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15: Scheduler, SMPTE, and Automation

Overview

Click Effects can be automated using the built-in Scheduler. It has two modes:

  • Single Item: Plays back a media button on a specified interval.
  • Page Loop: Plays Media Buttons on a page during the specified time range.

Scheduler: Not Automated

Turn on the scheduler

To start using the built-in Scheduler:

  1. Select Edit – Scheduler to open the main Scheduler window.
  2. By default, the Scheduler is turned off. To turn on the Scheduler:
  3. Check SCHEDULER ENABLED. This adds the text “SCHEDULER ON” to the Click Effects PRIME main screen title bar as a visual indication the Scheduler is turned on.

Single item: Overview

Single Item is highly flexible, and allows you to schedule playback of content, commands, and remote triggers at any point in time. Not only can you schedule actions on the local Click Effects PRIME Workflow, but via the use of Remotes, you can also schedule actions on other pieces of equipment.

Add items

Add a Media Button to Single Item:

Drag and drop a Media Button from the Click Effects PRIME Media Page onto the Drop Zone. The Drop Zone is indicated by the following text: To schedule a media item for later play, drag-and-drop one here or click the New button.

By default, all Media Buttons added to the Scheduler are enabled. To disable a Scheduler entry:

Select that entry from the list and uncheck the ITEM ENABLED check box.

Set a play time for a media button

To set up the Next Play Time for the Media Button, do one of the following:

  • Select a specific date and time.
  • Select a time frame from now using the second drop down list.

To complete Finish the Next Play Time assignment:

  1. Click the appropriate SET button. The new Next Play Time is reflected in the Scheduler list.
  2. Each item displays a countdown to its next scheduled play time.

Repeat items

There are four Repeat Item settings:

  • Never (one shot)
  • Hourly
  • Daily
  • Weekly

Remove items

To remove an item from the Scheduler, select it from the list, and then click the REMOVE button. This permanently removes the item from the Scheduler.

Page Loop Scheduling: Overview

Page Loop Scheduling plays each button on a specific Media Page sequentially, and supports Videos, Stills and Video Playlists.

Note: Graphics, Remotes, Groups and DVEs are not supported and must not be on the Page selected.
Note: Video Playlists should be set to Continuous/Reset and NOT to repeat.

Set up the scheduler

To set the Scheduler:

  1. In the Scheduler, Select the Page Loops header. Click the Page button next to the Scoreboard for which you want to schedule.
  2. The Page Picker window displays.
  3. Select the Bank/Page that contains your media buttons,
  4. Click OK.
  5. Specify a Start and Stop time range, and then click the Set Start/Stop Times button to save.

If needed, you can specify the Still playback duration in the next field. This will apply to all Still buttons, but not Stills within a Playlist.

Page Loops can be enabled independently of the Scheduler, so that you can turn it off and still use Single Item schedules,

If there are multiple video channels, then each Page Loop will have its own option to Enable/Disable.

Scheduler: Automated

There are a number of ways in which you can automate the Click Effects Workflow.

  • For automated playback:
    • The built-in Scheduler to schedule content.
    • The optional SMPTE Scheduler to automate playback based on SMPTE timecode. The SMPTE Scheduler is available only if a SMPTE/LTC Reader card is installed in your system.
  • For automated import, the Watch Folder function enables automatic file import when a file is placed in a specified file folder.

Click Effects can be automated using the built-in Scheduler. It has two modes:

  • Single Item: Plays back a media button on a specified interval.
  • Page Loop: Plays Media Buttons on a page during the specified time range.

SMPTE Scheduler: Overview

If your Click Effects PRIME Workflow was purchased with a SMPTE/LTC Timecode Reader Card option, then you can schedule content based on incoming SMPTE/LTC Timecode. SMPTE/LTC Timecode is used in many venues to synchronize multiple pieces of video, audio, lighting, or other equipment.

Note: By default, the optional SMPTE Timecode reader card used in Click Effects PRIME Workflow is set to read timecode at a frame rate of 29.97fps (drop frame). To change the frame rate of the SMPTE Timecode reader card, please contact Chyron Technical support.

To start scheduling playback of content, commands, and remote triggers:

  1. Select Remote – Edit SMPTE Assignments from the Click Effects main menu.

SMPTE Scheduler

Enable (check) the SMPTE Scheduler via the SMPTE Enabled option.

Note: If the SMPTE Enabled option is not enabled, then the Click Effects PRIME Workflow will not automate playback of any items scheduled in the SMPTE Scheduler.

The SMPTE Scheduler displays a readout of the incoming timecode at the top of the window. The green numbers represent the current SMPTE timecode as it is sent to the Click Effects PRIME Workflow.

Assign media button to timecode

To assign a Media Button to SMPTE/LTC Timecode:

  1. Click the NEW button.
  2. This expands the SMPTE Scheduler window and displays the assignment details area.

Entries into the SMPTE Scheduler are sorted by Events. Each Event is assigned a main timecode and actions within that Event are listed by an offset to the Event.

Events

To further explain Events and assignments within Events, let’s look at the example scenario of a basketball game opener show that is fully scheduled and synchronized to timecode. This opener show involves:

  • Automated audio playback.
  • Lighting changes
  • Player introduction at certain timecode values.

We know that this opener show starts at timecode value 01:00:00:00. The first task is to create a new Event in the SMPTE Scheduler window at 01:00:00:00. Next, we will add the playback items and commands that are part of the Event.

SMPTE Scheduler Event

At the beginning of the Event, an opener video is played.

To set:

  1. Click ADD and drag the opener video into the Media Button drop zone.
  2. Set the timecode offset to 0 minutes, 0 seconds, and 0 frames.
  3. Next, thirty seconds into the Event a player video must be started.
  4. Click ADD and drag-and-drop the player video into the Media Button drop zone.
  5. Set the offset to 0 minutes, 30 seconds, and 0 frames.
  6. You can continue to add video clips, groups, and remote buttons to finalize the Event.

Fine-tune

You can fine-tune by making slight adjustments to the frame values of the offsets entered for the Actions of this Event. Make your adjustments, restart the timecode and confirm that everything locks up with the adjusted values.

If, for some reason the main Event timecode must be adjusted, no adjustments are necessary for the Actions within this Event, as these Actions have been entered as offsets, not as timecode values.

Remove an assignment or event

To remove an assignment:

  1. Select the Assignment in the list,
  2. Click REMOVE.

To remove an entire event and all of its assignments:

  1. Select the Event.
  2. Below the event list, click REMOVE.
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