the update close the open app and run the downloaded executable.