Version 4.0 is about to be released soon!
Posted: 15 Jul 2015 20:45
A new major version 4.0 is about to be release soon - in a couple of weeks!
You could already take a sneak preview as announced here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1347
What's New?
Extensible GPIO Client/Server architecture
There is now an open API architecture being introduced. Partners or Customers being interested in development of additional interface can contact me and I'll provide them with the needed information.
The new “ProppFrexx GPIOClient.exe” application for example was build just on top of that API itself.
AutoWatch Playlist feature
So far a (pre)prepared and scheduled playlist file must have been changed at latest right before that program was started. Now you can make modification in the very last minute and at any time (even multiple times) while that playlist is already running.
Any scheduled playlist file (i.e. as added via a 'LoadPlaylist' script-line) is now being monitored. In case the 'LastWriteTime' of such playlist has been changed, it will be reloaded on-the-fly starting with the currently playing entry number. E.g. if the currently playing playlist item relates to the 5th playlist entry number all playlist entries starting with the 6th playlist entry number will automatically be reloaded and exchanged in the currently running playlist.
So you can now make changes to already running playlists e.g. from a 2nd ProppFrexx instance or any other playlist editor or in your external scheduler at any time!
Multi-Client Chat-Message System
At first, this might look like a simple and stupid build-in chat message system. E.g. one (or actually any) ProppFrexx instance might act as a chat message server. Other (remote) ProppFrexx instances might connect to it and the users might send chat messages to each/all other. But...
the real power comes into play, as you might (for each ProppFrexx instance) assign the well known control-command(s) to any chat-message! As such you can define your own 'chat-commands' yourself! Once such a chat command arrives the related control-command(s) are executed. Here is typical use case where this can be very powerful:
Think of two remote moderators sharing a single streaming server and they need a simple way to hand over their streams to each other. Both use ProppFrexx... now they can use the char message system to perfectly synchronize their work. The current moderator might for example send a chat message once he finishes his playlist and stopped his streaming server to the sub-sequent moderator, which in turn now automatically starts the other streaming server and start the other playlist.
Remote Voice Tracking
This feature actually should have gone to v4.0 in the first place. But as I still need a few weeks to finish it, I am not sure, if it finds its way to the first 4.0 version. If not, it will be released soon right after in a free maintenance update.
However, due to the fact, that the internet connections became more and more fast, I decided to not make it more complicated as needed. This means, that the native tracks (audio files) are fully transferred between the acting ProppFrexx server and the remote client instance. This might take a bit more time to down- resp. upload the changes, but gives much more flexibility and offers unlimited capabilities. E.g. an hour of 320kbps MP3 files might take only 2 minutes to download all needed files (assuming an internet connection offering 1MB/sec.).
New Meta Data attributes (Style and Energy)
These two new arbitrary string attributes can be used to further classify your music, as they are fully available for any filters and searches.
Track based scripting restrictions
The following scripting restriction attributes have been added (which are applied automatically to a script-line processing and are only visible in the TAG Editor):
- Time of Day Restriction: TimeStart and TimeEnd
- Day of Week Restriction: Mon … Sun flags
- Month of Year Restriction: Jan … Dec flags
- Date Restriction: DateStart and DateEnd
Note: The restrictions (if set) define, when the track should NOT be scheduled/played. These are only in effect for the ProppFrexx scripting, but not used elsewhere.
Pricing and Upgrade
We did not change our license prices for almost 5 years. However, we felt, that it is about time to slightly increase the prices and introduce a slightly adopted price structure. The increase in license price is moderate and around Euro 100 for the Commercial versions and around Euro 50 for the Non-Commercial versions.
Note: ProppFrexx v4.0 requires an UPGRADE and new license keys!
Existing customers can purchase the upgrade for a highly reduced price (for around only 25% of the official price).
Customer having purchased a new license within the last 3 month before the new v4.0 version is coming out, can upgrade for free!
In case you have questions - please contact me.
As said, a sneak preview for testing etc. is available here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1347
Have fun!
You could already take a sneak preview as announced here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1347
What's New?
