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@mail.smu.edu
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Appspace is the enterprise digital signage solution for SMU. The Appspace console is used to manage content on the various digital displays around campus. Each digital display is connected to a player device, such as a PC, or media player, such as a BrightSign player.
Individuals with access to the Appspace system can upload content via the cloud.appspace.com website and create a sign playlist channel for their managed device. This channel can be configured to cycle through a series of dynamic and static content – all of which can easily be updated via the web.
Getting Started
Requesting New Digital Signage
Departments interested in joining existing digital signage displays or adding new displays to Appspace will need to submit the web form located at help.smu.edu. OIT has purchased a site license for the Appspace. Departments are responsible for the cost of the display, the device or media player, and any incurred expenses for mounting the signage.
Requesting Permissions
A supervisor may request access to Appspace of the employee needing editing abilities on Appspace via the form at help.smu.edu. Once added, the user is sent an invitation directly from Appspace to grant them access. The new user will need to click on the unique link in the email to create and activate their account.

Appspace Login and Password
The Appspace login uses the email address to which the invite was sent. In most cases, this will be their "@smu.edu" or "@mail.smu.edu" email address. The password will be the password set when the user creates their account.
Getting Started with Appspace
Documentation and Training
Getting Started
- The Appspace console
- Supported web browsers
- Create an Appspace playlist channel
Instructions to create, organize, and publish a collection of cards, images, and videos as a playlist channel. - Create an advanced channel (sign)
Instructions to configure, add, and remove advanced channels, previously known as a sign. Longtime Appspace users will be most familiar with this method of managing content.
User Guides for Playlist Channel Method (Preferred)
User Guides for Advanced Channel Method
- Introduction to Signs
- How to create an Appspace Sign
- How to add content to your Library
- How to create playlist for you Sign
- How to create a card
- How to add widgets to your Appspace Sign
- How to schedule content within your Sign
- How to schedule layouts within your Sign
- How to play a video once in a schedule
- Adding web or external content to your Library
Digital Signage Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to have your content show on other digital signs around campus, you will need to contact the "owners" of those digital signs and request they add your content. We recommend adding your content to a shared folder in the Common Library and contacting the sign owners with where to find it. The benefit of that method is you can also set the expiration date, which will automatically remove the content from the screens once it expires, so the admins do not need to worry about setting an expiration or manually removing the content on their end.
Some public players that might be available:
Building | Location | Info | Specifications | Contact |
---|---|---|---|---|
Annette Caldwell Simmons Hall | Lobby, 2nd floor | There are multiple signs throughout the building. | 1920x1080 pixels at 72ppi. JPEG or PNG format at a Medium-High setting. |
Rose Chavez rachavez@smu.edu |
Bob Smith Health Center | Lobby areas | There are multiple signs throughout the building. | 1920x1080 pixels at 72ppi. JPEG format at a Medium-High setting. Artwork can have the same specifications as above or can be short MP4 movie (1080p). |
sa-marketing@smu.edu |
Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports | Lobby area | Displayed for visitors. | 1920x1080 pixels at 72ppi. JPEG format at a Medium-High setting. Artwork can have the same specifications as above or can be short MP4 movie (1080p). |
sa-marketing@smu.edu |
Fondren Library | Main Library | The main library signs are managed by the SMU Libraries. | 1920x1080 pixels at 72ppi. JPEG format at a Medium-High setting. Artwork can have the same specifications as above or can be short MP4 movie (1080p). |
smulibraries@smu.edu |
Fondren Library | IT Help Desk | There is one sign in the lobby of Fondren Library West that is managed by Office of Information Technology | 3840x1080 pixels at 72ppi. JPEG format at a Medium-High setting in sRGB color space. MP4 video is allowed. Video must be at 1080p (if using Adobe Media Encoder, Vimeo HD 1080p 29.97 setting) with accompanying 1920x1080 slide. |
FYI
Any content shared on the Library's digital signage is automatically shared on this sign. |
Harold Clark Simmons Hall | Lobby, 2nd floor, 3rd floor | There are multiple signs throughout the building. | 1920x1080 pixels at 72ppi. JPEG or PNG format at a Medium-High setting. |
Rose Chavez rachavez@smu.edu |
Hughes-Trigg Student Center | Hegi Family Career Development Center, Suite 200 | There is one sign in the waiting area. | 1920x1080 pixels at 72ppi. JPEG format at a Medium-High setting. Artwork can have the same specifications as above or can be short MP4 movie (1080p). |
sa-marketing@smu.edu |
Perkins Administration Building | Vice President for Student Affairs Office | The one digital sign in the waiting area for the Vice President for Student Affairs. | 1920x1080 pixels at 72ppi. JPEG format at a Medium-High setting. Artwork can have the same specifications as above or can be short MP4 movie (1080p). |
sa-marketing@smu.edu |
Residential Commons | Lobbies | There is a sign in each of the Residential Commons. | 1920x1080 pixels at 72ppi. JPEG format at a Medium-High setting. Artwork can have the same specifications as above or can be short MP4 movie (1080p). |
sa-marketing@smu.edu |
Yes. To do so:
- From your Dashboard, click on the Devices tab.
- Click the checkbox next to the Players you wish to sync with the same content.
- From the button menu, select Assign Application.
- In the Reassign new application for your players window, select the application that you wish to reassign to your Players.
Within minutes, the players will sync with the content from the new Application.
Yes, you can link Media Zones from one layout to a layout in another sign application. To do so, please follow the instructions found on Appspace's Media Zone Linking page.
Videos, like images, will loop when placed on a layout. For example, if you have a video that is 45 seconds long and the layout is set to display for 30 seconds, when Appspace returns to that layout, the last 14 seconds of the video will play, then the first 15 seconds.

How to compensate for this behavior in video playback.
If it is the only video in the playlist then you can add the following action to that media zone to have the video completely playback and then start from the beginning on the next rotation.
- Launch the Visual Editor for your layout with the video.
- Click the Properties button in the PROPERTIES section.
- Click the ACTIONS tab.
Click New Action.
- Under the New Action. Add the following:
- When: Media Complete
- Select: Application
- Do: NextLayout
- Click OK.
- Click the APPEARANCE tab.
- Click the Apply button. The Properties window will close.
- Click Save in the Visual Editor Window
Once the action is added, when the layout loads the video will start from the beginning. For best results, adjust the layout's Play Duration to be longer than the length of the video.