Creating Clip Tool Desktop Shortcuts

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Here is the procedure for making a permanent Desktop ClipTool shortcut specific to a media player:

Customizing a ClipTool Shortcut

This procedure allows you to place a convenient ClipTool icon (shortcut) on the desktop which when clicked, loads ClipTool and calls a specific Player and MediaDirector host. This method bypasses the MediaDirector/Player dialog.

To customize a ClipTool shortcut:

  1. Ensure that Windows ClipTool is properly installed.
  2. Run Windows “Notepad” application (Start > Programs > Accessories > Notepad).
  3. Type the name (or IP address) of the target MediaDirector host and Player on a single line, separated by a colon. For example:

DIR01046:Sun_Play

  1. On the Notepad Menu Bar, click File > Save As to display the Save As dialog.
  2. In the Save As dialog, click the Desktop icon in the left-hand column.
  3. In the File Name field, type a name for this ClipTool’s shortcut, followed by the “.player” extension.

For example:

Sun_Play.player

  1. Click Save. This places a ClipTool shortcut on the desktop.
  2. Close Notepad by clicking the X, or by clicking File > Exit.

When the shortcut is double-clicked, a ClipTool opens with the specified MediaDirector host and Player. To edit the shortcut, right-click it on the desktop, then click Open With > Notepad. This launches the Notepad application and allows you to change the shortcut’s attributes.

NOTE: When using non-English character sets, you should save the file as UTF-8.

The previous procedure uses the default clip directory, as set in the SystemManager on the Edit Player page (in the Default Clip Directory field). If you want to override the default clip directory in the ClipTool shortcut, and enter a different “specific” clip directory, add the directory’s name to the “.player” file (as created above in step 3). For example:

DIR01046:Sun_Play/fs1/news.dir

This shortcut, when placed on the desktop, opens the Player “Sun_Play” on MediaDirector DIR01046, and specifically selects the “news.dir” directory on the “fs1” File System, for use with all new and previous clips.