Description
ISAAC is a web-based AV management platform developed by Smart Monkeys. The ISAAC device in Modulo Kinetic enables communication between a Kinetic show and an ISAAC server to create remotely schedulable compositions and automated media update workflows.
In a typical workflow, media elements are prepared inside Kinetic Designer using Timelines configured as Templates. From the ISAAC web interface, operators can create scheduled content by assigning new media files to the composition template.
When a scheduled calendar event is triggered in ISAAC, the server communicates with Kinetic to:
- Update the media with the new media assigned in the ISAAC composition
- Launch the associated Timeline automatically
- Synchronize scheduled playback with the ISAAC calendar system
This workflow enables non-technical operators to prepare and schedule content updates directly from the ISAAC interface without modifying the Kinetic project itself.
The ISAAC integration also supports shared Variables. When a Variable is marked as shared in Kinetic Designer, its value becomes readable from the ISAAC interface for monitoring and supervision purposes.
See ISAAC’s website for more information on the web application.
Settings
| Property | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | ISAAC | User-friendly name. |
| Enable | ON | Activate to enable the device. |
| Run at startup | ON | Activate to enable the device at Kinetic startup. |
| IP | [empty] | Enter the IP address of your ISAAC server. |
| Module ID | [empty] | Set the Module ID as listed in the ISAAC interface. This ID can be found from ISAAC’s interface in the System > Modules menu. |
| Security Token | [empty] | Set the security token to connect to the ISAAC server. (Optional) |
A progress bar under these properties will indicate the progress of any media currently being synced between the ISAAC server and the Kinetic Designer.
Task action
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Enable | Enable the device. |
| Disable | Disable the device. |
Task trigger
This device has no actions that can trigger a Task.
Digimap trigger
This device has no actions that can trigger a Digimap.
Graph
This device has no actions that can be used in a Graph.
User interface
This device has no actions that can be launched from the UI designer.
Setting up the ISAAC device
The General tab contains the connection and startup settings for the ISAAC integration.
The Variables, Timelines and Panels tabs enable sharing selected elements from Kinetic Designer with ISAAC.
For the connection to operate correctly, the IP address of the ISAAC server must be specified in the device settings.
The Module ID field must match the identifier configured in ISAAC. This identifier can be found in ISAAC’s interface under System → Modules by selecting the target module.
Once the connection is properly established, the device indicator in the Devices panel will turn green.
Timelines
Timelines can be shared with ISAAC either as Templates or as Playables.
- Template: The Timeline media can be dynamically replaced from ISAAC compositions before playback.
- Playable: The Timeline can be directly scheduled from ISAAC without modifying its media content.
Creating a Template Timeline
To create a Template Timeline, insert placeholder media elements in the Timeline inside Kinetic Designer.
These placeholders define the media slots that will later be replaced by ISAAC compositions.
Ensure the placeholder durations are long enough to cover the playback duration of the media that will be assigned from ISAAC.
Inside ISAAC, open the CMS → Media Manager interface to upload media files and create compositions.
The layer order inside the composition matches the layer order of the Kinetic Timeline from top to bottom.
An optional preload duration can be configured to insert a blank delay before playback starts when the composition is triggered from ISAAC’s scheduling system.
Scheduling a Composition
Use ISAAC’s calendar interface to schedule compositions or Playable Timelines.
Before playback starts, ISAAC automatically transfers the media associated with the composition to the Kinetic server and updates the corresponding placeholder media in the Timeline.
These updates are also propagated to all connected and relevant V-Node servers.
At the programmed date and time:
- The Timeline is toggled ON
- The Timeline is located at
00:00:00:00 - Playback starts automatically
Playable Timelines shared without Template mode can also be scheduled directly from ISAAC’s calendar interface.
Because Template Timelines dynamically update their media content, this workflow is designed for Timelines that remain OFF until triggered by ISAAC.
When playback is complete:
- The Timeline is toggled OFF
- The Timeline is relocated to
00:00:00:00
Variables
Variables can be shared with ISAAC for monitoring purposes.
When a Variable is shared, its value becomes readable from ISAAC’s web interface but cannot be modified remotely.
All Variable types are supported except Pose and Camera Variables.
If a Variable is renamed in Kinetic Designer after being shared, the updated name will not automatically refresh in ISAAC.
To refresh the Variable name in ISAAC:
- Disable sharing for the Variable in Kinetic Designer
- Allow ISAAC to detect and purge the obsolete binding
- Re-enable sharing for the Variable
The Variable will then reappear in ISAAC with its updated name.
ISAAC Status Variables
ISAAC automatically adds two internal status Variables:
- Is alive
- Last Contacted at
These Variables are used by ISAAC to monitor the connection status between ISAAC and Kinetic Designer.
They do not appear in the Variables panel in Kinetic Designer and should not be modified by the user.
In ISAAC, these Variables do not have a description in the variable type column because they are not regular Variables shared from Kinetic Designer.
Device information
Check the manufacturer website for more information.
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