Card Scanner
Day-of Personnel Task Guides: Card Scanning Personnel
Manual Advance Ceremonies
As graduates approach the stage, their QR codes are scanned by card scanners, adding them to the Director display queue. If the Director software is set to "Manual Advance," the scanning station is typically located on the stage ramp, scanning graduates sequentially as they approach. In this scenario, personnel will scan each graduate's card as they near the ramp. Due to potential noise levels on stage, the scanner's beep may not be audible. Therefore, it is crucial for the card scanner to ensure that each card is successfully entered into the display queue. The timing of the display names is managed by the Name Advancer located backstage.
Auto Advance Ceremonies
If the software is set to “Auto-Advance”, the scanning station will be directly next to the graduate release point. In this case, the graduate’s name will appear on screen the moment that their QR code is scanned. Therefore, the card scanning personnel must be very aware of timing to ensure that each graduate is on-screen with their name displayed.
Important: Graduates without audio, such as late addition graduates using a blank gold card, will be shown on the screen very fast as there is now audio to tell the software how long the slide needs to be displayed. We recommend when scanning these graduates, do not scan another graduate into the queue until this grad has been read live.
Tools
- QR Scanner – to scan each graduate
- Ceremony Display Laptop – connected to the QR scanner via an extension cable
- Pink “Default Screen” card – scan this card to make the screen blank. This card should be provided by your ceremony coordinator.
Scanning Notes
- Ensure scanner cord connections are secure and enough slack is allowed for movement.
- Manage the graduate queue and keep a steady flow of traffic.
- You can disable/enable scanner beeps and adjust volume (see Scanner Programming Guide). Loud beeps may be useful in a noisy outdoor stadium, while soft scanner beeps might better suit a quiet auditorium.
Ceremonies Using Graduate Passes
When scanning from graduate phones, consider the following factors:
- Cracked screens and reflective screen protectors may prevent a successful scan.
- Phone battery is needed – graduates should be checked as they approach the stage.
- To optimize scanning, graduate phone screens should be as bright as possible.
Two-Line Ceremonies
Two-line ceremonies have two card scanners: one for each side of the stage. Please note that the QR scanners are specific to each side of the stage for display purposes e.g., the Stage Left scanner cannot be used on the Stage Right side. To program scanners with the correct suffix see the Scanner Programming Guide.
If using “Auto-Advance”, graduate names will appear as soon as their QR code is scanned. Card scanning personnel should work together to develop a consistent alternating pace.