Document And Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Document And Entity Information - USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016	Jun. 13, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Period End Date	Apr. 30, 2016
Entity Registrant Name	DAKTRONICS INC /SD/
Entity Central Index Key	0000915779
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--04-30
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float			$ 425,476,920
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		44,093,054
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	false

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 28,328	$ 57,284
Restricted cash	198	496
Marketable securities	24,672	25,346
Accounts receivable, net	77,554	80,857
Inventories, net	69,827	64,389
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	30,200	35,068
Current maturities of long-term receivables	3,172	3,784
Prepaid expenses and other assets	6,468	6,663
Deferred income taxes	0	10,640
Income tax receivables	4,812	5,543
Total current assets	245,231	290,070
Property and equipment, net	73,163	72,844
Long-term receivables, less current maturities	3,866	6,090
Goodwill	8,116	5,269
Intangibles, net	7,721	1,824
Investment in affiliates and other assets	2,414	2,680
Deferred income taxes	9,437	702
TOTAL ASSETS	349,948	379,479
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	43,441	52,747
Accrued expenses	23,532	26,063
Warranty obligations	16,564	11,838
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	10,361	23,797
Customer deposits (billed or collected)	16,012	16,828
Deferred revenue (billed or collected)	10,712	9,524
Current portion of other long-term obligations	585	587
Income taxes payable	310	636
Total current liabilities	121,517	142,020
Long-term warranty obligations	13,932	14,643
Long-term deferred revenue (billed or collected)	5,603	3,914
Other long-term obligations, less current maturities	4,059	3,190
Long-term income tax payable	3,016	2,734
Deferred income taxes	754	939
Total long-term liabilities	27,364	25,420
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Common Stock, no par value, authorized 120,000,000 shares; 43,998,635 and 43,643,801 shares issued at April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, respectively	51,347	48,960
Additional paid-in capital	35,351	32,693
Retained earnings	117,276	132,771
Treasury Stock, at cost, 19,680 shares	(9)	(9)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,898)	(2,376)
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	201,067	212,039
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY	$ 349,948	$ 379,479

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Common stock, no par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0
Common stock, authorized (in shares)	120,000,000	120,000,000
Common stock, issued (in shares)	43,998,635	43,643,801
Treasury stock, at cost (in shares)	19,680	19,680

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 570,168	$ 615,942	$ 551,970
Cost of goods sold	449,149	471,363	410,260
Gross profit	121,019	144,579	141,710
Operating expenses:
Selling expense	58,812	57,963	53,794
General and administrative	32,801	30,679	27,984
Product design and development	26,911	24,652	23,375
Total operating expenses	118,524	113,294	105,153
Operating income	2,495	31,285	36,557
Nonoperating income (expense):
Interest income	987	1,119	1,294
Interest expense	(228)	(223)	(255)
Other (expense) income, net	(128)	(498)	(355)
Income before income taxes	3,126	31,683	37,241
Income tax expense	1,065	10,801	15,035
Net income	$ 2,061	$ 20,882	$ 22,206
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	43,990	43,514	42,886
Diluted (in shares)	44,456	44,443	43,762
Earnings per share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.05	$ 0.48	$ 0.52
Diluted (in dollars per share)	0.05	0.47	0.51
Cash dividends declared per share	$ 0.40	$ 0.4	$ 0.39

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 2,061	$ 20,882	$ 22,206
Other comprehensive (loss) income:
Cumulative translation adjustments	(529)	(2,358)	147
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax	7	(22)	(25)
Total other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(522)	(2,380)	122
Comprehensive income	$ 1,539	$ 18,502	$ 22,328

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings	Treasury Stock	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance at Beginning of Period at Apr. 27, 2013	$ 188,246	$ 37,429	$ 27,194	$ 123,750	$ (9)	$ (118)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	22,206			22,206
Cumulative translation adjustments	147					147
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax	(25)					(25)
Net tax benefit related to share-based compensation	119		119
Share-based compensation	2,897		2,897
Exercise of stock options	4,667	4,954	(287)
Employee savings plan activity	1,552	1,552
Dividends paid	(16,690)			(16,690)
Balance at End of Period at Apr. 26, 2014	203,119	43,935	29,923	129,266	(9)	4
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	20,882			20,882
Cumulative translation adjustments	(2,358)					(2,358)
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax	(22)					(22)
Net tax benefit related to share-based compensation	38		38
Share-based compensation	3,038		3,038
Exercise of stock options	2,207	2,513	(306)
Employee savings plan activity	2,512	2,512
Dividends paid	(17,377)			(17,377)
Balance at End of Period at May. 02, 2015	212,039	48,960	32,693	132,771	(9)	(2,376)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	2,061			2,061
Cumulative translation adjustments	(529)					(529)
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net of tax	7					7
Net tax benefit related to share-based compensation	3		3
Share-based compensation	2,958		2,958
Exercise of stock options	307	610	(303)
Employee savings plan activity	1,777	1,777
Dividends paid	(17,556)			(17,556)
Balance at End of Period at Apr. 30, 2016	$ 201,067	$ 51,347	$ 35,351	$ 117,276	$ (9)	$ (2,898)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 2,061	$ 20,882	$ 22,206
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	16,561	14,764	14,137
Amortization	295	204	364
Amortization of premium/discount on marketable securities	87	168	221
Gain on sale of property and equipment	(71)	(1,207)	(72)
Share-based compensation	2,958	3,038	2,897
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation	(3)	(38)	(119)
Gain on sale of equity investee	(119)	0	0
Provision for doubtful accounts	481	(222)	(190)
Deferred income taxes, net	911	2,146	1,543
Change in operating assets and liabilities	(9,886)	13,433	(4,788)
Net cash provided by operating activities	13,275	53,168	36,199
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment	(17,056)	(21,837)	(13,519)
Proceeds from sales of property, equipment and other assets	152	4,037	238
Purchases of marketable securities	(21,286)	(15,653)	(15,550)
Proceeds from sale of equity method investments	377	0	0
Proceeds from sales or maturities of marketable securities	21,862	15,532	13,953
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(7,867)	(6,306)	(1,480)
Net cash used in investing activities	(23,818)	(24,227)	(16,358)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Payments on notes payable	(38)	(81)	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	610	2,513	4,954
Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation	3	38	119
Principal payments on long-term obligations	(467)	(1,163)	(3,704)
Dividends paid	(17,556)	(17,377)	(16,690)
Net cash used in financing activities	(17,448)	(16,070)	(15,321)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	(965)	(641)	(94)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(28,956)	12,230	4,426
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS:
Beginning of period	57,284	45,054	40,628
End of period	$ 28,328	$ 57,284	$ 45,054

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Note 1. Nature of Business and Summary of Critical Accounting Policies

Nature of business: Daktronics, Inc. and its subsidiaries are engaged principally in the design, manufacture and sale of a wide range of electronic display systems and related products which are sold in a variety of markets throughout the world and the rendering of related maintenance and professional services. Our products are designed primarily to inform and entertain people through the communication of content.

Fiscal year: We operate on a 52 or 53 week fiscal year, with our fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to April 30 of each year. When April 30 falls on a Wednesday, the fiscal year ends on the preceding Saturday. Within each fiscal year, each quarter is comprised of 13 week periods following the beginning of each fiscal year. In each 53 week year, an additional week is added to the first quarter and each of the last three quarters is comprised of a 13 week period. The years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015, and April 26, 2014 contained operating results for 52, 53, and 52 weeks, respectively.

A reclassification to correct the immaterial presentation of long term prepaid expenses in the Consolidated Balance Sheets' categories of prepaid expenses and other assets and investment in affiliates and other assets have been made to conform fiscal 2015 to the fiscal 2016 classifications for comparative purposes.

Principles of consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include Daktronics, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Investments in affiliates over which we do not have the ability to exert significant influence over the investee's operating and financing activities are accounted for under the cost method of accounting. We have evaluated our relationships with affiliates and have determined that these entities are not variable interest entities. Our proportional share of the respective affiliate’s earnings or losses is included in other (expense) income in our consolidated statements of operations.

The aggregate amount of investments accounted for under the cost method was $1,211 and $1,071 at April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, respectively. There have not been any identified events or changes in circumstances that may have a significant adverse effect on their fair value and it is not practical to estimate their fair value.

Use of estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near-term relate to the determination of the estimated total costs on long-term construction-type contracts, estimated costs to be incurred for product warranties and extended maintenance contracts, excess and obsolete inventory, the allowance for doubtful accounts, share-based compensation, goodwill impairment and income taxes. Changes in estimates are reflected in the periods in which they become known.

Cash and cash equivalents: All highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase are considered to be cash equivalents and consist primarily of government repurchase agreements, savings accounts and money market accounts that are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. We maintain our cash in bank deposit accounts, the balances of which at times may exceed federally insured limits. We have not experienced any losses in such accounts.

Restricted cash: Restricted cash consists of cash and cash equivalents held in bank deposit accounts to secure issuances of foreign bank guarantees.

Inventories: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or market. Market is determined on the basis of estimated net realizable values.

Revenue recognition: Net sales are reported net of estimated sales returns and exclude sales taxes. We estimate our sales returns reserve based on historical return rates and analysis of specific accounts. Our sales returns reserve was $93 and $15 at April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, respectively.

Long-term construction-type contracts: Earnings on construction-type contracts are recognized on the percentage-of-completion method, measured by the percentage of costs incurred to date to estimated total costs for each contract. Contract costs include all direct material and labor costs and those indirect costs related to contract performance. Indirect costs include charges for such items as labor overhead, equipment, facilities, engineering, and project management. Provisions for estimated losses on uncompleted contracts are made in the period in which such losses are probable and capable of being estimated. We combine contracts for accounting purposes when they are negotiated as a package with an overall profit margin objective, essentially represent an agreement to do a single project for a customer, involve interrelated construction activities, and are performed concurrently or sequentially. When a group of contracts is combined, revenue and profit are recognized uniformly over the performance of the combined projects. We segment revenues in accordance with contract segmenting criteria in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 650-35, Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts.

Equipment other than construction-type contracts: We recognize revenue on equipment sales, other than construction-type contracts, when title passes, which is usually upon shipment and then only if the terms of the arrangement are fixed and determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. We record estimated sales returns and discounts as a reduction of net sales in the same period revenue is recognized.

Product maintenance: In connection with the sale of our products, we also occasionally sell separately priced extended warranties and product maintenance contracts. The revenue related to such contracts is deferred and recognized ratably as net sales over the terms of the contracts, which vary up to 10 years. We record unrealized revenue in deferred revenue (billed or collected) in the liability section of the balance sheet.

Services: Revenues generated by us for services, such as event support, control room design, on-site training, equipment service and technical support of our equipment, are recognized as net sales when the services are performed. Net sales from services and product maintenance approximated 9.7 percent, 8.2 percent and 8.4 percent of net sales for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015 and April 26, 2014, respectively.

Software: We follow ASC 985-605, Software-Revenue Recognition. Revenues from software license fees on sales, other than construction-type contracts, are recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of the product has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collectability is probable. Subscription-based licenses include the right for a customer to use our licenses and receive related support for a specified term and revenue is recognized ratably over the term of the arrangement.

Multiple-element arrangements: We generate revenue from the sale of equipment and related services, including customization, installation and maintenance services. In these limited cases, we provide some or all of such equipment and services to our customers under the terms of a single multiple-element sales arrangement. These arrangements typically involve the sale of equipment bundled with some or all of these services, but they may also involve instances in which we have contracted to deliver multiple pieces of equipment over time rather than at a single point in time.

When a sales arrangement involves multiple elements, the items included in the arrangement (deliverables) are evaluated pursuant to ASC 605-25, Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables, and ASC 605-35, Accounting for Performance of Construction-Type and Certain Production-Type Contracts, to determine whether they represent separate units of accounting. We perform this evaluation at the inception of an arrangement and as we deliver each item in the arrangement. We first consider the separation criteria of ASC 605-35. Deliverables not within the scope of ASC 605-35 are evaluated for separation under ASC 605-25. For those elements falling under the guidance of ASC 605-25, we generally account for a deliverable (or a group of deliverables) separately if the delivered item(s) has standalone value to the customer and if we have given the customer a general right of return relative to the delivered item(s) and delivery or performance of the undelivered item(s) or service(s) is probable and substantially in our control.

When items included in a multiple-element arrangement represent separate units of accounting, we allocate the arrangement consideration to the individual items based on their relative fair values. The amount of arrangement consideration allocated to the delivered item(s) is limited to the amount not contingent on us delivering additional products or services. Once we have determined the amount, if any, of arrangement consideration allocable to the delivered item(s), we apply the applicable revenue recognition policy to determine when and by which method such amount may be recognized as revenue.

We generally determine if objective and reliable evidence of fair value for the items included in a multiple-element arrangement exists based on whether we have vendor-specific objective evidence ("VSOE") of the price for which we sell an item on a standalone basis. If we do not have VSOE for the item, we will use the price charged by a competitor selling a comparable product or service on a standalone basis to similarly situated customers, if available. If neither VSOE nor third party evidence is available, we use our best estimate of the selling price for that deliverable.

Long-term receivables and advertising rights: We occasionally sell and install our products at facilities in exchange for the rights to sell or to retain future advertising revenues. For these transactions, we recognize revenue for the amount of the present value of the future advertising payments if enough advertising is sold to obtain normal margins on the contract and we record the related receivable in long-term receivables. We recognize imputed interest as earned.

Property and equipment: Property and equipment is stated at cost and depreciated principally on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:



	Years
Buildings	7 - 40
Machinery and equipment	5 - 7
Office furniture and equipment	3 - 5
Computer software and hardware	3 - 5
Equipment held for rental	2 - 7
Demonstration equipment	3 - 5
Transportation equipment	5 - 7

Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the useful life of the asset or the term of the lease. Our depreciation expense was $16,561, $14,764 and $14,137 for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015 and April 26, 2014, respectively.

Long-Lived Assets: Long-lived assets other than goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, described in "Note 6. Long-Lived Assets" which are separately tested for impairment, are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable.

When evaluating long-lived assets for potential impairment, we first compare the carrying value of the asset to the asset's estimated future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges). If the estimated future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, we calculate an impairment loss. The impairment loss calculation compares the carrying value of the asset to the asset's estimated fair value. We recognize an impairment loss if the amount of the asset's carrying value exceeds the asset's estimated fair value. If we recognize an impairment loss, the adjusted carrying amount of the asset becomes its new cost basis. For a depreciable long-lived asset, the new cost basis will be depreciated (amortized) over the remaining useful life of that asset.

Our impairment loss calculations contain uncertainties because they require management to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate future cash flows and asset fair values, including forecasting useful lives of the assets and selecting the discount rate that reflects the risk inherent in future cash flows.

Software costs for internal use: We capitalize certain costs incurred in connection with developing or obtaining internal-use software. Capitalized software costs are included in property and equipment on our consolidated balance sheets. Software costs that do not meet capitalization criteria are expensed when incurred.

Software costs to be sold, leased, or marketed: We follow the provisions of ASC 985, Software, which states software development costs are expensed as incurred until technological feasibility has been established. At such time, such costs are capitalized until the product is made available for release to customers. Additionally, costs incurred after release to customers are expensed as research and development. We had $3,000 of capitalized software to be sold, leased, or otherwise marketed, which was valued in connection with the acquisition of ADFLOW Networks, Inc. as of April 30, 2016 and is included in intangible assets in our consolidated balance sheet.

Insurance: We are self-insured for certain losses related to health and liability claims and workers’ compensation. We obtain third-party insurance to limit our exposure to these claims. We estimate our self-insured liabilities using a number of factors, including historical claims experience. Our self-insurance liability was $2,314 and $1,783 at April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, respectively, and is included in accrued expenses in our consolidated balance sheets.

Foreign currency translation: Our foreign subsidiaries use the local currency of their respective countries as their functional currency. The assets and liabilities of foreign operations are generally translated at the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. The operating results of foreign operations are translated at weighted average exchange rates. The related translation gains or losses are reported as a separate component of shareholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive loss.

