Opening the plugin
The Blockz plugin runs inside Avid iNews and lets producers insert automated cue blocks directly into their scripts. This article explains how to open the plugin, fill in a block, and add it to a story.
In iNews, select the story you want to add a block to.
In the top menu bar, go to Tools > Plugins.
In the Plugins submenu, select the Blockz plugin. The name varies by installation. Common names include: Blockz, Cuez Blockz,...
The plugin opens as a panel inside iNews.
Note: if you do not see a Blockz plugin in the Plugins submenu, contact your broadcast engineer. The plugin needs to be configured for your iNews installation.
The plugin layout
The plugin has three main areas:
Top bar: shows the current workspace, the selected block type (once chosen), a Clear button, and the Insert Block button.
Block list (left): all available block types for your workspace, grouped by category, shown within the main plugin panel (not a separate sidebar). Each block is shown with a colored badge and its name.
Form area: the fields to fill in for the selected block. Appears once you select a block type from the list.
If no block is selected, the form area shows the Blockz logo centred, with the text "Select a Cue Block on the left" and "Cue Blocks are the building blocks of automation."
Selecting and filling in a block
Click a block type from the list on the left.
The form area shows the fields for that block.
Fill in the fields:
Text fields: type directly into the field.
Label fields (dropdowns): click the dropdown and select an option.
Media fields: upload or select media where shown.
Once the fields are filled in, drag the block from the plugin into the story at the position you want it.
The block is added to the selected story as a MOS object. A confirmation panel appears in the iNews story detail area showing the block type and field values. No further action is needed.
Changing a field value without re-inserting
For label (dropdown) fields, you do not need to re-insert the block when you change a value. Selecting a different option in the dropdown updates the MOS object in the story in real time.
For text fields, make your change and Save/Apply/OK on the block to update the story.
Working with different stories
The plugin is always scoped to the story currently selected in your rundown. When you select a different story, the plugin form clears. This is by design. Each story has its own set of blocks.
To add blocks to multiple stories, select each story in turn, fill in the plugin, and insert. You can also insert more than one block into the same story, they stack as separate MOS objects in the story detail.
Clearing a block
To clear the current form without inserting, click the CLEAR button in the top bar. This resets the form fields but does not remove any blocks already inserted into the story.
What if the block list is empty?
If the plugin opens but shows no block types, contact your broadcast engineer. This usually means no block templates have been configured for your workspace in Blockz.