Autres/Rivendellaudio
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/ElvishArtisan/rivendell.git synced 2025-05-30 07:32:32 +02:00
Code Issues Projects Releases Wiki Activity

2017-10-17 Fred Gleason <fredg@paravelsystems.com>

Browse Source 
* Added the text of the 'Generating and Maintaining Logs with
	RDLogEdit' chapter to the Ops Guide.
This commit is contained in:
Fred Gleason 2017-10-17 20:24:14 -04:00
parent 4f165c1dcf
commit d859f46a5e
2 changed files with 437 additions and 0 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

3
ChangeLog
View File

@ -16177,3 +16177,6 @@
2017-10-17 Fred Gleason <fredg@paravelsystems.com>
* Moved the man pages to 'docs/manpages/'.
* Stubbed out a Rivendell Operations Guide in 'docs/opsguide/'.
2017-10-17 Fred Gleason <fredg@paravelsystems.com>
* Added the text of the 'Generating and Maintaining Logs with
RDLogEdit' chapter to the Ops Guide.

434
docs/opsguide/opsguide.xml
View File

@ -1766,6 +1766,440 @@
</para>
</sect1>
</chapter>
<chapter>
<title>Generating and Maintaining Logs with RDLogEdit</title>
<sect1>
<title>Logs and Log Events</title>
<para>
A Rivendell log is a sequence of one or more events to be executed by
the system, arranged in chronological order. (This functionality is
sometimes referred to as a playlist in other automation systems).
Several different types of events can be included in a log, along
with parameters governing how and under what circumstances they will
be executed.
</para>
<para>
Upon startup, RDLogEdit will show the current list of all logs on the
system, as in Illustration 19. A number of important attributes of
logs can be seen from this illustration, the first being the log
name, with a summary status indicator next to it. The name is an
alpha-numeric label that is used as a unique “handle” by the system
to reference each log, and can be up to a maximum of 64 characters
long. The status indicator is intended as a quick visual guide as
to whether a particular log is ready for air (green check mark) or
not (red ex).
</para>
<para>
Next comes the log's description. This is a free-form alpha-numeric
label that can be used to record any information that might be useful
to have appear on the log list (e.g. “This log for Sunday's show, don't
modify!”).
</para>
<para>
Next comes a column showing the owning service. Each log is owned
by exactly one service, which determines under what circumstances
the log can be played and where electronic log reconciliation (ELR)
data resulting from log playouts is sent (for an overview of
Rivendell services, see section 1.1.3).
</para>
<para>
Next comes three “status indicator” columns (&quot;MUSIC&quot;,
&quot;TRAFFIC&quot; and &quot;TRACKS&quot;) indicating the log's
degree of readiness for air. A red indicator indicates that the
particular data element is required but currently missing, a green
indicator indicates an element is required and present, while a
white indicator indicates that an element is not required.
Additionally, the “TRACKS” column contains a pair of numbers
indicating how many completed voice tracks exist in the log versus
how many total track markers exist (the subject of voice tracks and
track markers will be covered in more detail below). When all three
of these status indicators show either green or white, the summary
status indicator (at the beginning of the log's entry in the list)
will show as a green check mark, while a red indicator in any of
these three fields will show a red ex. (NOTE: because a log sports
a red ex does not indicate that the respective log cannot be played.
It is merely a visual indicator to allow logs to be quickly
&quot;eyeballed&quot; for completeness).
</para>
<para>
Next comes a pair of columns indicating the valid start date and end
date for the log.
</para>
<para>
Finally, there is a column indicating the log's origin –i.e. the
place, date and time it was originally created.
</para>
<para>
A report that lists the available logs on the system can be generated
by touching the Log Report button.
</para>
<para>
A new log can be created by touching the Add button and entering a
name, or an existing log inspected and modified by touching its entry
on the log list and then touching the Edit button, resulting in the
log being opened in the Edit Log dialog as shown in Illustration 20.
The Edit Log dialog consists of three parts: the top section, where
much of the information shown on the log list can be inspected and
modified; the middle section, which shows the list of events
comprising the log, and the bottom section, where buttons for
modifying and saving the log are located. Each event in a log can
be one of several different types, indicated by the icon displayed
at the start of the line (see Table 6 for a breakdown of the various
icons). The following types of events can be incorporated into a
Rivendell log:
</para>
<sect2>
<title>Audio Carts</title>
<para>
The first, and usually most common type of log event is an audio cart.
As the name implies, audio carts are Library entries that contain
audio material intended for playout. Audio carts were covered in
detail in Chapter Two in the discussion about RDLibrary.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Macro Carts</title>
<para>
A macro cart is a cart from the Library that contains one or more
system commands that can be used to cause the system to take various
actions. They were touched upon in Chapter Two in the discussion
about RDLibrary, and will be discussed in detail in Chapter Seven.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Note Markers</title>
