Video Kiosk and Interactives Setup Guides

To display ViewSpace Collections properly, make sure you have all of the following:

• An internet-connected device (e.g., a tablet, desktop or laptop computer, etc.) to display videos
• Reliable internet access that supports streaming video
• A modern web browser (e.g., Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Safari)
  • Note: Chrome is best suited to support Kiosk Mode (see Section G below)
• Optional: An external display (e.g., monitor or projector) to showcase ViewSpace videos on a larger screen while securing the internet-connected device streaming the videos

To access the ViewSpace Collections, you will need to be invited into the system after requesting an account. The invitation will arrive in the form of an e-mail from ViewSpace Support (support@viewspace.org).

• If you haven’t already, go to Videos, then Video Collections (https://viewspace.org/playlists/featured) and click on Request Account. From there, you’ll be asked to enter your Contact Name and Title, as well as your Organization Name, Email, Zip Code, and Type (e.g., museum, science center, library, etc.). Once you click Submit Account Request, you should hear back from the team within seven business days.
• If you are expecting an e-mail but have not yet received it, check your junk or spam folders.
• If you still have not been sent an invitation after seven business days, please contact ViewSpace Support (support@viewspace.org).

• Make sure the operating system of the computer, tablet, or other device you plan to use is up to date.
• Place your system in a location where you will be comfortable working on it.
• Make sure you have reliable internet access.
• Access your e-mail invitation from ViewSpace Support.

Once you have registered, you can access the ViewSpace Collections via any internet-connected device.

1. Navigate to https://viewspace.org.
2. Enter your username and password.
3. Choose from one of three playlists:
   • The ViewSpace Collection plays all Earth and space shows
   • The Space Collection plays videos focused on the Solar System, galaxy, and universe beyond Earth
   • The Earth Collection plays videos focused on Earth

Once you have signed up and logged in to ViewSpace, you have some control over the video while it is playing, as indicated in the following table.

To view specific videos, exit the Collections and go to the Video Library.

You can set up ViewSpace to play automatically (Kiosk Mode) after restarting the computer, without logging in. This allows you to run ViewSpace as seamlessly as possible, without training many additional staff.

Note: The following instructions describe how to set up Kiosk Mode using Google Chrome on a Windows computer; however, ViewSpace may be used with many different types of hardware and software. Currently, we offer user support in Google Chrome, although users have found success using other web browsers, devices, and setups.

1. Set up Google Chrome to start automatically.

   • Change your settings so that Google Chrome will start automatically after the computer is rebooted. (You may need to get assistance from your IT specialist.) We have not included instructions here because the procedure differs from system to system.

   • Note: It is ok to skip this step altogether, or skip it for now and complete it later. If you do not perform this step, ViewSpace will still work, but you will need to restart Chrome every time the computer is restarted.

2. Create a Kiosk Persona.

   Using a Kiosk Persona allows you to display ViewSpace without revealing any personal or institutional data.

   1. Open Google Chrome and click on your Profile icon at the top right.

   2. Click on Add to set up a new Chrome profile.

      

   3. Click on Continue without account.

      

   4. Customize your Chrome profile

      1. Give the new user a name.
      2. Pick an avatar.
      3. Choose a theme.
      4. Click Create a desktop shortcut for the user.
      5. Click Done.

      You should now have a Chrome shortcut with the new user name on your desktop.

      
3. Retrieve your auto-play URL.

   1. Log in to ViewSpace.org (https://viewspace.org) with your username and password.

   2. Go to your User Profile by clicking on your name (usually in the top right corner) or going to https://viewspace.org/profile.

      

   3. Scroll down to the bottom of the profile page. Here you will find your Auto-login URLs.

   4. Copy the Auto-login URL of the video collection that you want to view (ViewSpace, Space, or Earth). Note: This URL includes your authentication token and is unique to you.

   5. Keep the window open for easy access in the next step.

4. Set up your Kiosk Persona to play ViewSpace automatically.

   1. Right-click on the Shortcut for your new Kiosk Persona, which should be on your desktop (not on the taskbar) and select Properties.

   2. In the Shortcut menu,

      1. Select Target.
      2. Add “ --kiosk” (space hyphen hyphen kiosk, without the quotation marks) to the end of the Target text.
      3. Then add the playlist Auto-login URL that you copied from your profile page (see previous step): "  [playlist name]" (space space playlist name, without the quotation marks) after “kiosk”.
      4. Click Apply.
      

   3. Click on the Shortcut to your Kiosk Persona to test it. If the settings are correct, your preferred playlist should now open in the Kiosk Persona user account in full-screen mode.

      • On the first launch, you may need to sign in. To avoid having to enter your username and password each time, choose Save when prompted to save your password.
      • Note: This will not open in full-screen if you already have Google Chrome open. But once you close your other Google Chrome windows and reopen, it should open in full-screen.

Note: This setup can enable visitors to access your computer if the keyboard or touchscreen is also accessible: Exiting ViewSpace (Alt-F4) will give a guest the opportunity to access your entire device. To increase security, we recommend keeping the keyboard or touchscreen in a location that is inaccessible to the public. For example, a librarian or museum educator may choose to place a desktop computer streaming ViewSpace in a locked cabinet, at a staffed desk, or in a room inaccessible to visitors near the screen displaying the videos.

