Is it possible to have an Automation Break Point button located next to the “Next” button in the tool bar, to give us “on the fly” broadcasters the ability to stop after the currently playing event while in automation mode, and have it tied to the “esc” key, perhaps hardwired, so as it invokes the action only while mAirList has focus?
Chris: Unless I severely misunderstand you, all you need to do is click the AUTO/ASSIST button (or ASSIST if you have two buttons) and put mAirList into ASSIST mode; and do this while the track before the ‘break’ is playing. It will then stop at the end as normal.
If instead you want to do a ‘normal’ automation fade, then click STOP whenever you want to fade. Automation will stay stopped until you click PLAY or NEXT.
When you want to restart after the ‘break,’ you would need to ‘click’ Auto ON (just to be sure!) followed by NEXT. I know you could easily assign that command sequence to a Hotkey, but I can’t remember whether Esc is permissible as a Hotkey (off the top of my head!).
That would be the way to do it, though.
BFN
CAD
Thanks for the comment Cad.
The essence of what I wish to do is purely Stop and (re) Start via keyboard, not fade, unless I wish to invoke an early crossfade to the next item which can still be achieved with the Spacebar.
The request I made was based on the fact that I wanted to play items from a predetermined playlist using 2 keyboard actions, Spacebar for Play/Next like as in BSI’s Simian, and Esc (or whatever) for Stop after current event.
As you suggest, your way requires a mouse click to switch from Auto to Assist, current item stops at conclusion, mouse click to switch back from Assist to Auto, Mouse click to bring next event into focus (if you have navigated away from mAirList momentarily), then mouse click to hit play button or Spacebar to restart .
I believe I’m correct in saying if you navigate away from, and back to mAirList, even if you have focus, the current item will not have focus (relative to the spacebar operating) until you click on the current item at the top of the playlist and it turns into it’s inverse colour.
Again I have made my suggestion based on the ease and simplicity of finding the esc key (while mAirList has focus only).
This approach has been used with some other automation system I have worked with, but I can’t recall which.
My suggestion, if you have not navigated away from mAirList and back, is that you can use a single keyboard action for Play and a single keyboard action for Stop, rather than mouse clicks.
Handy if your slightly challenged with less than 20/20 vision like I am.
In a training situation wth school children and the like, absolute simplicity is what I would wish to strive for.
On a fun note My initials are CAD, Christopher A Diack…
I just LOVE this automation systems’s configurability… Its just awesome, Torben.
I can’t recall exactly how the ‘spacebar-as-NEXT’ option works, but could you please try the following for me?
Put your Playlist into ASSIST (non-AUTO) mode, then press the spacebar. Does that still execute a NEXT? If so, then it is switching AUTO mode on ‘automagically,’ which solves one half of your problem; if it doesn’t, you might need to consider using a key other than the spacebar (shock horror!) so that your chosen alternative key can be set up in Hotkeys to do:AUTOMATION 1 ON;AUTOMATION 1 NEXT
Similarly you would set up your Esc key (or whichever) to do:AUTOMATION 1 OFF(which is the same as clicking the ASSIST button).
You would then have the ‘two-key’ setup you want: right?
BFN
CAD
Ok, what we need is some sort of “AUTOMATION 1 BREAK” command, telling the automation to stop after the current song. Should be fairly easy. The corresponding “switch” inside the playlist logic does already exist. (It’s the “I must be playing” switch, turned off when the automation finds a BREAK item.)
Torben
Edited with additional comment
The essence of what I wish to do (in Automation mode only) is purely Stop (after current event) and (re) Start via single keyboard action (the hard wired Spacebar for Start/Next and Esc for Stop), not fade, unless I wish to invoke an early crossfade to the next item which can still be achieved with the Spacebar.
If at all possible it is requested that no mouse action is necessary and mAirList remains focussed on the current event so as to start the next event without further intervention.
Spacebar, as I understand it, is not available in Assist mode, and I do not wish to have to navigate into Assist mode if at all possible.
I hope this clarifies the request.
Thanks for the input and comment Cad… always appreciated.
I think you’d need a Global HotKey setup to run a script - Of which Torben is the expert on that! Essentially, it’d basically follow this rule:
if AUTO(true) then AUTO(false)
else
AUTO(play)
end
As I say, Torben is the expert with this kind of thing - I’ve still not grasped the scripting, and my own expertise is with Visual Basic.
mAirList 2.1.9 will have a new command, AUTOMATION 1 BREAK. When issued, the automation will stop after the current item. You will notice that the AUTO button stops flashing.
I’m however not sure whether you can assign actions to the Esc key, because it has a special meaning to Windows (used to close dialogs windows etc.). You might need to choose a different key.
Torben
Most excellent, Torben.
If you have the time and inclination, could you investigate the “hard wiring” of esc = AUTOMATION 1 BREAK, only while mAirList has focus, as you did for Spacebar, this would be a bonus.
BSI’s Simian 1.7.0 has this ability of sorts, with the variation that when esc is pressed, it stops now, not at the end of the currently playing item… which I find somewhat a waste of time?
Incidentally will the AUTOMATION 1 BREAK be able to be assigned to a button adjacent to the Auto, Stop, Play, Pause button in the automation layout, for those mouse oriented people?
Thanks again.
All of this should be possible. Hannes is working on a new button set, perhaps he can provide for a “break” button as well.
Regarding the Esc key, I have just implemented the requested options. You can choose whether to bind it to BREAK or STOP. Not a big deal actually 
Will be included in 2.1.10.
Torben
Sory to be off topic, but for all German readers:
Did you also think of 9live when reading the Subject of this thread
“Der Hot Button blinkt - bald schlägter wieder zu - rufen Sie an… jederzeit kann es soweit sein…”
SCNR,
Christoph
rofl Very nice! “Die Kohle muss raaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuusssssss!” 