<para>
A note marker is an entry in the log that contains text intended to
be seen by operators and used as a guide or reminder (program coders
sometimes refer to this sort of functionality as a remark or comment,
as seen in the REM command used by BASIC programmers). Note markers
belong to a class of log events known as meta events because (unlike
carts, which exist in the Library independently of whether they are
placed in a log or not), they have no independent existence outside
of the specific log where they are placed. A note marker has
absolutely no effect on the execution of a log other than to simply
display some text at a specified point in a log, and as such can be
useful as a mechanism for making notes or reminders to oneself or
to others who may be executing the log.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Track Markers</title>
<para>
A track marker is another meta event that is very similar in operation
to note markers, with one key addition: track markers designate or
&quot;bookmark&quot; a place in the log where a voice track is to be
recorded. (The entire topic of voice tracks and tracking will be
covered in detail in Chapter Eight). As with note markers, track
markers have absolutely no effect on the execution of a log.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Chain Events</title>
<para>
Each event in a log has a transition type, shown in the &quot;TRANS&quot;
column of the Edit Log dialog. The transition type determines what
happens when one event in a log ends and the next starts. Three basic
transition types can exist in a Rivendell log: PLAY, SEGUE and STOP.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Import Links</title>
<para>
An import link is a placeholder event that shows where events imported
from the external music or traffic scheduling system will eventually
go. They will be covered in detail in the chapter on RDLogManager.
</para>
<para>
Each event in a Rivendell log can have its parameters modified by
touching its entry in the Edit Log dialog and then clicking the Edit
button, thus opening up the Edit Log Entry dialog, shown in
Illustration 21 for a cart event, or Illustration 22 for a meta event.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1>
<title>Event Transitions</title>
<para>
Each event in a log has a transition type, shown in the &quot;TRANS&quot;
column of the Edit Log dialog. The transition type determines what
happens when one event in a log ends and the next starts. Three basic
transition types can exist in a Rivendell log: PLAY, SEGUE and STOP.
</para>
<table xml:id="rdlogedit_event_type_icons" frame="all">
<title>Rivendell Log Event Type Icons</title>
<tgroup cols="2" align="left" colsep="1" rowsep="1">
<colspec colname="Icon" />
<colspec colname="Meaning" />
<tbody>
<row>
<entry>
[AUDIO_ICON]
</entry>
<entry>
Audio Cart
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>
[TRACK AUDIO ICON]
</entry>
<entry>
Voice Track Audio Cart
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>
[MACRO ICON]
</entry>
<entry>
Macro Cart
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>
[NOTE ICON]
</entry>
<entry>
Note Marker
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>
[TRACK ICON]
</entry>
<entry>
Track Marker
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>
[CHAINTO ICON]
</entry>
<entry>
Chain Event
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>
[MUSICLINK ICON]
</entry>
<entry>
Music Import Link
</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry>
[TRAFFICLINK ICON]
</entry>
<entry>
Traffic Import Link
</entry>
</row>
</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>
<sect2>
<title>The PLAY Transition</title>
<para>
If an event has a PLAY transition, then it will begin playing when
the previous event has finished. PLAY transitions are used when
automatic event sequencing is desired with no audio overlap (such
as when playing two voice-only announcements back-to-back).
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>The SEGUE Transition</title>
<para>
SEGUE transitions are similar to PLAY transitions, with one key
difference: if the finishing event contains segue data (either from
the Library or from a custom transition programmed in the voice
tracker), then the event will start before the prior event is
finished, causing the two pieces of audio to overlap and mix together.
SEGUE transitions can be a very powerful tool for creating a variety
of special effects, particularly when used in conjunction with
musical material.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>The STOP Transition</title>
<para>
As the name implies, STOP transitions cause execution of the log to
be suspended prior to execution of the event. This is often the
desired behavior in situations where the log playout needs to be
synchronized to one or more external audio sources (such as remote
satellite feeds), and is commonly used in conjunction with Hard
Timed events (see below).
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1>
<title>Time and Time Types</title>
<para>
All Rivendell log events have an associated time type, which controls
what effect (if any) the passage of time will have on the event.
There are two basic time types: relative and hard. Additionally,
the hard time type has several additional options that further modify
its behavior.
</para>
<sect2>
<title>The Relative Time Type</title>
<para>
The default time type for log events, a relative time type simply
means that the event is assumed to have a start time of whenever
the previous event ends (if it has a PLAY or SEGUE transition)