Income taxes: We operate in multiple income tax jurisdictions both within the United States and internationally. Our annual tax rate is determined based on our income, statutory tax rates and the tax impacts of items treated differently for tax purposes than for financial reporting purposes in each tax jurisdiction. Tax laws require certain items be included in the tax return at different times than are reflected in the financial statements. Some of these differences are permanent, such as expenses that are not deductible in our tax return, and some differences are temporary and reverse over time, such as depreciation expense. These temporary differences create deferred tax assets and liabilities and reflect the enacted income tax rates in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. We consider a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets if it is "more likely than not" some or all of the benefits will not be realized.

Because we operate in multiple income tax jurisdictions both within the United States and internationally, management must determine the appropriate allocation of income and expenses to each of these jurisdictions based on current interpretations of complex income tax regulations.

Income tax authorities in these jurisdictions regularly perform audits of our income tax filings. Income tax audits associated with the allocation of income, expenses and other complex issues, including transfer pricing methodologies, may require an extended period of time to resolve and may result in significant income tax adjustments if changes to the income allocation are required between jurisdictions with different income tax rates.

Comprehensive income: We follow the provisions of ASC 220, Reporting Comprehensive Income, which establishes standards for reporting and displaying comprehensive income and its components. Comprehensive income reflects the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. For us, comprehensive loss represents net income adjusted for foreign currency translation adjustments and unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities. The foreign currency translation adjustment included in comprehensive loss has not been tax affected, as the investments in foreign affiliates are deemed to be permanent. In accordance with ASC 220 and Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2011-05, we disclose comprehensive loss on a separate consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

Product design and development: All expenses related to product design and development are charged to operations as incurred. Our product development activities include the enhancement of existing products and the development of new products.

Advertising costs: We expense advertising costs as incurred. Advertising expenses were $2,209, $2,318 and $1,694 for fiscal years 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Shipping and handling costs: Shipping and handling costs collected from our customers in connection with our sales are recorded as revenue. We record shipping and handling costs as a component of cost of sales at the time the product is shipped.

Earnings per share (“EPS”): Basic EPS is computed by dividing income attributable to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS reflects the potential dilution which may occur if securities or other obligations to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock which share in our earnings.

The following is a reconciliation of the income and common stock share amounts used in the calculation of basic and diluted EPS for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015 and April 26, 2014:



	Net income		Shares	Per share income (loss)
For the year ended April 30, 2016:
Basic earnings per share	$	2,061	43,990	$	0.05
Dilution associated with stock compensation plans	—		466	—
Diluted earnings per share	$	2,061	44,456	$	0.05
For the year ended May 2, 2015:
Basic earnings per share	$	20,882	43,514	$	0.48
Dilution associated with stock compensation plans	—		929	(0.01		)
Diluted earnings per share	$	20,882	44,443	$	0.47
For the year ended April 26, 2014:
Basic earnings per share	$	22,206	42,886	$	0.52
Dilution associated with stock compensation plans	—		876	(0.01		)
Diluted earnings per share	$	22,206	43,762	$	0.51

Options outstanding to purchase 2,122, 1,462 and 1,564 shares of common stock with a weighted average exercise price of $15.04, $18.42 and $18.64 per share during the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015 and April 26, 2014, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the weighted average exercise price of those instruments exceeded the average market price of the common shares during the year.

Share-based compensation: We account for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. Under the fair value recognition provisions of ASC 718, we measure share-based compensation cost at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and recognize the compensation expense over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period. See "Note 11. Shareholders’ Equity and Share-Based Compensation" for additional information and the assumptions we use to calculate the fair value of share-based employee compensation.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which is intended to simplify certain aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including income tax effects when awards vest or settle, repurchase of employees’ shares to satisfy statutory tax withholding obligations, an option to account for forfeitures as they occur, and classification of certain amounts on the statement of cash flows. This standard is effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (that is, lessees and lessors). This update requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase of the leased asset by the lessee. This classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, which affects accounting for equity investments and financial liabilities where the fair value option has been elected. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We are currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740) Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, which simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes. Under the new accounting standard, deferred tax assets and liabilities are required to be classified as noncurrent, eliminating the prior requirement to separate deferred tax assets and liabilities into current and noncurrent. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. We adopted the ASU prospectively and have presented both deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as noncurrent in our Consolidated Balance Sheet as of April 30, 2016. Prior balance sheets have not been retrospectively adjusted. For significant components of our deferred tax accounts, see "Note 13. Income Taxes."

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which changes the measurement principle of inventory from the lower of cost or market to the lower of cost and net realizable value. The guidance will require prospective application at the beginning of our first quarter of fiscal 2018, but it permits adoption in an earlier period. We have evaluated the effect of adopting ASU 2015-11 and will adopt the standard at the beginning of fiscal 2017. We do not expect this adoption will have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and financial position.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. This ASU is a comprehensive revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue from the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The FASB has also issued ASUs 2016-08, 2016-10, and 2016-12 to clarify guidance with respect to principal versus agent considerations, the identification of performance obligations and licensing, and guidance on certain narrow areas and adds practical expedients. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (as stated in ASU 2015-14, which was issued in August 2015 and defers the effective date) and is now effective for the Company's fiscal 2019. We are evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our consolidated results of operations, cash flows, financial position, and related disclosures.

Segment Reporting

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting

Note 2. Segment Reporting

We have organized our business into five segments which meet the definition of reportable segments under ASC 280-10, Segment Reporting: Commercial, Live Events, High School Park and Recreation, Transportation, and International. These segments are based on the type of customer or geography and are the same as our business units.

Our Commercial business unit primarily consists of sales of our video display systems, digital billboards, Galaxy^® and Fuelight^™ product lines to resellers (primarily sign companies), Out-of-Home ("OOH") companies, national retailers, quick-serve restaurants, casinos and petroleum retailers. Our Live Events business unit primarily consists of sales of integrated scoring and video display systems to college and professional sports facilities and convention centers and sales of our mobile display technology to video rental organizations and other live events type venues. Our High School Park and Recreation business unit primarily consists of sales of scoring systems, Galaxy^® displays and video display systems to primary and secondary education facilities. Our Transportation business unit primarily consists of sales of our Vanguard^® and Galaxy^® product lines to governmental transportation departments, airlines and other transportation related customers. Our International business unit consists of sales of all product lines outside the United States and Canada. We focus on product lines related to integrated scoring and video display systems for sports and commercial applications, OOH advertising products, and European transportation related products.

Segment reports present results through contribution margin, which is comprised of gross profit less selling costs. Segment profit excludes general and administration expense, product development expense, interest income and expense, non-operating income and income tax expense. Assets are not allocated to the segments. Depreciation and amortization are allocated to each segment based on various financial measures; however, some depreciation and amortization are corporate in nature and remain unallocated. In general, our segments follow the same accounting policies as those described in "Note 1. Nature of Business and Summary of Critical Accounting Policies". Unabsorbed costs of domestic field sales and services infrastructure, including most field administrative staff, are allocated to the Commercial, Live Events, High School Park and Recreation, and Transportation business units based on cost of sales. Shared manufacturing, buildings and utilities, and procurement costs are allocated based on payroll dollars, square footage and various other financial measures.

We do not maintain information on sales by products; therefore, disclosure of such information is not practical.

The following table sets forth certain financial information for each of our five operating segments for the periods indicated:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Net sales:
Commercial	$	148,261		$	165,793		$	154,754
Live Events	205,151			231,877			197,246
High School Park and Recreation	70,035			67,657			59,531
Transportation	52,249			48,333			54,861
International	94,472			102,282			85,578
	570,168			615,942			551,970

Contribution margin:
Commercial	13,210			28,541			30,313
Live Events	23,178			27,334			30,503
High School Park and Recreation	10,314			11,125			5,474
Transportation	12,466			10,404			12,810
International	3,039			9,212			8,816
	62,207			86,616			87,916

Non-allocated operating expenses:
General and administrative	32,801			30,679			27,984
Product design and development	26,911			24,652			23,375
Operating income	2,495			31,285			36,557

Nonoperating income (expense):
Interest income	987			1,119			1,294
Interest expense	(228		)	(223		)	(255		)
Other (expense) income, net	(128		)	(498		)	(355		)

Income before income taxes	3,126			31,683			37,241
Income tax expense	1,065			10,801			15,035
Net income	$	2,061		$	20,882		$	22,206

Depreciation and amortization:
Commercial	$	4,925		$	4,846		$	4,243
Live Events	4,970			4,610			4,461
High School Park and Recreation	1,722			1,836			2,053
Transportation	1,364			1,148			1,132
International	1,227			1,053			873
Unallocated corporate depreciation	2,648			1,475			1,739
	$	16,856		$	14,968		$	14,501

No single geographic area comprises a material amount of net sales or property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, other than the United States. The following table presents information about net sales and property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, in the United States and elsewhere:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Net sales:
United States	$	465,598	$	494,860	$	453,468
Outside U.S.	104,570		121,082		98,502
	$	570,168	$	615,942	$	551,970
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation:
United States	$	68,233	$	67,882	$	60,846
Outside U.S.	4,930		4,962		4,424
	$	73,163	$	72,844	$	65,270

We have numerous customers worldwide for sales of our products and services; therefore, we are not economically dependent on a limited number of customers for the sale of our products and services except with respect to our dependence on two major digital billboard customers in our Commercial business unit.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 34
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Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Paragraph 41
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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+ Details

Marketable Securities

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Marketable Securities [Abstract]

Marketable Securities

Note 3. Marketable Securities

We have a cash management program which provides for the investment of cash balances not used in current operations. We classify our investments in marketable securities as available-for-sale in accordance with the provisions of ASC 320, Investments – Debt and Equity Securities. Marketable securities classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value with unrealized gains or losses, net of tax, reported in accumulated other comprehensive loss. As it relates to fixed income marketable securities, it is not likely we will be required to sell any of these investments before recovery of the entire amortized cost basis. In addition, as of April 30, 2016, we anticipate we will recover the entire amortized cost basis of such fixed income securities, and we have determined no other-than-temporary impairments associated with credit losses were required to be recognized. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. Where quoted market prices are not available, we use the market price of similar types of securities traded in the market to estimate fair value.

As of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, our available-for-sale securities consisted of the following:



	Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses			Fair Value
Balance as of April 30, 2016:
Certificates of deposit	$	14,927	$	—	$	—		$	14,927
U.S. Government sponsored entities	8,523		—		(1		)	8,522
Municipal bonds	1,221		2		—			1,223
	$	24,671	$	2	$	(1	)	$	24,672
Balance as of May 2, 2015:
Certificates of deposit	$	11,409	$	—	$	—		$	11,409
U.S. Government securities	1,000		1		—			1,001
U.S. Government sponsored entities	7,951		—		(9		)	7,942
Municipal bonds	4,989		5		—			4,994
	$	25,349	$	6	$	(9	)	$	25,346

Realized gains or losses on investments are recorded in our consolidated statements of operations as other (expense) income, net. Upon the sale of a security classified as available-for-sale, the security’s specific unrealized gain (loss) is reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive loss into earnings based on the specific identification method. In the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, the reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net assets were immaterial.

All available-for-sale securities are classified as current assets, as they are readily available to support our current operating needs. The contractual maturities of available-for-sale debt securities as of April 30, 2016 were as follows:



	Less than 12 months		1-5 Years		Total
Certificates of deposit	$	7,650	$	7,277	$	14,927
U.S. Government sponsored entities	—		8,522		8,522
Municipal obligations	—		1,223		1,223
	$	7,650	$	17,022	$	24,672

- Definition

The entire disclosure for investments in certain debt and equity securities.

+ References + Details

Business Combinations

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Business Combinations [Abstract]

Business Combinations

Note 4. Business Combinations

OPEN Acquisition

We acquired 100 percent ownership in OPEN Out-of-Home Solutions ("OPEN"), a Belgian company, on May 8, 2013 for an undisclosed amount. The results of its operations have been included in our consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition.

OPEN is a European manufacturer of cabinets and street furniture for the third-party advertising market. This acquisition expanded our product offerings to third-party advertisers as they increasingly adopt digital technology and included a manufacturing plant in Belgium to manufacture digital advertising displays. This acquisition was funded with cash on hand and a five-year promissory note that matures in May 2018.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2014, the purchase price allocation for the OPEN acquisition was completed. The excess of the purchase price over the net tangible and intangible assets was recorded as goodwill of $1,249 which primarily related to the value of an assembled workforce and is not deductible for tax purposes. Included in the purchase price allocation were acquired identifiable intangibles valued at $1,160 representing trade names with a useful life of 20 years and a customer list valued at $582 with a useful life of nine years. Also included in the purchase was $2,658 of property and equipment, $2,038 of inventory, $833 of other current assets offset by current operating liabilities of $1,230 and long and short term debt of $4,155. There have been no material adjustments to the original purchase price allocation.

The purchase price includes deferred payments of $2,375 to be made over five years unless certain conditions in the business are not met. We have included the payment obligation in other long-term obligations in our consolidated balance sheet.

OPEN's sales were included in the International business unit results and contributed $4,218 of net sales during fiscal 2014. General and administrative expenses included $44 for the year ended April 26, 2014 for professional fees relating to the acquisition.

Data Display Acquisition

We acquired 100 percent ownership in Data Display, a European transportation display company, on August 11, 2014 for an undisclosed amount. The results of its operations have been included in our consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. We have not made pro forma disclosures because the results of its operations are not material to our consolidated financial statements.

Data Display is a European based company focused on the design and manufacture of transportation displays. This acquisition allows our organization to better service transportation customers world-wide and broadens our leadership position on a global scale. This acquisition included a manufacturing plant in Ireland to manufacture transportation displays. This acquisition was funded with cash on hand.

During the second quarter of fiscal 2015, we prepared the preliminary fair value measurements of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date using independent appraisals and other analysis. A final measurement was completed during the first quarter of fiscal 2016, and the fair values of the consideration paid and contingent consideration were finalized.

The following table summarizes the adjustments that were made to the original purchase price allocation:



	Purchase price allocation as originally reported		Adjustments			Reconciliation of assets and liabilities transferred
Goodwill	$	1,099	$	364		$	1,463
Trademarks and technology	480		—			480
Customer relationships	84		—			84
Property and equipment	1,433		—			1,433
Investment for affiliates	437		—			437
Inventory	2,773		(149		)	2,624
Accounts receivable	3,380		(317		)	3,063
Other current assets	1,869		23			1,892
Current liabilities	3,616		79			3,695
Long-term obligations	950		—			950

ADFLOW Acquisition

We acquired 100 percent ownership in ADFLOW Networks, Inc. ("ADFLOW"), a Canadian company, on March 15, 2016 for an undisclosed amount. The results of its operations have been included in our consolidated financial statements since the date of acquisition. We have not made pro forma disclosures because the results of its operations are not material to our consolidated financial statements.

ADFLOW is a Canadian based company focused on digital media solutions. This acquisition will allow our organization to grow and strengthen our solution offering in Digital Media Networks (DMN). We believe this will broaden our value proposition for our customers and deliver new offerings to the market. This acquisition was funded with cash on hand.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, we prepared the preliminary fair value measurements of assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date using independent appraisals and other analysis. We are in the process of determining final working capital adjustments. The excess of purchase price over the estimated net tangible and intangible assets was recorded as goodwill of $2,502 which primarily related to the value of an assembled workforce and is not deductible for tax purposes. Included in the preliminary purchase price allocation were acquired identifiable intangibles valued at $3,176 representing software and trademarks and customer relationships valued at $2,692. Based on the preliminary fair value measurements, also included in the purchase price was $58 of property and equipment, $230 of inventory, $1,283 of accounts receivable, and $513 of other current assets, which was offset by current operating liabilities of $935 and long term obligations of $1,545. The purchase price allocation is expected to be completed in the first quarter of fiscal 2017.

The purchase price includes deferred payments of $1,833 to be made over three years unless certain conditions in the business are not met. We have included the payment obligation in other long-term obligations in our consolidated balance sheet.

