# Managing Podcasts with RDCastManager

## Overview

RDCastManager is a Rivendell module designed for posting items and managing item metadata for audio podcasts managed by Rivendell.

The RDCastManager Main Window

When started, RDCastManager will display the list of available podcast feeds for the currently logged in user. Each line begins with an icon, showing the assigned channel image for the repective feed.

To see the list of items posted to a particular feed, select the desired feed on the list and then touch the `View Feed` button to open the `Podcast Item List` dialog.

The Podcast Item List Dialog

Each posted item has a status, indicated by the color of the icon in the `Status` column.

### RDCastManager Item States

Status | Meaning
--- | ---
| Item is active and visible to the audience.
| Item is inactive and not visible to the audience.
| Item is active, but currently embargoed and not visible to the audience.

## Editing an Item's Metadata

To view (and possibly modify) an item's metadata, select the item on the list and then touch the `Edit` button to open the `Editing Item` dialog.

The Editing Item Dialog

The following controls are available:

`Item Active`

  When ticked, this makes the item visible to the audience (but see `Air Date/Time` below).

  Unticking this is a good way to put an item "on hold" without permanently deleting it from the feed.

`Posted By`

  This is a "read-only" field that provides details on the provenance of the item.

`Title`

  The title of the item.

`Author E-Mail`

  The e-mail address (and optionally, full name) of the author/originator of the item.

`Description`

  Text describing the content of the item.

  The accompanying `Item contains explicit content` checkbox should be ticked if the item contains content that may not be suitable for under-age listeners.

`Image`

  The icon that will associated with this item when viewed by the audience.

`Air Date/Time`

  The date/time that the item was/will be published. If this is set to a value in the future, the item will be embargoed --i.e. hidden from the audience-- until this date/time.

`Expires`

  If this dropdown is set to `Yes`, then the item will be automatically deleted from the feed at the specified date/time. If set to `No`, the item will never be deleted automatically.

  Deleting an item cannot be undone!

To save any changes made to the item's metadata and close the dialog touch the `OK`. To close the dialog while abandoning any pending changes, touch `Cancel`.

## Deleting an Item

To delete an item and permanently remove it from the feed, select the desired item and touch the `Delete` button. The system will prompt for confirmation:

The Delete Item Dialog

then touch the `Yes` button to complete the operation.

Deletion of an item is permanent; it cannot be undone!

If it is desired to temporarily hide an item, simply untick the `Item Active` checkbox in the item's `Editing Item` dialog.

## Posting: Creating a New Item

"Posting" is the action by which a new item is added to a podcast feed. RDCastManager is capable of posting to a feed from three different sources: a Rivendell cart/cut, a Rivendell log, and directly from an audio file.

### Posting from a Rivendell Cart/Cut

To post the contents of a Rivendell cart/cut, touch the `Post from Cart/Cut` button to open the `Select Cut` dialog:

The Select Cut Dialog

Select the desired cart/cut, then touch the `OK` button. RDCastManager will upload the audio and then open the `Editing Item` dialog to allow the new item's metadata to be set.

### Posting from a Rivendell Log

To post one or more events from a Rivendell log, touch the `Post from Log` button to open the `Select Log` dialog:

The Select Log Dialog

Select the log to post, then touch the `OK` button to bring up the `Log Render Options` dialog:

The Select Log Dialog

The following controls are available in this dialog:

`Virtual Start Time`

  Set the virtual start time to be used when rendering the log. This can be useful for simulating a "real" log play-out so that dayparting of cuts works as expected. By default, the wall time when the `OK` is touched will be used.

`At STOP transition`

  Set the action to take during log rendering if a STOP transition is encountered. If `Treat as PLAY` (the default) is selected, rendering will continue as if a PLAY transition were found. If `Stop Rendering` is selected, rendering of the log will be terminated at that point.

`Selected Log Events`

  By default, all of the events in the log will be rendered (subject to possible truncation by a STOP transition as specified by the setting of `At STOP Transition`). To select a subset of events to be rendered, touch the `Select` button bring up the `List Log` dialog:

  The List Log Events Dialog

  Select the events to be rendered and then touch the `OK` button to return to the `Log Render Options` dialog.

After the desired rendering options set, touch the `OK` button. RDCastManager will upload the audio and then open the `Editing Item` dialog to allow the new item's metadata to be set.

### Posting an Audio File

To post the contents of an audio file, touch the `Post from File` button to bring up the `Select Audio File` dialog.

The Select Audio File Dialog

Select the file to be posted and then touch the `OK` button. RDCastManager will upload the audio and then open the `Editing Item` dialog to allow the new item's metadata to be set.