The Fabric Portal is the ‘all purpose’ interface for accessing, uploading, and managing your TouchCast Smart Videos and other video files. It also provides quick access to the other functions your TouchCast role will commonly use.
Summary of Fabric Portal options:
- Profile management
- Administrator functions
- Video upload
- Video download
- Channel access
- View video files using Fusion video player
The sections which follow explain how you initiate each of these functions to get the most out of TouchCast videos and collaborate with other members of your organization.
6.2 Organization Button
The upper left corner of the Fabric Portal presents the name of the organization you are currently accessing. Click on the organization name area to open a list of options.
The list which opens will contain the following options:
Organization - If you are a member of multiple organizations, all of them will be listed and you can select the one you would like to work with. Most users will belong to only one organization so this section will display only that organization.
My Account - Use this option to access the Account Management page where you maintain your personal profile settings. This is explained in section 4.1.1 of this guide.
Invite members - Use this option to invite new members to join your department (if you have that privilege). This is explained in section 5.2.3 of this guide.
Log out - Close your Fabric session.
Additionally, the icon controls whether the left hand panel of the Portal Page is displayed or hidden. If the left panel is displayed and the icon is clicked, the panel will be hidden. If the panel is hidden, clicking the icon will unhide it.
6.3 Search
Use the Search function to locate available videos with titles containing the keyword you entered in the search parameter. In the example below, the key word onboarding was entered and two videos are included in the results.
6.4 Get Help
Click the Get Help icon (Question Mark ? ) to select from a collection of introductory information about Fabric or link to the TouchCast Help Center.
6.5 Administrator Icon
If you are an Organization or Department owner or administrator, an additional option (gear icon) will appear on your Fabric Portal screen as shown below. Click this icon to open the administrators’ page. For information pertaining to TouchCast Fabric Administrators, see TouchCast Fabric Portal: Fabric Organization Administrator Settings. Standard users will not see this icon on their Fabric Portal.
6.6 Upload Button
Use the Upload option to add videos or files to your account. All uploaded content is private to you until you share access to the file.
Note: Other TouchCast products provide upload options for videos you create (e.g., Studio, Pitch, TeamTime). The Fabric Portal provides an alternative way to upload TouchCast Smart Videos as well as other format videos.
When you click the Upload button, the file search and select function associated with the operating system you device is using opens. Navigate to locate the file you wish to upload and select it. In the example below (Windows) a .tct (TouchCast Smart Video) titled Competitive Analysis is selected. Clicking the Open button initiates the upload.
Reminder: Uploading .tct or .mp4 video files places a viewable video in Fabric. Uploading a .tcp (TouchCast project file) uploads a file which can be shared but can not be viewed.
The Upload & Share window display. This window contains the following options/information;
Upload progress bar - Indicates the upload progress using a colored line and percentage value.
File title - The file name serves as the default file name in Fabric but you can enter a different title if desired.
File description & keywords - (optional) You may enter a description of the file you are uploading.
Who has access - The access right default to you, the person uploading the file but you can click the Change button to open access to the file to others.
Minimize - The Minimize button located in the upper right corner of the window hides the upload window while the upload continues to process in the background. This can be useful when uploading large files.
Upload progress bar - Indicates the upload progress using a colored line and percentage value.
File title - The file name serves as the default file name in Fabric but you can enter a different title if desired.
File description & keywords - (optional) You may enter a description of the file you are uploading.
Who has access - The access right default to you, the person uploading the file but you can click the Change button to open access to the file to others.
Minimize - The Minimize button located in the upper right corner of the window hides the upload window while the upload continues to process in the background. This can be useful when uploading large files.
6.6.1 Changing File Access Settings Prior to Upload
The file access options are:
- Only you can access (default)
- Specific people can access - you can list specific members
- Anyone at your organization can access - anyone whose account ID contains the organization.
- Anyone with a password - a file password is generated for distribution
- Anyone with the link - a link is generated for distribution
In the example above, the access setting was changed to allow one specific individual to access the file.
Invite list - Persons who will be sent an email inviting them to access the file you have uploaded.
Link for sharing - The link you can sent to others enabling them to view the file.
6.7 Personal Profile
Click your Account Name field to open the Member Card. Use the Edit profile option to access the Account Management page where you maintain your personal profile settings. For more information on account settings, see TouchCast Fabric Portal: Account Management Settings.
6.8 Files Library
The Files portion of the Fabric Portal page (located in the left panel) is used to access all content you have uploaded via the Fabric Portal (or any other TouchCast app) as well as files that have been shared with you or are public inside your organization.
The three Files options are:
- My Files - files you have uploaded to TouchCast Fabric (you own)
- Files shared with me - files others own and have specifically shared with you (see section 6.8.2 for more on shared files)
- All organization files - all files within your organization which have access to based on sharing designation
6.8.1 File List Format Controls
The appearance of file lists in the Video Files Area of the Fabric Portal can be controlled using three options:
Order
Click the Order control (
) to open a list of display order options. The current option appears in front of the icon (e.g., Newest) indicating the current selection.