ADFLOW contributed net sales of $542 during fiscal 2016. General and administrative expenses included $295 during fiscal 2016 for professional fees relating to the acquisition.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for a business combination (or series of individually immaterial business combinations) completed during the period, including background, timing, and recognized assets and liabilities. The disclosure may include leverage buyout transactions (as applicable).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
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+ Details

Sale of Theatre Rigging Manufacturing (Notes)	12 Months Ended
Sale of Theatre Rigging Manufacturing (Notes)	Apr. 30, 2016
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Disclosure [Text Block]	Note 5. Sale of Theatre Rigging Division In July 2014, we sold our automated rigging systems business for theatre applications. Related to the sale, we recorded a $1,261 gain, which is included in cost of goods sold in the High School Park and Recreation business unit. As part of the transaction, we sold assets of $2,817 that primarily consisted of accounts receivable, patents, inventory, and manufacturing equipment, net of $355 of accounts payable.

- Definition

The entire disclosure related to a disposal group. Includes, but is not limited to, a discontinued operation, disposal classified as held-for-sale or disposed of by means other than sale or disposal of an individually significant component.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5D
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64827811&loc=SL51721677-107760

Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64827811&loc=d3e1474-107760

Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64827811&loc=SL51721683-107760

+ Details

Long-Lived Assets

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Long-Lived Assets

Note 6. Long-Lived Assets

Goodwill and other intangible assets: We account for goodwill and intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. Under these provisions, goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment on at least an annual basis. Impairment testing is required more often than annually if an event or circumstance indicates an impairment or a decline in value may have occurred. Such circumstances could include, but are not limited to, a worsening trend of orders and sales without a corresponding way to preserve future cash flows or a significant decline in our stock price. In conducting our impairment testing, we compare the fair value of each of our business units (reporting unit) to the related carrying value. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, goodwill is not impaired. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is measured and recognized.

We utilize an income approach to estimate the fair value of each reporting unit. We selected this method because we believe it most appropriately measures our income producing assets. We considered using the market approach and cost approach, but concluded they were not appropriate in valuing our reporting units given the lack of relevant and available market comparisons. The income approach is based on the projected cash flows, which are discounted to their present value using discount rates which consider the timing and risk of the forecasted cash flows. We believe that this approach is appropriate because it provides a fair value estimate based upon the reporting units’ expected long-term operating cash performance. This approach also mitigates the impact of the cyclical trends occurring in the industry. Fair value is estimated using internally-developed forecasts and assumptions. The discount rate used is the average estimated value of a market participant’s cost of capital and debt, derived using customary market metrics. Other significant assumptions include terminal value margin rates, future capital expenditures, and changes in future working capital requirements. We also compare and reconcile our overall fair value to our market capitalization. Although there are inherent uncertainties related to the assumptions used and to our application of these assumptions to this analysis, we believe the income approach provides a reasonable estimate of the fair value of our reporting units. The foregoing assumptions to a large degree were consistent with our long-term performance, with limited exceptions. We believe our future investments for capital expenditures as a percent of revenue will remain similar to the historical rates as a percentage of sales in future years. Our investments are expected to relate to equipment replacements and new product line manufacturing equipment needs, and to keep our information technology infrastructure robust. These assumptions could deviate materially from actual results.

We perform an analysis of goodwill on an annual basis, and is tested for impairment more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that an asset might be impaired. We complete this annual analysis during our third quarter of each fiscal year, based on the goodwill amount as of the first business day of our third quarter in fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014. The result of our analysis indicated no goodwill impairment existed for fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, we performed an interim goodwill impairment analysis due to economic conditions causing slowing orders. The results of our analysis indicated no goodwill impairment was necessary.

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill related to each reportable segment for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2016 were as follows:



	Live Events			Commercial		Transportation			International		Total
Balance as of May 2, 2015:	$	2,321		$	721	$	91		$	2,136	$	5,269
Acquisition, net of cash acquired	—			2,502		—			213		2,715
Foreign currency translation	(17		)	127		(16		)	38		132
Balance as of April 30, 2016:	$	2,304		$	3,350	$	75		$	2,387	$	8,116

As required by ASC 350, intangibles with finite lives are amortized. We evaluate indefinite lived assets for impairment annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate their carrying value may not be recoverable. The net value of intangible assets is shown on our consolidated balance sheets. Estimated amortization expense based on intangibles as of April 30, 2016 is $1,591 for fiscal 2017, $1,492 for fiscal 2018, $1,393 for fiscal 2019, $473 for fiscal 2020, $440 for fiscal 2021, and $2,332 thereafter.

The following table sets forth the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization of intangible assets by major intangible class as of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015:



	April 30, 2016							May 2, 2015
	Weighted Average Life (in years)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Value		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Value
Definite-lived:
Registered trademarks	18.3	$	1,676	$	194	$	1,482	$	1,461	$	116	$	1,345
Software	3.0	3,046		46		3,000		—		—		—
Customer relationships	9.7	3,449		300		3,149		—		—		—
Other	1.0	103		13		90		608		129		479
Total	8.8	$	8,274	$	553	$	7,721	$	2,069	$	245	$	1,824

Impairment of long-lived assets: In the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015, and April 26, 2014, the pretax impairment charges for other long-lived assets, including property and equipment, were immaterial. The impairment charges related to technology or equipment obsoleted due to technology improvements or to custom demo equipment with no resale value. Impairment charges during fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014 were included primarily in product development and selling expense.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

+ References + Details

Selected Financial Statement Data

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Selected Financial Statement Data [Abstract]

Selected Financial Statement Data

Note 7. Selected Financial Statement Data

Inventories consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Raw materials	$	28,184	$	28,325
Work-in-process	6,158		7,512
Finished goods	35,485		28,552
	$	69,827	$	64,389

Inventories are reported net of the allowance for excess and obsolete inventory of $4,975 and $3,998 as of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, respectively.

Property and equipment consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Land	$	2,155	$	2,147
Buildings	65,247		64,186
Machinery and equipment	82,973		80,664
Office furniture and equipment	14,746		15,823
Computer software and hardware	48,917		51,083
Equipment held for rental	374		803
Demonstration equipment	8,026		7,299
Transportation equipment	6,596		6,012
	229,034		228,017
Less accumulated depreciation	155,871		155,173
	$	73,163	$	72,844

Accrued expenses consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Compensation	$	12,065	$	12,137
Taxes, other than income taxes	3,969		4,223
Other	7,498		9,703
	$	23,532	$	26,063

Other (expense) income, net consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Foreign currency transaction losses	$	(326	)	$	(514	)	$	(292	)
Other	198			16			(63		)
	$	(128	)	$	(498	)	$	(355	)

Uncompleted Contracts

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Contractors [Abstract]

Uncompleted Contracts

Note 8. Uncompleted Contracts

Uncompleted contracts consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Costs incurred	$	530,594	$	708,029
Estimated earnings	173,356		237,239
	703,950		945,268
Less billings to date	684,111		933,997
	$	19,839	$	11,271

Uncompleted contracts are included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as follows:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	$	30,200		$	35,068
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	(10,361		)	(23,797		)
	$	19,839		$	11,271

Receivables	12 Months Ended
Receivables	Apr. 30, 2016
Receivables [Abstract]
Receivables	Note 9. Receivables We sell our products throughout the United States and in certain foreign countries on credit terms we establish for each customer. On the sale of certain products, we have the ability to file a contractor’s lien against the product installed as collateral and to file claims against surety bonds to protect our interest in receivables. Foreign sales are at times secured by irrevocable letters of credit or bank guarantees. Accounts receivable are reported net of an allowance for doubtful accounts of $2,797 and $2,316 at April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, respectively. Included in accounts receivable as of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015 was $437 and $385, respectively, of retainage on construction-type contracts, all of which are expected to be collected within one year. We make estimates regarding the collectability of our accounts receivable, long-term receivables, costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings and other receivables. In evaluating the adequacy of our allowance for doubtful accounts, we analyze specific balances, customer creditworthiness, changes in customer payment cycles, and current economic trends. If the financial condition of any customer were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of its ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. We charge off receivables at such time as it is determined collection will not occur. Charge-offs of receivables and our allowance for doubtful accounts related to financing receivables are not material to our financial results. In connection with certain sales transactions, we have entered into sales contracts with installment payments exceeding six months and sales-type leases. The present value of these contracts and leases is recorded as a receivable as the revenue is recognized in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and profit is recognized to the extent the present value is in excess of cost. We generally retain a security interest in the equipment or in the cash flow generated by the equipment until the contract is paid. The present value of long-term contracts and lease receivables, including accrued interest and current maturities, was $7,038 and $9,874 as of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, respectively. Contract and lease receivables bearing annual interest rates of 4.8 to 10.0 percent are due in varying annual installments through August 2024. The face amount of long-term receivables was $7,236 as of April 30, 2016 and $10,976 as of May 2, 2015.

Financing Agreements

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Financing Agreements

Note 10. Financing Agreements

We have a credit agreement with a U.S. bank for a $35,000 line of credit, which includes up to $15,000 for standby letters of credit. The line of credit, which was amended on November 15, 2013, is due on November 15, 2016. The interest rate ranges from LIBOR plus 145 basis points to LIBOR plus 195 basis points depending on the ratio of our interest-bearing debt to EBITDA. EBITDA is defined as net income before deductions for income taxes, interest expense, depreciation and amortization, all as determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The effective interest rate was 2.4 percent at April 30, 2016. We are assessed a loan fee equal to 0.125 percent per annum of any unused portion of the loan. As of April 30, 2016, there were no advances to us under the loan portion of the line of credit, and the balance of letters of credit outstanding was approximately $3,872.

The credit agreement is unsecured and requires us to be in compliance with the following financial ratios:


•	A minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 2 to 1 at the end of any fiscal year. The ratio is equal to (a) EBITDA less dividends or other distributions, a capital expenditure reserve of $6,000, and income tax expenses, over (b) all principal and interest payments with respect to debt, excluding principal payments on the line of credit; and


•	A ratio of interest-bearing debt, excluding any marketing obligations, to EBITDA of less than 1 to 1 at the end of any fiscal quarter.

We have an additional credit agreement with another U.S. bank which supports our credit needs outside of the United States. It was also amended on November 15, 2013 and becomes due on November 15, 2016. The facility provides for a $40,000 line of credit and includes facilities for letters of credit and bank guarantees and to secure foreign loans for our international subsidiaries. This credit agreement is unsecured. It contains the same covenants as the credit agreement noted above and contains an inter creditor agreement whereby the debt has a cross default provision with the primary credit agreement. Total credit allowed between the two credit agreements is limited to $40,000. The interest rate is equal to LIBOR plus 1.5 percent. We are assessed a loan fee equal to 0.15 percent per annum of any unused portion of the loan. As of April 30, 2016, there were no advances outstanding and approximately $3,482 in bank guarantees under this line of credit.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, we violated one of our bank covenants, but received a waiver from our banking institutions for the year ended April 30, 2016. While we are not using our credit line, other than letters of credit, any future covenant violations could impact our ability to obtain financing. We were in compliance with all applicable covenants as of May 2, 2015. The minimum fixed charge coverage ratio as of April 30, 2016 was (15)-to-1, and the ratio of interest-bearing debt to EBITDA as of April 30, 2016 was 0.07-to-1.

Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation

Note 11. Shareholders’ Equity and Share-Based Compensation

Common stock: Our authorized shares of 120,000,000 consist of 115,000,000 shares of common stock and 5,000,000 shares of “undesignated stock.” Our Board of Directors has the power to issue any or all of the shares of undesignated stock without shareholder approval, including the authority to establish the rights and preferences of the undesignated stock.

Each outstanding share of our common stock includes one common share purchase right. Each right entitles the registered holder to purchase from us one-tenth of one share of common stock at a price of $100 per common share, subject to adjustment and the terms of the shareholder rights agreement under which the dividend was declared and paid. The rights become exercisable immediately after the earlier of (i) 10 business days following a public announcement that a person or group has acquired beneficial ownership of 15 percent or more of our outstanding common shares (subject to certain exclusions) or (ii) 10 business days following the commencement or announcement of an intention to make a tender offer or exchange offer for our common shares, the consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 15 percent or more of our outstanding common shares. The rights expire on November 19, 2018, which date may be extended by our Board subject to certain additional conditions.

Stock incentive plans: During fiscal 2016, we established the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (“2015 Plan”) and ceased granting options under the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan ("2007 Plan") and the 2001 Incentive Stock Option Plan and the 2001 Outside Directors Option Plan (“2001 Plans”). The 2015 Plan provides for the issuance of stock-based awards, including stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and deferred stock, to employees, directors and consultants. Stock options issued to employees under the plans generally have a 10-year life, an exercise price equal to the fair market value on the grant date and a five-year annual vesting period. Stock options granted to independent directors under these plans have a seven-year life and an exercise price equal to the fair market value on the date of grant. Stock options granted to independent directors prior to fiscal 2010 vested annually over three years, and options granted in or after fiscal 2010 vest in one year. The restricted stock granted to independent directors vests in one year, provided that they remain on the Board. Restricted stock units are granted to employees and have a five-year annual vesting period. As with stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock unit ownership cannot be transferred during the vesting period.

At April 30, 2016, the aggregate number of shares available for future grant under the 2015 Plan for stock options and restricted stock awards was 2,602 shares. Shares of common stock subject to all stock awards granted under the 2015 Plan are counted as one share of stock for each share of stock subject to the award. Although the 2001 Plans and 2007 Plan remain in effect for options outstanding, no new options can be granted under these plans.

Restricted stock and restricted stock units: We issue restricted stock to our non-employee directors and restricted stock units to employees. The fair value of restricted stock and our restricted stock unit awards are measured on the grant date based on the market value of our common stock. The related compensation expense as calculated under ASC 718, net of estimated forfeitures, is recognized over the applicable vesting period. Unrecognized compensation expense related to the restricted stock and restricted stock unit awards was approximately $2,555 at April 30, 2016, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.0 years. The total fair value of restricted stock vested was $1,191, $1,089, and $804 for fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

A summary of nonvested restricted stock and restricted stock units for the years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015 and April 26, 2014 is as follows:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016				May 2, 2015				April 26, 2014
	Number of Nonvested Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share		Number of Nonvested Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share		Number of Nonvested Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Outstanding at beginning of year	344		$	10.63	318		$	9.59	279		$	9.74
Granted	159		7.04		150		12.25		147		10.03
Vested	(110	)	10.76		(111	)	9.83		(85	)	9.47
Forfeited	(9	)	10.69		(13	)	10.70		(23	)	9.37
Outstanding at end of year	384		9.10		344		10.63		318		9.59

Stock Options: We issue incentive stock options to our employees and non-qualified stock options to our independent directors. A summary of stock option activity under all stock option plans during the fiscal year ended April 30, 2016 is as follows:



	Stock Options		Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Share		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at May 2, 2015	2,741		$	13.94	4.63	$	2,258
Granted	240		8.51		—	—
Canceled or forfeited	(309	)	14.42		—	—
Exercised	(66	)	9.26		—	132
Outstanding at April 30, 2016	2,606		$	13.50	4.57	$	158

Shares vested and expected to vest	2,581		$	13.53	4.54	$	156
Exercisable at April 30, 2016	1,920		$	14.70	3.50	$	113

The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options represents the difference between the exercise price of stock options and the fair market value of the underlying common stock for all in-the-money options. We define in-the-money options at April 30, 2016 as options having exercise prices lower than the $8.70 per share market price of our common stock on that date. There were in-the-money options to purchase 0 shares exercisable at April 30, 2016. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014 was $132, $533, and $1,534, respectively. The total fair value of stock options vested was $1,190, $1,294, and $1,541 for fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

We estimate the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option valuation model. We recognize the fair value of the stock options on a straight-line basis as compensation expense. All options are recognized over the requisite service periods of the awards, which are generally the vesting periods.

The Black-Scholes option-pricing model was developed for use in estimating the fair value of traded options which have no vesting restrictions and are fully transferable. In addition, option valuation models require the input of highly subjective assumptions, including the expected stock price volatility. ASC 718 requires us to estimate forfeitures at the time of grant and revise those estimates in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. We use historical data to estimate pre-vesting option forfeitures and record share-based compensation expense only for those awards expected to vest. The following factors are the significant assumptions used in the computation of the fair value of options:

Expected life. The expected life of options granted represents the period of time they are expected to be outstanding. We estimate the expected life of options granted based on historical exercise patterns, which we believe are representative of future behavior. We have examined our historical pattern of option exercises in an effort to determine if there were any discernible patterns of activity based on certain demographic characteristics. Demographic characteristics tested included age, salary level, job level and geographic location. We have determined there were no meaningful differences in option exercise activity based on the demographic characteristics tested.

