So to edit macros, what needs to be written is a CPL decompiler/compiler. If you wanted to edit a macro, the program would copy the CPL commands stored in the macro from the frame into the program, then decompile them into Commands and Parameters that can be edited in a UI. When finished, you then save the macro and the program compiles the changes back into CPL commands that overwrite the commands in the macro. Does that sound right? I would have to agree with you about not seeing macros readdressed. If they won't take the time to even implement user wipes (how hard can it be to save wipe presets?) or partial keyframing.

Mike - The reason for what you are asking is this: On other switchers, macros are stored in the panel. Therefore, when they play out, they mimic button presses just as though the buttons had been pressed on the panel. In the Kalypso, the macros are stored & recalled on the frame - thus the end result of all of the panel button presses gets recalled...not the steps in getting there. A command to CUT on M/E 1 takes into account both the Primary & Secondary sides of the M/E...if they are active at the time of storing the macro. The Kalypso frames does not perform a CUT in the button-press sense. Instead, it changes the state of the selected resources - if both sides are active, it changes both sides and this "both change" is what gets stored & played back. And the reason for the lack of macro editing is frankly this: for a while, there were those at GV engineering who did not understand why macros were as powerful as we users find them...most of the time, having to use a macro is little more than a workaround for a shortcoming of the switcher's ability (or inability) to perform a specific action that the user wants (that applies to any switcher). The thought was that there was nothing that a macro could do that couldn't already be done via a timeline. When we finally convinced GV how important macros were, they used the talents of the same German engineer who did the original DD macros. However, the "brains" of the Kalypso were much more convoluted than those of the DD (hence the current big push by GV to get acceptance of the Kayak which runs on DD-style software). The engineer did a marvelous job of implementing much of the feature set of the DD macros - but because of the Kalypso's CPL code, there were some things that couldn't be easily accomplished given the time frame and the resources allotted. So some things got left out - like macro editing and the ability to introduce the kind of command strings that you mention. In my opinion, (note the disclaimer here) because the main engineering resources have apparently been redirected towards the continued development of Kayak and "beyond Kayak", I really doubt that you'll see Kalypso macros readdressed...which is a shame. A potential workaround for Seth's issue may be do try the following: Rather than selecting both the PRI & SEC sides & pressing CUT, try pressing JUST Pri & then press CUT: then press JUST Sec & press CUT. Possibly the 1st action will do the Pri cut and if the M/E is not in Split mode, the second command (because it is a second separate command) MAY be ignored. This theory could be wrong, but it may be worth a shot.

Bob, Any idea why we can't edit macros on the Kalypso? And it seems odd that the Kalypso remembers CPL states in some cases, and button pushes in others. Like you mention key on or key off state. If it was a CPL state, wouldn't pushing "Key 1 CUT" record the active state of the keyer after pressing the button? Instead, as you point out, it simply records the command to toggle the state of key 1, which seems to me more like a button push. Why then, in Seth's example, would it not simply record the command to CUT on the ME-1 transition panel? No matter what mode the ME was in, PRI, SEC, Normal. I can see where you would want the option of going either way. If you could edit macros, you could do this like the DD series does, allowing you to either "CUT" for a relative result or "SET>KEY 1>FADE IN AMOUNT> MAXIMUM" for an absolute result. or in Seth's example, "CUT>ME-1>PRI>All Selected"

Unlike other switchers where macros mimic panel button presses, macros on the Kalypso are a direct CPL link to the frame. This can be a good thing, such as the menu-oriented machine control that John mentions, or it can be a bad thing - such as not being able to set a specific key on or key off state...macros only toggle the key state. because there is no menu-initiated CPL state to set the exact state of the keyer. Therefore building macros to simply mimic button presses is more of a challange on Kalypso. The macros were designed to give you the end result, rather than repeat the process of getting to the end result. That's why pressing the CUT button while in Double-Take doesn't just press CUT...it causes a state change in the frame for both sides of the M/E - that state change what the macro is addressing...it's not just pressing the CUT button for you like on other switchers.

Seth, This is a crucial difference between the Kalypso and the Sony. The Kalypso remembers the BUTTON push, where the Sony remembers the exact operation performed. I bet if you included a PRI before the take, and a PRI/SEC after, you'd get the desired effect. I don't have acces to a switcher to test this, but I'm guessing it would work.