ProppFrexx ONAIR User-Forum

Hi everybody,


Here is a question about Loading a playlist and moving to a specific audio track...

My configuration is :
- Broadcast machine with proppfrexx in full-automation.
- Production machine with proppfrexx only for scheduling, production and mix pre-listen...
- PFP playlist files shared between the 2 machines.
- Audio track shared between the 2 machines.

The idea is to generate hourly playlist named "AAAAMMJJ_HH.pfp" (24 playlist files for a day). For Broadcast machine, playback will be continuous, loading next playlist with event or other system... But, what about the "production machine". When I launch proppfrexx on it, I would like to load the current playlist file (regarding the day and the hour) and proppfrexx to start playback from the audio-track that is nearest to the original playing start time in the hour playlist...

Here is an example :
PLAYLIST (number+estimated start time in the hour "HH" loaded+Track file)
#1 <HH:00:00> - Track 1
#2 <HH:03:17> - Track 2
#3 <HH:07:02> - Track 3
#4 <HH:11:00> - Track 4
...

When I load the playlist at 08:04:00 into my "production machine", I would like proppfrexx to start playback (or focus, no matter) from the #2. If it's 11:01, I would like to start playback from #4 ... and so on. The idea is to respect the original scheduling time (for example, if scheduling of a news track is included directly in the playlist at xx:30....)

Is it possible with proppfrexx ? Let me know if I'm not clear...

Regards,

--
Theo

One question before I can give you a precise answer:
Your playlist name is e.g.: "20120930_08.pfp" (2012, Sept. 30th, 08:00 am)
What if you load the playlist at 15:00h on the 28th?

Beside some automatics (which would also be possible) there is one easy thing you can do manually:

When you loaded the pfp file into a new playlist window, go to the 'Playlist' ribbon tab and open the 'Playlist Backtiming' menu.
Here you can specify:
- 'Start with' and enter a time (hh:mm:ss)
- and deselect 'Start with current time'
This will 'emulate' the above defined start time for the backtime calculation.
As such you can directly see approx. scheduled time for each track.

I know, this is not exactly what you wanted, but for the detailed answer I need an answer to my above question.

By default the following behaviour applies to 'Scripts' when they are started late (e.g. your first script-line is a 'LoadPlaylist' action):
It rolls the 'script' forward to the current time.
This means, if you would schedule a program on your production machine (via a script with the first line being a LoadPlaylist) the same playlist file would be rolled forward exactly as you defined it.
However, that is in automation/scheduler mode.

Your answer gives me others question in fact

Your playlist name is e.g.: "20120930_08.pfp" (2012, Sept. 30th, 08:00 am)
What if you load the playlist at 15:00h on the 28th?

In my mind, I thought that it is possible to launch proppfrexx directly (and automatically) with the correct playlist, with automation activated... No need to load manually the correct playlist, no need to wait an event... At startup, proppfrexx load the playlist, switch to automated-playback and start playing from the correct track.
Now, thinking about that, I'm not sure it's possible :-/ But, if it's possible, proppfrexx should always load the correct playlist for the current time (so, not possible to load 20120930_08.pfp at 15:00). If not exists, no playlist loaded. If exists, load it and try to start playback from the correct track. If not enought track for the current hour:min, no playback (or playback from the beginning...).
So, if 20120930_08.pfp is loaded at 15:00, that would say that it has been manually loaded. So, no automatic playback. Only loading process.

What do you think about it ?

That's possible already today - as said above.
Just define in your scheduler a script for e.g. each hour loading the resp. playlist file for that time (i.e. by using the ${...} macros for the LoadPlaylist action entry).
So that will load the playlist file for that hour and if the program/script is started late, ProppFrexx will automatically skip forward to play the track due at the current time.

I Will give a try soon. Thank you bernd