Expected volatility. We estimate the volatility of our common stock at the date of grant based on historical volatility consistent with ASC 718 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107, Share Based Payments.

Risk-free interest rate. The rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon yield curve on the grant date for a term similar to the expected life of the options.

Dividend yield. We use an expected dividend yield consistent with our dividend yield over the period of time we have paid dividends.

The following table provides the weighted-average fair value of options granted and the related assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Fair value of options granted	$	2.92		$	5.44	$	4.91
Risk-free interest rate	1.70 - 1.90%			1.93 - 2.14%		2.03 - 2.34%
Expected dividend rate	2.78		%	2.60%		2.32%
Expected volatility	42.71 - 48.32%			48.01 - 51.89%		54.09 - 54.37%
Expected life of option	5.78 - 6.98 years			5.84 - 6.95 years		5.9 - 6.9 years

Employee stock purchase plan: We have an employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”), which enables employees after six months of continuous employment to elect, in advance and semi-annually, to contribute up to 15 percent of their compensation, subject to certain limitations, toward the purchase of our common stock at a purchase price equal to 85 percent of the lower of the fair market value of the common stock on the first or last day of the participation period. The ESPP requires participants to hold any shares purchased under the ESPP for a minimum period of one year after the date of purchase. Compensation expense recognized on shares issued under our ESPP is based on the value of a traded option to purchase shares of our stock at a 15 percent discount to the stock price. The total number of shares reserved under the ESPP is 2,500. The number of shares of common stock issued under the ESPP totaled 227, 248, and 195 shares in fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. The number of shares of common stock reserved for future employee purchases under the ESPP totaled 514 shares at April 30, 2016. The ESPP is intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the "Code").

Total share-based compensation expense: As of April 30, 2016, there was $4,450 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share-based compensation arrangements granted under all equity compensation plans. Total unrecognized compensation cost will be adjusted for future changes in estimated forfeitures. We expect to recognize the cost over a weighted-average period of 2.7 years.

The following table presents a summary of the share-based compensation expense by equity type as follows:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Stock options	$	1,179	$	1,311	$	1,451
Restricted stock and stock units	1,237		1,234		1,000
Employee stock purchase plans	542		493		446
	$	2,958	$	3,038	$	2,897

A summary of the share-based compensation expenses for stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and shares issued under the ESPP for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015 and April 26, 2014 is as follows:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Cost of goods sold	$	751	$	737	$	657
Selling	780		825		810
General and administrative	839		908		859
Product design and development	588		568		571
	$	2,958	$	3,038	$	2,897

We received $610 in cash from option exercises under all share-based payment arrangements for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2016. The tax (expense) benefit related to non-qualified options and restricted stock units under all share-based payment arrangements totaled $(69), $3, and $(126) for fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for compensation-related costs for equity-based compensation, which may include disclosure of policies, compensation plan details, allocation of equity compensation, incentive distributions, equity-based arrangements to obtain goods and services, deferred compensation arrangements, employee stock ownership plan details and employee stock purchase plan details.

+ References + Details

Employee Benefit Plans	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans	Apr. 30, 2016
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plans	Note 12. Employee Benefit Plans We sponsor a 401(k) savings plan under which eligible U.S. employees may choose to make voluntary contributions of such employees' compensation on a pretax basis, subject to certain Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") limits. We make matching contributions equal to 50 percent of the employee's qualifying contribution up to six percent of such employee's compensation plus other discretionary contributions as authorized by our Board of Directors. Employees are eligible to participate upon completion of one year of service if they have attained the age of 21 and have worked more than 1000 hours during such plan year. We contributed $2,323, $2,115 and $1,859 to the plan for fiscal years 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Note 13. Income Taxes

The pretax income attributable to domestic and foreign operations was as follows:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Domestic	$	3,264		$	29,194	$	35,699
Foreign	(138		)	2,489		1,542
Income before income taxes	$	3,126		$	31,683	$	37,241

Income tax expense consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Current:
Federal	$	(467	)	$	6,657		$	11,342
State	123			1,150			1,454
Foreign	557			848			696
Deferred:
Federal	463			1,906			1,241
State	(89		)	307			667
Foreign	478			(67		)	(365		)
	$	1,065		$	10,801		$	15,035

A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes and the amount computed by applying the federal statutory rate to income before income taxes is as follows:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Computed income tax expense at federal, state and local jurisdiction statutory rates	$	1,063		$	11,089		$	13,035
State taxes, net of federal benefit	40			1,016			1,433
Research and development tax credit	(2,015		)	(1,292		)	(750		)
Meals and entertainment	334			369			344
Stock compensation	525			566			586
Dividends paid to retirement plan	(323		)	(352		)	(328		)
Domestic production activities deduction	(91		)	(529		)	(1,012		)
Change in valuation allowances	1,265			(2,295		)	2,301
Change in uncertain tax positions	125			2,357			111
Other, net	142			(128		)	(685		)
	$	1,065		$	10,801		$	15,035

The components of the net deferred tax asset were as follows:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015
Deferred tax assets:
Accrued warranty obligations	$	11,407		$	10,038
Vacation accrual	1,963			1,808
Net losses on investments	336			—
Deferred maintenance revenue	341			745
Allowance for excess and obsolete inventory	1,314			939
Equity compensation	745			828
Allowance for doubtful accounts	703			613
Inventory capitalization	595			531
Accrued compensation and benefits	1,015			1,124
Unrealized loss on foreign currency exchange	—			554
Net operating loss carry forwards	1,404			791
Research and development tax credit carry forwards	1,005			—
Other	617			344
	21,445			18,315
Valuation allowance	(1,673		)	(52		)
	19,772			18,263

Deferred tax liabilities:
Property and equipment	(7,988		)	(7,249		)
Prepaid expenses	(631		)	(577		)
Intangible assets	(1,479		)	—
Unrealized gain on foreign currency exchange	(931		)	—
Other	(60		)	(34		)
	(11,089		)	(7,860		)
	$	8,683		$	10,403

The classification of net deferred tax assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets is:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015
Current assets	$	—		$	10,640
Current liabilities	—			—
Non-current assets	9,437			702
Non-current liabilities	(754		)	(939		)
	$	8,683		$	10,403

The changes in the amounts recorded for uncertain tax positions are:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Balance at beginning of year	$	2,891		$	494		$	379
Gross increases related to prior period tax positions	137			6			16
Gross decreases related to prior period tax positions	—			—			—
Gross increases related to current period tax positions	8			2,496			99
Lapse of statute of limitations	(20		)	(105		)	—
Balance at end of year	$	3,016		$	2,891		$	494

All of our unrecognized tax benefits would have an impact on the effective tax rate if recognized. It is reasonably possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits could change due to one or more of the following events in the next 12 months: expiring statutes, audit activity, tax payments, or competent authority proceedings. We are not able to reasonably estimate the amount or the future periods in which changes in unrecognized tax benefits may be resolved; however, we do not anticipate any significant changes within the next 12 months. Interest and penalties incurred associated with uncertain tax positions are included in income tax expense.

Our fiscal 2014 financial results included a deferred asset tax valuation allowance of $2,297. The corresponding deferred tax asset was related to potential capital losses from an investment in an affiliate ("affiliate") that is a United States entity. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, we were notified that the affiliate had sold off a significant portion of its operations for a substantial loss. This loss puts us in doubt of any financial recovery of our investment in affiliate. Although the full capital loss of the affiliate has not yet been triggered under the Code, we have concluded that it would be more likely than not a capital loss if the affiliate goes out of business or we abandon the partnership. A tax court case solidified capital loss treatment versus ordinary gain treatment in abandonments. The Tax Court's decision in Pilgrim's Pride Corporation v. Commissioner and Code Sections 165 and 1234A state that loss deductions related to worthless security abandonments would be treated as a capital loss versus an ordinary loss.

In fiscal 2015, the Tax Court's decision in Pilgrim's Pride Corporation v. Commissioner was overturned by the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Hence, we abandoned our partnership interest and recorded an ordinary loss on our 2015 federal tax return, thereby moving the asset and valuation allowance into our current tax provision and recording a current deduction. Because our position has a chance of being disallowed, we believe we cannot reach the more-likely-than not conclusion that this ordinary loss will be realized. Therefore, we have maintained an uncertain tax accrual. We will continue to evaluate the facts and circumstances of this case and adjust our accrual accordingly.

As of April 30, 2016, we have foreign net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of approximately $6,428 primarily related to our operations in Belgium and Ireland which have indefinite lives. A portion of the total NOL amounting to $219 is related to operations in Canada and expires in 2036. A deferred tax asset has been recorded for all NOL carryforwards totaling approximately $1,404. However, due to uncertainty in future taxable income in Ireland and Belgium, a full valuation allowance totaling approximately $1,337 has been recorded. If sufficient evidence of our ability to generate future taxable income in the jurisdictions in which we currently maintain a valuation allowance causes us to determine that our deferred tax assets are more likely than not realizable, we would release our valuation allowance, which would result in an income tax benefit being recorded in our consolidated statement of operations.

Additional tax information:

In the normal course of business, income tax authorities in various income tax jurisdictions both within the United States and internationally conduct routine audits of our income tax returns filed in prior years. Income tax years are open for the United States jurisdiction for fiscal years 2013 through 2015. International jurisdictions have open tax years varying by location beginning in fiscal 2006.

We have no deferred tax liability recognized relating to our investment in foreign subsidiaries where the earnings have been indefinitely reinvested. If circumstances change and it becomes apparent that some or all of the undistributed untaxed earnings of a subsidiary will be remitted to the United States, we will accrue a tax expense at that time. We have approximately $9,067 of untaxed earnings which have indefinitely been reinvested. Determination of the amount of any unrecognized deferred income tax liability on these earnings is not practicable.

We recognized an expense of $232, $14 and $20 in net interest and penalties during the years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015 and April 26, 2014, respectively. Interest and penalties recognized are recorded in income taxes in our consolidated statements of operations. We had accrued $94 and $16 in net interest or penalties as of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, respectively.

Cash Flow Information

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]

Cash Flow Information

Note 14. Cash Flow Information

The changes in operating assets and liabilities consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
(Increase) decrease:
Restricted cash	$	298		$	18		$	(466	)
Account receivable	3,789			6,412			(18,293		)
Long-term receivables	2,851			3,234			3,027
Inventories	(5,100		)	(1,907		)	(12,771		)
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	4,867			(1,667		)	5,955
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,290			(575		)	(536		)
Income taxes receivables	1,061			(3,084		)	(2,414		)
Advertising rights and other assets	(776		)	912			64
Increase (decrease):
Current marketing obligations and other payables	21			(146		)	372
Accounts payable	(9,926		)	5,594			6,701
Customer deposits (billed or collected)	(941		)	(1,315		)	4,931
Accrued expenses	476			2,860			165
Warranty obligations	4,726			(2,638		)	543
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	(13,436		)	1,314			8,238
Long-term warranty obligations	(710		)	1,869			1,560
Income taxes payable	(40		)	(666		)	(527		)
Deferred revenue (billed or collected)	2,120			(250		)	(836		)
Long-term marketing obligations and other payables	(456		)	3,468			(501		)
	$	(9,886	)	$	13,433		$	(4,788	)

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Cash payments for:
Interest	$	303		$	289	$	198
Income taxes, net of refunds	(824		)	8,690		16,521

Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Demonstration equipment transferred to inventory	$	227	$	34	$	255
Purchases of property and equipment included in accounts payable	142		1,510		2,099
Contributions of common stock under the ESPP	1,777		2,512		1,552
Contingent consideration related to acquisition of ADFLOW	1,955		—		—

Fair Value Measurement

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurement

Note 15. Fair Value Measurement

ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. It also establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The fair value hierarchy within ASC 820 distinguishes between the following three levels of inputs which may be utilized when measuring fair value.

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 - Observable inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 for the assets or liabilities, either directly or indirectly (for example, quoted market prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets not considered to be active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, or market-corroborated input).

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs supported by little or no market activity based on our own assumptions used to measure assets and liabilities.

The fair values for fixed-rate contracts receivable are estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on interest rates currently being offered for contracts with similar terms to customers with similar credit quality. The carrying amounts reported on our consolidated balance sheets for contracts receivable approximate fair value and have been categorized as a Level 2 fair value measurement. Fair values for fixed-rate long-term marketing obligations are estimated using a discounted cash flow calculation applying interest rates currently being offered for debt with similar terms and underlying collateral. The total carrying value of long-term marketing obligations as reported on our consolidated balance sheets within other long-term obligations approximates fair value and has been categorized as a Level 2 fair value measurement.

The following table sets forth by Level within the fair value hierarchy our financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis at April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015 according to the valuation techniques we used to determine their fair values. There have been no transfers of assets or liabilities among the fair value hierarchies presented.



	Fair Value Measurements
	Level 1		Level 2			Total
Balance as of April 30, 2016:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	28,328	$	—		$	28,328
Restricted cash	198		—			198
Available-for-sale securities:
Certificates of deposit	—		14,927			14,927
U.S. Government sponsored entities	—		8,522			8,522
Municipal obligations	—		1,223			1,223
Derivatives - currency forward contracts	—		(453		)	(453		)
	$	28,526	$	24,219		$	52,745
Balance as of May 2, 2015:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	57,284	$	—		$	57,284
Restricted cash	496		—			496
Available-for-sale securities:
Certificates of deposit	—		11,409			11,409
U.S. Government securities	1,001		—			1,001
U.S. Government sponsored entities	—		7,942			7,942
Municipal obligations	—		4,994			4,994
Derivatives - currency forward contracts	—		(283		)	(283		)
	$	58,781	$	24,062		$	82,843

The following methods and assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instrument. There have been no changes in the valuation techniques used by us to value our financial instruments.

Cash and cash equivalents: Consists of cash on hand in bank deposits and highly liquid investments, primarily money market accounts. The fair value was measured using quoted market prices in active markets. The carrying amount approximates fair value.

Restricted cash: Consists of cash and cash equivalents held in bank deposit accounts to secure issuances of foreign bank guarantees. The fair value of restricted cash was measured using quoted market prices in active markets. The carrying amount approximates fair value.

Certificates of deposit: Consists of time deposit accounts with original maturities of less than three years and various yields. The fair value of these securities was measured based on valuations observed in less active markets than Level 1 investments from a third-party financial institution. The carrying amount approximates fair value.

U.S. Government securities: Consists of U.S. Government treasury bills, notes, and bonds with original maturities of less than three years and various yields. The fair value of these securities was measured using quoted market prices in active markets.

U.S. Government sponsored entities: Consist of Fannie Mae and Federal Home Loan Bank investment grade debt securities trading with sufficient frequency and volume to enable us to obtain pricing information on an ongoing basis. The fair value of these securities was measured based on valuations observed in less active markets than Level 1 investments. The contractual maturities of these investments vary from one month to three years.

Municipal obligations: Consist of investment grade municipal bonds trading with sufficient frequency and volume to enable us to obtain pricing information on an ongoing basis. The contractual maturities of these investments vary from two to three years. The fair value of these bonds was measured based on valuations observed in less active markets than Level 1 investments.

Derivatives – currency forward contracts: Consists of currency forward contracts trading with sufficient frequency and volume to enable us to obtain pricing information on an ongoing basis. The fair value of these securities was measured based on a valuation from a third-party bank. See "Note 16. Derivative Financial Instruments" for more information regarding our derivatives.