- 64-bit architecture, 64-bit audio engine (natively), User Interface build on top of the latest .Net 4.5.2 Framework (an extra 32-bit version for older OS versions will also still be available for some time)
- Extensible GPIO Client/Server architecture (extendable by users or partners)
- AutoWatch Playlist feature (allows external last minute reference changes of an already running playlist)
- Multi-Client Chat-Message System (incl. automatic control-command mapping, e.g. to sync parallel moderator tasks)
- Remote Voice Tracking (comming soon in a free v4.0 maintenance release)
- New Meta Data attributes (Style and Energy)
- Track based scripting restrictions
- many smaller enhancements and improvements
Extensible GPIO Client/Server architecture
There is now an open API architecture being introduced. Partners or Customers being interested in development of additional interface can contact me and I'll provide them with the needed information.
The new “ProppFrexx GPIOClient.exe” application for example was build just on top of that API itself.
AutoWatch Playlist feature
So far a (pre)prepared and scheduled playlist file must have been changed at latest right before that program was started. Now you can make modification in the very last minute and at any time (even multiple times) while that playlist is already running.
Any scheduled playlist file (i.e. as added via a 'LoadPlaylist' script-line) is now being monitored. In case the 'LastWriteTime' of such playlist has been changed, it will be reloaded on-the-fly starting with the currently playing entry number. E.g. if the currently playing playlist item relates to the 5th playlist entry number all playlist entries starting with the 6th playlist entry number will automatically be reloaded and exchanged in the currently running playlist.
So you can now make changes to already running playlists e.g. from a 2nd ProppFrexx instance or any other playlist editor or in your external scheduler at any time!
Multi-Client Chat-Message System
At first, this might look like a simple and stupid build-in chat message system. E.g. one (or actually any) ProppFrexx instance might act as a chat message server. Other (remote) ProppFrexx instances might connect to it and the users might send chat messages to each/all other. But...
the real power comes into play, as you might (for each ProppFrexx instance) assign the well known control-command(s) to any chat-message! As such you can define your own 'chat-commands' yourself! Once such a chat command arrives the related control-command(s) are executed. Here is typical use case where this can be very powerful:
Think of two remote moderators sharing a single streaming server and they need a simple way to hand over their streams to each other. Both use ProppFrexx... now they can use the char message system to perfectly synchronize their work. The current moderator might for example send a chat message once he finishes his playlist and stopped his streaming server to the sub-sequent moderator, which in turn now automatically starts the other streaming server and start the other playlist.
Remote Voice Tracking
This feature actually should have gone to v4.0 in the first place. But as I still need a few weeks to finish it, I am not sure, if it finds its way to the first 4.0 version. If not, it will be released soon right after in a free maintenance update.
However, due to the fact, that the internet connections became more and more fast, I decided to not make it more complicated as needed. This means, that the native tracks (audio files) are fully transferred between the acting ProppFrexx server and the remote client instance. This might take a bit more time to down- resp. upload the changes, but gives much more flexibility and offers unlimited capabilities. E.g. an hour of 320kbps MP3 files might take only 2 minutes to download all needed files (assuming an internet connection offering 1MB/sec.).
New Meta Data attributes (Style and Energy)
These two new arbitrary string attributes can be used to further classify your music, as they are fully available for any filters and searches.
Track based scripting restrictions
The following scripting restriction attributes have been added (which are applied automatically to a script-line processing and are only visible in the TAG Editor):
- Time of Day Restriction: TimeStart and TimeEnd
- Day of Week Restriction: Mon … Sun flags
- Month of Year Restriction: Jan … Dec flags
- Date Restriction: DateStart and DateEnd
Note: The restrictions (if set) define, when the track should NOT be scheduled/played. These are only in effect for the ProppFrexx scripting, but not used elsewhere.
Pricing and Upgrade
We did not change our license prices for almost 5 years. However, we felt, that it is about time to slightly increase the prices and introduce a slightly adopted price structure. The increase in license price is moderate and around Euro 100 for the Commercial versions and around Euro 50 for the Non-Commercial versions.
Note: ProppFrexx v4.0 requires an UPGRADE and new license keys!
Existing customers can purchase the upgrade for a highly reduced price (for around only 25% of the official price).
Customer having purchased a new license within the last 3 month before the new v4.0 version is coming out, can upgrade for free!
In case you have questions - please contact me.
As said, a sneak preview for testing etc. is available here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1347
Have fun!