or whenever it is started (if it has a STOP transition).
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>The Hard Time Type</title>
<para>
A hard time type causes the event to be executed or otherwise acted
upon when the wall clock equals the time associated with the event.
Hard times are a powerful feature that can be used to synchronize
the log to various external events. An event can be assigned a
hard time by clicking the Start at check box in the Edit Log Entry
and filling in the desired time, and will show up with the letter
'T' appearing at the beginning of its listed time in the
&quot;TIME&quot; column of the Edit Log dialog. An event which has
been assigned a hard time can also be set to be a Post Point by
checking the Make Post Point check box (the concept of post points
will be discussed in detail in the chapter covering RDAirPlay).
</para>
<para>
The specific action that is performed when the time matches is
determined by the option parameters supplied as part of the event.
Three basic actions are possible:
</para>
<para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
Start the event immediately
</listitem>
<listitem>
Cue to the event (&quot;Make Next&quot;)
</listitem>1
<listitem>
Wait up to N Seconds, then start the event
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<sect3>
<title>Start Immediately</title>
<para>
As implied by the name, if the event is set to start immediately,
it will be started as soon as the hard time is reached. Any
currently playing events in the log will be stopped down.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3>
<title>Cue to the Event (&quot;Make Next&quot;)</title>
<para>
If set to 'Make Next', the event will be cued up to become the
next event to be executed in the log, bypassing any intervening
events in the log between the currently playing event and the
hard timed one. Any currently playing events are unaffected.
</para>
</sect3>
<sect3>
<title>Wait up to N Seconds, then start the event</title>
<para>
Very similar to &quot;start immediately&quot;, with the
difference that, if one or more events are currently playing,
the log will wait up to the specified number of seconds
before stopping them and starting the new event.
</para>
</sect3>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1>
<title>Editing Log Event Parameters</title>
<sect2>
<title>Specifying a Cart</title>
<para>
The cart number to use for an event can be specified by touching
the Select Cart button in the Edit Log Entry dialog, which will
open up the Select Cart dialog, as shown in Illustration 23.
Alternatively, it is possible to simply enter the cart number in
the Cart field if the number is already known. The Title and
Artist information will be automatically supplied by the system
from the cart's label.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Specifying Meta Event Parameters</title>
<para>
Note marker and track marker events each take only a single
parameter: a Comment text that will show up on the log entry.
In the case of a chain event, the name of the log to chain to must
be supplied in the Log Name field, or the Select button can be
touched to bring up the Select Log dialog to allow a name to picked
from a list of all those available. Note that meta events are
assigned transition and time types just the same as cart events.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Rearranging Log EventsRearranging Log Events</title>
<para>
Existing events in a log can be cut, copied, pasted or rearranged
by touching the appropriate buttons in the Edit Log dialog.
In addition, touch the Delete button will cause the selected
log event(s) to be removed from the log.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Saving or Abandoning Changes to a Log</title>
<para>
Any changes made to a log can be saved by touching either the Save
or OK buttons in the Edit Log dialog. The current log can be saved
under a different name by touching the Save As button, while
touching Cancel will abandon any changes made since the last save.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Missing/Invalid Cart Events</title>
<para>
If a given event has a problem (such as referencing a cart that
does not exist in the Library, or that is not enabled for play on
the log's owning service) its entry will be highlighted either
RED (indicating a missing/invalid cart) or MAGENTA (indicating a
cart without permission to run on the owning service). It's also
possible to generate an exception report summarizing problem cart
entries by touching the Check Log button.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1>
<title>Generating Log Reports</title>
<para>
Various Log reports can be generated by touching the Reports button
on the Edit Log dialog and then selecting the desired report and
touching the Generate button. The following reports are available:
</para>
<sect2>
<title>Log Listing</title>
<para>
A chronological listing of all events in the log.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2>
<title>Log Exception Report</title>
<para>
A list of missing/unplayable carts referenced in the log.
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1>
<title>Auditioning Audio</title>
<para>
The audio referenced by an audio event can be sampled in the Edit
Audio dialog by highlighting the desired event and then touching the
play button. No attempt to evaluate the rotation logic of the event
is made – the audio played is intended solely as a 'sample' to help
identify the type of material.
</para>
</sect1>
</chapter>
<!--
<index>
</index>