The fair value measurement standard also applies to certain non-financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. For example, certain long-lived assets such as goodwill, intangible assets and property, plant and equipment are measured at fair value in connection with business combinations or when an impairment is recognized and the related assets are written down to fair value. We utilized the fair value measurement standard, using primarily Level 3 inputs, to value the assets and liabilities for the business combinations and the determination of goodwill associated with the sale of our automated rigging systems business for theatre applications. See "Note 4. Business Combinations" and "Note 5. Sale of Theatre Rigging Division" for more information. We did not make any material business combinations or recognize significant impairment losses during fiscal 2016 or fiscal 2015.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

Derivative Financial Instruments

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Financial Instruments

Note 16. Derivative Financial Instruments

We utilize derivative financial instruments to manage the economic impact of fluctuations in currency exchange rates on those transactions denominated in currencies other than our functional currency, which is the U.S. dollar. We enter into currency forward contracts to manage these economic risks. We account for all derivatives on the balance sheet within accounts receivable or accounts payable measured at fair value, and changes in fair values are recognized in earnings unless specific hedge accounting criteria are met for cash flow or net investment hedges. As of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, we had not designated any of our derivative instruments as accounting hedges, and thus we recorded the changes in fair value in other (expense) income, net.

The foreign currency exchange contracts in aggregated notional amounts in place to exchange U.S. dollars at April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015 were as follows:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
	U.S. Dollars	Foreign Currency	U.S. Dollars		Foreign Currency
Foreign Currency Exchange Forward Contracts:
U.S. Dollars/Australian Dollars	7,216	10,027	1,487		1,918
U.S. Dollars/Canadian Dollars	563	771	4,129		4,923
U.S. Dollars/British Pounds	1,795	1,263	1,679		1,123
U.S. Dollars/Singapore Dollars	261	356	1,176		1,601
U.S. Dollars/Euros	147	132	(229	)	174
U.S. Dollars/Swiss Franc	—	—	5,662		5,500
U.S. Dollars/Japanese Yen	—	—	764		91,282

As of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, there was a net liability of $453 and $283, respectively, representing the fair value of foreign currency exchange forward contracts, which was determined using Level 2 inputs from a third-party bank.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for derivative instruments and hedging activities including, but not limited to, risk management strategies, non-hedging derivative instruments, assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and methodologies and assumptions used in determining the amounts.

+ References

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+ Details

Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Note 17. Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation: We are a party to legal proceedings and claims which arise during the ordinary course of business. We review our legal proceedings and claims, regulatory reviews and inspections, and other legal matters on an ongoing basis and follow appropriate accounting guidance when making accrual and disclosure decisions. We establish accruals for those contingencies when the incurrence of a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated, and we disclose the amount accrued and the amount of a reasonably possible loss in excess of the amount accrued, if such disclosure is necessary for our financial statements to not be misleading. We do not record an accrual when the likelihood of loss being incurred is probable, but the amount cannot be reasonably estimated, or when the loss is believed to be only reasonably possible or remote, although disclosures will be made for material matters as required by ASC 450-20, Contingencies - Loss Contingencies. Our assessment of whether a loss is reasonably possible or probable is based on our assessment and consultation with legal counsel regarding the ultimate outcome of the matter following all appeals.

As of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, we did not believe there was a reasonable probability that any material loss for these various claims or legal actions, including reviews, inspections or other legal proceedings, if any, would be incurred. Accordingly, no accrual or disclosure of a potential range of loss has been made related to these matters. In the opinion of management, the ultimate liability of all unresolved legal proceedings is not expected to have a material effect on our financial position, liquidity or capital resources.

Warranties: We offer a standard parts coverage warranty for periods varying from one to five years for most of our products. We also offer additional types of warranties to include on-site labor, routine maintenance and event support. In addition, the terms of warranties on some installations can vary from one to 10 years. The specific terms and conditions of these warranties vary primarily depending on the type of the product sold. We estimate the costs which may be incurred under the warranty obligations and record a liability in the amount of such estimated costs at the time the revenue is recognized. Factors affecting our estimate of the cost of our warranty obligations include historical experience and expectations of future conditions. We continually assess the adequacy of our recorded warranty accruals and, to the extent we experience any changes in warranty claim activity or costs associated with servicing those claims, our accrued warranty obligation is adjusted accordingly.

We discovered a warranty issue caused by a mechanical device failure within a module for displays primarily in our OOH applications built prior to fiscal 2013. The device failure causes a visual defect in the display. We are deploying preventative maintenance to sites impacted and can repair the device in our repair center. When certain site locations have exceeded an acceptable failure rate, we have refurbished the display to meet customers’ expectations under contractual obligations. We have increased our accrued warranty obligations by $9.2 million during fiscal 2016 and $1.2 million during fiscal 2015 for probable and reasonably estimable costs to remediate this issue. As of April 30, 2016, we had $5.5 million remaining in accrued warranty obligations for the estimate of probable future claims related to this issue. Because failure rates are unpredictable, the final outcome of this matter is dependent on many factors that are difficult to predict. Accordingly, it is possible that the ultimate cost to resolve this matter may increase and may be materially different from the amount of the current estimate and accrual.

Changes in our warranty obligation for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015 consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015
Beginning accrued warranty obligations	$	26,481		$	27,250
Warranties issued during the period	10,528			14,113
Settlements made during the period	(18,377		)	(13,829		)
Changes in accrued warranty obligations for pre-existing warranties during the period, including expirations	11,864			(1,053		)
Ending accrued warranty obligations	$	30,496		$	26,481

Performance guarantees: We have entered into standby letters of credit and surety bonds with financial institutions relating to the guarantee of our future performance on contracts, primarily construction type contracts. As of April 30, 2016, we had outstanding letters of credit and surety bonds in the amount of $7,354 and $50,593, respectively. Performance guarantees are issued to certain customers to guarantee the operation and installation of the equipment and our ability to complete a contract. These performance guarantees have various terms, which are generally one year.

Leases: We lease vehicles, office space and various equipment for various global sales and service locations, including manufacturing space in the United States and China. Some of these leases, including the lease for manufacturing facilities in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, include provisions for extensions or purchase. During fiscal 2016, we signed a letter of intent to lease the entire building upon the departure of the other tenant. The lease for the facilities in Sioux Falls, South Dakota can be extended for an additional five years past its current term, which ends approximately March 31, 2022, and it contains an option to purchase the property subject to the lease from March 31, 2017 to March 31, 2022 for $9,000, which approximates fair value. If the lease is extended, the purchase option increases to $9,090 for the year ending March 31, 2023 and $9,180 for the year ending March 31, 2024. Rental expense for operating leases was $2,725, $2,714 and $2,742 for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015 and April 26, 2014, respectively.

Future minimum payments under noncancelable operating leases, excluding executory costs such as management and maintenance fees, with initial or remaining terms of one year or more consisted of the following at April 30, 2016:



Fiscal years ending	Amount
2017	$	2,166
2018	1,715
2019	1,233
2020	1,040
2021	852
Thereafter	779
	$	7,785

Purchase commitments: From time to time, we commit to purchase inventory, advertising, information technology maintenance and support services, and various other products and services over periods that extend beyond one year. As of April 30, 2016, we were obligated under the following conditional and unconditional purchase commitments, which included $500 in conditional purchase commitments:



Fiscal years ending	Amount
2017	$	1,212
2018	295
2019	100
2020	—
2021	—
Thereafter	—
	$	1,607

Other long-term obligations: We are obligated to pay the following payments for acquisitions and for other various obligations.



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Advertising	$	589	$	700
Deferred purchase price	3,228		1,476
Total Outstanding	3,817		2,176
Less: current liability	552		555
Other long-term obligations	$	3,265	$	1,621

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

Note 19. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

The following table presents summarized quarterly financial data:



	Fiscal 2016 Quarter Ended
	August 1, 2015		October 31, 2015		January 30, 2016			April 30, 2016
Net sales	$	150,221	$	157,668	$	123,816		$	138,463
Gross profit	35,501		35,513		22,029			27,976
Net income (loss)	3,776		3,168		(1,953		)	(2,930		)
Basic earnings (loss) per share	0.09		0.07		(0.04		)	(0.07		)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share	0.09		0.07		(0.04		)	(0.07		)

	Fiscal 2015 Quarter Ended
	August 2, 2014		November 1, 2014		January 31, 2015			May 2, 2015
Net sales	$	166,618	$	173,115	$	118,123		$	158,086
Gross profit	43,403		40,877		25,062			35,237
Net income	8,745		7,737		561			3,839
Basic earnings per share	0.20		0.18		0.01			0.09
Diluted earnings per share	0.20		0.18		0.01			0.09

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

DAKTRONICS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS (in thousands)

			Additions
Description	Balance at Beginning of Year		Charged to Costs and Expenses			Charged to Other Accounts				Deductions				Balance at End of Year
For the year ended April 30, 2016:
Deducted from asset accounts:
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$	2,316	$	934		$	—			$	(453	)	(b)	$	2,797
Allowance for excess and obsolete inventories	3,998		3,475			12			(a)	(2,510		)	(c)	4,975
For the year ended May 2, 2015:
Deducted from asset accounts:
Allowance for doubtful accounts	2,539		(150		)	—				(73		)	(b)	2,316
Allowance for excess and obsolete inventories	2,692		2,701			2			(a)	(1,397		)	(c)	3,998
For the year ended April 26, 2014:
Deducted from asset accounts:
Allowance for doubtful accounts	2,718		860			—				(1,039		)	(b)	2,539
Allowance for excess and obsolete inventories	3,286		1,219			(1		)	(a)	(1,812		)	(c)	2,692

(a) Translation adjustment on foreign subsidiary balances

(b) Write-off of uncollected accounts, net of collections

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Nature of business

Fiscal year

Principles of consolidation

Use of estimates

Cash and cash equivalents

Restricted cash

Restricted cash: Restricted cash consists of cash and cash equivalents held in bank deposit accounts to secure issuances of foreign bank guarantees.

Inventories

Inventories: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or market. Market is determined on the basis of estimated net realizable values.

Revenue recognition

Revenue recognition - Long-term construction-type contracts

Revenue recognition - Equipment other than construction-type contracts

Revenue recognition - Product maintenance

Revenue recognition - Services

Revenue Recognition, Software [Policy Text Block]

Revenue recognition - Multiple-element arrangements

Revenue recognition - Long-term receivables and advertising rights

Property and equipment

Property and equipment: Property and equipment is stated at cost and depreciated principally on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:



	Years
Buildings	7 - 40
Machinery and equipment	5 - 7
Office furniture and equipment	3 - 5
Computer software and hardware	3 - 5
Equipment held for rental	2 - 7
Demonstration equipment	3 - 5
Transportation equipment	5 - 7

Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the useful life of the asset or the term of the lease.

Long-Lived Assets

Software costs

Software to be Sold, Leased, or Otherwise Marketed

Insurance

Foreign currency translation

Income taxes

Comprehensive income

Product design and development

Advertising costs

Advertising costs: We expense advertising costs as incurred.

Shipping and handling cost

Earnings per share (EPS)

Share-based compensation

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Schedule of Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost and depreciated principally on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:



	Years
Buildings	7 - 40
Machinery and equipment	5 - 7
Office furniture and equipment	3 - 5
Computer software and hardware	3 - 5
Equipment held for rental	2 - 7
Demonstration equipment	3 - 5
Transportation equipment	5 - 7

Property and equipment consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Land	$	2,155	$	2,147
Buildings	65,247		64,186
Machinery and equipment	82,973		80,664
Office furniture and equipment	14,746		15,823
Computer software and hardware	48,917		51,083
Equipment held for rental	374		803
Demonstration equipment	8,026		7,299
Transportation equipment	6,596		6,012
	229,034		228,017
Less accumulated depreciation	155,871		155,173
	$	73,163	$	72,844

Schedule of Earnings Per Share Reconciliation



	Net income		Shares	Per share income (loss)
For the year ended April 30, 2016:
Basic earnings per share	$	2,061	43,990	$	0.05
Dilution associated with stock compensation plans	—		466	—
Diluted earnings per share	$	2,061	44,456	$	0.05
For the year ended May 2, 2015:
Basic earnings per share	$	20,882	43,514	$	0.48
Dilution associated with stock compensation plans	—		929	(0.01		)
Diluted earnings per share	$	20,882	44,443	$	0.47
For the year ended April 26, 2014:
Basic earnings per share	$	22,206	42,886	$	0.52
Dilution associated with stock compensation plans	—		876	(0.01		)
Diluted earnings per share	$	22,206	43,762	$	0.51

Segment Reporting (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment

The following table sets forth certain financial information for each of our five operating segments for the periods indicated:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Net sales:
Commercial	$	148,261		$	165,793		$	154,754
Live Events	205,151			231,877			197,246
High School Park and Recreation	70,035			67,657			59,531
Transportation	52,249			48,333			54,861
International	94,472			102,282			85,578
	570,168			615,942			551,970

Contribution margin:
Commercial	13,210			28,541			30,313
Live Events	23,178			27,334			30,503
High School Park and Recreation	10,314			11,125			5,474
Transportation	12,466			10,404			12,810
International	3,039			9,212			8,816
	62,207			86,616			87,916

Non-allocated operating expenses:
General and administrative	32,801			30,679			27,984
Product design and development	26,911			24,652			23,375
Operating income	2,495			31,285			36,557

Nonoperating income (expense):
Interest income	987			1,119			1,294
Interest expense	(228		)	(223		)	(255		)
Other (expense) income, net	(128		)	(498		)	(355		)

Income before income taxes	3,126			31,683			37,241
Income tax expense	1,065			10,801			15,035
Net income	$	2,061		$	20,882		$	22,206

Depreciation and amortization:
Commercial	$	4,925		$	4,846		$	4,243
Live Events	4,970			4,610			4,461
High School Park and Recreation	1,722			1,836			2,053
Transportation	1,364			1,148			1,132
International	1,227			1,053			873
Unallocated corporate depreciation	2,648			1,475			1,739
	$	16,856		$	14,968		$	14,501

Schedule of Revenue from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets, by Geographical Areas

The following table presents information about net sales and property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, in the United States and elsewhere:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Net sales:
United States	$	465,598	$	494,860	$	453,468
Outside U.S.	104,570		121,082		98,502
	$	570,168	$	615,942	$	551,970
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation:
United States	$	68,233	$	67,882	$	60,846
Outside U.S.	4,930		4,962		4,424
	$	73,163	$	72,844	$	65,270

Marketable Securities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Marketable Securities [Abstract]

Available-for-sale Securities

As of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015, our available-for-sale securities consisted of the following:



	Amortized Cost		Unrealized Gains		Unrealized Losses			Fair Value
Balance as of April 30, 2016:
Certificates of deposit	$	14,927	$	—	$	—		$	14,927
U.S. Government sponsored entities	8,523		—		(1		)	8,522
Municipal bonds	1,221		2		—			1,223
	$	24,671	$	2	$	(1	)	$	24,672
Balance as of May 2, 2015:
Certificates of deposit	$	11,409	$	—	$	—		$	11,409
U.S. Government securities	1,000		1		—			1,001
U.S. Government sponsored entities	7,951		—		(9		)	7,942
Municipal bonds	4,989		5		—			4,994
	$	25,349	$	6	$	(9	)	$	25,346

Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date



	Less than 12 months		1-5 Years		Total
Certificates of deposit	$	7,650	$	7,277	$	14,927
U.S. Government sponsored entities	—		8,522		8,522
Municipal obligations	—		1,223		1,223
	$	7,650	$	17,022	$	24,672

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of available-for-sale securities which includes, but is not limited to, changes in the cost basis and fair value, fair value and gross unrealized gain (loss), fair values by type of security, contractual maturity and classification, amortized cost basis, contracts to acquire securities to be accounted for as available-for-sale, debt maturities, transfers to trading, change in net unrealized holding gain (loss) net of tax, continuous unrealized loss position fair value, aggregate losses qualitative disclosures, other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses or other disclosures related to available for sale securities.

