How do I show students which computers are available for use?

LabFind

Improve your students’ experience with the help of LabFind, a mobile app that empowers students to find available resources on campus. Students can use LabFind to get directions to available computers in real-time, find specialized software and discover additional resources like printers and study space. This iOS and Android app is free to download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

To use LabFind on your campus, you first need to run through a simple setup process in LabStats to define your campus resources, school branding, and labs.

Setup

1. In LabStats, navigate to LabTools. Click LabFind.
2. Check the box to Enable LabFind on my campus.
   • If a separate group within your organization is already using LabFind, you will have the option to Join Existing Group.
3. Add the organization’s domain name (example.edu). Students gain access to LabFind by confirming they are part of your organization through verification to their school-issued email account. Click Next.

Branding

We know identity is important to your school and your students, so users will experience LabFind under your school brand in a familiar way.

1. Add Brand Colors (hex codes). The Primary color acts as the color for buttons/navigation and icons and the Secondary color is for text on buttons/navigation.
2. Upload a Logo Image. Click Choose File to select a logo. For best results, we recommend an image with a minimum dimension of 500 x 500 pixels, with all whitespace cropped, in PNG file format.

Labs

Your LabStats groups can be represented as labs within LabFind. Since not all of your groups are necessarily labs, you can specifically choose which groups you’d like to appear. You will need to set up your groups and assign schedules to them first.

1. Check the boxes to enable groups to show up in LabFind as a lab.

Unified Experience

This option allows for multiple departments/colleges in a college/university who use LabStats separately that have the same web domain (i.e. example.edu), to have a unified LabFind app. This allows students to see all the resources available in one place. Learn more about how to Join or Host LabFind.

Improving the LabFind Experience

Once LabFind has been completely or partially set up, a new section is visible on the LabFind page in LabStats. This section provides suggestions to make LabFind more informative and useful to students. Learn more about how to make LabFind more useful to students.

LabMaps

Use LabStats’ LabMaps feature to display on websites and kiosks which computers are being used. Students will be able to easily and efficiently find computers to use and the utilization of lab computers will likely increase. The number of student complaints can also be reduced, given students are able to find the computer they need.

Create a New Map

1. Click Maps on the LabStats Menu.
2. Click + Add New Map on the upper-right side of the screen.
3. Enter a name and description, then click Submit.
4. Click Please select a group to add stations to map to add a group to the map. (The stations within that group will now be available to click and drag into place on the map.)
5. Access the Map Settings by clicking on the map.
   • Map Name — Name of the map.
   • Map Description — Description of the map.
   • Label — Display a station label with the hostname, station name, IP address, or none.
   • Font Size — Font size of the labels.
   • Map Width — Set the map width. 800 is the default.
   • Map Height — Set the map height. 450 is the default.
   • Icon Scale — Increase or decrease the icon size.
   • Back Color — Select a color for the background.
   • Fore Color — Select a color for the label font.
   • Show OS — Check this box to display the operating system on the station icons.
   • Show offline stations as available — Check this box to display offline stations as powered on (available for use).
   • Map Background — Upload an image background by selecting a map from the list or clicking Add New Background.
   • Grid — Enable use of a grid and adjust the size. This helps the alignment of stations and will not be visible on the final map.
6. Click and drag stations to the correct locations on the map.
   • Selecting a station allows manual entry of X and Y coordinates.
   • A computer is the default icon, but square or circle icons are also available. Icons can be rotated or flipped. The default can also be changed by changing the icon associated with the station (Edit Station).
7. Click Save to save your changes.
8. Click Back to Manager to return to the map list and view, edit, or delete the new map.

Download and Publish a Map

Single Map

1. Click Maps on the LabStats Menu.
2. Click Download Viewer Template to download the MapViewerTemplate.html file.
3. Select Map, click Download Template.
4. This HTML file will display the map exactly as it was created. It can be published on its own or embedded in an iframe on an existing webpage.

Multiple Maps on a Single Display

1. Click Maps on the LabStats Menu.
2. Click Download Carousel Viewer Template to download the MapMultiViewerTemplate.html file.
3. Select Map, click Download Template.
4. This HTML file will display the map exactly as it was created. It can be published on its own or embedded in an iframe on an existing webpage.