Every ViewSpace video is produced with background music. However, a 2019 update of Google Chrome prevents advertisements with sound from playing automatically. Because this functionality affects all videos, including those on ViewSpace, the default for ViewSpace auto-play is now set for no sound.

To enable the sound during auto-play:

1. On your profile page(viewspace.org/profile), scroll down and set "Sound with auto-login?" to yes and click on Update Sound.
   
2. You’ll get a pop up reminder to view the Setup Guide. Click OK.
   
3. Open the Chrome shortcut to the profile you set up for Kiosk Mode, and go to Settings.
   
4. Click on Privacy and Security.
   
5. Select Site Settings.
   
6. Click on the Sound option. (You may need to expand Additional Content Settings.)
   
7. Click on Sites can play sound.
   
8. Add Viewspace.org as one of the allowed websites.
   
   
9. Test the new setup by clicking on the Shortcut you created earlier to start ViewSpace in kiosk mode.  If ViewSpace starts with sound, success!  If not, please review the steps listed above.

Installing the Web App on a Desktop

Note: The images in this section illustrate the steps for installing the Web App using Google Chrome on an iOS (Apple) desktop computer, however you can follow similar steps using Microsoft Edge.

1. Open Google Chrome and go to ViewSpace.org. At the top right of the address bar, click the Install ViewSpace Interactives button.
   
   
2. Click on Install.
   • A shortcut to the Web App will appear on your desktop or in your Launchpad (Mac).
   • In addition, the next time you access the website, the install button will be replaced with a link to open the Web App.
     
     

Installing the Web App on an iOS Mobile Device

1. Open viewspace.org in Safari.
2. Click on the share icon, either on the top of bottom of the screen (this resembles a box with an arrow emerging from the top).
   
   
3. Choose the Add to Home Screen option.
   
   
4. Click Add to Home Screen. This will install the Web App to the device.
   
   
5. The ViewSpace app icon should now appear on your home or app screen.
   
   

Securing the Web App on an iOS Mobile Device

1. To prevent users from navigating away from the Web App to other websites or applications when using your iOS device as an interactive kiosk or during programs, you can set up Guided Access. To do this, first open the Accessibility menu within Settings, and click on Guided Access.
   
   
2. Toggle on Guided Access and follow the instructions to set up a passcode. Note: Guided Access will apply to all of your apps, not just ViewSpace.
   
3. To turn off Guided Access on an iOS device, you can do any of the following:
   • Triple-click the side button or Home button on your device, and then enter the Guided Access passcode you created (see previous step).
   • On an iPad or iPhone with Face ID turned on, you can double-click the side button on your device, then use your Face ID to unlock the screen.
   • On an iPhone or iPad with Touch ID turned on, you can double-click the Home button, then unlock the screen with your fingerprint using Touch ID.

Note: The following instructions detail how to install the Web App on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (hereafter referred to as “Samsung tablet”) using Google Chrome, however it may also work using other browsers. Please note that not all Android devices may follow the same installation process.

Installing the Web App on an Android Mobile Device

1. Open ViewSpace.org in Google Chrome.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper navigation bar. From the resulting drop-down menu, select Install app.
   
   
3. Click Install. A pop-up may appear that asks if you’d like to view the installed application.
   
   
4. The ViewSpace Web App icon should now appear on your home screen.
   
   

Securing the Web App on an Android Mobile Device

If you’d like to set up an Android mobile device for use during public programs or as an interactive kiosk, follow these instructions to pin the app so users can’t navigate away from the ViewSpace Interactives. Note: “Pin windows” is Samsung Galaxy Tab S8’s version of Guided Access. Other manufacturers may have their own built-in version or may allow you to download third party applications that fulfil the same function.

1. To enable “Pin windows,” first open Settings, and then click on the section called Biometrics and security.
   
   
2. Click on Other security settings to access the second-level settings.
   
   
3. Scroll down until you find the Pin windows section, and click on the toggle to activate. Then, click on the text to define its additional settings.
   
4. Follow the instructions to create a PIN or Password (if you don’t have one already) to secure your device while displaying a pinned application.
   
   
5. Turn on the Ask for PIN before unpinning toggle to ensure that users cannot navigate away from the Web App once it has been pinned.
   
6. Using the navigation bar at the bottom of your home screen, click on the Recents button (resembles three vertical tally marks) to open your recently opened apps. From there, click on the ViewSpace Web App icon to display the drop-down menu of options.
   
7. Select Pin this app from the drop-down menu. This will now pin the application or window on the Samsung tablet’s screen.
   
8. With the Web App pinned on the screen, now those using the Samsung tablet will not be able to exit the interactives without knowing the unlock code or pattern that you have defined.
   
   
9. To deactivate or stop pinning the Web App: Press and hold the back (shown as an arrow pointing left) and recent applications button (shown as three vertical bars) at the same time (as shown in the image below).