# Permanent Installations

Permanent installations — museum exhibits, lobby displays, digital signage, visitor attractions — run unattended for hours, days, or years. This guide covers the Exaplay 3 features designed specifically for this use case.

## Key Principles for Installations

1. **Unattended operation** — the system must run without a human operator present.
2. **Automatic recovery** — crashes must heal without manual intervention.
3. **Scheduled content** — content changes must happen automatically at defined times.
4. **Remote monitoring** — operators must be able to check status remotely.
5. **Minimal maintenance** — the setup should be stable and require infrequent visits.

## Recommended Architecture

```
Installation PC (Windows 11)
├── Exaplay 3 (engine)
├── Watchdog Service (auto-restart on crash)
├── Exaplay web UI (remote monitoring via browser)
└── Network connection (Ethernet, not Wi-Fi)

Remote monitoring device (any browser)
└── http://<installation-ip>:8123/control
    → Monitor tab (connection status, event log)
    → DiagnosticsPanel (FPS, RAM, VRAM)
```

***

## Setup Guide

### Step 1 — Create the Content Loop

1. Create a composition with a **looping timeline**.
2. Set all media clips to **Loop: ∞ Infinite** or arrange them end-to-end to fill the desired loop duration.
3. If the installation has multiple content pieces that rotate, add them sequentially on Track 1 with crossfades between them.

### Step 2 — Configure the Scheduler

Set up opening and closing times so the display is active only during visitor hours:

1. Open **Config → Scheduler**.
2. Add a **Morning event**: `08:00` Mon–Sun → Action: `Play composition: Main`.
3. Add a **Evening event**: `20:00` Mon–Sun → Action: `Fade to black`.
4. (Optional) Add a **Nightly restart** event: `03:00` daily → Action: `Stop`.

See [Scheduler](/v3/features/scheduler.md) for full details.

### Step 3 — Enable Auto-Heal

1. Open **Settings → Auto-Heal**.
2. Set **Enable Auto-Heal** to ON.
3. Configure:
   * **Save Interval:** `2` s (default)
   * **Health Interval:** `5` s (default)
   * **Max State Age:** `3600` s (1 hour)
4. Open **Settings → Watchdog**.
5. Set **Watchdog Restart** to ON.
6. Set **Restart Delay** to `5` s.

See [Auto-Heal & Watchdog](/v3/features/auto-heal.md) for full details.

### Step 4 — Configure Windows for Unattended Operation

These Windows settings prevent common failure modes:

| Setting                | Where                                 | Recommended value                         |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Auto login             | Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options | Enable for the show user                  |
| Sleep / Screen timeout | Settings → Power & Sleep              | Never (for PC and display)                |
| Windows Update         | Group Policy or Settings              | Active hours 00:00–23:59 (defer restarts) |
| Screen saver           | Settings → Personalization            | Off                                       |
| UAC prompts            | Group Policy                          | Disable or auto-approve for admin         |
| Firewall               | Windows Defender Firewall             | Allow Exaplay ports 8123 and 3001         |

### Step 5 — Add Exaplay to Windows Startup

Add Exaplay to Windows startup so it launches automatically after a reboot:

1. Press `Win+R`, type `shell:startup`, press Enter.
2. Create a shortcut to `exaplay3.exe` with arguments:

   ```
   -f "C:\Shows\Installation\exhibit.vpp" -playcomp -autoheal-restore
   ```

Or use **Task Scheduler** (more reliable than the Startup folder):

```batch
schtasks /create /tn "ExaplayStartup" /tr "\"C:\Program Files\Exaplay3\exaplay3.exe\" -f C:\Shows\exhibit.vpp -playcomp" /sc onlogon /delay 0000:30 /ru SYSTEM
```

***

## Remote Monitoring

From any browser on the same network (or over a VPN):

### Operator Control View

`http://<installation-ip>:8123/control`

* **Monitor tab** — see all active connections and recent events
* **DiagnosticsPanel** — FPS, CPU, RAM, VRAM health

### Checking the Engine Log

Logs are at `Documents\Exaplay3\logs\` on the installation PC. Access via Windows Remote Desktop or a shared network folder.

### Auto-Heal State File

The last known playback state is at `Documents\Exaplay3\autoheal_state.json`. Inspect it to confirm the system was playing at the expected time.

***

## Planned Maintenance Schedule

| Interval   | Task                                                                                    |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Weekly     | Review engine logs for repeated errors                                                  |
| Monthly    | Check disk free space (`Documents\Exaplay3\` and media drives)                          |
| Quarterly  | Clean dust from PC vents and displays                                                   |
| Per update | Test new Exaplay versions in a staging environment before deploying to the installation |

***

## Troubleshooting Unattended Failures

| Symptom                        | Likely cause                        | Fix                                                                             |
| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Display black, PC responsive   | Engine crashed and did not restart  | Check Watchdog Service status via Remote Desktop                                |
| Display shows wrong content    | Scheduler fired unexpectedly        | Review Scheduler log in Monitor tab                                             |
| PC rebooted mid-show           | Windows Update applied a restart    | Configure Windows Update deferred restarts; verify startup task fires correctly |
| Content frozen on one frame    | GPU hang — watchdog restarts engine | Check engine log for GL errors; update GPU driver                               |
| Network monitoring unreachable | IP address changed (DHCP)           | Assign a static IP to the installation PC                                       |


---

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