+ References + Details

Business Combinations (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Data Display [Member]

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

Schedule of Business Acquisitions, by Acquisition

The following table summarizes the adjustments that were made to the original purchase price allocation:



	Purchase price allocation as originally reported		Adjustments			Reconciliation of assets and liabilities transferred
Goodwill	$	1,099	$	364		$	1,463
Trademarks and technology	480		—			480
Customer relationships	84		—			84
Property and equipment	1,433		—			1,433
Investment for affiliates	437		—			437
Inventory	2,773		(149		)	2,624
Accounts receivable	3,380		(317		)	3,063
Other current assets	1,869		23			1,892
Current liabilities	3,616		79			3,695
Long-term obligations	950		—			950

Long-Lived Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Goodwill

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill related to each reportable segment for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2016 were as follows:



	Live Events			Commercial		Transportation			International		Total
Balance as of May 2, 2015:	$	2,321		$	721	$	91		$	2,136	$	5,269
Acquisition, net of cash acquired	—			2,502		—			213		2,715
Foreign currency translation	(17		)	127		(16		)	38		132
Balance as of April 30, 2016:	$	2,304		$	3,350	$	75		$	2,387	$	8,116

Schedule of Definite-Lived Intangible and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets

The following table sets forth the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization of intangible assets by major intangible class as of April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015:



	April 30, 2016							May 2, 2015
	Weighted Average Life (in years)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Value		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Value
Definite-lived:
Registered trademarks	18.3	$	1,676	$	194	$	1,482	$	1,461	$	116	$	1,345
Software	3.0	3,046		46		3,000		—		—		—
Customer relationships	9.7	3,449		300		3,149		—		—		—
Other	1.0	103		13		90		608		129		479
Total	8.8	$	8,274	$	553	$	7,721	$	2,069	$	245	$	1,824

Selected Financial Statement Data (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Selected Financial Statement Data [Abstract]

Schedule of Inventories

Inventories consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Raw materials	$	28,184	$	28,325
Work-in-process	6,158		7,512
Finished goods	35,485		28,552
	$	69,827	$	64,389

Schedule of Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost and depreciated principally on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:



	Years
Buildings	7 - 40
Machinery and equipment	5 - 7
Office furniture and equipment	3 - 5
Computer software and hardware	3 - 5
Equipment held for rental	2 - 7
Demonstration equipment	3 - 5
Transportation equipment	5 - 7

Property and equipment consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Land	$	2,155	$	2,147
Buildings	65,247		64,186
Machinery and equipment	82,973		80,664
Office furniture and equipment	14,746		15,823
Computer software and hardware	48,917		51,083
Equipment held for rental	374		803
Demonstration equipment	8,026		7,299
Transportation equipment	6,596		6,012
	229,034		228,017
Less accumulated depreciation	155,871		155,173
	$	73,163	$	72,844

Schedule of Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Compensation	$	12,065	$	12,137
Taxes, other than income taxes	3,969		4,223
Other	7,498		9,703
	$	23,532	$	26,063

Schedule of Other (Expense) Income

Other (expense) income, net consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Foreign currency transaction losses	$	(326	)	$	(514	)	$	(292	)
Other	198			16			(63		)
	$	(128	)	$	(498	)	$	(355	)

Uncompleted Contracts (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Contractors [Abstract]

Summary of Uncompleted Contracts

Uncompleted contracts consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Costs incurred	$	530,594	$	708,029
Estimated earnings	173,356		237,239
	703,950		945,268
Less billings to date	684,111		933,997
	$	19,839	$	11,271

Costs in Excess of Billings

Uncompleted contracts are included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as follows:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	$	30,200		$	35,068
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	(10,361		)	(23,797		)
	$	19,839		$	11,271

Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Schedule of Nonvested Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Activity

A summary of nonvested restricted stock and restricted stock units for the years ended April 30, 2016, May 2, 2015 and April 26, 2014 is as follows:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016				May 2, 2015				April 26, 2014
	Number of Nonvested Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share		Number of Nonvested Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share		Number of Nonvested Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Outstanding at beginning of year	344		$	10.63	318		$	9.59	279		$	9.74
Granted	159		7.04		150		12.25		147		10.03
Vested	(110	)	10.76		(111	)	9.83		(85	)	9.47
Forfeited	(9	)	10.69		(13	)	10.70		(23	)	9.37
Outstanding at end of year	384		9.10		344		10.63		318		9.59

Schedule of Stock Option Award Activity

A summary of stock option activity under all stock option plans during the fiscal year ended April 30, 2016 is as follows:



	Stock Options		Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Share		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at May 2, 2015	2,741		$	13.94	4.63	$	2,258
Granted	240		8.51		—	—
Canceled or forfeited	(309	)	14.42		—	—
Exercised	(66	)	9.26		—	132
Outstanding at April 30, 2016	2,606		$	13.50	4.57	$	158

Shares vested and expected to vest	2,581		$	13.53	4.54	$	156
Exercisable at April 30, 2016	1,920		$	14.70	3.50	$	113

Schedule of Weighted-Average Assumptions

The following table provides the weighted-average fair value of options granted and the related assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Fair value of options granted	$	2.92		$	5.44	$	4.91
Risk-free interest rate	1.70 - 1.90%			1.93 - 2.14%		2.03 - 2.34%
Expected dividend rate	2.78		%	2.60%		2.32%
Expected volatility	42.71 - 48.32%			48.01 - 51.89%		54.09 - 54.37%
Expected life of option	5.78 - 6.98 years			5.84 - 6.95 years		5.9 - 6.9 years

Schedule of Share-Based Compensation Expense by Award Type

The following table presents a summary of the share-based compensation expense by equity type as follows:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Stock options	$	1,179	$	1,311	$	1,451
Restricted stock and stock units	1,237		1,234		1,000
Employee stock purchase plans	542		493		446
	$	2,958	$	3,038	$	2,897

Schedule of Share-Based Compensation Expense



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Cost of goods sold	$	751	$	737	$	657
Selling	780		825		810
General and administrative	839		908		859
Product design and development	588		568		571
	$	2,958	$	3,038	$	2,897

Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Pretax Income Domestic and Foreign

The pretax income attributable to domestic and foreign operations was as follows:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Domestic	$	3,264		$	29,194	$	35,699
Foreign	(138		)	2,489		1,542
Income before income taxes	$	3,126		$	31,683	$	37,241

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Current:
Federal	$	(467	)	$	6,657		$	11,342
State	123			1,150			1,454
Foreign	557			848			696
Deferred:
Federal	463			1,906			1,241
State	(89		)	307			667
Foreign	478			(67		)	(365		)
	$	1,065		$	10,801		$	15,035

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation

A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes and the amount computed by applying the federal statutory rate to income before income taxes is as follows:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Computed income tax expense at federal, state and local jurisdiction statutory rates	$	1,063		$	11,089		$	13,035
State taxes, net of federal benefit	40			1,016			1,433
Research and development tax credit	(2,015		)	(1,292		)	(750		)
Meals and entertainment	334			369			344
Stock compensation	525			566			586
Dividends paid to retirement plan	(323		)	(352		)	(328		)
Domestic production activities deduction	(91		)	(529		)	(1,012		)
Change in valuation allowances	1,265			(2,295		)	2,301
Change in uncertain tax positions	125			2,357			111
Other, net	142			(128		)	(685		)
	$	1,065		$	10,801		$	15,035

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

The components of the net deferred tax asset were as follows:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015
Deferred tax assets:
Accrued warranty obligations	$	11,407		$	10,038
Vacation accrual	1,963			1,808
Net losses on investments	336			—
Deferred maintenance revenue	341			745
Allowance for excess and obsolete inventory	1,314			939
Equity compensation	745			828
Allowance for doubtful accounts	703			613
Inventory capitalization	595			531
Accrued compensation and benefits	1,015			1,124
Unrealized loss on foreign currency exchange	—			554
Net operating loss carry forwards	1,404			791
Research and development tax credit carry forwards	1,005			—
Other	617			344
	21,445			18,315
Valuation allowance	(1,673		)	(52		)
	19,772			18,263

Deferred tax liabilities:
Property and equipment	(7,988		)	(7,249		)
Prepaid expenses	(631		)	(577		)
Intangible assets	(1,479		)	—
Unrealized gain on foreign currency exchange	(931		)	—
Other	(60		)	(34		)
	(11,089		)	(7,860		)
	$	8,683		$	10,403

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities Current and Non Current

The classification of net deferred tax assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets is:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015
Current assets	$	—		$	10,640
Current liabilities	—			—
Non-current assets	9,437			702
Non-current liabilities	(754		)	(939		)
	$	8,683		$	10,403

Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits

The changes in the amounts recorded for uncertain tax positions are:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
Balance at beginning of year	$	2,891		$	494		$	379
Gross increases related to prior period tax positions	137			6			16
Gross decreases related to prior period tax positions	—			—			—
Gross increases related to current period tax positions	8			2,496			99
Lapse of statute of limitations	(20		)	(105		)	—
Balance at end of year	$	3,016		$	2,891		$	494

Cash Flow Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]

Summary of Changes in Operating Assets and Liabilities

The changes in operating assets and liabilities consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015			April 26, 2014
(Increase) decrease:
Restricted cash	$	298		$	18		$	(466	)
Account receivable	3,789			6,412			(18,293		)
Long-term receivables	2,851			3,234			3,027
Inventories	(5,100		)	(1,907		)	(12,771		)
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	4,867			(1,667		)	5,955
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,290			(575		)	(536		)
Income taxes receivables	1,061			(3,084		)	(2,414		)
Advertising rights and other assets	(776		)	912			64
Increase (decrease):
Current marketing obligations and other payables	21			(146		)	372
Accounts payable	(9,926		)	5,594			6,701
Customer deposits (billed or collected)	(941		)	(1,315		)	4,931
Accrued expenses	476			2,860			165
Warranty obligations	4,726			(2,638		)	543
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	(13,436		)	1,314			8,238
Long-term warranty obligations	(710		)	1,869			1,560
Income taxes payable	(40		)	(666		)	(527		)
Deferred revenue (billed or collected)	2,120			(250		)	(836		)
Long-term marketing obligations and other payables	(456		)	3,468			(501		)
	$	(9,886	)	$	13,433		$	(4,788	)

Schedule of Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Cash payments for:
Interest	$	303		$	289	$	198
Income taxes, net of refunds	(824		)	8,690		16,521

Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities

Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities consisted of the following:



	Year Ended
	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015		April 26, 2014
Demonstration equipment transferred to inventory	$	227	$	34	$	255
Purchases of property and equipment included in accounts payable	142		1,510		2,099
Contributions of common stock under the ESPP	1,777		2,512		1,552
Contingent consideration related to acquisition of ADFLOW	1,955		—		—

Fair Value Measurement (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Fair Value



	Fair Value Measurements
	Level 1		Level 2			Total
Balance as of April 30, 2016:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	28,328	$	—		$	28,328
Restricted cash	198		—			198
Available-for-sale securities:
Certificates of deposit	—		14,927			14,927
U.S. Government sponsored entities	—		8,522			8,522
Municipal obligations	—		1,223			1,223
Derivatives - currency forward contracts	—		(453		)	(453		)
	$	28,526	$	24,219		$	52,745
Balance as of May 2, 2015:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	57,284	$	—		$	57,284
Restricted cash	496		—			496
Available-for-sale securities:
Certificates of deposit	—		11,409			11,409
U.S. Government securities	1,001		—			1,001
U.S. Government sponsored entities	—		7,942			7,942
Municipal obligations	—		4,994			4,994
Derivatives - currency forward contracts	—		(283		)	(283		)
	$	58,781	$	24,062		$	82,843

Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Notional Amounts of Outstanding Derivative Positions

The foreign currency exchange contracts in aggregated notional amounts in place to exchange U.S. dollars at April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015 were as follows:



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
	U.S. Dollars	Foreign Currency	U.S. Dollars		Foreign Currency
Foreign Currency Exchange Forward Contracts:
U.S. Dollars/Australian Dollars	7,216	10,027	1,487		1,918
U.S. Dollars/Canadian Dollars	563	771	4,129		4,923
U.S. Dollars/British Pounds	1,795	1,263	1,679		1,123
U.S. Dollars/Singapore Dollars	261	356	1,176		1,601
U.S. Dollars/Euros	147	132	(229	)	174
U.S. Dollars/Swiss Franc	—	—	5,662		5,500
U.S. Dollars/Japanese Yen	—	—	764		91,282

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Product Warranty Liability

Changes in our warranty obligation for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2016 and May 2, 2015 consisted of the following:



	April 30, 2016			May 2, 2015
Beginning accrued warranty obligations	$	26,481		$	27,250
Warranties issued during the period	10,528			14,113
Settlements made during the period	(18,377		)	(13,829		)
Changes in accrued warranty obligations for pre-existing warranties during the period, including expirations	11,864			(1,053		)
Ending accrued warranty obligations	$	30,496		$	26,481

Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases



Fiscal years ending	Amount
2017	$	2,166
2018	1,715
2019	1,233
2020	1,040
2021	852
Thereafter	779
	$	7,785

Long-term Purchase Commitment

As of April 30, 2016, we were obligated under the following conditional and unconditional purchase commitments, which included $500 in conditional purchase commitments:



Fiscal years ending	Amount
2017	$	1,212
2018	295
2019	100
2020	—
2021	—
Thereafter	—
	$	1,607

Other Long-term Obligations

We are obligated to pay the following payments for acquisitions and for other various obligations.



	April 30, 2016		May 2, 2015
Advertising	$	589	$	700
Deferred purchase price	3,228		1,476
Total Outstanding	3,817		2,176
Less: current liability	552		555
Other long-term obligations	$	3,265	$	1,621

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Quarterly Financial Data

The following table presents summarized quarterly financial data:



	Fiscal 2016 Quarter Ended
	August 1, 2015		October 31, 2015		January 30, 2016			April 30, 2016
Net sales	$	150,221	$	157,668	$	123,816		$	138,463
Gross profit	35,501		35,513		22,029			27,976
Net income (loss)	3,776		3,168		(1,953		)	(2,930		)
Basic earnings (loss) per share	0.09		0.07		(0.04		)	(0.07		)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share	0.09		0.07		(0.04		)	(0.07		)

	Fiscal 2015 Quarter Ended
	August 2, 2014		November 1, 2014		January 31, 2015			May 2, 2015
Net sales	$	166,618	$	173,115	$	118,123		$	158,086
Gross profit	43,403		40,877		25,062			35,237
Net income	8,745		7,737		561			3,839
Basic earnings per share	0.20		0.18		0.01			0.09
Diluted earnings per share	0.20		0.18		0.01			0.09

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Principles of Consolidation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Cost method investments	$ 1,211	$ 1,071

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Revenue Recognition (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Sales returns, reserve	$ 93	$ 15
Deferred revenue period for recognition of product maintenance contracts	10 years
Percentage of net sales from services	9.70%	8.20%	8.40%

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciation	$ 16,561	$ 14,764	$ 14,137
Buildings \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	7 years
Buildings \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	40 years
Machinery and equipment \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Machinery and equipment \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	7 years
Office furniture and equipment \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	3 years
Office furniture and equipment \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Computer software and hardware \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	3 years
Computer software and hardware \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Equipment held for rental \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	2 years
Equipment held for rental \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	7 years
Demonstration equipment \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	3 years
Demonstration equipment \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Transportation equipment \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Transportation equipment \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	7 years

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Capitalized software costs (Details) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Capitalized software development costs for software sold to customers [Abstract]
Capitalized Software Development Costs for Software Sold to Customers	$ 3,000

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Jan. 30, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Aug. 01, 2015	May 02, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015	Nov. 01, 2014	Aug. 02, 2014	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Net income
Basic earnings per share	$ (2,930)	$ (1,953)	$ 3,168	$ 3,776	$ 3,839	$ 561	$ 7,737	$ 8,745	$ 2,061	$ 20,882	$ 22,206
Dilution associated with stock compensation plans									0	0	0
Diluted earnings per share									$ 2,061	$ 20,882	$ 22,206
Shares
Basic earnings per share (in shares)									43,990	43,514	42,886
Dilution associated with stock compensation plans (in shares)									466	929	876
Diluted earnings per share (in shares)									44,456	44,443	43,762
Per share income (loss)
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.07)	$ (0.04)	$ 0.07	$ 0.09	$ 0.09	$ 0.01	$ 0.18	$ 0.20	$ 0.05	$ 0.48	$ 0.52
Dilution associated with stock compensation plans (in dollars per share)									0.00	(0.01)	(0.01)
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.07)	$ (0.04)	$ 0.07	$ 0.09	$ 0.09	$ 0.01	$ 0.18	$ 0.20	$ 0.05	$ 0.47	$ 0.51
Stock Options
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share (in shares)									2,122	1,462	1,564
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, weighted average exercise price (in dollars per share)									$ 15.04	$ 18.42	$ 18.64

