Connect an external data source from excel or XML-file or JSON

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1

Hi,
I trying to find out how connect an external data source to a template. In this case we need to get date from a car racing, like number, names, times and result. In the best of worlds I would like to use SuperConductor as client. But how can I connect my data source?

2

Is the racing data file based/database or is it from a api, from the timing system or something else? There are a couple options to get live data in to a template, but the solution depends of the datasource.
Best regards
Heine

3

In this case the best would be if we can connect an excel file. Then we can get filter and sort the data easily.

4

You can use my Excel Add-In. It works on only Windows Excel. You can use PiwerQuery to get the data and then send it to a Caspar template after processing.

5

I was looking at it. Can we use it only to send the data? I still want to control eventing with SuperConductor.

6

Yes, you can send Datasets. That the template picks up.

7

Hey, i was also trying out the setup where you send Data from Excel to CasparCG Templates via the Excel Add-In, and then control the Playout with SuperConductor.

My Problem is that when i play the Templates with SuperConductor, it doesnt use the keys that i defined and therefore just uses whatever is defined in SuperConductor.

How did you get the Setup to work eventually? Would really appreciate some Tipps. I’ve never worked with PowerQuery before so I dont know if i might have done something wrong setting it up, even tho I followed the Setup instructions.

Best regards and looking forward to your answer!

8

Hi, you can let the Excel add-in send data to Caspar as Datasets (the buttons with the disc-staple icon) and then refer the dataset from Superconductor.

The PowerQuery thing is something inside Excel so setting one up is standard Excel workflow and you find plenty of tutorials about it via Google.

9

Thank you didi for the fast reply. I already have the Dataset in CasparCG but it doesnt appear in SuperConductor as a resource. Also when i try to use the keys that i defined in CasparCG, such as _playername or whatever, and i put them into superconductor, it just shows them as text on the playout. I also couldnt find anything for adding an excel source or send the dataset to superconductor.

10

As at May 2023 Superconductor did not support external datafiles.

See New CasparCG client: SuperConductor released - #40 by Nytamin

11

Maybe @Nytamin or @hummelstrand could comment on this: Would it be possible to add Caspar Dataset processing into SuperConductor?

12

When you do the same in the official client it works?

13

Yes, in the CasparCG Client i can just add the Keys on the template and when i play the Template through the Client it takes the Data from the Excel. Thats why im a little confused.

14

Hi! This is not supported in SuperConductor as of now, but it sounds like a feature that would be nice to have. Please open an issue on github detailing how you think it should work!

15

Okay, thank you so much for the reply! I will open an issue as soon as possible.

16

I already did that.

17

Even better, thank you!

18

Example with REST API:

const channel = SuperConductor.createChannel({
    url: 'https://api.racingdata.com/data',
    method: 'GET',
});

channel.subscribe((data) => {
    // Update template elements
});