Operator Mode
Operator Mode guide
Operator Mode puts the controls used during day-to-day operation on one phone-friendly page. Use it to change the machine's operating mode, sound, display, messages, input lock, and power without opening its configuration tools.
What Operator Mode is
Operator Mode is an optional interface for people who run a machine without maintaining its configuration. And, in particular, machines that serve as public kiosks, arcade machines, virtual reality simulators, or other shared devices. It presents a small set of prepared controls while the broader tracking, authoring, and configuration tools remain in Technician Mode.
The Operator Kit supplies the Schema and Profiles behind the controls shown on this page. Those Profiles use Pinman services for sound, display, messages, slide shows, and input control. Operator Mode is available when the Kit is installed and the mode is enabled on the machine. Projects that do not need it can leave the Kit out.
Although the page feels like a purpose-built remote control, its actions use the same Profile system as the rest of Pinman. Operator Mode is a focused front end for applying prepared Profiles, not a separate configuration system.
Connect
On the machine running Pinman, open the tray menu and select Connect a Phone. Scan the QR code or enter the address shown beneath it on a phone connected to the same network.
Choose Operator, enter the Operator PIN, and open the machine. Pinman does not ask for a user name or require an app on the phone.
For other ways to find and save a machine, see Connect to a machine.
Controls
The summary strip shows the current sound and display state. Select it to expand or collapse the direct controls.
- Normal, Quiet, Sleep
- Switch several controls together. Normal restores the everyday setup, Quiet lowers sound and brightness, and Sleep mutes, blanks the display, starts the slide show, and locks input.
- Sound
- Mute or unmute the machine, change the volume in small steps, or use the slider.
- Display
- Blank or restore the display and adjust its brightness.
- Slide show
- Start the configured idle slide show. Any keyboard, mouse, or game-controller input dismisses it.
- Inputs
- Lock the machine's keyboard, mouse, and game controls, or make them available again.
Show a message
Expand Message Overlay, enter the text, then choose its position, duration, and color. Select Show Message to put it on the machine's display.
The overlay is useful for a short notice, a status message, or a reminder for the next person using the machine.
Power
The power button offers immediate and one-minute shutdown or reboot. Pinman asks for confirmation before starting any of them.
The one-minute choices show a warning on the machine first and can be stopped during the countdown. An immediate command closes running applications and ends the connection.
If a control is unavailable
A control depends on the Pinman service behind it. The page keeps the other controls available when one service is stopped. If the problem persists, ask the machine's technician to check the Pinman services and the Operator Kit.