Name - the file list appears sorted alphabetically by file name
Oldest - the file list is sorted beginning with the oldest file first
Newest - the file list is sorted beginning with the latest file first (default)
Format
Click the Format control toggle (highlighted in the screen examples below) to switch between thumbnail and detail list formats. The list format may be helpful if you are interested in details about your files while the larger image of the thumbnail format may be helpful if you wish to recognize the content or files.
Reminder: .tct or .mp4 video files can be viewed by clicking the ‘play’ icon in the middle of the thumbnail. Uploaded a .tcp (TouchCast project file) can be shared but can not be viewed (they will not contain a play icon on the thumbnail).
6.8.2 My files
In the example below, Alex Alexander has logged into the Fabric Portal. When she selects the My files button (under FILES) she sees two files listed, a TouchCast Smart Video and an image file. If she did not own any files, a message advising her of that condition would have displayed instead.
6.8.3 Files shared with me
In the example below, Walter Parker has logged into the Fabric Portal. When he selects the Files shared with me button (under FILES) he sees one file listed, a TouchCast Smart Video created by Alex Alexander Files which she shared with him. If he did not have any files shared with him, a message advising him of that condition would have displayed instead.
6.8.4 All organization files
In the example below, Walter Parker has logged into the Fabric Portal. When he selects the All organization files button (under FILES) he sees a list of all files members of his organization have shared. This list can become quite long so it is scrollable and the filter may come in handy.
6.8.5 File Actions
Click the three dots iconlocated either to the upper right of file thumbnails (thumbnail format) or in the right column (list format) to open a list of action you can perform on the file. The actions you will have available will depend on the type of file and whether you are the owner or administrator of the file.
Regular member example .tct video:
- File info - display information about the file
- Download the file in .mp4 format (Smart Videos converted to MP4 format so they lose interactive elements)
- Download the file in .tct format (Smart Video format)
File owner example .tct video:
- File info - display information about the file
- Share file - opens window of options for sharing the file with other members
- Who’s viewed - see list of members who have viewed the file
- Analytics - see additional viewing activity statistics associated with the file
- Download the file in .mp4 format (Smart Videos converted to MP4 format so they lose interactive elements)
- Download the file in .tct format (TouchCast Smart Video format)
- Replace thumbnail - select another image to serve as the thumbnail image
- Archive TouchCast - removes file from display to other members but does not delete the file so it can be returned to non-archived status later is desired
- Delete TouchCast - removes the file permanently
6.9 Channels List
The Channels portion of the Fabric Portal page (located in the left panel) list the TouchCast Channels you follow. You can also:
- click the + icon (button) to start your own Channel, or
- select the word Channel to view the list of Channels that other people in your organization curate and choose to follow or not follow them
6.9.1 Channels you follow
In example 6.9 above, Alex Alexander has 4 Channels available for her to join (indicated by the - 4 following the Channels label) of which she currently follows 3 (finance, marketing, and onboarding).
Selecting one of the followed Channels (finance, is shown in the example) lists the videos associated with that Channel.
Clicking the Play icon located in the center of the file thumbnails opens the Fusion Video Player which plays that video.
6.9.2 Start a new Channel
Clicking the + (plus) icon opens a box for creating a new channel. Note: Only the Fabric Portal Organization Administrators will be able to create new channels.
Channel Name - Enter a name for the new channel.
Channel Description - Enter a description which will help members or your organization recognize the purpose of the channel.
After the channel name and a description have been entered, click the Create channel button to proceed. The new channel will now appear in the CHANNELS list and you can begin adding Touch casts and other videos to it.
6.9.3 Manage or Delete a Channel
Click the three dots icon located in the upper right corner of the Channel content area to open a window displaying action options for managing the channel. The actions you will have available will depend on if you are the owner or administrator of the channel.
Unfollow - regular member can elect not to follow the channel
Curate channel - add/remove videos from the channel
Note: If the video you select to add to the channel has not been shared with the public, the following message displays, offering you the chance to set its share status to Public.
Delete channel - delete the channel permanently
Autoplay setting (on or off) - control whether the showcased video for the channel plays as soon as the member selects the channel (default is off)
6.9.4 Manage the Channels you follow
Clicking the word CHANNELS opens the Channels Directory window listing either the Channels you currently follow (one view) or the Channels available to you to follow which you do not currently follow (the other view).
6.10 Video Files Area
This area of the Fabric Portal screen is used for different purposes depending on the action you are performing at the time.
- Search - displays a thumbnail of every file meeting your search criteria
- Files - displays thumbnails (or list) of your files or files shared with you by others
- Channels - displays the list of channels you have access to