Introduction

This article details the process of setting up the Digital Whiteboard integration with Gingr.

Step 1: Create User Group

You will want to begin by creating a unique user group for this feature. This group will only contain a single user which will be used specifically for this feature.

Create a new group, go to the Left-hand Navigation: Reports and More » Groups and follow the steps below:

1. Click Create Group.
   
   
2. Name the group "Digital Whiteboard".
   
   
3. Enable the "Can Access API" permission for this group.

Step 2: Create a New User Account

The digital whiteboard should have its own user account to function. We will create a new user account and assign it to the group we just created. This user account will have no function, and will just be a "dummy" of sorts to use this feature.

To create a new user, navigate to Left-hand Navigation: Reports and More Icon » Users and follow the steps below:

1. Click Create a New User.
   
   
2. Set the First Name to "Digital".
   
   
3. Set the Last Name to "Whiteboard".
   
   
4. Set the Email to any real, unused email address. It cannot be the same email address as an existing user account.
   
   
5. Set the Phone number to 000-000-0000.
   
   
6. Set the Password to any secure password.
   

   Reference:  You will not need the password to use this feature, but this field is required to create a user account.

7. Confirm the password by typing it in again.
   
   
8. Set the Location to match the location that the digital whiteboard will be configured for.
   
   
9. Set the User Group to the Digital Whiteboard group we created in the first step of this article.
   
   
10. Click Sign Up.
    
    
11. Refresh the page and edit the Digital Whiteboard user you just created.
    
    
12. Scroll down to the API Keys section, and click "Create New Key".

Step 3: Set Up Your Digital Whiteboard Hardware

The digital whiteboard requires a monitor/television, a device that can connect to and stream content from the internet, an internet connection, and power. For recommendations on monitors/televisions and streaming devices, see our article Recommended Hardware for Digital Whiteboard.

The following hardware is required to use the digital whiteboard feature:

• Power
• A television or monitor
• A streaming device capable of running a website independently through an installed browser or by streaming from another device.
  

  Reference:  If you choose a streaming device that relies on a connection to another computer (like Apple TV or Chromecast), then the device you are streaming from must always be on and connected (this option requires more work).

• An internet connection (wired or wireless — depending on the streaming device of your choice)

Follow these steps to set up the hardware for your digital whiteboard:

1. Connect your television and streaming device to power.
2. Connect the streaming device to your television using an HDMI cable or another display connection type.
3. Configure your streaming device to connect to the internet via Wifi or Ethernet.

Reference:  Depending on the device you choose, you may need to install some software on a computer in order to fully set up the streaming device.

Step 4: Generate a Digital Whiteboard Link

Once you've configured your hardware, the last step needed to use the digital whiteboard will be to generate a link to input onto the device that powers the digital whiteboard.

Follow these steps to generate a digital whiteboard link:

1. In Gingr, go to the Left-hand Navigation: Admin » Digital Whiteboard.
   
   
2. Select the Digital Whiteboard user account that we created in the second step of this article.
   
   
3. Select the Location that the digital whiteboard has been installed at.
   
   
4. Customize the Optional Filters if you'd like:
   
   
   • Select Reservation Types(s): optionally select the specific reservation types you'd like to display on the Digital Whiteboard. Leave blank if you want all reservation types to display.
     
     
   • Time Period: check the "Today" box if you want the Digital Whiteboard to always display all pets checking in or out on the current date, regardless of time.
     
     
   • Last/Next X Minutes: enter a number here for the Digital Whiteboard to show you the pets that are checking in or out within the set number of minutes.
     
     
5. Set the Number of Records Per Page to the number of animals that you want to display in a column at a time.
   
   This number depends on the size of the television you're working with. Generally speaking, the larger the television, the more records you can view per page. You may need to tweak this number after you have completed setup in order to maximize the space size your television screen.
   
   
6. Set the Seconds Per Page setting to the number of seconds you want the screen to display a list of animals before moving on to the next page.
   
   This setting is important when you have more animals checking in or out than can fit on the display at a given time. When this happens, the digital whiteboard will display a group of animals for the set time before changing to the next group of animals in the list.
   
   
7. Copy the custom URL displayed at the bottom of the in its entirety and configure your streaming device with this URL.
   
   How you'll configure your streaming device depends on the features of the device. For devices like AirTame which can display a webpage independently of another computer, you will simply paste the link into the AirTame Partner App on your computer. For devices like Chromecast, you will need to have this link open in a browser window and streamed to the Chromecast at all times.

Step 5: Test Your Digital Whiteboard

Once you have installed the hardware for your digital whiteboard and have generated and set up a custom link, you should test your digital whiteboard to ensure that it is working as expected. If you wish to test on your computer, you can open the link in a Chrome Incognito window (it cannot be the same window that you are logged into as a user). You can also test on the whiteboard device.

You can test your digital whiteboard by creating a test reservation and checking it in.

If the test reservation appears on the digital whiteboard, then you are all set to go!

Related Resources

• Digital Whiteboard Topic Outline
• Recommended Hardware for Digital Whiteboard Reference
• Understand the Digital Whiteboard Reference