Segment Reporting - Net Income by Segment (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 01, 2015 USD ($)	May 02, 2015 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Nov. 01, 2014 USD ($)	Aug. 02, 2014 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($) segment	May 02, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 26, 2014 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information
Number of business units \| segment									5
Net sales	$ 138,463	$ 123,816	$ 157,668	$ 150,221	$ 158,086	$ 118,123	$ 173,115	$ 166,618	$ 570,168	$ 615,942	$ 551,970
Contribution margin									62,207	86,616	87,916
Non-allocated operating expenses:
General and administrative									32,801	30,679	27,984
Product design and development									26,911	24,652	23,375
Operating income									2,495	31,285	36,557
Nonoperating income (expense):
Interest income									987	1,119	1,294
Interest expense									(228)	(223)	(255)
Other (expense) income, net									(128)	(498)	(355)
Income before income taxes									3,126	31,683	37,241
Income tax expense									1,065	10,801	15,035
Net income	$ (2,930)	$ (1,953)	$ 3,168	$ 3,776	$ 3,839	$ 561	$ 7,737	$ 8,745	2,061	20,882	22,206
Depreciation and amortization									16,856	14,968	14,501
Commerical
Segment Reporting Information
Net sales									148,261	165,793	154,754
Contribution margin									13,210	28,541	30,313
Nonoperating income (expense):
Depreciation and amortization									4,925	4,846	4,243
Live Events
Segment Reporting Information
Net sales									205,151	231,877	197,246
Contribution margin									23,178	27,334	30,503
Nonoperating income (expense):
Depreciation and amortization									4,970	4,610	4,461
High School Park and Recreation [Member]
Segment Reporting Information
Net sales									70,035	67,657	59,531
Contribution margin									10,314	11,125	5,474
Nonoperating income (expense):
Depreciation and amortization									1,722	1,836	2,053
Transportation
Segment Reporting Information
Net sales									52,249	48,333	54,861
Contribution margin									12,466	10,404	12,810
Nonoperating income (expense):
Depreciation and amortization									1,364	1,148	1,132
International
Segment Reporting Information
Net sales									94,472	102,282	85,578
Contribution margin									3,039	9,212	8,816
Nonoperating income (expense):
Depreciation and amortization									1,227	1,053	873
Unallocated corporate depreciation
Nonoperating income (expense):
Depreciation and amortization									$ 2,648	$ 1,475	$ 1,739

Segment Reporting - Net Sales and Long-lived Assets by Geographic Area (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Net sales:
Net sales	$ 570,168	$ 615,942	$ 551,970
Long-lived assets:
Long-lived assets	73,163	72,844	65,270
United States
Net sales:
Net sales	465,598	494,860	453,468
Long-lived assets:
Long-lived assets	68,233	67,882	60,846
Outside U.S.
Net sales:
Net sales	104,570	121,082	98,502
Long-lived assets:
Long-lived assets	$ 4,930	$ 4,962	$ 4,424

Marketable Securities - Available-for-sale Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Amortized Cost	$ 24,671	$ 25,349
Unrealized Gains	2	6
Unrealized Losses	(1)	(9)
Fair Value	24,672	25,346
Certificates of deposit
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Amortized Cost	14,927	11,409
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	14,927	11,409
U.S. Government securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Amortized Cost		1,000
Unrealized Gains		1
Unrealized Losses		0
Fair Value		1,001
U.S. Government sponsored entities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Amortized Cost	8,523	7,951
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	(1)	(9)
Fair Value	8,522	7,942
Municipal obligations
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Amortized Cost	1,221	4,989
Unrealized Gains	2	5
Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	$ 1,223	$ 4,994

Marketable Securities - Available-for-sale by Maturity Date (Details) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Less than 12 months	$ 7,650
Greater than 12 months	17,022
Total	24,672
Certificates of deposit
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Less than 12 months	7,650
Greater than 12 months	7,277
Total	14,927
U.S. Government sponsored entities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Less than 12 months	0
Greater than 12 months	8,522
Total	8,522
Municipal obligations
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Less than 12 months	0
Greater than 12 months	1,223
Total	$ 1,223

Business Combinations - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Jan. 30, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Aug. 01, 2015	May 02, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015	Nov. 01, 2014	Aug. 02, 2014	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014	Mar. 15, 2016	Aug. 11, 2014	May 08, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill acquired									$ 2,715
Net sales	$ 138,463	$ 123,816	$ 157,668	$ 150,221	$ 158,086	$ 118,123	$ 173,115	$ 166,618	570,168	$ 615,942	$ 551,970
General and administrative									32,801	30,679	27,984
International
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill acquired									213
Net sales									94,472	102,282	85,578
Commerical
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill acquired									2,502
Net sales									148,261	$ 165,793	$ 154,754
OPEN
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage acquired														100.00%
Goodwill acquired		1,249
Property and equipment acquired						2,658
Inventory acquired						2,038
Other current assets acquired						833
Liabilities acquired						1,230
Long-term debt acquired						$ 4,155
Deferred payments		$ 2,375
Deferred payments period		5 years
OPEN \| International
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net sales									4,218
General and administrative									44
OPEN \| Trade Names
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets acquired		$ 1,160
Acquired intangible assets useful life		20 years
OPEN \| Customer Lists
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets acquired		$ 582
Acquired intangible assets useful life		9 years
Data Display [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage acquired													100.00%
Property and equipment acquired	1,433								1,433				$ 1,433
Inventory acquired	2,624								2,624				2,773
Receivables acquired	3,063								3,063				3,380
Other current assets acquired	1,892								1,892				1,869
Liabilities acquired	3,695								3,695				3,616
Long term debt obligations	950								$ 950				$ 950
ADFLOW Networks [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage acquired												100.00%
Goodwill acquired	2,502
Property and equipment acquired												$ 58
Inventory acquired												230
Receivables acquired												1,283
Other current assets acquired												513
Liabilities acquired												935
Long term debt obligations												$ 1,545
Deferred payments	$ 1,833
Deferred payments period	3 years
ADFLOW Networks [Member] \| Commerical
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 542
General and administrative	295
ADFLOW Networks [Member] \| Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets acquired	2,692
ADFLOW Networks [Member] \| Computer Software, Intangible Asset [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets acquired	$ 3,176

Business Combinations - Adjustments to Original Purchase Price Allocation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	21 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Aug. 11, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 8,116	$ 5,269
Data Display [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	1,463		$ 1,099
Goodwill, Adjustments	364
Property and equipment	1,433		1,433
Investment for affiliates	437		437
Inventory	2,624		2,773
Inventory, Adjustments	(149)
Accounts receivable	3,063		3,380
Accounts receivable, Adjustments	(317)
Other current assets	1,892		1,869
Other current assets, Adjustments	23
Current liabilities	3,695		3,616
Current liabilities, Adjustments	79
Long term debt obligations	950		950
Unpatented Technology [Member] \| Data Display [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets other than goodwill	480		480
Customer Relationships [Member] \| Data Display [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets other than goodwill	$ 84		$ 84

Sale of Theatre Rigging Manufacturing (Details) - Theatre Rigging Manufacturing [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Jul. 31, 2014
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Gain from sale of division	$ 1,261
Assets sold		$ 2,817
Accounts payable sold		$ 355

Long-Lived Assets - Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Long-Lived Assets - Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Goodwill
Balance as of May 2, 2015:	$ 5,269
Acquisition, net of cash acquired	2,715
Foreign currency translation	132
Balance as of April 30, 2016:	8,116
Live Events
Goodwill
Balance as of May 2, 2015:	2,321
Acquisition, net of cash acquired	0
Foreign currency translation	(17)
Balance as of April 30, 2016:	2,304
Commerical
Goodwill
Balance as of May 2, 2015:	721
Acquisition, net of cash acquired	2,502
Foreign currency translation	127
Balance as of April 30, 2016:	3,350
Transportation
Goodwill
Balance as of May 2, 2015:	91
Acquisition, net of cash acquired	0
Foreign currency translation	(16)
Balance as of April 30, 2016:	75
International
Goodwill
Balance as of May 2, 2015:	2,136
Acquisition, net of cash acquired	213
Foreign currency translation	38
Balance as of April 30, 2016:	$ 2,387

Long-Lived Assets - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Estimated amortization, 2016	$ 1,591
Estimated amortization, 2017	1,492
Estimated amortization, 2018	1,393
Estimated amortization, 2019	473
Estimated amortization, 2020	440
Estimated amortization, after 2020	$ 2,332

Long-Lived Assets - Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Schedule of Definite-Lived Intangible and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Life (in years)	8 years 10 months 6 days
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 8,274	$ 2,069
Accumulated Amortization	553	245
Definite-lived, Net Value	7,721	1,824
Intangibles, net	$ 7,721	1,824
Trademarks
Schedule of Definite-Lived Intangible and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Life (in years)	18 years 3 months 15 days
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 1,676	1,461
Accumulated Amortization	194	116
Definite-lived, Net Value	$ 1,482	1,345
Computer Software, Intangible Asset [Member]
Schedule of Definite-Lived Intangible and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Life (in years)	3 years
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 3,046	0
Accumulated Amortization	46	0
Definite-lived, Net Value	$ 3,000	0
Customer Relationships [Member]
Schedule of Definite-Lived Intangible and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Life (in years)	9 years 8 months 1 day
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 3,449	0
Accumulated Amortization	300	0
Definite-lived, Net Value	$ 3,149	0
Other
Schedule of Definite-Lived Intangible and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Life (in years)	1 year
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 103	608
Accumulated Amortization	13	129
Definite-lived, Net Value	$ 90	$ 479

Selected Financial Statement Data - Inventory (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Selected Financial Statement Data [Abstract]
Raw materials	$ 28,184	$ 28,325
Work-in-process	6,158	7,512
Finished goods	35,485	28,552
Inventories	69,827	64,389
Inventory allowance	$ 4,975	$ 3,998

Selected Financial Statement Data - Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 229,034	$ 228,017
Less accumulated depreciation	155,871	155,173
Property and equipment, net	73,163	72,844
Land
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	2,155	2,147
Buildings
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	65,247	64,186
Machinery and equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	82,973	80,664
Office furniture and equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	14,746	15,823
Computer software and hardware
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	48,917	51,083
Equipment held for rental
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	374	803
Demonstration equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	8,026	7,299
Transportation equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 6,596	$ 6,012

Selected Financial Statement Data - Accrued Expenses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Selected Financial Statement Data [Abstract]
Compensation	$ 12,065	$ 12,137
Taxes, other than income taxes	3,969	4,223
Other	7,498	9,703
Accrued expenses	$ 23,532	$ 26,063

Selected Financial Statement Data - Other (Expense) Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Selected Financial Statement Data [Abstract]
Foreign currency transaction gains (losses)	$ (326)	$ (514)	$ (292)
Other	198	16	(63)
Other (expense) income, net	$ (128)	$ (498)	$ (355)

Uncompleted Contracts - Summary (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Contractors [Abstract]
Costs incurred	$ 530,594	$ 708,029
Estimated earnings	173,356	237,239
Costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts	703,950	945,268
Less billings to date	684,111	933,997
Costs in excess of billings, net	$ 19,839	$ 11,271

Uncompleted Contracts - Costs in Excess of Billings (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Contractors [Abstract]
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	$ 30,200	$ 35,068
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	(10,361)	(23,797)
Costs in excess of billings, net	$ 19,839	$ 11,271

Receivables - (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Receivables - (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Receivables
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 2,797	$ 2,316
Retainage on construction-type contracts, expected to be collected in one year	437	385
Financing Receivable
Receivables
Long-term contracts and lease receivables, present value	7,038	9,874
Long-term contracts and lease receivables, face amount	$ 7,236	$ 10,976
Financing Receivable \| Minimum
Receivables
Contract and lease receivables annual interest rates	4.80%
Financing Receivable \| Maximum
Receivables
Contract and lease receivables annual interest rates	10.00%

Financing Agreements - (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Financing Agreements - (Details) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument, actual, fixed charge coverage ratio	(1500.00%)
Debt instrument, actual, interest-bearing debt, ratio	7.00%
Line of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 35,000
Effective interest rate	2.40%
Line of credit facility, unused capacity, commitment fee percentage	0.125%
Debt instrument, restrictive covenants, fixed charge coverage ratio	200.00%
Debt instrument, restrictive covenants, capital expenditure reserve, amount	$ 6,000
Debt instrument, restrictive covenants, interest-bearing debt, ratio	100.00%
Standby Letters of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 15,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	3,872
Foreign Line of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$ 40,000
Effective interest rate	1.50%
Line of credit facility, unused capacity, commitment fee percentage	15.00%
Debt instrument, restrictive covenants, fixed charge coverage ratio	200.00%
Debt instrument, restrictive covenants, capital expenditure reserve, amount	$ 6,000
Debt instrument, restrictive covenants, interest-bearing debt, ratio	100.00%
Bank Guarantees
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	$ 3,482
LIBOR \| Minimum \| Line of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate	145.00%
LIBOR \| Maximum \| Line of Credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate	195.00%

Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation - Narrative (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	May 02, 2015 USD ($) shares	Apr. 26, 2014 USD ($) shares	May 01, 2010
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares authorized	120,000,000
Common purchase right per common stock	1
Conversion ratio for rights to common stock	0.10
Share price \| $ / shares	$ 100
Days following ownership announcement option one	10 days
Percentage of ownership	15.00%
Days following ownership announcement, option two	10 days
Shares available for grant	2,602,000
Weighted-average period for unrecognized costs	2 years 8 months 9 days
Exercisable at end of year, Shares	1,920,000
Exercised, aggregate intrinsic value \| $	$ 132	$ 533	$ 1,534
Fair value of vested options \| $	$ 1,190	$ 1,294	$ 1,541
Stock issued for ESPP	227,000	248,000	195,000
Nonvested unrecognized compensation expense \| $	$ 4,450
Proceeds from exercise of stock options \| $	610	$ 2,513	$ 4,954
Tax benefit from share based payments \| $	$ (69)	3	(126)
Stock Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award life	10 years
Vesting period	5 years
Restricted Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	5 years
Weighted-average period for unrecognized costs	2 years 11 months 23 days
Fair value \| $	$ 1,191	$ 1,089	$ 804
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation costs \| $	$ 2,555
In The Money Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Exercise price (usd per share) \| $ / shares	$ 8.70
Exercisable at end of year, Shares	0
Employee Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	1 year
Shares available for grant	2,500,000
Requisite service period	6 months
Employee maximum contribution percentage	15.00%
Percentage of purchase price at the lower of the fair market value	85.00%
Purchase discount percentage	15.00%
Shares reserved for future issuance	514,000
Independent Directors \| Stock Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award life	7 years
Vesting period	1 year			3 years
Independent Directors \| Restricted Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period	1 year
Common Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares authorized	115,000,000
Undesignated Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares authorized	5,000,000

Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation - Nonvested Restricted Stock and RSU Activity (Details) - Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units - $ / shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Number of Nonvested Shares
Outstanding at beginning of year, Nonvested Shares	344	318	279
Granted, Nonvested Shares	159	150	147
Vested, Nonvested Shares	(110)	(111)	(85)
Forfeited, Nonvested Shares	(9)	(13)	(23)
Outstanding at end of year, Nonvested Shares	384	344	318
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Outstanding at beginning of year, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (usd per share)	$ 10.63	$ 9.59	$ 9.74
Granted, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (usd per share)	7.04	12.25	10.03
Vested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (usd per share)	10.76	9.83	9.47
Forfeited, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (usd per share)	10.69	10.70	9.37
Outstanding at end of year, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (usd per share)	$ 9.10	$ 10.63	$ 9.59

Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation - Stock Option Activity (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Stock Options
Outstanding at beginning of year, Shares	2,741
Granted, Shares	240
Canceled or forfeited, Shares	(309)
Exercised, Shares	(66)
Outstanding at end of year, Shares	2,606	2,741
Shares vested and expected to vest	2,581
Exercisable at end of year, Shares	1,920
Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Share
Outstanding at beginning of year, (usd per share)	$ 13.94
Granted, (usd per share)	8.51
Canceled or forfeited, (usd per share)	14.42
Exercised, (usd per share)	9.26
Outstanding at end of year, (usd per share)	13.50	$ 13.94
Shares vested and expected to vest (usd per share)	13.53
Exercisable at end of year (usd per share)	$ 14.70
Outstanding, beginning of period, weighted average remaining contractual life	4 years 6 months 26 days	4 years 7 months 17 days
Outstanding, end of period, weighted average remaining contractual life	4 years 6 months 26 days	4 years 7 months 17 days
Vested and expected to vest, weighted average remaining contractual life	4 years 6 months 15 days
Exercisable at end of period, weighted average remaining contractual life	3 years 6 months
Outstanding, beginning of period, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 2,258
Exercised, aggregate intrinsic value	132	$ 533	$ 1,534
Outstanding, end of period, aggregate intrinsic value	158	$ 2,258
Shares vested and expected to vest, aggregate intrinsic value	156
Exercisable at end of period, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 113

Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation - Assumptions used in Black-Scholes Model (Details) - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Fair value of options granted	$ 2.92	$ 5.44	$ 4.91
Expected dividend rate	2.78%	2.60%	2.32%
Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Risk-free interest rate	1.70%	1.93%	2.03%
Expected volatility	42.71%	48.01%	54.09%
Expected life of option	5 years 9 months 11 days	5 years 10 months 2 days	5 years 10 months 24 days
Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Risk-free interest rate	1.90%	2.14%	2.34%
Expected volatility	48.32%	51.89%	54.37%
Expected life of option	6 years 11 months 23 days	6 years 11 months 12 days	6 years 10 months 24 days

Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation - Share-Based Compensation Expense by Award Type (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation	$ 2,958	$ 3,038	$ 2,897
Stock Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation	1,179	1,311	1,451
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation	1,237	1,234	1,000
Employee Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation	$ 542	$ 493	$ 446

Shareholders' Equity and Share-Based Compensation - Share-Based Compensation Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	$ 2,958	$ 3,038	$ 2,897
Cost of goods sold
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	751	737	657
Selling
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	780	825	810
General and administrative
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	839	908	859
Product design and development
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	$ 588	$ 568	$ 571

Employee Benefit Plans - (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans - (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Percentage of matching contribution	50.00%
Maximum annual contribution percentage	6.00%
Award requisite service period	1 year
Minimum age attained for award	21 years
Minimum hours worked	1000 hours
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Contributions	$ 2,323	$ 2,115	$ 1,859

Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries	$ 9,067
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred tax assets, gross	21,445	$ 18,315
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance	1,673	52	$ 2,297
Interest and penalties	232	14	$ 20
Accrued interest or penalties	94	$ 16
International
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforwards	6,428
Deferred tax assets, gross	1,404
Canada
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforwards	219
Ireland and Belgium [Domain]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance	$ 1,337

Income Taxes - Pretax Income Domestic and Foreign (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Domestic	$ 3,264	$ 29,194	$ 35,699
Foreign	(138)	2,489	1,542
Income (loss) before income taxes	$ 3,126	$ 31,683	$ 37,241

Income Taxes - Components of Income Tax Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Current:
Federal	$ (467)	$ 6,657	$ 11,342
State	123	1,150	1,454
Foreign	557	848	696
Deferred:
Federal	463	1,906	1,241
State	(89)	307	667
Foreign	478	(67)	(365)
Income tax expense	$ 1,065	$ 10,801	$ 15,035

Income Taxes - Effective Income Tax (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Computed income tax expense at federal, state and local jurisdiction statutory rates	$ 1,063	$ 11,089	$ 13,035
State taxes, net of federal benefit	40	1,016	1,433
Research and development tax credit	(2,015)	(1,292)	(750)
Meals and entertainment	334	369	344
Stock compensation	525	566	586
Dividends paid to retirement plan	(323)	(352)	(328)
Domestic production activities deduction	(91)	(529)	(1,012)
Change in valuation allowances	1,265	(2,295)	2,301
Change in uncertain tax positions	125	2,357	111
Other, net	142	(128)	(685)
Income tax expense	$ 1,065	$ 10,801	$ 15,035

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Deferred taxes assets:
Accrued warranty obligations	$ 11,407	$ 10,038
Vacation accrual	1,963	1,808
Net losses on investments	336	0
Deferred maintenance revenue	341	745
Allowance for excess and obsolete inventory	1,314	939
Equity compensation	745	828
Allowance for doubtful accounts	703	613
Inventory capitalization	595	531
Accrued compensation and benefits	1,015	1,124
Deferred Tax Assets, Unrealized Currency Losses	0	554
Net operating loss carry forwards	1,404	791
Tax Credit Carryforwards, Research	1,005	0
Other	617	344
Deferred tax assets, gross	21,445	18,315
Valuation allowance	(1,673)	(52)	$ (2,297)
Deferred tax assets net of valuation	19,772	18,263
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property and equipment	(7,988)	(7,249)
Prepaid expenses	(631)	(577)
Intangible Assets	(1,479)	0
Unrealized Currency Transaction Gains	(931)	0
Other	(60)	(34)
Deferred tax liabilities, gross	(11,089)	(7,860)
Deferred tax assets, net	$ 8,683	$ 10,403

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities Current and Non Current (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Current assets	$ 0	$ 10,640
Current liabilities	0	0
Non-current assets	9,437	702
Non-current liabilities	(754)	(939)
Deferred tax assets, net	$ 8,683	$ 10,403

Income Taxes - Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Reconciliation of Changes in Unrecognized Tax Benefits
Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning balance	$ 2,891	$ 494	$ 379
Gross increases related to prior period tax positions	137	6	16
Gross decreases related to prior period tax positions	0	0	0
Gross increases related to current period tax positions	8	2,496	99
Lapse of statute of limitations	(20)	(105)	0
Unrecognized tax benefits, ending balance	$ 3,016	$ 2,891	$ 494

Cash Flow Information - Change in Operating Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
(Increase) decrease:
Restricted cash	$ 298	$ 18	$ (466)
Accounts receivable	3,789	6,412	(18,293)
Long-term receivables	2,851	3,234	3,027
Inventories	(5,100)	(1,907)	(12,771)
Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings	4,867	(1,667)	5,955
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,290	(575)	(536)
Income taxes receivable	1,061	(3,084)	(2,414)
Advertising rights and other assets	(776)	912	64
Increase (decrease):
Current marketing obligations and other payables	21	(146)	372
Accounts Payable	(9,926)	5,594	6,701
Customer deposits	(941)	(1,315)	4,931
Accrued expenses	476	2,860	165
Warranty obligations	4,726	(2,638)	543
Billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings	(13,436)	1,314	8,238
Long-term warranty obligations	(710)	1,869	1,560
Income taxes payable	(40)	(666)	(527)
Deferred revenue	2,120	(250)	(836)
Long-term marketing obligations and other payables	(456)	3,468	(501)
Change in operating assets and liabilities	$ (9,886)	$ 13,433	$ (4,788)

Cash Flow Information - Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Cash payments for:
Interest	$ 303	$ 289	$ 198
Income taxes, net of refunds	$ (824)	$ 8,690	$ 16,521

Cash Flow Information - Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Demonstration equipment transferred to inventory	$ 227	$ 34	$ 255
Purchases of property and equipment included in accounts payable	142	1,510	2,099
Contributions of common stock under the employee stock purchase plan	1,777	2,512	1,552
Deferred Purchase Price	$ 1,955	$ 0	$ 0

Fair Value Measurement - (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	$ 24,672	$ 25,346
Certificates of deposit
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	14,927	11,409
U.S. Government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:		1,001
U.S. Government sponsored entities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	8,522	7,942
Municipal obligations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	1,223	4,994
Recurring Basis
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Cash and cash equivalents	28,328	57,284
Restricted cash	198	496
Derivatives - currency forward contracts	(453)	(283)
Assets, net	52,745	82,843
Recurring Basis \| Certificates of deposit
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	14,927	11,409
Recurring Basis \| U.S. Government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:		1,001
Recurring Basis \| U.S. Government sponsored entities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	8,522	7,942
Recurring Basis \| Municipal obligations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	1,223	4,994
Recurring Basis \| Level 1
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Cash and cash equivalents	28,328	57,284
Restricted cash	198	496
Derivatives - currency forward contracts	0	0
Assets, net	28,526	58,781
Recurring Basis \| Level 1 \| Certificates of deposit
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	0	0
Recurring Basis \| Level 1 \| U.S. Government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:		1,001
Recurring Basis \| Level 1 \| U.S. Government sponsored entities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	0	0
Recurring Basis \| Level 1 \| Municipal obligations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	0	0
Recurring Basis \| Level 2
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Derivatives - currency forward contracts	(453)	(283)
Assets, net	24,219	24,062
Recurring Basis \| Level 2 \| Certificates of deposit
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	14,927	11,409
Recurring Basis \| Level 2 \| U.S. Government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:		0
Recurring Basis \| Level 2 \| U.S. Government sponsored entities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	8,522	7,942
Recurring Basis \| Level 2 \| Municipal obligations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis
Available-for-sale securities:	$ 1,223	$ 4,994

Derivative Financial Instruments - (Details) € in Thousands, ¥ in Thousands, £ in Thousands, SGD in Thousands, SFr in Thousands, CAD in Thousands, AUD in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 CAD	Apr. 30, 2016 AUD	Apr. 30, 2016 CHF (SFr)	Apr. 30, 2016 JPY (¥)	Apr. 30, 2016 EUR (€)	Apr. 30, 2016 SGD	Apr. 30, 2016 GBP (£)	May 02, 2015 USD ($)	May 02, 2015 CAD	May 02, 2015 AUD	May 02, 2015 CHF (SFr)	May 02, 2015 JPY (¥)	May 02, 2015 EUR (€)	May 02, 2015 SGD	May 02, 2015 GBP (£)
Recurring Basis
Derivative
Fair value of foreign currency exchange forward contracts	$ (453)								$ (283)
Recurring Basis \| Level 2
Derivative
Fair value of foreign currency exchange forward contracts	(453)								(283)
U.S. Dollars/Australian Dollars \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative
Foreign Currency Exchange Forward Contracts:	7,216		AUD 10,027						1,487		AUD 1,918
U.S. Dollars/Canadian Dollars \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative
Foreign Currency Exchange Forward Contracts:	563	CAD 771							4,129	CAD 4,923
U.S. Dollars/British Pounds \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative
Foreign Currency Exchange Forward Contracts:	1,795							£ 1,263	1,679							£ 1,123
U.S. Dollars/Singapore Dollars \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative
Foreign Currency Exchange Forward Contracts:	261						SGD 356		1,176						SGD 1,601
U.S. Dollars/Euros \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative
Foreign Currency Exchange Forward Contracts:	147					€ 132			(229)					€ 174
U.S. Dollars/Swiss Franc \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative
Foreign Currency Exchange Forward Contracts:	0			SFr 0					5,662			SFr 5,500
U.S. Dollars/Japanese Yen \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative
Foreign Currency Exchange Forward Contracts:	$ 0				¥ 0				$ 764				¥ 91,282

Commitments and Contingencies - Guarantees and Warranties (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Movement in Standard Product Warranty Accrual
Beginning accrued warranty costs	$ 26,481	$ 27,250
Warranties issued during the period	10,528	14,113
Settlements made during the period	(18,377)	(13,829)
Changes in accrued warranty costs for pre-existing warranties during the period, including expirations	11,864	(1,053)
Ending accrued warranty costs	$ 30,496	26,481
Minimum
Warranties:
Standard parts warranty period	1 year
Installation warranty period	1 year
Maximum
Warranties:
Standard parts warranty period	5 years
Installation warranty period	10 years
Performance guarantees \| Letter of credit and bank guarantees agreements
Guarantees:
Performance guarantees outstanding	$ 7,354
Performance guarantees \| Surety bonds
Guarantees:
Performance guarantees outstanding	50,593
Out-of-Home Product Application [Member]
Movement in Standard Product Warranty Accrual
Changes in accrued warranty costs for pre-existing warranties during the period, including expirations	9,200	$ 1,200
Ending accrued warranty costs	$ 5,500

Commitments and Contingencies - Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Operating Leased Assets
Operating leases, rent expense	$ 2,725	$ 2,714	$ 2,742
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity
2014	2,166
2015	1,715
2016	1,233
2017	1,040
2018	852
Thereafter	779
Total	7,785
January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016
Operating Leased Assets
Operating leases, purchase option price	9,000
Year ending December 2017
Operating Leased Assets
Operating leases, purchase option price	9,090
Year ending December 2018
Operating Leased Assets
Operating leases, purchase option price	$ 9,180

Commitments and Contingencies - Purchase Commitments (Details) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Conditional purchase commitment	$ 500
Purchase Obligation, Fiscal Year Maturity
2014	1,212
2015	295
2016	100
2017	0
2018	0
Thereafter	0
Total	$ 1,607

Commitments and Contingencies - Other Long-term Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment	$ 3,817	$ 2,176
Less: current liability	552	555
Other long-term obligations	3,265	1,621
Advertising
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment	589	700
Deferred purchase price
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment	$ 3,228	$ 1,476

Subsequent Events - (Details) - USD ($)			12 Months Ended
Subsequent Events - (Details) - USD ($)	Jun. 16, 2016	Jun. 03, 2016	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Cash dividend declared (usd per share)			$ 0.40	$ 0.4	$ 0.39
Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Cash dividend declared (usd per share)		$ 0.06
Special dividend declared (usd per share)	$ 0.04
Stock repurchase program, authorized amount	$ 40,000,000.0

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) - (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2016	Jan. 30, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Aug. 01, 2015	May 02, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015	Nov. 01, 2014	Aug. 02, 2014	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015	Apr. 26, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 138,463	$ 123,816	$ 157,668	$ 150,221	$ 158,086	$ 118,123	$ 173,115	$ 166,618	$ 570,168	$ 615,942	$ 551,970
Gross profit	27,976	22,029	35,513	35,501	35,237	25,062	40,877	43,403	121,019	144,579	141,710
Net income	$ (2,930)	$ (1,953)	$ 3,168	$ 3,776	$ 3,839	$ 561	$ 7,737	$ 8,745	$ 2,061	$ 20,882	$ 22,206
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.07)	$ (0.04)	$ 0.07	$ 0.09	$ 0.09	$ 0.01	$ 0.18	$ 0.20	$ 0.05	$ 0.48	$ 0.52
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ (0.07)	$ (0.04)	$ 0.07	$ 0.09	$ 0.09	$ 0.01	$ 0.18	$ 0.20	$ 0.05	$ 0.47	$ 0.51

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS - (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2016

May 02, 2015

Apr. 26, 2014

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]

Balance at Beginning of Year

$ 2,316

$ 2,539

$ 2,718

Charged to Costs and Expenses

934

(150)

860

Charged to Other Accounts

Deductions

^[1]

(453)

(73)

(1,039)

Balance at End of Year

2,797

2,316

2,539

Allowance for Excess and Obsolete Inventories

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]

Balance at Beginning of Year

3,998

2,692

3,286

Charged to Costs and Expenses

3,475

2,701

1,219

Charged to Other Accounts

^[2]

(1)

Deductions

^[3]

(2,510)

(1,397)

(1,812)

Balance at End of Year

$ 4,975

$ 3,998

$ 2,692

[1]	(b) Write-off of uncollected accounts, net of collections
[2]	(a) Translation adjustment on foreign subsidiary balances
[3]	(c) Obsolete and excess inventory disposals

Subsequent Events	12 Months Ended
Subsequent Events	Apr. 30, 2016
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Note 18. Subsequent Events On June 16, 2016, our Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.06 per share and a special dividend of $0.04 per share on our common stock for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2016, payable on July 8, 2016 to holders of record of our common stock on June 27, 2016. On June 16, 2016, our Board of Directors authorized at stock buyback program under which it may repurchase up to $40,000 of its outstanding common stock.

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Insurance (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Accrued expenses
Self-insurance liability	$ 2,314	$ 1,783

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets By Location (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 30, 2016	May 02, 2015
Deferred Tax Assets By Location [Line Items]
Deferred tax assets, gross	$ 21,445	$ 18,315
International
Deferred Tax Assets By Location [Line Items]
Deferred tax assets, gross	$ 1,404